"The directors, doctors andtrainershave valued that all togetherthe team improvesa lot,apartweakensus, butgives usthe ability to covermore targets," Unzue said.
"And they [QuintanaandValverde]alsoagreedandconsidered it importantto go togetherbecause they shareresponsibility.And, although sometimes they can fightfor common goals, if everyone isready to support,you [the team] arebetter.
"Sothis hasled us to believeitisthe right thingto do togetherthe two grand toursthat weinitially thought, being both theTour deFrance andthe Vuelta."
23-year-old Quintana has already outdone his 34-year-old teammate at the Tour, finishing second behind Chris Froome in 2013, while Valverde has failed to make the podium in any of his seven rides at the race.
But the Spaniard is happy to concede overall leadership to Quintana, preferring to focus on the stages that suit him at next year's Tour, including the Ardennes Classics like finishes on the Mûr de Bretagne and the Mur de Huy. Valverde also dismissed any Wiggins-Froome style feud emerging between the two riders.
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"We are not Wiggins and Froome," said Valverde. "The theTourwill all be100% for Nairo, who is more likely towinthan me."
Quintana was also happy with the setup going into the new season, despite the fact he wouldn't be back to defend the Giro title he so convincingly took earlier this year.
"Togetherwe will be stronger," Quintana explained. "Even before Unzuetoldus histhoughts, Alejandroand I wanted todo this anyway."
Because the Spanish squad's usual race leaders will be heading to Tour and Vuelta, the team will field a squad at the Giro which will allow the likes of Beñat Intxausti, JesusHerradaor IonIzaguirre to go for stage wins, while also providing for experience for riders like Dayer Quintana, Nairo's younger brother.
"This allows us to getyoung riders who areprogressingcan ride a grand tourwitha certain freedomand feelingmore like leaders," Unzue said about the Giro squad, "and in the shortand medium termthey are trainingand are ableto progress."
