With the Santos Tour Down Under now less than two months away another ProTeam has announced its line up for what will be the first race in the International Cycling Union (UCI) World Tour. The Dutch Rabobank team will be led by its new signing, World under-23 champion Michael Matthews, according to the race organisers.
“Matthews’ presence will be an added boost to the star-studded race in January 2011,” said Race Director Mike Turtur. “Matthews is immensely talented and has shown he can perform at the big occasions when he won the under-23 road race at this year’s World Championships.”
“The 2011 Santos Tour Down Under will see Matthews making his debut with his new team Rabobank,” he added.
Although the race will be the 20-year-old Canberran’s first outing as a member of a ProTeam it will not be his first appearance at the Tour Down Under. He competed in last year’s event as a member of a combined Australian team, where he finished 81st overall.
As well as Matthews the Rabobank team will feature another Australian: Tour Down Under veteran Graeme Brown, who will be looking to add to his total of four stage wins in the race to date.
“Brown is a great sprinter and boasts a successful record at our event as a four-time stage winner,” said Turtur. “The Santos Tour Down Under is a sprinter’s race and with [Mark] Cavendish, [André] Greipel and now Brown confirmed to race here, we are expecting stiff competition for the Jayco sprint points.”
Besides the two Australians the Rabobank team will be an entirely Dutch one, including Laurens Ten Dam and Pieter Weening; Coen Vermeltfoort, stepping up from Rabobank’s Continental team, will be making his debut at ProTeam level.
Rabobank team for Santos Tour Down Under:
Michael Matthews, Graeme Brown, Tom Leezer, Jos Van Emden, Laurens Ten Dam, Pieter Weening, Coen Vermeltfoort