Cycling news - 2018 champion Simon Yates out of Mitchelton-SCOTT squad for Vuelta a Espana

Instead the focus is on Estaban Chaves, who claimed third place in 2016, Mikel Nieve (who won stage 16 in 2010) and Luka Mezgec (double stage winner at this year's Tour de Pologne).

New Zealand rider Dion Smith is included for his Vuelta debut.

There are also places for Ethiopian time trial championTsgabu Grmay, as well as New Zealand's Sam Bewley and Australian climber Damien Howson. The antipodeans were teammates in Chaves' 2016 campaign. Australian Nick Schultz is also part of the team.

Fellow Australian Nick Schultz will make his third appearance in the Spanish tour whilst New Zealander Dion Smith makes his debut and adds speed to the ‘exciting’ team line-up.

Mitchelton-SCOTT enjoyed success in 2018's event when Yates won the team's first Grand Tour.