Valverde’s final ‘Bullet’ at La Vuelta at the age of 42: “It would be milk to win a stage”

For many of the 184 runners, divided into 23 teams, competing in a top-level race such as the return is something very special, but there is no doubt that the cyclist who rides each of the 21 stages with goosebumps and wet retinas will be Alexander Valverde. The veteran cyclist Movistarwho turned 42 years old on April 25, will face this year his last season as a cycling professional and, therefore, his last presence in the one he proves he loves and loves the most: the Spanish round.

the corridor of The Lumbreras (Murcia) face from now on Utrecht (Netherlands) his 16th Lap, where he will seek to feel the love of the fans up close – he does not want to get off the bike without noticing the support of the fans too much – and rededicate himself to the service of the needs of his team from the whole life, trying on his sports performance and mastery on the bike to help his partner Enrique More to fight for the general and his beloved Movistar to add as many points as possible to continue next season in the highest division of cycling and not lose in the category.

Maverick, as he should always be a winner and a super class, the ‘Bullet’ He does not rule out fighting for a day, but he knows and assumes that his role is different from the race. “If I could win a stage, it would be milk, very nice, but the ideal is to help the team”, he declared yesterday in a press conference, acknowledging and clarifying that “I am not qualified to be with the best in a 21-day that race” . However, the Murcian cyclist, who was unable to finish the last edition of La Vuelta after the fall, will try to improve even more if possible some numbers within the reach of very few. This year his 16th appearance at La Vuelta, which he won in 2009, where he was 2nd in 2019 and 3rd in 2003, 2013 and 2014, where he added 12 top tens and achieved 12 stage victories ; It is also known as ‘The Unbeaten’.