Valverde, Sastre, Sánchez to race in Spanish criterium

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne), Carlos Sastre (Cervélo) and Samuel Sánchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) will participate in the Spanish Professional Cyclists Association (ACP) criterium in San Andrés del Rabanedo (León), Spain on Sunday.  The trio tops a list of Spanish cyclists racing to honour former Tour de France winner Federico Bahamontes.

The event consists of two races: a team time trial and circuit race, according to Europa Press. The organisers offer bonus seconds to the first three riders over the line in each lap of the three-lap circuit race. They will subtract the bonus seconds from the time trial times to determine the winner.

Vuelta a España winner and last year's ACP criterium winner Valverde will race with 2008 Tour de France winner Sastre, Olympic Champion Samuel Sánchez , Luis León Sánchez (Caisse d'Epargne), Juan José Cobo (Fuji-Servetto), Ezequiel Mosquera (Xacobeo Galicia), Santiago Perez (Medeinox Boavista), José Luis Rubiera (Astana) and Benjamin Noval (Astana).

It's the 16th year of the ACP criterium.  Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador (Astana) won it in 2007.

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