After being restricted to domestique duty for much of 2015, but in the Vuelta a Espana, arguably his most successful race in his career with a stint in the red jersey, a stage win and fifth overall, he has been allowed to do his own thing rather than look after Chris Froome. This has allowed him to finish third and fourth on two stages as well as lie fourth on GC after eight stages.

“There is a bit more freedom than in the Tour, we have Mikel Nieve, Sergio Henao and myself on the climbs, so I have a little bit more freedom in these first few short climbs,” Roche said to Cycling Weekly.

“In the Tour, it’s quite different, you can’t afford to lose any energy, you need to have the strongest rider and the strongest team around him. In the Vuelta a España or the Giro d’Italia, you can play you cards a bit differently, and it’s great the team is letting me go with the flow on these short climbs.”

However, he says he will be back to helping Froome in the high mountains unless Froome has a shocker of a day. But Roche says Froome can contest the Vuelta overall, even at 90% of his bets level, saying he wouldn’t be at the race if he couldn’t.

“I strongly believe that the Vuelta is right for him, a perfect TT for him. I know it’s in two weeks, a long way to get there, but I think that TT is really suited to him.”

“Even if he was only at 90 per cent, he is still Chris Froome, twice winner of the Tour de France.”