Mikel Landa will start the 2020 season with his new team, Bahrain McLaren, at the Vuelta a Andalucía (aka Ruta del Sol) in Spain on Wednesday.

In Alhaurin de la Torre, Dylan Theuns will accompany the Spanish rider in his first race of the season, as will another newcomer, Pero Bilbao. Both riders could join the GC contenders in this mountain stage race if Landa fails to make the overall contention.

Landa, who moved to Bahrain McLaren for the 2020 season after two seasons with Movistar, started the year with his new team without serious injury, although he was hit by a car during training in early February. [In a press release from Bahrain McLaren, Landa said, "I am very happy to start a new experience with a new team. I'm looking forward to joining forces with my new teammates and getting off to a good start. I have already been to Ruta del Sol a few times and as always it is a tough race with a high level of completion, a good team and excellent riders.

"It's my first race so one of the objectives is to make sure I'm ready and if I have a chance to win I won't back down."

Landa will be joined by former Movistar team members Marc Soler and Enric Mas, Astana's Ion Izaguirre and Jacob Fuglsang, Mitchelton Scott's Jack Hague, who recently finished second overall in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, and earlier this month Brandon McNulty, who joined UAE Team Emirates fresh off his fourth place overall finish at the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina, and others.

In addition to overall contenders Landa, Bilbao, and Teuns, Bahrain McLaren's Ruta del Sol team has all-rounder Sonny Colbrelli, who is looking to build form for the spring classics and will be looking for a stage win in Thursday's second stage in Iznahar In addition to the possibilities, Damiano Caruso, Matej Mohoric and young sprinter Ivan Cortina complete the seven-man lineup.

"The race is about to begin. I'm very happy to start the season with a challenging race like the Ruta del Sol."

"I've been working on my endurance with my teammates in Tenerife (training camp) in anticipation of the Belgian Classics.

Bahrain McLaren in the 2020 Vuelta a Andalucía "Ruta del Sol": pero Bilbao, Damiano Caruso, Sonny Colbrelli, Ivan Cortina, Mikel Landa, Matej Mohoric, Dylan Tuns