Cycling
The Murcian complained that the Belgian threw him against the fences in the sprint, but the judges validated the victory of the Lotto runner
Second day of competition for Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) in this 2022 and second day that he is about to achieve victory. The Murcian cyclist, who will turn 42 in three months, brushed the stick this Friday at the Serra de Tramuntana Trophy, the third round of the Mallorca Challenge. Only Tim Wellens (Lotto) prevented Alejandro Valverde from adding his first victory of his last active season. The race was decided in a sprint between the strongest on the final climb to Puig Major (14.6 km at 6%), where the race fell apart.
Only the strongest of the race held out ahead and in the sprint between them, on a slight climb, the Belgian achieved his fourth victory in a test that he already won in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and in which he was second in 2015. Wellens closed slightly to Valverde, whom he threw against the fences in the decisive meters. Thus, the Murcian had to stop pedaling in the last meters, but the technical jury approved Wellens’s career. And Valverde accepted defeat with sportsmanship. Thus, the one from Las Lumbreras had to settle for second place, after the sixth he obtained on Wednesday at the Calvià Trophy. Competitive from day one, Valverde wants to clean up the plate in the season of his goodbye to the peloton.
“He has apologized to me”
“I have to be happy. The team has been phenomenal these two days, out of 10. Both Enric [Mas] like me and all the rest of the team we have been good. Second day of competition and second day about to win; What more can I ask for?” Valverde asked himself after getting off the podium, where he accompanied the winner Wellens and the third-placed Australian Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech).
«Wellens has apologized to me, he said ‘sorry’ when he got on the podium… It must be for a reason. He has changed the trajectory from right to left totally. I was already on par with him, and if he kept going, he had room to pass, but as he saw that I overtook him, he moved further to the left and I had to stop pedaling. The judges have said that he is the winner, so there is nothing more to talk about. I congratulate him”, Valverde explained about the controversial finish this Friday at Puig Major. This Saturday, a new opportunity in the Trophy Pollença – Port d’Andratx (170.1 kms). And on Sunday this Mallorca Challenge will end with the Playa de Palma – Palma Trophy (169.1 kms).