Vincenzo Nibali has told journalists that defending his Tour de France crown is not an obsession for him and that he is ready to handle the pressure that comes with wearing the number one dossard in then world’s biggest race.

"Now I have more experience and I know a lot more than I did back then but winning the Tour de France is not an obsession for me because obsession makes you tired," he says.

Come July he has to face Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana, three men who didn’t last the three weeks to face Nibali entirely in Farnce last year. Plus he has to fend off podium men from 2014 Thibaut Pinot and Jean-Christophe Peraud. Tejay van Garderen and Romain Bardet will also be snapping at his heels.

The Italian knows what he is up against but after all he ahs achieved in his career, says he fears no one in the sport.

"To think about my contenders I think that I would put Quintana, Froome, and Contador at the same level but I'm not afraid of anybody. The level at the Tour will be very high. Take the Giro, for example, where we saw Contador win but he didn't win a single stage."

At he Dauphine Nibali hopes to place well on GC and will even try to win a stage, but his real goal for 2015 comes in July.

"I'm here to maybe win a stage, or see GC but also to find answers on where my level is. This is good for me, my team, my trainer, for everyone. We've showed that we've had strength in the time trial.”