Sprint sensation Caleb Ewan has confirmed he’s racing at the Santos Tour Down Under next month.

Ewan is a confirmed starter in the ORICA-BikeExchange squad for the 2017 TDU, alongside international guest Esteban Chaves and local hero Simon Gerrans.

Ewan confirmed with The Advertiser yesterday that he will be racing to win, but says it will be hard to top his strong performance at the 2016 race.

“It will be hard to top or go as good as last year but I think if I’m in good enough form then I should be able to perform,” Ewan said.

“In front of a home crowd is probably the best place for me to perform at the moment, as I’m trying to build up my name in the country.

“But it’s just good to get a good start to the season before you head over to Europe, so you go with a bit more confidence. That’s also really important for me as well.”

Ewan has worked hard on his famous aerodynamic position in the past 18 months and says improvement will just come with getting stronger and becoming more familiar with his teammates.

“Obviously the more I race with my teammates and the guys who are going to help me in the lead-out, our relationship will get better,” he said.

“So I’m looking forward to having a good core group racing with me next year and once we get to know each other it should work really well.”

Santos Tour Down Under Race Director Mike Turtur said Ewan is among the next generation of great cyclists.

"Caleb represents the next generation of world-class sprinters," he said. 

"He's taken some really big steps in the 2016 WorldTour season, with a classics win, amongst other impressive achievements," he said.

The Santos Tour Down Under takes place from 14-22 January 2017 in Adelaide, South Australia.