Alejandro Valverde has confirmed to El Espanol that he will be ready to help his teammate Nairo Quintana to win the Tour de France. The three-week race will be his first Grand Tour where he will be completely relaxed, without pressure.

"It will be the first-ever Grand Tour and the first major race of any kind that I've taken part feeling completely relaxed. If I have to lose time on a flat stage, then I will lose it and I won't be upset", he told. "When we reach the mountains I'll be fresher this way in order to be able to help Nairo. I'll also be freer to hunt for a stage victory, on the understanding, of course, that it doesn't harm the team's main goals."

"I'm already certain, though, that if I'm ahead on a stage and Nairo attacks behind and I receive orders to stop for him, then I will do so. I won't have any problem giving up on wins for him."

He added that his leader is not under pressure. "He's done his homework."

Valverde is unsure wbout whether to do the Vuelta. "If the route had been more in the south of Spain [where Valverde lives] I would be keener to do it because it would be like racing at home. But so many stages in the north changes things a little, also there could be teammates who will want to race it and perhaps it makes more sense for them to do it."