Cadel Evans is hoping to grow his event, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, in years to come and position it as an ideal introduction to the season for top riders.
After the inaugural edition last year, this Sunday’s race has pulled in the likes of Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and Ryder Hesjedal (Trek-Segafredo), and Evans, speaking at a press conference on Thursday, said he wants the race to be a launch pad for the "best season of their careers".
The proximity to the Tour Down Under, the warm weather, and the nature of the parcours are all factors that combine, in the eyes of the 2011 Tour de France champion, to make for a fruitful early-season outing.
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"For the riders’ preparation, like Ryder said, he comes here to get ready for his season and that’s an important part of us having the race," he said.
"It’s a perfect weekend on so many levels, one being we can complement the Tour Down Under as an event and for riders’ preparation. I’d like to think you can come here and train here in good weather – weather that’s good to make you good.
"It’s a race that’s hard enough to be selective, but not so difficult that it’s going to scare people off. It’s a gentle easing into competition because it’s a long season ahead. We have Mark Cavendish here of course, who I would say is pretty firm favourite for the World Championships this year, at other end of the season. As much as we’d love them to win here, I hope that guys like him and Ryder can go off and prepare here well to have the best season of their careers so far."
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