Cavendish, Contador, Nibali ready for season debut in Argentina
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AG2R's Manuel Belletti and Rinaldo Nocentini at the Tour de San Luis team presentation.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Tour de San Luis teams' presentation gets a thumbs up from Peter Sagan(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Joaquim Rodriguez and his Katusha teammates are introduced in San Luis(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Fireworks at the Tour de San Luis teams' presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Fireworks at the Tour de San Luis teams' presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Fireworks at the Tour de San Luis teams' presentation(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Contador hands over the new Saxo-Tinkoff jersey(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador (Saxo-Tinkoff) will be a favourite to win the 2013 Tour de San Luis.(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mark Cavendish emerges from the smoke (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Vincenzo Nibali hands over an Astana jersey (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The new Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox jersey(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Nibali waves to the crowds(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador emerges from the smoke(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The new NetApp-Endura jersey(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Lotto Belisol jersey stands out (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Tejay van Garderen leads the BMC Racing Team in San Luis(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Team Cannondale go for green for 2013(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Mattia Gavazzi leads the way for the Androni Giocattoli introduction(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Hola Movistar!(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Movistar team (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Lampre-Merida riders(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The Androni Giocattoli riders show off their new jersey(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The 2013 Tour de San Luis starts today and the local population was treated to an impressive teams' presentation on Sunday night that included a firework display and a warm welcome for the teams and riders set to take part in the seven-day Argentinean stage race.
The event took place at the grand, if a little remote, Independence Hall, which was built in 2010, as a bicentennial honour of Argentina's independence from Spain in 1810. The structure is a replica of an important government building in Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires, where independence from Europe power and talk of sovereignty were cooked up.
While Contador and his WorldTour companions attracted the attention of the international media it was the San Luis Somos Todos team who received the warmest cheers from the partisan crowd. The eight-man team comprise of seven Argentine riders and one Chilean, however they represent the cream of local cycling and were allocated the final, headlining slot, as teams were brought on stage in quick succession.
The race kicks off on Monday with a 164 kilometre stage from San Luis to Villa Mercedes, with the sprinters expected to shine.
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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
