The winner of the 2009 Vuelta a Espana Alejandro Valverde thinks that this year’s Vuelta will easier than last year. According to cyclingnews.com Valverde has the Spaniards Contador, Rodriguez and Samuel Sanchez as his favourites.

It has still not been decided who the captain from the Movistar Team is going to be. Nairo Quintana will be riding the Giro in May and he doesn’t know if he is up for a double Grand Tour in 2014.

“Maybe it’s a bit less hard but the Vuelta is always difficult,” the Movistar rider said. “It’s the riders who make a race tough, more than the route itself.”

When he was asked about the toughest stage, he answered: “I don’t know the Aralar [stage 11 summit finish] climb, but it’s clearly very hard.”

The route contains one team time trial and two individual time trials and according to Valverde, the last TT won’t make major changes in the GC, unless the gaps are around 15-20 seconds.

“Overall there are a lot of shorter, punchy climbs, which will make it difficult, even without the Pyrenees. I don’t think the final time trial will cause any changes, unless there’s a 15 or 20 second gap between two of the top riders’ places on the GC. On paper it should all be decided.”

He thinks it is too early to name any favourites, but still he came up with some names including “Contador, Purito [Rodriguez - Katusha], Samu [Samuel Sanchez.”

Tinkoff-Saxo captain Alberto Contador has confirmed his appearance at the Vuelta with a short message stating: “See you there in Jerez de la Frontera on August 23rd.”