The arrival of sponsor UAE Abu Dhabi in the team of Giuseppe Saronni at the last minute has saved the Lampre-Merida team which has been confirmed for the 2017 WorldTour. Despite its administrative delay, the team expects to be among the best at the start of the season. 

With the goal of coming out with all guns blazing, the team expects to send a formidable line-up to the first month of competition in Australia. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, UAE Abu Dhabi is expected to line up four of the leaders for the Tour Down Under, with Diego Ulissi, Rui Costa and Louis Meintjes all going for the overall standings and new signing Ben Swift trying to go for a sprint win.

Ulissi has won a stage in the race in the past and has always been competitive in a race that suits him well. He is likely to be the leader, with Costa playing the role of a joker in his debut at the race. Meintjes is often a slow starter and will probably be more of a domestique in a race that is too explosive for his pure climbing skills.