“I hoped to get a stage win,” the Movistar man said. “But I thought second was impossible.”
“[Finishing second in the Vuelta] Definitely motivates me, it means I’m in great form. Better than finishing 55th. We now have enough time from the end of the Vuelta to regain strength, rest, focus and go.
The Yorkshire course features some longer climbs in the early goings after setting out from Leeds before dropping riders onto a lumpy 14-kilometer Harrogate circuit that the men’s race will cover seven times.
“It’s a good World Championships for me, but not as good as Innsbruck”, added Valverde. “You have to be realistic and last year suited very few riders while this year the race is quite open. I have options, but fewer than last year.”
Alejandro Valverde will lead Spain team once again in Yorkshire and will be joined by Movistar teammates Jose Joaquin Rojas, Marc Soler and Imanol Erviti, Astana trio Ion Izagirre, Gorka Izagirre and Luis Leon Sanchez, along with Jonathan Castroviejo (Team Ineos) and Ivan Garcia (Bahrain-Merida).
