Alejandro Valverde

The Amstel Gold Race on Sunday opens the trio of classics completed by the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège next week. Valverde, Visconti, Rojas lead strong eight-man roster.One of the longest awaited moments of Movistar Team’s 2012 season has come. After their great performances in the first part of the season, the Ardennes classics see the squad managed by Eusebio Unzué bring a strong block for the 47th Amstel Gold Race. The Blue squad will be led by Alejandro Valverde, already...Read Full Story

After several failed attempts, Movistar Team claim their second victory of the season after the solo triumph by Valverde in Andalucía’s queen stage, take the leadership after impressive teamwork. Photo credit: Fran Reyes He did not fail in his first opportunity at the Tour Down Under, went disappointed after the cancellation of the last trophy in the Challenge de Mallorca, and again Alejandro Valverde did not let out the chance to win in the queen stage of the Vuelta a Andalucía. The...Read Full Story

Michael Rasmussen crushed stage 8 and holds a good lead now in the Tour de France.  He's wearing the leaders yellow jersey.  Both Rasmussen and Iban Mayo beat Valverde in Stage 8 - but Valverde raced well to take 3rd and put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack.By the end of the climbing in Stage 8, only Antonio Colom and David Arroyo were still with Rasmussen.  But Rasmussen eventually dropped them (in a big way) at the base of  the last steep hill of the stage. Rasmussen...Read Full Story

Controversial Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde took the overall lead of the Tour of Spain off Australian Cadel Evans following the race's ninth stage on Monday which was won by his compatriot Gustavo Cesar Veloso.Veloso, riding for Xacobeo Galicia, finished the 188.8-kilometre (117-mile) mountain stage between Alcoy and Xorret del Cati that included one category one climb in 5 hours, 21 minutes, 4 seconds.The 29-year-old attacked in the final climb of the stage to arrive 21 seconds ahead of...Read Full Story

The blood sample which can prove whether or not the Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde really committed doping was once again refused to be handed over. Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a two-time silver medallist in the UCI Road World Championships. He grabbed his two medals in the year 2003 and 2005. He has been racing for the UCI ProTeam Caisse d’Epargne. His specialties in road bicycle racing is varied. He is considered to be a strong climber, a sprinter, and a time trialist. Currently, he...Read Full Story

Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde on Monday received a two-year ban from world sport's top court, the CAS, over his implication in the Operation Puerto drugs scandal which erupted in 2006.The ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport will please several bodies who have been campaigning to see an Italy-wide ban on the Spaniard extended worldwide.Valverde, the recent winner of the Tour of Romandie in Switzerland and one of the most feared racers in hilly one-day classics and one-week stage...Read Full Story

Ag2R rider Cyril Dessel headed a trio of Frenchmen across the line in the fourth stage of the Dauphine Libre, although Spaniard Alejandro Valverde retained the yellow jersey.Dessel took first place in the 193 kms mountainous stage from Vienne to Annemasse after a late attack on the daunting Col de le Saleve climb.His compatriot Pierre Rolland was second 18 seconds behind with Amael Moinard in third place. Valverde remained the overall leader, 23 seconds ahead of American Levi Leipheimer...Read Full Story

World cycling chief Pat McQuaid said the International Cycling Union (UCI) could do nothing to stop Alejandro Valverde from racing the world championships road race on Sunday.Valverde is currently serving a two-year ban in Italy handed down by the country's Olympic Committee (CONI).But despite admitting he believed Valverde was implicated in the Operation Puerto scandal that erupted in May 2006, McQuaid said he would not extend that ban worldwide until the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS...Read Full Story

Italian Damiano Cunego claimed his second mountains victory of this year's Tour of Spain when he stamped his climbing prowess over the rain-hit 14th stage held over 157km from Grenada to La Pandera Sunday.Spanish race leader Alejandro Valverde of Caisse d'Epargne had to fight to keep the gold jersey but emerged defiant after resisting attacks from Samuel Sanchez, Ezequiel Mosquera, Cadel Evans and Robert Gesink on the final day in the high mountains.As the battle for final race glory went on...Read Full Story

Alejandro Valverde is closing in on the Spanish Vuleta title with one stage to go.The Spanish rider for Caisse D'Epargne cemented his overall lead Saturday with a seventh-place finish in a time trial won by Britain's David Millar of Garmin-Slipstream.Valverde finished in 35 minutes, 53 seconds. Spain's Samuel Sanchez was five seconds behind and Australia's Cadel Evans was nine seconds back."I feel liberated. With patience I think I could win a Tour de France," Valverde said. "I wanted to win...Read Full Story