Former winners Porte, Dennis and Gerrans headline BMC's Tour Down Under squad

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Defending Tour Down Under champion Richie Porte, 2015 victor Rohan Dennis and four-time winner Simon Gerrans will all line out for BMC at the January WorldTour race in Adelaide.

The trio have collectively won the last the last four editions with the team planning on claiming a third title to kick-start its 2018 season.

"The Santos Tour Down Under is one of our key races of the season and we're excited to go there with the formidable team that we have," general manger Jim Ochowicz said. "I don't think we have ever started with such an impressive line up and with Richie Porte as our captain, and former champions Rohan Dennis and Simon Gerrans at his side, both of whom are obviously capable of winning the race themselves, we are in for a great start to the season."

Porte was a commanding winner in 2017 with stage wins at Paracombe and a fourth straight Willunga Hill win. The Tour Down Under will be the 32-year-old's first stage race since crashing out of the Tour de France in July.

"I'm excited to go back to the Santos Tour Down Under in 2018 and try to defend the ochre jersey. After mostly missing the last part of the 2017 season, it will be good to get 2018 underway, especially at the Santos Tour Down Under which is one of my favorite races of the calendar," said Porte, who is again targeting the Tour de France as his season objective.

For Gerrans, the Tour Down Under will be his first stage race with BMC with the veteran to make his debut for the team a week prior to the national championships.

"I'm really excited about the Santos Tour Down Under this year especially because it is my first race with BMC Racing Team," said Gerrans. "We're going to have a really formidable line-up, and I think there will be a lot of attention on us. I have always made a point of trying to start my seasons in good shape, and for my entire career this race has always been on the calendar, so it has worked out really nicely for me that I have been able to target a race on Australian soil at the beginning of the season."

New signing Paddy Bevin was tenth on his debut in 2016 and will be a key domestique across the six stages. Bohli makes his debut at the race in 2018 and will also be called upon in support of Porte and co. Danilo Wyss meanwhile will make his eighth appearance at the race. The former Swiss champion spent the majority of 2017 racing alongside Porte and is expected to do so again in 2018.

Adelaide local Miles Scotson who is the fourth Australian on BMC's roster for 2018 will complete the the team for the race.

The 20th edition of the Tour Down Under takes place 16-21 January with stage one starting in Port Adelaide.

BMC Racing for the 2018 Tour Down Under: Richie Porte, Paddy Bevin, Tom Bohli, Rohan Dennis, Simon Gerrans, Miles Scotson, and Danilo Wyss.