Contador might aim for Maglia Rosa

The Saxo-Tinkoff leader admits he is not in prime condition and will use the seven-day race in Argentina to improve his shape ahead of the early season races in Europe.

He said: “The idea is to fine tune and adjust my weight, since I'm a few kilos over. But that's normal in January. I like to compete if I see an opportunity. I can hardly stop myself if I have good legs but I'm a bit overweight and when it comes to uphill finishes, it's all mathematics. There are riders here who are better than me right now.

“After Tour de San Luis, I will race the Tour of Oman, a race that I don't know that well, and I will continue with Tirreno, that I don't know either but I'm excited to go, because until now, I always did Paris-Nice. Then I'll go to the Criterium International - another race with a great reputation and where I've never been in a good condition."

Contador, one of five riders to have won all three Grand Tours, will then discuss with team principal Bjarne Riis in April whether he will bid for a second Giro after winning the Maglia Rosa in 2008.

“I'll ride Basque Country and then the team will analyse the possibilities of riding some of the Classics or going to the Giro. My calendar will focus on the Tour de France,” he added.

The Tour de San Luis begins on Monday.