The team has officially announced the names of the riders who will participate in the Tour Down Under scheduled from January 17th to the 22nd. Matthew Brammeier (GBR), Gerald Ciolek (GER), Andrew Fenn (GBR), Serge Pauwels (BEL), Gert Steegmans (BEL), Matt
The athletes will also take part in the Down Under Classic scheduled for Sunday, January 15th, on the roads of Adelaide.
“The overseas event in Australia will be the team’s 2012 debut on the road,” explains Sport Director Rik Van Slycke. “We’re lining up for the start with a young group, ideally captained by Steegmans and Ciolek. “Our goal is to try and clinch a stage success so that we begin 2012 in the best way there is. We’ve got a good train set up with Brammeier and Fenn, who are fast men. Steegmans and Ciolek will have to capitalize on their team mates’ work and try to win a stage. The second-to-last stage features an important uphill arrival. It could even be the perfect terrain for an athlete like Pauwels.
The team will leave for Australia on January 5th, from Amsterdam. Ciolek decided to anticipate the transfer and he already left yesterday so that he can better adapt to the time difference and take advantage of the Australian climate to do a couple of good training sessions.”
