Giacomo Nizzolo and Ryan Gibbons will lead NTT Pro Cycling in the Tour Down Under.

The South African team, formerly Dimension Data, will make its first appearance wearing the blue of its new title sponsor, NTT, two weeks after Bjarne Riis took over as team director and acquired a 30% stake in NTT.

The six-stage race will feature uphill finishes at Paracombe on stage 3 and Willunga Hill on stage 6.

Italian sprinter Nizzolo will be looking for a group sprint on the flatter stages, while South African sprinter Gibbons is a more punchy sprinter with options on the more selective days.

Gibbons finished 11th overall last year after finishing 12th on Willunga Hill, but this year's route includes two uphill finishes, making a top GC finish more complicated.

"I'm really looking forward to starting the season here in Australia. We had a promising finish last year, and with the experience we have gained this season, I am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve in 2020," Gibbons said.

Two riders will make their professional debuts for NTT in the Tour Down Under: U23 road race world champion Samuele Battistella and 23-year-old Australian Dylan Sunderland. Joining them on the team will be Rasmus Tiller, Stefan de Bodd, and Danilo Wyss.

"We are excited to start the 2020 season and race the new NTT Pro Cycling jersey. We have prepared well and will go into the Tour Down Under with enthusiasm, but like every year, it is unknown where we stand compared to our opponents," said sport director Lars Mikkelsen. [There are usually four sprint finishes in all six stages, where we will support two fast riders, Ryan Gibbons and Giacomo Nizzolo; for the two uphill finishes in Paracombe and Willunga Hill, once the first two stages are over, NTT will know which of the riders have the legs to do it.

The 2020 Tour Down Under will begin on Tuesday, January 21.