Silence-Lotto (BEL) and BBox Bouygues Telecom (FRA) haveconfirmed their place on the starting line at next year’s Tour DownUnder.

BBox Bouygues Telecom will send an all-French team to compete andSilence-Lotto will field an experienced European contingent.

“I am pleased to see Mario Aerts back in Australia riding for Silence-Lotto –he is a Tour Down Under favourite”, said Race Director Mike Turtur.

“Mario is a consummate professional in the peloton, having achieved some major cycling milestones in his career”.

In 2007 Mario Aerts finished all three grand tours: the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta, making him the 25th rider in the history of cycling to achieve this.

Silence-Lotto’s Matthew Lloyd is the current Australian national champion, having won the 2008 Australian Open Road Championships.

“BBox Bouygues is bringing an experienced team to Adelaide, with riders having performed well at the 2008 Tour de France and 2008 Vuelta a España”, said Mike Turtur.

Belgium’s Silence-Lotto team riding at the 2009 Tour Down Under includes:Mario Aerts (BEL), Glenn D’Hollander (BEL), Pieter Jacobs (BEL), OlivierKaisen (BEL), Jonas Ljungblad (SWE), Matthew Lloyd (AUS) and TomStubbe (BEL). Belgian Hendirk Redant, a Tour Down Under favourite, will bethe Team Manager.

BBox Bouygues Telecom all-French team line up, led by Team Manager,Christian Guiberteau (FRA) is: Matthieu Sprick (FRA), Mathieu Claude(FRA), Vincent Jerome (FRA), Laurent Lefevre (FRA), Rony Martias (FRA),Alexandre Pichot (FRA) and Perrig Quemeneur (FRA).

More team confirmations and riders to be confirmed over the coming weeks.