Chris Froome expects strong challenge from Richie Porte in Victoria

Team Sky's Chris Froome expects local favourite Richie Porte to push him all the way to the finish when the Brit starts his 2017 season at the UCI's World Tour event in Victoria on Sunday.

Three-time Tour de France champion Froome will ride in the Towards Zero Race around Melbourne's Formula One circuit on Thursday.

His quest for a fourth Yellow Jersey will begin in earnest, however, at Sunday's 174-km one-day event, which starts in Geelong, south-west of Melbourne.

Froome did not take part in this year's Tour Down Under, which Porte won ahead of Colombia's Esteban Chaves.

He said: "It's still very early obviously in the season and it's probably too early to be talking favourites for the Tour.

"I've always had a lot of confidence in Richie's abilities and always said he's a Tour de France contender. Certainly for Sunday, I'd expect Richie to be up there on that final climb."

Three Australians - Porte, Jay McCarthy, and Nathan Haas - were in the top four of the Tour Down Under, which ended at the weekend.

With that in mind, Froome anticipates a strong challenge from local riders, especially over the steep Chalambra climb which marks the finishing circuit.

Froome, who will also take part in the five-day Herald Sun Tour from February 1, added: "I'd expect Esteban and Nathan to be hanging on for dear life.

"Every edition will be different but the organisers have done a great job of putting in a course that is so unpredictable. It is just a very open race."