The Shimano Super Criterium (#shimanosupercrit) is back for its fourth year, on Sunday 13th December, 2015, with a field that includes some of the best national and international professional cyclists. A super strong line-up will be battling for $25,000, one of the richest prize pools in cycling, also boasting equal top prize money for men and women across the entire event.
Leading Orica GreenEdge (OGE) rider and cycling legend Simon Gerrans will again lead a long list of professional riders and NRS Team riders. This list includes: Simon Clarke and Mitchell Docker (OGE); Koen de Kort and Shannon Johnson (both riding for Charter Mason Giant); Scott Sunderland is returning to defend his title, with a strong Budget Forklifts team that includes Samuel Witmitz, Tommy Nankervis, Jacob Kaufmann and Mitchell Mulhern; Olympic pursuit track rider Alex Edmonson (Inform Racing); Jack Haig (joining OGE in 2016) will represent MAAP Racing; ex-Tour de France rider Jonathan Cantwell will lead the SKCC composite team; Avanti Racing will be represented by Neil Van Der Ploeg, Anthony Giacoppo, Patrick Shaw, Mark O’Brien, Mitchell Lovelock-Fay and Chris Hamilton, and; Drew Ginn will be representing Rapha Racing (coming off the back of his recent 24-hour effort on the Brunswick Velodrome).
Simon Gerrans did a few laps of the SKCC circuit on the 19th of November, ‘marshalling’ the B Grade bunch, and getting a feel for the circuit in anticipation of the big day on the 13th of December. He’s looking forward to putting on a good show, as he indicated when he spoke with SKCC:
“It’s nice to get out here a couple of weeks before the race and get a feel for the circuit again. It’s a good opportunity for us to have a bit of a hit-out as part of our pre-season preparation. It’s a great circuit, it’s a great atmosphere as well here, and St Kilda do an awesome job of putting on a race.”
The Women’s Elite race will also be a prestigious affair, with last year’s winner, Kimberley Wells returning to defend her title (riding for the High5 Dream Team), with the support of Kendelle Hodges, Sam de Riter, Tessa Fabry and Jess Mundy. The Dream Team will be facing the likes of Loren ROWNEY, Carlee TAYLOR and Valentina SCANDOLARA (the trio will be racing for Roxsolt); Geelong (and Orica-AIS) rider, Chloe McConville (riding as a privateer); 2015 will see Jo Hogan back from the US and riding for the Total Rush-Hyster team, alongside UK riders Gaby Leveridge and Rose Osborne, and local rider, Bridie O’Donnell (who will be challenging the Women’s UCI Hour Record in early 2016). The 2015 race will also feature the naming rights sponsor for the women’s elite race as they launch the new BikeBug-NextGen women’s NRS team for 2016, with a squad from around Australia and New Zealand that will compete at the 2015 Supercrit.
Live commentary will be provided by Tour de France commentators Matthew Keenan and cycling legend, Scott McGrory.
The St Kilda Cycling Club (SKCC) will be the host of this event, and it will be a carnival event on White St, South Melbourne, with a family friendly focus, and it will be a free spectator event. There will be plenty of food and beverage outlets and heaps of kids’ activities.
The following are the event partners and naming rights sponsors:
- Shimano Supercrit – naming rights sponsor for the event and the men’s elite race
- BikeBug/AnchorPoint – naming rights sponsor for the women’s elite race
- Giant – naming rights sponsor for the support races
- Renault – official vehicle provider for the Shimano Supercrit and lead/pace car
- Sam Miranda – official beverage supplier and VIP hospitality provider for the Shimano Supercrit
