Vincenzo Nibali entered cycling legend with his Tour de France victory last year, becoming only the sixth man to win all three Grand Tours.

The Shark peaked perfectly and was simply unmatchable throughout July, claiming the yellow jersey in Sheffield on stage two and spending all but one day in yellow from then on.

With Chris Froome and Alberto Contador crashing out, nobody could come close to the Astana man, who proved his class with four stage wins.

His 2015 season to date has followed a similar pattern to 12 months ago – a slow start to the campaign, which has gradually ramped up as the year has worn on.

He showed plenty of attacking intent during the Ardennes Classics and followed that up with tenth place overall at the Tour de Romandie and a day in the yellow jersey at the Criterium du Dauphine.

The successful defence of his Italian national champion’s jersey ensures he will enter the Tour on the back of a win too – as he did in 2014.

Astana impressed in the team time trial at the Dauphine, but Nibali refused to go deep on Pra-Loup – a carbon copy of the first Alpine stage of the Tour.

The 30-year-old will arrive at the Tour in peak condition though, and as he proved last year he is difficult to stop on his day.

A strong team, with former Giro champion Michele Scarponi, super-domestique Jakob Fuglsang and Tanel Kangert – who was hugely impressive 12 months ago – means he has all the ingredients for a second Tour win.

Astana squad: NIBALI, Fuglsang, Boom, Grivko, Scarponi, Westra, Gruzdev, Taaramae, Kangert.

Form guide

Best Tour de France result: Winner (2014)
Tour de France stage wins: four (2014)
Other Grand Tour highlights: Giro d’Italia – winner (2013), four stage wins (2010, 2011, 2013); Vuelta a Espana – winner (2010), runner-up (2013)
2015 highlights: Tour de Romandie (tenth overall), Criterium du Dauphine (second on stage six), Italian National Road Race (winner).
UCI WorldTour ranking: 105th