The team's first race of the season was the Tour Down Under. They were noted to be sending a strong squad, including Valverde and former Tour Down Under champion Sánchez, who viewed the race as an important part of a 2010 race program meant to lead to victory in Paris-Nice. Valverde had a chance at victory in the undulating third stage of the race, holding the wheel of world champion Cadel Evans in a select leading group. A moment of hesitation when he was unsure if Evans was attacking for victory let Footon-Servetto-Fuji's Manuel Cardoso escape for the win. Two days later, the team got their first win of the season with Sánchez, as he, along with Valverde, Evans, and Peter Sagan formed a winning breakaway on the Old Willunga Hill Road that almost won sufficient time over race leader André Greipel to give Sánchez the overall lead. Sánchez finished the race the next day in second place overall. In February, Valverde won the Tour Méditerranéen overall without winning a stage, by virtue of his time gap over previous race leader Jussi Veikkanen on the final day's stage to Mont Faron. Later in the month, Sánchez won the individual time trial which closed out the Volta ao Algarve, finishing that event second overall.