FILE PHOTO - MovistarTeam rider Alejandro Valverde of Spain competes during the 17th stage individual time trial of the Vuelta Tour of Spain cycling race in Burgos, Spain, September 9, 2015.
PARIS (Reuters) - Spain's Alejandro Valverde will skip next year's Tour de France as he feels he will not be among the favourites and his Movistar team have what it takes to win it without him.
Valverde's 2017 season, one of the best in his career, was cut short in July when he sustained a serious knee injury in a crash during the opening time trial at the Tour.
