Alex Dowsett in contention for place in Movistar's Tour de France squad in support of Nairo Quintana

Dowsett fighting it out with 12 other riders to fill spaces alongside Quintana and Valverde

Alex Dowsett on stage one of the 2017 Challenge Mallorca
(Image credit: Graham Watson)

Alex Dowsett is one of twelve riders named in Movistar's shortlist of potential riders to support Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde at the upcoming Tour de France.

Quintana and Valverde are the only two riders to have already secured a spot in the squad, with twelve other candidates in the hunt for the remaining seven places.

After missing out on a spot in Movistar's Giro d'Italia squad, Dowsett will be hoping to form part of the team that will seek to deliver Quintana to his first Tour title.

>>> Tour de France 2017 start list

Dowsett has started the Tour de France on one previous occasion, making it more than halfway round the 2015 edition before abandoning on stage 12 having suffered from injuries sustained in a crash earlier in the race.

The Brit will face tough competition to secure a spot in the final selection, with similar riders such as Daniele Bennati, Jonathan Castroviejo, and Imanol Erviti also being considered alongside mountain domestiques such as Carlos Betancur and Dani Moreno.

Full Movistar Tour de France shortlist

Andrey Amador

Daniele Bennati

Carlos Betancur

Jonathan Castroviejo

Alex Dowsett

Imanol Erviti

Rubén Fernández

Jesús Herrada

Dani Moreno

Nelson Oliveira

Nairo Quintana (confirmed)

José Joaquín Rojas

Jasha Sütterlin

Alejandro Valverde (confirmed)

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Henry Robertshaw began his time at Cycling Weekly working with the tech team, writing reviews, buying guides and appearing in videos advising on how to dress for the seasons. He later moved over to the news team, where his work focused on the professional peloton as well as legislation and provision for cycling. He's since moved his career in a new direction, with a role at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.