After a successful Nationals campaign that saw High5 Dream Team riders pick up two bronze medals, the team heads to Adelaide full of confidence for the 2017 season opening Santos Women’s Tour.

With a star-studded field of international talent for this four-stage UCI 2.2 event the competition will be tough, but having picked up a stage win in the 2016 edition of the Santos Women’s Tour, the High5 Dream Team go in knowing what it takes to get results on the biggest stage.

One rider who is no stranger to the podium, after winning the 2016 National Capital Tour, Queen of the Mountain jerseys at Battle on the Border, Tour of the King Valley, Amy’s Otway Tour, and taking a stunning bronze medal in the Australian Road National Championships Women’s Road Race last week is Lucy Kennedy.

Carrying her great form from Buninyong to Adelaide, Kennedy is relishing the chance to pit her climbing legs against some of the world’s best riders on the hillier stages of the tour.

‘Following my bronze medal in the road race at Nationals last weekend, I feel confident in my form knowing I can mix it with some very strong women. It’s exciting to see such a strong line-up of international teams. I look forward to testing myself against them in the hilly road stages and supporting my speedier teammates in the criteriums.’

‘True to form it looks like Adelaide will be turning up the heat, but hopefully coming from Queensland might give me a bit of an advantage, particularly given a lot of the field have come from a northern hemisphere winter.’

‘This is my first Santos Women’s Tour and I can’t wait for some challenging racing, good crowds and the hype that surrounds the event.’

For new addition Chloe Moran, making her debut with the High5 Dream Team on her home roads makes the 2017 Santos Women’s Tour just that little bit more exciting.

‘I’m really looking forward to my first race with the High5 Dream Team, especially since I’ll be racing with some great support from a hometown crowd.’

‘Only just stepping out of Juniors I’m eager to get experience on the road, and racing with the High 5 dream Team in this tour will be an exciting start.’

‘There are big headlining names that are sure to make the stages tough but I’m looking forward to racing amongst such a world class field, and with such a great line up of teammates.’

‘Some of the roads we are going to be racing on are local routes that I know quite well which gives me a bit of an advantage. Whilst I am not going into the tour with any big expectations of myself, I’m hoping to give everything I can to the team and to play my part in, hopefully, some team success.’

Team director Kim Palmer is looking forward to the challenge of taking on some of the world’s best riders and is ready for the team to mix it at a higher level.

‘As a team, the High5 Dream Team is super excited about the challenge of racing in the 2017 Santos Women’s Tour as many of top-ranked professional women’s teams will be here contesting the event.’

‘Although many of our riders are still in their developmental stage at this level, we’re looking forward to mixing it up with some of the best riders in the world. We’re not just here to make up the numbers either, we’ll be looking for opportunities to get some good results over the four days of competition and it’ll be a great opportunity for our girls to gain some great international racing experience.’

The 2017 Santos Women’s Tour consists of four stages, beginning Saturday 14 January.

Stage 1: Hahndorf to Meadows, 106.5km

Stage 2: Adelaide East End, 32.2km

Stage 3: Tanunda to Lyndoch, 92.4km

Stage 4: Victoria Park, One hour + two laps of a 1.2km circuit

Visit tourdownunder.com.au for start times and race maps.