American cyclist Tyler Farrar will compete in the 2011 Tour Down Under in South Australia state in January, the opening event of the 2011 UCI WorldTour (formerly UCI ProTour) season.

Farrar, who was a stage-winner on both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana last season, will ride for the Garmin-Cervelo team in the race which runs from January 16 to 23, race director Mike Turtur said.

"It's great for our race to have a cyclist of Farrar's caliber competing here in January. I believe he could be the next big threat to international sprinters," Turtur added.

Farrar is the second leading rider to confirm his participation in the Tour Down Under after seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who will contest the event for the third straight year. The race will be Armstrong's last professional road cycling event outside the United States.