The 23-year-old Avanti Racing Team rider became the first Australian to win the Tour of Southland in 50 years.
He is back to defend the title he won by 41sec from team-mate Joe Cooper, of Wellington.
The pair shape as two of the leading contenders and Avanti, which won the teams event in 2014, will also be very strong again.
Cooper won the New Zealand Road Championship title in January, heading off team-mate Tom Davison, a former Commonwealth Games triathlete.
Regan Gough is better known for his exploits on the track. He helped the New Zealand team win gold in the teams pursuit at the world championships in Paris earlier this year.
His older brother, Fraser Gough, and New Zealand Cycle Classic and Oceania Championship winner Taylor Gunman complete a potent line-up.
Avanti will be looking to assert some dominance early when the 59th edition of the Tour of Southland gets under way in Invercargill on Sunday with a 4.2km teams time trial.
Kia Motors looks the best equipped of the other teams to press for the yellow jersey.
Former winner Mike Northey (2012) will lead the challenge, with support from under-23 riders Alex Frame and Pieter Bulling and United States riders Eric Marcotte and Travis McCabe.
Mosgiel rider Brad Evans shapes as one of Otago's leading hopes. He moved to Melbourne this year to ride for Pat's Veg in the Australian National Road Series and the Victorian Road Series.
Evans finished a creditable 32nd in the general classification, 2min 36sec behind winner Sacha Modolo.
Evans is riding for Powernet and has a good team around him.
The other local interest will centre on the Creation Signs L&M Group Ricoh team.
It is basically an Otago team which is led by former king of the mountains winner Joe Chapman (Mosgiel).
The team's strongest rider, Alexandra's Liam Aitcheson, has struck some good form in the led up to the tour.
The 20-year-old has performed strongly on the climb up Bluff Hill in the past and it is always one of the key stages which sorts out the contenders from the rest of the field.
Aitcheson declined to be interview but Chapman told the Otago Daily Times last week the team hoped Aitcheson could finish in the top three.
''If we can keep him in a good position for the rest of the week, then he can just do his thing on the big hill and hopefully he will be up there in the general classification.''
Stage 4 from Mossburn to Coronet Peak was another one of those important stages but this year Stage 5 was ''a little bit bumpy'' tour manager Bruce Ross said.
''That will be a test for the riders and I think it will possibly be a defining stage as far as deciding the overall winner.
''I'm sure if teams are doing their homework they well have worked out there are plenty of opportunities for attacks.''
There are four fewer teams this year but Ross said interest was already building for next year's event.
''This is probably the lightest field we've had for a few years, but last year was a record field and it is usually around that 80-100 mark. But we are still very pleased with the calibre of the field we have.
''And the international presence we have here indicates the tour is world renowned and the place to come.''
