Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team has selected the riders who will take part in the Tour de San Luis. OPQS will compete on a challenging parcours, with some of the best riders in the WorldTour from Jan. 20th until Jan. 27th.
Tour de San Luis features a 19.2km individual time trial on Stage 4, but is otherwise full of challenging road stages. Stage 1 and 2 are the flatter of the stages. The grueling, climbing stages begin with Stage 3, which includes two Category 1 climbs. Stage 3 also includes a summit finish on the second major climb, with the final 4km being a 6.7% average gradient. Stage 5 also has a Category 1 climb —Cerro El Amago — at kilometer 152.8, with a Category 3 summit leading into it at the 143.5km point. There is then a descent, and a slightly uphill stage finish at kilometer 169.8. The peloton gets no break, as Stage 6 includes another Category 1 summit finish with an average gradient in the final kilometer at 8.75 percent. Tour de San Luis ends with a flatter Stage 7, but still includes an uphill finish.
OPQS trained today in 30 degree weather, which was perfect to prepare for the conditions of the upcoming races.
"We know already the parcour and the road here even if there are slight changes," Sports Director Davide Bramati said. "The course is difficult, with uphill finishes, a time trial and few stages for the sprinter. We will see day by day how to interpret the race. We have good riders and it would be great to start our season with a good result."