Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) was second in last year’s Vuelta a España. Now he looks forward to the Tour de France, where he aims for a podium spot – not specifying which one. And while he is the captain this year, Valverde promises a great future for his Colombian teammate Nairo Quintana.

“We have the clear intention this year to fight for a podium place in Paris, or even yellow if possible,” Valverde said at the Movistar team press conference today in Porto-Vecchio. “It's true that I’m getting a bit old, 33 years at the moment, and we have gone through many moments of joy and sadness in the Tour. We did alright in the last few years, with some stage victories, but I think we can aspire to more in this year’s race.”

Valverde stressed the importance of a strong team: “I have a stronger squad than the already-powerful ones I had in the past. We have more conviction and I think we can do well.”

He also approves of this year’s more mountainous parcours: “Compared to the routes from previous years, this year's edition isn’t bad for me at all. I like the mountains, and the time trials suit me too – except for the first ITT, of course [stage 11 from Avranches to Mont-Saint-Michel]. We have a solid team, ready to not lose much time in the TTT – or even fight for the win –, and the second ITT is really hard and suits my abilities.”

The Movistar leader is under no illusions about who is the man to beat: “It's obvious that Froome is a step ahead of the rest. But behind him, there are several riders really close to each other, including myself. I respect every single one of them, but I don't fear them at all. The race is long, and things will change, but our goal is to reach the podium – I don't know which spot.”

“It will be a hard race against Sky, but they're not invincible,” Valverde continued. He indicated that his team could try to shake things up unexpectedly: “There are some hard stages which aren't necessarily mountain-top finishes – the decision might come as in the last Vuelta a España, on a day where nobody was expecting it.”

Asked about up-and-coming Nairo Quintana, who will probably be Valverde’s most important helper, Valverde said: “Nairo and I are good friends and team-mates – in and out of the races, our relationship is pretty good. We all know his class and quality. It’s true he will be debuting in the Tour this year and we must stay calm and let him learn bit by bit. But I know he can fight for yellow in the future.”

Movistar team manager Eusebio Unzué stressed that the first three days on Corsica could be crucial: “What worries us right now is hiding from misfortune in these first three stages in Corsica. The Tour is the biggest goal of the season for all teams and riders, and that adds an extra dose of danger, increased by the roads of this island.”