Riders in the 2007 race, near Werribee on the outskirts of Melbourne
Riders in the 2007 race, near Werribee on the outskirts of Melbourne
General
Established
1895
Held
October
Country
Australia
Region
South West Victoria
Type
One day classic
Data
Editions
104
First Winner
Andrew Calder (NZ)
Most Recent
Brandan Johnston (AUS), Matilda Raynolds (AUS)
Most Wins
P.Besanko, D. Allan, 3 times
Record Time
5 hours and 12 minutes by Dean Woods in 1990 (267 km)
The Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic cycling race is a one-day road bicycle race. The race started in 1895 and is Australia's oldest one day race and the world's second oldest one day race, after the Liège–Bastogne–Liège Classic. Historically until 1938 the race started in Warrnambool and finished 165 miles (266 km) later in Melbourne. In 1895 the race was run in the opposite direction, from Melbourne to Warrnambool and then again from 1939.[1] The route started in the Melbourne central business district and followed the Princes Highway to Warrnambool on Victoria's western coast. This traditional route was the longest race on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar, the exact distance varying slightly over time.
The race was a handicap event from 1895 to 1995, with riders leaving Melbourne at different intervals. From 1996 the race has been conducted as a Scratch Race with a mass start with up to 250 entrants, categorized into A, B, C, and D grades over a distance of 267 kilometres (166 mi). In 2004 it was changed to 299.1 kilometres (185.9 mi). In the towns on route there are now sprint points to be earned for a sprint champion competition. With six climbs during the day, a King of the Mountains championship is also at stake.
While the race usually attracts Australia's best locally based road cyclists, the increasing number of Australians racing for European-based professional teams have rarely entered since 2010. The race is also open to amateur club cyclists who race for the prizes in the secondary grades, or just to finish before the designated cutoff time.
In 2009 the race start was shifted to Werribee, on Melbourne's outer south-western outskirts, and the race distance shortened to 258 kilometres (160 mi). Several additional hills were added to the route near Camperdown. The primary difficulty of the race remains its length and the strong crosswinds which affect the course. There was no race in 2018 as the event moved from its October date in 2017 to be held in February 2019. The course was also changed, starting at Avalon Airport, through Geelong, Winchelsea, Colac and Port Campbell, before finishing in Warrnambool.[2]
^"Next race to Warrnambool". The Sporting Globe. Melbourne. 15 October 1938. p. 3 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Melbourne to Warrnambool to get a course shake-up in 2019". CyclingTips.com. 22 October 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2019.
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