The Australian won the race in 2011 when part of Garmin but will be backed by a strong Dimension Data team this time around. Although he admits he is not one of the main overall favourites for the race, Meyer is confident of both his form and his personal ambitions. He finished an impressive second in last weekend's Australian road nationals, behind a former teammate Jack Bobridge.
“I'm hoping to have a good week overall and the GC will be my first priority,” he said in team release.
“After last week at the nationals my form seems to be pretty good and I should be up there among the favourites but I don't think I am one of the clear favourites like Simon Gerrans, Richie Porte and Rohan Dennis. I think I can use this and look for my opportunities throughout the week.”
Dimension Data head into the race with a strong team and will be motivated to pick up results in their first WorldTour event. Meyer will be joined by countrymen Nathan Haas and Mark Renshaw – both of whom will be making their debuts for the team - having signed from Cannondale and Etixx-QuickStep, respectively.
Three South African riders, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Jaco Venter and Songezo Jim are also in the team, while American Tyler Farrar completes the squad.
The racing kicks off on Sunday with the Down Under Classic, while the official six-stage Tour Down Under starts on Tuesday.
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You can follow the entire race live on Cyclingnews, while we will also be bringing you stage-by-stage video highlights throughout the race.
