AG2R's Matteo Montaguti might be new to the Tour de France but the Italian is not really impressed.

“It's my first Tour de France but it's my 8th three-week race. I already rode the Giro four times and the Vuelta three times,” said the 30-year-old rider from Forli, in charge with helping leaders Jean-Christophe Peraud and Romain Bardet in the climbs.

“The difference between the Tour and the Giro is not huge. Only on the Tour all the team-mates work very hard to place their leaders ideally and it makes the race tenser. I don't really know why everybody's so nervous are most finishes are well-known to the peloton unlike on the Giro or Vuelta,” he said.

Lucky he says to have “only crashed once”, the former winner of the Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria is ready to play his part on climbing terrains.

“We are getting to stages that suit me better and I'm ready to do my job for Jean-Christophe and Romain, without neglecting my personal ambitions. If there's a good break and I go into it, I will take my chance. But my team-mate job also gives me great satisfaction,” he said.

Montaguti, who joined AG2R in 2011, believes in his chances in mid-mountain: “Because I climb well, at my own pace. But if it's too hard with step climbs for more than a kilometre, it's too hard for me,” he added.

The Italian confirmed the claim on Sunday when he joined the break of the day to finish 5th in Mulhouse.