Contador, who went on to win the Tour de France in 2007, will return to compete in a contest that will include Cadel Evans and Andy Schleck, two of the riders expected to be some of his chief rivals on the highways of France next July.

A total of 20 teams have been invited, among them Caisse D’Epargne, led by Oscar Pereiro with Luis León Sanchez in reserve, and Euskaltel, headed by Samuel Sanchez.

Organizers have invited all currently-licensed Pro Tour teams except Fuji, the new incarnation of last season’s scandal-ridden Saunier Duval. Carlos Sastre’s Cervelo team has been included, and will appear under the leadership of Xavier Florencio instead of Sastre, the winner of the last Tour. The Agritubel and Skil teams have also been invited.

Paris-Nice willl offer Contador a route well-suited to his characteristics. After the departure in Amilly (a 9.3 km crono), there will be two stages for sprinters; then the mountains. The surprise element in this year’s race is the Montagne de Lure, considered “Mont Ventoux’s Little Sister,” a 13.8 km climb in Stage 6, with an average gradient of 6.6 percent.

Stage 7 will be another day for the climbers, having no fewer than 10 categorized climbs. Stage 8, the finale, features Contador's memorable conquest from 2007, the Col d'Eze, plus two other first category ascents.

Contador will tackle the race with the aid of two super-gregarios, American Levi Leipheimer and Ukranian Yaroslav Popovych.