November 18, 2024
Grace Brown signs on
OLYMPIC gold medallist and world time trial champion Grace Brown has jumped on board the coming Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, signing on as an ambassador for the event.
Brown, who retired from the UCI Women’s WorldTour at the end of this season, will take part in the 2025 TAC People’s Ride alongside race founder and Tour de France winner Cadel Evans.
The announcement at Geelong’s Eastern Beach earlier today (Monday, November 18) also revealed the City of Greater Geelong would nearly double its sponsorship contribution, to $250,000, for the five-day cycling festival, from January 29 to February 2, 2025.
Brown said taking part in the People’s Ride would be “a beautiful way to integrate back into the community”.
“I grew up in Camperdown, not too far from Geelong, and this region was special to me in my youth, so coming back here and also being connected with Cadel – who’s a champion of Australian cycling – is almost a perfect way to start the next chapter.”
Evans thanked the city for raising its level of support and Brown for becoming an ambassador.
“She’s a four-time participant as a competitor, and we’d like to think we’d propelled her to the enormous success she’s had this year,” he said.
“She’s come back to Australia, as am I coincidentally, to be part of the TAC People’s Ride – that’s an honour for me and for all of us.”
The Elite Men’s and Elite Women’s races in 2025 will feature a revamped course, including a new loop around the Geelong Botanic Gardens and reverting to a clockwise direction (heading east from the start line) for the first time since the inaugural race in 2015.
This year’s event attracted 140,000 spectators and generated an economic benefit of $17.8 million to Greater Geelong alone.
City of Greater Geelong executive director of corporate services Troy Edwards said the annual cycling event, supported by the Victorian government through Visit Victoria, was a showpiece on Geelong’s major events calendar and the city was pleased to boost its sponsorship.
“This event is beloved among residents and visitors alike because of the spectacular athleticism on show, stunning views, difficult course and exciting spectator experience."
‘It will feature a new course route and vantage points for spectators, in addition to crowd favourites such as the relentless Challambra climb in Highton.
“I can’t wait to see our community members and local businesses getting around the athletes, cyclists and families taking part in 2025.”
Geelong MP Christine Couzens said the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race was a major sporting event that put Geelong in front of a worldwide audience.
“The state government and the City of Greater Geelong support the event because it means more tourism and more jobs for the Geelong region.”
Registrations for the GeelongPort Family Ride and the TAC People’s Ride are still open.
Read more about Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
Image credit: L-R: Olympic gold medallist Grace Brown and CEGORR race founder Cadel Evans.
