The Movistar Team leaders passed another important test in the 2013 Tour de France on Wednesday, with arguably the most complicated stage for their characteristics in the race's only flat ITT: 33km from Avranches to Mont-Saint-Michel.

Froome was superior to all his main rivals in the overall classification but among these, Alejandro Valverde executed a solid defence. Clocking the same time as Mollema (Belkin), Contador and Kreuziger (Saxo-Tinkoff) at the two intermediate points, the Spaniard ended up beating the latter two to come across the finish line just two minutes behind Froome and only seven seconds off Mollema's pace.

Valverde still leads the Dutchman for 2nd overall and will have to work hard in all the mountains still to come, with the Mont Ventoux on Sunday followed by the long Alpine block in the last week of racing.

"I'm supper happy. I think it was a good day for me as well as for the team,” Valverde explained. “We've got over some of the most important days for us in this race, though it's obvious that all mountains still ahead are serious and we have to give our best. Leaving Froome aside - all of us know he's a step above the rest - I did quite the same times of the other main favourites, or even better. TTs are about suffering, suffering and suffering, even more when you have such a fast parcours - I did almost 52 kph on average, and that proves it was a day for heavier guys, bigger specialists than I am, but I'm in good form and things turned out well. It's true that I didn't have the best feelings at the start of the time trial. I might have been too still after warming up and that cost me a bit of time getting the nerves on. Still, the time references were good from the very start, and that made me more confident to give 100%. It's my best-ever performance on a flat TT in the Tour.”

"As I stated, Froome is one step above the rest, and though I'm always looking towards the top, I'm also paying attention at the other rivals. Mollema was the only one to put time on me, just seven seconds, which are nothing in 33km. I was faster than all the other guys: Alberto [Contador], Purito [Joaquím Rodriguez]... I think that's good. Now it's time for three flat stages before the next mountains, but those won't be easy at all. All days are hard at the Tour; that legend of easy days in France is false. There's a 218km stage ahead tomorrow and we'll have to stay attentive, protecting ourselves against the wind, staying away from crashes. The team has been superb so far - I always say it, but it's crucial to have such great support beside me, and I must thank you all of them once again for that.”