Three-time Tour Down Under champion Simon Gerrans says winning a fourth title would be just as special as his first.
Gerrans comes into next week's race in Adelaide as one of the favourites but says every team has a potential winner this year.
"It's doesn't matter what team you look to there's someone capable of doing a result here," he said on Friday.
"It's hard to pick a main threat but you've got to look to the Aussie guys - the BMC pair of Rohan Dennis and Richie Porte, they showed they're in great form at the national titles."
Gerrans took overall honours at the tour in 2006, 2012 and 2014 but missed the race last year through injury after a crash.
He said he had prepared well for this year's race but gauging form was always difficult heading into the first main race of the season.
Gerrans and his team will also need to put behind them the disappointment of last weekend's Australian championships when they failed to chase down South Australian Jack Bobridge who rode 90kms solo to a stunning victory.
"Training has been going well and from that point I feel I've done everything I can," he said.
"But regardless of what you've done in the past it's sort of a blank canvas when you come here.
"So winning it for a fourth time would be just as special as winning it for the first time."
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