The Australian champion and 2011 Tour de France winner chose the new 174-kilometre course for his swansong.

In the first Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road race, which drew eight World Tour teams, the man of the moment remained on the cusp of a fairytale finale until the last dash.

The course, which passed through Bells Beach and Torquay and which Evans helped design,  finished with three circuits of Geelong punctuated by climbs.

A group of nine, which featured Evans (Team BMC) and his one-time national teammate Simon Clarke (Orica-GreenEDGE),  broke away from the peloton and contested the last sprint.

Given Clarke was instrumental in helping Evans win his world road race title in 2009, he was probably the man Evans would have most wanted to win if it couldn't be him.

But Etixx-Quick Step rider Meersman nudged out both Clarke and fellow Australian Nathan Haas (Team Cannondale-Garmin) who placed third.

"It was incredibly aggressive racing," Evans said.

"It was almost like riding a World Championships with a slightly smaller field over a smaller distance."

Evans hoped the event would gain World Tour status  to become a genuine classics-style fixture on the international calendar.

Early in the race, five riders including Australians Darcy Woolley, Josh Taylor and Brodie Talbot gained a lead on the peloton of four and a half minutes. While it was unlikely to stay ahead given the best riders were in the chase group, a crash that upset the group and removed one rider from the race did not help.

Haas's Cannondale-Garmin team split the peloton with about 80 kilometres remaining.

Evans and Richie Porte and reigning British world road champion Pete Kennaugh (both Team Sky) were among the stars that missed the move and so helped drive the ensuing  attacks   which led to the formation of a bunch of nine contenders after a solo attack from Italian Moreno Moser (Cannondale-Garmin) failed in the final six kilometres.

"I was really happy I could finish it off," said Meersman, who also rode in the Tour Down Under. "The last two days I've really been taking it easy and it paid off today.

"For sure it was nice that Cadel was here for the public, and it was nice that he was in the front group ... for the [first edition of the race], it was awesome.

"It's not because I won, but I think it was a really nice race."

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race: 174km, Geelong

1 Gianni Meersman (BEL) Extixx-QuickStep 4hr 15min 22sec

2 Simon Clarke (AUS) Orica-GreenEDGE

3 Nathan Haas (AUS) Cannondale-Garmin

4 Luke Rowe (GBR) Sky

5 Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC

6 Giampaolo Caruso (ITA) Katusha

7 Moreno Moser (ITA) Cannondale-Garmin

8 Danilo Wyss (SUI) BMC

9 Pete Kennaugh (GBR) Sky 0:00:07

10 Heinrich Haussler (AUS) IAM Cycling 0:00:09