Ag2r to race Down Under

Sydney - French team Ag2r La Mondiale will make their 17th appearance in Australia's Tour Down Under in January -- the only team to have competed in every event since the inaugural 1999 race, officials said Saturday.

"It's the ideal race to start the season," said team director Laurent Biondi of the event in and around the South Australian capital Adelaide.

"Our 2015 roster is ambitious with Domenico Pozzovivo, fifth in the 2014 Giro, Blel Kadri, stage winner in 2014 Tour de France and Christophe Riblon, winner of l'Alpe d'Huez stage in the 2013 Tour (de France)."

Ag2r La Mondiale has produced four overall Tour Down Under winners and South Australian Tourism Minister Leon Bignell said it would again impress fans.

"Ag2r La Mondiale is such a strong and competitive team, producing Tour Down Under winners Gilles Maignan in 2000, Mikel Astarloza in 2003, Australia's Simon Gerrans in 2006 and Martin Elmiger in 2007," he said.

Gerrans won a record-breaking third Tour Down Under earlier this year riding with the Australian team Orica GreenEdge.

The Tour Down Under will be staged in and around Adelaide from 17 to 25 January 2015.