Tour de San Luis 2015 preview

Mark Cavendish, Nairo Quintana and Michal Kwiatkowski are among the big names who have travelled to Argentina to open their 2015 season at the Tour de San Luis (January 19-25).

Stage 3: Wednesday, January 21 - Concaran to Juana Koslay - 176.3km | Report Result 1 Fernando Gaviria (Col) Colombia, 3:48:44
2 Mark Cavendish (GB) Etixx - Quikc-Step, same time
3 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida, st
4 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, st
5 Eduard Grosu (Rom) Nippo-Vini Fantini, st
6 Nicolas Marini (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini, st
7 Marco Canola (Ita) UnitedHealthcare, st
8 Julian Gaday (Arg) Buenos Aires Provincia, st
9 Emanuel Guevara (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, st
10 Diego Milan (DR) Inteja-MMR Dominican Cycling Team, st General classification 1 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-San Jose dos Campos, 13:02:23
2 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +6secs
3 Kleber da Silva (Bra) Funvic Brasilinvest-San Jose dos Campos, +24
4 Alex Diniz (Bra) Funvic Brasilinvest-San Jose dos Campos, st
5 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +27
6 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, same time
7 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, st
8 Sergio Godoy (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +29
9 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) Jamis-Hagens Berman, +36
10 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Colombia, st Stage 4: Thursday, January 22 - Villa Dolores to Alto el Amago - 142.5km | Report Result 1 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-San Jose Dos Campos, 3:29:25
2 Alex Diniz (Bra) Funvic Brasilinvest-San Jose Dos Campos, +52
3 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +54
4 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +56
5 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +1:19
6 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Colombia, +1:57
7 Leandro Messineo (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +2:10
8 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, same time
9 Miguel Angel Rubiano (Col) Team Colombia, +2:36
10 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha, +2:47 General classification 1 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-San Jose Dos Campos, 16:31:48
2 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +1:00
3 Alex Diniz (Bra) Funvic Brasilinvest-San Jose Dos Campos, +1:19
4 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +1:23
5 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +1:46
6 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Colombia, +2:33
7 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, +2:37
8 Miguel Angel Rubiano (Col) Team Colombia, +3:33
9 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) Jamis-Hagens Berman, +3:58
10 Leandro Messineo (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +4:04 Stage 5: Friday, January 23 - San Luis to San Luis - 17.4km individual time trial | Report Result 1 Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar, 20:07
2 Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol) Etixx - Quick-Step, +4secs
3 Hugo Houle (Can) Ag2r-La Mondiale, +5
4 Serhei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela, +29
5 Leandro Messineo (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +32
6 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha, +33
7 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-Merida, +34
8 Carlos Oyarzun (Chi) Chile, +40
9 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +42
10 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-Sao Jose dos Campos, same time
Selected others
12 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +44
14 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +51 General classification 1 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-Sao Jose dos Campos, 16:52
2 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +1:09
3 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +1:25
3 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +1:46
5 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Colombia, +2:43
6 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, +3:15
7 Leandro Messineo (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +3:54
8 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha, +3:57
9 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) Jamis-Hagens Berman, +4:18
10 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) UnitedHealthcare, +4:37 Stage 6: Saturday, January 26 - Achiras to Filo Sierras Comechingones - 117.5km | Report Result 1 Kleber da Silva (Bra) Funvic Brasilinvest-Sao Jose dos Campos, 3:12:00
2 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +2secs
3 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-Sao Jose dos Campos, +6
4 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +15
5 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, +17
6 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +22
7 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Garmin, +34
8 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Colombia, +39
9 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) Ag2r-La Mondiale, same time
10 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) Jamis-Hagens Berman, +1:23 General classification 1 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-Sao Jose dos Campos, 20:04:37
2 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +1:05
3 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +1:34
4 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +2:02
5 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Colombia, +3:16
6 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, +3:26
7 Leandro Messineo (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +5:21
8 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Garmin, +5:29
9 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) Jamis-Hagens Berman, +5:35
10 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha, +5:39 Stage 7: Sunday, January 25 - San Luis to San Luis - 122.4km | Report Result 1 Mark Cavendish (GB) Etixx - Quick-Step, 2:33:29
2 Fernando Gaviria (Col) Colombia, same time
3 Jakub Mareczko (Pol) Southeast Pro Cycling, st
4 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Lampre-Merida, st
5 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, st
6 Ken Hanson (USA) UnitedHealthcare, st
7 Nicolas Marini (Ita) Nippo-Vini Fantini, st
8 Francisco Chamorro (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-Sao Jose dos Campos, st
9 Julian Gaday (Arg) Buenos Aires Provincia, st
10 Daniel McLay (GB) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, st General classification 1 Daniel Diaz (Arg) Funvic Brasilinvest-Sao Jose dos Campos, 22:37:07
2 Rodolfo Torres (Col) Team Colombia, +1:05
3 Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, +1:34
4 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Bretagne-Seche Environnement, +2:02
5 Rodrigo Contreras (Col) Colombia, +3:16
6 Daniel Moreno (Spa) Katusha, +3:26
7 Joe Dombrowski (USA) Cannondale-Garmin, +5:29
8 Daniel Jaramillo (Col) Jamis-Hagens Berman, +5:35
9 Leandro Messineo (Arg) San Luis Somos Todos, +5:39
10 Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Katusha, same time

KEY STAGE

Stage six. Stage four is also hugely important overall, but the final climb on stage six is longer, steeper and has the potential to create larger gaps. It's also the last chance for riders to bid for victory or higher placings on the general classification.

THE FAVOURITES

Nairo Quintana (Movistar)
The Colombian took this race seriously last year and his overall victory set up what would develop into a hugely successful season. Expect him to be in good form and going for victory once again. Michal Kwiatkowski (Etixx - Quick-Step)
While the world champion cannot match Quintana in the mountains, he is no slouch uphill and should do better than the pure climbers in the time trial. Przemyslaw Niemiec (Lampre-Merida)
The 34-year-old Pole is a strong climber and could well be there or thereabouts. Sergio Godoy (San Luis Somos Todos)
Argentinian riders are generally competitive in this race and Godoy, who finished third overall last year, could well be the pick of them. Daniel Moreno (Katusha)
The Spaniard is usually chief domestique to Joaquim Rodriguez but has the chance to go for victory for himself, although the longer climbs will not suit his punchier style. Carlos Betancur (Ag2r-La Mondiale)
Depending on which Carlos Betancur turns up, he could just as easily win the race as finish last. Potentially one of the best climbers in the field.

BRIT WATCH

Mark Cavendish (Etixx - Quick-Step)
Dan McLay (Bretagne-Seche Environnement)

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2014: Nairo Quintana (Col)
2013: Daniel Diaz (Arg)
2012: Levi Leipheimer (USA)
2011: Marco Arriagada (Chi)
2010: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita)
2009: Alfredo Lucero (Arg)
2008: Martin Garrido (Arg)
2007: Jorge Giacinti (Arg)

WORLDTOUR TEAMS

AG2R-LA MONDIALE
Country: France. Status: WorldTour
Team: Carlos Betancur (Col), Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra), Ben Gastauer (Lux), Hugo Houle (Can), Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita), Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra). CANNONDALE-GARMIN
Country: United States. Status: WorldTour
Team: Tom Danielson (USA), Nathan Brown (USA), Joe Dombrowski (USA), Kristoffer Skjerping (Nor), Ben King (USA), Ted King (USA). ETIXX - QUICK-STEP
Country: Belgium. Status: WorldTour
Team: Mark Cavendish (GB) Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol), Michal Golas (Pol), Gabio Sabatini (Ita), Guillame van Keirsbulck (Bel), Lukasz Wisniowksi (Pol). KATUSHA
Country: Russia. Status: WorldTour
Team: Luca Paolini (Ita), Pavel Kochetkov (Rus), Alberto Losada (Spa), Daniel Moreno (Spa), Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus), Ilnur Zakarin (Rus). LAMPRE-MERIDA
Country: Italy. Status: WorldTour
Team: Mattia Cattaneo (Ita), Sacha Modolo (Ita), Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol), Filippo Pozzato (Ita), Ariel Richeze (Arg), Luka Pibernik (Slo). MOVISTAR
Country: Spain. Status: WorldTour
Team: Nairo Quintana (Col), Igor Anton (Spa), Adriano Malori (Ita), Dayer Quintana (Col), Marc Soler (Spa), Jasha Sutterlin (Ger).