Murcia: Valverde claims fifth race win on home soil

Veteran cyclist Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) soloed to his fifth career win at La Vuelta a Murcia in Spain on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Spaniard’s success at Murcia dates back to 2004, with his last win coming in 2014. The one-day, 182.7km Spanish classic from San Javier to Murcia featured three categorized climbs, including the brutal Category 1 Alto Collado Bermejo (1,200m), also showcased at the Vuelta a España.

Valverde escaped more than 60 kilometers from the finish and resisted his pursuers to the line. Colombian Jhonatan Restrepo (Katusha-Alpecin) took second (+2:10) directly in front of the Austrian Patrick Konrad (Bora-Hansgrohe).

“It really was hard, mainly because of those strong headwinds in the later part of the race down to Murcia,” said Valverde after the race. “I had planned to jump from the bottom of the Collado Bermejo, and I had my team-mates pushing hard from the Aledo part of the climb, but I was really hoping for someone to come from behind and take some turns with me.

“In the end, I saw I was alone and I told to myself: ‘I keep going on the descent, and should they catch me, maybe I can go for it in the sprint, and shouldn’t they, I win’ – and I made it to the finish. I just had to give it a try, even it it was so far away from the finish and it was a long shot, but that was the only point where I could win solo from. I took that chance, and I succeeded.”

Next up for Valverde is Ruta del Sol.

“After [Nairo Quintana’s] success in Valencia, things are looking really promising for us this season – it’s just taking from where we left, after we won those four consecutive WorldTour titles all the way up to 2016,” he said. “Now it’s about having some rest and taking the start of the Ruta del Sol on Wednesday. There, we’ll find Alberto Contador and many other big riders, and we will have to try and continue with this streak.”

Results

• 1. Alejandro VALVERDE BELMONTE, MOVISTAR, in 4:03:08
• 2. JHONATAN RESTREPO VALENCIA, KATUSHA-ALPECIN, at 2:10
• 3. Patrick KONRAD, BORA-HANSGROHE, at 2:10
• 4. Jurgen ROELANDTS, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 2:10
• 5. Baptiste PLANCKAERT, KATUSHA-ALPECIN, at 2:10
• 6. Jon IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, BAHRAIN-MERIDA, at 2:10
• 7. Christopher JUUL JENSEN, ORICA-SCOTT, at 2:10
• 8. Tiesj BENOOT, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 2:10
• 9. Pieter WEENING, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTTERIJ at 2:10
• 10. Emanuel BUCHMANN, BORA-HANSGROHE, at 2:10
• 11. Felix GROSSSCHARTNER, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 2:10
• 12. Romain SICARD, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 2:10
• 13. Marc SOLER GIMENEZ, MOVISTAR, at 2:10
• 14. Garikoitz BRAVO OIARBIDE, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY-MURIAS, at 2:10
• 15. Javier MORENO BAZAN, BAHRAIN-MERIDA, at 2:10
• 16. David BELDA, BURGOS-BH, at 2:10
• 17. Hector SAEZ BENITO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 2:10
• 18. Daniel NAVARRO GARCIA, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 2:10
• 19. Gorka IZAGIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR, at 2:10
• 20. Ruben FERNANDEZ ANDUJAR, MOVISTAR, at 2:10
• 21. Simon ŠPILAK, KATUSHA-ALPECIN, at 2:10
• 22. Robert KIŠERLOVSKI, KATUSHA-ALPECIN, at 2:10
• 23. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 2:25
• 24. Lukasz OWSIAN, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 4:07
• 25. Oscar RIESEBEEK, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTTERIJ at 4:07
• 26. Jan TRATNIK, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 4:07
• 27. Yoann OFFREDO, WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT, at 4:07
• 28. Guillaume BONNAFOND, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 4:07
• 29. Colin JOYCE, RALLY CYCLING, at 4:41
• 30. Elmar REINDERS, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTTERIJ at 4:41
• 31. Egoitz FERNANDEZ AYARZAGUENA, TEAM UKYO, at 4:41
• 32. Etienne VAN EMPEL, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTTERIJ at 4:41
• 33. Martijn BUDDING, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTTERIJ at 4:41
• 34. Diego RUBIO HERNANDEZ, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:41
• 35. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT, at 4:41
• 36. Maciej PATERSKI, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 4:41
• 37. Eliot LIETAER, SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE, at 4:41
• 38. Alexander ARANBURU DEVA, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:41
• 39. Antonio MOLINA CANET, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:41
• 40. Luka PIBERNIK, BAHRAIN-MERIDA, at 4:41
• 41. Christopher BUTLER, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 4:41
• 42. Salvador GUARDIOLA, TEAM UKYO, at 4:41
• 43. Frederik FRISON, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 4:41
• 44. Sepp KUSS, RALLY CYCLING, at 4:41
• 45. Sergey FIRSANOV, Gaz, at 4:41
• 46. Brian NAULEAU, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 4:41
• 47. Jeroen MEIJERS, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTTERIJ at 4:41
• 48. Yoann BAGOT, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 4:41
• 49. Beñat TXOPERENA MATXIKOTE, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY-MURIAS, at 4:41
• 50. Igor MERINO KORTAZAR, BURGOS-BH, at 4:41
• 51. Mikel BIZKARRA ETXEGIBEL, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY-MURIAS, at 4:41
• 52. Pieter VANSPEYBROUCK, WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT, at 4:41
• 53. Robert BRITTON, RALLY CYCLING, at 4:41
• 54. Evan HUFFMAN, RALLY CYCLING, at 4:41
• 55. Cesare BENEDETTI, BORA-HANSGROHE, at 4:41
• 56. José MENDES, BORA-HANSGROHE, at 4:41
• 57. Jérôme BAUGNIES, WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT, at 4:41
• 58. Magnus Cort NIELSEN, ORICA-SCOTT, at 4:41
• 59. Perrig QUEMENEUR, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 11:07
• 60. Andreas SCHILLINGER, BORA-HANSGROHE, at 11:07
• 61. Jelle WALLAYS, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 11:07
• 62. Paul OURSELIN, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 11:07
• 63. Maxime FARAZIJN, SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE, at 11:07
• 64. Kevin DELTOMBE, SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE, at 11:07
• 65. David PER, BAHRAIN-MERIDA, at 11:07
• 66. Rayane BOUHANNI, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 11:07
• 67. Ivan MORENO SANCHEZ, SPAIN, at 11:07
• 68. Thomas DEGAND, WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT, at 11:07
• 69. Frederik BACKAERT, WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT, at 11:07
• 70. Kenneth VANBILSEN, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 11:07
• 71. Ibai SALAS ZORROZUA, BURGOS-BH, at 11:07
• 72. Adam DE VOS, RALLY CYCLING, at 11:07
• 73. Jens WALLAYS, SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE, at 11:07
• 74. Antonio PEDRERO LOPEZ, MOVISTAR, at 11:07
• 75. Marcin MROZEK, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 11:07
• 76. Oscar PUJOL, TEAM UKYO, at 11:07
• 77. Dmitriy KOZONTCHUK, GAZPROM-RUSVELO, at 11:07
• 78. Mathew HAYMAN, ORICA-SCOTT, at 11:07
• 79. Alexander FOLIFOROV, GAZPROM-RUSVELO, at 11:07
• 80. Benjami PRADES, TEAM UKYO, at 11:07
• 81. Antonio NIBALI, BAHRAIN-MERIDA, at 11:07
• 82. Benjami PRADES, TEAM UKYO, at 11:07
• 83. Tosh VAN DER SANDE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 11:07
• 84. Stéphane ROSSETTO, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 21:07
• 85. Jerome COUSIN, COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS, at 21:11
• 86. Justin OIEN, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 25:54
• 87. Luka MEZGEC, ORICA-SCOTT, at 25:54
• 88. Eduardo LLACER GABARRON, SPAIN, at 25:54
• 89. Miguel Angel BALLESTEROS CANOVAS, SPAIN, at 25:54
• 90. Ruben POLS, SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE, at 25:54
• 91. Jeremy CORNU, DIRECT ENERGIE, at 25:54
• 92. Ángel VICIOSO ARCOS, KATUSHA-ALPECIN, at 25:54
• 93. Piotr BROZYNA, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 25:54
• 94. Maxim BELKOV, KATUSHA-ALPECIN, at 25:54
• 95. Leszek PLUCINSKI, CCC SPRANDI POLKOWICE, at 25:54
• 96. Imanol ESTEVEZ SALAS, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY-MURIAS, at 29:53
• 97. Julen IRIZAR LASKURAIN, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY-MURIAS, at 29:53
• 98. Jose Daniel VIEJO REDONDO, Uni, at 29:53
• 99. Marcos JURADO RODRIGUEZ, BURGOS-BH, at 29:53
• 100. Josu ZABALA LOPEZ, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at 29:53
• 101. Adrian GONZALEZ VELASCO, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY-MURIAS, at 29:53
• 102. José Carlos NUÑEZ, DARE VIATOR, at 29:53
• 103. Igor BOEV, GAZPROM-RUSVELO, at 29:53
• 104. Jarl SALOMEIN, SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE, at 29:53
• 105. Marco MATHIS, KATUSHA-ALPECIN, at 29:53
• 106. Tim ARIESEN, ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTTERIJ at 29:53
• 107. Sam BEWLEY, ORICA-SCOTT, at 29:53
• 108. Guillaume VAN KEIRSBULCK, WANTY-GROUPE GOBERT, at 29:53
• 109. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 29:53
• 110. Danny PATE, RALLY CYCLING, at 29:53
• 111. Kirill SVESHNIKOV, GAZPROM-RUSVELO, at 30:19
• 112. Roman MAIKIN, GAZPROM-RUSVELO, at 30:19
• 113. Domen NOVAK, BAHRAIN-MERIDA, at 30:19
• 114. Tanzou TOKUDA, TEAM UKYO, at 30:19
• DNF Jorge ARCAS PEÑA, MOVISTAR
• DNF Jasha SÜTTERLIN, MOVISTAR
• DNF Yoshimitsu HIRATSUKA, TEAM UKYO
• DNF Romain CARDIS, DIRECT ENERGIE
• DNF Jens KEUKELEIRE, ORICA-SCOTT
• DNF Jan BÁRTA, BORA-HANSGROHE
• DNF Silvio HERKLOTZ, BORA-HANSGROHE
• DNF Raul CASTRILLO SEDANO, BURGOS-BH
• DNF Alvaro ROBREDO CRESPO, BURGOS-BH
• DNF Joan RUIZ VICENS, BURGOS-BH
• DNF Javier FUENTES JORDA, SPAIN
• DNF Ruben MONTOYA LOPEZ, SPAIN
• DNF Eusebio PASCUAL BONHOME, SPAIN
• DNF Carlos LORENTE GARCIA, DARE VIATOR
• DNF Javier VALERO AMAT, DARE VIATOR
• DNF Óscar SÁNCHEZ, DARE VIATOR
• DNF Miguel CALATAYUD FEO, DARE VIATOR
• DNF Francisco Jose CASTELLO DOBON, DARE VIATOR
• DNF Ander BARRENETXEA URIARTE, EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY-MURIAS
• DNF Ion Ander INSAUSTI IRASTORZA, BAHRAIN-MERIDA
• DNF Eric YOUNG, RALLY CYCLING
• DNF Evgeny SHALUNOV, GAZPROM-RUSVELO
• DNF Yusuke HATANAKA, TEAM UKYO

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