Team Sky announces early-season race line-ups

Team Sky has revealed the riders that will be taking part in the forthcoming Mallorca Challenge, Great Ocean Road Race, Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and Dubai Tour.

The British WorldTour team currently has two groups of riders training in Australia and on the Spanish island of Mallorca in readiness for the next few weeks’ events, and then on to the spring classics and European stage races.

Tour de France champion Chris Froome will commence his season at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race in Australia on January 31, and will be joined by Ian Boswell, Sebastian Henao, Peter Kennaugh, Salvatore Puccio, Luke Rowe and Ben Swift.

Froome will then take part in the Herald Sun Tour, also in Australia, over February 3-7, with Boswell, Henao, Kennaugh, Puccio and Rowe.

>>> Chris Froome insists he did not ‘snub’ Tour Down Under as he arrives in Adelaide

Meanwhile, in Mallorca a pool of riders will dip in and out of the four separate events that make up the Mallorca Challenge from January 28-31. Nicolas Roche, Andy Fenn, Michal Kwiatkowski, Leopold Konig, and time trial world champion Vasil Kiryienka are among those taking part.

Selected riders from the Australian and Mallorca contingents will then converge for the Dubai Tour on February 3-6. Elia Viviani and Ben Swift will head up Sky’s charge for stage victories.

Meanwhile, the team fields a strong line-up of climbing talent in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in Spain with Benat Intxausti, Vasil Kiryienka, Leopold Konig, David Lopez, Mikel Nieve, Wout Poels and Nicolas Roche joined by young British talent Alex Peters.

>>> Ben Swift unsure of future with Team Sky

Team Sky early season squads

Mallorca Challenge: Trofeo Felanitx (January 28)

Andy Fenn, Michal Golas, Vasil Kiryienka, Christian Knees, David Lopez, Gianni Moscon, Nicolas Roche

Mallorca Challenge: Trofeo Andratx (January 29)

Andy Fenn, Benat Intxausti, Vasil Kiryienka, Leopold Konig, Michal Kwiatkowski, David Lopez, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Nicolas Roche

Mallorca Challenge: Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana (January 30)

Michal Golas, Benat Intxausti, Christian Knees, Leopold Konig, Michal Kwiatkowski, David Lopez, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Nicolas Roche

Mallorca Challenge: Trofeo Palma (January 31)

Andy Fenn, Michal Golas, Vasil Kiryienka, Christian Knees, Michal Kwiatkowski, Gianni Moscon, Lars Petter Nordhaug

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (January 31)

Ian Boswell, Sebastian Henao, Pete Kennaugh, Salvatore Puccio, Luke Rowe, Ben Swift

Herald Sun Tour (February 3-7)

Chris Froome. Full team to be confirmed soon…

Dubai Tour (February 3-6)

Andy Fenn, Michal Golas, Christian Knees, Gianni Moscon, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Ben Swift, Elia Viviani

Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana (February 3-7)

Benat Intxausti, Vasil Kiryienka, Leopold Konig, David Lopez, Mikel Nieve, Alex Peters, Wout Poels, Nicolas Roche