Alejandro Valverde rebounds with San Sebastián Classic win
Alejandro Valverde rebounded from missing the podium at the Tour de France by winning the San Sebastián Classic on Saturday.
The Movistar rider neutralized a late attack by rival Joaquim Rodríguez before breaking away on a downhill stretch with just over three kilometers to go while arriving to the Basque coastal city.
Valverde had time to raise both fists in victory as he finished the 219km (139-mile) mountainous trek in 5 hours, 31 minutes. Bauke Mollema finished second, followed closely by Rodríguez 14 seconds behind.
“I knew that if I was able to get ahead on the [last] climb they wouldn’t catch me doing down,” Valverde said.
Valverde finished the Tour de France in fourth place six days ago after struggling in the final stages. This was his second victory in the one-day classic in northern Spain after first winning it in 2008. The Spaniard also finished second in last year’s edition.
Peter Sagan and Philippe Gilbert, two other pre-race favorites, both withdrew during the event.