News | Santos Tour Down Under • January 11, 2023
Squad announced for Down Under as season gets underway
World Tour calendar begins in Oz after 2-year hiatus
UAE Team Emirates have announced the team to take on the first challenge of the year as the team heads to Australia for the Santos Tour Down Under (17-22 Jan).
The six days of competition will be based in and around Adelaide, kicking off with a 5.5km prologue.
It will be the first time the race has been held since 2020, where Diego Ulissi climbed the podium for 2nd overall.
This year the UAE contingent will be captained by the experienced head of George Bennett on the road with the likes of Marc Hirschi and local rider Jay Vine capable of contesting for the overall podium.
Vine is excited to make his Tour Down Under debut in his home race.
Jay Vine: “I’m really looking forward to starting my first World Tour event as a World Tour rider.We have a really strong team coming into the race with plenty of options for wins. This race has been postponed the last couple of years so everyone in Australia is excited to get it back and us riders feel the same.
It’s been a really good build up with the new team and we’re coming in off a solid training camp together before Christmas so now I’m just keen to show my strengths with the new colours on.”
The team will be guided by Sports Director Marco Marcato (Ita) who will oversee the seven man squad:
Santos Tour Down Under [2.UWT] – 17-Jan-2023 / 22-Jan-2023
Sjoerd Bax (Ned)
George Bennett (NZ)
Alessandro Covi (Ita)
Finn Fisher Black (NZ)
Marc Hirschi (Swi)
Jay Vine (Aus)
Michael Vink (NZ)
The same team will also take part in the Schwalbe Classic criterium (14 January) and the first single-day World Tour race of the calendar the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race (29 January).
