Neo-pros Kristoffer Halvorsen and Chris Lawless will make their first appearances as Team Sky riders alongside Egan Bernal at the Tour Down Under.
Halvorsen will have leadout support from Jon Dibben and Owain Doull, with the seven-man squad completed by Salvatore Puccio and Lukasz Wisniowski.
The racing takes place on the roads around Adelaide, with the action kicking off with the now traditional pre-race People’s Choice Classic criterium (January 14).
On the lineup, Team Sky Sport Director Brett Lancaster explained: “It’s a really young and exciting team and we’re keen to see how these guys develop.
“We’ll be gunning to try and take a stage win. We’ve got Kristoffer as our lead sprinter. His form is a bit unknown coming straight from Norway and stepping off the plane into temperatures of close to 40 degrees.
“Puccio is our road captain and the most experienced rider in the team. He’s been pro since 2012 but he’s only 28 years old, which tells you how young the team is.
“Egan has already raced in a lot of big races. He’s no longer a neo-pro but he’s very young still. It’s going to be a really good chance to see where he is at, especially against the Australian riders who are in a home race and adapted already. We’ll see what happens come Willunga Hill and we’ll look to put him in a good position.
“It’s Willunga again where the race should be decided. Stage four has a good climb too but it’s similar to what we’ve seen in recent years. That Willunga day will be interesting for sure.”
