Alejandro Valverde - Interview
Alejandro visited his Caisse d'Epargne team mates at the Vuelta in Murcia. Comments on the Vuelta and his preparations for the Worlds in Stuttgart.

On the occasion of the passage of the Tour of Spain in Murcia, Alejandro Valverde visited his team-mates of Caisse d’Epargne, which are taking part in the Spanish race. He was happy to talk about the current events of the Vuelta and about his preparation for the World Championships.

This year, you chose not to take part in the Vuelta. How do you live it? Do you watch it on TV?

"Yes, it is sure that I look at it every day on TV. I like to see all my friends of the bunch and to encourage my team-mates of Caisse d’Epargne behind the screen. We are seeing a beautiful race. Denis Menchov is without any doubt the strongest man in the race, but he will have to reckon with a great adversary in the person of Vladimir Efimkin, who realized something great in the stage of Lagos de Covadonga, and which since then keeps on defending oneself very well. He is now the second overall and I believe that the podium is no longer just a dream for him.

A few members of the 2007 Tour Spanish Armada: Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne, Carlos Sastre (Team CSC) and Iban Mayo of Saunier Duval/Prodir pose before the start of Stage 3 for Stefano Sirotti. Photo © Fotoreporter Sirotti

On my side, it is true that I would have like to take part in the Tour of my country, but it was not planned for me to take part. I had already had two peaks of form this season, in the Classics and in the Tour de France. Now, I am preparing my third objective, which is the World Championship and I believe that neither the public nor myself, by respect, would have understood it if I had participated in the Vuelta with the only aim of preparing myself for the World Championship."

Are you happy with your results so far this season?

"Yes, I am. I think that I have been present where and when I had to be present and it is something important. It is true that I did not win any classic, but I finished the second of the Flèche Wallonne and the second of Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which proves that I was present and in condition.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Victors - Alejandro Valverde, Danilo Di Luca and Frank Schleck
Photo c. Fotoreporter Sirotti

One cannot win every year. Then, and for the first time, I finished the Tour de France, which was to some extent my big objective of this season. I acquired the experience which will be useful to me in the future and the fact of having arrived in Paris in my third participation is something extremely important for me. What I learned this year will be very useful in the next editions."

2007 Amstel Gold, Alejandro Valverde at the start. Photo c. Bart Hazen

How do you feel right now?

"I feel very well. I train between 4 and 5 hours every day to prepare for the World Championships and I am improving every day.”

Taking into account the position adopted by the UCI isn’t it a little difficult to concentrate on your preparation?

"In reality their position surprises me and I do not want nor should say something about the subject. Sometimes it is not easy, but I concentrate again very fast on my objective and I train with a big motivation, to arrive at the top of my form and try to win this World Championship with the Spanish selection, which is my greatest dream for the end of this season. To know that I am supported by the public of my country as well as by the sporting authorities like the Higher Council of Sports, the Spanish Cycling Federation, and also by my team Caisse d’Epargne and the riders of the bunch, makes so that I am grateful for these marks of support, and that reinforces my hope and my interest to give the best of myself on the occasion of the Cycling World Championships."

Caisse d'Epargne - Abarca Sports Responds

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