La Route d’Occitanie marks the come back

Almost two months after being forced to leave Lieja-Bastogne-Liège, subsequently renouncing the Giro d’Italia, as a result of a coccyx injury, Alejandro Valverde returns to his favorite ecosystem: racing. Its has been a period of work, recovery, effort and much training that will have its first test from this Thursday in France, on the Route d’Occitanie.

This is a well-known appointment for him. Not in vain, he will use the bib number 1 as the last winner of its general classification. Valverde, who has worked at altitude in Sierra Nevada during the last weeks, faces four stages from Thursday to Sunday, with the mid-mountain day of the first stage and the Saturday queen stage, after climbing the Port de Balés and the arrival to Hospice de France as the most important days.

It will be the first and only test before the Spanish Championships, which this year are held in the Region of Murcia. Valverde will have at his side a powerful Movistar Team, with José Joaquín Rojas, Rafael Valls, Antonio Pedrero, Jaime Castrillo, Jorge Arcas and Eduard Prades.

Photo: Movistar Team