Alejandro Valverde will, at the very least, have to share the Movistar team leadership with Nairo Quintana at the Tour de France or even cede it to the Colombian entirely – so victory at the Criterium du Dauphiné would be a timely way to turn the heat up.

A great Ardennes Classics campaign, where Valverde won La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege, alongside a second place finish at the Amstel Gold Race, have taken the Spaniard back to the top of the world rankings, having finished the 2014 season at the top of the tree.

And his stage racing form this year hasn’t been too shabby either, winning three stages and finished second overall at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya.

Now the Spaniard will look to carry that kind of form through the Dauphine and onto the Tour, where victory in the former will make him only the fifth man to win the race on three occasions.

Jose Herrada, Gorka Izagirre, Britain’s UCI Hour Record holder Alex Dowsett and Colombian climbing ace Winner Anacona are all among his provisional team-mates for the race.

Alejandro Valverde – form guide

Best 2015 results: Liege-Bastogne-Liege (winner), La Fleche Wallonne (winner), Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana (winner), Amstel Gold Race (second), Tour of Oman (third overall), Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (three stage wins, second overall)

Best Criterium du Dauphine result: Winner (2008, 2009), two stage wins (2008)