Today the Santos Tour Down Under came to a verbal agreement with the BMC Racing Team and Cadel Evans to accept a wild card invitation to race in the 2010 event.
Santos Tour Down Under Race Director, Mike Turtur, said that having the World Champion competing in his rainbow colours in Adelaide next January is a major coup for the race.
“This will be the first time that an Australian will compete on Australian soil wearing the Rainbow Jersey in a road stage race,” Turtur explained.
Not only has the race gotten the nod from Evans, but seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong has also said he will be returning to the race for 2010.
“The 2010 Santos Tour Down Under will see two massive cycling stars in Cadel Evans and Lance Armstrong compete for the first time with their new teams. This will be something that cycling fans will not want to miss.” he added.
Cadel Evans has competed in the Santos Tour Down Under on six previous occasions, most recently in 2006. He won the Škoda King of the Mountain jersey in both 2002 and 2006. Armstrong delighted organizers last year by turning Australia’s only ProTour race into a media frenzy when he took the start line there for his first race back from a more than 3-year retirement.
BMC Racing will be the third team to make its debut at the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under.
It has already been confirmed that Lance Armstrong’s RadioShack team and the British Team Sky will take to the road for the first time in Adelaide.
BMC Racing Team is the first wild card to be offered for the Santos Tour Down Under. UniSA – Australia, Australia’s national team, gain entry to the event through UCI rules, allowing one national team entry to each UCI ProTour event.
The number of teams to compete at the 2010 Santos Tour Down Under will be confirmed by early December, once the UCI have issued all ProTour licences.
The 2010 Santos Tour Down Under will be held in South Australia from 17-24 January 2010.