Team Sky will make their European debut at the traditional curtain-raiser to the new season - the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise on January 31.

Here we take a look at what awaits our seven-strong group of riders as they prepare to tackle this tricky one-dayer in the south of France.

Background

The race began in 1988 and quickly became one of the key early meets on the calendar due to the mild conditions which commonly greet riders on the Mediterranean coast. In 2005 the UCI awarded it 1.1-ranked status in order to continually attract the biggest names in the business.

Although a popular event in its own right, many teams use the race as a precursor for the five-stage Etoile de Bessèges, which also takes place in the region. This year is no exception and every member of the Team Sky line-up will be on hand once again on February 3.

The route

The organisers toughened up the course with more climbs in 2009 and appear to have kept faith with that premise over the 139.7km route this time around.

The riders will face their opening ascent of the day after just 10km at Les Termes, but their first real test comes 50km down the road at Petit Galibier, where the route climbs to 550m over 7km with an average gradient of 4.2%.

There is little respite after that as the day's major climb - the Col de l'Espigoulier - follows in quick succession. This 12km haul ramps up to 723m with gradients of between 6-8%.

Two further summits (the Col de l'Ange and Julhan Bastides) pepper the route between there and the final scramble on the Col de la Gineste. This 326m peak has been known to catch out a number of would-be sprinters in the past and could prove pivotal again in 2010.

From then on however, it is downhill all the way back into Marseille where this year's race will finish at the aptly-titled Stade Velodrome.

Team Sky squad: John-Lee Augustyn, Michael Barry, Sylvain Calzati, Steve Cummings, Peter Kennaugh, Nicolas Portal and Morris Possoni.