Renowned Australian cycling coach Dave Sanders is surprised a World Tour team is yet to sign Victorian sprinter Brenton Jones.
The 27-year-old will renew his rivalry with Australian sprint ace Caleb Ewan in the January 1-3 Lexus Blackburn Bay Crits, where they are the main men's drawcards.
Jones won the series in 2014 and Ewan is a three-time champion.
Sanders will manage the composite All Stars team in the series, with Jones as their leader.
Ewan will have a strong line-up from his new Lotto-Soudal team, including compatriot Adam Hansen.
While Jones had his first Paris-Roubaix start this year with the pro-continental Delko Marseille team, Sanders would love him to have a bigger exposure.
"He just needs opportunities and I've kept hoping for years that would come," Sanders said.
"I am surprised that a really big team hasn't picked him.
"He's in a good team, a good space."
The Bay Crits series returns after a year off with Jones and Ewan the stars when it was last held in January 2017.
But the two sprinters crashed out of contention on the last bend of race one and Jones's teammate Ian Bibby took out the series title.
Asked about Ewan, Jones replied: "For sure, he's beatable."
Jones's strong team will feature lead-out specialist Luke Durbridge, who was one of Ewan's main domestiques at the Australian Mitchelton-Scott team.
Ewan had one of cycling's highest-profile moves this year and it came after he was a controversial omission from Mitchelton-Scott's Tour de France line-up.
Given Ewan's change of teams and the obvious benefits for Jones if he can claim a big-name scalp at the start of the season, there will be plenty at stake.
"Only Caleb would beat us ... but it's a protour-level line-up," Sanders said of the All Stars.
"Young Brenton, when he's on, he can match anyone at that level."
The first two races of the series will be on January 1-2 in Geelong with the finale on January 3 in suburban Williamstown.
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