Valverde talks Tour

By Antonio J. Salmerón

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) reacted to the new UCI anti-doping agreement that riders are supposed to sign by saying that "it seems atrocious to require any rider involved in a doping case to have to pay one year's salary." The Spaniard acknowledged that there was a lot of distraction but he has been able to recuperate well from his virus that forced him out of the Dauphiné.

He told Spanish paper La Verdad de Murcia that it is clear that his preparation has suffered because of the incident but indicated that "the mountain stages are still a month away and I will be ready in time."

The Caisse d'Epargne rider commented on to whether the Tour wanted to exclude him. "I have the impression that the Tour is afraid I'd be riding because of all the things that have been said about me or the involvement they like to charge me with."

Valverde indicated he is doing his own thing, which is riding his bike. "They can say what they want. It is nothing new that they wanted to link me to I don't know what; they did that just before the Worlds in Salzburg and they repeated the same false accusations when I renewed [my contract] with Caisse d'Epargne." Spanish daily ABC reported a link between Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes and Valverde after a card with the Spanish rider's name had been found at the doctor's house.