Spanish coach plays down speculation of Worlds rivalry between Valverde and Rodriguez
Alejandro Valverde stole the Vuelta a España points jersey from Joaquim Rodriguez on stage 21 when Purito had a puncture before the sprint
Alejandro Valverde courted a little controversy on stage 21 of the Vuelta a España on Sunday by winning the intermediate sprint to snatch the points jersey while the incumbent, Joaquim Rodriguez, suffered with a puncture.
The pair will line up together for Spain in the UCI World Championships road race in Richmond on September 27 and team manager Javier Minguez insists the incident will not be an issue.
Protocol usually dictates that attacks are not made on the final stage of a Grand Tour, with the ride to the finish line virtually a procession, but Valverde threw caution to the wind by launching his sprint for points victory.
“I'm not worried. When on the circuit they will only think of the race,” Minguez told as.com.
Valverde will be joined by three Movistar teammates in the 259.2km race in Virginia, with Ion Izagirre, Imanol Erviti and Juan Jose Lobato making the cut for the squad. Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana), Ruben Plaza (Lampre-Merida) and Luis Mas (Caja Rural) round out the nine-man team.
Sanchez will first ride the individual time trial along with Jonathan Castroviejo (Movistar).
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Stuart Clarke is a News Associates trained journalist who has worked for the likes of the British Olympic Associate, British Rowing and the England and Wales Cricket Board, and of course Cycling Weekly. His work at Cycling Weekly has focused upon professional racing, following the World Tour races and its characters.
-
“There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable fenders”
Best practices for keeping yourself, your bike and your friends dry in the wet season, plus some FAQs (Fenderly Asked Questions)
By Tyler Boucher Published
-
Are modern framesets killing mechanical groupsets?
The latest crop of carbon race bikes pay little heed to mechanical shifting - but does that matter?
By Luke Friend Published
-
UCI Road World Championships 2024: Elite women's and men's time trial start times
The full rider lists and start times for the individual time trials in Zurich
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Jorgenson and Faulkner to lead a strong Team USA at UCI Road World Championships
The 2024 UCI Road World Championships are held in Zurich, Switzerland, September 21-29
By Anne-Marije Rook Published
-
Promising 18-year-old dies in training incident
Spanish teenager Juan Pujalte rode for Alejandro Valverde's team
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘Unprecedented’ television audiences revealed for cycling Super Worlds
Fans around the world watched more than 200 million hours in August
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Team USA at Road Worlds: Are Powless and Dygert our best hopes for a medal?
Here's who we'll be watching in the rainbow battles in Glasgow, Scotland.
By Henry Lord Published
-
Glasgow UCI World Championships bags Lidl partnership
Supermarket chain becomes official fresh food partner for the championships taking place in Glasgow in August
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Giro d’Italia organiser postpones Maglia Rosa presentation after death of Davide Rebellin
Presentation indefinitely postponed by RCS after Rebellin’s sudden death
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Tributes to Davide Rebellin pour in from the global cycling community
Italian recently retired professional cyclist was killed yesterday morning after being struck by a truck
By Tom Thewlis Published