Tour de San Luis guide

A selection of the biggest names in professional men's cycling will get their season under way at the testing and varied Tour de San Luis in Argentina (January 20-26).

Stage 2: Tuesday, January 21 - La Punta to Mirador del Potrero - 170.6km | Report Result 1 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek Factory Racing, 4:13:21
2 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC Racing, same time
3 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +3secs
4 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing, st
5 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +5
6 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek Factory Racing, st
7 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Orica-GreenEdge, st
8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale, +8
9 Miguel Rubiano (Col) Colombia, st
10 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, st
Selected others
18 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +31
26 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Astana, +54
90 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Katusha, +7:06
115 Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +10:01 General classification 1 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Garmin-Sharp, 8:20:34
2 Marc de Maar (Cur) UnitedHealthcare, +1:47
3 Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge, +3:56
4 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC, +4:16
5 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek Factory Racing, same time
6 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC, +4:19
7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, st
8 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek Factory Racing, +4:21
9 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
10 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Orica-GreenEdge, st
Selected others
19 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +4:47 Stage 3: Wednesday, January 22 - Tilisarao to Juana Koslay - 175.8km | Report Result 1 Giacomo Nizzolo (Swi) Trek Factory Racing, 4:14:19
2 Francisco Ventoso (Spa) Movistar, same time
3 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, st
4 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp, st
5 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
6 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Cannondale, st
7 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC, st
8 Juan Esteban Arango (Col) Colombia, st
9 Edwin Avila (Col) Colombia, st
Selected others 13 Mark Cavendish (GB) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, st
54 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Garmin-Sharp, st General classification 1 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Garmin-Sharp, 12:34:53
2 Marc de Maar (Cur) UnitedHealthcare, +1:47
3 Christian Meier (Can) Orica-GreenEdge, +3:56
4 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC, +4:16
5 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek Factory Racing, same time
6 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC, +4:19
7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, st
8 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Trek Factory Racing, +4:21
9 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Ag2r-La Mondiale, st
10 Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Orica-GreenEdge, st
Selected others
19 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +4:47 Stage 4: Thursday, January 23 - El Potrero de los Funes to Alto del Amago - 168.7km | Report Result 1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 4:15:33
2 Sergio Godoy (Arg) San Luis Todos Somos, +50sec
3 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing, +1:32
4 Enzo Moyano (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +1:39
5 Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare, 1:45
6 Miguel Angel Rubiano (Col) Colombia, +2:09
7 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC Racing, +2:46
8 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek Factory Racing, same time
9 Gianluca Brambilla (Ita) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +3:04
10 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +3:05 General classification 1 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Garmin-Sharp, 16:54:41
2 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +4secs
3 Marc De Maar (Ned) UnitedHealthcare, +1:15
4 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC Racing, +1:36
5 Sergio Godoy (Arg) San Luis Todos Somos, +1:45
6 Enzo Moyano (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +1:51
7 Lucas Euser (USA) UnitedHealthcare, +1:57
8 Miguel Angel Rubiano (Col) Colombia, +2:18
9 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC Racing, +2:32
10 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek Factory Racing, +2:47
Selected other
12 Adam Yates (GB) Orica-GreenEdge, +3:37 Stage 5: Friday, January 24 - San Luis to San Luis - 19.2km individual time trial | Report Result 1 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, 22:11
2 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC, +3secs
3 Jorge Giacinit (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +29
4 Lawrence Warbasse (USA) BMC, +48
5 Andrey Amador (Cos) Movistar, +52
6 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) BMC, +53
7 Tom Boonen (Bel) Omega Pharma - Quick-Step, +57
8 Danilo Hondo (Ger) Trek, +1:02
9 Eloy Teruel (Spa) Jamis-Hagens Berman, +1:03
10 Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale, +1:05 General classification 1 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, 17:18:14
2 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Garmin-Sharp, +26
3 Sergio Godoy (Arg) San Luis Todos Somos, +2:01
4 Enzo Moyano (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +2:17
5 Marc de Maar (Ned) UnitedHealthcare, +2:47
6 Peter Stetina (USA) BMC, +2:57
7 Julian Arredondo (Col) Trek, +2:59
8 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environement, +3:13
9 Darwin Atapuma (Col) BMC, +3:21
10 Miguel Angel Rubiano (Col) Colombia, +3:30 Stage 6: Saturday, January 25 - Las Chacras to Merlo (Mirador del Sol) - 184.4km The identity of this year's winner will be all but decided on a sixth stage boasting the third summit finish of the race. The first 175km of the day will be largely uneventful, with a gently rolling route doing little to disrupt the peloton, but then the riders are hit with back-to-back categorised climbs that are, effectively, both one big ascent. The action will start in Merlo, 7km from the finish, when the road rears up for an unnamed category-three climb, which instantly warps into the steep climb to the finish at the Mirador del Sol. The first man to the top here could well be the man on the top step of the final podium. Stage 7: Sunday, January 26 - San Luis to Terrazas del Portezuelo - 148.1km The race concludes with a short, undulating day that will once again end in a sprint. It is not a cut-and-dried bunch finish, though, because the line is perched on the top of a short rise that could eliminate the likes of Cavendish and hand the advantage to punchier sprinters such as Sagan. Whoever is leading the race overall will have to be wary of a handful of short and mostly uncategorised climbs, but otherwise can enjoy a relatively straightforward day before being crowned at Terrazas del Portezuelo.

The favourites

Vincenzo Nibali, Nairo Quintana and Joaquim Rodriguez are names that all leap out from the provisional start list and unquestionably have the quality to win this race, but being so early in the season, they may not have the condition to challenge for overall victory. If they are short on fitness, don't be surprised to see a rider from a local team steal the limelight, as Argentina's Daniel Diaz did last year.

Brit watch

Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma - Quick-Step), Adam Yates (Orica-GreenEdge)

Key stage

Stage six. The climb to the summit finish at Mirador del Sol is likely to be contested by the general classification favourites and the first man to the top could well go on to be crowned overall winner.

The jerseys

- Orange: General classification.
- Red: King of the mountains.
- White: Best young rider.
- Green: Sprints classification.

Teams and riders

WorldTour Ag2r-La Mondiale: Carlos Betancur (Col), Matteo Montaguti (Ita), Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra), Davide Appollonio (Ita), Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita), Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita). Astana: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita), Michele Scarponi (Ita), Tanel Kangert (Est), Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe), Mikel Landa (Spa), Alessandro Vanotti (Ita). BMC: Taylor Phinney (USA), Darwin Atapuma (Col), Dominik Nerz (Ger), Manuel Quinziato (Ita), Peter Stetina (USA), Lawrence Warbasse (USA). Cannondale: Peter Sagan (Svk), Moreno Moser (Ita), Damiano Caruso (Ita), Alessandro De Marchi (Ita), Oscar Gatto (Ita), Marco Marcato (Ita). Garmin-Sharp: Phillip Gaimon (USA), Janier Acevedo (Col), Tyler Farrar (USA), Nathan Brown (USA), Tom Danielson (USA), Ben King (USA). Lampre-Merida: Damiano Cunego (Ita), Winner Anacona (Col), Sacha Modolo (Ita), Filippo Pozzato (Ita), Ariel Richeze (Ita), Jose Serpa (Col). Lotto-Belisol: Sander Armee (Bel), Kenny Dehaes (Bel), Jurgen van den Broeck (Bel), Tosh van der Sande (Bel), Jelle Vanendert (Bel), Frederik Willems (Bel). Movistar: Nairo Quintana (Col), Benat Intxausti (Spa), Andrey Amador (Cos), Francisco Ventoso (Spa), Adriano Malori (Ita). Katusha: Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa), Daniel Moreno (Spa), Angel Vicioso (Spa), Alberto Losada (Spa), Luca Paolini (Ita), Giampaolo Caruso (Spa). Omega Pharma - Quick-Step: Mark Cavendish (GB), Tom Boonen (Bel), Gianluca Brambilla (Ita), Alessandro Petacchi (Ita), Stijn Vandenbergh (Bel), Guillaume van Keirsbulck (Bel). Orica-GreenEdge: Adam Yates (GB), Aidis Kruopis (Lit), Christian Meier (Can), Ivan Santaromita (Ita), Jens Keukeleire (Bel), Pieter Weening (Ned). Trek: Eugenio Alafaci (Ita), Haimar Zubeldia (Spa), Julian Arredondo (Col), Fabio Silvestre (Por), Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita), Danilo Hondo (Ger). Pro Continental Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela: Manuel Belletti (Ita), Carlos Ochoa (Col), Emanuele Sella (Ita), Gianfranco Zilioli (Ita), Patrick Facchini (Ita), Marco Frapporti (Ita). Bretagne-Seche Environement: Jean Marc Bideau (Fra), Anthony Delaplace (Fra), Armindo Fonseca (Fra), Florian Guillou (Fra), Clement Koretzky (Fra), Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg). Colombia: Miguel Angel Rubiano (Col), Fabio Duarte (Col), Edwin Avila (Col), Leonardo Duque (Col), Juan Arango (Col), Juan Valencia (Col). Norvo Nordisk: Martijn Verschoor (Ned), David Lozano (Spa), Javier Mejias (Spa), Andrea Peron (Ita), Christopher Williams (Aus), Kevin de Mesmaeker (Bel). UnitedHealthcare: Isaac Bolivar (Col), Marc de Maar (Cur), Lucas Euser (USA), Like Keough (USA), Carlos Alzate (Col), Jonathan Clarke (Aus). Continental Jamis-Hagens Berman: Juan Jose Haedo (Arg), Daniel Jaramillo (Col), Gregory Brenes (Cos), Benjamin Jacques-Maynes (USA), Eloy Teruel (Spa), Rob Squire (USA). Provincia de Buenos Aires: Walter Perez (Arg), Marcos Crespo (Arg), Julian Gaday (Arg), Lucas Gaday (Arg), Claudio Arone (Arg), Ariel Sivori (Arg), Sebastian Tolosa (Arg). San Luis Somos Todos: Daniel Diaz (Arg), Jorge Giacinti (Arg), Leandro Messineo (Arg), Alfredo Lucero (Arg), Sergio Godoy (Arg), Enzo Moyano (Arg), Emanuel Guevara (Arg), Cristian Martinez (Arg). Wildcards Argentina: Facundo Lezica (Arg), Juan Curuchet (Arg), Mauro Richeze (Arg), Sebastian Trillini (Arg), German Tivani (Arg), Julian Barrientos (Arg), Emiliano Contreras (Arg), Ruben Ramos (Arg). Cuba: Yasmani Martinez (Cub), Yennier Lopez (Cub), Lisnandi Alonso (Cub), Carlos Anias (Cub), Pedro Sibila (Cub), Agustin Martinez (Cub). Clube Dataro de Ciclismo-Bottecchia: Ramiro Cabrera (Uru), Cristian Egidio da Rosa (Bra), Caio Godoy Ormenese (Bra), Thiago Rodrigues (Bra), Alcides Flaviano Vieira (Bra), Cleberson Weber (Bra). Uruguay: Richard Mascaranas (Uru), Sixto Nunez (Uru), Matias Presa (Uru), Nicolas Arachichu (Uru), Ignacio Maldonado (Uru), Fabricio Ferrari (Uru).