Nathan Haas will headline the Katusha-Alpecin squad at the 2018 Tour Down Under on his WorldTour debut for his new team. The Australian was fourth overall at the Tour Down Under in 2017, while Jhonatan Restrepo adds a secondary GC option having won the best young rider classification this year.
"Every year it seems more and more of the riders are fighting to be at the season opener, so for me, I'm lucky, everybody wants to be at my home race," Haas said in a press release issued by the race organiser.
Tiago Machado has also finished top-10 overall at the race in previous editions and for race director Mike Turtur, the 2018 Katusha-Alpecin team is one he tips to shake up the 20th edition of the race in January.
"Haas has finished fourth overall at the 2017 race and fifth overall in 2014. Machado finished third overall at the 2012 race so it will be interesting to see their results in 2018," said Turtur.
Katusha-Alpecin's international roster for the 2018 WorldTour opener also includes José Goncalves of Portugal, Russian Pavel Kochetkov, Maurits Lamertink of the Netherlands, and Dane Mads Schmidt.
The 2018 Tour Down Under takes place 14-21 January around Adelaide, South Australia. For Matt White's guide to the 2018 Tour Down Under, click here.
Katusha-Alpecin for the 2018 Tour Down Under: Nathan Haas, Jhonatan Restrepo, Pavel Kochetkov, Maurits Lamertink, José Goncalves, Mads Schmidt and Tiago Machado.
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