Alberto Contador predicted Chris Froome to be his biggest rival in the 2015 Tour de France. Now, in an interview with Sky Sports News HQ, the Brit has returned the favour, saying Contador will be the biggest obstacle in the way of Froome taking a second GC win in July.

Speaking at Team Sky’s winter training camp in Mallorca, he told Sky Sports News HQ: “Next year’s Tour is going to be a battle – that’s the perfect way to describe it. It’s going to be a big showdown. It’s shaping up to be the race that never was last year.”

“If last year’s Vuelta is anything to go by, Contador is going to be the guy who I am obviously measuring myself against, but having said that, I don’t think I can rule out any of the other big general classification contenders, guys like Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali, Rodriguez, Valverde – those kind of guys.”

However, he knows all too well that the GC battle wont just be between the top two riders in the 2014 Vuelta a Espana: 2014 Giro winner Nairo Quintana and 2014 Tour champ Vincenzo Nibali, plus Joaquim Rodriguez will all have a say.

“You can never rule anyone out until that point when they lose time on the general classification. Then you can say, ‘OK, that guy is not going to be a problem this year’. You have got to treat everyone with respect and understanding that they could be the one to challenge for the title.”

His Team Sky squad has significantly strengthened, with Wout Poels, Nicolas Roche and Leopold Konig all capable helpers for Froome in the high mountains. Froome even said it was the best team the squad has ever had.

“I really do think this year, if any year, we have got an amazing line-up and amazing pool of riders to be able to select that Tour de France team. I would even go as far as to say that it is the strongest all-round that we have had in the last few years.”