Even though Vincenzo Nibali is considered as one of the most self-assured riders in the professional peloton, below-par performances this spring eventually frustrated the 29-year old Italian and forced him to question the effectiveness of his significantly changed race programme for 2014 season. However, despite winless four months under the belt of the Astana captain, team director Guiseppe Martinelli insists that their confidence in Nibali remains unshaken and they will stick to the initially planned schedule.

It has been emphasized from the beginning of the 2014 that Nibali plans an unusually slow start to the season with the Tour de France being his only serious objective, but his insufficient progress throughout all spring months, especially compared to performances of currently flying Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Christopher Froome (Team Sky), raised questions about his ability to match his greatest rivals in July.

Nibali tried to ride as aggressively as always in his latest appearances at the Milano-Sanremo, Ardennes classics or Tour de Romandie last week, but his trademark attacks lacked their usual power and left the 29-year Sicilian unable to go away with a victory.

The Astana captain suffered some early setbacks in the very beginning of the year and the recently grown family certainly distracted his attention for some time, but none of there factors can explain below-par performances of Nibali within last two months, as the former Vualta a Espana and Giro d’Italia champion was able to stick to his race programme without any troubles.

Martinelli admitted that a crash in Argentina and arrival of Nibali’s first child might have affected his early preparations, but was far from using those factors as an excuse for latest underperformances of the Astana leader.

“It’s been a spring when we haven’t seen the true Vincenzo, that is true,” Martinelli told VeloNews by telephone.

“Things have not gone as well as we would have liked. We had hoped the spring would have been different, but we cannot change the past. We are looking forward.”

Following the fifth place in the general classification of the Tour de Romandie last week, or more likely a failed attack on its queen stage brutally countered by Froome, Nibali claimed that he intended to sit with the team and reconsider his schedule towards the Tour. The Astana director insisted, however, that there will be no changes in race programme of the 29-year old Italian and squad intends to stick with his as a leader for the French grand tour despite his unexpectedly unsuccessful spring.

“There are no changes in Vincenzo’s program,” Martinelli said. “Vincenzo goes with the same ambition of winning the Tour.”

“Vincenzo has been good, but not great. He hasn’t won anything. That’s not what we’re accustomed to seeing,” Martinelli continued. “We are confident things will change before the Tour. Above all, Vincenzo is a big professional. He will do the work to be ready for July.”

Martinelli admitted that even though Nibali is usually focused on his own preparations instead of following a progress of his main rivals, it wasn’t possible for the Italia rider to remain unaffected by eyebrow-rising performances of Contador and Froome.

“It doesn’t help to see Froome and Contador going so well. We are supporting Nibali. He must know the team has confidence in him,” Martinelli said. “Now the big favorites are Contador and Froome, but I am sure Nibali will be there. The spring hasn’t gone as we expected, but we go with confidence for the Tour.”

Team Sky leader, considered as the biggest favorite to take the spoils in the Tour de France, bounced back from disappointing early spring months marred by back injury and chest infection with very convincing victory at the Tour de Romandie, but Martinelli was more impressed by the Spaniard, who returned to his best following a disastrous 2013 season.

After riding to fifth last week at the Tour de Romandie, where archrival Chris Froome (Sky) won the final time trial and the overall to quiet criticism of his equally uneven spring, Nibali will take a short break before turning his attention to the Tour.

Contador has enjoyed a near-perfect spring, winning Tirreno-Adriatico and the Vuelta al País Vasco (Tour of the Basque Country), and finishing second at the Volta ao Algarve and the Volta a Catalunya.

“I see Alberto as the big favorite for the Tour. Froome showed he was strong again at Romandie, but I can see Alberto has his confidence back,” Martinelli said.

“Alberto has a bit of an edge over Froome, who’s also had a few problems,” he continued. “I know Alberto a little bit. When his head is good, he’s hard to beat. He is very strong in the head.”