Speaking to Spanish daily newspaper El Pais yesterday, Valverde said if Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue asked him to set his calendar, he wants to skip the Tour.
"I would say the Classics, Giro, Vuelta and the Worlds," he said. "Why?
"I have few opportunities to win at the world championships. I have six medals but not gold."
"And in Innsbruck, it will be very, very hard," the 37-year-old said of the parcours set for the 2018 UCI Road World Championships in Austria.
"With the signings the team made with Landa and Nairo... I don't want to do the Tour."
The Spaniard also spoke of his recovery after crashing out of this year's Tour de France in the opening time trial, boasting of riding 700 kilometre weeks, and his training group noting he's as strong as ever.
Before his crash in Dusseldorf, Valverde was enjoying yet another successful year in his golden years, winning several stage races and his favourites, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Fleche Wallone.
Valverde has raced every Tour de France since his return in 2012 from a doping ban which saw him miss competition from 2010-11.
