Movistar Team, the winner of the WorldTour three years in a row, will line up at the Tour de San Luis with one of its two leaders, Nairo Quintana. He will be supported by his brother Dayer, Tour del’Avenir winner Marc Soler, Fran Ventoso, Carlos Betancur and Dani Moreno. The latter two will make their debut with the team in Argentina.

The presence of the best and most consistent team in the world and its leader Nairo Quintana gives prominence to a race that is constantly growing. In addition to Movistar, there will be six WorldTour teams: Tinkoff, Astana, Etixx-Quick Step, Lampre, Ag2r and Cannondale-Garmin.

Movistar has no plans for Quintana to fight for victory. Winning is not the goal: "We want to start quiet. There will be no intensity work in the first part of the year," manager Eusebio Unzue told BiciCiclismo. Nonetheless, Quintana won the race two years ago. "But every year it is more difficult to win, not only because there are more and more rivals, but because they come better prepared." The Colombian won the race in 2014 and was third last year. In 2016, the race has two summit finishes and an inaugural team time trial.

Not to stake everything on one card, Movistar has a team in which Dani Moreno who spends his winters in Argentina where he has a second home, and Marc Soler, winner of the Tour de l'Avenir, could also have their say. "I do not know how the race will be but everyone wants to go," says Eusebio Unzue of the Tour de San Luis.

Movistar also closed the season with a bronze in the team time trial at the Worlds in Richmond. "Gradually, we managed to achieve that. What once seemed like a dream now seems to be possible," Unzue said about the gold medal. "We have our goals," he sai. "But we do not expect victory in the team time trial in San Luis. We will do well, or at least try, but it will be a very difficult day because it is the first day of competition of the year. Many will bring good teams and there will be some sore legs.”