Alejandro Valverde, the former rider of Movistar recently retired at the age of 42 after 20 professional seasons, made his debut in the Clásica de Jaén following the race from the director’s car, where “cycling lives in another way”, an experience that, “For now”, the 2018 world champion has no plans to take over as squad leader in the future.
Still sharp in his physique, in shape, “El Bala” dresses as a civilian, with ripped jeans in youth fashion, as a prominent figure in the Movistar bus, where the youngest sees him as a reference to whom ask for the best advice. On the day of his debut, following the race from the car with the direct “Chente” García Acosta, Valverde admitted “another kind of nerves”.
“I will go and go with Chente in the car, learning from his experience. From the car, things are seen differently. At the moment, I am doing well with the fact that I have retired from competition, although it is true that I miss it . after so many years years. I still trained and I’m in good shape, but it was nice to ride the bus and the car and be with the riders. Yesterday I rode a bike with the boys, I felt something strange, but I- I enjoy a lot,” explained Valverde at the exit and Úbeda.
Valverde, winner of 4 Lieges, 5 Walloon Arrows and Vuelta a España, has maintained almost the weight of his best form as a professional, and in recent team training sessions in the Sierra Nevada he did not clash with his active teammates, who he tried. to help “everything they need”.
The former cyclist from Murcia has positively assessed Movistar’s start to the season, which already has 4 victories, the last of which was achieved today by Matteo Jorgenson in the Tour of Oman.
“It has been a very calm start to the season. The team is having very good visibility, except in Mallorca, where there was bad weather. I see the team as good and with these victories the climate is calm.”
“El Bala” intends to follow races such as Strade Bianche and Paris Roubaix from the director’s car, the latter of which he has not yet done.
Becoming a director in the future and assuming that doesn’t seem to be among Valverde’s future ideas.
“Being a director, at the moment I have not considered it, but you have to go little by little. I just got off the bike, I want to enjoy the bike in a different way. If you are a director, you enjoy cycling, but in another way, the tension of the races and the trips have the same tension as when you are a runner. At the moment I am not thinking about being a director”, concluded.
Source: La Verdad
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