Sam Bennett leads Detunink-Quick Step in Tour Down Under debut The People's Classic Criterium in Adelaide on January 19 is the traditional curtain-raiser for the World Tour stage race, which runs from January 21 to 26. The race will be held from January 21-26.

Bennett moved from Bora-Hansgrohe to Dečuninck-Quick Step this winter, winning 13 races in 2019, including the Irish national title and two stages of the Vuelta a España. 2018 Giro d'Italia stage win He achieved a hat-trick.

The Carrick-on-Suir man will replace Elia Viviani as lead sprinter for Dečuninck-Quick-Step and will start in Australia with Shane Archibald, who has joined the new team from Beulah Hansgrohe.

Iljo Keisse and Michael Mørkøv will also be part of Bennett's lead outtrain, and the seven-member Deceuninck-QuickStep team will consist of João Almeida, Mattia Cattaneo and Dries Devenyns.

"I am looking forward to starting the new season with Tour Down Under. The Tour Down Under is a race with great fans and we are always happy to be a part of it," said Deceuninck Quick Step director sportif Rick Van Slyke in a statement released by the team. [He will be looking for his first win in a Deceuninck-QuickStep jersey. With the experienced riders around Sam Bennett, we are confident that we can achieve this goal, and while we could conceivably do well in the GC, we will take it one day at a time and see how the conditions and the riders cope with the heat."

As confirmed last month, Bennett and his six Tour Down Under teammates will also compete in the January 30 Race Torquay and the February 2 Cadell Evans Great Ocean Road Race.