Past champions Simon Gerrans and Michael Rogers will form part of a powerful Team Sky lineup for the Santos Tour Down Under, which begins in less than two month’s time in Adelaide.
The Australians will line out alongside countrymen Mathew Hayman and Christopher Sutton, as well as the Britons Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift. The team will be completed by the Kiwi Gregory Henderson. He won the Cancer Council Classic which preceded this year’s race, while Sutton scooped the final stage. It marked a successful debut for Team Sky, which was riding its first-ever event.
Race Director Mike Turtur predicts good displays by new signing Rogers, who won in 2002, and Gerrans, who topped the podium four years later.
“As Aussie cycling legends and past winners of the Santos Tour Down Under, the arrival of Rogers and Gerrans will be great for cycling fans. I’d expect to see some strong performances,” he said.
“Gerrans is a great cyclist and has shown his class by winning stages in all three Grand Tours. Mick Rogers will be one to watch in Adelaide as he debuts with his new team. His overall wins in the 2010 Tour of California and Tour of Andalucia shows he is as strong competition as ever.”
Apart from wishing to get the year off to the best start possible, given the stated goal to take more wins next season, the British ProTeam squad has an additional reason to want to do well. It recently signed a deal with IG Markets as a new global partner and will display its logo on the team jersey and shorts.
While Turtur sees Gerrans and Rogers as the two biggest names on the team, he believes that there will be a collective strength and that each rider will play an important part.
“Team Sky will be a force to be reckoned with as they field a competitive team line-up, including Greg Henderson, Christopher Sutton, Mathew Hayman and Ben Swift, who all raced here last year.”
The 2011 Santos Tour Down Under will begin on January 16 and run until the 23rd. It takes place in Adelaide and its environs.
Several other big names have already been confirmed, including Mark Cavendish (HTC Highroad), André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto), world under 23 champion Michael Matthews (Rabobank), Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo) and Lance Armstrong (Team RadioShack).