Prosecutors in Spain are seeking a 15-year prison sentence for a man who reportedly struck Alejandro Valverde with his car in July 2022.

According to the prosecution, the man, who is a retired Civil Guard officer, had a confrontation with the then Movistar cyclist and his training partner, and then drove into them. The prosecution accuses the man of two counts of attempted homicide and one count of reckless driving, and has asked for a combined prison sentence of 15 years and three months.

The defence denies any homicidal intent.

A hearing took place this week at the Provincial Court of Murcia, where no agreement was reached between the two sides, according to reports in the Spanish press.

The case relates to an incident that took place in Alcantarilla, Spain on 2 July 2022. Valverde, then 42 years old, was taken to hospital, but suffered “no fractures or serious injuries”, his Movistar team confirmed at the time.

“Luckily everything has been a scare and I’m fine,” the 2018 road world champion posted on social media. He did not return to racing for four weeks.

A report in Spanish outlet AS at the time said the car driver initially fled the scene, before later turning himself in to the police.

Further reporting, this time in El Español, recounted more details of the incident, saying the then 69-year-old retired Civil Guard officer overtook Valvedre and his training partner without giving them the legally required 1.5m safety distance; once confronted by the cyclists, he then braked and reversed into them.

In 2022, the defendant denied this account in court – "I never reversed. As I left, I may have grazed two bicycles, but I never hit a person," he said – and was released on bail pending further investigation.

At the hearing this week, the defendant’s lawyer, Eduardo Romera, told Spanish news agency Efe that he denied accusations of attempted homicide. Romera added that he hopes to reach a settlement soon between the parties.

Valverde’s training partner took 412 days to recover from his injuries, the prosecution said this week. He also suffered no fractures.

Valverde retired from his 21-year racing career at the end of 2022, aged 42. He is now the coach of the Spanish national team, a role he has held since March 2025.

Up-and-coming Spanish teenager Juan Pujalte has died following a training incident on Thursday. 

The 18-year-old, who rode for Valverde Team-Ricardo Fuentes, a team headed by former world champion Alejandro Valverde, was training in the Murcia region of Spain at the time.

The nature of the fatal incident is currently unknown, according to a report in El País. Pujalte is said to have suffered damage to his spleen and kidney, as well as a head injury and internal bleeding. 

In a post shared on Instagram, Valverde wrote that he was “shocked” by Pujalte’s death, describing the teenager as a “young man in love with cycling”. 

“A big hug and my deepest condolences to his family and friends in these difficult times,” the retired pro added. 

Pujalte’s team released an official statement on social media, writing: “Broken by pain, we regret to confirm the death of our colleague Juan Pujalte, member of Valverde Team-Ricardo Fuentes’ under-23 team. 

“Juan’s smile, his happiness and his passion for life and cycling will be in our hearts every day. 

“Our thoughts are with your family, friends and your team-mates. Rest in peace, Juan.” 

Born on 22 April 2005, Pujalte joined Valverde Team-Ricardo Fuentes in the winter of 2023, and had just made the step-up into the under-23 squad. 

He spent the previous two seasons in the junior ranks, racing almost entirely in his native Spain. Last year, he won the Junior Criterium Lorca and rode in the Spanish Championships alongside Murcia’s regional team. 

The Murcian Cycling Federation (FRM) mourned the loss of Pujalte with a post on X: “With all the pain in our hearts, we have to report the accidental death of Juan Pujalte Martinez, member of the Murcian Cycling Team. The great cycling family will miss you.”

Pujalte’s death comes six months after Belgian 22-year-old Tijl De Decker, winner of the under-23 Paris-Roubaix, died in a training crash. De Decker collided with the back of a car and was rushed to hospital, where he was put in an induced coma. He died the following morning.   

"We are devastated by the loss of our cyclist," said Stéphane Heulot, the CEO of De Decker's team, Lotto-Dstny at the time. "Unfortunately, he will never turn pro and we will always remember him as a talented rider and a warm and friendly person off the bike." 

An investigation is currently ongoing into the circumstances of Pujalte’s death. 

Nestled amidst the Pyrenees, where the borders of France and Spain meet, lies the tiny principality of Andorra. Its high-altitude settlements, dramatic mountain peaks and ribbons of quiet, skyward roads offer the perfect training ground for a burgeoning cycling community that currently hosts some 86 WorldTour riders. Among them is American climbing specialist Sepp Kuss, who lives in Andorra year-round with his wife, Noemi Ferré –a former professional rider herself– and their dog Bimba.

"It's surprisingly peaceful," says the 29-year-old Durango native and Vuelta a España champion. He chose Andorra for its world-class climbs (on which he holds more KOMs than anyone else) and the ability to train and race at altitude.

Spotted from his deck view, Col de Beixalis looms as a daily source of inspiration. It's on this 8.2-kilometer climb that Kuss clinched stage 15 of the 2021 Tour de France, outpacing Alejandro Valverde to the finish line – a pinnacle of his career at the time and perhaps a prelude of what has since followed.

"It's always easier going up it when I know what happened there a few years ago, and it's nice when you can relive those moments," Kuss shares as he hosts Marc Figueras from Thomson Bike Tours at his home during the waning weeks of winter downtime before his return to action in service of the Visma-Lease a Bike team (formerly Jumbo-Visma).

From his favorite foods (Mexican) and music (country and reggaeton) to his career-defining 2023 season and ambitions ahead, this exclusive interview offers a deeper insight into the worker-bee-turned-underdog-GC champ who stole our hearts last August.

Visma - Lease a Bike's Second Card

Kuss' Vuelta success was overdue.

The so-called "Eagle of Durango" has long been celebrated for being one of the best climbers in the peloton and an indispensable helper in the Grand Tour success of Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard. Through unforeseen circumstances, Kuss finally got a shot at his own glory in Spain and made it count. He earned the red jersey after stage eight and, despite some questionable team antics, managed to keep it all the way to Madrid, 13 stages later. In doing so, Kuss became the first American to win a Grand Tour in a decade and the second American ever to win the Vuelta. The helper turned hero overnight, surprising even himself.

"It was only halfway through the Vuelta, after the time trial, where I thought, 'Okay, I think I have the legs to win the race'. But before that, I never had any thoughts about doing my own race or going for my own results. So it was a surprise," says Kuss.

The surprise, however, lay in the opportunity more so than the legs. The watts and the potential were there all season long. 

"Between the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta, all the numbers were the same in terms of the climbing performances," he shares. "For me, the big difference was in the time trial because it was the first time trial I did where there was actually something to lose, where I actually had to really push myself to the limit."

"Once that was done, it was just about being really focused and sharp. It was also the first race where I had an actual need to be really on top of things every single day. So that was, I think, what the team maybe was most surprised about."

While his team, already a stacked powerhouse, realized it had yet another ace in its midst, Kuss walked away with calm confidence. Rather than seeking leadership opportunities at lesser teams, he extended his Visma - Lease a Bike contract through 2027, embracing being the "second card" now that Roglič has gone to Bora.

"I think [the win] showed me that, with that same level of form, I can fight for the Grand Tours. I can be with the best guys. That gives me a lot of confidence. But it also gives me a lot of calm," Kuss says.

"But the team, they've realized what I can do now…and yeah, there's more opportunities, but at the same time, I'm not necessarily looking for absolute leadership or anything like that.

In the end, it's really simple. If you're strong enough, then you will always have those opportunities automatically."

Despite his watershed 2023 season, Kuss' approach to the 2024 season is no different than in the past. His sights are set on another Tour de France and Vuelta a España double, and he's poised to defend his coveted maillot rojo in August.

"I only feel pressure from myself. I never feel it from the team. Of course, they want the best from me, but they don't expect anything that's beyond what I can do," Kuss shares.

"For the big goals, like the Tour, the Vuelta, the Grand Tours, I feel the least pressure because I know that I'm at my best for those races. I don't feel like there's anything else to show or prove. There's no ground to make up because I know if I do my best in training, then whatever is meant to be in the race will come to fruition."

For fun nuggets about his home life and his thoughts on the future of American cycling, be sure to watch the entire 30-minute video above or on YouTube.

Rigoberto Urán has said that he is "too old" for bike racing, as he weighs up the decision to retire after the Paris Olympic Games.

He announced that intention last year, but the EF Education-EasyPost rider has since been offered a further two-year contract by an unnamed team. He's considering it, but as he told Colombian outlet Canal RCN, "I don't make that decision alone, there are a number of things that I have to look at with my family and the team."

He is afraid of falling off, he says, and adds: "The truth is that I am already too old for the sport.”

Urán, who has just turned 37, has been a pro cyclist since 2006 when he signed for the Irish second-tier Tenax-Salmilano team. Over the course of what will be a 19-season career at the end of this one, he has won stages in all three Grand Tours as well as finishing second in the Tour de France and second in the Giro d'Italia twice. He also has an Olympic Games silver from London 2012 in the trophy drawer.

No one could argue that a rest now would be well-earned. But is he really too old for cycling?

Even in an era that has seen a host of super-successful, very young riders, the form book would suggest not – that the old guys, and girls, can still rule. All bodies are different, some feel the effects of aging earlier than others, but there are certainly examples to suggest that form continues past 37.

Take last year's Giro d'Italia, where Geraint Thomas very nearly won overall despite advancing years – although the fact that he lost the maglia rosa two days after turning 37 doesn't make it the perfect example.

In the Vuelta a España, the USA's Chris Horner set a new old-guy record in 2012, winning overall as he approached his 42nd birthday. And Alejandro Valverde won the World Championship road race in 2018 in Innsbruck at 38, after spending his career coming so near and yet so far away from that elusive top podium step.

In the women's WorldTour, Annemiek Van Vleuten continued to be a dominant rider right up to her retirement, winning the points, mountains and overall in the Giro Donne plus three stages in her final season aged 40.

Sprinters, who rely on the fast-twitch muscles and devil-may-care bravery, both of which age is a famous thief, can still do exceptionally well in later years. Take Mark Cavendish, who made a stunning comeback aged 36 to win the green jersey in the Tour de France – and even Sir Chris Hoy, who was the same age when he won his last Olympic medals in the keirin and team sprint at London 2012.

There is more to racing in cycling team that simply winning. As one of the older guard who has been there, won that, a rider can act as a road captain, a talisman and an inspiration to younger riders. That's no small role.

Physically, Urán is almost certainly not too old to continue racing. But if he is thinking about falling off and the pressures it places on his family, that becomes academic. These are the thoughts that alter the sport from a fitness quest to a mind game and usually mean retirement isn't far off. 

Former road world champion Alejandro Valverde hit the ground running in his new life as a gravel rider, winning his debut event in his native Spain on Sunday. 

The 42-year-old, who retired from his road career at the end of last season, powered away solo at La Indomable, a 105km race in Berja, Almería, to cross the line four minutes and 43 seconds ahead of second place Ismael Esteban Agüero (Logos Energía).

British cyclo-cross champion Cameron Mason (Trinity Racing) came third to complete the podium. Writing on Twitter after the event, the 22-year-old said: “I rode smooth almost caught 2nd place by the line. There was no catching the winner, apparently he used to be a good bike rider.”

On the gravel roads of Andalucía, Valverde tore clear of his competitors in the first two kilometres, and rode alone up the day’s 25km-long climb. The race took in a total elevation of 2,400m, and marked the opening of the Trek UCI Gravel World Series calendar, which counts 16 events, including The Gralloch in Scotland this May.

La Indomable brought a stark change for Valverde, who would typically spend late April racing in the Ardennes Classics during his road career. Today, he holds the record for the most wins at La Flèche Wallonne, claiming the title five times.

Since retiring, the Spaniard has remained with Movistar - with whom he spent 12 seasons on the road - and now rides as a member of the team’s new gravel squad. 

There was further success for Movistar in the women’s La Indomable, with British rider Hayley Simmonds finishing on the third step of the podium. The race was dominated by Carolin Schiff of Canyon CLLCTV Gravel, who won by a whopping margin of 14 minutes and 10 seconds over her team-mate and German compatriot Jade Treffeisen. 

Valverde will next be in action at the Traka, a 360km gravel event setting out from Girona, Spain this Saturday. In last year's edition, Italian rider Mattia de Marchi held off EF Education-EasyPost's Lachlan Morton to the title. 

It is currently unknown which other races Valverde will take part in as he builds up his gravel pedigree towards October’s UCI Gravel World Championships in Veneto, Italy. 

Alejandro Valverde is set to return to competitive racing, as part of Movistar’s new gravel squad.

Last year, the Spanish veteran announced that he would retire from the road at the end of the 2022 campaign.

However, in an announcement from Movistar this morning, the team confirmed that the 42-year-old would return to competition as part of its new gravel arm, a first amongst current WorldTour teams.

The first two races on the calendar for the Movistar gravel squad are both in Spain. First up is ‘La Indomable’, a 105 kilometre race in Southern Andalusia, on Sunday 23 April, followed by the Traka in Girona on 29 April.

The gravel squad will include riders from Movistar’s road, and esports teams. Iván García Cortina will be competing alongside Valverde, as well as Ana Dillana and Hayley Simmonds of the esports squad.

According to the team, Valverde, Dillana and Simmonds are set to race at ‘La Indomable’, with Cortina joining the squad a week later at the Traka.

Spanish brand Gobik, the team's current kit supplier, has produced a new jersey for the team's new project. According to a press release from Movistar, the design “honours the adventurous and non-conformist spirit of gravel”.

Movistar have said that more riders will be announced for the new project “in the near future”.

As a discipline, gravel racing has massively risen in recent months, with the inaugural gravel World Championships taking place in late October last year in the Veneto region of Italy. The men’s race was won by Belgium’s Gianni Vermeersch, with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot taking the elite women’s title.

Multiple road stars were on the start line including Mathieu van der Poel, Magnus Cort, Peter Sagan and Greg van Avermaet. Sagan also rode the Unbound gravel event in Kansas, USA in June.

After a successful first edition, the second edition of the gravel world championships will be held in Italy again in 2023 before the competition moves to Belgium for 2024.

Looking ahead to when the competition ventures to his home roads, Wout van Aert has previously suggested that he would consider including the gravel world championships in his schedule for the current year.

“I watched the last edition on television and thought it was nice to see,” Van Aert said regarding last year’s race won by his fellow Belgian Vermeersch. “I was positively surprised at how much attention this world championship received. I think the world championship on gravel has a great future.”

“Yes, I know that the gravel worlds will be held again in Italy next year and then in Belgium the following year,” Van Aert added. “Maybe I’ll do it in the years to come.”

The organiser of the Giro d’Italia, RCS, has postponed the planned presentation of the 2023 Maglia Rosa on Wednesday evening after the death of Davide Rebellin. 

Mauro Vegni, race director of the Giro, explained that in light of the tragic circumstances it was a necessary decision. 

“I think it is a necessary decision,” Vegni said to La Gazetta dello Sport. “We cannot now celebrate on a day of mourning. The first guests have already trickled in, but it is impossible to continue this event. This touches us closely. Our thoughts go out to Davide and his family during this terrible time.” 

Italian rider Davide Rebellin, who only just retired from professional racing, was tragically killed after being struck by a lorry yesterday morning in Montebello Vicentino, Italy. 

The former winner of Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico was just 51-years-old. 

Instead of presenting the new Maglia Rosa in Milan, race officials and guests present in Milan held a minute's silence in memory of Rebellin instead. 

The former racer won a stage of his home Grand Tour in 1996. He also wore the hallowed pink jersey of the Giro d’Italia for six consecutive days that year. 

“My thoughts are with Davide, a man who was active in cycling for many years and who has given us many joyful moments. I don't think there has ever been a rider who has been active for so long. But his age was part of his way of experiencing sports,” Vegni added.

Meanwhile, a host of current and former riders, sports directors, race organisers and journalists have paid tribute to Rebellin via social media. 

Recently retired Alejandro Valverde offered his condolences to Rebellin’s family and friends. 

Valverde said: “My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Davide Rebellin, a professional colleague and rival for so many years. D.E.P.”

Valverde raced against the Italian on multiple occasions throughout both of their careers. The Spaniard finished runner up to Rebellin at the 2007 edition of La Flèche Wallonne, a race he would then go on to win himself. 

Rebellin was involved in the Beking Criterium in Monaco last weekend which was won by Belgian Philippe Gilbert. 

Gilbert shared a similar tribute to Valverde on Twitter that said: “A few days ago we were doing our last pro race in Monaco and today you left to join the stars. I think very strongly of Françoise and your family. I am very sad we will miss you amico. RIP Davide Rebellin.”

Tributes have poured in from all corners of the cycling community for Italian former professional cyclist Davide Rebellin, a former winner of prestigious races including Liège–Bastogne–Liège who was tragically killed yesterday morning. 

Rebellin, who only recently retired from the sport he loved, was killed after being struck by a truck while on a morning training ride in Italy. 

He was just 51-years-old. 

Fellow former professional, Daniele Bennati who now coaches the Italian national team posted a message on Twitter which simply read: “Tell me it isn’t true.” 

He followed this up with a longer message which referenced the death of another great rider in similar circumstances, Michele Scarponi who was killed in 2017 aged 37.

“It's too difficult to accept all this, first Michele, now you Davide. But in the midst of many, too many other tragedies that with excessive indifference are passed off as normal. Hello Sports and Humility Champion. RIP,” Bennati said. 

Meanwhile cycling commentator and former professional, Matt Stephens shared a tribute that recalled his memories of racing against Rebellin in Italy. He said: "Just returned home from a ride to hear of the passing of Davide Rebellin. So terribly sad. Fond memories of first racing against him way back in the baby Giro 1991. One thing is for sure, cycling defined his life. He lived it. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”

Rebellin had only retired last weekend, and competed in a criterium in Monaco which was won by Philippe Gilbert.

Former professional Nicholas Roche was at the event in Monaco and shared a message on Twitter which read: "Tragic accident today! Only a few days ago we were celebrating his retirement here in Monaco. RIP Davide."

Philippe Gilbert, the winner of the Monaco criterium also shared his own touching tribute on social media which expressed shock at them having only just raced together. 

“A few days ago we were doing our last pro race in Monaco and today you left to join the stars. I think very strongly of Françoise and your family. I am very sad we will miss you amico. RIP Davide Rebellin,” Gilbert wrote. 

Various WorldTour professional teams shared messages on Twitter expressing shock and sadness at Rebellin’s untimely and tragic death. 

Astana Qazaqstan posted a message, which said: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic news of Davide Rebellin death... it is impossible to believe...We express our deepest condolences to the family of Davide.”  

Jumbo-Visma shared a similar message: “We are deeply shocked by the sad news that Davide Rebellin has passed away. Our thoughts are with the bereaved families and the (Italian) cycling peloton.”

Recently retired Alejandro Valverde, who raced against the Italian on a stack of occasions, offered his condolences to Rebellin’s family and friends. 

Valverde said: “My deepest condolences to the family and friends of Davide Rebellin, a professional colleague and rival for so many years. D.E.P.”

A host of other former and current riders, as well as journalists, race organisers and managers shared their own personal tributes to the Italian great. 

A selection of them are below.

Movistar and Netflix have joined forces once more for a fourth series of the drama ‘The Least Expected Day.’ 

According to Spanish news outlet Ciclo 21, a fourth series of the drama following the Spanish team will be released next year following the exploits of the men’s and women’s teams in the 2022 season. 

The drama has gained swathes of fans over the past three seasons, with many tuning in to gain fly on the wall access to the unceremonious departure from the team of Miguel Ángel López, leadership contests at various Grand Tours and the retirement of Movistar talisman, Alejandro Valverde. 

Season three saw the drama diversify as it looked to cover Annemiek van Vleuten’s success for the women’s team. 

Here are six things we hope to see covered in the fourth edition of the hit show. 

ANNEMIEK VAN VLEUTEN TAKING OVER VALVERDE’S STAR ROLE 

It was refreshing to see Van Vleuten given centre stage in the most recent edition. 

However, with the Dutch rider landing victory at the Tour de France Femmes, Giro Donne, Vuelta Challenge and the World Championships road race, surely it’s about time that Valverde was shunted off the stage with Van Vleuten taking the star role? 

After all, she’s won more high profile races than all of the men’s Movistar team put together over the past few seasons. 

On top of that, she’s also got involved with teammate Carlos Verona’s charitable project Bikes4Masai, and is currently in Kenya to see their work first hand. 

Surely that would make for excellent viewing in one episode alone? Van Vleuten in the rainbow jersey riding her gravel bike in Kenya.

ENRIC MAS GOING CLOSE AT THE VUELTA 

With Primož Roglič and Richard Carapaz out of the picture, Enric Mas ended up being one of the closest challengers to overall winner Remco Evenepoel at this year’s Vuelta. 

Mas is no stranger to the Vuelta podium, having finished as runner up on other occasions, but it was refreshing to see him not being held back by hissy-fits from López at the most recent edition. 

In season three, we saw that behind the mask of a Grand Tour fighter, Mas is mild-mannered and softly spoken. All the makings of a serious champion.

Mas pushed Evenepoel all the way in Spain, and we want to see more from him as he attempted to win his home Grand Tour.

VALVERDE’S FINAL FAREWELL 

After multiple years of saying that was that, Alejandro Valverde finally confirmed his official retirement after October’s Il Lombardia, which also saw Vincenzo Nibali bow out of professional cycling.

The previous three seasons showed what most people already knew, Valverde may as well be God in Pamplona. 41-year-old Valverde has played a star role in the team for years, and has had a remarkable career, if you forget his involvement in the Operation Puerto doping scandal. 

With him finally letting the curtain fall in 2022, we expect to see lavish parties, tears and emotion all on show in his final outing in the Spanish team’s colours. 

Who knows, maybe a statue celebrating the cycling veteran is currently being commissioned in Pamplona as we speak. 

More of the women's team than just Van Vleuten

While Van Vleuten is undoubtedly the star of the Movistar women's team, and it would be easy for the doc to just focus on her exploits, there are 13 other women on the squad, all of whom would be great on camera.

Emma Norsgaard, Arlenis Sierra and Sheyla Gutiérrez all pitched in with multiple wins this season, showing that the future is bright beyond the 40-year-old Dutchwoman. 

Movistar are one of the top squads in the Women's WorldTour, and have shown real range since stepping up to the elite level a few years ago; while the men's team has struggled, the women's team has flourished. Perhaps it is worth more attention on them this time around.

VINCENTE GARCIA ACOSTA’S MOTIVATIONAL BUS TEAM TALKS 

The 50-year-old former professional with the Banesto team is now a long-serving sports director on the Movistar team. 

“Chente”, as he is affectionately known, has played a starring role over the past three seasons. The former Tour de France and Vuelta stage winner comes across as a passionate manager, who leads from the front and expects his charges to follow his example. 

The past three seasons have featured multiple shouty team talks from the Spaniard, as he looks to gee up his riders before an assault on a Vuelta Queen stage. As well as Enric Mas getting the hairdryer treatment from “Chente” after removing his earpiece in frustration mid race at the Vuelta. 

We want more “Chente” highlights in season four. 

MOVISTAR MANAGEMENT ADMITTING THAT THEY GOT IT WRONG WITH MARC SOLER 

Last year, we saw Marc Soler flourish in pastures new at UAE Team Emirates. The Spaniard landed a brilliant Vuelta stage win for his new team, and was consistently on the attack throughout the race. 

The previous season saw him heavily criticised in his final days with Movistar, as team management chastised Soler for not pushing through the pain at the 2021 Giro d’Italia. 

Since moving to UAE Team Emirates he seems like a new rider and all the better for it. The Spaniard admirably refused to speak ill of the Movistar team last month at the Vuelta a Espana although you would have forgiven him for doing so. 

In season four, we’d like to see Movistar top brass admit that perhaps Soler should have been given more of an opportunity to shine with their team. 

In 2022 there has been a changing of the guard at the top level of professional cycling. 

Some of the biggest names in the sport have called time on their careers, passing over the torch to the likes of Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar as they ride off into the sunset. 

As well as the aforementioned trio, riders like Wout Van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel have taken the baton from Philippe Gilbert as being the riders to watch on the Classics scene. 

This year multiple Grand Tour winner Vincenzo Nibali has hung up his wheels after a final hurrah at Il Lombardia and former World Champion Alejandro Valverde has also retired after one final season. 

Valverde’s retirement allows new names to shine in Spanish cycling. For many years, Spanish fans will have wondered when the next big home Vuelta win would come but with talents like Juan Ayuso and Carlos Rodriguez stepping into the Valverde shaped gap, that win may not be that far away. 

We’ve put together a breakdown of seven riders who have retired from cycling's top level this year and an assessment of their legacy in the sport. 

VINCENZO NIBALI

The Italian former Grand Tour winner and stage racer supreme announced at this year’s Giro d’Italia that he would be retiring at the end of 2022. 

He leaves a legacy of being arguably the last of the great Italian stage racers, and his palmares comfortably backs up that argument. Three monument titles including two Il Lombardia victories and one Milan-San Remo as well as overall wins at Tirreno-Adriatico in 2012 and 2013 more than speak for themselves. 

The Sicily-born rider is also a two-time Giro d’Italia winner and has seven individual stages to his name. Nibali also won the Tour de France in 2014 and took six individual stage victories at the French Grand Tour during his career. 

Adding in his 2010 Vuelta a España victory to the equation makes him not only one of the last great Italian stage racers, but also one of the all time greatest riders in the sports history.

Few riders of his generation can match the prolific winning record of the “Shark of Messina”.

ALEJANDRO VALVERDE

42-year-old Alejandro Valverde finally retired from the sport's top level with the 2022 Il Lombardia also being his final outing in the WorldTour. Valverde finished a more than respectable sixth in that final race behind winner Tadej Pogačar.

Valverde’s career has been stacked with a huge list of one day race victories including four Liège–Bastogne–Liège victories and five La Flèche Wallonne titles. As well as this the Spaniard is also the 2018 road world champion and won the Vuelta a España in 2009. 

However, the 42-year-olds impressive palmares has a significant black spot which it is impossible to ignore. His involvement in the Operación Puerto doping scandal. 

Valverde received a two-year doping ban in 2010 for his part in the affair and all of his results that year were annulled. Since his doping ban the cycling world has often struggled to look the other way when it came to the Spaniard achieving any further success. 

As a result of this, his legacy in cycling is blemished by his doping offences. 

RICHIE PORTE

Prior to the 2022 Tour of Britain, Richie Porte announced that the British week-long event would be his final racing outing. 

In 2020 the Australian rider left Trek-Segafredo to join Ineos Grenadiers, a team he had previously raced for under the Team Sky name. A high point of Porte’s time at Ineos was his 2021 Critérium du Dauphiné victory.  

Before making a return to the British team, Porte enjoyed a successful spell at Trek-Segafredo which saw him achieve his first ever Grand Tour podium finish. Porte was able to stay with a rampant Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič for much of the 2020 Tour de France meaning that he would eventually finish third overall. 

Throughout the years, Porte’s exploits in the Grand Tour’s leave a more than respectable legacy at the sports top level that other Australian riders will look to emulate. 

With the emergence of riders like Giro d'Italia winner Jai Hindley and Ineos Grenadiers' Luke Plapp, Australian cycling is in a comfortable place despite Porte's retirement. 

PHILIPPE GILBERT

40-year-old Gilbert retired from cycling after an illustrious career which has seen him win four of the five monuments and stages at all three of cycling’s Grand Tours. 

The Belgian rider was renowned as being one of the best puncheurs in the business and that was backed up with impressive wins at Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders as well as the world title in 2012 in the Netherlands. 

One of the main highlights of Gilbert’s career is undoubtedly the four victories he took at the Amstel Gold race in the Netherlands. His world title win came on a similar route to the Dutch one day race and as a result, the Cauberg climb in Holland will long be associated with his cycling exploits. 

Gilbert recently announced that despite the rumours, he will not be taking over as manager of his final professional team Lotto Soudal in 2023. 

Winning four of the five monuments is no mean feat. When you bring his Amstel-Gold victories into the discussion, it’s impossible to consider Gilbert as being anything other than one of the greatest one-day racers of all time. 

LISA BRENNAUER 

German racer Lisa Brennauer retired in August after an impressive career which has seen the 34-year-old win both the individual and team time trial world titles on multiple occasions. 

Brennauer also won the female German national time trial championship on five occasions with 2022 being her final victory. As well as this she also won the German national road title on four occasions. One of her biggest highlights was a gold medal at the rearranged 2020 Olympics in the women’s team pursuit, in which the German team set a new world record. 

On the road the German won the Ceratizit Challenge by La Vuelta race in 2019 and 2020.

Brennauer’s record is pretty incomparable in women’s German cycling, leaving her with a legacy as being arguably the best German female racer there has been to date.  

TOM DUMOULIN 

Dutchman Tom Dumoulin retired in August after a career which has seen him win the Giro d’Italia and multiple time trial titles. 

As well as his accomplishments on the bike, one of Dumoulin’s biggest achievements was also opening up the conversation on mental health and wellbeing in cycling when he decided to take a break from the sport in 2021 after being “unhappy as a cyclist for a year”. 

Several months later, Dumoulin capped his return to the sport with a silver medal in the men’s time trial at the 2020 Olympic games. He then announced that 2022 would be his final year with his last race being the World Championships in Wollongong, Australia. 

During his long career Dumoulin won the Giro in 2017, as well as the Dutch national time trial championships on four separate occasions and his Olympic silver medal in Tokyo. 

He’ll be remembered as a formidable Grand Tour rider who was also brave enough to publicly speak out about the psychological strain of elite competition.

ALEX DOWSETT 

During his long career, Alex Dowsett established a name for himself as being a top-level time trial specialist and one of the best that Great Britain has ever produced. 

He is the record holder for the most British national time trial titles- which he won on six occasions and he also has two Giro d’Italia stage wins to his name which he took in 2013 and in 2020. He also held the official hour record in 2015.

Dowsett suffers from haemophilia, a condition which prevents your blood from clotting, and he set up a charity called ‘Little Bleeders’ with the intention of encouraging young people suffering with the condition to engage with sport. 

The Essex-born rider leaves a legacy as not only being a top level athlete, but also one determined to give something back to the wider community not just focussing on cycling. Something which is of great importance and other top level athletes would do well to emulate on  a more frequent basis. 

It’s finally here, season three of the highly anticipated “Least Expected Day” Netflix series following the Movistar team around over the past year.

The overrunning theme across the first two series of cycling's answer to Eastenders was largely that having co-leaders at a Grand Tour rarely works. Not only does it create tension on the bike but also for the poor souls in the cars forced into the position of finely balancing the riders' egos as they look to guide their team to success.

After watching the first two series you warm to “Chente” Garcia Acosta and forgive him for all the over zealous shouting at the slightest prompt. 

After all how could anyone not get frustrated with the strange dynamics within the squad? Eusebio Unzué is sat there in the background like poor Ian Beale, just hoping for an easy life until others decide to have their say and things get out of hand.  

If those first two years were anything to go by, you would hope that Movistar would have learned their lesson although with the signing of Miguel Ángel López for the 2021 season it would appear not. The Colombian rider produced some big performances for the team but also brought the fireworks just as “Chente” and co would have been hoping for an easier year. 

Just three minutes into the series and for those that don’t follow cycling all year round, you’ll soon realise it was anything but. 

Luckily, if you’re not one for the tantrums and drama I watched series three of the Spanish soap opera so you don’t have to. 

Here’s what I learned about Movistar's 2021 season 

MARC SOLER WAS POORLY HANDLED IN THE TEAM

Marc Soler has been a huge talent for years within the sport ever since he first won the Tour de l’Avenir in 2015. 

He then continued to progress at a rapid rate with all the makings of a successful Grand Tour winning rider. Add an overall win at Paris-Nice in 2018 and he was firmly on his way although it was unfortunate that everything fell into place around the same time that Mikel Landa, Nairo Quintana and Richard Carapaz were amongst the Movistar ranks. That’s without even mentioning Alejandro Valverde. 

Since moving to UAE Team Emirates he seems like a new rider and all the better for it. The Spaniard admirably refused to speak ill of the Movistar team last month at the Vuelta a Espana although you would have forgiven him for doing so. 

Never more so than when the team management were visibly frustrated with him in the documentary for not pushing through the pain at the 2021 Giro d’Italia.  

Soler’s results should have earned him more of an opportunity and he has now already had that at the Spanish Grand Tour this year. A motivated Marc Soler is a guaranteed Grand Tour stage winner amongst other things. 

UAE are very lucky to have him. 

ALEJANDRO VALVERDE MIGHT AS WELL BE GOD IN PAMPLONA

Not many sports stars are still treated with almost Godlike status when they’re 41 years old. Except if their name is Alejandro Valverde. 

Granted his career has been remarkable, and he deserves a huge amount of accolades, as well as acknowledgement of his doping ban, but you can’t help but feel that 2022 is calling time on proceedings a little too late. A little like ageing 1960s rock stars still churning out records just simply based on their name. 

That isn’t to be disrespectful to the the four time Liège–Bastogne–Liège winner -Valverde is arguably one of the greatest racers of the last 20 years if you forget his involvement in the Operacion Puerto - but one can’t help but be left feeling that Movistar may have benefited more from coaching a rider like Soler more effectively as opposed to keeping an ageing “El Bala” going indefinitely.

SUPERMAN LÓPEZ HAS A BIGGER EGO THAN RONALDO

More often than not it’s footballers who receive the public scrutiny for having excessively big egos but the 2021 Vuelta showed that Miguel Ángel López has one to rival that of Manchester United's Portuguese star striker Cristiano Ronaldo. 

Not many sportspeople simply refuse to keep going when things aren’t going their way, but that's exactly what ‘Superman’ did at the 2021 Spanish Grand Tour.

As the race was reaching its conclusion, the Colombian climbed off his bike and gave up after a spat with management as teammates were asked to work for Enric Mas instead of him. 

The podium was slipping away from López but instead of continuing to ride for the team he appeared to give up.

In the aftermath of the incident 'Superman' revealed that tension had been building for some time between him and the rest of the group.

There are of course two sides to every story. Movistar have unfortunately built a reputation as being a squad full of strange tactics and dynamics which López fell foul of. However at times during the series he comes across as fiery and difficult to handle unlike the more gentle and softly spoken Enric Mas. 

He just about redeems himself with an apology over dinner at the end…. Just. 

MAS COULD HAVE WON THE 2021 VUELTA 

Were it not for the drama, one thing that jumps out straightaway is that Enric Mas had the shape to have won the 2021 Vuelta a España. 

He repeatedly had opportunities to push on and take hold of the race but was held back by the team's strange tactics and hissy-fits from López. Mas was once considered as being the next big thing in Spanish Cycling and 2021 could have been the year he finally delivered if it wasn’t for the drama within his team. 

Throughout the series he comes across as mild-mannered, calm and dedicated. All the makings of a serious champion. You also wouldn’t blame him for ripping out his ear piece after being hammered by “Chente” on one particular stage. 

Perhaps one day the climber from Arta will finally get his moment when everything falls into place.

VAN VLEUTEN SHOULD MANAGE THE MEN FOR A DAY

Instead of the gung-ho approach of ex-pros such as "Chente" Garcia Acosta, the men’s team would do well to have Annemiek van Vleuten managing them for a day. 

Who else could possibly be better placed to share experience than the calm and collected multiple Grand-Tour winner? The episode which follows the women’s team around at the height of her 2021 season is undoubtedly the best and perfectly captures Van Vleuten’s character as an individual as well as a huge athlete. 

The calmness, dedication and drive that saw her win the 2021 Tour of Flanders are instantly apparent. 

Watching on you're also left feeling like it really is no surprise that she went on to win all three women’s Grand Tours in 2022. 

Instead of arguing with management during his time at Movistar, López would have done well to take a leaf out of the Dutch rider's book instead. 

A male driver has been arrested after ploughing into a group of eight cyclists in Catalonia, Spain killing two and seriously injuring three others. 

According to El País the incident occurred on Sunday morning in the town of Castellbisbal, Catalonia after the driver swerved into the cyclists near the town's railway station. One cyclist died at the scene whereas the other died after arriving in hospital, they were 67 and 72 years old. 

The local police force in the Martorell region located a dented red Opel with smashed front windows that was believed to have been involved in the incident. After reporting their findings to the Mossos d’Esquadra, the authorities managed to locate the driver and they were subsequently arrested. 

In the aftermath of the incident, Salvador Ribas of the Catalan Cycling Federation said the group feels ‘helpless’ in the face of such occurrences in which those involved ‘don’t even step on the brakes’. The report from El País also said that the latest fatalities bring the total to 111 killed on the roads of Catalonia this year with six of them being cyclists. 

El País also reported in May that 200 cyclists have been killed on Spanish roads in the last four years, with 39 killed in Catalonia alone. Experts consulted on the figures attributed the rise in deaths to a cycling boom in Spain over recent years and also a lack of safe infrastructure for cyclists and other road users. 

In early July, former World Champion Alejandro Valverde was involved in a hit and run incident in Murcia. Valverde along with his two fellow riders were all hospitalised but none of them sustained any serious injuries. 

Eyewitnesses at the time said that one of the riders challenged the driver after a close pass at speed. After taking objection to being challenged by the cyclist the driver then reportedly stopped and reversed straight into Valverde and the rest of the group.

A 69-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident and was released with charges. 

42-year-old Valverde is currently in action at the Vuelta a España and has said he will retire at the end of the current season. 

As the saying goes, you make your own luck. Reaching your goals in life requires effort and hard work, along with the occasional opportunity landing in front of you at the right time. Oliver Knight is someone who knows all about that long journey to the top. A top that is being reached as he rides the Vuelta a Burgos this week.

In 2020, Knight was one of many talented British under-23 riders who headed to Europe looking to make a name for themselves. Now 21, he had a successful spell as a junior with HMT Hospitals-Giant, finishing second overall in the junior Tour of the Basque Country behind Carlos Rodriguez (now at Ineos Grenadiers) and winning stages at other Spanish races such as the Vuelta a Pamplona. 

The young Briton was beginning to draw attention to himself, and soon joined French outfit AVC Aix-en-Provence. Backed by the Rayner Foundation and in a team with a history of progressing young British riders, Knight was on his way up. Previously, Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost) was part of the French team along with Harrison Wood and it wouldn’t be long before UAE Team Emirates came calling. Still based in France and supported by the Rayner Foundation, Knight told Cycling Weekly that his success wouldn’t have been possible without their help during the last three years. 

The 21-year old explained that finally, the long days and hard grind on the bike are beginning to pay off. At the Vuelta a Burgos, making his first appearance at a professional level race as a stagiaire, or trainee. 

Now, he gets to mix with the professionals who wouldn't have been out of place on his bedroom wall ten years ago. Knight said: “As it's close to the Vuelta, you’ll always get some big stars coming here [Burgos] and it’s crazy. I was looking around the bunch this morning and I was rubbing shoulders with Nibali and Valverde, people that have been at the top of the sport for as long as I can remember.”

After a tough first stage in temperatures approaching 40 degrees, Knight added, “It means everything to be here to be honest and is what I’ve been trying to achieve for so long. It doesn’t quite feel real! It was a great experience today, although a bit of a weird one. It was quite flat early on then with a key climb in the middle. Then we had a long crosswind section before a lap around the city in Burgos…It was a great experience.” 

The 21-year-old explained that during the week-long race he’s looking to take each day as it comes. UAE Team Emirates have gone into the race with Portuguese star Joao Almeida for the general classification, and Knight pointed out that he will be looking to watch and learn from his teammates. 

Knight added: “If I get the chance to get in a breakaway then I'll try and grab that with both hands. Although we’re here looking to get something out of it with Almeida in the GC which would be awesome. I haven’t actually signed for next year yet, so I’ve got to do everything I can to get a contract. I’ll be keeping my head down and cracking on really.” 

"GUYS LIKE NIBALI JUST MAKE EVERYTHING LOOK SO EFFORTLESS" 

With the Vuelta a España just weeks away, the race in Burgos is very much a key race for riders looking to prepare for a shot at overall victory at the Spanish Grand Tour. Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) took the overall win last year, and as well as Landa, Knight explained that he’s been surrounded by multiple huge stars. 

Knight added that as well as former Grand Tour winners, he’s been fortunate to be racing alongside some highly experienced teammates who have been more than willing to share advice with him.

“I’m rooming with Joel Suter, a Swiss rider on our team. He told me how good it is to watch and learn from Matteo Trentin and he was absolutely right,” he said. “He [Trentin] is just so good at positioning and I think that if you put yourself on his wheel, you can’t really go wrong. It’s the same with some guys on other teams. Guys like Nibali just make everything look so effortless really, moving up and doing all the normal stuff that looks really simple, but can actually be tricky,” he added.

The Vuelta a España gets underway on 19 August in Utrecht in the Netherlands before concluding in Madrid on 11 September.

A 69 year-old man who allegedly intentionally reversed into Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and two friends has been released with charges by Spanish Police. Over the weekend he handed himself into local police in Murcia after a hit and run incident involving the Movistar captain. 

Local media have reported that the man testified on Monday before the head of the court of instruction number 3 in Murcia. The duty judge decreed the provisional release of the 69-year old although he is obliged to appear in court when the case continues. He has also been ordered to surrender his vehicle and driving licence beforehand.

“The head of the court has indicated that, although there are indications of a possible crime against road safety, injuries and abandonment of the scene of the accident, it is not appreciated that the requirements that would justify pre-trial detention are met, such as the risk of escape, the concealment or destruction of evidence or preventing him from commiting a crime again” said Spanish media. 

Alejandro Valverde has since been discharged from hospital

The Movistar rider was out riding with two friends in Murcia, Spain, when the incident occurred at the weekend. Spanish newspaper Marca reports that eyewitnesses saw a vehicle overtake the trio at high speed without leaving a safe distance, leading to the riders remonstrating with the driver. 

The driver then reportedly reversed back into Valverde and his friends, before fleeing the scene.

All three riders were taken to the Virgen de la Arrixaca hospital, but fortunately none of them suffered any serious injuries, confirmed by Valverde and his Movistar team on social media.

Eyewitnesses managed to spot the licence plate of the vehicle before the driver handed himself in, and Spanish outlet Ciclismo a fondo is now reporting that the incident was being investigated as an attempted murder. 

Valverde spent the night in hospital under observation, after suffering a cervical contusion and feeling dizzy at the scene of the incident. The Spaniard felt better overnight, though, with doctors discharging him on Sunday. 

From his hospital bed, Valverde said: "I want to thank you all for the support and affection that I have received today. Luckily everything has been a scare and I'm fine." 

Now recovering at home, the Spaniard will likely resume training in the coming days as his preparations for the final Grand Tour of his career continue. Retiring at the end of 2022, Valverde had earmarked an appearance at the Vuelta a España as one of his last in professional cycling.

With the race starting on August 19, the 42-year-old still has over a month to get back in peak condition for the Vuelta, with an appearance on July 30 at the Donostia San Sebastian Klasikoa also a possibility. 

Former World Champion and Movistar rider, Alejandro Valverde, has been involved in a hit and run incident during a training ride in Murcia, Spain. 

Valverde was on a training ride with two friends when the incident occurred in Alcantarilla. All three of the riders are now reported to be in hospital with no reports of any serious injuries. 

Movistar have confirmed the news via Twitter and that the Spanish rider would remain under observation for the next 24 hours. 

Movistar said: “We confirm that Alejandro Valverde has no fractures or serious injuries after suffering an incident this Saturday when he was riding with a teammate in Alcantarilla. ‘Bala will remain under observation for 24 hours and will later be discharged. Your partner is also ok.”

According to an eye witness on the scene, a car passed the three cyclists at full speed and close up against the group. One of the riders with Valverde reportedly challenged the driver over his actions and according to the witnesses account, the driver stopped the car and then reversed into the cyclists damaging Valverde’s bike in the process.

This afternoon Valverde posted on his Instagram account saying: 

"I want to thank you all for the support and affection that I have received today. Luckily everything has been a scare and I'm fine." 

In October 2021, Valverde confirmed that he will retire after the 2022 season.

Alejandro Valverde doesn't expect to challenge for overall victory at the Giro d'Italia, but the 42-year-old is hopeful of winning a stage in the penultimate Grand Tour of his career. 

Speaking at the Movistar press conference ahead of the Giro d'Italia getting underway on Friday, Valverde recognises the limitations of his body in competing at the front of the pack across all 21 stages. As a result, the experienced Spaniard is instead targeting a stage victory, in what will be the 31st Grand Tour appearance of his career.

“I want to have a good race, and for me to finish well would be to achieve a stage victory," Valverde said. "The general classification is very difficult because of my age and the three weeks of competition."

In fact, Valverde recognises the opening day from Budapest to Visegrád, a 195km flat route which finishes with a 5km hill at a five per cent gradient, could provide a potential opportunity for him to achieve his goal. 

“The first stage is demanding, but in itself doable for sprinters. Everyone appears strong at the start, Van der Poel is doing well. But we still have 20 stages to win after this.”

Despite having competed in 30 Grand Tours so far during his career, the 2022 Giro d'Italia will be just the second time Valverde has competed in the event. The Movistar rider featured in the race back in 2016, where he finished third overall after winning the 16th stage. 

“For me it was important to do the Giro," Valverde explained. "I've only competed once in my entire career, so in my last year I wanted to come back.

“The Giro is a race that is not as demanding on the head as the Tour de France. I’m sure this is my last year, I’m not going on. Not because I don’t want to, but because it’s unnecessary.”

During the pre-race press conference, Valverde also clarified he won't lead the Movistar team, perhaps giving reason to his goal of winning a stage. Instead, that responsibility lies with Colombian rider Iván Sosa. 

Sosa recently won the Vuelta a Asturias, the same event Richard Carapaz won in 2019 before triumphing in the Giro d'Italia while riding for Movistar. Valverde referred to this as he spoke confidently about his team-mate producing a strong result.

“I would really like Sosa to be on the final podium," Valverde said. "He is motivated by the Asturias title. The last rider that won Asturias and then won the Giro was Carapaz, I hope the same thing happens with Sosa. But if he is on the podium, we will be happy with that.

“Although he hasn’t done much racing in three weeks, we have to start letting him go and giving him races so that he can gain experience. Now we have to wait how he goes and that he doesn’t lose time.”

One final time up the Mur de Huy for Alejandro Valverde, one final podium for the Spaniard.

In his 20 year career, Flèche Wallonne has been the race that has come to give him his best success: five victories, two second places and one third place. His final runners-up spot on Wednesday came days before his 42nd birthday, and clearly meant a lot to the Movistar rider.

No one has been able to conquer the steep gradients of the Mur, to time their effort to perfection, as much as Alejandro Valverde - apart from maybe Anna van der Breggen, but the pair have never raced each other.

"I can only feel happy about my performance today," he said post-race. "I’ve been so close to victory. I was pushing so hard that I felt more pain in my arms than in my legs!"

"This second place is worth as much as a victory," he continued. "I’m turning 42 in five days and this was my last Flèche Wallonne. Having performed at this level, with lots of sufferance but finishing on a good note, gives me hopes of a nice Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday."

With no Valverde, other riders will now have a chance to take on the Mur - Wednesday's winner Dylan Teuns of Bahrain-Victorious will certainly be back, now he knows how to win.

Valverde's first victory came in 2006, when Teuns was just 14, showing how he has stayed at the top of the sport for so long.

"Teuns has been stronger than me – period," Valverde said. "Congratulations to him."

A race that requires so much about timing clearly favoured riders who have done it multiple times before, although Aleksandr Vlasov was an exception, finishing second in Huy.

Although the final climb is clearly so decisive, the whole day requires an organised team in order to make the most of the test at the end. Valverde was clearly grateful that he was allowed the honour of a team working for him at Flèche one last time.

"I want to thank my team for the excellent work they’ve done for me the whole day," he said. "They’ve given me an excellent travel to the Mur de Huy. Then Enric Mas set a very strong pace on the final climb that enabled me to be in perfect position for the final accelerations."

With Valverde shuffling off the cycling scene, the pace seemed higher than ever to him on the Mur.

"It must have been the fastest-ever climb to the Mur de Huy," he said. "Definitely one of the fastest. Some days you end up the race feeling you could have done more, but it’s not the case today."

With energy exhausted in Huy, Valverde can now look to other objectives in his final season, happy that he gave it his all, one last time, at his race.

Road cycling is back. It might still feel like the depths of winter in the UK or in America, but in the sunnier climes of southern Europe, men's elite road racing is back. Cyclocross might have dominated the news, but there were still some exciting things happening on tarmac.

In the coming week we have the first elite stage races to look forward to, but there has already been some action. In Mallorca, the five races that make up the Challenge Mallorca have taken place, with stars of the WorldTour winning the Trofeos. Meanwhile, the French racing scene got underway with the GP de Marseille. 

The WorldTour season does not kick off for another three weeks with the UAE Tour, while traditionalists insist that racing does not matter until Omloop Het Nieuwsblad a week later. However, you can't ignore the fact that professionals are already battling out for wins on the road this year. Here are some things we learned from the opening races of 2022.

Alejandro Valverde has still got it

This is Alejandro Valverde's 21st year as a professional cyclist. The man is 41. This year will be his final season before retirement, it has already been announced, but the Spaniard shows no signs of slowing down.

Back in 2002 his second race with his first pro team, Kelme-Costa Blanca, was part of the Challenge Mallorca, and this was how the Movistar rider chose to start his last season on the road. 

Three races, three top-six finishes, including winning the Trofeo Pollença-Port d'Andratx on Sunday. He sprinted away to victory out of an elite group which included Tim Wellens and Brandon McNulty, who had already won this year. 

Following the race, the 41-year old expressed his surprise that he was still winning, two decades after his debut. 

"It's something so difficult to achieve, both physically and especially on the psychological standpoint," he said. "I'm really surprised to continue doing well. When I was younger, I stated that I thought I wouldn't be in the peloton when I reached 34 – now I'm turning 42 in April, and I'm still racing, and winning."

It was Valverde's 131st win of his lengthy career, and he has won a race in every year of his career apart his neo-pro season, the 2011 season when he was banned for doping, and 2020.

While the level at Mallorca might not be the highest, this result proved that Valverde is not going to quietly shuffle off into retirement, there will be no rest until the very end.

Biniam Girmay might just be the Eritrean star cycling needs

Cycling is huge in Eritrea, so it is a huge shame that they have not yet had the breakout star that the country deserves and is desperate for. Merhawi Kudus is still on the WorldTour, now with EF Education-EasyPost, but others have faded away or not been offered opportunities in the first based by European-based pro teams.

Biniam Girmay might just be the breakout star. Second at the U23 World Championship Road Race back in October, the 21-year old signed for Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert last year, and has already delivered for them in 2022.

He won the Trofeo Alcúdia-Port d'Alcúdia in front of established sprinters such as Giacomo Nizzolo, Pascal Ackermann and Michael Matthews, and impressed in what was just his sixth victory of his career so far.

Girmary is scheduled to race the Giro d'Italia, so it will be fascinating to see how he goes against sprinters on the highest levels, but this early season victory will be nothing but good for his confidence. Considering Intermarché only won nine races all last season, the Ethiopian will surely get more chances as the season goes on, as the team hunt for precious victories.

He has a contract until 2024 with the Belgian team, so he has plenty of time to bed in, and establish himself as a force in the WorldTour.

Lotto-Soudal love early season results, and they desperately need them

Lotto-Soudal, ever presents in the WorldTour, had a difficult 2021. They won just 12 races, the same in 2020, which was their worst return since 2010. With three-year WorldTour licences being awarded at the end of this season, it is imperative for the Belgian team to step up should they wish to stay at the top table.

Fortunately, they have already won two races this year. Tim Wellens won the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, before Arnaud De Lie won Trofeo Playa de Palma-Palma on Sunday. 

Not that early season form is new to Lotto-Soudal. The squad have won at least one race in January every year apart from 2021 since 2015, when they won on the first day of February. Even in the dry spell years of 2020 and 2021, they triumphed at the beginning of the season. What they need to do next is convert this into results throughout the season.

Whether this is because they just take the Challenge Mallorca more seriously than other teams, or they come into the season red-hot is up for debate.

One reason for their performances early in the year is Wellens, who has a habit of being on-song from the beginning. He has won the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana four times in his career, showing that the Mallorcan races are more than just a warmup for him.

Should Lotto wish to remain in the WorldTour, they will need more than just a couple of wins from their stars like Wellens, however. It will be interesting to see whether they can sustain it this year.

Brandon McNulty means business

Riding in the shadow of Tadej Pogačar must be difficult, and when UAE-Team Emirates signed more talented climbers, you feared for the future prospects of Brandon McNulty.

The American is a proven climbing talent, and was part of Pogačar's team at last year's Tour de France, but had not won for UAE until last week. He won the first day of the Challenge Mallorca, triumphing after attacking from 60km out and soloing to victory. 

That performance underlined how he is looking to go about this year, and the 23-year old backed up his level with fourth behind Wellens and second behind Valverde in the coming days. It served as a statement to his team that he means business this year and should not be forgotten about in a vastly talented squad.

Alejandro Valverde has confirmed he will race the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España next season, and expects to return to the Ardennes Classics too. 

As a result, the Spaniard won't compete at the Tour de France next season, with the Vuelta, understandably the priority, taking place just weeks after the conclusion of the race in Paris.

Valverde made clear last month he will retire at the end of 2022, stating he doesn't need to go on any longer in professional cycling. He reiterated those comments on Wednesday while speaking with reporters in Sangüesa, where he also outlined his plans for next season. 

He told Radiogaceta de los Deportes: “I tell you with full confidence, at 100 per cent, that next season will be my last as a cyclist. Even though at 42 my level is still good, after 21 years racing, what more do I want? My time has come.

"I already have something in mind for next year. The Tour de France I'm sure I won't do it but, if everything is going well, I will be in the Vuelta a España. 

"I will do the Giro d'Italia, the Classics and then I will have to evaluate the national calendar."

Valverde will compete in the Giro for only the second time in his career in 2022, after he finished third in 2016 following a stage win. 

Though he clearly would have liked to participate in the Tour de France, the Movistar rider needs time to recover sufficiently between events. Considering that the Vuelta in his home country is the priority, it makes sense he has opted out of racing the Tour.

Additionally, Valverde has a strong affinity with the Ardennes Classics, where he will hope to add a sixth victory at Flèche Wallonne and a record-tying fifth victory at Liège-Bastogne-Liège. 

However, the 41-year-old seems intent on enjoying his last year in the sport, while still maintaining a certain level of ambition. 

He told Ciclismo a Fondo: “I want to enjoy every race and be competitive."

Alejandro Valverde has announced that he is staying at Movistar Team for another year, which could be his last season as a professional cyclist. 

The Spaniard shared the news that he will be staying with Movistar for the 2022 season on his Twitter account, for his 18th year with the Spanish-based team. 

He said: "Happy to confirm that I will be pedalling one more year with the family. With the desire and enthusiasm of the first day, contributing the most to Movistar and looking to enjoy each race."

The tweet also features a video confirming the announcement, which follows the 41-year-old walking through the team headquarters, looking at the team bikes he has ridden for the majority of his professional career. A backdropped commentary of the rider's 2009 Vuelta a España accompanies this section of the video.

A whiteboard also displays each season that Valverde has spent with the team, starting in 2005, before the Spaniard adds '2022' at the bottom to signify he has extended his contract with the team for another year.

The video ends by with a screen displaying the text, 'La última Bala', which translates to 'the last bullet', suggesting that the 41-year-old will retire after the 2022 season. 

Nicknamed 'The Bullet', Valverde has previously said that he will retire after the 2022 season, stating: “I say it with absolute certainty: it will be my last year as a professional cyclist."

However, 'La última Bala' is also questioned soon afterwards, suggesting that while Valverde has confirmed 2022 as his last in professional cycling, there is still some ambiguity as to whether the Spaniard will leave after nearly two decades with the team.

Movistar Team also tweeted the same video, thanking Valverde for his services to the team. The tweet also included the words:

"Enjoy this one, mate. Thanks for everything."

In 17 years with the Spanish-based team, Valverde has enjoyed considerable success, including winning the 2009 Vuelta a España and a number of stage race and Classics wins. He joined the team, then known as Illes Balears–Caisse d'Epargne, in 2005 from Kelme when he was 24-years-old. Now 41, the 2018 world road race champion will add an 18th year to his time with Movistar, and potentially his last. 

Alejandro Valverde has confirmed that he will retire after the 2022 season, claiming that it doesn't make sense for him to extend his career any longer. 

The 41-year-old had actually planned on retiring at the end of 2021, but the pandemic and strong performances this year caused him to re-evaluate that decision. The Spaniard won the Gran Premio Miguel Indurain, plus stages in both the Critérium du Dauphiné and the Giro di Sicilia.

Speaking to Radiogaceta, the Movistar rider explained that there is no point in continuing as a professional cyclist, with next year the perfect time to retire.

“I say it with absolute certainty: it will be my last year as a professional cyclist," Valverde said. "So it has been nice.

“I'm still racing at a good level, after twenty years in cycling, but my time has come. What more could I wish for? There's no point in going on any longer. 

"I want to enjoy my last season as a professional.” 

However, Valverde already has plans in place for when he retires. The 2009 Vuelta a España winner will still have two years remaining on his Movistar contract, and will move into helping younger rides develop.

"When I retire, for the moment, I have two more years of contract to remain in the structure of the Movistar team. I will try to help as much as I can, especially to train young people, an occupation that I like a lot."

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The 2018 World Road Race Championships winner also confirmed that he won't start the Tour de France in his final season in the peloton, but he gave an idea as to what he has planned for his farewell year: "I already have something in mind for next year, but it's not final yet. I'm sure I won't do the Tour de France, but, if everything is going well, I do hope to contest the Vuelta next year. 

"I will have to evaluate whether the Giro d'Italia is an option, and the Classics and also the national calendar."

DSM’s latest young star Michael Storer takes victory

Team DSM has been a conveyer built of young talent in recent years, with the likes of Marc Hirschi, Jai Hindley and Søren Kragh Andersen all making huge breakthroughs at elite level.

On stage seven of the Vuelta a España 2021 Michael Storer became their latest Grand Tour success story, following up his impressive ride to win the Tour de l’Ain last month to take stage victory from the breakaway.

The 24-year-old had to overcome some stern opposition, with elite climbers like Sepp Kuss, Jack Haig and Felix Großschartner all with him in the break, while Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers) looked especially dangerous. But in a key moment, Sivakov dropped his chain when attempting to attack Storer on the penultimate climb of the day, and the efforts to catch back up appeared to take its toll on the final climb.

This comes as a much-needed Vuelta victory for DSM, of whom there have been rumours of internal turmoil, with rumours that young star Ilan Van Wilder wants to leave the team. 

With Romain Bardet also bouncing back from his recent crash to get into the break and put himself in contention for the King of the Mountains jersey, things are looking more positive for the team now. 

Valverde crashes out

A frightening crash brought a devastating end to Alejandro Valverde’s Vuelta, who fell into a ravine after hitting a pothole on a descent.

It looked as though it could have been much worse for the Spaniard, given how he narrowly avoided a head-on collision with the road barrier, but that didn’t prevent Valverde from being disconsolate at having to abandon. He tried to continue racing, but his collarbone was clearly causing him considerable pain, and he was seen in tears after eventually giving up the ghost.

The abandonment will be especially hard to take given the excellent form he’s been in this opening week. The 41-year-old was placed fourth overall, and had just lit up the race with a dangerous attack just minutes before crashing. 

It’s also very rare to see Valverde crash like this. Since the crash that threatened to end his career at the 2017 Tour de France, he had successfully completed all seven of Grand Tour appearances; and prior to that, he had managed a remarkable run of 16 successive finishes, almost all of which were top-10s.

Valverde has talked a lot about retirement in recent years, inevitably given he’s now into forties. So might this be the last we see of him at this level? The fortitude he’s shown throughout his career means it’d be foolish to write him off too early, but his devastated reaction to abandoning reveals just how big a blow this is for Valverde. If so, it would be a sad end to what has been an extraordinary career.

Vulnerable Jumbo-Visma defends Roglič’s red jersey

Jumbo-Visma ended the day with their leader Primož Roglič still in the red jersey, but it was far from a resoundingly convincing display from the team.

For one thing, they might not even have wanted to even keep the jersey. While the threat posed by riders like Jan Polanc (UAE Team Emirates), Felix Großschartner (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Jack Haig (Bahrain-Victorious) meant they could not afford to let the break get too far up the road, it might have been ideal for Roglič to cede the jersey by a few seconds, to relieve the team from the pressure of defending the jersey. Instead, Roglič kept it by 8 seconds ahead of Großschartner, after an increase in pace by Ineos Grenadiers on the final climb closed the gap. 

Neither did Jumbo-Visma control the race as authoritatively as we’re used to seeing them in stage races and Grand Tours. Roglič was left with just Sepp Kuss and Steven Kruijswijk early in the stage, after Sam Oomen and Robert Gesink were dropped, and although the latter two did manage to rejoin the peloton later, Roglič was left isolated earlier than he would have liked on the final climb, despite a decent showing from Kruijswijk.

This lack of support left Roglič vulnerable to attacks, and he was forced to mark a move by Migel Ángel López (Movistar) all by himself on a climb about 40km from the finish. He managed to neutralise that attack, and remained comfortably with the favourites at the finish, but Jumbo-Visma are showing weaknesses that other teams will seek to exploit. 

A clearer GC hierarchy is forming

A clearer hierarchy appears to have been formed in the race for the red jersey, with the same riders who have been on top in the mountains so far once again finishing together ahead of other pre-race favourites.

Joining Roglič in the small group of favourites at the line was the Movistar duo of Miguel Ángel López and Enric Mas, and the Ineos Grenadiers duo of Adam Yates and Egan Bernal, after Yates had done a very impressive turn to drop ever other rider aside from Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) and David de la Cruz (UAE Team Emirates).

The same favourites who struggled on yesterday’s steep finish at Cullera once again were dropped today: Mikel Landa (Bahrain-Victorious), whose Vuelta a Burgos-winning form seems to be deserting him, drops down to 12th overall, while Giulio Ciccone is also not quite at his Giro d’Italia levels, and falls to twelfth.

Alexander Vlasov (Astana-Premier Tech) managed to hang on to the group for longer, but was also eventually dropped, meaning he falls to ninth on GC, now over a minute down on Roglič. He’s looked very good in patches this week, but will need to find more consistency if he’s to challenge for the overall.

Hugh Carthy’s race is over altogether, however, after he abandoned what was another hard day. It seems likely he has some kind of injury or illness. 

The GC looks a little odd at the moment, with Großschartner now second after gaining time from getting into the break, and Polanc and Haig also infiltrating the top ten. But it’s looking like Movistar with Mas and López and Ineos Grenadiers with Bernal and potentially Yates are the best-equipped to challenge Roglič’s red jersey. 

Movistar still threatening but weakened 

Valverde’s crash was not only horrible for the individual himself, but also potentially for the spectacle of the race, as he looked poised to form part of a deadly three-pronged Movistar attack.

Movistar regularly head into Grand Tours with multiple leaders, only for things to go wrong and for them to fail to cohere together. But the signs from this opening week were that they’d gotten their tactics right, with all three of their riders placing ominously second, third and fourth behind Roglic on GC.

The team weren’t going to delay making that numerical advantage count, either, and Valverde launched an attack with over 40km still to ride today, igniting the race into life.

But, after forming a dangerous group that also included Adam Yates and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), that attack came to an abrupt end when Valverde went down on the descent, taking out in an instance one of Movistar’s three-pronged attack. 

Carlos Verona very nearly redeemed the team’s day out up front in the break, when he attacked for glory 4km from the finish. But he wasn’t strong enough to hold off Storer, who overtook him shortly after.

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They’re very much still in GC contention, with Mas and López still placing third and fourth respectively on GC after finishing in the red jersey group, but this is a day Movistar will want to forget. 

Alejandro Valverde has said that he no longer has any plans to retire after the Olympic Games, expressing confidence that he will continue riding next season.

The Spaniard turned 41 on the day he finished fourth at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, and the 2018 world champion showed that he is still capable of winning the biggest races when he triumphed on stage six of the Critérium du Dauphiné in June.

It was thought, based on what the Movistar rider had repeated in the past, that the current Tour de France would be his last and he would bow out of the sport after competing in the road race at Tokyo 2020.

But ahead of the Tour, his 14th participation in the race, he told Eurosport that he will remain a member of the peloton even after he has returned from Japan.

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“I don’t know if this will be my last Tour or not, but I have it clearer that I don’t think this will be my last season," Valverde said.

“In theory, the idea is that I will continue. The result I will do at the Olympic Games will not influence my future.”

Valverde is targeting stage wins at the Tour and finished the crash-affected opening stage more than five minutes behind winner Julian Alaphilippe of Deceuninck – Quick-Step, ruling out any hope his followers had of him competing for the GC.

Not that he ever had any plans of that. “I will forget the GC and try and search for a victory,” he said.

His recent performances have assured him of his worthiness in the peloton, coming off the back of a 2020 that was poor by his lofty, consistent standards.

“This [the result at the Dauphiné] gave me encouragement and a lot of motivation,” he added.

“I know I can do well and fight for whatever stage. I can help the team as well in difficult moments.”

Alejandro Valverde says that every victory at this stage in his career is special to him, as he won stage six of the Critérium du Dauphiné, aged 41.

Valverde (Movistar) is now the oldest ever stage winner in the Dauphiné, as he outsprinted Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) on the tough uphill finish at Le Sappey-en-Chartreuse. 

The Spaniard has plans to retire at the end of the season after 20 years in the peloton, but proved he is still capable of winning at the highest level.

Speaking after his Dauphiné stage win, his second victory of 2021, Valverde said: “The truth is that everything I actually manage to do now is special...to be in front with the best, to dispute these triumphs, everything is beautiful when you have done so much in this sport.” 

Valverde put in a dominant performance on the tough uphill finish on stage six of the Dauphine, as he saw Geoghegan Hart sprint clear of the leading group 200 metres from the finish.

After bridging across to the Brit, Valverde was able to comfortably sprint past to take his 129th career victory. 

But it was thanks to support from his team-mate Miguel Ángel Ló pez that Valverde was in a position to win the day, as the Colombian set a high pace on the front of the bunch inside the final kilometre to deter any attacks.

Valverde said: “Close to the Line, López asked me on the radio ‘Should I push, so no one can attack?’ I told him to go ahead – and I have to thank him especially for that, because he was incredible. 

“Ineos put on a big pace before the sprint, but as soon as Geraint Thomas stopped pushing, I knew I couldn’t hesitate: I had to go full-gas to cover that move from Tao. 

"I tried to keep him close, and as soon as I saw the finishing banner, I went on full steam.” 

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Despite the strong performance, Valverde is not within range of the general classification over the two remaining stages. 

Instead it will be up to López to try to win overall title for Movistar, as he sits 10th overall, 42 seconds behind the current leader Alexey Lutsenko, his former team-mate from Astana-Premier Tech. 

Alejandro Valverde has taken his first win in 20 months at the GP Miguel Indurain, also Movistar's first of the season.

The 40-year-old rolled back the years at the recent Volta a Catalunya, finishing fourth overall behind the Ineos-filled podium, and now takes his first victory since 2019, finishing six seconds ahead of Alexey Lutsenko in second place, his Astana team-mate Luis Léon Sánchez third.

This was Valverde's third win at the Spanish one-day race, and 131st in his career, previously crossing the line first in 2014 and 2018, his last win coming on stage seven of the 2019 Vuelta a España.

The victory will provide welcome respite for Movistar, who before today hadn't won in 2021, and only took two wins in 2020 courtesy of Marc Soler at Pollença - Andratx and stage two of the Vuelta.

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"This victory gives me joy and confidence," Valverde said, having attacked near the summit of the final climb in the closing kilometres and staying away on the descent to the finish.

"Hopefully we can assert ourselves again," he continues in the interview afterwards. "The legs are good and we have a great team."

Valverde dedicated his victory to Gary Baños, the Movistar support staff member who died in a mountain accident at the beginning of the year: "Wherever he is, I am sure he has received this victory with great affection," Valverde said.

Valverde will next line up at the Tour of the Basque Country, before heading to the Ardennes for the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne (which he has won five times) and Liège-Bastogne-Liège (which he has won four times).

For the moment, the only other race pencilled in on his schedule is the Vuelta a España in August, and with his contract running out at the end of the year it could be Valverde's final Grand Tour should he choose to retire at the end of the season.

Alejandro Valverde has announced that he is looking to retire at the end of the 2021 season so he can have one last go at an Olympic medal.

The Spanish Movistar Team veteran comes into the 2021 season with the Tokyo Olympics being the main goal for the whole year as he looks to be in a more supporting role for new signing Miguel Ángel López at races like the Tour de France.

At the team presentation, as reported by EuropaPress , Valverde said: "I have thought that this is my last year, but I start with the same enthusiasm and with the intention of doing well for the team and if victories come, then good.

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"It will be a nice, special year. Lets see if we do everything. As an objective I have the Olympic Games.

"This year is still difficult, but at a sporting level I continue to train and fight to be one hundred percent for when the season starts,"

Valverde was originally going to retire in 2020 after riding the Olympics road race but carried on his career due to the postponement of the Games due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Spaniard took 10th at the 2020 Vuelta a España and 12th at the Tour de France along with several other top performances.

Movistar has a different look in 2021, with a more international squad as riders join from Austria, Denmark and Puerto Rico to add to the Spanish and Colombian core to the team.

The team are also looking to target all three Grand Tours, with Marc Soler finally getting his chance to properly lead a team at the Giro d'Italia, Enric Mas and Miguel Ángel López are down to share leadership at the Tour and then López will go and lead the squad at the Vuelta.

Meanwhile, new signing Iván García Cortina will be looking at putting in a solid spring Classics campaign with support from riders like Gregor Mühlberger.

The women's side of the team has a new look too, all based around European champion Annemiek van Vleuten as the Dutchwoman looks to challenge herself away from Team BikeExchange.

Netflix have also announced that they will be releasing the second season to their 'fly on the wall' documentary, 'El Dia Menos Pensado' or The Least Expected Day, in the spring of 2021.

While pro riders around the world have had to adjust to life without racing and in some cases the ability to ride outdoors, indoor training has come to the foreground.

Many members of the peloton have flocked to online platforms such as Zwift, with teams holding races and ride-alongs with fans to pass the time, but it's not necessarily for everyone.

Former world champion Alejandro Valverde lives in Spain, which is experiencing some of the strictest lockdown measures in Europe, and is one rider who has said the lack of outdoor riding and racing has left him without motivation.

"I have little motivation because I don't know what my next goals will be. Training on the rollers burns you out physically and mentally," Valverde told El Mundo.

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Despite the UCI releasing a revised and provisional racing calendar for later in the year, with the Tour de France pushed back by two months, Valverde says he wouldn't be surprised if we have to wait until 2021 for the next bike race.

"We want the sport to get going again but to be honest I am very pessimistic that it will happen this year," he said. "At the beginning of the quarantine I was still hopeful but I am increasingly thinking that there will be no racing at all."

Peter Sagan is another rider who says he is not a fan of indoor training and that he doesn't plan to participate in any eRaces in the future.

"I am a real driver, not a virtual one. Or maybe I should race the rollers with a motorbike," he said in an Instragram Live Q&A. "I am currently quarantined in my apartment in Monaco. I am forced to train on the rollers and miss the feeling and the races on the road. But I am healthy. Others in the world are in much worse shape."

It's not just former world champions that dislike indoor training, though, with Valverde's old team-mate Mikel Landa taking an axe to his turbo trainer the other week.

Some within the sport have highlighted the varying effect of different lockdown rules on the parity of riders' form once racing eventually resumes.

Groupama-FDJ's performance director Frédéric Grappe recently told L'Equipe: "If some people can continue riding outside, we will have a two-speed Tour de France.

"We will see a pitiful spectacle and we will not respect the public if we proceed in this way. And what about sporting fair play?

"The only way to do it fairly is to have a no-race period. Training loads have to be gradually increased. A block of work to rebuild basic competitiveness lasts about four weeks. It takes at least that to get back to an equal level of fitness among riders."

With no racing on the horizon, teams are finding their own ways of dealing with the global coronavirus crisis.

While many squads have turned to indoor racing and training, others are doing what they can to help combat the spread of Covid-19, including Spanish WorldTour squad Movistar.

The team, home to Alejandro Valverde, are donating 250 pairs of their 100% sunglasses to doctors involved in fighting the pandemic.

Movistar and their California-based glasses partner 100% will be handing the glasses over to Vall d’Hebron hospital in Barcelona, to be used as protective eyewear for healthcare staff on the front line of the crisis.

A statement from the team said: “In order use the opportunity to help, and as part of various initiatives that we are preparing to aid society in this difficult situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Movistar has joined forces today with one of its sponsors, 100%, to help in Catalonia, one of the areas most affected by the disease.

“To accompany and explain this donation, a large part of the Movistar staff have posed with the clear lenses that all the glasses will wear. The contribution is the beginning of a series of measures that the team, together with Telefónica and its various sponsors, seeks to realise to give a hand to those who fight to protect the rest of society.”

Members of Israel Start-Up Nation have also been contributing to the fight against coronavirus, by donating 1,500 medical masks to hospitals in Vancouver, Canada.

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Astana rider Davide Martinelli is bicycle couriering to help the elderly people on lockdown in his Italian village.

As there are no shops in his village, Martinelli has been riding to a nearby town to collect essential supplies and then delivering them to vulnerable people.

Adam Yates claimed a new title on his way to stage victory on stage three of the UAE Tour, setting the fastest time on the Jebel Hafeet climb.

British climber Yates was dominant on the 10.9km-long ascent, launching a blistering attack around 6km from the summit and riding away from his rivals.

As well as taking the stage honours and the race lead, Mitchelton-Scott rider Yates toppled Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) for the fastest time to the top of the 6.8 per cent average gradient, according to climbing-records.com.

The 27-year-old hit the line in 26-10, setting an average speed of 24.99km/h.

That time is 15 seconds faster than the previous best time of 26-25, set by Valverde and Miguel Ángel López (Astana) on stage five of the 2018 Abu Dhabi Tour, when Valverde took the stage on his way to overall victory. Valverde and López set an average speed of 24.76km/h.

The record may not stand for long however, as riders who missed out will have a second chance to tackle the climb again in this year’s UAE Tour.

Organisers announced earlier this month that that planned finish on Jebel Jais on stage five will be replaced with a second summit on Jabel Hafeet because of road works.

Cycling stats organisation Velon also offered an insight into the effort Yates put in to set the new time on stage three.

His 5.2km-long attack lasted 7-05, and he held an average power of 400 watts for that period, or 6.8 watts per kilogram for his 58kg build.

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Speaking after his stage win, Yates said: “It is my first race of the season, so it was difficult for me to estimate where I stood compared to the competition. Certainly with today's heat, it’s difficult to estimate, I think it was 37 to 38 degrees all day. I just wanted to test the legs to see where I am.

“That was perhaps a little too early [to attack], but I felt good. A few boys came along and behind me I could see that they organised themselves. I just went for it then.

“We have to climb this climb again and maybe my legs are not so good then.”

Alejandro Valverde has said he will end his two 2020 Grand Tour participations before their conclusion in order to focus on his main goals for the season.

Both the Olympic road race in Tokyo and the UCI Road World Championships follow the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, with each one-day course suited to Valverde's abilities, and the Spaniard has said he'll look to capitalise on this.

"Yes, that's the idea. Those who know recognise that it is very complicated to arrive at the Games one hundred percent if you compete to the fullest until the last day in France," Valverde told Marca. "Therefore, except surprise, that is the plan and I think the best decision.

"The same goes for La Vuelta. We will return with fatigue from Japan and will need some time to adapt. I'll probably not get to the Vuelta in my best form but it will serve to prepare the World Championships."

The Tokyo road race tackles the lower slopes of Mount Fuji and features 4,865m of climbing throughout the 234km course. Other top riders such as Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) have already said they also intend to target Olympic gold, so Valverde will have his work cut out.

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A couple of months later, the Road World Championships will take place at the home of the UCI in Switzerland, and features a 10 per cent incline up to the finish, which will also suit the 2018 champion's strengths.

This win in Innsbruck, Austria, two years ago means that Valverde is more focused on the title he hasn't won, and at the age of 39 Tokyo will undoubtedly be his last chance at an Olympic gold medal.

"It will be another beautiful challenge but, having already conquered it, I have more hope in the Games. We will go challenge by challenge," Valverde said.

"[The Olympics] will be the priority objective, but there will be others. I want to get to Tokyo in as good form as possible. The World Championships will also be an important event, but for now I am focused on the Games. It is the great achievement that I lack and makes me very excited."

Released from the pressures of sporting the rainbow bands in 2020, swapping it for the Spanish road champion's jersey, Valverde says he won less than he would have liked last year. However, riders don't accumulate the record sheet the Spaniard has by being satisfied with what you've already won.

"It has been a positive year, maybe I earned less than I thought but I enjoyed it, especially for having worn the world champion jersey during these months," Valverde said.

"It is true that being a world champion involves many efforts because behind there are acts, trips, interviews...it is time that is lost and that makes you even more disciplined when it comes to improving your training. The good thing is that being a world champion is already something that nobody is going to take from me."

While Valverde says his racing days won't be much different despite the added goals, he says he will "start more calmly" in the opening chapters of the season.

One big change, however, is the dismantling of the infamous Movistar trident, with Mikel Landa (Bahrain McLaren) and Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) leaving the team, putting an end to the three-pronged attack that has failed to deliver at previous Tours.

Enric Mas has instead arrived from Deceuninck - Quick-Step, but Valverde is likely to be the out-and-out leader for the Spanish squad at any race he attends.

"There must be good vibes, there is a calendar for everyone," Valverde says of the upcoming season. "We will work perfectly, if one has to sacrifice for the other there will be no problem."

Alejandro Valverde will ride the 2020 Tour de France all the way to Paris as his preparation for the Tokyo Olympic road race, his Movistar boss has said.

Eusebio Unzué has said the French Grand Tour isn't the "ideal preparation" for a rider hoping to claim a gold medal on Japanese roads, but that he doesn't think it will pose a problem for his former world champion.

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The 64-year-old has highlighted the time difference will mean that when the peloton finally climb off after sprinting down the Champs-Élysées, it will be late on Sunday evening and already be Monday morning in Tokyo. A 12-hour flight time means riders are unlikely to arrive before Tuesday morning, leaving little time for preparation ahead of Saturday's road race.

"Probably the 21 days of the Tour are not the ideal preparation," Unzué said at a press conference, "because those who finish the Tour will do so on Sunday at 9pm, which will be the next day in Tokyo. As soon they arrive in Tokyo on Tuesday, they won't have time to adapt to the time difference or temperature. Although with Alejandro I don't think this will be a problem."

Unzué hopes that arriving straight from the Tour could mean riders built up a solid amount of racing in their legs, instead of having time off which could have the adverse affect of them losing some form.

"If the Tour ends as I hope so, we will try to arrive in the best possible conditions," Unzué continued. "On the other hand, if you don't do the Tour you can go cold, but not in a way that will help you produce a good ride."

The Tokyo road race route will feature the backdrop of Mount Fuji and will climb the lower slopes of Japan’s highest mountain.

The 234 kilometre race departs from the Musashinonomori Park, with a 10km neutral zone before routing west via the Kagosaka Pass, passing through Kanagawa, Yamanashi and Shizuoka, and contains 4,865 metres of climbing.

Two Tour de France stalwarts, Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) have apparently decided to skip the Tour de France and will instead ride the Giro d'Italia.

Both riders will be looking to rival Valverde for Olympic gold on the hilly parcours, with Bardet also identifying the Swiss Road World Championships in September as an additional goal for his 2020 season.

As his 2019 season comes to a close, Alejandro Valverde has said there "might be some room for surprise left" as he looks towards racing into his forties.

The Movistar rider will turn 40 in April next year and recently renewed his contract with the team to take his career through to at least 2021. The Spaniard finished runner-up at Il Lombardia for the third time in his career yesterday, and although he admits it will get harder for him to continue fighting for major victories he says his longevity at the top of the sport is a reason not to rule him out going forward.

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"Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, that’s cycling," Valverde said of his Il Lombardia performance. "I’ll be 40 next year and it’ll be hard to aim for a victory again here, but you can see that I’m still here after so, so long, doing even better than in previous seasons, so there might be some room for surprise left!"

Valverde also finished runner-up at this year's Vuelta a España behind Primož Roglič, while also finishing second in numerous other races in 2019. Adding Il Lombardia to this string of second places has left a bittersweet taste, the former world champion says.

"I’m satisfied with this second place, but knowing that I had the legs to win, I’m left with a bittersweet taste. This is an important race, a Monument, one that I really love, and hence the feeling I’ve got at the end."

Bauke Mollema was able to sneak away from the group of favourites, countering after attacks from Valverde and Pierre Latour (Ag2r La Mondiale) and staying away for the final 18km to seal a second major victory for Trek-Segafredo following Demark's Mads Pedersen taking the men's road race at the Yorkshire World Championships.

"There was a lot of everyone looking at each other near the end," Valverde explained, the chase group having failed to get organised in their pursuit of the Dutchman, "and that makes it easier for a solo rider, with less vigilance, to go away and stick at the front until the end."

Valverde had attacked again with 5km to go, trying to claw back the 20-second deficit to Mollema on his own, but eventually had to settle for out-sprinting Egan Bernal (Ineos) to second place.

"Bauke took advantage to attack, make a big move and use his energy well to succeed. Hats off to him - he’s a deserved winner. I tried to attack again at San Fermo - I had jumped before at Civiglio, but once caught, I didn’t want to keep the pace because there was still one tough climb left - and even gave it a try at the summit, but seeing that they were just behind, I waited for them to push together and see if we could gain some time on Bauke."

Alejandro Valverde is one of the big names remaining at Movistar for 2020, as Mikel Landa departs for Bahrain-Merida and Nairo Quintana goes to Arkéa-Samsic. Enric Mas has been signed from Deceuninck - Quick-Step to replenish the talent among their ranks, but it's likely the Spanish outfit will look once again to Valverde for results in 2020.

Alejandro Valverde is set to miss the final Monument of 2019, Il Lombardia, with other Movistar heavyweights selected to lead the line for the Spanish outfit according to the provisional start list put out by the organisers.

The former world champion will still be riding in Italy this week, at Tre Valli Varesine on Tuesday October 8 and Milan-Turin the following day.

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Instead, two outgoing Movistar riders will lead the line at Il Lombardia, in what will likely be one of their final races for the Spanish team.

One is Mikel Landa, who will reunite with Rod Ellingworth at Bahrain-Merida next year, having previously worked with the coach at Team Sky.

The other is Nairo Quintana, who will move to Arkéa-Samsic after eight years at Movistar, with whom he was won two Grand Tours. His new French team will be moving up to the WorldTour next year, and so Quintana, Landa and Valverde could all be racing against each other in a matter of months.

All three 2019 Grand Tour winners were expected to be lining up for the Italian Monument, but Giro d'Italia victor Richard Carapaz will instead race the Gran Piemonte on Thursday October 10 alongside Tour de France winner Egan Bernal.

The Ineos rider and Primož Roglič will both ride Il Lombardia, with Roglič showing his form at Giro dell'Emilia last weekend, sealing victory with an attack up the San Luca climb he previously dominated in the individual time trial on the opening stage of this year's Italian Grand Tour.

Valverde will now sport a regulation Movistar jersey for the first time in a year, having passed the rainbow bands onto Denmark's Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo), who emerged victorious at the Yorkshire World Championships.

The 39-year-old's blue Movistar jersey will have one alteration, though. A Spanish flag wraparound due to his third Spanish national road race victory in June.

Alejandro Valverde has explained his decision to abandon the men’s road race at the Yorkshire 2019 World Championship in awful weather.

Valverde pulled out of the 260km race as the remains of the peloton took on the challenging Harrogate finishing circuit in torrential rain.

The weather has caused dozens of riders to step off the bike, with Spaniard Valverde throwing in the towel with 80km to race.

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Valverde told Spanish newspaper As: “I was freezing and I told my team-mates that I could not continue.

“We knew we were going to ride a very demanding Worlds, but with this adverse weather it became a crazy day.”

The conditions have forced a number of favourites out of the race, including Philippe Gilbert (Bel) who crashed on the finishing straight and was unable to catch the peloton.

Belgian Gilbert, who was one of the favourites going into the race, was brought down by a crash with 120km to go, as the peloton entered the Harrogate circuit.

The 37-year-old got back up, grimacing, as Remco Evenepoel tried to shepherd him back up to the peloton.

Organisers were forced to change the route from Leeds to Harrogate because of the weather, removing the two final major climbs and increasing the number of laps on the finishing circuit from seven to nine.

The race was diverted at Bishopdale Beck, just outside Aysgarth, and instead riders headed east up Temple Bank and along the A468 to Leyburn where the race continued as normal.

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Heavy downpours have blighted Yorkshire overnight with the northern section of the race badly affected by the adverse weather.

Other big name abandons include Geraint Thomas, who had been riding in support of Ben Swift for the British team.

Reigning world champion Alejandro Valverde is relaxed ahead of his title defence at the Yorkshire World Championships. In many ways, the rainbow bands in Innsbruck last year capped off a career that has seen the Spaniard win the overall at the Vuelta a España, stage wins in all three Grand Tours, as well as a truckload of Classics.

However, at 39 years old he has just ridden to second at this year's Spanish Grand Tour, finishing only a couple of minutes off Slovenia's Primož Roglič, which would suggest Valverde isn't done quite yet.

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"Last year went very well, as good as it gets, but it doesn't necessarily mean that this year will be as good," Valverde said, keeping expectations manageable. "We realised that meeting and coming together a week before the competition [last year] was great, whether you won or not, so this year we are trying to do the same."

Replicating the routine that won you the rainbow bands last year is a logical first step to keeping the jersey for another year, but the road race in Yorkshire will present a different challenge to the Austrian course in Innsbruck.

"The race is going to break down, that's for sure," Valverede said. "It's 287km and it will be a demanding race. The weather is going to be an important factor, as it usually rains a lot in the area, and if it rains, the circuit will be much harder.

"The itinerary is not has hard as it was last year, but in the end, with the accumulated kilometres and an altitude drop of 4,000 metres, it will definitely be a demanding race. The group arriving will be small and, also, there's a slight slope at the arrival, which is much better for me. We are realistic, though, we know the other teams come prepared and we know it's going to be difficult."

But how does the Spaniard gauge his chances? Last year he beat Romain Bardet (France), Michael Woods (Canada) and (Tom Dumoulin) in the sprint for the line, a star-studded final selection of climbing talent. This year, however, the victory is expected to go to a faster man, such as Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) or three-time champion Peter Sagan (Slovakia).

Alongside the slight slope to the line, Valverde is hoping that his improvement in Vuelta performance this year will correlate to a second Worlds win.

"I feel great, optimistic, I'm looking forward to it. Last year I ended up more tired after the Vuelta, but we had two weeks afterwards and I had time to recover," Valverde said. "This year I finished better. Let's see how it goes and do our best, the Spanish team is in great form and that's it."

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) has his sights on an Olympic gold medal in 2020 as his "ultimate goal" in a long career.

The 39-year-old Spaniard just placed second overall in the Vuelta a España 10 years after winning it. He lines up to defend his rainbow jersey in the World Championships on Sunday in Yorkshire.

"I don't think about what I have left, I live from day to day but Tokyo 2020 is a goal," Valverde told El Partidazo de COPE. "There is no pressure, but yes, it could be a real goal, my ultimate goal."

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The Tokyo Games road race is on July 25 after the Tour de France. Valverde plans to be there and more as his contract runs through 2021, when he would be 41 years old.

He last participated in the 2016 Olympics, placing 30th behind Belgian winner Greg Van Avermaet (CCC Team). The 2020 Olympic course includes 4865 meters of climbing with the last climb coming 34km from the line.

Valverde's massive palmarès incudes four titles in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, five in Flèche Wallonne and four stage wins in the Tour de France, in addition to third overall in 2015 behind winner Chris Froome and team-mate Nairo Quintana.

He was the second oldest winner of the World Championships in 2018, just behind Dutchman Joop Zoetemelk, the 1985 victor. Over the past year, he kept going with five wins including the Vuelta's Mas de la Costa climb stage of eventual overall winner Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) .

"I couldn't even think of being like this at my age. I know that I have form for a while, but to be there at my age fighting for the Vuelta a España, winning World Championships…" continued Valverde.

"The year has been fantastic, but it is true that the first months were a bit hard because the victories did not come. Wearing the rainbow jersey is super nice, but you also have an extra load."

The World Championships road race starts in Leeds and ends in Harrogate after 285 kilometres.

"The route is not excessively hard like last year, but with the distance and around 4000 meters of climbing, it will be demanding."

He has not raced since the Vuelta a España ended just under two weeks ago. He was at 2-33 minutes behind Roglič in Madrid.

"I finished the Vuelta more tired last year, but then we had two weeks and in two weeks, you have enough time for the body to recover," he said in a press release from Spain's federation.

"This year, I have finished better. It's impossible to do better than last year, but that does not mean that this year we can do the same. Win or not, we are going to try to repeat it."

Alejandro Valverde said he is motivated and in good form for the Yorkshire 2019 World Championships, having finished second in the Vuelta a España.

The Movistar star leader and defending world champion said the brutal Yorkshire course is good for him, but does not suit him as well as last year’s climber’s Worlds in Innsbruck, Austria.

Valverde is expected to lead the eight-rider Spanish squad, which also features the Izagirre brothers, Marc Soler and Luis León Sánchez.

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The 39-year-old Spanish newspaper AS: “[Finishing second in the Vuelta] Definitely motivates me, it means I’m in great form. Better than finishing 55th. We now have enough time from the end of the Vuelta to regain strength, rest, focus and go.

“It’s a good World Championships for me, but not as good as Innsbruck. You have to be realistic and last year suited very few riders while this year the race is quite open. I have options, but fewer than last year.”

When asked if he was the favoured rider for the Spanish squad Valverde was coy, saying he will hand over to his team-mates if his form leaves him as the elite men’s road race explodes on Sunday, September 29.

The reigning Spanish champion picked out Greg Van Avermaet, Peter Sagan and Julian Alaphilippe as his most dangerous rivals on the 285km route from Leeds to Harrogate for the Yorkshire Worlds. 

Valverde heads into the worlds after a hard-fought Vuelta, where he was among the top tier of overall favourites.

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Having moved onto the podium after the time trial on stage 11 in Pau, Valverde was locked in a battle with race leader Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), who proved unshakable in the mountains, eventually carrying the red jersey to Madrid.

Valverde was consistent over the three weeks, winning stage seven to Mas de la Costa and finishing in second spot overall, 2-33 behind the winner.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) does not consider that Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) already has the Vuelta a España won with five days remaining until Madrid.

The 39-year-old, winner 10 years ago, vows to fight to over throw the Slovenian leader in the coming mountain stages. Roglič leads Spain's Valverde by 2-48 minutes. Slovenian Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) sits third overall at 3-42.

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"It is Roglič who has the most to lose," Valverde said at Movistar's rest day press conference.

"Everyone speaks of him as if he already has the Vuelta won and we, on the other hand, hope to turn it around."

Roglič placed fourth overall in the 2018 Tour de France, but more encouragingly for Valverde and other hopefuls, Roglič cracked in the latter half of the Giro d'Italia this year from a strong position, eventually finishing third.

He led the race for he first five days, won the two time trials, but faded to last spot on the podium. Movistar's Richard Carapaz became the first Ecuadorian Giro winner when it ended on June 2 in Verona.

"We do not know if he will weaken," said Valverde. "At the moment, he has not shown any weakness, although on Monday when he attacked for the second time, Miguel Ángel López opened a gap. Although then Roglič was able to hunt them down and we minimised the losses. He has always shown weakness last week, but today he looks good."

Only stages 18 tomorrow and 20 on Saturday offer Valverde and his Movistar team with Nairo Quintana and Marc Soler a chance to flip the classification. The stages are not high mountain stages, but days where the team could set traps.

The Vuelta a España has seen it happen in other years. In 2015, Fabio Aru and the Astana team upset Tom Dumoulin on the final mountain stage before the stage 21 Madrid finish.

"Achieving something like that would be spectacular. We will try, but we must also be realistic," Valverde said.

"Last year, I was in a similar situation with Yates and in the end, I ended off the podium. I am afraid that will happen, but I know it can happen. If you are afraid, something happens to you."

Valverde slipped from second to fifth overall last year when Simon Yates won. At his age, the current world champion is happy with his spot on the podium.

"I think I would have signed up to be in this position before the Vuelta. It is true that I have already won this race and that I am ambitious, but I'm also realistic," he continued.

"I will fight for the final victory but if we end up on the podium, it would not be bad either."

Movistar have confirmed the trident of talent carrying their hopes at the 2019 Vuelta a España.

World champion Alejandro Valverde has been marked out as the leader by the Spanish WorldTour team, with Giro d’Italia winner Richard Carapaz and Nairo Quintana also starring in the squad.

Movistar are fielding a characteristically strong squad for their home Grand Tour, with a powerful cast of supporting riders, including Marc Soler, Nelson Oliveira and Imanol Erviti.

>>> Vuelta a España 2019 start list: Provisional list of teams and riders 

The team were finally able to overcome their recent drought in three-week races this year, as Ecuadorian Carapaz rode to an unexpected victory in the 2019 Giro.

Carapaz, 26, had been holding well on the opening two weeks of the race, along with Spanish team-mate Mikkel Landa.

He then jumped from sixth overall to take the pink jersey on stage 14 to Courmayeur, and was unshakable in the final week, taking the race win in Verona.

Quintana has suffered another disappointing season this year, failing to challenge for victory at the Tour de France and having to settle for eighth overall.

The 29-year-old did win a consolation stage over the Galibier to Valloire on day 18, but was unable to better his best second-place finishes in France back in 2015 and 2013.

Quintana has previously won the Vuelta, beating Chris Froome (Team Ineos) in 2016, but has been far from his best in Grand Tours in recent seasons as he has targeted the Tour de France, the only three-week race missing from his palmarès.

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Valverde, another former Vuelta winner who triumphed in 2009, has also ridden a quiet season after taking the World Championships at the end of last season.

His biggest victories this year were the overall at the Route d’Occitanie and the Spanish national championships, but the 39-year-old wasn’t a major factor in the overall battle at the Tour de France, as he eventually snuck into the top-10 by stage 21.

But with Quintana set to leave Movistar for Arkéa-Samsic and Carapaz thought to be switching to Team Ineos next season, Valverde is their chosen rider for the overall on paper.

As Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) rode to a famous win at the summit of the Tourmalet, Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step) defended his overall lead at the Tour de France 2019.

However, before the Frenchmen took over and delivered victory to the packed home crowds lining the road of the 19km climb, it looked like the Spanish were gearing up to animate the race.

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Movistar were the team to put their stamp on stage 14, using their strong squad of climbers to lead the peloton over the first category Col du Soulor and then into the foothills of the Tourmalet.

Marc Soler and Andrey Amador set the pace, as Movistar looked to capitalise on the lack of Ineos red jerseys at the front of the peloton, with the domestiques of the British squad already having been shelled out of the back.

Looking like they were potentially going to set something up for Mikel Landa to try and take the stage win, their highest-placed rider on GC, Nairo Quintana, began to look like he was in trouble.

Quintana was dropped with 10km left to climb, eventually losing 3-24 to the front group of GC contenders. However, the Colombian's struggle came as a surprise to his team-mates who say he hadn't told them he wasn't feeling great.

"Nairo was not at his best," Valverde said, "but we didn't know, he didn't say anything, we should have asked him maybe."

Quintana agreed, giving up team leadership and saying the Spanish squad will now support Landa and Valverde: "It's clear that it was not a good day. Surely the fall had something to do with it. We continue with Mikel and Alejandro, we must support them.

"Right now they are in front of me and we have to support them, I was expected to have a pretty good day, but my body has not responded. Mikel was very good but could not stop [the other GC riders] either. Let's see how my body reacts in the coming days."

Mikel Landa remains upbeat, though, saying the day had been "very good" despite Quintana's time loss and admitting his own legs had failed him in the final 5km, even though he had felt good earlier in the stage.

"The sensations I had at the beginning of the stage were not there at the end. We have seen Jumbo-Visma with three riders at the end, Alaphilippe doesn't give up, Pinot is very good...tomorrow is another important day, I think there will be big gaps."

Sitting 6-14 behind race leader Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck - Quick-Step), Landa was asked whether he will focus on the GC or stage victories, to which the Spaniard replied: "I would like to try for stages with opportunities where riders who have lost time will be allowed to go up ahead. This race can still take many turns, I'm excited."

Alejandro Valverde says he is currently at the lightest weight he's ever been ahead of the Tour de France.

The world champion returned to racing after injury at the Route d'Occitanie stage race in France in June looking noticeably thinner than he had done during the earlier part of the year.

In an interview with Marca, the 39-year-old says he wanted to see how his body would respond to further weight loss during the four-day race, and says he is still "very thin" as he prepares for the Tour de France on Saturday in Brussels. The Spanish website says Valverde weighed in at 58.6kg (his approximate height is 1.77m).

"It is true that I have never been at this weight, I am very thin," Valverde said.

"It was something I set out to do, stay so thin to see how my body stayed. I also didn't want to lose too much because then you run the risk of losing muscle and strength, which is not the idea. But in Occitanie I saw that the body responded well for four days, the results were good."

Valverde added that he has already added a kilo in weight since Occitanie, in which time he's taken victory in the road race at the Spanish National Championships. However, he says managing weight will be different under the three-week stresses of the Tour.

"What happens is that now the Tour is not four days, but 21. It's a really demanding race. I want to recover a little, in fact I have already gained almost a kilo from Occitanie although I am still very fine. I think these grams I've added will do me good for the Tour de France."

Professional cyclists  have long worked to become as powerful but as light as they can in order to maximise performance. However, increased understanding around the effects an energy deficit can have upon the body, hormone production and bone density included, means that riders and teams have become cautious of under fuelling.

Weight loss during a stage race requires a calorie deficit at a time when the body is under stress and in need of good recovery. It is an approach that Team Ineos (then Team Sky) employed with Chris Froome during his Giro d'Italia winning campaign. Froome's weight loss was structured and supervised, but other teams have said that though it's possible for a rider to lose weight during a stage race, they'd not advise it - at the risk of hindering recovery and developing Red-S (relative energy deficiency).

Valverde, who has been a pro since 2002 and riding as strong as ever, last week signed a new contract extending his stay in professional cycling until 2021.

He admitted however, that it is difficult to continue to find the motivation having now become world champion and spent so many years in the sport.

"Carrying [the rainbow jersey] is not all good because it takes away your pressure. You lose tension, also partly because of age and having achieved so many triumphs during my career. I am ambitious and I want to win, but it is true that at this point you have achieved so much that, although you do not want to relax, your head does."

Valverde added that he was "99 per cent" sure he would retire in 2021.

Alejandro Valverde has extended his contract with Movistar until 2021, when he will be 41 years old, with the Spanish team saying he will stay until 2024 with the team in an unspecified capacity.

The current world champion, who is set to line-up for the Tour de France with the team next week in Brussels, already expressed his desire to stay on as a professional until the 2020 Olympic road race, but hinted he could retire after the race in Tokyo.

>>> Tour de France 2019 start list: Provisional line-ups for the 106th edition

Instead, Valverde will continue on until the end of the 2021 season, when he will have spent 15 seasons with the Abarca Sports group that has owned the team through their various guises.

The Spaniard is one of the most successful riders of his generation taking 125 pro wins, including four titles at Liège-Bastogne-Liège, five at La Flèche Wallonne, as well as stages in all the Grand Tours including 11 at the Vuelta a España, which he also won overall in 2009.

Valverde has also taken seven medals at the World Championships, with a long awaited victory coming last year in Austria.

He did however serve a two-year doping ban in 2010 and 2011 for his links to Operación Puerto, returning to racing in 2012 with Movistar, winning seven times that year including a stage at the Tour de France.

"I’m so happy with this extension. Everyone knows the Movistar Team is home to me," Valverde said on his contract extension.

"I’ve always felt really loved and respected here, and I’m so happy to be able to stay with the team for the next two years. It gives me the calmness and confidence I need to keep working hard and enjoying bike racing.

"I will fight for new victories, as many as we can, and also help our team-mates to achieve big success wherever possible in the future.”

In 2017 Valverde's career was nearly ended after he suffered a horrendous leg injury following a crash on the stage one time trial of the Tour de France. Astonishingly, he was back and riding better than ever for the new season in 2018, which peaked with his victory at the Worlds road race in September.

"We feel privileged to have enjoyed for so long the sporting and human quality of such a great man as Alejandro," said team manager Eusebio Unzué.

"He’s brought us big success, of course, yet he’s offered us many lessons even when he’s not crossed the line first. His recovery in 2017 after such a serious injury in the Tour de France; his resilience to keep seeking for success after nearly two decades in the sport; and his affable character with everyone he’s worked with or come across, make them an essential person for us, a leader in and out of the races.

"Hopefully he can continue enjoy bike racing in these two years as he’s done during his whole career.”

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) made a triumphant return from injury after he took the overall win at La Route d'Occitanie.

Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ) doubled up his tally of stage victories in the four-day race, pipping Sacha Modolo (EF Education First) and Julien Simon (Cofidis) in the sprint finish.

>>> Jakob Fuglsang has been offered to Movistar as Spanish team faces squad overhaul, according to reports

Valverde beat Iván Sosa (Ineos) by just eight seconds in the overall classification, with Rigoberto Urán in third, 17 seconds back. Veteran Frenchman Tony Gallopin (Ag2r La Mondiale) was fourth, 42 seconds behind, as he readies himself to support Romain Bardet at the Tour de France, while Eddie Dunbar rode to a top five finish, 45 seconds back.

This was Valverde's first race back since injury, the world champion forced to pull out of the Giro d'Italia after a training ride crash on his birthday.

The Spaniard took the win and race lead on stage one, beating Eddie Dunbar (Ineos) on the line in an uphill finish, with the two Colombians Rigoberto Urán (EF Education First) and Iván Sosa (Ineos) also finishing within a couple of seconds.

After three second category climbs on the first day of racing, stage two provided an opportunity for the sprinters, with Arnaud Démare taking the stage win ahead of Chris Lawless (Ineos), fresh from his Tour de Yorkshire victory.

Stage three was another day for the climbers, the highlight of the day's race being the first category climb of the Port de Balès. Ivan Sosa pipped Valverde to the line, with Rigoberto Urán coming close once again, finishing third and only three seconds down. Eddie Dunbar secured seventh on the stage, finishing 35 seconds back.

Going into the final stage four, Valverde had an eight second advantage over Sosa, with Urán in third and 17 seconds behind. However, the circuit route was unlikely to offer up any chance to dislodge the world champion from the race lead. Indeed, a fast-paced finish proceeded, with Arnaud Démare taking the win from a bunch sprint, as Valverde finished safely to secure the overall victory.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) took victory on his first race appearance since being forced to take time out with injury, riding with ease to the win at the opening stage of the Route d'Occitanie.

The world champion took the overall at the four-stage French race last year, and beat Eddie Dunbar (Team Ineos) to the line on stage one of the 2019 edition.

Valverde, who has been out with injury since abandoning Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, looked a level above the rest as he marked all the moves from the leading group on the final climb of the first stage.

The 175.5km opening day of the race in the French Pyrenees featured two ascents of the Côte de Aubignac with the finish line at the top.

Thanks to the work of his Movistar squad, Valverde was left perfectly positioned on the 4km final climb in a reduced front group of around eight riders, which included Iván Sosa and Eddie Dunbar (Team Ineos), Rigoberto Urán (EF Education First) and Élie Gesbert (Arkéa-Samsic) among others.

Ag2r La Mondiale did a lot of work during the stage, but their last man Tony Gallopin had to fight back to make it in to the front group and wasn't able to contest the final sprint.

After a number of attacks up the climb, all of which Valverde marked, it was Urán who went with just under 500m to go, followed by Valverde and Dunbar.

The Spaniard was able to come around Urán in the final 200m with Irishman Dunbar sticking to his wheel. There was nothing he could do to beat Valverde though, who's sprint was strong enough to seal a victory on his return to racing.

It's the 39-year-old's 124th career victory, and he now leads the race overall. He's using the race as his pre-Tour de France warm-up, where he'll ride alongside Nairo Quintana and Mike Landa to try and deliver Movistar a long awaited overall victory at the Tour.

Results

La Route d'Occitanie 2019, stage one: Gignac - Vallée de l’Hérault to Saint-Geniez-d’Olt-et-d’Aubrac (175.5km)

1. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar, in 4-44-00

2. Eddie Dunbar (Irl) Team Ineos, at same time

3. Élie Gesbert (Fra) Arkéa-Samsic, at 2s

4. Rigoberto Urán (Col) EF Education First

5. Tony Gallopin (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale

6. Iván Sosa (Col) Team Ineos, all at same time

7. Rein Taaramäe (Est) Total Direct Energie, at 8s

8. Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani-CSF, at 10s

9. Pavel Sivakov (Rus) Team Ineos, at 35s

10. Nans Peters (Fra) Ag2r La Mondiale, at same time

General classification after stage one

1. Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar

Alejandro Valverde’s winning record could be extended after the Juan José Cobo was caught doping.

The UCI Anti-Doping Tribunal found Cobo found guilty of taking a performance enhancing drug following the discovery of abnormalities in his biological passport in 2009 and 2011.

Cobo, who retired in 2014, has been stripped of his overall victory at the 2011 Vuelta a España, which could be handed to Team Ineos rider (then Team Sky) Chris Froome.

Spaniard Cobo also won stage 19 of the 2009 Vuelta, which falls into the period of his doping, and that victory could be gifted to Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) who finished second.

Valverde won the 2009 Vuelta overall, but did not take a stage victory in that race.

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The 38-year-old has been stripped of results between August 29 to September 27, 2009, and August 20 to September 11, 2011.

Cobo, who rode with Valverde at Movistar in 2012 and 2013, has until July 13 to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to overturn his sanction, after which his victories during these periods will be redistributed to other riders.

The UCI announced on Thursday (June 13) that the Anti-Doping Tribunal had found Cobo guilty of an anti-doping rules violation and imposed a three-year ban on him, despite his retirement.

He was then stripped of his 10th place overall finish at the 2009 Vuelta and his 2011 overall glory in the Spanish Grand Tour.

Cobo finished the 2011 Vuelta 13 seconds ahead of Chris Froome, and 1-39 ahead of Sir Bradley Wiggins.

News broke as Froome was in intensive care following a horrific crash at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

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If Froome is crown winner of the 2011 Vuelta, it will make him the first Brit to win a Grand Tour and take his tally of three-week victories to seven.

Vuelta director Javier Guillén has said he thinks Froome should be crowned the winner of that race to avoid a Lance Armstrong situation, where races have been left without a winner.

In 2010, Valverde was also banned for two years after he was linked to the Operation Puerto blood-doping ring through his DNA but he was allowed to keep his 2009 Vuelta win.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) has said he would rather win Olympic gold than the Tour de France.

After revealing he plans to retire after the 2021 season, this would mean the Spaniard will target the 2020 Olympic road race in Tokyo, if he is to realise this dream.

Speaking in an interview with the Spanish version of Esquire, Valverde, who has won the Vuelta a España (2009), multiple editions of Liège-Bastogne-Lìege, as well as the road world championships last year in Innsbruck, was asked to choose between two honours missing from his glittering palmarès, the Tour de France or an Olympic gold.

"To this day, the Olympic gold, without a doubt," the Spaniard said, "I have raced the Tour many times, I have won stages, I climbed to the podium in 2015 after a whole race fighting to do well there. I feel that in France I have given everything."

It is for his neighbouring home nation of Spain, that the 39-year-old would now like to deliver victory. "The Olympic Games are something else," he said. "Being able to represent Spain for the fifth time in a test like that gives me real pride. And doing it knowing that you also have options to aspire for victory or a medal is a very, very special motivation."

Despite Spanish sport daily Marca reporting that Valverde would ride this year's Tour de France and Vuelta a España, after he missed out on the 2019 Giro d'Italia following a training ride crash on his birthday, Valverde says he doesn't yet know whether he will ride the Tour in July.

"It is true that my absence in the Giro has changed my plans for the season a bit," he said. "By not competing in May, it opens the door to a calendar closer to what we have done in other years. But before I know if I will be in the Tour, I want to recover good feelings and know that everything is in place."

His cautiousness is also reflected in his personal expectations for the rest of the 2019 season, saying: "I need to recover the confidence and the good feelings that I have lost this spring."

Therefore, when asked about Movistar's ambitions for the rest of the year, he states that of course the team will target the overall victory at both the Tour de France and Vuelta a España, with Mikel Landa and Nairo Quintana likely to be leading the line.

This could hint at Movistar discontinuing the three-pronged triumvirate of GC contenders that the Spanish team have failed to pull off in recent editions of the Tour, perhaps splitting up Quintana and Landa for an individual tilt at each race.

Movistar have just returned from riding a tactically astute Giro d'Italia, where Richard Carapaz won his first ever Grand Tour and Mikel Landa narrowly missed out on a podium place.

Alejandro Valverde will ride the Tour de France and Vuelta a España after he makes his comeback from injury suffered in April, according to Spanish site Marca.

The world champion crashed in training in the build-up to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, suffering a bone edema - a build-up of fluid in his bone marrow - in his sacrum.

Unaware of the injury, Valverde started Liège but was forced to abandon the race. His Movistar team later confirmed that he would miss the Giro d'Italia because of it; what would have been his second career visit to the Italian Grand Tour.

Valverde, 39, has since been training from his home in Murcia and in the last few days has been riding out of Granada into the mountains of Sierra Nevada.

According to Marca, Valverde will return to competition at the four-stage Route d’Occitanie in southern France, before riding the Tour de France alongside Nairo Quintana and Mikel Landa for the second year in a row. Quintana is reportedly set to ride the Critérium du Dauphiné, having not raced since early April.

The trio led the Movistar team last year, failing to cohesively push for a result in general classification, with Quintana's stage win to Col du Portet the saving grace.

The Colombian rode alongside Valverde again at the Vuelta in August 2018, with the latter staying in contention in the overall into the penultimate day of the race in Andorra, eventually finishing fifth overall as Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) won the red jersey.

Valverde will again take on his home race this year according to the report, before heading to the World Championships in Yorkshire where he'll attempt to defend his rainbow jersey won in Tyrol last year.

The Spaniard has eluded to retiring following the 2020 Olympic Games road race, which takes on a mountainous course that should suit his prospects at taking a gold medal.

Alejandro Valverde has been forced to pull out of the Giro d’Italia due to an injury suffered on his birthday.

Movistar rider Valverde had been due to ride the Italian Grand Tour for only the second time in his career.

But the Spaniard crashed while training three days before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, later abandoning the final spring Monument 100km from the finish.

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Movistar announced earlier this week that Valverde’s Giro was now in doubt, and on Friday (May 3) confirmed he would miss the race.

The team said: “[Valverde] has not been able to recover enough from his bone edema in the sacrum, which he suffered as a result of the fall while training prior to Liège-Bastogne-Liège last Thursday.

“The world champion will continue to recover without taking risks to resume his normal activity in the coming weeks, to face the second part of his 2019 campaign with renewed energy.”

Hospital scans carried out day after the Liège revealed the 39-year-old had suffered a build-up of fluid in his lower back following the crash.

He was due to ride the Giro with fellow Spaniard Mikel Landa.

Valverde, who celebrated his 39th birthday last Thursday, has struggled to find previous form so far this season.

He has taken just one stage win so far in 2019 – stage three of the UAE Tour – and does not have a general classification victory to his name.

By the end of April last year Valverde had taken nine wins, including three overall titles.

Last month, Valverde announced the date he plans to retire from professional cycling.

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He confirmed he plans to ride the Tokyo Olympics next year, then ride one more season before retiring in 2021.

The Movistar rider told el Periódico: “The plan is to retire in 2021.

“I will do one more season after the Olympic Games in Tokyo. I think that’s fine.

“I want to be at home and enjoy time with my family.”

Alejandro Valverde may be forced to abandon plans to ride the Giro d’Italia after he suffered nasty injuries in a training crash on his birthday.

The Movistar rider came down three days before Liège-Bastogne-Liège, later abandoning the final spring Monument just over 100km from home.

His team said the four-time winner had pulled out due to “various physical problems,” but did not give further details.

Hospital scans carried out on Monday (April 29) revealed Valverde was suffering from a buildup of fluid in his lower back after the fall.

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A statement from Movistar, released on Tuesday (April 30) said: “Alejandro Valverde underwent scans in Murcia on Monday to examine the area damaged by his crash during a training ride last Thursday, prior to Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

“The checkups confirmed bone edema in his sacrum.

“[His] Giro appearance depends on his recovery.”

This year the reigning world champion was due to ride only his second Giro d’Italia, alongside fellow Spaniard Mikel Landa.

Valverde, who celebrated his 39th birthday on Thursday, has struggled to find previous form so far this season.

He has taken just one stage win so far in 2019 – stage three of the UAE Tour – and does not have a general classification victory to his name.

By the end of April last year Valverde had taken nine wins, including three overall titles.

Last month, Valverde announced the date he plans to retire from professional cycling.

He confirmed he plans to ride the Tokyo Olympics next year, then ride one more season before retiring in 2021.

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The Movistar rider told el Periódico: “The plan is to retire in 2021.

“I will do one more season after the Olympic Games in Tokyo. I think that’s fine.

“I want to be at home and enjoy time with my family.

“Then I will see if I dedicate myself to the team of kids I’m promoting in Murcia or if I’m still involved with Movistar.

“In 2021 I will have ridden 19 seasons.”