Gaviria and Nibali start 2018 season at the Vuelta a San Juan

Continental, ProContinental, National and seven WorldTour teams confirmed for early season Argentinian race from January 21st to January 28th

The UCI 2.1 race will take place between the 21st and the 28th of January, being one of the first races for the teams at international competition level in 2018. Seven WorldTour teams, seven National teams, five ProContinental teams and seven Continental squads are expected to take part.

Bahrain-Merida, Bora-hansgrohe, Lotto Soudal, Movistar, Quick-Step Floors, Trek-Segafredo and UAE Team Emirates are the WorldTour teams, joined by the national teams of Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Italia, Uruguay, Colombia and Cuba.

The Pro Continental squads are Androni-Giocattoni, Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, Israel Cycling Academy, UnitedHealthcare and Wilier Triestina.

The Continental teams that will compete are the Agrupacion Virgen de Fatima, Asociacion Civil Mardan, Medellin Inder, SEP San Juan, Municipalidad de Rawson, Unieuro Trievigiani and Pocito.

The 2018 edition of the race will include three more WorldTour teams than last year. It is still uncertain whether Trek-Segafredo's Bauke Mollema will come back to defend his 2017 title, as race organisers named Jarlinson Pantano as leader of Trek-Segafredo.

Darwin Atapuma will lead UAE Team Emirates and Rafal Majka will lead Bora-Hansgrohe.

Gaviria won two stages last year at the 2017 Tour of San Juan, with Trek-Segafredo's Bauke Mollema the overall winner.

The seven days of racing include a rest day on Thursday January 25.

Several stages will suit Sprinters with a 15km time trial on stage 3 in San Juan. The fifth stage  could decide the overall classification with a finish at an altitude of 2,565m at Alto Colorado.