The main goal of Team Movistar at the start of the Tour de France was to help Alejandro Valverde to the podium in Paris and their manager Eusebio Unzue, who led Nairo Quintana to the second place last year, is confident it will now be the case.

"For the podium, it's over, I think. Nibali is two levels higher than the rest. But Alejandro has experience on his side, he already won a Grand Tour. Even if the opposition is strong with Pinot, Bardet, Van Garderen, young riders whose limits we don't know, but also Peraud, I think Alejandro is better all round," said the Spanish team chief.

Yet Unzue takes nothing for granted because this Tour de France is the toughest he has ver kknown.   

"Alejandro also had his problems, especially in Risoul even if he was hampered by a gear problem after a slight incident with Pinot. I have many Tours behind me but I've never seen such an eventful one. There is no time to breathe. We had everything on this race, rain, cobbles, crashes, permanent tension. And all this before the last week in the Pyrenees which is arguably the toughest!"