Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2026: Men's & women's course, TV times, favourites & favourites
Leon Weidner
· 30.01.2026
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2026: The most important facts in brief
- Date: 31 January (women), 1 February (men)
- Distance: 185 km (men), 141 km (women)
- Start: Geelong
- Target: Geelong
- Start times: 1:10 (men), 2:40 (women)
Following the cancellation of the Surf Coast Classic races at short notice, the men's and women's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race is to go ahead as planned. This is good news for the teams, who are organising their stay until the one-day races before flying back to Europe.
Hardly any change compared to the previous year
There were hardly any changes to the course compared to last year. The start and finish are still in Geelong and the biggest challenge of the day for both men and women is the Challambra Crescent. The climb is rated at almost 9 per cent, but is only 1.1 kilometres long. The last kilometres to the finish line lead the peloton downhill, which is why a sprint from the group or a bunch sprint is most likely. However, Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) showed in 2025 that you can also win as a soloist with a perfectly placed attack. In contrast to the Tour Down Under, moderate temperatures await the riders this weekend, with the 25 degree mark not expected to be exceeded according to the forecast. After the queen stage of the men's tour had to be shortened a few days ago because the temperature climbed above 40 degrees, this should also be reassuring news for the teams.
Who will win the Cadel Race?
Classics specialists are likely to have the best cards again this year. Although the finish is downhill, which should favour the pure sprinters, they will usually be left behind shortly beforehand. The sprint out of an elite group is most likely here, and last year's winner will also be back.
The favourites among the men
Last year's winner Mauro Schmid is back on the start line. With his second place at the Tour Down Under a few days ago, the Swiss rider from the Australian racing team Jayco AlUla showed that he has already arrived in the 2026 season. The classics terrain suits the 26-year-old, who is once again one of the favourites. The winner from 2024, Laurence Pithie (Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe), will also be competing again. Marius Mayrhofer won the one-day race in 2023 and was actually in the line-up of his team Tudor Pro Cycling, but unfortunately will not be able to fight for victory after his crash on stage 1 of the Tour Down Under.
Matthew Brennan (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) should also have a good chance. With his sprinting prowess, other riders in a group are likely to find it difficult to win against the young Brit, who also feels at home on classic terrain. Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), Corbin Strong (NSN Cycling Team), Aaron Gate (XDS Astana Team) and Samuel Watson (INEOS Grenadiers) are also in with a chance.
The favourites among the women
In the women's race, it seems to be all about two riders. Firstly, there is Ally Wollaston (FDJ United - Suez), winner of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2025 and two-time stage winner in this year's Tour Down Under. Many also thought she could win the Tour of Australia overall, but she had to abandon the race on the final stage and fell far behind in the overall classification. After a few days of recovery, however, she should be fit again and looks hard to beat in the one-day race. The second top favourite is Swiss rider Noemi Rüegg (EF Education - Oatly), winner of the Tour Down Under in 2025 and 2026. Alongside Wollaston, she is an absolute force to be reckoned with, having finished third in last year's Cadel Race.
In addition to Wollaston and Rüegg, there are a number of other riders who are less likely to win. With Mavi García, Paula Blasi and Dominika Włodarczyk, three riders from UAE Team ADQ are among the favourites. In that order, the three finished 2nd to 4th in the Tour Down Under a few days ago. Sarah Van Dam (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Amanda Spratt (Lidl - Trek) could also pull off a surprise victory if the race goes the right way.
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race start time
The women's race on Saturday will start at 2.40am (CET), with the finish expected at around 6.30am. The official start time for the men's race on Sunday is scheduled for 1:10 am (CET), with the finish at 5:30 am.
Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2026: TV broadcast & live stream
The men's and women's races will not be shown on TV in Germany. Both races will be broadcast on Discovery Plus a paid live stream will be offered. This begins for the Women's race on Saturday at 5:00 am and for the Men's race on Sunday at 3:00 pm.
Leon Weidner
Working student
