Three-time world cycling champion Peter Sagan will use the Tour Down Under to launch his 2019 season and isn't ruling out a stage win or two.
Sagan jetted into Adelaide on Friday, ready for a full week of training before the tour starts on January 13.
The Slovakian says this year's race will be harder with the final stage finishing on the top of Willunga Hill, instead of the usual inner-city street circuit.
"That's going to be the decisive stage, I think," he said.
"I'm here mostly for training, but if I can catch a stage like last year, then I'm going to be happy. But it's not easy."
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Sagan, won stage four in last year's race and also took the sprinter's jersey.
One of his main rivals for stage honours in this year's tour, Italian Elia Viviani arrived on the same flight and is also looking to repeat his efforts from 2018, both in Adelaide and for the rest of the year.
"We want to try to copy last season because it was an amazing one for me," he said.
"A good start in Australia with one stage win in the Tour Down Under, but all the team had an amazing year."
After Adelaide, Viviani plans to target the early season classics in Europe before setting his sights on more stage wins in the grand tours.
"The big classics are a goal of the season and probably also the Tour de France is the next step," he said.
"We will see what 2019 offers to us. I think we've spent a good winter and we're ready to smash it again."
