Alejandro Valverde is a legend, not only in Spanish cycling, but also in cycling in general. The Murcian, after the tour of Lombardy, says goodbye to the world of professional cycling. The Spaniard has played his last tournament and we must remember how and when the legend of a cyclist who He fought until the last day to try to take Spanish cycling to the top. This Saturday, October 8, Valverde says goodbye to the sport in which he has achieved countless successes.
When did Alejandro Valverde debut?
Alejandro Valverde started in the world of professional cycling in 2002, at the age of 22. It was on the team Kelme-Costa Blanca, under the orders of Vicente Belda. At that time, nobody expected the long career that the Murcian was going to complete as a professional cyclist. In that same year, without much experience, he already ran his first Grand Tour. The return to Spain. Unfortunately, Valverde was unable to put in a great performance in the competition as had to leave her.
What was Valverde’s first professional victory?
The first victory as a professional of the ‘bala’ was on April 9, 2003. This day, the Murcian managed to finish first in the third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country. This would be the first of many victories for the Spaniard who that same year he achieved a third place overall in the Vuelta a España and a second place in the World Championship. Total, 8 victories of great merit in 2003, including two first places in stages of La Vuelta a España to start a streak that would last a long time.
How many races has Alejandro Valverde won?
The cyclist from Las Lumbreras has achieved a total of 133 races in his 20-year career. This establishes him as one of the best Spanish cyclists in history. Of these victories, many are in Grand Tours, since Valverde always appeared in the important moments. The Murcian has 17 stage victories in the Grand Tours. He also took a win at the 2018 World Championships.