Cannondale will be without 2013 champion Tom-Jelte Slagter in the 2016 edition of the Tour Down Under. Instead, the team will be led by some of their new signings.

Cannondale have announced their selection for the first WorldTour race of the year. Local rider Simon Clarke will lead the team in his first race with his new employer. The Australian is suited to the punchy characteristic of the course.

However, Clarke won't be the only GC option. Moreno Moser hopes to build on the promising signs he showed towards the end of last season. New signing Michael Woods will also be eager to get his WorldTour career off to a good start and should find the short climbs to his liking. The same goes for another neo-pro, Patrick Bevin, who won the queen stage of the Herald Sun Tour last year.

For the sprint stages, the team will be led by another newcomer, Wouter Wippert, who won the final stage in Adelaide in 2015. He can rely on support from Ruben Zepuntke and Alberto Bettiol in the fast finishes.