Round Preview - Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Festival
The classics are upon us, here's who to keep an eye on in round 3
Let’s Go Motorhomes Men’s League
Australia’s oldest and longest one day classic at 267km, the Melbourne to Warrnambool is usually defined by two elements; distance and wind. The combination of these two has the potential to create an exciting spectacle as the peloton wears down, leaving only the strongest riders to contest the finish.
The Course
The race starts at Avalon Airport and heads inland through Colac before reaching the Great Ocean Road with 75km to go. Crosswinds from the Southern Ocean often split the peloton here and this is where the race to win really begins. The final stretch takes riders inland through Allansford to the uphill finish on Raglan Parade.
Riders and Teams to Watch
Team Brennan_ and CCACHE X BODYWRAP come in as two big teams to watch, boasting some of the top performers in challenging classics from recent years. Alongside the Australian National Road Race champion Pat Eddy, Brennan bring League leader Levi Hone who will look to earn as many points as possible to continue his bid for the PSL overall title, while CCACHE have a variety of options for sprints, reduced groups and the breakaway.
Previous winner Mark O’Brien makes his return with Sul Nutrition - Giant and can never be discounted in an arduous race like this, thriving in the challenging conditions we so often see. Other strong contenders to watch for include Julian Baudry (VIS p/b K.O.M.P), Nick Thompson (Falcons Pedal Mafia Racing) and Tom Chester (Team Rauland).
The question as always for such a long and challenging event is; who can put it together on the day?
SBS Women’s League
Beginning as its own classification in 2015, the women’s event ran alongside the men, both starting together in a mass start for the 267km course. This changed to a standalone women’s event in 2022 for a 157km course starting in Colac, the longest Women’s one day race in the world!
The Course
The course follows the same route as the men’s event from Colac, heading to the Great Ocean Road where crosswinds can have a large bearing on the outcome of the race. The riders then head inland through Allansford to the uphill finish on Raglan Parade.
Riders and Teams to Watch
The big teams and riders go head to head once again in what we expect to be a thrilling battle into Warrnambool.
An immensely strong force so far this season, Team Redcat bring League leader Sophia Sammons alongside a deep roster of talented riders, including sprint favourite Keira Will. Sammons has made her intentions to fight for the overall PSL title clear, and she will need the strong support around her to continue that bid.
Meridian Bikebug come into round 3 with a stacked roster that includes Alyssa Polites, Amelie Sanders and Kirsty Watts. With a very strong team around them and numerous opportunities to make the difference they will be closely watched throughout Sundays event.
Butterfields Ziptrak Racing’s roster is under wraps for now, but if we can expect last years champion Katelyn Nicholson and sprint favourite Odette Lynch in the mix, they will be a big threat for a repeat win.
Others to watch out for include Isla Bradbury and Abby McLain (NSTRMO x Attaquer x CCACHE), and Meg Macdonald (Women’s Cycling Development Initiative p/b Balmoral CC)
You can catch all the action of the 2026 ProVelo Super League season in-person, or enjoy expanded broadcast coverage live and on demand on SBS in Australia, Sky New Zealand in NZ with all broadcast stages live stream to the rest of the world on www.provelosuperleague.com and Facebook.
Angus Calder - Cycling Analyst
