{"id":445259,"date":"2026-01-29T13:53:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/445259\/"},"modified":"2026-01-29T13:53:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T13:53:16","slug":"elite-cyclists-head-to-geelong-for-criterium-showdown-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/445259\/","title":{"rendered":"Elite cyclists head to Geelong for criterium showdown"},"content":{"rendered":"

A CRITERIUM-style race will replace the cancelled Surf Coast Classic races that were to take place later this week, giving elite riders a lead-in event to this weekend\u2019s flagship events in the Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race<\/a> (CEGORR).<\/p>\n

Central Geelong will host a fast and accessible criterium in parkland tomorrow (Thursday, January 29), following consultation with Victoria Police, emergency services and key stakeholders.<\/p>\n

Earlier today (Wednesday, January 28), CEGORR organisers announced Cadel\u2019s Criterium would be raced over a compact 2km circuit in Eastern Gardens designed to deliver high-speed, technical racing.<\/p>\n

The event will be open to fans keen to catch a glimpse of the 32 WorldTour teams in Victoria to prepare for the weekend\u2019s Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.<\/p>\n

The women\u2019s race will take place from 1pm to 2pm, covering 20 laps for a total distance of 40km, followed by the women\u2019s podium presentations.<\/p>\n

The men\u2019s race will begin at 2.30pm, covering 25 laps for a total distance of 50km, with the men\u2019s podium to follow.<\/p>\n

\"\"The yellow line on this map shows the course of Cadel\u2019s Criterium in Eastern Gardens in Geelong. Image: SUPPLIED<\/p>\n

The format is similar to the Geelong Classic race for the Elite Women riders that was part of the 2024 CEGORR lineup.<\/p>\n

The Cadel\u2019s Criterium races will be broadcast live on SBS in eastern states, with delayed coverage in other regions, and live nationwide on SBS On Demand.<\/p>\n

SBS has added the event to its broadcast schedule, ensuring racing fans across Australia can watch the action unfold from Geelong.<\/p>\n

For CEOGGR\u2019s organisers, the revised format reflects a commitment to rider safety and high performance needs, while continuing to deliver high-quality racing and broadcast outcomes.<\/p>\n

The change comes after the Surf Coast Classic cancellation<\/a> earlier this week due to evolving bushfire conditions in the region.<\/p>\n

The effect on traffic movement in Geelong is expected be minimal, with road closures limited to roads in Eastern Park, including Hearne Parade, Eastern Park Circuit and Podbury Drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cSafety remains our priority, but we are also eager to deliver elite racing for fans, teams and broadcast audiences where appropriate,\u201d CEGORR race director Scott Sunderland said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Geelong criterium allows us to adapt quickly, keep racing on the road and bring the excitement directly into the city.\u201d<\/p>\n

The decision aligns with broader calls for safe riding, highlighted in the region\u2019s strong road safety message<\/a> as the cycling festival season continues.<\/p>\n

Planning for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Races this Saturday, January 31 and Sunday February 1 is proceeding with no identified impacts at this time.<\/p>\n

For more information, head to cadelevansgreatoceanroadrace.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A CRITERIUM-style race will replace the cancelled Surf Coast Classic races that were to take place later this…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":445260,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,85],"class_list":["post-445259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-cycling","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445259"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445259\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/445260"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}