Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

Date
Sat 31st January 2026 (UTC)
Sat 31st January 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-01-31T01:40:00

Time

01:40:00 UTC (12:40:00 Local)

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League
UCI Womens World Tour

Season
2026

Round
2

Status
Match Finished

Location

Video Highlights

Play on YouTube

Event Statistics

Description

The 2026 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race - Women returns to the rugged Victorian coastline for a 141.2-kilometer test of endurance and tactical grit. The strategic narrative centers on the dual passage of the Challambra Crescent climb, a steep 1.2-kilometer ascent with gradients reaching 22% that serves as the traditional launchpad for decisive attacks. With the final crest located just 9 kilometers from the finish on the Geelong waterfront, riders must balance the raw power needed for the climb with the tactical awareness required for the technical, high-speed descent.

The headline story focuses on Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ), who aims to become the first back-to-back champion in the race's history after her breakthrough victory last year. She faces a formidable field, including the newly crowned Australian national champion Mackenzie Coupland (Liv AlUla Jayco) and the resurgent Noemi Rüegg (EF Education–Oatly), who showed elite form during the Tour Down Under. Strategically, teams with numerical strength like UAE Team ADQ and Lidl-Trek are expected to apply pressure on the Bellarine Peninsula crosswinds to isolate the sprinters before the peloton reaches the punchy urban circuits of Geelong.

Reports

Result List

01				Ally Wollaston	3:54:55

Result Description

Ally Wollaston (FDJ-SUEZ) etched her name into the history books as the first rider to defend her title at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, winning a thrilling small-group sprint in Geelong. The New Zealand sensation proved her tactical maturity, remaining calm as a flurry of attacks from Mavi García and Mireia Benito fractured the peloton on the final ascent of Challambra Crescent. Wollaston utilized her teammate Amber Kraak to neutralize a late solo move from Benito before positioning herself perfectly for the final 200-meter dash.

The finale was a showcase of explosive power, as Wollaston held off a surging Josie Nelson (Team Picnic–PostNL) to cross the line in 3h 54' 55". Nelson, continuing her remarkable start to the 2026 season, secured her second WorldTour podium in a month, while Mireia Benito (AG Insurance–Soudal) held on for a well-deserved third place. Local favorite Mackenzie Coupland delighted the home crowd with a strong fourth-place finish, narrowly missing out on the podium in her first WorldTour appearance as national champion. The victory cements Wollaston's status as the dominant force of the Australian summer, having now secured three WorldTour wins in the opening month of the season.

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