Back to Tuscany

The week that Alejandro Valverde gathered from the Kings of Spain the King Felipe Award within the National Sports Awards in recognition of his 2018 season (the year of the world title in Innsbruck and a long list of victories, including the GC of the Volta a Catalunya, the UAE Tour, the Vuelta a Valencia or the Route d’Occitanie or two stages of the Vuelta a España), the Murcian travelled to Italy to participate this weekend in Strade Bianche.

One of the first major one-day events of the season, even considered the sixth Monument despite its short history. The beauty of the Tuscan landscapes and its exclusive and demanding route make it a unique race, with long and numerous sterrato areas that make the difference and give away some of the most iconic images of each cycling campaign.

Alejandro has fought with the best in previous editions of the race, reaching two third places as the most outstanding results. The Murcian heads a powerful Movistar Team where he will coincide with Iván García Cortina, Gonzalo Serrano, Abner González, Héctor Carretero, Sergio Samitier and Lluís Mas.

The seven men will defend the blue jersey of the World Tour squad in a 184 kilometer race that will be decided again on the unpaved ascents of its second half, with the entrance to Siena through the already traditional Santa Caterina climb as the culminating point.