22.01.2008/ Today the 2008 Tour de San Luis will start with a prologue of 3,7 kilometres. Last year the race was won by Jorge Giacinti. Francisco Mancebo was third overall at the 2007 edition.

This years second edition of the stage race through the Argentine province of San Luis again has a strong field. CSC's Schleck brothers will start their season in Argentina and Colombian climber José Serpa (Diquigiovanni) will start at the race as well. Saunier Duval-Scott will start with Manuele Mori and David Canada.

German continental team Sparkasse will start as well. Sparkasse rider Tilo Schüler will publish a riders diary at our website during the Tour de San Luis. The German team had considerable delays during their trip to Argentina. On Thursday Team Sparkasse's sports director Erik Weispfennig left Germany for what would become a long journey to South-America. Together with new signings Stefan Cohnen and Rob Ruygh and riders that were already part of the squad in the 2007 season: Lars Wackernagel, Tilo Schüler, Andreas Schillinger and Philipp Mamos arrived in San Luis on Saturday.

The team had to stay a night in Madrid because of the pilots were on strike. InBuenos Aires the team had to stay for another night in a hotel because of a second strike by pilots. Sports director Erik Weispfennig said: "Although we had bad luck, everything was organised very well: hotels, food and transfers. The only thing was that we couldn't change our clothes."

The prologue and 5 stages of the Tour de San Luis have an interesting route with a mountain top finish at stage 3, the queen stage and an individual time trial of 19.8 kilometres.