Whoever expected to see fast man Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) in front of the bunch in the finishes of the Vuelta's flat stages was proven wrong in today's stage two from Malaga to Cordoba. In fact, the team management has decided to spare Valverde's capabilities for the harder stretches of the race, and because of his clear aim at the general classification, he stayed put in the middle of the peloton as the sprinters took over the command of the race.
"In spite of the heat and the fact that David Arroyo was the victim of a puncture at five kilometres from the finish, we had a quiet day," commented team director Eusebio Unzue. "Alejandro Valverde never had the intention to sprint today. We decided indeed not to take any unnecessary risks during those first stages because with those massive sprints it is sometimes impossible to avoid the danger they represent."
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
