Last year the Spaniard looked well off the pace following the sprint stages and the early time trials.

But, once the peloton spread out in the mountains, he stormed up the standings and ended seventh overall, almost 19 minutes back from Lance Armstrong.

It won him the white jersey as best young rider and a reputation as the revelation of last season.

Should he improve his time trialling, a common problem for many of the leading climbers, he has every chance of being a future champion.