Great performance at the Dauphiné

The first great test of Alejandro Valverde in his return to the competition arrived this Wednesday with the individual time trial of the Critérium du Dauphiné. Valverde faced a 23.5 km route between La Tour-du-Pin and Bourgoin-Jallieu where the Movistar Team rider finished with the third fastest time, only behind the Australian Richie Porte (BMC) and the German Tony Martin ( Katusha), both specialists in this kind of races.

Valverde has only conceded 24” over Porte, who is now the second in the overall behind the Belgian Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Soudal). The Spanish rider is third, 51” behind of the winner of the first stage. Behind them finished candidates such as Alberto Contador or Chris Froome, who are expected to attack from Friday on the final mountain days of this Dauphiné, a race included in the World Tour calendar.

Photo: Bettini Photo / Movistar Team