Valverde detours around the cobbled classics

Alejandro Valverde has had a change of heart and will not race the majority of the classics as originally planned.

Movistar's Alejandro Valverde (Sirotti) Source: Sirotti

The Movistar captain will instead spend the time preparing at altitude for a fully committed tilt at the Giro d’Italia and miss the races like the Tour of Flanders.

“Tirreno-Adriatico and the pace this race (Milan-San Remo) has made Alejandro look towards the Giro even more excitedly than he already was, and we all are as eager as him to do well there,” Movistar Team general manager Eusebio Unzué said.

SBS will broadcast and live stream all stages of the 6-29 May Giro d'Italia. Times TBA.

While leaving there cobbled classics behind, Valverde will still ride the Vuelta a Castilla y León, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the run-up to the Giro.

“We both agreed it was better to change his race program,” Unzué said. So he tackles the first Grand Tour of the year with focus and calmness, with the best physical condition possible, yet not avoiding two races, Flèche and LBL, where we both have got great results during the last decade.”

Movistar has selected Andrey Amador, Nelson Oliveira, Jasha Sütterlin, Fran Ventoso, Juanjo Lobato, Carlos Betancur, Antonio Pedrero and Jorge Arcas for Dwars door Vlaanderen (Wednesday 23), E3 Harelbeke (Friday 25) and Gent-Wevelgem (Sunday 27).