Alejandro Valverde injured after hitting barrier during training ride

Spanish star Alejandro Valverde receives injuries after riding into barrier during a training ride, his Movistar team confirm

Ion Izaguirre

(Image credit: Watson)

Alejandro Valverde has suffered injuries after reportedly crashing into a barrier during a training ride, and says that he can 'barely move at the moment'.

In a statement issued by his Movistar team on Wednesday evening, Valverde said that he had injured his arm and chest in the incident.

>>> Alejandro Valverde says he won’t ride all three Grand Tours again in 2017

"It was a really hard blow," Valverde said. "The barriers of the housing estate went down before I was through, and I hit [it] straight with my arms and chest.

"I tried to continue with my ride, but I could carry on for only 30 more minutes, because it really hurt."

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The 36-year-old Spaniard said that he is treating in the injury with ice to try and keep the inflammation to a minimum.

"I'm putting some ice on the areas and anti-inflammatories should prevent the injury from going any further, but it could get worse tomorrow when the areas start to heal in cold.

"Happily, it seems like it's all a muscle thing, but to be honest, I can barely move at the moment."

The team says that a decision regarding Valverde's presence at today's Vuelta a España route presentation would be made prior to the event.

Last year, Valverde won La Fleche Wallonne for a third consecutive time, a stage of the Giro d'Italia and third overall, and overall victories in the Vuelta a Andalucia and Vuelta a Castilla y Leon. He also supported Colombian team-mate Nairo Quintana to third place in the Tour de France and victory in the Vuelta a España.

Valverde himself won the Vuelta a España in 2009. Last year was the first time that Valverde has ridden all three Grand Tours in the same season, and his first outing in the Giro.

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Nigel Wynn
Former Associate Editor

Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.