Cadel Evans has unveiled plans for a new cycling event which is expected to attract some of the world's best cyclists to his home area in Victoria.

Inspired by Europe's prestigious Spring Classics, the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race will be held over the January 31-February 1 weekend next year, with an elite women's race on the Saturday and elite men's race on Sunday.

Evans, the 2011 Tour de France champion, was in Geelong on Thursday to launch the event, which has been given a 1.1 (one-day, category one) rating by international governing body the UCI.

The course starts in Geelong and travels through Barwon Head, where Evans has a home, then through Thirteenth Beach, Torquay, Bells Beach and the rolling hills around Moriac before a dramatic finish on the Geelong waterfont.

While long on scenery, Evans admitted it didn't suit his riding strengths. "No, it's my own race but I designed it with longevity of the race, sustainability of the race and interest of the race in mind rather than my own riding characteristics," he said.

Evans will turn 38 just 13 days after the race and there's no guarantee he'll still be riding professionally for much longer. "My contracts are coming to an end. At this point I will be riding in my BMC colours (in the Great Ocean Road race) and beyond that, we'll see," Evans said.

The course follows much of the route for the 2010 world championships, which were held in Geelong, adding some history and pointing toward an open contest.

"You really don't know what's going to happen until the last few kilometres which of course makes it much more interesting, much more exciting, and more appealing to a broad range of riders," Evans said.

Organisers said the Australian-owned Orica-GreenEDGE team and Evans’ American-owned BMC Racing were already set to take part in the race and it seems certain to attract other World Tour teams as it falls just after the Tour Down Under in South Australia from January 17-25.