In 2016, the kick off of LAMPRE-MERIDA will be in Australia at the criterium People’s Choice Classic which will be the foretaste of the first World Tour race of the season, the Tour Down Under.

Merida bikes will be on the Australian roads on January 17 in Adelaide for the traditional criterium over a distance of 51 km. The Tour Down Under will start on January 19 with 6 stages scheduled.

LAMPRE-MERIDA will be in Australia with a well-balanced selection of riders. Three riders will debut in their new blue-fuchsia-green Champion System kit: Marko Kump (Slovenia), Louis Meintjes (South Africa) and Federico Zurlo (Italy). They’ll be part of a 7-rider selection which will include captain Diego Ulissi, Manuele Mori, and the two young guns Tsgabu Grmay and Luka Pibernik.

The selection is characterized by two characteristics: the low average age (25 years) and the internationality of the riders who represent 4 nations (two African riders).

The team will be directed by Philippe Mauduit.

The selection will be competitive in all 6 stages of the Australian race: the Slovenian duo Kump-Pibernik will mix it up in the sprints, considering that Kump wants to be protagonist in the World Tour after 18 victories in the 2015 season.

Ulissi is targeting Tour Down Under as an important appointment of his season and he’d like to repeat the 2014 performances when he obtained one stage victory and the third place in the overall clsssification: he’ll receive support from Mori and Grmay.

Zurlo who’ll debut with LAMPRE-MERIDA, will be useful both in support of the sprinters and for the hilly stages. There will be high interest for Meintjes' first race of Meintjes with the team of manager Brent Copeland: the qualities of the South African could allow him to deliver impressive performances at the Tour Down Under but the main goal for the team is to allow him to adapt to his new teammates.