The Geelong Tour boasts a huge startlist for 2006. There are riders from North America, Europe and Asia Pacific this year. Last year and 2004 winner, Oenone Wood lines up again with Team Nürnberger, joining her in the blue strip will be Kate Bates, the Australian road race champion and U23 classification winner of this race in 2004. Olivia Gollan, the 2003 race winner will be on the start line, riding this year for Italian team, Nobili Rubinetterie. Also in the Nobili squad is Miho Oki, who had a good 2005 World Cup in Geelong, the Japanese Champion was fifth. Second on General Classification last year, Susanne Ljungskog, returns to the race in a mixed team, Team Cheerwine/Bicisport, with Australian Helen Kelly included in the squad.

The new-look T-Mobile women's team makes its debut at Geelong, with Judith Arndt leading a strong team which includes Kimberley Baldwin and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. This will be the first visit of the magenta jersey to compete on Australian shores. Another team visiting Australia for the first time is Team FRW - the Italian squad which includes sprinter, Giorgia Bronzini. Olga Slyusareva leads the Russian National Team, another first-time team at the event, as is the Japanese National team. The Giant Pro cycling team, with five Chinese and one Hong Kong rider makes its UCI debut this week. Swiss team, Univega have been training in Australia for a few weeks now. Local rider, Emma Rickards took the sprint in a mixed men's and women's club race on Sunday (Click here to view report) and team newcomer, Nicole Cooke, has stated her intention to take overall World Cup glory this year. Team Safi is represented in 2006 by sprinter, Rochelle Gilmore and newcomers from Britain, Charlotte Goldsmith and Amy Hunt. Emma Coulson, better known for her MTB victories is also on the team and is a useful road rider. 

There are plenty of National teams listed; Australia, New Zealand and Germany are all race regulars. Team USA, which includes National Criterium Champion, Tina Pic made their race debut. Pic took a stage win last year whilst riding for the Lloyd Morgan team. 

The Australian team is strong, as would be expected. Jenny Macpherson has recovered well from shoulder surgery and recently took overall honours in the Adelaide criterium series, which took place during the Tour Down Under. Alexis Rhodes, Australian criterium champion is also in the team, which also includes Amanda Spratt, Candice Sullivan and Hannah Banks.

Stages

The Geelong Tour includes varied racing. A time trial along the Bay at Portarlington starts the event with Stage 1 to be held on Tuesday morning. The 8km test has been interesting in the past 2 races due to the fact that the rider awarded the winner on the day has seen the result amended later on. In 2004, a recording error saw Kate Bates hand the leader's jersey over to Katie Mactier overnight. Last year, in 2005, winner, Kathy Watt, was relegated for an illegal adjustment to her handlebars. The change turned her bike into something reminiscent of a time trial bike, whilst the rules required a standard road race bike. 

Tuesday will also see the riders competing in Stage 2 -  a 30km criterium. The Portarlington circuit includes a hill to the finish line. This circuit too, has caused some excitement in the past 12 months. A year ago, in the Geelong Tour, Oenone Wood and Joe Kiesanowski were separated only after consideration of the photo finish, whilst in January 2006, Wood again had a close finish in the Jayco Bay Series. This time, she and Katie Mactier were judged to have finished in a dead heat. 

On Wednesday, the racing moves to Barwon Heads, were the riders will complete 8 laps of a 10km circuit. With the start / finish area on the coastal road, the wind can be a factor here on the flat circuit. The past two years of competition on this stage have resulted in bunch sprints, with Petra Rossner winning in 2004 and Tina Pic in 2005.

Thursday's road stage is usually a day of dread for the riders. The infamous climb of Mount Wallace occurs about half way through the stage and is so steep that riders typically find themselves overgeared for it. Those with previous experience will be asking their team mechanics to make sure that they have a 25 or 27 tooth sprocket on the freewheel to go with their 39 tooth chainweel at the front. For the contenders, it is important to be near the front approaching Mount Wallace, as the race tends to split. Those who know they do not climb well will want to make sure that they don't lose too much time and that they give themselves the best possible chance of getting back in touch with the stage leaders afterwards on the run-in back to Lara. 

Stage 1 : Tuesday 21st February

Portarlington Time Trial, 10:30am  8km

Stage 2 : Tuesday 21st February

Portarlington Criterium, 2:30pm   30km  (1km circuit)

Stage 3 : Wednesday 22nd February

Barwon Heads,  10:30am  80km (8 laps, 10km circuit)

Stage 4 : Thursday 23rd February

Lara, 10:30am  115km road stage

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Startlist

** Denotes under 21 rider

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