Teams
Returning to Victoria for the third time in 2025, Cofidis will be looking for valuable early season points as they fight to retain their WorldTour Team status at the end of this year.
Their race strategy may favour consistent French sprinter Bryan Coquard, who has experienced victory on Australian soil twice before, taking stage wins at the 2023 Tour Down Under and again most recently on Stage 4 at Victor Harbor in 2025. The sprint finish victory suggests the 32-year-old’s form is in reliable shape ahead of the first one-day classic of the calendar.
Two-time stage winner at the Tour de France, Ion Izagirre of Spain will also guide promising French youngsters Mahoudo and Renard.
- Bryan Coquard (FRA)
- Jesús Herrada (ESP)
- Ion Izaguirre (ESP)
- Jan Maas (NED)
- Nolann Mahoudo (FRA)
- Paul Ourselin (FRA)
- Alexis Renard (FRA)
Start lists are subject to change
Bright, bold and brash, the pink jersey of EF Education – EasyPost returns to the Cadel Road Race for the fifth time, looking for a spot on the podium that has eluded them since.
Happy-go-lucky Colombian climber Esteban Chaves will impart his experience on the young team and is sure to have a lot of local support as a fan-favourite. The 35-year-old, who won the Il Lombardia nine years ago and has five Grand Tour stage wins to his name, is no stranger to Victoria, having won the Herald Sun Tour in 2016.
He’ll captain his six teammates, none of whom are above 23 years of age. Could fans witness a future star emerge in 2025?
- Markel Beloki (ESP)
- Esteban Chaves (COL)
- Alastair Mackellar (AUS)
- Lukas Nerurkar (GBR)
- Yuhi Todome (JPN)
- Jardi van der Lee (NED)
- Max Walker (GBR)
Start lists are subject to change
The famous French team returns to Victoria following last year’s performance in which Laurence Pithie edged his way to victory in a sprint finish. Even though the flying Kiwi has made the move to Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe this year, the team will remain confident with a line-up of young Europeans hungry for success at the WorldTour level.
Veteran Sven-Erik Bystrøm from Norway will be guiding the team that includes promising 22-year-old Englishman Lewis Askey as just one of the unpredictable chances that make up Groupama – FDJ’s squad bound for Geelong.
- Lewis Askey (GBR)
- Sven-Erik Bystrøm (NOR)
- Clement Davy (FRA)
- Eddy Le Huitouze (FRA)
- Quentin Pacher (FRA)
- Rémy Rochas (FRA)
- Matthew Walls (GBR)
Start lists are subject to change
INEOS Grenadiers are ready to make a statement at the 2025 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, fielding one of the strongest line-ups in the pro peloton this year.
Legendary Welsh cyclist, Geraint Thomas will ride in what will be the beginning of a farewell season for the 2018 Tour de France champion. None are more experienced than the double Olympic gold medallist, who first competed in Victoria almost 20 years ago at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, winning a bronze medal on the track.
By G’s side will be 2014 Road Race World Champion Michał Kwiatkowski of Poland. Winner of Milan – San Remo and other one-day classics, Kwiato is a genuine champion of the road who’ll be looking to guide a team who means business.
One to watch will be 22-year-old American ace Magnus Sheffield, winner of Flanders Classic Brabantse Pijl in 2022, as well as Swift cousins Ben and Connor.
- Lucas Hamilton (AUS)
- Michał Kwiatkowski (POL)
- Magnus Sheffield (USA)
- Ben Swift (GBR)
- Connor Swift (GBR)
- Geraint Thomas (GBR)
- Samuel Watson (GBR)
Start lists are subject to change
Perennially competitive at the Cadel Road Race, Intermarché – Wanty return to Australia for the third time having finished on the podium at the past two editions of the race.
Germany’s Georg Zimmerman was but a meter away from victory in 2014, finishing third in a sprint finish and will be hoping his teammates can support him to go two better in 2025.
Fans may also remember cult hero Taco van der Hoorn who led for 135km in a solo breakaway at Cadel’s in 2023. Taking a unique approach to the new year, van der Hoorn recently rode 2014kms across a two-week New Zealand escapade, accumulating 73 hours on the bike in preparation for the Australian racing season.
- Francesco Busatto (ITA)
- Dries De Pooter (BEL)
- Arne Marit (BEL)
- Tom Paquot (BEL)
- Dion Smith (NZL)
- Taco Van Der Hoorn (NED)
- Georg Zimmermann (GER)
Start lists are subject to change
Rocketing up the rankings to finish the 2024 season as the #3 ranked team on the UCI WorldTour, Lidl – Trek’s men’s team has raced every edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
In 2025, their line-up is an exciting mix of experience and youth, featuring veteran Dutchman and 2019 Il Lombarida winner Bauke Mollema, who’ll support Italian one-day specialist Andrea Bagioli among a host of other talented riders.
Making his first senior UCI WorldTour one-day classic appearance, 18-year-old Danish talent Albert Withen Philipsen became the youngest rider to win the junior world road title in 2023 at 16-years-old. He won back-to-back world championships in junior XC mountain biking and will be one to watch on the road in future years.
- Andrea Bagioli (ITA)
- Patrick Konrad (AUT)
- Juan Pedro López (ESP)
- Bauke Mollema (NED)
- Jacopo Mosca (ITA)
- Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER)
- Albert Withen Philipsen (DEN)
Start lists are subject to change
Despite making their first appearance at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race this year, the Spanish-based team arrives in Victoria already with credentials on the one-day classic course.
Eritrean dynamo Natnael Tesfatsion was less than one foot away from victory in 2024, riding for Lidl – Trek that resulted in a photo-finish sprint. The 25-year-old who begins this year in new colours will be looking to replicate that early season form alongside Spaniard Javier Romo, who captured his first WorldTour win on Stage 3 of the 2025 Tour Down Under. Romo’s performance saw him finish second in the race for ochre, nine seconds away from what would’ve been his first GC victory on the UCI WorldTour.
- Carlos Canal (ESP)
- Mathias Norsgaard (DEN)
- Manlio Moro (ITA)
- Gregor Mühlberger (AUT)
- Diego Pescador (COL)
- Javier Romo (ESP)
- Natnael Tesfatsion (ERI)
Start lists are subject to change
German powerhouse team Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe arrive in Victoria on fire with a former champion and wins already on the board in 2025.
Reigning champion Laurence Pithie will be looking to make history with his new team this year after a photo-finish win for the then 21-year-old last January. Success followed Pithie after Geelong last year, in which he briefly held the yellow jersey at Paris – Nice and recorded a top-10 finish at Paris – Roubaix.
Joining Pithie is Aussie sprint machine Sam Welsford, who will have buoyed the confidence of the squad having found the finish line first five times in his first five races of the year – including the two stages of the Tour Down Under, the pre-event criterium, and the Australian National Criterium title. The WA-born 29-year-old was part of Australia’s gold-medal-winning Team Pursuit crew at the Paris Olympics and should he find himself with juice remaining in a bunch sprint, will be hard to outsprint to any line.
Experienced Dutch sprinter Danny van Poppel will guide the team that also includes another NZ rising star, Finn Fisher-Black who joins the team this year after four seasons with UAE Team Emirates. In form, Fisher-Black finished third in the GC at the 2025 Tour Down Under.
- Finn Fisher-Black (NZL)
- Filip Maciejuk (POL)
- Ryan Mullen (IRL)
- Laurence Pithie (NZL)
- Danny Van Poppel (NED)
- Samuel Welsford (AUS)
- Ben Zwiehoff (GER)
Start lists are subject to change
Despite the home-ground advantage, victory continues to evade Australia’s WorldTour team at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Sporting an unmistakably stylish purple kit in 2025, Team Jayco AlUla’s line-up includes three-time Australian Road Race Champion Lucas Plapp and newly crowned champion Luke Durbridge.
25-year-old Swiss puncheur Mauro Schmid is also a national champion and a stage winner at the 2021 Giro d’Italia. He showed his grit at the 2025 Tour Down Under, attacking on multiple stages during the week.
- Luke Durbridge (AUS)
- Christopher Harper (AUS)
- Asbjørn Hellemose (DEN)
- Kelland O’Brien (AUS)
- Luke Plapp (AUS)
- Mauro Schmid (SUI)
- Campbell Stewart (NZL)
Start lists are subject to change
A new name and a new set of riders will race for Team Picnic PostNL at the 2025 Cadel Road Race, determined to replicate the success of 2023 when Marius Mayrhofer won his maiden UCI WorldTour race. While Mayrhofer changed allegiances at the end of 2023, the team will be as confident as ever, with 22-year-old Scotsman Oscar Onley expected to make a big showing in Geelong.
Onley took a tumble at the 2024 Cadel Road Race and unfortunately did not finish, but given a clear run, is one to watch out for on the one-day classic course that should suit. He’ll be supported by his team including Danish sprinter Tobias Lund Andresen, who won the points classification at the Tour of Türkiye.
- Tobias Lund Andresen (DEN)
- Patrick Eddy (AUS)
- Alex Edmondson (AUS)
- Chris Hamilton (AUS)
- Bjoern Koerdt (GBR)
- Oscar Onley (GBR)
- Julius van den Berg (NED)
Start lists are subject to change
Finishing the 2024 season ranked #4 on the UCI WorldTour points leaderboard, Soudal Quick-Step will be hungry for early season team success. The most successful team at the men’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race having secured victory three times (Devenyns 2020, Viviani 2019 & Meersman 2015), ‘The Wolfpack’ arrives in Victoria with a well-rounded team of talented riders and young guns to watch.
Dutchman Pascal Eenkhoorn is a previous winner of the Belgian Classic Heistse Pijl, while Casper Pedersen of Denmark found victory at the 2020 edition of Paris – Tours.
- Pascal Eenkhoorn (NED)
- Antoine Huby (FRA)
- James Knox (GBR)
- Junior Lecerf (BEL)
- Casper Pedersen (DEN)
- Andrea Raccagni Noviero (ITA)
- Pieter Serry (BEL)
Start lists are subject to change
Led by former Australian sprinter Mark Renshaw as Sports Director, XDS Astana Team will be hoping for some X-factor magic at Cadel’s in 2025, taking some of their best available riders down to Victoria.
2024 Italian Road Race Champion Alberto Bettiol is a former winner of Tour of Flanders (2019) and took out the Milano–Torino one-day classic last March. A big chance for the win if set up right, Bettiol will be supported by the experience of 2024 New Zealand Road Race Champion and 11x World Championship medallist on the track, Aaron Gate.
Rounding out the team is three-time African Continental Champion Henok Mulubrhan from Eritrea, and Colombian climber and Vuelta a España stage winner Sergio Higuita.
- Alberto Bettiol (ITA)
- Nicola Conci (ITA)
- Aaron Gate (NZL)
- Sergio Higuita (COL)
- Harold Martín López (ECU)
- Henok Mulueberhan Solomon (ERI)
- Ide Schelling (NED)
Start lists are subject to change
Don’t let their UCI ProTeam status fool you, the squad that makes up the Israel – Premier Tech team is immensely talented and will settle for nothing less than victory at the Cadel Road Race in 2025. Success and points in Geelong may start a season that secures the team promotion to the WorldTour in 2026.
The all-Commonwealth lineup features 24-year-old Kiwi Corbin Strong who goes from strength-to-strength, and Welshman Stephen Williams who experienced a stellar 2024 which included GC wins at the Tour Down Under and the Tour of Britain while also winning the Ardennes one-day classic La Fleche Wallonne.
2024 Canadian Road Race Champion and four-time Grand Tour stage winner Michael Woods famously won the climb up Puy de Dome volcano at the 2023 Tour de France. Fun fact: The former junior runner once broke four minutes for the mile, putting him in elite company on two wheels, and on two legs.
Aussie journeyman Simon Clarke returns to Geelong for the fourth time, having finished on the Cadel’s podium twice before. Never discount a determined Clarkey!
- George Bennett (NZL)
- Simon Clarke (AUS)
- Pier-Andrè Cote (CAN)
- Nick Schultz (AUS)
- Corbin Strong (NZL)
- Stephen Williams (GBR)
- Michael Woods (CAN)
Start lists are subject to change
Invaluable international experience awaits seven young Aussies ready to make a name for themselves at the first global one-day classic of the year. These riders who are part of Continental teams are given the opportunity to ride in the green and gold colours of this AusCycling representative team.
Fergus Browning of CCACHE x BODYWRAP has already caught the eye of many, finishing second in the Australian Championships Road Race in WA, before bold racing in breakaways secured him the Mountains classification at the 2025 Tour Down Under.
Zac Marriage of 7Eleven Clip Roadbike Philippines was part of a two-man breakaway at Cadel’s in 2024, which saw him awarded the King of the Mountains classification.
- Oliver Bleddyn (AUS)
- Fergus Browning (AUS)
- Matthew Fox (AUS)
- Zac Marriage (AUS)
- Rudy Porter (AUS)
- Cameron Scott (AUS)
- Liam Walsh (AUS)
Start lists are subject to change
