Jonathan Castroviejo has spoken of the sacrifices he has made to return to racing in time from a horrible crash suffered in February’s Volta ao Algrave. The time triallist was good in his return in Suisse before taking second in his national TT and now hopes to make the Movistar Tour de France team.

“We’ve been right at the doors of victory on two occasions, each time with the sensation it could have been more, and perhaps we could have even won,” Castroviejo told VeloNews. “This time we hope it’s the one.”

Castroviejo is likely to work in tandem with Imanol Erviti and Fran Ventoso to protect Nairo Quintana on flat and transitional stages at the Tour. There is more pressure than usual as his fellow protector Adriano Malori hasn’t recovered from an injury in time for the Tour.

“I really made a lot of sacrifices the past few months to try to get ready,” Castroviejo said. “I would be the first to say if I wasn’t ready for the Tour that I wouldn’t want to go, but I saw that I could handle the pace at the Tour de Suisse. If I manage to go to the Tour, it will be a small payback for what I’ve gone through this season.”