Brown heads Rabobank's Dutch riders at TDU

Australia’s Graeme Brown is the only non-Dutch rider in Rabobank’s squad for January’s Tour Down Under. The sprinter, who won a stage of this year’s race, will be joined by two national championships from The Netherlands for the Adelaide 17 – 24 race.

Race director Mike Turtur is delighted his fellow Olympic gold medallist will return to the South Australian race. “Graeme Brown had a great start to the 2009 season with a stage win at the 2009 Tour Down Under and two stage wins at the Vuelta a Murcia race,” Turtur said. “Rabobank is fielding a very strong and competitive line up for next year’s Santos Tour Down Under.

“The Rabobank team line-up is quite formidable with two reigning Dutch national champions, a dual Olympic gold medalist and a Tour de France stage winner,” said Turtur. “The experience on this team should show on the results board come January.”

Dutch Time Trial Champion Stef Clement will be joined by the nation’s road race champion Koos Moerenhout at the event. Of course Clement's and Moerenhout’s jerseys won’t be the only unusual ones in the peloton come January, following the confirmation of Australia’s International Cycling Union (UCI) World Road Champion Cadel Evans to take part in the year’s first ProTour race with his BMC Racing Team.

Rabobank will be led by Team Manager Frans Maassen at the Australian race.

Rabobank’s Tour Down Under line-up: Graeme Brown (Aus), Stef Clement (Ned), Rick Flens (Ned), Tom Leezer (Ned), Koos Moerenhout (Ned), Jos van Emden (Ned) and Pieter Weening (Ned).

Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter for the very latest coverage of events taking place in the cycling world - twitter.com/cyclingnewsfeed