Farrar to ride Tour Down Under

American sprinter Tyler Farrar will ride the Tour Down Under in Australia in January, the opening race in the 2011 World Calendar.

Farrar will undoubtedly be hoping to give the newly amalgamated Garmin-Cervelo squad its first win.

"It's great for our race to have a cyclist of Farrar's calibre competing here in January. I believe he could be the next big threat to international sprinters," said race director Mike Turtur. 

"Farrar has had an impressive [2010] season, with two stage wins each in the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana as well as finishing top three in some Tour de France stages despite a broken wrist." 

With just over two months to go until the stage race kicks off the 2011

race season, organisers are slowly releasing details of who will be

riding the event. 

Late last month, Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) confirmed that he will make the 2011 Tour Down Under his last professional road race outiside the USA.

The 2011 Santos Tour Down Under is an six-stage race based in and around Adelaide, South Australia. The race kicks off on Tuesday January 18 in Mawson Lakes and concludes with a circuit-based stage around Adelaide on Sunday January 23. A one-day warm-up race, the Cancer Council Classic, takes place on Sunday January 16.

Andre Greipel won the 2010 Tour Down Under for HTC-Columbia, winning three stage along the way. The German sprinter has signed to Omega Pharma-Lotto for the 2011 season.

2011 Tour Down Under: Stages

Sun Jan 16: Cancer Council Classic

Tues Jan 18: Stage one - Mawson Lakes to Angaston, 138km

Weds Jan 19: Stage two - Tailem Bend to Mannum, 146km

Thurs Jan 20: Stage three - Unley to Stirling, 129km

Fri Jan 21: Stage four - Norwood to Strathalbyn, 124km

Sat Jan 22: Stage five - McLaren Vale to Willunga, 131km

Sun Jan 23: Stage six - Adelaide City Council Street Circuit, 90km

Related links

2011 World Calendar

Tour Down Under 2010: Cycling Weekly's coverage index

Subscribe to Cycling Weekly: The perfect Christmas gift>> (opens in new tab)