Team Sky names strong squad for Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race

TEAM Sky has named a strong squad for next week’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.

Tour Down Under Stage 4 - Glenelg to Mount Barker. The breakaway with Peter Kennaugh outfront and Jack Bobridge second wheel. Photo Sarah Reed

CYCLING giant Team Sky has named a strong squad for next week’s Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, with the British outfit among a decorated field to contest the one-day classic.

Nine WorldTour teams and five pro-continental teams have nominated their six-man line-ups for the second-edition of the race on January 31.

Sky has named a balanced squad, headlined by emerging Colombian climber Sebastian Henao and two-time British national champion Peter Kennaugh, who lit up last year’s race with a series of searing attacks approaching the Geelong finishing circuit.

Fast man Ben Swift and one-day specialist Luke Rowe, who finished fourth in last year’s race, are also set to throw their weight around.

But Sky will be vigorously tested on the roads of the Bellarine Peninsula, with Orica-GreenEDGE pair Simon Gerrans and Caleb Ewan both in excellent form.

Rohan Dennis is in a BMC team which also includes powerhouses Marcus Burghardt, Alessandro De Marchi and Danilo Wyss.

Rejuvenated South Australian Jack Bobridge will ride for Trek-Segafredo alongside veteran Canadian and former Giro d’Italia champ Ryder Hesjedal.

In a coup for organisers, all three Australian national champions, Bobridge (road race), Dennis (time trial) and Ewan (criterium) will contest the event.

Veteran pair Greg Henderson and Adam Hansen will be there for Lotto Soudal and sprint superstar Mark Cavendish will look to start with a bang with the newly created Team Dimension Data.

The WorldTour and pro-continental teams will be joined on the start line by seven continental outfits and an Australian national team comprising several under-23 stars.

Sky will set up camp in Torquay late next week, but the British outfit won’t be joined by reigning Tour de France champion Chris Froome as was originally planned.

Froome arrives in Adelaide on Monday where he will continue preparations for next month’s Jayco Herald Sun Tour.

He will delay his arrival into Melbourne until February 2 — the day before the start of the Herald Sun Tour.