Tuesday, 3 February 2026

 Chris COUZENS (Geelong) (19:29): On the weekend Geelong hosted the Mapei Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Every year, this event draws thousands of spectators, and with all these eyes on Geelong, it is fantastic being able to showcase the best of our community. Thank you to the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events for his ongoing commitment to and support for the race and the Geelong community. I also wish to thank and acknowledge Cadel Evans for bringing his vision to life, along with his amazing team, Jason and Karen; Visit Victoria; and the many sponsors of the race, which is broadcast to 65 countries across the globe. A shout-out to Visit Vic for their tireless work and support to move the Surf Coast Classic to Eastern Gardens in Geelong due to the bushfires. I also want to put on record that the winners of that race have donated their prize money to the bushfire appeal. Elite cyclists from all over the world compete in the race spanning the Geelong region. People line the streets around the course to cheer on competitors, and our waterfront transforms into a lively festival during this event. The economic benefits generated by the large volume of visitors is a huge boost for our accommodation providers, cafes, restaurants and shopping precincts. It was also great to see our new Crowne Plaza hotel open for the first time to visitors for the race. Everyone gets a chance to compete on the same course as the pros. To see their cycling heroes up close creates a lot of excitement in Geelong. The TAC People’s Ride and the GeelongPort Family Ride have thousands of people riding the same journey.