Alejandro Valverde optimistic for the season ahead
Alejandro Valverde of Team Movistar stated that the two-year belated ban that he served for doping can actually help him in extending his professional career.
The cyclist was charged of blood-doping with links to Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes as announced by Court of Arbitration for Sport on May 31, 2012 and was disqualified from all the victories since January 1, 2010.
“I think that year and a half of a stop will extend my career, as I was mentally disconnected [from cycling]. I had no objectives and no pressure,” he told Diario de Navarra.
The Spaniard never admitted any wrong doings and noted that he had won a World’s medal in 2003 and has many other top performances even before he was accused of anything.
“I won a medal at the Worlds in 2003 and in 2012, I was still up there,” he said. “And in this Vuelta, I was better than when I won it”.
“I suffered less and I came through it better. I have three children and it’s hard to leave them, but I like this life. I would like to keep going until I’m 37 or 38,” he concluded.
The 32-year-old returned to professional cycling in 2012 and was as usual impressive with his several marvelous performances in the current season.
He claimed stages at the Vuelta a Andalucia, Tour de France, Vuelta a Espana, Tour Down Under and Paris-Nice 2012.
Valverde bagged an overall victory at the Vuelta a Andalucia, second overall at the Vuelta a Espana, Santos Tour Down Under and occupied the third overall spot at the Paris-Nice 2012.
Team Movistar cyclist also managed to fill his bag with 394 UCI points throughout the season and achieved the fifth overall position after the UCI World Tour Individual rankings.
Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver of Team Katusha leads the category with 692 UCI points, while Bradley Wiggins (601 points), Tom Boonen (410 points) and Vincenzo Nibali (400 points) occupying the second, third and the fourth positions respectively.
Alejandro is now targeting the Tour de France 2013 as the biggest goal of his new season and is optimistic to improve his previous best of sixth overall finish at the Tour de France 2007.
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