Colombian climbing ace Nairo Quintana no longer needs an introduction after stunning displays in the 2013 Tour and 2014 Giro.

Runner-up, best young rider and King of the Mountains in the former and champion in the latter, Quintana starts as one of the four men tipped to fight for the yellow jersey.

So it is fair to say that it will be tricky to deny the Movistar man the white jersey, particularly if he replicates the form he showed on his last Tour appearance in 2013.

Winner at Tirreno-Adriatico earlier this year and most recently runner-up in the Route du Sud, Quintana will benefit from the number of high mountains and the absence of a flat time trial.

If he shows the sort of relentless, effortless pace he set on his way to Giro d’Italia victory, he will be unstoppable – and the white jersey could merely be a secondary prize to add to the big one.

But, that said, Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Simon Yates (Orica-GreenEDGE) both bettered him at the Tour de Romandie, and Romain Bardet (Ag2r-La Mondiale) was just a second behind overall.

Quintana should win the white jersey, and if he shows his best form will almost certainly be at least a podium finisher on GC – but he can’t be complacent.

He crashed out of the last Grand Tour he raced, the Vuelta a Espana, having been leading overall, so it’s not a foregone conclusion just yet.

Age: 25
Best Tour de France result: second (2013), best young rider (2013), King of the Mountains (2013)
2015 highlights: Tour de San Luis (third overall), Tirreno-Adriatico (stage win, winner overall, best young rider); Tour of the Basque Country (fourth overall); Route du Sud (second overall)