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Valverde wins the GP Miguel Indurain

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Movistar leader goes solo in the finale

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Alejandro Valverde wins GP Miguel Indurain

Alejandro Valverde wins GP Miguel Indurain (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde

Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde

Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Nick Schultz, Alejandro Valverde and Carlos Verona on the GP Miguel Indurain podium

Nick Schultz, Alejandro Valverde and Carlos Verona on the GP Miguel Indurain podium (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Nick Schultz and Alejandro Valverde

Nick Schultz and Alejandro Valverde (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde

Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Alejandro Valverde with the 2018 GP Miguel Indurain trophy

Alejandro Valverde with the 2018 GP Miguel Indurain trophy (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde

Miguel Indurain congratulates Alejandro Valverde (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Nick Schultz (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) finishes third at GP Miguel Indurain

Nick Schultz (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) finishes third at GP Miguel Indurain (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Eduard Prades and Carlos Betancur

Eduard Prades and Carlos Betancur (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
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Nick Schultz, Alejandro Valverde and Carlos Verona on the GP Miguel Indurain podium

Nick Schultz, Alejandro Valverde and Carlos Verona on the GP Miguel Indurain podium (Image credit: Bettini Photo)

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) continued his run of spring success on Saturday, winning the GP Miguel Indurain race with a solo attack.

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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) TeamResult
1Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team4:41:18
2Carlos Verona (Spa) Mitchelton Scott0:00:20
3Nicholas Schultz (Aus) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga0:01:04
4Eduard Prades (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country -0:01:16
5Carlos Betancur (Col) Movistar Team
6Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team0:01:19
7Ilnur Zakarin (Rus) Team Katusha Alpecin0:01:30
8Lilian Calmejane (Fra) Direct Energie0:01:43
9Simon Pilak (Slo) Team Katusha Alpecin
10Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Lokosphinx0:02:03
11Garikoitz Bravo (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country -0:02:59
12César Fonte (Por) W52-Fc Porto0:04:08
13Andrey Amador (CRc) Movistar Team0:05:19
14Alexander Evtushenko (Rus) Lokosphinx0:05:28
15Brandon Mcnulty (USA) Rally Cycling0:06:26
16Domingos Gonçalves (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista0:07:36
17Robert Power (Aus) Mitchelton Scott0:07:55
18Fernando Barcelo (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country -0:08:11
19Aitor Gonzalez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country -0:08:13
20Alexander Vdovin (Rus) Lokosphinx
21Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence
22Jordi Simon (Spa) Burgos - Bh
23Robert Kišerlovski (Cro) Team Katusha Alpecin
24Fabricio Ferrari (Uru) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga
25Rui Vinhas (Por) W52-Fc Porto
26Ibai Azurmendi (Spa) Team Euskadi
27Robin Carpenter (USA) Rally Cycling0:08:23
28David Lozano (Spa) Team Novo Nordis
29Willem Jakobus Smit (RSA) Team Katusha Alpecin
30Oscar Cabedo (Spa) Burgos - Bh
31Joao Rodrigues (Por) W52-Fc Porto
32Beñat Txoperena (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country -
33Julen Amezqueta (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga
34Luís Gomes (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista
35Michel Ries (Lux) Polartec Kometa0:08:27
36Romain Combaud (Fra) Delko Marseille Provence
37Danilo Celano (Ita) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga0:08:31
38Aritz Bagues (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country -0:08:32
39Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Team Euskadi0:08:33
40Alexey Vermeulen (USA) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin
41Ian Boswell (USA) Team Katusha Alpecin
42Juan A Lopez-Cozar (Spa) Team Euskadi
43Jokin Etxabe Leturia (Spa) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin
44Cristian Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga
45Josu Zabala (Spa) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga
46Colin Joyce (USA) Rally Cycling0:08:42
47Nigel Ellsay (Can) Rally Cycling
48Jack Haig (Aus) Mitchelton Scott0:08:47
49José Fernandes (Por) W52-Fc Porto
50Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling0:08:55
51Dmitrii Sokolov (Rus) Lokosphinx0:08:57
52Delio Fernandez (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence0:09:10
53Mauro Finetto (Ita) Delko Marseille Provence0:09:21
54Rein Taaramäe (Est) Direct Energie0:09:58
55Angel Madrazo (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence0:11:34
56Francisco Mancebo (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling0:13:20
57Jorge Cubero (Spa) Burgos - Bh0:13:26
58Ricardo Garcia (Spa) Team Euskadi
59Daniel Lopez (Spa) Burgos - Bh
60Joaquim Silva (Por) Caja Rural - Seguros Rga
61Gotzon Martin Sanz (Spa) Team Euskadi0:13:31
62Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Burgos - Bh0:13:33
63Nikolay Mihaylov (Bul) Delko Marseille Provence0:17:02
64Charles Planet (Fra) Team Novo Nordis0:18:36
65Joonas Henttala (Fin) Team Novo Nordis
66Adrian Gonzalez (Spa) Burgos - Bh0:18:46
67Ryan Anderson (Can) Rally Cycling0:18:51
68Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton Scott0:20:41
69Michael Albasini (GBr) Mitchelton Scott
70Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie0:21:19
71Romain Sicard (Fra) Direct Energie
72Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Direct Energie
73Jeremy Cornu (Fra) Direct Energie
74Fabien Grellier (Fra) Direct Energie
75Emanuel Mini (Arg) Team Novo Nordis0:21:30
76Hendrus Van Ijzendoorn (Ned) Team Novo Nordis
77Umberto Poli (Ita) Team Novo Nordis
78Andrea Peron (Ita) Team Novo Nordis
79Jon Ander Insausti (Spa) Team Euskadi0:22:51
80Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Team Euskadi0:23:32
81Mikel Elorza (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling
82Artem Samolenkov (Rus) Lokosphinx
83Albert Torres Barcelo (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling
DNFWinner A. Anacona (Col) Movistar Team
DNFJaime Castrillo (Spa) Movistar Team
DNFAntonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team
DNFNathan Haas (Aus) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNFJhonatan Restrepo (Col) Team Katusha Alpecin
DNFJavier Moreno (Spa) Delko Marseille Provence
DNFOscar Rodriguez (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country -
DNFMatvey Mamykin (Rus) Burgos - Bh
DNFTyler Magner (USA) Rally Cycling
DNFJuan Camacho (Spa) Polartec Kometa
DNFAwet Habtom Tekle (Eri) Polartec Kometa
DNFDiego P. Sevilla (Spa) Polartec Kometa
DNFMiguel Ballesteros (Spa) Polartec Kometa
DNFIsaac Canton (Spa) Polartec Kometa
DNFPatrick Gamper (Aut) Polartec Kometa
DNFJose Alfredo Aguirre (Mex) Inteja Dominican Cycling
DNFIgnacio Sarabia Diaz (Mex) Inteja Dominican Cycling
DNFAdrian S Nuñez (Dom) Inteja Dominican Cycling
DNFJesus Alberto Rubio (Spa) Inteja Dominican Cycling
DNFYukinori Hishinuma (Jpn) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin
DNFJayson Rousseau (Fra) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin
DNFKen-Levi Eikeland (Nor) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin
DNFJonas Hjorth (Nor) Interpro Stradalli Cyclin
DNFYury Trofimov (Rus) Radio Popular - Boavista
DNFEgor Silin (Rus) Radio Popular - Boavista
DNFJoão Salgado (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista
DNFFilipe Cardoso (Por) Radio Popular - Boavista
DNFOscar Pelegri (Spa) Radio Popular - Boavista
DNFMamyr Stash (Rus) Lokosphinx
DNFAngel Lorenzo Sanchez (Spa) W52-Fc Porto
DNFAntónio Carvalho (Por) W52-Fc Porto
DNFTiago Ferreira (Por) W52-Fc Porto

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