Tour de Korea announces 2015 teams

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Orica-GreenEdge will make its debut at the 2.1 Tour de Korea with the race organisers confirming 20 teams will compete for overall honours at the eight stage 2015 edition of the race. It is the first time in the history of the race that a WorldTour team has been confirmed for the event.

The 120-rider peloton also be be spread over three Pro-Continental teams, 12 Continental teams and three national teams. There will be no title defence for Hugh Carthy though as his Caja-Rural team will be not be racing but his team of last year, JLT-Condor, will again line up for the race.

Drapac, Nippo-Vini Fantini and Novo Nordisk are the three Pro-Continental teams selected for the race with all three teams returning for a second straight year. Nippo-Vini Fantini won the opening stage of the race in 2014 with Greg Bole who has since moved to the CCC Sprandi Polkowice team. Burgos-BH, who claimed stage 3 victory via Juan José Oroz who then wore the leader's jersey until the penultimate day, returns to the race in 2015.

Provisional starters for the race include Orica-GreenEdge neo-pro sprinter Caleb Ewan, Drapac's sprinter Wouter Wippert, and recent Tour of Japan winner Mirsamad Poorseyedigolakhour (Tabriz Petrochemical Team). A full start list will be released at the end of May.

2015 teams for the Tour de Korea, June 1-14:

Orica GreenEdge
Drapac Professional Cycling
Nippo - Vini Fantini
Team Novo Nordisk
Avanti Racing Team
Bridgestone Anchor Cycling Team
Burgos-BH 
Geumsan Insam Cello
Giant-Champion System Pro Cycling
JLT Condor
Korail Cycling Team
KSPO
Pishgaman Giant Team
RTS-Santic Racing Team
Seoul Cycling Team
Shimano Racing Team 
Tabriz Petrochemical Team
HKSI Pro Cycling Team
Korea
Malaysia