Team Bike Exchange Jayco, which will become Team Jayco Alura in 2023, will start the four-day 2023 Women's Santos Tour Down Under, January 14-17, with an all-Australian field. Leading the pack will be Commonwealth Games Road Race gold medalist Georgia Baker and Lott-Thuringian Ladies Tour GC winner Alexandra Manley.

Both Australians won bronze medals in the mixed team time trial at last year's UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong; both also competed on the track at the Tokyo Olympics, where Australia finished fifth in the team pursuit.

"I'm really looking forward to competing in the Santos Tour Down Under in January, and personally this race in my hometown of Adelaide is very special," said the Australian. She is also a stage winner at the Tour of Scandinavia.

"I'm really happy to be competing on the All-Australian team. This event gave me exposure to some of the best cyclists in the world and inspired many riders to dream of becoming a pro. Hopefully home advantage will help.

Baker will bring his experience as a top sprinter back to his home stage race, which he last raced under the Green Edge Cycling banner in 2018 as Orica Scott. 2022 will see him take a road win at the Commonwealth Games and the Giro d'Italia Donne She finished in the UCI top five nine times, including a runner-up finish in the prologue, and won the women's criterium at the Santos Festival of Cycling in January.

Team Jayco Alura will have a total of seven Australians on its 15-member team next season. Joining Manley and Baker in the Tour Down Under will be 2022 Santos Festival of Cycling winner Ruby Roseman-Gannon, veteran Jessica Allen, who is in her seventh season with the Green Edge program, and debutants Georgie Howe and Amber Pate. The team's youngest competitor, 19-year-old Alyssa Polites, was not selected for the stage race.

"I've been participating in this event for many years and have watched it grow, and it's really special to see it elevated to the UCI World Tour level for 2023," Manley added. She finished sixth in the youth class in 2018 at age 22.

The Women's Tour Down Under has made a major comeback after a two-year hiatus due to the global coronavirus outbreak and has been upgraded to the top level of racing after the first five editions.The 2023 event will mark the opening of the Women's World Tour calendar and is the Southern Hemisphere It is also the only UCI Women's WorldTour stage race to be held in the Southern Hemisphere.

"Hosting a UCI Women's World Tour race in South Australia is indicative of the growth of the Santos Tour Down Under. We are proud to host a challenging event on the world stage for our amazing Australian athletes," said Stuart O'Grady, race director of the Tour Down Under, in a press statement.

"Our stage will play to Alex Manley's strengths, but any of the riders on this roster have the potential to win the ochre jersey. Green Edge Cycling's women's team is a four-time overall winner and will certainly be looking for another chance in front of their home crowd.