The team that will try to help Alejandro Valverde finish on the podium of the Tour de France for the first time in his career is taking shape after Movistar have announced a 13-rider long list for La Grande Boucle. John Gadret, Benat Intxausti, Ion Izagirre, Ruben Plaza and Sylwester Szmyd form a solid block of climbers while sprinters Juan Jose Lobato and Jose Joaquin Rojas are both still in contention as are Valverde's trusted domestiques for the flat stages Jose Ivan Gutierrez and Imanol Erviti.

The Movistar Team's general manager Eusebio Unzué has named thirteen riders for his 101st Tour de France shortlist, nine of them to be present at the Grand Départ in Leeds on July 5. Alejandro Valverde will be the designated leader of the telephone squad in the French grandtour, with eight of the following twelve joining him: Alex Dowsett, Imanol Erviti, John Gadret, Iván Gutiérrez, Jesús Herrada, Beñat Intxausti, Ion Izagirre, Juanjo Lobato, Rubén Plaza, José Joaquín Rojas, Sylwester Szmyd and Giovanni Visconti.

The definitive squad will be unveiled after the upcoming competitions for the Blues: the Tour de Suisse - coming to an end on Sunday -; the Route du Sud, which starts on Friday and where Intxausti will replace Visconti after the Basque crashed out of the Dauphiné, and the national road race and time trial championships across Europe next week.