At the moment, Daniel Navarro is training in Asturias after finishing the second training camp with his Cofidis team in Lloret de Mar in early December and he is preparing for the third camp in mid-January in the Valencian town of Oliva.

Navarro has spent several months preparing for what will be his eleventh season in the professional peloton and his approach has changed. "Time passes and when you turn professional, you start with a lot of enthusiasm and desire. Now I no longer have that same feeling. It is different. The hope you have as a child is not the same as now. When I arrived, I was more excited to do the Tour. Today I have done five Tours, three Giros and a lot of Vueltas and I am motivated by other things which makes it a little different,” he tells Asturias.com.

Since his debut with the Liberty team in 2005, the peloton has changed a lot and now it is not only difficult to turn professionals but also to stay there: "The situation in cycling is very difficult, especially here in Spain where the only one team in the highest category is Movistar. Having so few teams means that there are few places and to do another year is for me a great achievement.”

Navarro had a disastrous 2015 where crashed marked a season in which he was unable to show his worth. Nonetheless, the Cofidis team did everything to keep him in their ranks for another season. "The truth is that I cannot complain to get another year after the bad time I had. It is very rewarding, because the season was horrendous due to crashes and other problems. In the end I did not reach the expected level and I am grateful that they continue to support me,” says Navarro.

The Cofidis climber will start the season at the Volta a la Valenciana between the 3rd and 7th of February. Then he will do the Vuelta a Murcia on February 13, the Clasica de Almeria one day layer and the Vuelta a Andalucía between the 17th and 21st of February. Later he will be at the Volta a Catalunya from the 21st to the 27th of March and the Tour of the Basque Country from the 4th to the 9th of April and he will end the first part at Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege on April 20 and 24, respectively. As for participation in the Tour or the Vuelta, he is still undecided. "We've had the meeting to make the schedule but this year I wanted to be a little cautious because last year we were very excited after having done such a good Vuelta in 2014 and then everything turned into chaos due to what happened. This year I prefer to start slowly and do the first part of the year well and then make a decision," he says.

The warm temperatures and lack of snow have allowed the Spaniard to train at home and be close to his family. "I enjoy training here. When things go well, you are eager. Last year when I had the bad luck with crashes and more crashes I had a bad time and it was not only difficult to train but also to ride well. Fortunately 2015 is over and I am thinking about the new campaign which I am looking forward to. I'm really looking forward and I will start with confidence.”

In recent days, he has intensified his workouts by climbing ascents like Cobertoria, Gamoniteiru and Cubilla among others: "This area is ideal for training. I like to come here because I have very long claims which is what I miss in Gijon where I can live and train this year as there is little snow,” says the Spaniard after finishing the climb of Cubilla port where he rode in snowy conditions for the first time this year.

At 32 years of age and after ten years as a professional, Navarro is still not considering retirement. "I have the head to do a few more years. At this age it is especially decided by the head and I think that I can compete for at least three or four more years," concludes the Cofidis rider.