Vincenzo Nibali is considered one of the most self-assured characters in the professional peloton and many have thought that lack of results in first months of the 2014 season won’t affect the Italian as long as he believes that everything is moving in the right direction. However, his last disappointing encounter with Christopher Froome (Team Sky) at the Tour de Romandie seriously frustrated Astana’s captain and forced him to make an unscheduled reassessment ahead of his final Tour de France preparations.

The Sicilian born rider follows an entirely different race programme this season, as he has set the Tour de France his main objective instead of defending the Giro d’Italia title from last year. Nonetheless, in the same time last year Nibali was in a truly stellar disposition, having won a stage and the overall classification at Tirreno-Adriatico and just about to completely dominate the Italian grand Tour.

This season, however, attacks of the 29-year old Italian so far lacked their usual power and his last disappointment at the Tour de Romandie, finished in fifth place 1:48 behind Froome, forced him to think that things are not progressing as they should this time around.

"For me it has certainly not been a happy start with several problems that have hindered me," Nibali told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It’s not important for me to spend too much time thinking about what others are doing, but sorry I can’t do it. It is clear that this can not continue. When one thing does not go as you want it to, nothing goes right. I, we, must understand the reasons.”

Certainly the confident Italian doesn’t intend to give up on a fight, but has to sit down with the team and quickly find a reason of his underperformances.

"Last year I was a Nibali from another planet. Now, at this point, I'm normal. Terrestrial,” said Nibali . "Now, however, we must draw a line and start over. The Tour does not start tomorrow and I'm not discouraged. I have had more difficult times, but I will never give up."