Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2027: Dates, Getting to Geelong and the People’s Ride, 27 to 31 January (Geelong, VIC)

The Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race runs from Wednesday 27 to Sunday 31 January 2027, with the women’s WorldTour race on Saturday 30 January and the men’s race on Sunday 31 January, and the organisers say there is no designated parking, so the V/Line train to Geelong Station, a 10-minute walk from the Steampacket Gardens finish, is the plan to start from.

This guide uses the race organisers’ own pages, checked on 7 November 2026. The 2027 course maps, closures and start times had not been published at that point, so they are listed as not yet confirmed rather than guessed from earlier years. For parking in Geelong itself, see the guides on parking options and meters in central Geelong and the Melbourne to Geelong train.

What is on, and when?

The organisers’ home page describes a five-day festival that starts with the Surf Coast Classic and leads into the elite women’s and men’s races. Their news release of 14 July 2026 gives the same dates.

Date	Event
Wednesday 27 January 2027	Surf Coast Classic, women
Thursday 28 January 2027	Surf Coast Classic, men
Friday 29 January 2027	GeelongPort Family Ride
Saturday 30 January 2027	TAC People’s Ride; Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, women
Sunday 31 January 2027	Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, men

The FAQ describes the Great Ocean Road Race as Australia’s first UCI WorldTour one-day classic, established in 2015 and owned by Visit Victoria. It says the courses feature technical city circuits and the Challambra Climb, where riders compete for King and Queen of the Mountain jerseys. The Surf Coast Classic is a point-to-point race that the release says starts in Lorne and finishes in Torquay, and the FAQ says it was upgraded to a UCI ProSeries event in 2026.

Where is the start and finish?

The FAQ says arriving at Geelong Station is the most practical option because it is only a 10-minute walk to Steampacket Gardens and the start and finish line. The Geelong waterfront is the base for the weekend. The finish-line course details, closures and the position of the event village for 2027 are not yet published, and the organisers’ course pages for the men’s and women’s races had no 2027 route on them when this guide was prepared.

Can I park near the Geelong waterfront?

The organisers’ FAQ is direct: there is no designated parking for the event, so it is advised to plan ahead. It adds that off-road car parks on the race route will be accessible if the road is open, but that access to and from those car parks may be restricted.

The FAQ describes Geelong as an easy 60-minute drive along the Princes Freeway from Melbourne. The Getting There page gives the road as the M1 and says the drive from the centre of Melbourne is about 60 minutes.

How do I get to Geelong by train, bus or ferry?

From	What the organisers say
Melbourne by train	V/Line services run regularly from Southern Cross Station; the journey is about 60 minutes. Arrive at Geelong Station, 10 minutes’ walk from Steampacket Gardens
Melbourne by ferry	Departs twice daily from Docklands to the Geelong waterfront and the finish line; a 400-seat vessel with an onboard café and free Wi-Fi; book online
Torquay	V/Line coach from Geelong Station
Ocean Grove, Barwon Heads and the Surf Coast	Local bus routes 55 or 56
Tullamarine Airport	About 60 minutes by road; SkyBus to Southern Cross Station, then a V/Line train
Avalon Airport	About 30 minutes by road north of Geelong’s city centre; public transport is limited, so take a taxi to Lara Station for trains, or book MyBus Airport Transfers

Any V/Line timetable changes for race weekend will appear on V/Line’s service changes page. None are listed for the race as of 7 November 2026.

What is the TAC People’s Ride?

The news release calls it Australia’s only participation ride that lets riders complete the same course the professionals race on, held 24 hours before the men’s race and on the day of the women’s race. Registrations for 2027 opened in July 2026. The release says Cadel Evans leads the ride, that it provides a custom Santini jersey, and that about 3,000 people take part. The organisers’ menu lists a 63 km and a 114 km course.

Question	What the FAQ says
Roads	The ride is on open roads, so all riders must obey the Australian road rules; breaking them may get you removed from the ride
E-bikes	Allowed, because the event is non-competitive; encouraged for the 63 km event only, because of battery life and no charging on course
Cut-off	A cut-off policy applies; riders need to average more than 18 km/h to finish in the allocated time
Speed groups	15-20, 20-25, 25-30, 30-35 and 35+ km/h; pick the average speed you can hold for the whole ride
Compulsory kit	Puncture repair kit, spare tubes, pump, rear tail light, a charged mobile phone, nutrition and water bottles
Withdrawing	A full credit to the next event, or a refund minus a 25% administration fee, until 10 December 2026 (11:59pm); from 11 December 2026 to 22 January 2027 only transfers are available

Changes of distance are made through the registration portal or by emailing the organisers.

What is the GeelongPort Family Ride?

It is free, non-competitive and a 1.6 km circuit along the Geelong waterfront. The FAQ says it suits family members aged four and over, and that riders go past the official start and finish gantry. Age and supervision details are required at registration. Human-powered equipment is allowed, including handcycles, adaptive cycles, tricycles and tandems. Motorised or electric devices, scooters, skateboards and rollerblades are not. A support rider or guide may ride with you if you need one, and should register with the person they are supporting. Leisure Networks staff and volunteers will be at an orange tent on the day.

What is the Surf Coast Classic?

It is a professional point-to-point race for elite men’s and women’s teams that opens the week, introduced as an early-season challenge. The FAQ says it runs along the Surf Coast through locations such as Torquay and Bells Beach, over rolling terrain, technical sections and coastal winds. The 2027 release says it starts in Lorne and finishes in Torquay. Road closures along that route have not been published for 2027.

How many people come, and where do I stay?

The FAQ says more than 150,000 people attended the 2026 race. It points visitors to the Visit page for accommodation recommendations by region, with a link to booking.com. Merchandise for the People’s Ride is sold through Santini Australia, and event merchandise through BikeChain.

What is still to be confirmed?

As of 7 November 2026 the organisers have not published the 2027 course maps for the elite races, the road closures, the start times or the event village program. The Weekend Planner and course pages were still empty. This guide will be updated when they appear.

Sources

• Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race — 2027 home page (checked 7 November 2026)
• Get Ready For It: the Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race returns in January 2027 (14 July 2026)
• Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race — FAQ
• Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race — Getting There
• V/Line — Service changes

Featured image: Cadel Evans at the finish of the Great Ocean Road Race, Geelong, January 2015 (photo: Tourism Victoria / CC BY 2.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with the Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, Visit Victoria or V/Line. Event arrangements can change; check the official pages above and the signs on the day.