Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) has admitted that he is unlikely to complete the 2020 Tour de France as he will use La Grande Boucle to prepare for the Tokyo Olympics. The road race in Tokyo will take place on Saturday, July 25, and the Tour will end on the Champs-Elysées, but Valverde admitted to Marca (opens in new tab) that he has no plans to arrive in Paris.

"Yes, that's what I mean," Valverde told Marca. 'It's very difficult to be at 100 percent for a tournament if you give your maximum until the last day in France.'

"So unless there are any surprises, I think this is the plan and the best decision. The same goes for the Vuelta. When we come back from Japan we will be tired and we will need time to adapt. I probably won't be in the best shape to go, but it will help me prepare for the World Championships."

In 2012, there was a six-day gap between the Tour and the Olympics, but the shorter trip to London meant that most medal contenders, including Valverde and eventual champion Alexandre Vinokurov, completed the Tour.

In 2016, with two weeks between the Tour and the Olympics, Valverde finished sixth overall in the Tour before finishing 30th in Rio de Janeiro.

Valverde, who turns 40 in April, finally won the 2018 world championships in Innsbruck after finishing on the podium six previous times. While this year's mountain World Championships in Switzerland seem to suit his talents, he has declared that the Tokyo Olympics will be at the center of his 2020 campaign.

"Yes, I have other goals, but the Tokyo Olympics will be my top priority," Valverde said. I want to go to Tokyo as much as possible. The World Championships will be an important event, but right now I am focused on the competition. It's like a big challenge that I'm missing and I'm very excited."

Valverde will start his season at the Mallorca Challenge later this month. Valverde will start his season at the Mallorca Challenge at the end of this month. 'I want to start calmer, not push myself too hard, and go into the crucial moments in better shape.'