Alejandro Valverde: “It’s a shame to leave because I love cycling”

Alejandro Valverdewho this year graduated from the ranks of Movistar in an extensive professional career as a cyclist, declared that he lived “the end of the dream” because of how the results were achieved and the love received from the Spanish fans.

Valverde, 42, has retired from cycling after two decades in the professional peloton, a record 133 victories and victories as important as the 2018 World Cup, a Vuelta a España in 2009 and a third place in the Tour de France in 2015 and one more. at the 2016 Giro d’Italia.

“This is the end of the year that I dreamed of. I could have retired last year but with the pandemic and the small public it wouldn’t have been good. This year has been very good and the end of the Tour of Spain is wonderful in the departure and arrival. In addition, in Italy there were four very good races and the results were good”, said Valverde, in the presentation of the Movistar team for next season.

The Murcian athlete continues in the Movistar structure and will assist the team led by Eusebio Unzué in technical tasks.

“Today we have young people and not so young. I am in the first concentration of this team and I, who is a happy runner, even though I am my years old, I enjoyed a lot this concentration. Within the training with they I see many things that I transfer to the directors and coaches and it’s always nice to help”, he confessed.

“It’s been eighteen very nice years with the team and I’ve enjoyed it a lot. It’s a shame to leave because cycling is my passion, also my job, but it’s something I like. Now, in the new facet, everything that means contributes and help the team to be better, I will try to do it”, he concluded.