Dutch powerhouse Robert Gesink will lead team Lotto NL Jumbo in the 2017 Santos Tour Down Under next month.

Gesink says he is excited to start the 2017 UCI WorldTour season in Adelaide.

"I like to start my season in an adventurous way on the other side of the world,” he says.

“I love to ride in Australia and the sixth place in the GC is my best result in the Tour Down Under. I’m feeling well and hope to ride a good GC."

Gesink will be supported by a strong team including Koen Bouwman (NED), Paul Martens (GER), Bert-Jan Lindeman (NED), Enrico Battaglin (ITA), Robert Wagner (GER) and Alexey Vermeulen (USA), with Addy Engels as Sports Director.

 
The event kicks off with the People’s Choice Classic two days before on January 15. The Tour Down Under starts on January 17 in Unley and after six stages, the race ends in Adelaide. The same group will travel to Melbourne afterwards for the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Race on January 29.
 
Boom
After some cyclo-cross races in Spain and in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, Lars Boom will ride for the first time in the Team LottoNL-Jumbo colours in Surhuisterveen, the Netherlands, on January 4. He follows that with the Dutch cyclo-cross national championships in Sint-Michielsgestel. Boom also hopes to ride the World Cup race in Fiuggi, Italy, and the World Championships in Belvaux, Luxembourg.
 
Rotterdam, Bennett & training ​camp
Gijs Van Hoecke and Dylan Groenewegen will pair on the track in January for the Six Days of Rotterdam, January 5 to 10.
 
George Bennett is suffering from mononucleosis. He took a few weeks rest and began to ride easy again in consultation with the medical team. His comeback date is still unknown and he probably won’t be riding the New-Zealand nationals.
 
The rest of the LottoNL-Jumbo team will leave on January 16 for the second training camp in Alicante, Spain. Along the Costa Blanca, they will prepare for their first 2017 races.