Team Sky will be going to the first WorldTour race of the season, the Tour Down Under, to win it as they will bring a motivated Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas who was third overall in 2013, to the race. With Porte said to go head to head with Cadel Evans, a big showdown in Australia is on the cards.

Team Sky is hoping to kick off their season with a bang as they will send a very strong team to the first WorldTour race, the Tour Down Under. Led by Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas, the team will be looking to continue the dominance of WorldTour stage racing that they showed in the 2013 season.

In 2014 Porte will be targeting the Giro d'Italia but he has made it clear that he wants to return to his biggest home race for the first time since 2011. Unlike his last appearance at the race, he is lining up in Adelaide with the intention to win the event.

 “I want to go to Tour Down Under and perform," he said. As an Aussie it’s the race to win."

When Porte last did the race, it was dominated by sprinters but in 2012 and 2013 the race has been significantly tougher. The summit finish on the Willunga Hill has tilted the balance away from the sprinters and last year the Corkscrew Climb did further damage on the riders.

“It used to be a sprinter’s race but now there are some good climbs in there like Corkscrew and Willunga," Porte said. "I’ve spent a bit of time in Adelaide so I know the climbs pretty well. I think if I’m in good form and we have a strong team there – if not me then through Geraint Thomas we also have a really good chance. He was brilliant there last season so it should be an interesting race."

In the Giro, Porte is set to go head-to-head with Cadel Evans and the Tour Down Under could be some kind of a dress rehearsal. Porte is looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s great that there’s interest from an Australian perspective with Cadel [Evans] starting his season there – myself, Simon Gerrans and guys like that," he said. "I’ve been in Australia for the last month and you can see how big cycling is getting. People are really taking an interest.”

Porte will be joined by Geraint Thomas who rode a splendid race in 2013. He won the stage over Corkscrew Hill in solo fashion, wore the leader's jersey, and finished 3rd overall.

Like fellow classics riders Bernhard Eisel, Ian Stannard, Luke Rowe and sprinter Chris Sutton, he will start his build-up for the cobbled races in Australia for the second year in a row. The team will be completed by climber Philip Deignan who will make his Sky debut.

“We have a really strong team heading to the Tour Down Under," coach Kurt Asle Arvesen said. "Both Geraint and Richie have a good chance of being up there.

“It’s a nice course and it looks like there will be two key stages again like last year for the GC. We need to be on our toes. We learned our lessons last year that we need to get out there well before the race. That’s what we’re going to do this year. It’s always a great way to start the season and we’ll be more than ready for the race.

“Everyone is motivated: the Classics guys, Philip Deignan in his first race and also Richie. It’s been a few years since he’s done the race. He’s been out there in Adelaide and he knows the key stages. It’s a strong group.”

Race director Mike Turtur is happy to see one of cycling's powerhouses sending a strong team.

“Richie Porte showed what a phenomenal cyclist he is when he claimed victory at Paris-Nice, capitalising on two stage wins including the final individual time trial from Nice to Col d’Eze in the south of France,” he said. “With Porte being named in Team Sky Pro Cycling’s roster a showdown between Porte and Cadel Evans is inevitable with both cyclists announcing their intention to target victory at the Giro D’Italia in 2014.

“Cycling fans will be in for a treat with two of the best cyclists in the world set to battle it out for the Ochre Jersey and I imagine we will see some of the best climbing in the history of the Santos Tour Down Under.

“Given his fantastic climbing abilities Geraint Thomas will be an asset to Porte, particularly as they tackle the Škoda King of the Mountains at Corkscrew Road and Willunga Hill,” Turtur added. “Sky Pro Cycling is one of the best teams on the UCI World Tour circuit and we are thrilled to have them back for another year.”

The Tour Down Under will kick off on January 21. On January, the riders will warm up at the People's Choice Classic criterium in Adelaide.