‚It gives me a bit of belief‘ – Ally Wollaston lines up as defending champion at Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race with firing form

Final yr, when Ally Wollaston (FDJ United-SUEZ) headed into the ladies’s Mapei Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Highway Race, there might have been some doubt over whether or not or not this sprinter might make it over the quick however sharp climb of Challambra positioned far sufficient up the sphere to stay a menace on the finish of the race.

This yr, the primary on her again will depart little doubt about her capabilities on the essential ascent that peaks at 11% within the closing part, which the riders should deal with twice on the native loop.

„Challambra is an important level, and I feel after Challambra on the second lap, it is a actually tough race to manage,“ stated Wollaston, a day forward of Saturday’s Girls’s WorldTour race. „You want numbers within the entrance group, and in case you’re remoted as a sprinter, it isn’t really easy to make it to the end line in good nick, so I feel undoubtedly the final lap is the place the race can be received.“

You could like

The Challambra climb is a breaking level for a lot of, however was a making level for Wollaston in 2025, as final yr Wollaston caught agency with a number one group of round a dozen after the ultimate climb earlier than warding off the cost of Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Staff ADQ) and Noemi Rüegg (EF Schooling-Oatly) within the dash.

Rüegg is as soon as once more coming into the race contemporary from general victory on the Santos Tour Down Underneath, however this time, Wollaston too is strolling away from South Australia with two stage victories in hand. What’s extra, they had been removed from flat finishes, which might solely bode properly for Wollaston’s possibilities of as soon as once more having the ability to withstand the problem, after her profitable effort in 2025 additionally proved her versatility as a rider.

„I feel it offers me a little bit of perception that I can get round a course like this,“ stated Wollaston when requested the way it feels to be lining up as defending champion. „I feel final yr was a fairly pivotal second for me in my profession and confirmed that I am greater than only a sprinter.“

The 25-year-old’s journey as a rider on the highway, nonetheless, remains to be in its early levels, so the yr forward for the rider who snared two medals on the monitor on the Paris Olympics can be one other of exploration. And it doesn’t matter what occurs on Saturday, it has already obtained off to a stellar begin in Australia.

„I am wanting ahead to a different season on the highway. I feel for me I am nonetheless feeling my manner by the races and determining what works for me and what would not,“ stated Wollaston. „I’d like to do one other Grand Tour or two this yr, I am beginning to actually take pleasure in stage racing, so hopefully I can get right into a bit extra of that, and a number of the early Classics I feel can be an enormous goal for me.“

However first, there’s a title defence to consider within the 141km Cadel Evans Nice Ocean Highway Race on Saturday.

„I am going to simply attempt to keep actually calm and benefit from the race to come back tomorrow,“ stated Wollaston. „I feel it is one in every of my favorite races on the calendar.“