Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner's story, April 28, 2008

Valverde keeps winning while real objectives are still to come

By Brecht Decaluw� in Ans

Valverde with the coveted winner's trophy.
Photo ©: AFP

After celebrating his 28th birthday last Friday, Alejandro Valverde gave himself the perfect present by claiming his second victory in 'La Doyenne', as the final event of the Spring Classics is often referred to. The Spaniard from Murcia beat Davide Rebellin and Fr�nk Schleck in a three-man sprint, but unlike his 2006 victory, Valverde said he didn't feel like the strongest rider today.

"Fr�nk Schleck was the strongest man in the race this time," said the Caisse d'Epargne rider. "He has got phenomenal form right now which he showed already in the Amstel Gold Race. Today he was unlucky that Rebellin and I were faster than him."

Valverde's devastating sprint once again proved to be the decisive weapon in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, just like two years ago. "Surely my experience helped me today," he said. "I won here in 2006 and came second last year. Knowing the roads helped me to save my energy for the moments that it really mattered during the finale."

Valverde explained that one of those key moments was the new climb: the C�te de le Roche aux Faucons. "That climb made the difference today. During the first part you only had to stay near the front as it wasn't possible to create a gap there. On the second steeper part I arrived with all my forces and I felt really good so I could make the difference."

On that penultimate climb, the eventual winner reacted to attacks from Davide Rebellin, Fr�nk Schleck and his team-mate Joaquin Rodriguez. "I focused my race on Cadel Evans and Damiano Cunego but when I noticed they were unable to follow the attack on the new climb I jumped away myself. I was surprised but since it had been a long and tough race in the sun they might have been a bit dehydrated."

Valverde ended up riding up front with Rodriguez, Rebellin and the Schleck brothers. And when Rodriguez got dropped on a non-classified climb towards the C�te de Saint-Nicolas, the Spaniard wasn't in the best position to claim the win. "Surely I feared them at first as it was the two of them against Davide Rebellin and me," he explained. "When Andy attacked, Rebellin and I agreed to work together to get him back.

"I wasn't riding up to my limit because I knew that the two of us together would be stronger than him alone. His lead didn't grow bigger than 12 seconds and knowing that the Saint-Nicolas was still to come, I knew we would catch him eventually," Valverde explained.

Valverde makes his move
Photo ©: AFP

"Meanwhile my directeur sportif reminded me to keep eating; just like he and my team-mates did all day long: eat, eat, eat!" Valverde laughed.

As he crossed the line, Valverde showed a great outburst of emotion; not something he does often in races. "More than the will to show something today, I had the desire to win the race for the team on this international level," he said. "Actually this win made me happier than my victory two years ago."

A difference from other years is that the man from Murcia didn't set the Ardennes Classics as a real objective. His main targets are the Tour de France and afterwards the Olympic road race and world championships. "It's true that I have a different preparation this year," said Valverde. "I didn't ride as many races as I am used to do but I trained a lot instead. The weather conditions in Murcia have been great since the start of the year and I could train in perfect circumstances.

"The only stage race I did was the Vuelta a Murcia, and as a result I show up at the races more motivated than usual because I like to be in the competition. The Ardennes Classics weren't a real objective this year but that helped me to start here in tranquillity and with less pressure, and it helped me to make the difference in the end."

The podium in Liège:
Photo ©: AFP

With Alberto Contador and his Astana team not invited to the Tour de France, the Spanish hopes are resting on the shoulders of Alejandro Valverde, but the Spaniard has tried to keep the pressure at bay by insisting there are other Spanish riders who could do well at the Tour. "It's true there will be more pressure as our team will have to take the responsibility in the race," he acknowledged. "On the other hand there are guys like Oscar Pereiro and [Carlos] Sastre who have proven their ability in the past. Anyway, I have the pressure on my shoulders in all races that I start, so not too much is changing," Valverde smiled.

Once again he was asked about his alleged involvement in the Operaci�n Puerto case and its reopening by the Italian authorities, and once again reiterated his innocence. "It's pretty clear to me," he said, "my so-called involvement in the Puerto case is something that has been invented by the press. I was never questioned by the Spanish judge. If an Italian judge wants to ask me questions about a case I would have no problem to do that."

Valverde now takes a week-long break and will then continue to prepare for his real objectives later this season. He will do a couple of training camps before returning to competition at the Classico Alcobendas and the Dauphin� Lib�r�. The Spanish national championships will be his final race before the start of the Tour de France.

An interview with Alejandro Valverde, July 3, 2008

Valverde: "I'm not afraid to be a favourite"

With a newly earned Spanish championship jersey and a win in the Crit�rium du Dauphin� Lib�r�, Alejandro Valverde's name has been pushed onto the list of Tour de France favourites. Cyclingnews' Jean-Fran�ois Qu�net talked with Valverde about his ambitions for the coming French Grand Tour.

New Spanish champion Alejandro Valverde, 28, not afraid to be favourite number one for the Tour de France.
Photo ©: Isabelle Duchesne

It's 'Viva España!' in the world of sport these days. Spain won its first football European Championship in 44 years, and Alejandro Valverde donned the first Spanish champion jersey of his career. After finishing second twice, once to Francisco Mancebo in 2004 and another time to his team-mate Joaqu�m Rodr�guez last year, Valverde will now wear the gold and red jersey in this year's Tour de France in place of his black and red Caisse d'Epargne strip.

Had he been riding ten years ago, Valverde might not have had the chance to hold that title, as it was not fashionable in the Spanish teams to have the national champion jersey. Until he authorised Laurent Jalabert to become the French champion in 1998, famous Spanish director Manolo Saiz had forbidden his riders to win the national title because he wanted everybody to look the same under the colours of ONCE. It was similar at the rival team of Banesto; Miguel Indurain started the 1992 Tour de France with only the colours of the Spanish flag on his arm bands because the sponsor wanted the maximum exposure.

Nowadays, national pride has been restored, and the Caisse d'Epargne squad, which was built out of the same staff as Banesto, has no problem with its riders replacing its colours with the national jersey. The team not only won in Spain, but came close to the win in France as well with Arnaud Coyot finishing second to Nicolas Vogondy.

Valverde the unbeaten

In his young days, Valverde was nicknamed 'the Imbatido' ('The Unbeaten') because he won almost all the races he took part in. His winning ways have certainly resumed this year: he took Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the second time in his career, won the Dauphin� Lib�r�, took a rest and then returned successfully with a win at the Spanish Championship.

While his physical preparation should be spot on, Valverde's mental approach of the Tour de France must also be perfect. However, Valverde, 28 years old and in his eighth professional season, doesn't rank himself as the star of Grand Tours as he actually hasn't won any yet. "Well, Alberto Contador has won two Grand Tours in two years," he said of his compatriot. "He is the number one for the three-week long races. I'm not there yet."

Valverde feels sorry for Contador, part of the temporarily banned Team Astana, who is not able to defend his title at this year's Tour de France. "I get on well with Alberto, we're just rivals when we're racing, some of the aficionados [fans - ed.] cheer for him, others cheer for me, but there's no war between the two camps, it's pretty quiet actually."

Tour number four

Spain's Alejandro Valverde showed on track with his wins in the Dauphin� Lib�r�.
Photo ©: Roberto Bettini

This year will be Valverde's fourth attempt to win the Grande Boucle, but the Spaniard isn't worried that the win hasn't come yet – his idol Indurain started the race six times before winning it five times in a row.

"I'm confident that I can get a better result in Paris than last year," Valverde continued. "I finished sixth, but that was the first time I finished. From the first one I did in 2005, I keep a fond memory of winning in Courchevel in front of Lance Armstrong, but later I had to abandon because of a sore knee. The second one, I can't say much about it. I crashed in stage three with a broken collarbone. Last year, I could have done better, especially in time trials."

He was more than six minutes down on Alexander Vinokourov in the time trial of Albi. "But please don't take that as a reference," he reminded. "That day was just a bad day. No, it was an awful day. When I woke up, I felt bad. All day I felt bad."

He prefers to remember how well he won the time trial in the Dauphin� this year. "But it will be very different at the Tour de France as well, so there's no comparison to be drawn there either," he said. "There's less time trialling at the Tour with 82 kilometres in total, which pleases me. I've seen the one of Cholet [when he rode the local race Cholet-Pays de Loire in March - ed.], it's shorter than usual [29km] but it's pretty difficult."

In between his races and training camps in the Sierra Nevada, Valverde went to reconnoitre some of the Pyr�n�an and Alpine stages. "I didn't know Hautacam was so hard," he revealed. "But the Alps are even harder with La Lombarde, La Bonnette and L'Alpe d'Huez. These three days in the mountains being so close to the finish, they will be terrible stages. I prefer to have the Pyr�n�es before the Alps, like most of the Spanish riders do. We feel close to home in the Pyr�n�es and we have many fans there."

Handling the pressure

Phenomenal: Valverde takes the Spanish Championships – his first in seven years of professional racing.
Photo ©: Isabelle Duchesne

As one Spain's top names for the Tour, the Murcian is understandably feeling the heat of the Tour being cranked up. "The pressure is big at the Tour, it's complicated to win it," he declared. "I'm not afraid to be one of the favourites because that's what I am at all the races I take part in, whether it's at the Tour of Murcia or at the Dauphin�. It was the same at the Classics although I didn't go there at the best of my condition and with the maximum of ambitions. I pushed myself to get a result in the Amstel Gold Race and in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, but doing so I didn't jeopardise my chances at the Tour de France. My preparation has actually been phenomenal this year."

"Phenomenal" is also a word that Valverde uses a lot whether he talks about his team-mates or his results at the prologue and time trial of the Dauphin�. In his world, Caisse d'Epargne is an "equipo fenomenal" and that is very likely to be the case again this July as the team has the only former Tour de France winner who is still racing.

"Oscar Pereiro isn't just a team-mate for me," Valverde underlined firmly. "He's my room-mate, he's my mate. His experience of racing is phenomenal. It's great to have him, especially when we have a hard time because he knows what it is to be in an uncertain situation."

Equipo fenomenal: Valverde has excellent team support from Caisse d'Epargne for the Tour de France.
Photo ©: Roberto Bettini

Pereiro became the winner of the 2006 Tour de France in September 2007 after the disqualification of Floyd Landis for doping.

Valverde also knows what it means to be in trouble. If he had ups and downs last year at the Tour de France, it was also a consequence of the Operaci�n Puerto in which he was accused to be a patient of Dr Eufemiano Fuentes under the code name "Valv-Piti" and the number 18. "It's been a difficult time for me," Valverde admits. "But it's over now. I have no problem with it. I've managed to stay focus on my cycling."

The new Spanish champion looks so much more relaxed than last year. Everything seems to be in his favour this time. "But don't forget that I have adversaries as well," he warned. "Last year Cadel Evans was only 23 seconds down on Contador and I said Contador is a better Tour rider than I am. There will be other guys to beat like Cunego, Sastre, Menchov, the Schlecks... I still think Evans is the most dangerous of my opponents."

News feature, January 14, 2008

Season partners: Valverde & Pereiro

Caisse d'Epargne leaders Alejandro Valverde and Oscar Pereiro both finished within the top 10 of general classification at the Tour de France last year, and intend to combine forces again this season to reach at least the podium on the Champs-�lys�es next July. But the two Spaniards not only have the French Grand Tour in mind for 2008; they also target other events together as Cyclingnews' Hedwig Kr�ner found out at the team's presentation in Paris last week.

The two team leaders, Valverde and Pereiro
Photo ©: Hedwig Kr�ner/Cyclingnews

Pereiro and Valverde – 'partners in crime' you'd almost say when looking at their season goals and race programme. The low-key stage race specialist and his more popular and versatile team-mate want to work together throughout the season, to score the maximum of victories and top placings.

"We have a very similar race programme," Valverde told Cyclingnews after the presentation, revealing that the pair will be able to fine-tune its partnership in the lead-up to the Tour de France, the race being the biggest objective.

Goal #1: Tour de France

If all goes as planned, Valverde and Pereiro will be Caisse d'Epargne's road captains in July: Valverde will aim at the podium, and his team-mate at the top 10. "Valverde is a rider that has much more class and quality than I have," said Pereiro full of praise for his friend. "He's one of the best in the world. I can give him some Tour experience, but within the team it's clear that he will be the leader. I will be there protecting and helping him. It all goes like last year, where he was better than I, then that will be the order of things. Of course, if I'm in front, then he will be there for me – we'll be able to play with that, too."

But Pereiro won't put all his money on the Tour, revealing that as soon as the month of May, the roles between him and Valverde could be reversed. In a very determined manner, he explained, "I want to win something before the Tour. Last year was such a hard season for me with all that uncertainty about the 2006 Tour victory, so I have to make up for that now. I want to have really good form in the months of April and May, also for the Ardennes Classics. Afterwards, there's the Tour, in which I will help the team and also try to go for a stage victory – but first and foremost, I want to finish in the top 10 again. Every time I started at the Tour, I was in the top 10, so I'd like to do this one more time. And then, there's the Vuelta, too..."

Pereiro for Liège and Flèche

Full Caisse d'Epargne horsepower: Valverde and Pereiro's legs
Photo ©: Hedwig Kr�ner/Cyclingnews

But first things first. General Manager Eusebio Unzu� confirmed that both riders will be racing the two Belgian Ardennes Classics (Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège), and that, contrary to previous years, Pereiro will be given more freedom in these events as Valverde will use them to build up for the Tour de France. "Oscar [Pereiro] will get a bigger role in the Ardennes Classics," said Unz�e. "He will aim at a higher level of performance for the Classics, and be an important asset in our roster for these races."

Valverde, who already won Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne in 2006, confirmed this. "This year, I won't race for the victory in the Classics. I will use them more for training and getting up to my peak of form in July. So, if Oscar is on the right level to do something in the Classics, I will help him, for sure. My objectives lie more in the second part of the season, so I will start the year lightly. I will race two days in Mallorca, then the Tour du Haut-Var in France, Murcia, Criterium International... After Flèche and Liège, it's the lead-up to the Tour with the Dauphin�."

Come the big event in July, Valverde added he was glad to have Pereiro by his side. "There has never been a problem to coordinate our collaboration," he said, discarding doubts about the double leadership. "We will both be in front, more or less, helping each other. For some teams, it may be better to have only one leader for a Grand Tour, but in our case I think it will be good to have two."

Finally a World's title for Valverde?

Valverde looks to the 2008 Tour de France
Photo ©: Hedwig Kr�ner/Cyclingnews

Asked to name his 2008 objectives, the Murcian said, "I will be satisfied with my season if I make it on the podium in the Tour de France, and if I get a good result in either the Olympics of the World's. And I would like to do a good Vuelta, too, but we'll see about that – you can't do everything, you have to choose." At the Spanish Grand Tour, Valverde will again partner up with Pereiro.

Looking back at 2007, Valverde said he missed out on some victories because of bad luck. "It was a good season, but not everything went as I would have wanted," he explained. "I won seven races, but I got second 14 times – that's a lot! Which means that with a little more luck, I could have won more." Asked if he wanted to invert those figures for 2008, the Murcian laughed: "Hopefully, hopefully! But I think 14 victories will be hard to achieve!"

Pereiro also had a difficult season last year, but because of completely different reasons. The official attribution of the 2006 Tour de France title in October was a "liberation" after a season "completely out of focus. It was hard waiting for the whole thing to become clear. I mean, the Tour de France being the most important race in the ProTour, it shouldn't have to remain without a winner for 14 months! People kept asking me about it during all this time, and I was powerless like this sport where it seemed everybody could just do as they pleased and there weren't any rules to abide. I wasn't in favour of condemning Landis, but the whole thing should have been more clear from the beginning."

Pereiro's 2006 Tour win "weird feeling"

Oscar Pereiro
Photo ©: Hedwig Kr�ner/Cyclingnews

We asked him if, deep down inside, he really felt a Tour de France winner, after all that had happened. "It's a weird feeling, really," Pereiro replied, carefully weighing his words. "I'm lucky to have worn the yellow jersey during five days, because I have photos of it. Little by little, the victory sinks in because looking at the pics, there I am wearing yellow on the [stages] podium. But still, when I say 'I've won the Tour' out loud to somebody, it sounds so strange. Well, I'm in the history books now, and that counts for something."

The 2006 Tour had been the most irregular one by far for the last few years, with spectacular changes in leadership, terrible backdrops and 'miraculous' come-backs. For some observers, it will forever remain a falsified edition, but Pereiro disagreed. "The fact that I was given so much advantage [on stage 13 to Mont�limar - ed.] – well, that's just how the race goes. I mean, if Voeckler hadn't been given any advantage three years ago, he wouldn't be famous today, either. Everyone has to make use of his own racing characteristics. Maybe it wasn't a 'normal' Tour, but losing 26 minutes on the stage to Pla de B�ret [stage 11] wasn't normal for me, either." 

News feature, January 11, 2007

Caisse d'Epargne 2008 team presentation: Regularity Rules

The squirrel is a patient animal. It relentlessly accumulates food throughout the year, one nut after the other, to have its belly full during winter and come back in spring with enough energy left to be hungry for more... But what does a squirrel have to do with pro cycling? Well, the small rodent is Caisse d'Epargne's logo and mascot, and not without reason.

The French bank group is not a friend of short-term investments, at least not in its sports sponsorships. When the savings conglomerate started to back the Spanish team managed by Eusebio Unzu� in 2005, it right away decided to do this for a full six years to complete the sponsorship programmes it already had in French athletics, skiing and soccer. Cyclingnews' Hedwig Kr�ner attended the team's presentation on Wednesday, January 9 at the bank's headquarters in downtown Paris.

The 2008 Caisse d'Epargne team
Photo ©: R�gis Garnier

The pro cycling team Caisse d'Epargne reflects the mentality of a steadiness. This year's squad is set to repeat its successful 2007 formula and collect top race results throughout the whole season, similar to the above mentioned furry forest inhabitant. "Our top goals this season are the Tour de France, stage races and the Olympics," announced the outfit's general manager Eusebio Unzu� at the 2008 team presentation in the glass, marble and steel palace of the French banking giant right beside the Seine River.

Indeed, this philosophy fulfilled the squad's objectives last season, already. Thirty victories by nine different riders and many top placings from February until September helped the team finish third in the ProTour rankings and win the combined team classification for the second consecutive time. Achievements confirmed the rightfulness of the sponsorship, according to Caisse d'Epargne president Charles Milhaud. "I'm convinced that, with the victory of Oscar Pereiro in the 2006 Tour de France and the solid performances obtained in 2007, our team will again hold its colours high this year," the faithful cycling enthusiast said in his speech.

So, true to the saying "Never change a winning team", the team managed by Echavarri's Abarca Sports company chose to only slightly modify its composition for the upcoming season. Eight new riders joined the squad, amongst which four Frenchmen: Anthony Charteau, Arnaud Coyot, Mathieu Drujon and Fabien Patanchon. Two Colombians joined the team - Marlon Perez and the young talent Rigoberto Uran - alongside Spanish rouleur Luis Pasamontes and Venezuelan climber Jose Rujano.

The leaders of the team remain the same: Alejandro Valverde, Oscar Pereiro and Vladimir Karpets, only to name the most famous ones. With Valverde and Karpets, Caisse d'Epargne had two riders in the Top 10 of the UCI rankings last year. And looking at the final general classification of the 2007 Tour de France, the team boasted four riders in the Top 15 (Valverde, Pereiro, Karpets and David Arroyo).

Portal and Pereiro share a joke
Photo ©: AFP

With such striking power, the team rightfully targets the highest crown of the sport: the yellow jersey. Both Valverde and Pereiro will aim for a podium placing in the Tour de France, with the former having slightly more chances of success according to the second general manager Euzebio Unzu�. "I think Valverde can try to get on the Tour de France podium," Unzu� told Cyclingnews after the official presentation. "I believe so even more because at this point, there is no [Lance] Armstrong or another rider who dominates the Tour on a level distinctly above his rivals. And as there is such a small margin between the top contenders; I believe Valverde could even win the Tour!"

The rider himself preferred to play things down a bit, knowing his competitors. "The Tour de France is always a complicated race, but I know I have some options to do better than in 2007 [when he finished 6th - ed.]," Valverde said. "Maybe I can make it on the podium. In any case I'm determined to give my very best and improve!"

Pereiro, who was officially made 2006 Tour de France winner only 14 months after the event (a "huge relief" according to him), hopes to be back to his full capacities after a year overshadowed by too many uncertainties. "In 2007, my head was simply out of focus," he explained. "I will do the maximum in view of the Tour de France 2008."

Vladimir Karpets
Photo ©: AFP

But the Tour de France, even if it is the most important, is only one race of a long and challenging calendar. Faithful to its principles of regularity, Caisse d'Epargne wishes to be present throughout the season, also in the French Cup, but more importantly with the aim of winning the ProTour teams classification.

"That is one of our most important objectives," Unzu� continued. "We have riders that can win these events and give our squad a top placing in the classification, like Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez, Jose Joaquin Rojas...riders that can score victories or get good placings throughout the year. There are others, but these three sort of are our specialists as concerns ProTour points. And then there's Oscar (Pereiro), who will get a bigger role in the Ardennes Classics. He will aim at a higher level of performance for the Classics, and be an important asset in our roster for these races."

As regards the Vuelta, Unzu� believed he had, again, three cards up his sleeve: "For the team selection, we'll have to see who will be on top form in August, but we hope that Jose Rujano, Oscar Pereiro and Alejandro Valverde will be our team leaders for the Vuelta. We have to take the start with the objective of winning the race."

Alejandro Valverde
Photo ©: AFP

With Valverde and Pereiro scheduled to double up two Grand Tours in 2008 and expected to score stage wins as well as succeed in the overall classification of these three-week races, Caisse d'Epargne has set high goals for its leaders. But other riders will also do the double: "Karpets will do Giro-Tour, Rujano Giro-Vuelta, Zandio will do Tour and Vuelta, Garcia Acosta too. There are eight or nine riders who will be doing two Grand Tours this season," added Unzu�.

All the while, Caisse d'Epargne will remain true to its anti-doping policy. Looking back at last season, Jose Miguel Echavarri, general manager of the team, doesn't want any rumours repeated. "2007 was an agitated season for the whole cycling community, but it triggered the creation of the biological passport which I hope will bring real solutions in the fight against doping, and not only within cycling," the Spaniard said.

And what about the French sponsor of the Spanish team? It continues to be a dedicated supporter of Abarca Sports, the team's management company, and cycling as a whole. "Certainly, cycling today is having a difficult time," said Milhaud. "But the values of the sport - work, dedication and courage - are shared within our company, which is why we continue our engagement. Doping does not erase these values which we hold dear."

The 2008 Caisse d'Epargne team: David Arroyo, Anthony Charteau (Fra), Arnaud Coyot (Fra), Mathieu Drujon (Fra), Imanol Erviti, Txente Garc�a Acosta, Iv�n Guti�rrez, Joan Horrach, Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Pablo Lastras, David L�pez, Alberto Losada, Luis Pasamontes, Fabien Patanchon (Fra), Oscar Pereiro, Marl�n P�rez Arango (Col), Fran P�rez, Mathieu Perget (Fra), Nicolas Portal (Fra), Joaqu�m Rodr�guez, Jos� Joaqu�n Rojas, Jos� Rujano (Ven), Luis Le�n S�nchez, Rigoberto Uran (Col), Alejandro Valverde and Xabier Zandio.

by Nick Warren

April 28, 2007 - Despite not being at his best at last Sunday�s Amstel Gold Race, Alejandro Valverde is still tipped to win big in 2007, writes Nick Warren. By all accounts, 2006 was a dream season for the Caisse d�Epargne rider. The 27 year old Spaniard won, among other things, both one-day classics Li�ge-Bastogne-Li�ge and Fl�che Wallonne, the UCI ProTour, plus a stage at the Vuelta Espana, in which he also came second overall. Picking up where he left off in 2006 Valverde has scooped up victories in March�s Tour of Valenica, a time-trial stage win plus the overall title at the five-stage Tour of Murcia, and recently he was 6th at the Amstel Gold Race and 2nd at Fl�che Wallonne. �I expected to do well because I felt well,� he says through a translator. �I did not expect to win so early in the season.� �In fact at Valencia and Murcia I just wanted to test myself. In Murcia I wanted to see how I was doing in time-trialling and in the end I won it and the overall.� Valverde�s knack for winning lies in the fact that he is a true all-rounder. He can sprint, climb and now time-trial with the best - a spread of abilities that not many other professional cyclists can boast. Born in April 1980 in Las Lumbreras, Murcia, Valverde�s rise to becoming one of the big names in cycling was confirmed in 2005, when he out-sprinted Lance Armstrong to win the 10th stage of that year�s Tour de France at the 2000m-high mountain-top finish in Courcheval. �That victory stands out the most,� Valverde says. �Defeating Armstrong himself...� Succumbing to a knee injury he pulled out of the 2005 Tour a few days later. The following year�s Grand Boucle, for which started as a favourite, saw him crash out early on and withdraw with a broken collarbone. Coming from a cycling family, Valverde�s talent was spotted early on. He finished second in his first race, after which he won everything he entered until leaving school. �My father and brother were riders themselves and cycling is important for all the family.� He says. �It means a lot when his family understands how a rider�s job works and to receive their support.� In 2002, he turned professional for the Kelme team, who he credits with helping him become a �better cyclist.� His first major results came in 2003 when he won two stages of the Vuelta and picked up silver at the 2003 Road World Championships in Hamilton, Canada. Despite Kelme experiencing financial woes and a number of offers from other professional teams, Valverde remained with the shoe manufacturer-sponsored outfit for the 2004 season. He switched to Caisse d�Epargne in 2005 when Kelme failed to achieve a ProTour license. �The team had financial problems at that time and therefore it was important to support them,� he says. �I tried to stay with them as long as possible but when they went to a lower category (in 2005) I came to my current team and it was the right decision.� For this year�s Tour de France, Valverde will be joint Caisse d�Epargne leader along with Oscar Pereiro, who finished second to Floyd Landis in 2006 and may yet be credited with first following the American�s yet-to-be-heard doping case. Often in the past �dual-leadership� arrangements have ended in tears, but asked whether he can expect problems from sharing duties with Pereiro, Valverde strongly disagrees. �It is exactly the contrary,� he says. �It is super to be in the team with Oscar because he has a lot of experience in the Tour and I�m sure will help me if I am in the lead, the same way I will help him if he is winning.� �We have really good morale in Caisse d�Epargne. We form a great team because we are all friends and I think that friendship is very important when the time comes to work hard together in a race.� He still doesn�t rate himself as a yellow jersey winner for this year�s Tour, instead preferring to say he is aiming for �a top five� position, but clearly Valverde�s time is now and he undoubtedly has the potential to be the next Spanish Grand Tour champion.

Photo: Cor Vos Photo: Cor Vos Photo: Cor Vos Photo

Latest Cycling News for September 20, 2007

Edited by Bjorn Haake

McQuaid challenges Spanish to do DNA analysis

A question mark still hangs over Alejandro Valverde
Photo ©: Sirotti

One group believes there may be questions to be answered, others insist that the rider is innocent and being victimised. However there is a chance for Alejandro Valverde to clear his name and to perhaps ride the Worlds in Stuttgart. Will he take it? Cyclingnews' Shane Stokes reports.

As the world road race championships draw ever closer, the UCI and the Spanish cycling federation continue to be at loggerheads over the participation of Alejandro Valverde in Stuttgart. On Wednesday UCI President Pat McQuaid pointed out that there is an easy way to remove a major question mark hanging over Valverde, if he is indeed innocent of doping.

In an 'all cards on the table' move, the Irishman has called for DNA analysis of one of the blood bags seized under the Operaci�n Puerto investigation, saying that if the Spaniard is in the clear, this would serve to show that bag number 18 - corresponding to the codename 'Valv. Piti' - has no connection to the Caisse d'Epargne rider.

Both the Spanish cycling federation and the country's President of Spain's Superior Council of Sports (CSD) Jaime Lissavetzky have recently backed Valverde, saying that they consider that there is no new evidence to suggest guilt.

However, after reviewing the full 6,000 page dossier on the Operaci�n Puerto case, the UCI sees things otherwise and feels there are enough grounds for further investigation. Valverde previously admitted working with Doctor Eufemiano Fuentes while with Kelme but insisted that he has never doped. There have however been persistent rumours that the Spaniard was indeed involved and that the blood bag may be his. In January the newspaper ABC printed details of the alleged link and in May, La Gazzetta dello Sport went further.

Coming up on Cyclingnews will be covering the 63rd Vuelta a España live August 30 to September 21. Coverage begins around 15:00 local European time (CEST)/ 9:00 (USA East)/ 23:00 Australia (EST) - also on WAP-enabled mobile devices at http://live.cyclingnews.com/wap/

As reported earlier on Cyclingnews, UCI president Pat McQuaid recently sent a letter to Lissavetzky expressing his concern at the turn of affairs. It is known that he is frustrated that the rider has been publicly supported by such a high-profile figure, plus the Spanish federation, rather than being subjected to the requested investigation.

Alejandro Valverde, Caisse d'Epargne-Illes Balears

8 February 2006

Building for 2006 with Expert Advice

Valverde in new 2006 Colors, photo: Caisse d'Epargne

One of the biggest stories of 2005 was the rise of Alejandro Valverde. Last year the 25 year-old finally crossed the Spanish border to win on the international scene, releasing the fire-power that many knew he had in his arsenal. Early success came in March with a stage win in the Paris-Nice and then the big one in July, out-gunning Lance Armstrong at the Tour de France. But even more impressing was his comeback in September to claim silver at the World Championships, narrowly missing out on the rainbow jersey. Valverde will be a force to be reckoned with in 2006 and beyond. Read the BiciRace.com exclusive interview with the Spaniard and learn more.
Interviewed by Paco of BiciRace.com

An Insane Schedule

BiciRace.com:  Hello Alejandro. Thank you for taking some time out of your schedule for this interview. Have you visited our site, BiciRace.com?
Alejandro Valverde:  Up until now my schedule has been insane and I haven't had the chance to check out BiciRace.com. However, I have book marked it and plan on checking it out as soon as possible.

Crossing the Pyrenees

Alejandro Valverde Wins Stage 10 to Courchevel, photo: CyclingTime.com

BR:  No pressure, please visit when you can. Until the 2005 season most of your victories were limited to within the Spanish borders. This past year, however, you took some superb stage wins in both Paris-Nice and Tour de France. What have you done differently to achieve these results?
AV:  The answer to that is simple: I crossed the Pyrenees to race outside of Spain. Seriously though, up until this last season my racing campaign was largely domestic and it wasn't until this last season that I was really able to race outside of my home country in Paris-Nice and of course the Tour de France.
BR:  Of course, racing with your old Kelme squadra it was hard to get invites to the 'big' races. Much has been said about your belief that the Tour podium is beyond your abilities, at least for the last few years. Now that you have raced in the Tour what do you feel needs to improve most in order to be a contender?
AV:  I guess I'd have to say the biggest thing I need to do is to first finish a Tour de France before I can explore the possibility of winning it. Finishing in the top five of the 2006 Tour is I feel a realistic goal given my abilities. ... And a podium place on the general classification would be a dream come true.
BR:  From what BiciRace.com saw during your 2005 season we think you can be on the podium in 2006. And at the 2005 you dropped Armstrong and took out a huge victory on Courchevel. What were the sensations going through your head when you were with Armstrong and when you realized that you beat him?
AV:  Wow, I suppose the biggest sensation I felt that day was just amazement at the company I was keeping on the climb to Courchevel (Lance Armstrong, Michael Rasmussen and Francisco Mancebo). There aren't words to describe the feelings I had when I realized I crossed the line in front of Armstrong for the victory.
BR:  The victory was tremendous, plus your group had dropped the likes of Ullrich and Basso. Your DS, Eusebio Unz�e, was there and guiding you that day, and in the past there was Vicente Belda at Kelme. Given that you have only ridden for these two different directors, which of the two do you feel understands you better as a rider?
AV:  Vicente Belda had, in a sense, raised me in the races that fill the Spanish calendar... While Eusebio Unz�e has more experience in the Tour having directed and won it several times. Eusebio tries to get me to channel my energies into the race at hand and to focus myself on certain objectives throughout the season. ... Because I am a very competitive person and I have to focus myself in this way.

Pinarello or Mercedes?

Training on Carbon Pinarello Paris, photo: Caisse d'Epargne

BR:  BiciRace.com has heard that you are a car fanatic. What is parked in your driveway these days?
AV:  Actually at the moment I have a Mercedes sports car as well as a Mini Cooper in the garage.
BR:  Both nice cars. Do you have your mind on buying a new model? Maybe something Italian?
AV:  I prefer all sports cars in general. As much of a car freak as I am, I haven't really thought about cars that much lately as I'm totally focused on the upcoming season.
BR:  Yes, it is better to focus on bikes and training. Pinarello was the bike supplier in 2005 (with the Opera Leonardo) and also this season. Which model does the team use?
AV:  The team will use a 'Pinarello' Paris Carbon frame this season.
BR:  Do you prefer an all carbon frame, like the Paris Carbon, or do you like other materials, like the Magnesium model (Dogma)?
AV:  The Pinarello Dogma is a frame that I really like as well and I may use this in 2006.
BR:  Both are nice models. Over the winter you spent time in Treviso at the Pinarello factory. Were you able to learn a lot in regards to your bike position?
AV:  This winter we have started working with a biomechanic [Alessandro Mariano] recommended by Fausto Pinarello and he's been to the Pinarello factory in Treviso to with us a few times. Everybody benefits greatly from his insight and recommendations. What I would like to gain most from working with the biomechanic is to improve in my time trialing. That discipline is what I need to improve most if I intend to compete for the overall in the Tour de France.
BR:  Mariano helped Ivan Gotti in the past, with him and Pinarello you should be in good hands for the 2006 campaign.

Inspiration for Racing

Briefly in White at 2005 Tour, photo: Graham Watson, Saunier Duval

BR:  You are recently married Do you find that being married makes it easier to deal with the extreme demands placed on you by your sport?
AV:  Absolutely. Being married certainly helps deal with a lot of the stress and of course it's nice to come home to my wife after being on the road for a month. But as nice as it is in the end you realize that it's still just you pushing the pedals day in and day out.
BR:  Yes, very true, it is still a hard job. Who is your favorite cyclist or the one that gave you the most inspiration?
AV:  I'd have to say that Miguel Indurain is my favorite cyclist of all time. He is somebody that I've always idolized because of the way he rode and how he always managed to keep his cool. When he started his career he wasn't the great stage race champion that he was when he retired. Throughout his career he evolved from an outsider into one of the greatest stage racers of all time.
BR:  He was amazing and he achieved a lot, and not only in the Tour. We think you will do great and have some huge success, just like Big Mig. Thanks for taking time out of your insane schedule for the BiciRace.com interview. Good luck with the 2006 Season. Ciao!