Chris Froome to start his 2018 debut at the  Ruta del Sol

Team Sky confirm Froome will begin his 2018 season at the 64th Ruta del Sol

He last raced the Ruta del Sol in 2015, when he took overall victory and picked up a stage win along the way. Froome will line up in Spain after spending the early part of the year training in South Africa and will hope to impress on his return to competitive cycling, from February 14-18.

Froome, who won a fourth Tour de France title and Vuelta a Espana title last year, has denied wrongdoing and not been suspended over an adverse result after a urine test following Stage 18 of the Vuelta showed twice the permitted level of legal asthma drug Salbutamol.

Froome said: “I have put in a hard training block in January. It’s been good to be out on my bike and to get the miles under my belt. “It’s been a couple of years now since I was last at Ruta del Sol. It’s a race I’ve enjoyed in the past and so I’m looking forward to going back there”.

Team Sky confirmed in December that Chris and the team were providing information to the UCI regarding Chris’s use of his asthma medication at last year’s Vuelta a Espana.

The UCI process is ongoing. Froome said: “I’m confident that we will be able to get to the bottom of what has happened and I’m working hard with the team to do that. Obviously I understand that this situation has created a lot of uncertainty. I completely get why there has been so much interest and speculation.”

“I hope that people will appreciate there are limits to what I can say whilst the process is still ongoing but no one is keener than me to move things forward as quickly as possible”

Team Principal Sir Dave Brailsford said: "We all recognise that these are difficult circumstances but it's important for all sides that this process is conducted fairly before a final conclusion is reached."

"It is a complex situation but we're working as hard as we can with Chris to resolve things as soon as possible."

Stage 1, Wed February 14, 196.7 km

Stage 1 in the Ruta del Sol – a.k.a. the Vuelta a Andalucia – travels from Mijas to Granada. The route takes in six categorized climbs, the last five in the final 80 kms. A tough opening stage in the mountains.

Stage 2, Thu February 15, 140 km

Stage 2 features four climb finishing atop the Alto de las Allandas at 1,003 metres above sea level.

Stage 3 Fri February 16, 166.1 km

The 3rd stage is from Mancha Real to Herrera is fairly flat.

Stage 4, Sat February 17, 194.7 km

The fourth stage from Seville to Alcalá de los Gazules includes the big climbs of Puerto de las Palomas and the Puerto del Boyar, both over 1,110 metres halfway through the stage before descending down with a final climb of  200 metres in the last 15 kms.

Stage 5, Sun February 18, 14.2 km

The final stage is an individual time trial that will suit the fast men and the overall contenders who can time trial.