First teams confirm line-ups for Tour Down Under 2020 as WorldTour racing returns

It has been a long off season for cycling fans, but fear not as top-tier racing returns later this month.

The Tour Down Under is the first men’s WorldTour race of 2020 and always attracts star names eager to mark up an early victory and ease the pressure.

While we’re still waiting for confirmation on the star names lining up in the Women’s Tour Down Under on January 16, the men’s squads have been announcing their rosters.

You can check out the provisional start list for the 2020 Tour Down Under, which runs from January 21 to January 26, here.

The biggest name announced so far is Lotto-Soudal’s Caleb Ewan, a home favourite and seven-time stage winner down under.

Ewan said: “This is my home race and of course I am more than motivated.

“Having won already seven stage wins in the Santos Tour Down Under, I missed a stage win last season so this year I want to be back on the podium.

“I have the form and the speed to win, but many things will depend on tactics, other circumstances and other sprinters. I will be ready.

“I cannot wait to start my season.”

Supporting Ewan will be Brit Jonathan Dibben, who makes his debut with Lotto-Soudal, Thomas De Gendt, Adam Hansen, Matthew Holmes, Roger Kluge and Tosh van der Sande.

Another rider making his debut in Australia is André Greipel, racing for the first time in the colours of his new Israel Start-Up Nation squad.

Greipel will be joined by Alex Dowsett, Rick Zabel, James Piccoli, Ben Hermans, Omer Goldstein and Guillaume Boivin.

UAE Team Emirates have announced their line up and will not be taking their star sprinter Fernando Gaviria.

Instead Belgian prospect Jasper Philipsen will lead the charge, with under-23 time trial world champion Mikkel Bjerg making his WorldTour debut.

Diego Ulissi, Aleksandr Riabushenko, Marco Marcato, Sven Erik Bystrøm and Vegard Stake Laengen will complete the UAE roster.

CCC Team will be spearheaded by Kiwi Paddy Bevin again this season, after Bevin won a stage and led the race for four stages last season.

Bevin said: “It was nice to win a stage last year, lead the race for the best part of the week, and come away with the points jersey. But being so close to the overall is always going to be a tough memory for me. I take confidence knowing I was close and I can be close again.”

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Alongside Bevin, CCC will take Josef Černy, Simon Geschke, Szymon Sajnok, Joey Rosskopf, Francisco Ventoso and Łukasz Wišniowski.

While they have not officially announced their line-up, the newest WorldTour team Cofidis are expect to launch the new era with their star sprinter Elia Viviani.