Women's Edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, 2025

The 2024 edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race marked a significant milestone for Ally Wollaston (FDJ-Suez) as she secured her first one-day WorldTour victory. The race, which took place in Geelong, Australia, returned to its original clockwise format after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 142km race was a thrilling one, culminating in a reduced bunch sprint. Wollaston outperformed her competitors, crossing the finish line ahead of Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) and Noemi Rüegg (EF Education-Oatly) who took second and third place respectively.

The victory was not a surprise to many, as Wollaston had been showing impressive form in the lead-up to the race. Her team, FDJ-Suez, had been a force to reckon with, and their strategy paid off on the day.

The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race is renowned for its challenging course, which sends riders along the coast before looping back inland to the Geelong circuit, including the Challambra climb. This year was no exception, with the race proving to be a test of endurance and skill for all the participants.

The women's event has seen significant growth in recent years. The Deakin University Elite Women's Road Race was added to the Women's WorldTour calendar in 2020, and the mid-week criterium was introduced for the women's event in 2024, following its introduction for the men's event last year.

In 2023, the Deakin University Elite Women's Road Race was won by Alice Barnes, but the 2025 event was not held due to unspecified reasons. Instead, the focus shifted to the upcoming 1.1 ranked elite women's Surf Coast Classic, scheduled for Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

Rosita Reijnhout (Visma-Lease a Bike) defended her title from the previous year, making her the back-to-back winner of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Sofia Bertizzolo won the mid-week criterium of the Geelong Classic.

Cyclingnews will be providing comprehensive coverage of the 2024 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race - Women, including race reports, results, photo galleries, news, and race analysis. Stay tuned for more updates from this exciting event.