The Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race marked the conclusion of the Australian racing block. The riders covered 182 kilometers in and around the port city of Geelong. The finale featured four ascents of the short but steep Challambra Crescent.  

In the chase of three breakaway riders, Team Visma | Lease a Bike was alert in the peloton in support of team leader Brennan. The young Brit had already sprinted convincingly to his first victory of the season at the Tour Down Under last week and once again made a strong impression. Well before the finish, the breakaway was caught, after which Team Visma | Lease a Bike kept the pace high in the peloton. Heading into the finale, Anton Schiffer was involved in a crash, but he was able to finish the race.  

In the final lap, attacks followed one another in quick succession. On the Challambra Crescent, Brennan responded to the accelerations every time. A compact peloton eventually began the fourth and final ascent. At the five kilometres to go mark, Santiago Buitrago launched an attack. Only a few riders, including Brennan, managed to bridge the gap to the Colombian. A small group then sprinted for the win. Brennan opened his sprint from far out but was overtaken by Andresen in the final meters.  

“The team made sure I was in a good position throughout the entire race,” Brennan said afterward. “I was always excellently positioned when entering the Challambra Crescent, which was always a key point on the local circuit. In the finale, I had the legs to respond to the accelerations every time, but unfortunately I launched my sprint about a hundred meters too early. That was a misjudgment.”  

Sports director Jesper Mørkøv added: “The guys rode a strong race, exactly as we had planned. They controlled the race with confidence. It was unfortunate that Anton was involved in a crash, because he certainly could have supported Matthew in the finale. As a result, Matthew was somewhat isolated, but he rode an impressive finale. He reacted alertly to the attacks from the competition while also taking the time to conserve energy for the sprint. In the end, he went just a bit too early, allowing a strong Andresen to come past him. Of course we would have liked to win here, but a podium finish in a WorldTour race is a good result."