They considered him to be the super favorite of Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Alejandro Valverde did not disappoint expectations by slipping everyone across the finish line of the hundred and first Doyenne: for the Spanish champion it is an amazing trio in the last classic of the Ardennes Triptych which had already seen him win in 2006 and 2008. Another masterpiece that comes three days after his third triumph in the Freccia Vallona. Like on the Mur d'Huy on Wednesday, Valverde preceded yesterday – at the finish line in Ans (Liege) – for the second time Julian Alaphilippe, who confirms himself as the new French promise for one-day races.
On the third step of the podium went Joaquin Rodriguez, who until the very end with the support of his two Katusha companions, Moreno and our Caruso, hoped to make the coup against Valverde, the Movistar compatriot with whom Purito has ancient rusts, exacerbated by the angry disappointment of the Florentine world championship won by Rui Costa and lost by Rodriguez who accused Valverde of treason. For the Italians a Doyenne without many lights. Nibali tried it on the Cote de Saint Nicolas but the Shark didn't have the legs of the best days.
Thus he ended up sucked in and overtaken in the final offensive orchestrated by Movistar and Katusha. And in the tussle ahead of the arrival Valverde proved to be by far the strongest, confirming himself as the absolute master of the Ardennes, triumphantly closing a week which also coincided with his birthday on 25 April. Already in the Amstel Gold Race he had come close to winning in the sprint only by Michal Kwiatkowski: it would have been a “triple” that in the past was only achieved by Davide Rebellin in 2004 and Philippe Gilbert in 2011. Better than this, however, However, Valverde could not have celebrated his 35th birthday, an escalation of successes that makes the label of eternal place that the Murciano has been given to him a bit anachronistic due to the quantity of podiums conquered without ever getting on the top step.
In the big rounds Valverde always had a bad day which put him out of the game prematurely. Only in the Vuelta did Valverde manage to be a protagonist and the Vuelta is also the only major stage race won in 2009 by the Spaniard who in his nine participations also took two second places (2006 and 1012) and three third places (2003- 2013-14) winning a total of eight stages. Valverde is also the cyclist who has climbed the most times (six) on the podium of the road race of the world championships without ever having won, with two second and four third places. Numbers and competitive longevity that make Valverde a top player in world cycling. Once the spring classics have been archived with him and Degenkolb the only cyclists to win two each, the pedal season gets into the heart of the great stage races with the Giro which will start in about ten days.
In the pink race there will be no stellar clash – expected in the Tour – of the fantastic four. Quintana, Nibali and Froome will not be at the start. Of the great dominators of Giri and Tour there will be only Alberto Contador, the "gunslinger" who is aiming for a historic one-two this year by hitting the pink jersey and yellow jersey. The Spanish champion arrives in Sanremo with all the favors of the forecast. He will have to deal with Richie Porte, Fabio Aru and Rigoberto Uran, a respectable trio but on paper less deadly than what awaits him on the roads of the Tour.
