The 2022 racing season is drawing to a close and it’s time to plan your cycling holiday for early in the new year with the Tour Down Under and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race returning to the UCI calendar.

 

The WorldTour returns to Australia next January. First up is the Tour Down Under festival of cycling in South Australia (13-22 January) – with men’s and women’s stage races… and the next weekend it’s off to Geelong for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, again for both men and women.

Both these Australian events are built around a carnival atmosphere, where cycling is the focal point. And a key element of the races is ensuring there are also plenty of activities for the bike riding enthusiast. Yes, you can see some of the world’s best compete, but you also get a chance to make the most of the summer holidays and participate in cycling activities in South Australia and Victoria.

Click the image to find out more about the TAC People’s Ride on Saturday 28 January 2023.

Both events are heavily backed by their respective state government and the aim is to encourage people to consider bike riding as part of everyday life.It was recently confirmed that the Victorian one-day races that start and finish in Geelong, host city of the 2010 world championships, are back on the UCI calendar. Both the men’s and women’s races feature as part of the top-tier WorldTour, so the fierce competition for valuable UCI points will be on again in January.

After a hiatus of a couple of years, it’s a great opportunity for Australian fans to witness world-class racing action… and have a holiday at the same time.

 

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race schedule

    • Friday 27 January: ‘Vegemite Family Ride’, Geelong Waterfront
    • Saturday 28 January: TAC People’s Ride and Deakin University Elite Women’s Race
    • Sunday 29 January: UCI WorldTour Elite Men’s Race

 

 

If you book your spot in the ‘TAC People’s Ride’ before 16 October 2022, there are discounts on offer.

The People’s Ride is one element of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race festival and it includes options of 35km, 50km or 125km, meaning there’s a distance to suit riders of all abilities. (Note: pricing will change as the date for the People’s Ride draws closer, so get in early to save a few bucks and ensure you’ve got a spot.)

The long option of the CEGORR mass-participation ride is “a replica of the elite course”, sending riders through Torquay, Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove “before heading across the Bellarine Peninsula, over Challambra and back to the Geelong waterfront”.

Challambra is, of course, the feature climb on the circuit for the main event, and was a key part of the race route for the worlds back in 2010.

Get in the mood, have a look at the official site and start your preparation. World-class bike racing is returning to Australian shores this summer. Make sure you’ve got your holiday plans sorted and don’t miss out on a place in the rides associated with both Australian WorldTour events.

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