Vuelta a España - Alejandro Valverde: Roglic and I had a good understanding
Sep 09 2019 12:15 am CET
Photo of Alejandro Valverde © Mary Cárdenas / CyclingPub.com
Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) crossed the finish line of the Vuelta a España stage 15 in the ninth place, maintaining the gap with Primoz Roglic and extending his advantage over Tadej Pogacar and Miguel Ángel López.
The World Champion launched a strong attack on the last climb of the day and he was only followed by Roglic. The duo worked together to increase the gap with the other favourites and they crossed the finish line together, two minutes and 14 seconds behind the winner of the stage Sepp Kuss.
The rider remains in the second position of the General Classification at two minutes and 25 seconds from Roglic and one minute and 17 seconds ahead of Pogacar. "My legs felt good and that's why I tried almost from the start (of the last climb) to see what happened," said the rider. "We all suffered, we both in front and the group that was chasing us. If I wouldn't have taken any time, it would have been a bad move, but 40 seconds are good. Roglic and I had a good understanding, we both took turns and we got a good advantage over our rivals.
"I want to thank the team for giving me the chance of being here once again fighting for the Vuelta, and Soler who did an amazing job. We did what we had to do, battling from the beginning and putting Soler in the breakaway. Marc tried it, but once he realised he wasn't taking the stage win, he stopped to help me. For now, we go day by day, the truth is that we all suffered a lot, but we have to be happy about arriving to the end. Tomorrow will be a very similar day, very difficult, as it always is in Asturias. A Vuelta victory for the grandfather? The grandfather never tells the last word."