Tinkoff-Saxo is ready to kick off 2015 – a season of big expectations within a strong team. The first battle of the new year will be played out at the Australian World Tour race Santos Tour Down Under. Tinkoff-Saxo will be spearheaded by Michael Rogers, who’s looking to create a strong result on home turf.
 
"I'm excited to return to Adelaide for my eleventh Santos Tour Down Under. I'm bringing an enthusiastic and committed Tinkoff-Saxo team, with the aim of getting the season off to a good start,” commented Tinkoff-Saxo's captain, Michael Rogers.
 
Michael Rogers will be accompanied by Christopher Juul-Jensen, Manuele Boaro, Jesper Hansen, Michael Kolar, Pavel Brutt and Evgeny Petrov, who will ride in support of the former winner of Santos Tour Down Under.
 
Tinkoff-Saxo, one of the most prominent teams of 2014, has spent the off-season further strengthening the setup and preparing for 2015. According to sport director Lars Michaelsen, spectators at the side of the road and viewers at home can expect to see a motivated group of riders, who are ready to take responsibility in the race.
 
“The entire team is very excited about kicking off the season in Australia. We’re ready to take responsibility in the race, and I feel that we have a strong group of riders, who are very motivated to support Michael to the fullest. We come with ambitions aiming for a top-5 with Michael but we also know that it’s very early in the season and there are a lot of unknown factors”, comments Lars Michaelsen, who will be leading Tinkoff-Saxo in Australia.
 

Santos Tour Down Under consists of 6 stages in flat and undulating terrain. Tinkoff-Saxo is fielding a diverse group of riders to support Michael Rogers throughout the race keeping him in a good position before the crucial stage 5.
 
“We have to keep Michael in a good position before the queen stage to Willunga Hill, where we’ll most likely see the big race favorites try to decide the race. That requires a consistent effort from the entire team, but I sense that all the guys are motivated and ready to fight for each other”, finishes Lars Michaelsen.
 
Tour Down Under starts January 20th and finishes in Adelaide on the 25th.