Alexander Valverde At 41, he is living his last season in the professional peloton. The Spaniard with a long list of achievements is enjoying his last Ardennes tour, he who has so often shone there. In an interview with DH, Valverde spoke regarding these races he loves so much and more particularly regarding Liège-Bastogne-Liège, which he won four times: “I wouldn’t say it’s the most beautiful, but I fell in love with it from my first participation in 2005. 15 kilometers from the finish, I was part of the group of breakaways, then I got let go and I lost a quarter of an hour. But despite this failure, I understood that I liked him. She suits me well“.
However, it was the slopes of the Mur de Huy on the Flèche Wallonne that he most often tamed, five times, including four consecutive successes. But the charm of the Doyenne is superior to that of the Flèche: “Even if I have more victories in Huy, Liège has something more. It is a monument. I manage to enjoy its beauty while running“.
And for his final Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Alejandro Valverde sees a Belgian winning, in the person of Wout van Aert. However, the Belgian has just come out of covid and only added the Doyenne following his withdrawal from the Amstel Gold Race. It must be said that the Belgian champion achieved a big number last weekend on Paris-Roubaix, finishing second. The 2018 world champion therefore makes it his favorite: “I love it. He is out of category and can win almost anywhere. For me, he has every chance on Sunday. I would even say that he is the number 1 favorite for the victory in Liège-Bastogne-Liège“.
Answer this Sunday at the end of the 257km of the Doyenne.