The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race welcomed huge crowds and record-breaking participation numbers as it celebrated 10 years since the inaugural edition of the event in 2025.

With over 120,000 fans in attendance, the event, which is supported by the Victorian Government through Visit Victoria, once again delivered significant benefits to local businesses and communities across the Geelong, Surf Coast and Bellarine regions.

The event provided an electric atmosphere both on and off the course for fans, families and riders, with the five-day festival of cycling drawing huge crowds roadside and mass participation in the GeelongPort Family Ride and TAC People’s Ride.

The event would not be possible without the hundreds of volunteers that assist event management in a variety of roles, with 815 shifts filled helping out across registration, information, athlete services and general assistant roles.

Steampacket Gardens once again transformed into the Velo Village livesite, which welcomed team and rider presentations, action on the big screens, sponsor activations, food and beverage pop ups and live entertainment.

The GeelongPort Family Ride saw its highest ever turn out, with over 950 big and small cyclists hitting the pavement in the perfect family activity that kicks off an incredible weekend of cycling.

The TAC People’s Ride also saw over 3000 riders ride the same roads as the pros, with the ride this year selling out for the first time in its history.

After proving a major hit in 2024, the mid-week races returned this year with the Women’s and Men’s Surf Coast Classics. These were the perfect precursor to the elite racing on the weekend, with thousands of fans gathering roadside to cheer on the world’s best teams and riders for the Women’s and Men’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Races.

The Seven Network broadcasted the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race men’s event on its main channel nationally on Sunday, for the entirety of the five-hour telecast. The event showcased not only the world’s best international cycling, but Geelong and the Surf Coast region in all of its spectacular glory, with yesterday’s event seeing an audience in excess of 315,000 people.

On Friday January 31, the GeelongPort Family Ride was led by Melbourne Demons Captain Max Gawn and sons George and Louis, riding on a safe, enclosed, flat 2km circuit with over 950 other families joining them in soaking up the sun on the Geelong waterfront.

The TAC People’s Ride, which got underway bright and early on Saturday morning, rounded out the participation events.

With two course options – 124km and 59km – over 3000 riders were led by the star studded lineup including Australian Olympic Gold Medalist Grace Brown, Melbourne Demons Captain Max Gawn, event founder Cadel Evans, superstar Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas and media personality Mark Beretta.

The mid-week racing returned in the Surf Coast Classic for both women and men in 2025 after a successful return last year, with both races providing hard and fast action for spectators and a perfect tune-up ahead of the weekend for riders.

New Zealand rising star Ally Wollaston (FDJ – Suez) put her sprinting prowess on show on Wednesday, crossing the finish line in first place ahead of Chloé Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) to take out the inaugural Surf Coast Classic – Women.

The following day, in a relentless contest of speed and endurance, Danish young gun Tobias Lund Andresen (Team Picnic PostNL) won in a close bunch sprint, narrowly beating out Aussie Sam Welsford (RedBull-BORA-hansgrohe) and German Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl – Trek).

The attention then shifted to the weekend racing, with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Women and Men the final two events to round out the five day festival of cycling.

Fans were out in full force cheering on their favourite cyclists and filling the barricades, with banners, flags and chalk drawings present at popular vantage points across the Geelong, Surf Coast and Bellarine regions.

With two epic finishes, Ally Wollaston (FDJ – Suez) became the first rider in history to complete the double and win the Surf Coast Classic and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in the same week. The following day, Swiss rider Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) claimed victory in brutal conditions to win the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Men, rounding out a huge week of cycling as part of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race event.

The mid-week racing returned in the Surf Coast Classic for both women and men in 2025 after a successful return last year, with both races providing hard and fast action for spectators and a perfect tune-up ahead of the weekend for riders.

New Zealand rising star Ally Wollaston (FDJ – Suez) put her sprinting prowess on show on Wednesday, crossing the finish line in first place ahead of Chloé Dygert (CANYON//SRAM zondacrypto) and Georgia Baker (Liv AlUla Jayco) to take out the inaugural Surf Coast Classic – Women.

The following day, in a relentless contest of speed and endurance, Danish young gun Tobias Lund Andresen (Team Picnic PostNL) won in a close bunch sprint, narrowly beating out Aussie Sam Welsford (RedBull-BORA-hansgrohe) and German Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl – Trek).

The attention then shifted to the weekend racing, with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Women and Men the final two events to round out the five day festival of cycling.

Fans were out in full force cheering on their favourite cyclists and filling the barricades, with banners, flags and chalk drawings present at popular vantage points across the Geelong, Surf Coast and Bellarine regions.

With two epic finishes, Ally Wollaston (FDJ – Suez) became the first rider in history to complete the double and win the Surf Coast Classic and Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in the same week. The following day, Swiss rider Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) claimed victory in brutal conditions to win the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race – Men, rounding out a huge week of cycling as part of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race event.

(Images: Getty / Dario Belingheri, Michael Peters). This article first appeared on cadelroadrace.com