2017 Tour de San Luis cancelled

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The Tour de San Luis will not take place in 2017, Ciclismo Internacional reported today. The Argentinean race has had steady growth over its 10-year history, and became a popular season opener for WorldTour and Continental riders alike.

The governor of the province of San Luis, Alberto Rodríguez Saá, who came into office last December, faced a large budget shortfall and eyed the race as a way to make cuts. Organisers scrambled to try to get national sponsorship, but were unable to do so to run the race for 2017.

They hope to resume the race in 2018, albeit under a smaller budget, with private sponsorship. They also hope to keep the women's Tour Femenino de San Luis going for 2017 with private funds.

Meanwhile, Ciclismo Internacional says the neighboring province of San Juan is hoping to elevate its own January stage race to UCI status.

The Tour de San Luis started in 2007, attracting mainly Continental teams, but bringing in some North American and European squads looking for temperate training grounds in the early season.

In 2009, the race elevated its status to UCI 2.1, and attracted its first then-ProTour squads, Saxo Bank and Liquigas. Ivan Basso made the event his comeback stage race after his doping suspension that year. In 2010, Vincenzo Nibali won the race, and Nairo Quintana was victorious in 2012. His brother Dayer won this year's edition.