Race director of the Vuelta a Andalucia, Joaquin Cuevas, has said he is yet to receive confirmation on whether Sky’s Chris Froome, will return to the race in 2016 to defend his title.

“We would love to have him back, but as yet Sky haven’t decided on their program for that part of the calendar,” Cuevas told Cyclingnews on Thursday. He hoped to have Sky’s long list for the Vuelta a Andalucia in “the next few days.”

So far, big names confirmed for the stage race, taking place between February 17 and 21, are Tinkoff-Saxo’s Rafal Majka and BMC’s Philippe Gilbert.