No locals in UniSA Australia team for Santos Tour Down Under

SA cyclists have been overlooked for a start in wildcard team UniSA-Australia's line-up for the Santos Tour Down Under for the first time.

Top sprinter Caleb Ewan will be leading the UniSA-Australia team in the Santos Tour Down Under.

SOUTH Australian cyclists have been overlooked for a start in wildcard team UniSA-Australia's line-up for the Santos Tour Down Under for the first time.

Harry Carpenter, Robert-Jon McCarthy and Tim Roe staked their claim for a spot on the team with solid rides at last week's national championships in Ballarat.

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But they were unable to squeeze their way into a star squad headlined by gun sprinter Caleb Ewan and five members of the Avanti Pro Cycling Team which races in the National Road Series.

Cycling Australia national performance director Kevin Tabotta confirmed Carpenter, Roe and McCarthy were all considered for selection.

"There was certainly a lot of discussion but it boiled down to a group of bike riders we believed were a better fit for the event," Tabotta said.

"It wouldn't matter which Australian team we were picking, there are always going to be two guys or girls disappointed not to make the team.

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"People will always say 'this guy should have been in' and the positive is we have that depth of talent pushing for spots."

The Avanti riders include reigning NRS champion Jack Haig, Mark O'Brien - who launched a late attack in Sunday's elite men's road race at Buninyong - Anthony Giacoppo, Neil Van Der Ploeg and Campbell Flakemore.

Flakemore along with the seventh rider on the team, Bradley Linfield, are teammates of Ewan's in the Jayco AIS WorldTour Academy which races in Europe.

Previous UniSA teams have included at least one local rider including Jack Bobridge, Luke Roberts, Rohan Dennis and Damien Howson, but Croweaters have missed out this year.

Tabotta said it was a "fantastic opportunity" for the seven emerging young riders who have been picked and he expected them to be competitive.

"We've selected a mix of riders to target general classification (GC) and stage results and expect each of them to acquit themselves well against the world class field," Tabotta said.

"We'll certainly be looking for Caleb Ewan to take the strong form he showed at the MARS National Road Championships into the TDU and beyond this season."

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The UniSA-Australia team has a history of animating the race and won the title overall with Patrick Jonker in 2004, while Will Clarke won a stage for the team at Stirling in 2012.

University of South Australia vice chancellor, Professor David Lloyd, said the university was proud to be associated with the team.

"We know that getting a ride with Team UniSA-Australia is a dream come true for many young riders and in the past 13 years many of the team's riders have gone onto success at the highest level," he said.

"Our TDU sponsorship is a great fit for UniSA - it brings the best of international talent to our community while showcasing our local environment to the world."