Launceston brothers Bernie and Wes Sulzberger and Campbell Town’s Will Clarke have competed around the world for their team, Drapac, this year and are glad to be back on familiar territory as they prepare for next week’s Tour of Tasmania.

With world championships, the Tour de France, one-day classics and a Tour of Tasmania title between them, the trio brings a wealth of experience to the six-day, 472-kilometre race, but the riders are in no doubt about the size of the task facing them.

‘‘We know it’s going to be hard,’’ said Clarke, 29, whose phenomenal debut season with Drapac has seen him leading four UCI races at the tours of Japan, Kumano, Iran and Azerbaïjan.

‘‘Especially if we get some typical Tasmanian September-October weather of wind, rain and even snow.

‘‘I haven’t done any of the recon rides and it’s been a few years since I’ve done some of those North-West stages or ridden from New Norfolk to Strathgordon, but I know it’s going to be tough.’’

Victory in the 2009 Tour of Tasmania remains one of Bernie Sulzberger’s best results, but the 30-year-old says Tuesday’s 17km opening-stage uphill time trial on Mount Wellington is likely to limit his individual prospects to stage wins in his eighth home-state tour.

‘‘We did the recon last week and it’s definitely pretty hard,’’ he said.

‘‘There’s a lot of undulating. 

‘‘The stages are normally shorter than this so it will take its toll especially if conditions are bad. But this week has been pretty good so hopefully the weather holds.’’

A medallist in this year’s Oceania road championship and last year’s Tour of Taiwan champion expects to play a support role to his Drapac teammates Darren Lapthorne, of Victoria, or Hobart’s Jai Crawford.

Younger brother Wes, 27, has fond memories of his last Tour of Tasmania in 2006 when he won three stages including in Beaconsfield watched by Bernie and their mum, dad and grandmother.

‘‘It was a really technical tight finish but I knew it really well because I used to train on it so that was the highlight for me,’’ he said.

‘‘I’ve done some of the recon rides for this year including the Grindelwald stage and over Gunns Plains and they’re both going to be really tough.

‘‘Gunns Plains is about 110km but has 2000m of climbing so is pretty solid.’’

Clarke, whose eventful cycling career has included two stints with WorldTour teams, said his involvement next week could still be determined by his continued recovery from a crash within sight of the end of the Tour of China.

Attempting to set up teammate Wouter Wippert for a second successive stage win, he was involved in a pile up which left him with a broken toe, 20 stitches in his arm and a spoke through his hand.

‘‘I’m still pretty sore but I’m hoping I’ll be OK for next week,’’ said Clarke, who led Wes home in the 2009 Launceston Classic but is seeking a first stage win in his third Tassie tour.

‘‘My foot is still swollen and my arm is not up to full strength yet.’’