Last night, TAG Heuer celebrated its new partnership with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race with a glamorous cocktail event at its Melbourne Flagship Boutique and a special guest appearance by the Australian cycling champion and 2011 Tour de France winner himself – Cadel Evans.
TAG Heuer’s partnership with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2017 builds on the brand’s association with professional cycling which has recently been revived by the dynamic partnership with BMC Racing Team after a 20-year hiatus from the sport.
Cadel Evans commented, “I am delighted that we welcome TAG Heuer as the Official and Exclusive Timing Partner of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. Cycling is a sport defined by time. Every second, every minute and every hour was critical for me in each race I ever competed in and so it is with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race. The race and its riders share important values with TAG Heuer – precision, durability, and an uncompromising thirst for success. There is no doubt that if you are to win it, you cannot crack under pressure.”
Evans headlined the star-studded guest list, which included professional boxer Lauryn Eagle, fellow sporting stars Bianca Chatfield and Sam Bramham, as well as social personalities including Bree Laughlin, David Witko, Pettifluer Berenger and Olivia Wells. Guests also enjoyed tunes from local favourite, DJ Andy Murphy.
Marc Biver, TAG Heuer’s Global Sports & Timing Director hosted the evening and spoke to Evans about the unprecedented success of his Great Ocean Road Race since its debut in 2015 (which also marked the former world champion’s last professional race) and his excitement to be riding back on home soil for his second People’s Ride.
Then in true TAG Heuer “Don’t Crack Under Pressure” spirit Cadel delighted guests in taking on professional boxer & fellow TAG Heuer friend of the brand, Lauryn Eagle, in a virtual cycling race using actual footage from the 2016 Great Ocean Road Race.
In a fitting end to the evening, guests were gifted a signed copy of Cadel’s new book – The Art of Cycling – the highly-anticipated autobiography from the cycling legend.
Having recently joined forces with Evan’s Tour de France winning team, BMC Racing Team, TAG Heuer’s partnership with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race is the next step in the brand’s return to the world of international cycling after a legacy that dates back to 1946 with pocket chronometers for measuring races and trials.
“TAG Heuer has a long history with cycling. The sport and its values are deeply-rooted in our DNA so we’re thrilled to partner with the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race 2017 as we continue our dynamic relationship with professional cycling,” said TAG Heuer’s Sports & Timing Director, Marc Biver.
“Cadel is a good friend of the brand and we were delighted to welcome him to the heart of TAG Heuer in December where he toured our Swiss head-quarters and manufacturing facilities. The partnership with the event named in his honour is a fitting extension of our relationship with the greatest Australian cyclist of all time,” added Biver
Introduced in 2015, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race is the first event of its kind in Australia. Inspired by the prestigious “Spring Classics” of Europe, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race provides a weekend of the world’s best cycling, delivering high excitement and intense competition. The third edition of the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race will be held from Thursday 26 to Sunday 29 January 2017.
The elite men’s race has been elevated once again by the UCI, and from 2017-2019 will feature on the UCI WorldTour calendar – the pinnacle of world cycling. This year the event also introduces the inaugural Race Melbourne with TAG Heuer as the Official Timekeeper. Held on Australia Day 2017 (Thursday 26 January), the event features a criterium (circuit) style race for both elite men’s and women’s cyclists on the world-famous Albert Park Race Track – home of the Australian Grand Prix.
Image credits: Lucas Dawson Photography
