Valverde completes Catalunya win

Eurosport - Sun, 24 May 20:50:00 2009

Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, banned from racing in Italy, took overall victory in the Tour of Catalunya.

CYCLING Valverde Volta a cataluña - 0

The Caisse d'Epargne rider completed the week-long course with a 15-second advantage over runner-up Daniel Martin of Ireland. Third was Spain's Haimar Zubeldia, 22 seconds back.

Valverde finished 19th in the final, 110-km stage won by New Zealand's Greg Henderson after a bunch sprint to the finish on the Circuit de Catalunya motor racing track. Second was France's Lloyd Mondory and third Italian Fabio Sabatini.

Valverde said the victory in Spain's third biggest bike race was: "very important, particularly given the difficult times I'm going through".

"Winning and racing well acts as an extra kind of motivation," he said.

Valverde, the world's top-ranked rider in 2008, was banned by Italy's Olympic Committee for two years on May 11.

CONI said blood samples Valverde gave at a doping control when last year's Tour de France entered Italy for a stage matched DNA from code-named bags of blood discovered in Spain's Operacion Puerto investigation, launched in 2006.

Valverde has repeatedly protested his innocence and continues to race outside Italy. He is expected to launch an appeal before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Valverde thanked the groups of fans who had travelled from his home region of Murcia to support him.

Supporters wearing T-shirts with the slogan "Todos Con Valverde" (Everybody with Valverde) cheered and chanted as he donned the winner's jersey.

His next objective is to defend his 2008 victory in the Dauphine Libere in France, the warm-up event for the Tour.

"The Dauphine route suits me well and I think I'll be in good shape," he said. "I'm expecting the public to support me there, too.

"After that, we'll see. But if I go to the Tour, I'll go for the podium and if I go for the overall win, so much the better."

Reuters

Comment 1 - 7 of 7

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  1. nice tracky top Alejandro

    From Owen, on Tue 26 May 1:42PM

  2. ref; lee and alex you are both spot on with your­ comments on spain closing ranks you just have to look­ at the racism in football and F1 to see how biased they­ are

    From jc297, on Mon 25 May 2:57PM

  3. Valverde is, i'm sorry to admit, probably guilty as­ hell..the spanish authorities that have consistantly­ closed ranks on their own should be seriously ashamed­ regardless of whether any are guilty or not..openness­ in our sport is a must. No argument. Lance- the forum­ posts about him are pure stupidity-the most tested man­ in sport ever and nothing, leave him alone and­ concentrate on the real dodgy characters..the ones who­ do not deny, who rely on so called public support as­ some kind of justification..Cav-the best sprinter bar­ none, yes he should try more stages, but then he's­ doing no diff. to other so called 'greats'..who­ have no doubt used little ahem, extras to help win..he­ does not, lest us forget..

    From Lee K, on Sun 24 May 10:58PM

  4. me d. is this version more suitable for your sublime­ palate

    Well...if the DNA found in La Fuente laboratory­ turns out to­ be valverde than he will be the one that­ should be ashamed. His­ performances in the grand tour­ do suggest something­ strange going on (second in the­ vuelta in 2007 but than, after operation­ puerto, not­ able to compete in the GC at all).

    P.s. on blogs such­ as this one, the users that comment on the spelling­ mistakes rather than on the contents of a comment,a re­ the one that do not have anything interesting to say.­ just as a reference

    From alexmn85, on Sun 24 May 7:54PM

  5. #2 ...if you could speak and type english with any­ prospect of being understood .... you might make sense­ .... t **&@ er

    From Me, on Sun 24 May 7:07PM

  6. Well...if the dna found in la fuente lab turns out to­ be valverde than he will be the one on shame. His­ performances in the grand tour do suggest something­ wrong (second in the vuelta but than, after opration­ puerto, not able to compete for the leadership at all).

    From alexmn85, on Sun 24 May 6:20PM

  7. Well done man !! Those Italians can get well Stuffed­ and Lost !!
    Now I understand how powerful Valverde is­ and why Italian cyclists are runnng scared of him and­ that's why they ban him !!
    Shame on Italian­ Sports.

    From AndJustice4All, on Sun 24 May 5:35PM
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