'All I could do was suffer and then suffer some more': Valverde content after 'giving everything' in final Vuelta mountains

Alejandro Valverde says he leaves the Vuelta a España happy after giving it his all but falling well short of the overall victory

Alejandro Valverde looks dejected after stage 20 of the 2018 Vuelta a España (Sunada)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) looked to be riding a fairytale Vuelta a España at 38 years old, but it ended as a sufferfest today in Andorra.

The Spaniard threatened to take the red leader's jersey from Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), coming within 25 seconds two days ago, but those thoughts escaped quickly in the last mountain test before the final Madrid finish. Valverde ended tough mountain day on the Coll de la Gallina down from second to fifth overall at 4-28 minutes.

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