Elite Women to set pace on screen
THE Deakin University Elite Women’s Race goes from strength to strength with a stellar line-up of star riders set to compete.
Eleven international teams have been confirmed for the women’s UCI 1.1 classification race, including Australian powerhouse MitcheltonSCOTT.
International teams TrekSegafredo, Astana Women’s Team, Doltcini-Van Eyck Sport, Swapit Agolico and Rally Cycling will compete in the event for the first time.
Reigning champion and Commonwealth Games gold medalist, Australia’s Chloe Hosking, will return to defend her crown with Italian team Ale Cipollini.
The race action takes places across the stunning roads of Geelong, the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast, with the public encouraged to get out and cheer on the athletes. In 2019, the race will return to free-to-air TV, with Seven broadcasting the race live and in full on 7TWO, giving fans Australia-wide the chance to enjoy all the action.
The founder of team TIBCOSilicon Valley Bank and Silicon Valley Cycling Foundation, Linda Jackson, said the broadcast announcement was a positive step forward for women’s cycling and broader women’s sport.
“Live television coverage is exactly what our sport needs to continue its growth,” Jackson said.
“It’s very exciting for all of the stakeholders in this sport — athletes, fans, bike manufacturers and sponsors — to see women’s cycling on the path to reaching its muchdeserved potential.”