VALVERDE’S WAIT GAIN
ALEJANDRO VALVERDE ended his long wait for victory in the men’s road race at the Road World Championships.
The 38-year-old Spaniard, who served a two-year doping suspension for his role in Operacion Puerto, had finished on the podium a record six times without taking the rainbow jersey, which now belongs to him.
After 6hr 46min in the saddle, the race on a 160mile mountainous route ended in a four-rider sprint finish as Valverde held off France’s Romain Bardet and Michael Woods of Canada to take gold in Innsbruck, Austria.