Alejandro Valverde on the cobbles: 'He's not here to train', say his rivals
After placing 11th in Wednesday's Dwars Door Vlaanderen semi-classic, Alejandro Valverde's team says they will have a think about him riding the Tour of Flanders


Rival riders and team staff are impressed with Spaniard Alejandro Valverde's performance on the wet and cold cobbles in Belgium's Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday.
The stage race and Ardennes star from Team Movistar lined up in the one-day race to taste the cobbles prior to the Tour de France's 'Paris-Roubaix stage' this summer. Not only did Valverde ride them – like team-mate Nairo Quintana and Romain Bardet (Ag2r La Mondiale) – but he attacked them.
"Maybe they say it's training, but it's to win," race winner Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors) said. "They are also favourites everywhere they start.
"We had a good impression of him, he was with our leader group after the Taaienberg, and we'd gone full gas on the climb. Then you know he's not here to train."
>>> Yves Lampaert successfully defends his title in wet and windy edition of Dwars Door Vlaanderen
Valverde finished in one of the main chase groups behind the winning move with Lampaert. He rode at the front on the cobbles and attacked on the climbs in the final 60 kilometres. He finished in 11th, right alongside Paris-Roubaix winners Greg Van Avermaet (BMC Racing) and Niki Terpstra (Quick-Step Floors).
"A Spaniard on the cobbles, yes, but he's not just any Spaniard, he's one of the best riders in the last century. I really look up to him. He's really a talented rider and always in an attack mode. I have respect for his performance," Lampaert continued.
"You know with Valverde, and Sunday [in the Tour of Flanders] with Vincenzo Nibali: they are really strong and talented guys. They can do everything. You have to watch them. You have to... You can't let them go like they are nobody. If they come here, it's not for training."
Valverde won the Abu Dhabi Tour and the Volta a Catalunya stage races so far this year. He was one of the lightest riders in the winning moves, among the big cobble smashers heading towards the Tour of Flanders on Sunday and Paris-Roubaix the following week.
>>> ‘Racing Belgian one-days has nothing to do with the Tour’s Roubaix stage’
"He surprised me because he's thin, very skinny. He's 61kg," Quick-Step Floors boss Patrick Lefevere said.
"I saw him attacking on the Kruisberg. I said, 'What the hell is this?' He's an amazing rider. You can only say chapeau to a rider like this."
"Surprised? Not really, he's in such good shape," Zdenek Stybar (Quick-Step Floors) added. "You know in those races that if you have shape, you are always in the right place at the right moment. When you have form, you sense the moves and you have the power to stay at the front.
"Bardet and Quintana? No, I just saw Valverde always up there. He's an excellent rider. A lot of respect for him, he can do everything."
Bardet placed 73rd and Quintana 60th. They all go their separate ways heading toward the Tour de France goal this July. Valverde, however, may stick around Belgium to race the Tour of Flanders this Sunday.
"It's difficult," said Movistar Sports Director José García Acosta, "but with Valverde you never know."
If not, Valverde will race the País Vasco stage race in preparation for the Ardennes Classics. He would match Eddy Merckx's all-time record if he wins his fifth Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
“I have to be content with the race,” Valverde said. “It was a hard race. Very hard."
"For Flanders? We'll see, we'll think about it tonight."
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
David Millar: Why Mark Cavendish deserves to be at the Tour de France
Cav has bridged generations in a way no one else could, he shows what's possible
By David Millar • Published
-
Young and talented: Meet the seven Americans racing Le Tour
Young and talented: Meet the seven American bike racers ringing Le Tour de France in 2022.
By Marshall Opel • Published
-
Alejandro Valverde admits Giro d'Italia 'general classification very difficult because of my age' as he targets stage victory
The Spaniard is hopeful of winning a stage as he competes in the Giro for the just the second time in his career
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
What did we learn from the first elite road races of the year?
Alejandro Valverde is still good; Lotto-Soudal are hungry for results; Biniam Girmay might be a force to be reckoned with
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Which WorldTour team has the best kit for 2022? We take a look through the wardrobe
Now almost all the kits are out, here are our measured ratings of racing kit ahead of the 2022 season
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Annemiek van Vleuten says 2021 was her best year yet
Dutchwoman says she is still "hungry" to continue racing with Movistar
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Movistar reveal brand new look for 2022 season
Both male and female teams will wear the new-look kit made by La Passione
By Tim Bonville-Ginn • Published
-
Alejandro Valverde will ride Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in final season
The Spanish rider consequently won't compete at the Tour de France ever again
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Alejandro Valverde confirms he will stay with Movistar for 2022
The Spaniard enters his 18th year with the Spanish-based team, which could be his last
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Alejandro Valverde says he'll retire after one more year: 'There's no point in going on any longer'
The Spaniard announced that the 2022 season will be his last as a professional cyclist
By Ryan Dabbs • Published