MESSAGE FROM CADEL EVANS

WELCOME to the 2019 edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Forgive me if I seem to be repeating myself, but the event continues to grow at an incredible rate each year and 2019 promises to be our biggest by far.

The return of the Family Ride – or should I say the VEGEMITE Family Ride – is fantastic news and it delivers one of our key goals of inspiring our next generation and their families to enjoy being active together. In pairing up two iconic Australian pastimes such as riding our bikes and enjoying VEGEMITE, we have the opportunity to positively influence so many young Australians for years to come – and have a heap of fun doing so.

The Swisse People’s Ride returns — on Australia Day no less — and I’m honoured the organisers have seen fit to acknowledge my 2009 UCI Road World Championships victory (10 years!) via the inclusion of some rainbow stripes on the ride jersey.

This really is the best day of my riding year and I’m very aware of how special this ride is for so many people in so many different ways.

I can’t wait to roll out with all of you – after an early morning Grinders Coffee!

To our elite teams and their riders competing in the Elite Men’s Race, the Deakin University Elite Women’s Race and Towards Zero Race Melbourne, we wish you all the best for another fabulous few days of racing. The quality of riders we have here to contest our races from all around the globe is simply astonishing and we are very lucky to have them here competing on what I think is one of the best – if not the best – one-day race course in the world.

So whether you’re watching the action from Barwon Heads, Torquay, Bells, Challambra Crescent, the Geelong waterfront or having a barbecue frontyard party anywhere on the course, cheer loud, create some colour and atmosphere and let’s showcase why we think Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast region is indeed the best place in the world!