As the days tick down to the start of the new season, organisers of the Tour de San Luis have confirmed the strongest lineup yet for the Argentinean race, with no less than twelve WorldTour teams confirmed as taking part in next January’s race.
The dozen top squads, one more than this year, will be AG2R-La Mondiale (France), Astana Pro Team (Kazakhstan), BMC Racing Team (USA), Cannondale Pro Cycling (Italy), Garmin - Sharp (USA), Katusha (Russia), Lampre-Merida (Italy), Lotto-Belisol (Belgium), Movistar Team (Spain), Omega Pharma-Quick Step (Belgium), Orica Greenedge (Australia) and Trek Factory Racing (USA).
The riders from each are yet to be confirmed but it is likely that several big names will get their seasons underway in the 2.1 ranked event.
The field will be made up of 150 riders in total. In addition to the twelve WorldTour teams, four pro continental outfits will compete, namely Androni Giocattoli – Venezuela (Italy), Bretagne-Seche Environnement (France), Team Novo Nordisk (USA) and UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team (USA). There will also be two Continental teams, Colombia Coldeportes (Colombia) and Jamis – Hagens Berman (USA), plus South American squads San Luis somos todos, Provincia de Buenos Aires (both Argentina), the country’s national team, national squds from Cuba and Chile plus the Brazilian Rudi Project-DataRo.
The event will begin on January 20th with a 164 kilometre stage running from San Luis to Villa Mercedes. This will be followed by finishes in Mirador del Potrero, Juana Koslay and the Altor del Amago, a 19.2 kilometre time trial in San Luis, plus two further road race stages to Merlo/Mirador del Sol and Terrazas del PorteZuelo.
In all there will be 1,030.8 kilometres of racing, including three summit finishes.
Argentinean rider Daniel Diaz won last year’s race, the San Luis Somos Todos rider beating Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing Team) by 33 seconds and Alex Correia Diniz (Funvic Brasilinvest-São José dos Campos) by 39.
Others in the top ten included fourth-placed Alberto Contador (Team Saxo Tinkoff), Jurgen van den Broeck (Lotto-Belisol, 5th), Mauro Santambrogio (Vini Fantini-Selle Italia, 6th) and Vincenzo Nibali (Astana, 10th).
Contador’s Saxo Tinkoff team is not scheduled to take part, with the Spaniard choosing a different start to his season in 2014.
Contador’s Saxo Tinkoff team is not scheduled to take part, with the Spaniard choosing a different start to his season in 2014.
Tour de San Luis (2.1):
Stage 1, January 20: San Luis to Villa Mercedes, 164 km
Stage 2, January 21: La Punta to Mirador del Potrero, 170.6 km
Stage 3, January 22: Tilisarao to Juana Koslay, 175.8 km
Stage 4, January 23: El Potrero de los Funes to Alto del Amago, 168.7 km
Stage 5, January 24: Sal Luis to San Luis CRI, 19.2 km
Stage 6, January 25: Las Chacras to Merlo (Mirador del Sol) 184.4 km
Stage 7, January 26: San Luis to Terrazas del Portezuelo, 148.1 km