Sagan, Gilbert, Van Avermaet, Deignan - Cadel Evans' wishlist for his namesake race is top shelf.
The only Australian to win the Tour de France is happy with how Geelong's Cadel Evans Great Ocean Rd race is progressing after three years.
Now he wants to have the best one-day classic riders going for the win.
Evans briefly returned from watching the Tour de France for Tuesday's launch in Geelong.
Speaking at the top of the brutally steep Challambra climb - a key feature of the race - Evans said he wanted the likes of Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, Greg Van Avermaet and Lizzie Deignan targeting the January 27-28 event.
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This year's edition featured Richie Porte, Chris Froome, Esteban Chaves and Simon Gerrans, while Mark Cavendish had also competed.
But Evans wants to take the headline acts to the next level.
"Of course we'd like to see the top-level (one day) riders," he said.
"Particularly if you look at the results this year - Sagan, Gilbert, Greg Van Avermaet are riders who we'd love to have compete here.
"To be able to see those three riders go head to head here, all fit, that would probably be the ideal scenario.
"It's still a long way off from 2018 and the riders are still only halfway through their seasons."
Evans' race is positioned intentionally after the Adelaide Tour Down Under, so international teams can easily transition from one race to the next in their early-season Australian trip.
The men's race already has World Tour status and, next year, the women's event will also go up in classification, meaning the top 10 teams will compete.
Evans noted that the first three winners of the men's race - Gianni Meersman, Peter Kennaugh and defending champion Nikias Arndt - were different types of riders.
For Evans and race director Scott Sunderland, that is already mission accomplished.
"While we may have wanted to change the course, we don't want to (now), because it's already so unpredictable," he said.
