As Geelong’s on the coast, it was inevitable that this stage would have a fair whack of descending in it: and there is actually a lot of it. But sadly for your legs, there’s also a heck of a lot of climbing, and on another day this would go down as a climber’s stage. It’s a busy stage that doesn’t do much until the middle, but once it kicks off, it really kicks off.
The rollout is uphill for two miles to the north/south junction of Mount Pollock Road where the Princes Highway hangs a right onto an eight mile straight that climbs for most of its length. The road passes Lake Modewarre at four miles and the Barrabool Road junction a mile later: it links up with that route again at thirteen miles but Mark Beaumont’s route remains on the M1 for now.
The climb tops out at Hendy Main Road at ten miles, which heads south to Moriac, some three off the M1 after the summit, which is also the highest elevation of the stage. That’s followed by a two mile down up after which the road turns left onto the C111 Devon Road, descending rapidly to cross Waurn Ponds Creek at eleven miles. As usual, the crossing throws up a climb on the other side and this one goes on for a mile and a half to the second junction with the Barrabool Road at twelve miles.
There, the road swings right as it comes off the hill and it meanders left and right down a long descent to cross the Barwon River at sixteen miles. It rises on the other side before hanging a right at seventeen miles for the final approach to Geelong. By now the C111 has become the B140 and that road crosses the M1 at nineteen miles, just before Fyansford Common. There, the road snakes right/left/right/left around the Old Australian Portland Cement Works followed by Herne Hill and Elderslie Reserve.
Coming off the bends and the final climb up to Geelong College at twenty one miles, the road straightens out on its way into town before hanging a left at The Gordon Institute at twenty two miles. That sets up the final run to the line on the western shore of Corio Bay. The finishing line itself is midway between the districts of Drunmcondra and Rippleside.
Distance: 24 miles / 38 kilometres
Ascent: 984 feet / 300 metres
RGT Magic Road: zrwse1FLpum0
Max elevation: 508 ft
Min elevation: 34 ft
Total climbing: 985 ft
Total descent: -1158 ft
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