BMC name Tour Down Under team for Evans finale

CadelEvans

Evans, whose final professional ride will be in the inaugural Cadel Evans Road Race on February 1, will be supported by Swiss trio Michael Schar, Danilo Wyss and Silvan Dillier in Adelaide.

Also in BMC's ranks is Australian rising star Rohan Dennis, the King of the Mountain and Young Rider classification winner in 2012, while fittingly, Campbell Flakemore will make his WorldTour debut as Evans departs the circuit.

Team director Fabio Baldato said BMC will put all their energy into giving Evans the strongest chance to reign in the nine-day event.

"The team will be working hard for Cadel to support him to do his best," Baldato said.

"The course will be challenging but I think he can perform well just one more time."

Dennis, 24, won his first professional stage race at the Tour of Alberta in 2013, before finishing second at the Tour of California in 2014.

The South Australian product said his home event is Australia's closest parallel to the Tour de France.

"I am fortunate to be racing alongside Cadel, working for him and the team as well as learning from him how he handles the pressure both on and off the bike before he hangs up the bike from WorldTour racing," Dennis said.

"Every time I compete at this race, it is a special event for not just me but for all Australians. It is bigger and bigger every year.

"Being on Willunga Hill is as close as most Australians will ever get to experience what it is really like, the crowds, the atmosphere on a Tour de France mountain finish."

The race begins on January 17.

BMC Racing's Tour Down Under team: Cadel Evans, Michael Schar, Peter Stetina, Danilo Wyss, Silvan Dillier, Campbell Flakemore and Rohan Dennis.

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