As some of Movistar Team’s biggest names take part in the two most demanding trophies -Deià and Serra de Tramuntana- in the 2012 Challenge de Mallorca, the telephone squad divides into two blocks and departs on Tuesday to the Côte d’Azur for the 39th Tour Méditerranéen, the first Blue race on French turf this season.

Over four stages from Thursday 9 to Sunday 12, the race over the Rhône and Var departments features an opening, rolling stage to Meyreuil, two finishes suited for sprinters on the way to Martigues and La Londe les Maures and, as Queen stage, the traditional climb to the Cat. 1 Mont Faron, after 130k with two other Cat. 1-2 climbs starting from La Ciotat’s depart.

For this race, Yvon Ledanois will be directing a youthful eight-man squad formed up by Colombia’s Nairo Quintana -debuting today in Blue outfit during the Trofeo Migjorn-, Costa Rican Andrey Amador, Lithuanian Ignatas Konovalovas and Spaniards Jesús Herrada, Ángel Madrazo, Enrique Sanz, David López and Fran Ventoso.