The Jayco Herald Sun Tour is back on the UCI calendar and has attracted a very strong line-up for its 61st edition. Spearheaded by Simon Gerrans who is going for his third big win in the Australian summer, the field contains ProTeams Orica-GreenEDGE, Cannondale and Garmin-Sharp that will go up against some of Australia's greatest talents.

Starting tomorrow, the 61st instalment of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, Victoria’s oldest and most prestigious stage race, stands poised to deliver five days of frenetic world-class racing. 96 riders representing 16 teams will tackle five stages and a combined 561.5km in the saddle, vying to add their name to an honour roll that features some of Australian and world cycling’s greatest names, including 2012 Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins.

Beginning with the historic city centre prologue along Southbank Promenade, and culminating with the iconic ascent of Arthur’s Seat on the Mornington Peninsula, the Tour’s latest edition also sees the return of UCI WorldTour teams for the first time since 2011.Spearheaded by reigning national road race and Tour Down Under champion Simon Gerrans, Orica - GreenEDGE headlines the three team’s from the elite echelon of world cycling, joined by Cannondale Pro Cycling and Garmin Sharp on the start line in Melbourne.

A two-time Jayco Herald Sun Tour champion, Gerrans will be chasing history this week seeking to become the first man to win the triple crown of national road race championship, Tour Down Under, and Jayco Herald Sun Tour titles in the one year, while also vying to become only the fourth man in the race’s history to win the overall title on three or more occasions.

“Growing up in country Victoria, the Jayco Herald Sun Tour is probably the first race I ever saw. I remember skipping classes at school to go and stand on the roadside to watch the race go by,” said Gerrans. “It’s no secret that the Sun Tour is an important race for ORICA-GreenEDGE and we will be racing to win."

When asked if he could win it for the third time he said “It’s not going to be easy, I have a really strong team but with the strength of the international field it’s not going to be easy.”

Only Victorian cycling immortal Barry Waddell (five times – 1964-68), 1972 Olympian and now race director John Trevorrow (three times – 1975, 1977, 1979) and Tasmanian Graham McVilly (three times – 1971, 1973-74) have won the prestigious stage race on at least three occasions.

Standing in Gerrans way will be 2011 Jayco Herald Sun Tour champion Nathan Haas and his powerful Garmin Sharp team that includes former Tour of Romandie and Tirreno-Adriatico champion Thomas Dekker (Netherlands). The 29-year-old Dutchman Dekker is the oldest member of the Garmin squad, that also features 2014 Australian criterium champion Steele Von Hoff and three-time under 23 national champion and Olympic silver medallist (track) Rohan Dennis. Both time-trial specialists, Dekker and Dennis will be ones to watch in the 2.5 kilometre battle against the clock through the streets of Melbourne.

Comprising six riders from six nations, Cannondale ProCycling Team provides the other dominant WorldTour presence in the field, with dual Tour of Quebec champion Guillaume Boivin (Canada) touted as their best prospect for a stage victory.The Italian team’s line-up also includes emerging 19-year-old Slovakian star Matej Mohoric - who pipped prodigious Australian speedster Caleb Ewan for gold at the 2012 U23 world championship road race - former Austrian road race champion Matthias Krizek, and workhorse Australian and former Olympic rower Cameron Wurf.

However it will be Orica - GreenEDGE that will aim to continue its dominance of the Australian summer of cycling this week, bringing with it the core group of riders that helped secure Gerrans the overall crown at the Tour Down Under just weeks ago, as well as the team’s classification. The Australian WorldTour outfit’s powerhouse line-up includes 2011 Milan-San Remo champion Matthew Goss, 2012 Vuelta a Espana king of the mountain winner Simon Clarke, and 2011 Tour Down Under champion Cameron Meyer. Despite the team’s well documented focus on delivering Gerrans to the overall title, each of the classy trio has legitimate claims to stage wins if presented the opportunity.

While the three WorldTour teams are expected to feature prominently, a further four national teams (Australia, Australian U23, Great Britain, New Zealand) and nine continental teams are also included in the 16 team strong line-up, featuring riders from 15 nations.

Among the national team contingent will be last year’s champion Calvin Watson who became the youngest winner in the race’s history at just 20 years of age. Watson, who has signed with WorldTour team Trek Factory Racing, will race in the KordaMentha Real Estate – Team Australia colours this week, after the late withdrawal of Caleb Ewan and Brad Linfield from the Jayco Australian U23 National Team forced a reshuffle of the two green and gold line-ups and allowed the reigning champion’s inclusion in the peloton.

The 21-year-old was conscious of the quality of field he will face in his title defence.

“I am excited to get the racing underway tomorrow,” Watson said. “Simon Gerrans and the whole GreenEDGE team is going to be really strong this year and they showed at the Tour Down Under that they are all in top condition. But I’m excited to pin the number one bib on and give it 110%.”

Watson along with Gerrans and Haas comprise the three former Jayco Herald Sun Tour champions in this year’s race.

With the elevation of the race back to UCI 2.1 level in 2014, the Jayco Herald Sun Tour once again has ensured prized billing on the international cycling calendar, reflected by the strong international field that has been assembled, an achievement that Race Director John Trevorrow is most proud of.

“It is with great pride and pleasure that I welcome you all to the 61st edition of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, a UCI 2.1 category event,” Trevorrow said. “That has a nice ring to it 2.1 UCI - but it hasn't been an easy road to get that ranking back. It has been achieved by the tireless efforts of Tracey Gaudry, our very own new UCI Vice President and the support of the new look UCI.

“I can’t wait to get tomorrow underway.  We have one of the best fields ever and it promises to be an action packed five days of racing.”

The Jayco Herald Sun Tour will commence in the twilight of tomorrow with a 2.5 kilometre individual time trial from Birrarung Marr, over Princes Bridge, along Southbank Promenade and finishing at Queensbridge Square.

Hitting the open roads on Thursday, the Tour heads to Geelong for the punchy 116 kilometre first stage to Ballarat, via Anakie and alongside the Brisbane Ranges.

From the shores of Lake Wendouree in Ballarat the Tour heads north through the goldfields towns of Daylesford, Fryerstown and Castlemaine on the 163 kilometre second stage, before reaching the destination of the Tour’s longest stage and a likely bunch sprint finish in Bendigo.

The Tour relocates east for the start of the third stage, in the picturesque surrounds of Mitchelton Winery on the banks of the Goulburn River. The peloton will head for the small town of Avenel before turning for Seymour, a stint in the Highlands before a return to another expected bunch sprint into Nagambie to conclude the 156-kilometre stage.

Venturing south, the Mornington Peninsula plays host to the 124 kilometre final stage, culminating atop the iconic Arthurs Seat. The rolling terrain of the coastal region will test the peloton and shape the fight for the Yellow Jersey, with only the strongest left standing to take line honours and perhaps the overall victory after three gruelling climbs of the pinnacle of the Mornington Peninsula.