Share

Valverde bullish about Tour of Spain prospects

Madrid - Spain's Alejandro Valverde said he's sitting pretty in the Tour of Spain, despite trailing Britain's Simon Yates ahead of the 10th stage on Tuesday.

Valverde sits second in the overall standings and leads both the points and combined classifications for the race, which concludes on September 16 in Madrid.

"It would be hard to be in a better position all-round for me and the team," Valverde said in a press conference with his Movistar team-mate Nairo Quintana on Monday.

"Things are going very well, with the two stage wins, us being in second and third overall, and with very small time gaps too - one second for me, and Nairo at 14 seconds."

Valverde lost 24 seconds on Quintana during Sunday's ninth stage between Talavera de la Reina and La Covatilla.

But the Spanish veteran, 38, could not be better placed.

At only one second behind Yates (Mitchelton), who took over the red jersey from Frenchman Rudy Molard (Cofidis) on Sunday, he is firmly in contention for overall victory.

And, with Yates' Mitchelton team expected to shoulder the weight of the race -- controlling potentially dangerous attacks from rivals -- Valverde's Movistar team can contribute less to the chasing.

Having former Tour of Spain and Giro d'Italia champion Quintana in third place overall also gives Movistar tactical options when it comes to key stages in the mountains.

"We'll see how the rivals are doing. Yates is the most active and strongest of them," said Quintana.

The Tour of Spain continues on Tuesday with a 10th stage held over 177 kilometres between Salamanca and Fermoselle.

Chris Froome, the reigning Tour of Spain champion, has chosen to ride in the Tour of Britain, along with Tour de France winner Geraint Thomas.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
26% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1470 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2246 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE