Vuelta Rider Gallery: Alejandro Valverde

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) joins his teammates on a lap of the GP circuit that will play host to the Vuelta prologue

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Isabelle Duchesne

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Isabelle Duchesne

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Isabelle Duchesne

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) rolls off

  Photo credit © Isabelle Duchesne

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Isabelle Duchesne

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Eparnge)

  Photo credit © Elmar Krings

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), r, rides next to teammate Joaquím Rodríguez.

  Photo credit © Lavuelta.com

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © DCP/Bert Geerts

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) during the Valencia time trial Saturday.

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Lavuelta.com

• 

  Basso and Valverde wait for the climb before pulling off the gloves.

  Photo credit © Lavuelta.com

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) sprints to the line

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) crosses the line ahead of David de la Fuente (Fuji-Servetto), Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), Robert Gesink (Rabobank) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) turns to inspect the damage of his final sprint

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) is congratulated on the podium by Abraham Olano

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) accepts the gold jersey

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d'Epargne) does his loyal duty for Alejandro Valverde as they absorb almost all of the early breakaway

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Joaquin Rodriguez leads his Caisse d'Epargne captain Alejandro Valverde on the slopes of the Xorret del Cati

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) leads Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) with his twin boys in his hometown of Murcia, Spain

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Spaniard Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) remains race leader, his second day at the 2009 Vuelta a España, 11th career.

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) has some space to himself on the descent

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) multi-tasks: accepting the applause of the crowd as he carries out his parental duties

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde gets his golden jersey from Miguel Indurain.

  Photo credit © Lavuelta.com

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) claimed the white jersey for the combination classification.

  Photo credit © Lavuelta.com

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Lavuelta.com

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Robert Gesink (Rabobank) and Ivan Basso (Liquigas) couldn't catch the two off the front.

  Photo credit © sirott

• 

  Race leader Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © sirott

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) goes for the time bonus seconds.

  Photo credit © sirott

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) sits in the bunch.

  Photo credit © AFP

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) gets into his fresh gold jersey. He keeps the race lead.

  Photo credit © AFP

• 

  Race leader Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne)

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) rides in gold

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde was well protected by his Caisse d'Epargne teammates on the climb

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) climbs the Velefique

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) is surrounded at the finish in Velefique

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) at the finish

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) answered most of the questions that were asked of him on La Pandera

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) marks Robert Gesink's (Rabobank) rear wheel as the summit approaches

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) fought hard on the final climb

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) took a big step towards overall victory today on La Pandera

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• 

  Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) finishes the 14th stage of the Vuelta, his lead intact

  Photo credit © Sirotti

• Related Article - Vuelta Rider Gallery: Alejandro Valverde