GONZALEZ FACTFILE DOB: 19/09/73 Nationality: Spanish Team: Fassa Bartolo Best Tour: n/a

There is no doubting he has the ability to win a Grand Tour - he won last year's Tour of Spain.

But a certain amount of controversy surrounded that victory and his cycling employment since.

Gonzalez had gone into the final day of the Vuelta out of the gold jersey but overturned the deficit for a famous win.

Then Kelme team-mate Oscar Sevilla slipped into fourth place but rumours abated that the pair were barely on speaking terms since.

When Gonzalez announced his switch to Fassa Bartolo, many suggested it had less to do with his desire for a new challenge and more to do with the manner in which he had got on the wrong side of his team-mates.

There is no doubting the Spaniard has the ability to compete at the highest level but he will do well to control both his manners and temperament to get the full backing of his new line-up in the Alps and Pyrenees.