The men of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team traveled directly from the 2016 team presentation and sponsor summit in Florida, USA to Australia to compete in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race on January 31st, followed by The Herald Sun Tour beginning on February 3rd and ending on February 7th. The six-day block of racing takes place in Victoria State, located in the southern region of Australia. The races will offer numerous chances for a sprint-focused Blue Train squad to hone their finishes against some of the best riders in the peloton.

The 174-km long, UCI 1.HC-ranked, “classic style” Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race starts and finishes in the picturesque Victorian town of Geelong. With a portion of the racing taking place along the famous Great Ocean Road, spectators are treated to spectacular scenery that matches the ferocious, attack-heavy racing that one-day events are known for.

The race starts with a single 113-km loop through the scenic but mainly flat countryside before looping back towards Geelong over hills that should challenge the peloton, but will most likely leave the group intact. The race finishes with three loops on a crowd-pleasing 20-km circuit in Geelong proper. With a 1-km long climb averaging a 10% gradient, the finale will be anything but straightforward. The race suits the talents of the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, who will be aiming to place riders into the reduced bunch that is expected to see the finish line first.

After just a few days of rest, the men will be ready to start racing again on the 3rd of February with the Herald Sun Tour, which has become known as one of the premier stage race events on the early season calendar. The event is a five-day stage race that also takes place in Victoria state. Starting with a 2.1-km prologue in the heart of Melbourne, the race will attract huge crowds to the Australian coast. The Herald Sun Tour then takes in four more days of racing over the hilly coastal terrain of Victoria. Stage Three is a 144-km race towards the ocean. Despite some early hills, the stage is likely to come down to a sprint finish.

The UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team has strong sprinting talent attending the race in the form of John Murphy, Karl Menzies, Luke Keough, and Ty Magner. Tanner Putt and Adrian Hegyvary, also known for their finishing abilities, will be key players in the lead outs through the entire block of racing. Coming off a strong Cyclocross season, Danny Summerhill will help deliver the sprinters to the line in the best possible condition and position. Stage racing captain Jonny Clarke will lead the squad on the road in his home country of Australia, with the guidance of experienced Sporting Director Hendrik Redant.

Following the Herald Sun Tour, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team will head to the the Middle East to take on the 2016 Tour of Qatar and the Tour of Oman.