Memil ProCycling at Gravel and Tar 2020

Swedish registered cycling team Memil CCN Pro will make their first appearance at the Gravel and Tar Classic in January.

The January 25 event in Manawatū is the first one-day race on the 2020 UCI international calendar and teams will be looking to secure valuable UCI points to ensure invitations to important races later in the year.

Team manager Fredrik Strid said after the team debuted on the cycling circuit in 2017 it had a breakthrough 2018 season and continued success in 2019.

At the recent Tour of Qinghai, the team had multiple stage wins and fourth place in the overall general classification, as well as podium finishes and top 10 performances in UCI events across three continents.

"2020 has a strengthened team lineup and further progression of a project that will see the team develop over the coming years to become a force in world cycling" Strid said.

Memil Pro will be led by Australian Samuel Volkers and features Taiwanese rider Chien-Liang Chen, who last month had a podium finish in stage seven of the Tour of Fuzhou.

The team's international roster has riders from Sweden, Taiwan and Australia, and includes rising star Andreas Andersson, of Sweden, who at only 20 years of age will be one of the youngest riders in the race.

This will be the first time the Swedish-based team has made the trip to the Southern Hemisphere for summer UCI events.

Race director Steve Stannard said the gauntlet had been opened for Northern Hemisphere teams to enter following the success of Ireland's EvoPro Cycling in the 2019 event.

"Teams and individual riders are really looking to collect as many UCI points as they can and it can make the difference to the final placing on the ladder."