Organisers secured Chris Froome’s late entry overnight in conjunction with the UCI and Israel Premier-Tech. Fans will see the superstar line up for the Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool starting at 8.00am tomorrow morning at Avalon Airport.
Froome is the tour rider of his generation, and arguably of all-time, and has claimed the Giro’ D’Italia and La Vuelta as part of an all-time glittering career.
- 46 Pro Wins
- 21 Grand Tours
- 9 Monuments
- 4 x Tour de France (2013, 2015-2017)
- 2 x Vuelta a España (2017, 2011)
- Giro d’Italia 2018
- 14 x Grand Tour stage wins
- 3 x Critérium du Dauphiné (2013, 2015, 2016)
- 2 x Tour de Romandie (2013, 2014)
- 3rd, stage 12, Tour de France
This amazing 11th hour world class addition to an already star-studded line up was made possible with terrific support and swift action from race sponsor Powercor, The Warrnambool City Council and Great Ocean Road Regional Tourism.
Froome has been training here ahead of his 2023 European campaign and sees this event as a wonderful way to be a part of Australian cycling history.
Froome’s inclusion will see Victoria’s Summer of Cycling finish with a global crescendo as nearly 200 male and female riders will line up for their tilt at one of the sports oldest and grandest titles.
Tomorrow and Sunday will see participants competing across a festival of cycling, with the two main races bolstered by the locally hosted Warrnambool KFC Criterium and The Royal Bikes Port Campbell to Warrnambool Handicap events.
The provisional start lists (of which Froome will be added to) below showcase international and local riders who have signed up for the 107th edition of the Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool over 267 kilometres, and the second iteration of the ‘instant classic’ Lochard Energy Warrnambool Women’s Cycling Classic – one of the longest one-day road races in the world for women at 160 kilometres.
And while the field is wide open and the ‘Warrny’ is full of fairytale finishes, it seems in the women’s Chloe Hosking, Peta Mullins, Gina Ricardo, Alli Anderson and Lucinda Stewart will lead the charge while in the men’s Kane Richards, Graeme Frislie, Elliot Schultz, Lachlan Morton and Connor Sens will be the ones to watch.
