German Andre Greipel says he's no chance of creating cycling history by becoming the first rider to win the Tour Down Under three times.
The sprint star arrived in Adelaide on Thursday and immediately wrote off his prospects of another win.
"It will not happen that I win it another time because it's always getting harder and harder," he told reporters at Adelaide Airport.
Greipel, the 2008 and 2010 champion, and Australians Stuart O'Grady and Simon Gerrans are the only dual Tour Down Under champions.
The 31-year-old Greipel, nicknamed the Gorilla, has won more stages than any other cyclist in the race's history.
But Greipel tipped his Lotto Belisol teammate, Australian Adam Hansen, as his team's best chance to claim an overall victory in the January 19-26 race in Adelaide and surrounds.
"He did good training during the (northern) winter and he's always motivated in the only race in Australia so, if his mind is okay, I think he can be top 10," Greipel said of the Queenslander, a former national time trial champion.
Greipel, a five-time stage winner at the Tour de France, said the Australian race was always unpredictable given it was the first tour of the new cycling season.
"I always say in the early season, you never know what is going to happen, how everybody is, how the legs are," he said.
"The off-season was good. Now we have to start working again and hopefully we (Lotto Belisol) can start the season like we always do and get an early win.
"The plan is to stay healthy and get the kilometres in the legs. And if the condition is okay and it works out, it's always nice to have an early win."
Greipel, who plans to ride about 1000 kilometres in training before the Tour starts, said his objective was simple.
"I always want to be competitive during the whole season - that is also my goal. Staying healthy and, wherever there is a possibility to win a race sprint, I try to do that."
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