"We want to have all the top riders coming here" - Cadel Evans on the development of his Great Ocean Road Race
Cycling
A former winner of the Tour de France, Cadel Evans is one of the most renowned Australian cyclists of all-time and in early 2024, the eighth annual edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race takes place.
"After our hiatus [because of COVID-19 in 2021 and 2022 ed.], like everyone in life, we’re making our way back to where we were,” says the 46-year-old in quotes collected by The Times in his hometown of Barwon Heads. “We’ve got the momentum going again from this year, so let’s work on keeping it going, and speeding it up."
Evans is clearly very proud of his race and has big ambitions for its standing within the sport. “It’s one step at a time coming back to bigger and better things, but the interest from the international teams – especially the European-based teams – is growing, and for them to travel back to Australia and prepare for a big season is returning to what it was before," he explains.
“That was always the goal, to be in the top tier, and I’m still really proud of the fact that within three years, in both male and female, we got to the WorldTour,” Evans continues. “Ultimately, we want to have all the top riders coming here and be one of the monuments of cycling, but of course they’ve got an 80-year head start on us."
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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In the community 💙 We paid a visit to Northern Bay College this morning to help us launch the GeelongPort Family Ride. As Cadel says, "follow your dreams" - we'll see you this summer! 🌞🚴♀️
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