ARA Australian Cycling Team ready to go all in at Cadel's Great Ocean Road Race

The roads of Victoria’s Surf Coast are set to sizzle this weekend as the summer of cycling continues for Cadel’s Great Ocean Road Race.

Fresh from the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, the ARA Australian Cycling Team returns to Geelong for the Deakin University Elite Women’s Road Race on Saturday.

The experienced Sarah Roy, a former road race national champion, heads up an Australian team that includes two emerging talents set to make their debut in the green and gold.

Queensland’s Mia Hayden and Victoria’s Stephanie Hibburt will join the team for the Women’s WorldTour race, which covers 143km starting and finishing in Geelong and includes the brutal Challambra Crescent climb.

Hayden, 22, last year took out one of Australia’s hardest one day races, the Grafton to Inverell.

Meanwhile, Hibburt, 25, who hails from nearby Port Campbell, will race with the team before taking on next week’s Melbourne to Warrnambool.

They join Western Australia’s Darcie Richards, who returns with the national team after her first WorldTour outing at the Tour Down Under.

Emily Watts, winner of last year’s AusCycling National Road Series, will also be backing up after a successful race in Adelaide.

Watts will carry confidence into Saturday’s race after winning the most competitive rider award on Stage 2 of the Tour Down Under, where she launched a bold solo attack with 10km to go.

“It was amazing to wear the green and gold for the first time and especially to get the green light from our DS Donna (Rae-Szalinski) to be aggressive on that second stage,” Watts said.

“I took great confidence from Nationals and being able to compete with the WorldTour riders, so to take that to the next level at TDU was a great experience and a step in the right direction.”

This Saturday will be her third appearance at Cadel’s, and Watts is keen to continue her momentum.

“I think the biggest takeaway (from TDU) would be to be more confident in my abilities and to maybe make those riskier decisions to get the win,” she said.

“I know I am in way better form than last year as I was recovering from an injury I got at TDU last year. So, I am super excited to hopefully be punching in with the top girls in those city laps.”

The team will also be bolstered by the return of Roy’s Cofidis teammate Josie Talbot, who missed the Tour Down Under due to COVID.

ARA Australian Cycling Team for Cadel’s Great Ocean Road Race

Women

• Sarah Roy
• Josie Talbot
• Emily Watts
• Darcie Richards
• Mia Hayden
• Stephanie Hibburt

Find out how to watch the race here.

Main image: Zac Williams