Mikel Landa believes the Movistar could have a team that is as good as, if not stronger, than Team Sky at next month`s Tour de France. Landa was Chris Froome`s most important rider at last year`s race but moved to Movistar over the winter and forms part of a three-pronged GC attack with Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde. `It could be that Movistar will be the strongest at the Tour this year. I am happy with the team, it is really strong and we will resolve things out on the road. At least we will be at the level of Sky in the past years,` Landa told Marca. Landa and his two co-leaders were paraded in front of the press at Movistar event in Madrid earlier this week. Team manager Eusebio Unzue was quizzed as to how he would balance three riders of equal billing, a question that has hung in the air since it was announced that Landa, Quintana and Valverde would ride the Tour together. The three have rarely raced together so far, but Landa says that the relationship between them is good and reiterated his belief that the road would be the deciding factor in who would be the ultimate leader.ADVERTISEMENT `The co-existence between us has been good. We have spoken a lot about the respect. Nairo and I were together at the Vuelta al Pais Vasco and the Tour de Suisse,` Landa said. `We understood each other well. With Alejandro, it is easier because he is more relaxed. He enjoys his bike a lot and transmits it. We will have a team to beat.` Given that he spent two years on the team and his role in supporting Froome to two Tour de France titles, there are few riders best placed in the peloton to know how to break the run of Team Sky - other than, perhaps, Riche Porte (BMC Racing). Landa says that Froome, who is expected to race despite his ongoing salbutamol case, is the clear favourite but says that breaking up the Team Sky train is the way to beat them. `Right now [Froome] is the strongest contender, the favourite for his experience of winning four Tours, he went ...
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