Rafael Valls (1987) will only do one grand tour in 2016 and he has opted for the Vuelta a Espana. The Lotto Soudal rider will focus on one-week races until August where he will make his assault on his home race.

Lotto Soudal has been aiming for improved results in one-week races and that's the reason for the signing of Valls. However, manager Marc Sergeant has said that Valls will also be present at the start of the Giro d'Italia.

Now they have now changed the plans, according to a report by Biciciclismo. He will start in the Tour Down Under and then will have a long break until Tirreno-Adriatico. Volta a Catalunya is his next race and he will end the first part of the year at the Tour de Romandie. With no Giro, he will make his return at the Tour de Suisse and then do the Tour of Poland before facing the Vuelta freely and without pressure.

Valls has done eight grand tours and his best finish was 29th in the 2013 Giro. It will be his first chance to really target the GC.

The rider from Cocentaina (Alicante) improved massively in 2015 when he won the Tour of Oman ahead of Van Garderen, Valverde and Majka, was eighth in Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya and 11th in the Dauphine before he ended his season and his time with Lampre-Merida in the Tour de France. Now he hopes to continue that path and make another step.