Cadel Evans' party is back
The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race takes place this weekend (the women's race on Saturday and the men's race on Sunday) after a two-year break caused by the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic. So, we are celebrating, as both the Santos Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race have returned in the same year, leaving the pandemic behind and fully resetting the start of the pre-COVID WorldTour calendar.
The race is named after Cadel Evans, the greatest Australian cyclist of all time, road world champion in 2009 and winner of the Tour de France in 2011. However, Evans does not simply give his name to the event, as he is involved in the organization and is the visible face of the race, which has been held since 2015. As a curiosity, it is the only men's WorldTour race to bear the name of a cyclist.
The women's race route
The women's race on Saturday features a 142-kilometre route starting and finishing in Geelong that includes 1,358 meters of climbing, mostly concentrated in the final part. The three climbs to Challambra Crescent (1.3 km at 7.1%) are the ideal terrain to make a difference.
The favorites for the women’s race
Grace Brown (800), Alexandra Manly (800), Clara Copponi (800), Amanda Spratt (400), Gladys Verhulst (400), Chloe Hosking (400), Ruby Roseman-Gannon (200), Brodie Chapman (200), Georgia Williams (200), Krista Doebel-Hickok (200) or Laurens Stephens (200) are some of the favorites for the women's race.
The men's race route
The route of the men's race is identical to that of the women's, with the difference that 2 laps are added to the final circuit. Thus, the men will have to overcome Challambra Crescent (1.3 km at 7.1%) up to five times to add the 179 km and the 1785 meters of positive slope.
The favorites for the men’s race
Ethan Hayter (1200), Michael Matthews (1000), Jay Vine (400), Simon Yates (800), Caleb Ewan (800), Maximilian Schachmann (600), Marc Hirschi (600), Mauro Schmid (400), Alberto Bettiol (400), Magnus Sheffield (400) or Jai Hindley (800) are some of the most prominent names for a very open race, which can be won by both a sprinter and a puncheur.