Spain’s Alejandro Valverde bounced back from his Tour de France disappointment by winning Saturday’s Clasica de San Sebastian.
The 34-year-old Movistar rider, who finished fourth in last month’s Tour after being pushed off the podium in the final mountain stage, finished 14 seconds ahead of Dutchman Bauke Mollema and Spaniards Joaquim Rodriguez and Mikel Nieve.
Last year’s winner of the 219.2km race over undulating terrain along the Basque coastline, Frenchman Tony Gallopin, was fifth at 26 seconds.
Photo: EPA
It was Valverde’s second victory in the one-day race after he triumphed in 2008.
He made his move on the descent of the Bordako Tontorra climb in the final 7km. He had crested the short, but brutal second category ascent — 2.5km at a 20 percent average gradient — alongside Rodriguez.
However, the Katusha rider, known as Purito, could not keep up with Valverde’s descent skills.
“Purito told me we were going too fast and I regulated the speed on the descent so as not to lose my rhythm,” Valverde said. “Now we’ll enjoy the victory.”
Valverde is next expected to ride in the Vuelta a Espana, which is to begin in three weeks.
The Spaniard’s task was helped by two of his main rivals withdrawing during the race amid suffocating heat.
Belgian Ardennes Classics specialist Philippe Gilbert quit after 76km, with three-time Tour green jersey winner Peter Sagan climbing off his bike shortly afterward.
Basque rider Amtes Txurruka had made the lone breakaway of the race, holding a lead of almost seven minutes at one stage, but with 60km left he had been reeled in.
On the final Bordako Tontorra climb, Ukrainian Andriy Grivko opened up a 30 second lead, but he was swept up before the summit.
Once Valverde got clear on the descent, he arrived into San Sebastian’s winding, narrow streets on his own and there was no catching the 2009 Vuelta winner.
The hilly Classic includes former Tour winner Miguel Indurain, former world champion Paolo Bettini and Gilbert amongst its past winners.
A stunning Lamine Yamal strike on Thursday helped crown Barcelona La Liga champions with a 2-0 win over local rivals RCD Espanyol, with victory ensuring Real Madrid cannot catch them at the top of the table. Yamal’s effort and Fermin Lopez’s goal took Hansi Flick’s side seven points clear of Los Blancos with two matches remaining, to clinch Barcelona’s 28th title and complete a superb domestic treble. Only the UEFA Champions League title escaped an exciting young Barca side this season, as they won the league for the second time in six years, at Espanyol’s ground again just as in 2022-2023. Back then,
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Jannik Sinner on Thursday marched into the semi-finals of the Italian Open after destroying Casper Ruud in straight sets 6-0, 6-1, while Coco Gauff won a marathon three-set battle with China’s Zheng Qinwen to advance to the women’s singles final. American Gauff is to face Italy’s Jasmine Paolini in today’s title match after pulling through 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (7/4) in a match that lasted over three-and-a-half hours. Ruud was supposed to be Sinner’s toughest test in Rome since he came back from his three-month doping ban, as the Norwegian came into the match in hot form on clay after winning in
Shohei Ohtani on Thursday delivered his first two-homer game of the season and had six RBIs as the Los Angeles Dodgers poured it on with five long balls in a 19-2 victory over the visiting Athletics. Max Muncy, Andy Pages and James Outman also hit home runs for the Dodgers, who left no doubt by taking a 13-2 lead following a seven-run third inning. Muncy and Kim Hye-seong each had three hits for Los Angeles. Dodgers right-hander Matt Sauer led off a bullpen game by allowing two runs in four innings. Left-hander Justin Wrobleski (1-1) finished with four scoreless innings after he
RSS