After heading back to Europe following a month and a half's stay in the altitude of his native land Boyacá, Nairo Quintana is facing the final step of his preparations towards the Tour de France from this Thursday.

The winner of the Volta a Catalunya and the Tour de Romandie in 2016 will be at the Route du Sud (UCI 2.1), with an aim to keep progressing in his form over a four-day, five-stage course which includes three predictable sprint finishes; a short (13km), demanding TT in Albi, on Friday evening; and a big mountain stage on Saturday, featuring the final climbs of the Tourmalet (Cat-1), Bordères (Cat-2) and Couraduque (Cat-1, hilltop finish).

Alongside the 26-year-old Colombian will be a climber-based Movistar Team, directed by Chente García Acosta, which includes Javi Moreno as the Andalusian returns to racing following his bad crash in last month's Giro d'Italia. Imanol Erviti - one of the Blues' 12 men shortlisted for the Grande Boucle - Rory Sutherland, José Joaquín Rojas, Marc Soler, José Herrada and Dayer Quintana complete the line-up.