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Arndt wins first WorldTour inclusion of Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

Michael Woods on the attack, comes 15th

January 28, 2017
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Niklas Arndt (Germany/Sunweb) triumphed in the first new race of the WorldTour calendar, Sunday’s third edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. In a thrilling photo finish, Arndt and Simon Gerrans caught Cameron Meyer (Australia/Korda Mentha Reals Estate) at the line in Geelong.

Riders faced a 133-km clockwise loop around South Victoria before three finishing circuits of Geelong of 26-km. Each circuit included the 900-metre, 9.6% Challambra Crescent climb, a shorter but steeper climb and then the haul up Hyland Road, only around 500-metres of 5%, but peaking with just 6-km remaining to the finish.
CEGORR
The women had raced the previous day on the big loop, with Annemiek van Vleuten (The Netherlands/Orica-Scott), who suffered a frightening crash in last summers’ Olympic Games road race, drinking the champagne. Van Vleuten beat a small breakaway in a sprint. Canadian Annie Foreman-Mackey placed 21st.


In the men’s race Aqua Blue Sports’ Irishman Conor Dunne dashed away right after the start, drawing three breakmates. After 20-km the quartet’s lead was over ten minutes. Bora-Hansgrohe and Orica-Scott did a lot of the pacemaking in the peloton. Alexander Porter (Australia/Korda Mentha Real Estate) denied Dunne both intermediate sprint honours at the 24-km and 47-km marks.

A few kilometres later at Bell’s Beach, Angel Vicioso (Spain/Katusha-Alpecin) nabbed the first KOM points. The peloton drew nearer and as the breakaway entered the first of three circuits, attacks from the bunch hastened the catch. Bora lumped itself at the head of the peloton as Vicioso hoped to take the KOM on the first passage of Challambra. One of the cars led the field off course, which kept the breakaway alive.

Porter and Dunne were the last two survivors, Dunne snagging the KOM with 53-km to go. A duo flashed out from the peloton in a bridging attempt, with Quick Step at the front of the peloton to keep the pace high. After one lap there was still a large peloton.


Dunne’s teammate Calvin Watson was the only rider to bridge with 37-km remaining. Sky and BMC then took over the front to reduce numbers, catching the escapees. Canadian Michael Woods burst from the pack to take the second KOM on Challambra and then carried on with three other riders in a new breakaway.

The Woods foursome heard the bell leading by 22-second, but by the time it became a quintet, its cohesion had wavered. The capture made, the race headed towards the last passage of Challambra. Attacks flared off as the pace stayed high.

Kenny Ellisonde (France), called in for Australian duty with new team Sky at the 11th hour before the Tour Down Under, attacked at the foot of Challambra, but his expedition only lasted to the top. A crash split the peloton before the next steep climb. Twenty riders remained in front. More bids for glory–Porte and Froome’s among them–failed as the race headed for the finish.

Porte gassed it with 3.5-km remaining and forced a gap. Froome led the chase and made the capture with 1.5-km to go. It was nail-biting stuff. Cam Meyer when from a long way out and clung tenaciously to his lead but in the last 50-metres Arndt slipped past him, winning by a centimeter. Having won stages in the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Alberta, Tour of Norway the Critérium du Dauphiné, Sunday was Arndt’s biggest one-day victory.

Woods finished in the 23-rider strong pack in 15th place.

The WorldTour takes a break until the Abu Dhabi Tour beginning February 23.

2017 Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race
1) Niklas Arndt (Germany/Sunweb) 4:19:15
2) Simon Gerrans (Australia/Orica-Scott) s.t.
3) Cameron Meyer (Australia/Korda Mentha Reals Estate) s.t.
15) Michael Woods (Canada/Cannodale-Drapac) s.t.