Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) continued his run of spring success on Saturday, winning the GP Miguel Indurain race with a solo attack.
The 37-year-old had been tempted to stay in Belgium for Sunday's Tour of Flanders after impressing at the mid-week Dwars door Vlaanderen. However, he preferred to head back to Spain and captained the Movistar team to take his ninth victory of 2018 in what is the team's home race.
Mitchelton-Scott only had five riders in the warm-up race for the Vuelta al Pais Vasco but still tried to take on Movistar in the finale, sending Jack Haig up the road in the early break and then in a solo move. However, Valverde used his teammates wisely to lead the chase and launch other attacks, before making his own move on the Alto de Muru, the final climb of the race.
Carlos Verona tried to defend Mitchelton-Scott's pride and went with him but was dropped on a short climb two kilometres from the finish. Valverde savoured a solo victory in Estella and was immediately congratulated by Miguel Indurain in person.
Verona finished 20 seconds behind, with Australian Nick Schulz (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) an impressive third at 1:04, leading home a front group of 14 riders that formed in the finale.
"I'm very happy to be able to win this edition for all that it means, with a tribute to (former team manager) José Miguel Echávarri. It's always a beautiful race but this time I wanted to come and ride for him," Valverde said, confirming the real reason why he preferred to return to Spain and miss the Tour of Flanders.
Full Results
| # | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team | 4:41:18 |
| 2 | Carlos Verona (Spa) Mitchelton Scott | 0:00:20 |
| 3 | Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga | 0:01:04 |
| 4 | Eduard Prades (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country - | 0:01:16 |
| 5 | Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team | Row 4 - Cell 2 |
| 6 | Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team | 0:01:19 |
| 7 | Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin | 0:01:30 |
| 8 | Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:01:43 |
| 9 | Simon Pilak (Slo) Team Katusha Alpecin | Row 8 - Cell 2 |
| 10 | Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Lokosphinx | 0:02:03 |
| 11 | Garikoitz Bravo (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country - | 0:02:59 |
| 12 | César Fonte (Por) W52-Fc Porto | 0:04:08 |
| 13 | Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team | 0:05:19 |
| 14 | Alexander Evtushenko (Rus) Lokosphinx | 0:05:28 |
| 15 | Brandon Mcnulty (USA) Rally Cycling | 0:06:26 |
| 16 | Domingos Gonçalves (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista | 0:07:36 |
| 17 | Robert Power (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:07:55 |
| 18 | Fernando Barcelo (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country - | 0:08:11 |
| 19 | Aitor Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country - | 0:08:13 |
| 20 | Alexander Vdovin (Rus) Lokosphinx | Row 19 - Cell 2 |
| 21 | Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence | Row 20 - Cell 2 |
| 22 | Jordi Simon (Spa) Burgos - Bh | Row 21 - Cell 2 |
| 23 | Robert Kišerlovski (Cro) Team Katusha Alpecin | Row 22 - Cell 2 |
| 24 | Fabricio Ferrari (Uru) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga | Row 23 - Cell 2 |
| 25 | Rui Vinhas (Por) W52-Fc Porto | Row 24 - Cell 2 |
| 26 | Ibai Azurmendi (Spa) Team Euskadi | Row 25 - Cell 2 |
| 27 | Robin Carpenter (USA) Rally Cycling | 0:08:23 |
| 28 | David Lozano (Spa) Team Novo Nordis | Row 27 - Cell 2 |
| 29 | Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Team Katusha Alpecin | Row 28 - Cell 2 |
| 30 | Oscar Cabedo (Spa) Burgos - Bh | Row 29 - Cell 2 |
| 31 | Joao Rodrigues (Por) W52-Fc Porto | Row 30 - Cell 2 |
| 32 | Beñat Txoperena (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country - | Row 31 - Cell 2 |
| 33 | Julen Amezqueta (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga | Row 32 - Cell 2 |
| 34 | Luís Gomes (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista | Row 33 - Cell 2 |
| 35 | Michel Ries (Lux) Polartec Kometa | 0:08:27 |
| 36 | Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence | Row 35 - Cell 2 |
| 37 | Danilo Celano (Ita) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga | 0:08:31 |
| 38 | Aritz Bagues (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country - | 0:08:32 |
| 39 | Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Team Euskadi | 0:08:33 |
| 40 | Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin | Row 39 - Cell 2 |
| 41 | Ian Boswell (USA) Team Katusha Alpecin | Row 40 - Cell 2 |
| 42 | Juan A Lopez-Cozar (Spa) Team Euskadi | Row 41 - Cell 2 |
| 43 | Jokin Etxabe Leturia (Spa) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin | Row 42 - Cell 2 |
| 44 | Cristian Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga | Row 43 - Cell 2 |
| 45 | Josu Zabala (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga | Row 44 - Cell 2 |
| 46 | Colin Joyce (USA) Rally Cycling | 0:08:42 |
| 47 | Nigel Ellsay (Can) Rally Cycling | Row 46 - Cell 2 |
| 48 | Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:08:47 |
| 49 | José Fernandes (Por) W52-Fc Porto | Row 48 - Cell 2 |
| 50 | Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling | 0:08:55 |
| 51 | Dmitrii Sokolov (Rus) Lokosphinx | 0:08:57 |
| 52 | Delio Fernandez (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence | 0:09:10 |
| 53 | Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence | 0:09:21 |
| 54 | Rein Taaramäe (Est) Direct Energie | 0:09:58 |
| 55 | Angel Madrazo (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence | 0:11:34 |
| 56 | Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling | 0:13:20 |
| 57 | Jorge Cubero (Spa) Burgos - Bh | 0:13:26 |
| 58 | Ricardo Garcia (Spa) Team Euskadi | Row 57 - Cell 2 |
| 59 | Daniel Lopez (Spa) Burgos - Bh | Row 58 - Cell 2 |
| 60 | Joaquim Silva (Por) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga | Row 59 - Cell 2 |
| 61 | Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Team Euskadi | 0:13:31 |
| 62 | Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Burgos - Bh | 0:13:33 |
| 63 | Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) Delko Marseille Provence | 0:17:02 |
| 64 | Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordis | 0:18:36 |
| 65 | Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordis | Row 64 - Cell 2 |
| 66 | Adrian Gonzalez (Spa) Burgos - Bh | 0:18:46 |
| 67 | Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally Cycling | 0:18:51 |
| 68 | Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton Scott | 0:20:41 |
| 69 | Michael Albasini (GBr) Mitchelton Scott | Row 68 - Cell 2 |
| 70 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie | 0:21:19 |
| 71 | Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 70 - Cell 2 |
| 72 | Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 71 - Cell 2 |
| 73 | Jeremy Cornu (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 72 - Cell 2 |
| 74 | Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie | Row 73 - Cell 2 |
| 75 | Emanuel Mini (Arg) Team Novo Nordis | 0:21:30 |
| 76 | Hendrus Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Team Novo Nordis | Row 75 - Cell 2 |
| 77 | Umberto Poli (Ita) Team Novo Nordis | Row 76 - Cell 2 |
| 78 | Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordis | Row 77 - Cell 2 |
| 79 | Jon Ander Insausti (Spa) Team Euskadi | 0:22:51 |
| 80 | Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Team Euskadi | 0:23:32 |
| 81 | Mikel Elorza (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling | Row 80 - Cell 2 |
| 82 | Artem Samolenkov (Rus) Lokosphinx | Row 81 - Cell 2 |
| 83 | Albert Torres Barcelo (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling | Row 82 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Winner A. Anacona (Col) Movistar Team | Row 83 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Jaime Castrillo (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 84 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team | Row 85 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Nathan Haas (Aus) Team Katusha Alpecin | Row 86 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Jhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha Alpecin | Row 87 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Javier Moreno (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence | Row 88 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Oscar Rodriguez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country - | Row 89 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Matvey Mamykin (Rus) Burgos - Bh | Row 90 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Tyler Magner (USA) Rally Cycling | Row 91 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Juan Camacho (Spa) Polartec Kometa | Row 92 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Awet Habtom Tekle (Eri) Polartec Kometa | Row 93 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Diego P. Sevilla (Spa) Polartec Kometa | Row 94 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Miguel Ballesteros (Spa) Polartec Kometa | Row 95 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Isaac Canton (Spa) Polartec Kometa | Row 96 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Patrick Gamper (Aut) Polartec Kometa | Row 97 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Jose Alfredo Aguirre (Mex) Inteja Dominican Cycling | Row 98 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Ignacio Sarabia Diaz (Mex) Inteja Dominican Cycling | Row 99 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Adrian S Nuñez (Dom) Inteja Dominican Cycling | Row 100 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Jesus Alberto Rubio (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling | Row 101 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Yukinori Hishinuma (Jpn) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin | Row 102 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Jayson Rousseau (Fra) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin | Row 103 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Ken-Levi Eikeland (Nor) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin | Row 104 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Jonas Hjorth (Nor) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin | Row 105 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Yury Trofimov (Rus) Radio Popular - Boavista | Row 106 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Egor Silin (Rus) Radio Popular - Boavista | Row 107 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | João Salgado (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista | Row 108 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Filipe Cardoso (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista | Row 109 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Oscar Pelegri (Spa) Radio Popular - Boavista | Row 110 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Mamyr Stash (Rus) Lokosphinx | Row 111 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Angel Lorenzo Sanchez (Spa) W52-Fc Porto | Row 112 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | António Carvalho (Por) W52-Fc Porto | Row 113 - Cell 2 |
| DNF | Tiago Ferreira (Por) W52-Fc Porto | Row 114 - Cell 2 |
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