Alejandro Valverde has sought to quell any hint of a Movistar leadership dilemma at the Tour de France, insisting he is riding to `help Nairo [Quintana], and nothing else`. Valverde has ridden three Tours with Quintana, yet question marks have arisen over his commitment to the Colombian`s cause, notably in 2015 when it was suspected he was reluctant to risk a first podium finish for himself by putting more pressure on Chris Froome. The way the results have gone this season have added another layer of interest. Valverde`s first half of the season was simply phenomenal and saw him win classics like Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche-Wallonne, along with three overall stage race titles at Ruta del Sol, Volta a Catalunya, and Vuelta al País Vasco. Quintana, meanwhile, has taken on the notoriously difficult challenge of targeting the Tour de France after the Giro d`Italia just over a month previously, where he seemed to lack his customary zip and finished second to Tom Dumoulin.ADVERTISEMENT `My goal is clear, and I`ve stated it many times: supporting him, and nothing else. We`ll be backing Nairo 100 per cent,` Valverde said in a Movistar interview on Saturday, adding that a strong GC position for himself would strengthen Quintana`s tactical hand. `Anything that happens after that on the road is something we can`t really plan on. Obviously, I can`t lose much time, with the strategical interests of the team. We believe that my position can also be important, tactically. If things go right and we both remain up there in the overall standings, our rivals will have to take precautions against both of us - which might turn out to be good for the team.` After his glittering start to the season, Valverde took a break after Liège to prepare for the second half, which will comprise the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and World Championships. It wasn`t much of a break, though, as he only spent around a week off the bike, before a three-week block of altitude training in the ...
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