Watch the Melbourne to Warrnambool and the Women's Warrnambool Classic live and free on SBS On Demand this February 4 and 5.
The Melbourne to Warrnambool is back on SBS screens this February, with the oldest and longest race on the National Road Series calendar again expected to be hotly contested.
Saturday, February 4 and Sunday, February 5 2023 will see participants competing across the Melbourne to Warrnambool Festival of Cycling, with international and local riders descending from across the country.
Olympian and former Commonwealth Games Champion Chloe Hosking and former winner and five-time Australian MTB Champion Brendan Johnston will be on the startline talking on the cream of the domestic cycling crop.
The 107th edition of the Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool will be run over 267 kilometres, with the 150-strong peloton setting off from Avalon Airport on the Saturday, beginning their trek to the finish on Raglan Parade in Warrnambool.
With a storied history stretching back to 1895, it’s not just the race distance that is imposing. It is aspirational - with the legacy of the race one of the most significant in Australian cycling history.
The women will travel the same course as the Melbourne to Warrnambool, albeit a shorter route that will start in Colac for the Lochard Energy Warrnambool Women’s Cycling Classic. It is one of the longest one-day road races in the world for women at 160 kilometres and last year's inaugural race stamped it as an instant classic on the calendar.
Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said the state government was proud to support the event.
“The Warrny is a classic race, and the weekend an important pathway now for male and female riders. It’s also a significant event for the region, bringing in hundreds of competitors and supporters and providing a welcome boost to local economies and jobs.”
Shane Wilson, Chairman Melbourne To Warrnambool Committee, has long been a driving force behind the organisation of the event and continues that focus into the running of the 2023 edition.
“We are delighted to announce the launch of the 2023 Melbourne to Warrnambool. With our major partners Powercor and Lochard Energy, and the Warrnambool City Council and Victorian State Government, 2023 will see the 107th edition of the iconic Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic and the second edition of the Warrnambool Women’s Cycling Classic.”
How to watch the Melbourne to Warrnambool on SBS
Saturday, February 4
Powercor Melbourne to Warrnambool Cycling Classic
11:30am – 3:00pm AEDT on SBS On Demand
Sunday, February 5
Lochard Energy Warrnambool Women’s Cycling Classic
10:30am – 2:00pm AEDT on SBS On Demand
