As usual, Alberto Contador will fine-tune his condition for the Tour de France in the Criterium du Dauphiné which starts later today. The multiple grand tour winner hopes to be in good form but true to tradition, the French race will be more about the sensations than the results.

On Friday, Alberto Contador arrived yesterday in Lyon to take part in the Criterium du Dauphiné and yesterday he did a recon the route of the opening time trial. In a press conference held in the afternoon, the leader of Tinkoff-Saxo offered his point of view on his return to competition after his last race, the Tour of the Basque Country, a couple of months ago.

“After Pais Vasco, I had a rest period as the season had been very intense and I really needed it,” he said. “From there, I have been gradually increasing the training load and I made a training camp in the Teide (Canary Islands) at low intensity, with the intention to prepare for the Dauphiné.”

The Dauphiné has always been Contador’s preferred preparation race for the Tour de France which is again his major objective. In the past, he has won stages in the French race but the overall victory has always eluded him. That is no surprise though as he has never been at 100% of his capabilities in the race and won’t be so in this year’s edition either.

“It is a key race for me in my preparation for the Tour de France, but like other years I have said, it's a race to get ready,” he said. “We have worked very hard and have arrived with a good condition, but without having intensity because the Tour will be decided in the last week and this year I’ll also go to the Vuelta a España. I'll be in good shape, but without the obsession to win.

“[My goal is] to see my performance, to have a good physical recovery and especially in the 10 days following the end of the race, to experience that the motor is going well.”

Contador expects the penultimate stage to be the decisive one. It features the hardest of the three summit finishes in the 8-day race.

“[The hardest will be] stage 7 because the climbs are like in the Tour de France, long with an  8% slope. That is what ultimately decides the Tour and where you can see your true physical form.

This week Contador will get his chance to measure himself against Chris Froome who is both the defending champion in the Dauphiné and the Tour. Contador has made it clear that the Brit is the favourite to repeat his win in July and yesterday he repeated that assessment.

“I have not changed my mind,” he said. “Froome has been very strong in the Tour the last two years and is the number one favorite. I'll be very motivated at the start line, then we'll see what happens, but yes, Froome is the top seed.”

Contador wouldn’t be too affected if Froome took another win in the Dauphiné in the build-up to the Tour.

“Confidence is a subjective factor and each one look at it from their point of view,” he said. “Everyone has to draw their conclusions. Obviously, if you want to have options in the Tour, you have to have a good level in the Dauphiné, but it is another thing whether you win or not. I would have even more questions if I win, because I've never done it and then I will start thinking how it would affect the Tour.”

Another rider that Contador will face in both the Dauphiné and the Tour, is Vincenzo Nibali. The Italian has had a low-key season so far but Contador refuses to rule him out of the game.

“With a rider like Nibali you have to expect that he will be at his usual level,” he said. “Now he has rested and has also been on the Mount Teide. He has a good plan to get ready for the Tour and today he has to be considered like a favourite despite the fact that he has not won any races yet.”

After a poor season, Contador has had a flying start to 2014 with victories in Tirreno-Adriatico and Vuelta al Pais Vasco and he admits that it has probably been his best opening yet

“At first I didn’t see it that way, but then I read about this assessment and the truth is that it has been my best start from the point of view of efficiency because I've been first or second in every race I've done, and I've taken advantage of many of the opportunities I had, winning or finishing in the top 3,” he said. “And it is also reflected in the level of the races that I have done.

“It was a completely different winter from the last 2 or 3 years. My day has completely revolved around the bike, to optimize training and rest, being aware that it was a very challenging year. When results do not come, it is a challenge and an extra motivation. I'm back to the traditional schedule, giving up some early races this year that did not allow me to train with calmness, and that has been the key.”

Contador was also asked to comment on the fact that 2012 winner Bradley Wiggins won’t be a part of the Sky roster for the Tour and claims that he was not too surprised.

“Each team will have a race plan and find the best group of riders at all levels,” he said. “Wiggins has shown great form, but that will also give them a chance in the Vuelta a España.

“I think this Tour will be super open and entertaining to watch on TV because most days have something. The stages in England will be tough and edgy, then we have the cobbles and the Vosges with two demanding stages. Then it’s straight into the Alps and then finally the Pyrenees with several hard stages and a time trial. The cobbles stage will be very important, but not so decisive, unless you have a crash or a mechanical.”