Turning the roads of the Geelong, Surf Coast and the Bellarine Peninsula blue, thousands of cyclists took to the roads once again for 2023 TAC People’s Ride as part of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
In a true celebration of our sport, weekend warriors and eager pedallers alike took in the epic scenery and rolled along the very same roads as the professionals.
Beginning on the Geelong Waterfront in perfect conditions under the start/finish gantry, the 125km ride set off at 7:00am sharp.
They were joined by the man himself Cadel Evans, as well as Olympic Medallist and TAC People’s Ride ambassador Mack Horton.
“It was absolutely brutal,” said Horton, who admitted he may have underestimated the rolling hills of Bells Beach and the climbs of Highton.
“I did no prep work so the 125km was tough! But absolutely I would do again – it was a lot of fun.”
Catering for riders of all ages and abilities with a 125km, 50km and 35km course options, the picturesque roads and bends of the Surf Coast were on full display for everyone to enjoy.
“What a beautiful event – the TAC are so proud to be here,” TAC Acting CEO Liz Cairns said.
“The buzz is amazing. We have a whole weekend of events but the main focus and main message we want to communicate is around road safety.
“This is a great opportunity to get to the cycling community with the road safety message is around keeping everyone safe. Whether your a cyclist, a motorcyclist, a pedestrian or driving a motor vehicle – look out for each other. We want this to become a really enjoyable experience for everyone because a safe ride is a good ride.”
As riders trickled their way through the finish line, many enjoyed their well-earned coffee or post-ride snack in the Event Village, soaking up the morning sun before they headed to the barriers to cheer on the Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race.
In the race, E-Sports world champion, Loes Adegeest from Team FDJ-Suez claimed honours, edging out Australia’s Amanda Spratt (Trek-Segafredo) in a thrilling two-rider sprint. Read more here.