Andrey Amador (1986, Movistar Team) will return to the Giro d'Italia after his fourth place this year and will be "happy" to support Alejandro Valverde. The Belgian classics are again among his goals too. On Monday he traveled to his home country where he will prepare for next season after a 2015 that saw him take a big step in his career.

Amador will wear his blue kit in Costa Rica during the next weeks. "The time is right to train hard. The beginning of summer is fresh and there is little rain. First, I will train in the coastal area and in January I will go into the mountains, to the Carthage area at 1,700 meters of altitude. It is also time to be with family and friends,” he tells BiciCiclismo.

Amador is a national idol in his country which fills him with pride. "I am very grateful for the support. It means that many people follow me and that makes me happy. I take it calmly and try to enjoy it because it is always important to feel wanted and be recognized. Cycling has grown and has more and more followers in my country. At the last World Championships, for example, we were three riders," he says.

The first half of the calendar is already defined: "Majorca, Haut Var, Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and the Belgian classics until Flanders. Then I want to go back to the Giro d'Italia and they have asked me to be there. I have always liked that race and it motivates me. I'm good as demonstrated this year when I was fourth and I won a stage in 2012. I do not mind helping. So I will be back but as always it depends on the condition.”

Amador made a quantum leap with his fourth place in the 2015 Giro, only behind Contador, Aru and Landa. "It's a way to believe in yourself. It is a result that helps you keep growing and it increases the motivation. It means that the work paid off and that I have something to offer," he says.

Next year, however, Alejandro Valverde will lead the Movistar Team. "There is no problem. Alejandro is the leader, always gives the maximum and achieves results in every race. We must build a strong group around him and I will be happy to help and happy to contribute my bit to the team's success," he says.

He will also focus heavily on the Belgian classics. "They are races that I've always liked. I was caught with 800 metres to go in the 2014 Ghent-Wevelgem 2014 but I have also had bad luck. In 2015 I was good but I had to undergo surgery (the fractured his right elbow after a crash in E3 Harelbeke, ed.). I think that one year I can do something good,” he says.

The icing on the case of 2015 was his contribution to Movistar’s bronze medal in the team time trial at the Richmond World Championships. "We have been aiming for that and worked for long a long time on this. It is a discipline that is increasingly booming and Eusebio (Unzue, ed.) loves it. We have grown and the bronze medal proves it. It is an important step. In the past the big teams were further ahead but now we are definitely closer. [New signing Nelson] Oliveira is another great specialist and now we know that gold is within our reach,” he says.

However, Amador needs a win as he has not raised his arms since he won the Giro stage to Cervinia in 2012, often riding in the service of leaders Valverde and Nairo Quintana. “Winning is what you want. You can do second, third or fourth, but the important thing here is to win. I would love to get another victory. Hopefully next year," he concludes.