Preview Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2026 - British victory or Jayco AlUla taking a home win both possible

On the 1st of February, the World Tour hosts its first World Tour one-day race of the year: the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The race will take place on the 1st of February, starting at 01:10CET and finish at 05:30CET. We preview the race.

The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race has rapidly become one of the most anticipated one-day classics on the early season calendar. First held in 2015 as a farewell salute to Australia’s only Tour de France winner, Cadel Evans, the race was launched in his home region of Geelong and along the scenic Victorian coastline.

It is a World Tour one-day race, the first of the year, and provides an opportunity for the sprinters and classics specialists to prolong their stint in Australia, as well as chase UCI points and a reputable victory. Notable recent winners in the men's race include Marius Mayrhofer (2023), Laurence Pithie (2024) and most recently Mauro Schmid who won with a solo attack in the 2025 edition. Ally Wollaston was the winner of the women's race.

The Australian race revolves around the city of Geelong, with deep connections to Cadel Evans. It is a mostly flat race all throughout, before entering the final circuit where the riders will race around on four occasions, and they will have two climbs within it.

The climb to Challambra Crescent is 1.3 kilometers at 7.9%. Not too hard, but enough to split the peloton, drop several riders, and on the final lap attack hard, specially as towards the summit it goes up to 15%. It's a very explosive section that ends with 9 kilometers to go where the riders will be in small groups, but have around two kilometers to reorganize.

Following that there will be a small uphill pitch where some attacks are, again, possible, of around 300 meters at 10%. However from there on the race changes quite significantly and the final 6 kilometers will be much more prone to chasing.

Along big avenues, the riders will have only two corners until they reach the finishing straight. It is as simple of a finale as it could be where a solo rider stands little chances, and having a large group can be very beneficial. This is where the balance between the early attackers and the sprinters will be interesting.

The race usually ends in a sprint and it shouldn't be an exception this year. The final kilometers take place by the sea and have no technical features, which makes it very viable for a group to chase back. If it comes down to a sprint, it will be flat and surprises will not be easy, even if we won't likely have strong leadouts.

The temperatures have cooled down since the heat wave that hampered the Tour Down Under and Surf Coast Classic; but the riders won't find calm weather. Quite the opposite, as they will face strong southwestern winds. We can potentially see splits throughout the race, although the direction changes come fast and often. In the final circuit itself it shouldn't affect the main climb, but the small hilltop and kilometers that follow will have a tailwind, which favours attackers without a doubt.

If the race is won with an attack, this likely won't be one in the climbs. But men like Mauro Schmid, Luke Plapp, Santiago Buitrago, Simone Velasco, Andreas Kron, Anthon Charmig and potentially Javier Romo could go for it. However if it doesn't come down to a sprint, it should be a tactical affair, with an attack in the final kilometers likely to decide it.

Men like Plapp or for example Harry Sweeny are extremely dangerous, and almost certain winners if they get a gap in the finale. Matteo Sobrero could also win in such a move; whilst Edoardo Zambanini, Kevin Geniets, Filippo Zana, Ben O'Connor and Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda are also men to watch if the race is very attacked.

But the race can also be decided in a sprint, whether between a group of around 5, or as big as 30/40. The circuit isn't actually that difficult. The riders find climbs, but most of the circuit is flat and easy to chase on, so it's not often that the main contenders risk from far away, and even on the main climb the riders usually wait until the final meters to attack and make the difference. Hence, we usually have the race split in some groups, not in 1's and 2's. And with a few sprinters that can climb very well present, this can certainly mean a sprint will decide the race.

Take Matthew Brennan, who in peak form will be able to respond to attacks directly. There's no 'man to beat' here, but he is going to be a main contender to win the race. The likes of Sam Watson and I will risk saying Brady Gilmore are certainly going to climb very well and stand strong chances in any sprint; Whilst someone like Finn Fisher-Black is a puncheur but has been sprinting so well that he could also win in this scenario.

The startlist also features previous winner Casper Pedersen, Australian champion Patrick Eddy... Sprinters such as Danny van Poppel, Tobias Lund Andresen, Ethan Vernon and last year's runner-up Aaron Gate who will be outsiders; and others such as Laurence Pithie and Corbin Strong who in peak form can win the race, but they are only one of several cards both their teams have.

*** Matthew Brennan, Sam Watson, Finn Fisher-Black
** Mauro Schmid, Tobias Lund Andresen, Danny van Poppel
* Luke Plapp, Santiago Buitrago, Simone Velasco, Andreas Kron, Edoardo Zambanini, Pattrick Eddy, Ethan Vernon, Laurence Pithie, Aaron Gate, Corbin Strong, Brady Gilmore

Pick: Matthew Brennan

How: Reduced group sprint