It wouldn't just be racing for the sake of it, though, but a step to becoming as strong as possible, both physically and mentally, ahead of the Tour.
We know he's a guy who at times needs confidence and reassurance to perform at his best (obviously that's the case for everyone, but for some more than others), and if he either ends up getting his butt kicked in Dauphine or is simply hit by bad luck once more, you couldn't fault him for starting the Tour without much of a belief he's actually able to win. If he had performed well in Itzulia or other races beforehand, then perhaps that could give him an important moral boost in such a situation. You and I both expect him to lose the Tour anyway, but second place is never guaranteed.