Cadel attracts the cream of the cyling crop

Cycling’s top UCI WorldTour teams will converge on Victoria for the 2016 Elite Men’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren today joined Australia’s Tour de France hero Cadel Evans to announce the line-up for the world-renowned race on the Bellarine Peninsula and Surf Coast.
The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race returns for a second year, but this time the event has been awarded higher classification by the Union Cycliste International.
Elevated sanctioning means more first-class giants of the cycling world will descend on Victoria, including Orica-GreenEDGE, BMC Racing, Team Sky, Team Katusha, Lotto-Soudal, Trek Factory Racing, Team LottoNL – Jumbo, IAM Racing and Team Dimension Data.
Mr Eren said the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race saw thousands of fans line the picturesque circuit to see the stars in action, and many more tuning in to the television broadcast.
“It’s another chance for Victoria to show people all over Australia we have the best of everything,” he said.
“Events like the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race keep our regions strong, because they attract visitors from all over the nation and the world.
“They’re here keeping our small businesses busy and our local economies strong.”
The race includes an elite men’s and elite women’s race, as well as people’s ride, where budding cyclists can ride the course themselves alongside the 2011 Tour de France winner.
“It’s great to see some of the giants of world cycling descending on Victoria for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The biggest names belong in the sporting state.
“We’re fast becoming one of the great locations for the big cycling events outside Europe. A line-up like this one only boosts our claim.
“Our calendar of events is impressive, but we’re always working hard to grow it further, because we know a busy calendar means a strong state.”