Contador: Valverde is Spain’s leader for the Worlds
🐈Stage 18 summit finish 'more suited to Alejandro and Joaquim'




168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) has denied reports of a frosty relationship between himself and the other two top Spanish stars in the 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Vuelta a España, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) – and pointed out that this was one of the reasons why he has 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:ruled himself out of the World Championships this year.
Talking in the press conference after stage 17 to A Coruña, Contador said: "I spoke with Javier Minguez [Spanish national tra𒈔iner] and I told him that the Worlds did not suit me as a rider. There are other riders who will be better suited to doing teamwork in that sort of course than me. In the Worlds it's not names that matter, but the work they do.
"Alejandro is the leader, he's a great rider, and we have to support him to the full. He needs riders he feels fully confident about, riders from his trade team. I know 🌌that in Spain that it's not been easy for fans to understand what this is about, and why I'm not racin♎g, but that's the reason."
Contador's decision not to race the Worlds - although he does not rule out racing after the Vuelta - had caused some criticism in the local media. However, he went out of his way to deny reports that he did not get on well with either Valverde o♈r Rodriguez.
"I read that this morning and it [the reports] make me laugh, it's like some kind of joke. It couldn't be further from the 𒊎truth, we get on very well. And that's exactly why I'm ruling out the Worlds because we have to be realistic: I'm a Grand T🍸our racer.
"Rꦓegardless of the decision, there's always interpretations, a lot of talk, but it comes from Italy and maybe they want to de-stabilize the Spanish team."
As for stage ♍17, he described it as a "transition stage, and you had to be very careful, particularly with the pavé at the end. Tomorrow [stage 18, with a second category uphill finish] is a stage which suits Joaquim and Alejandro, and I'll have to stay close to them."
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Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews, he has also written for The Independent, The Guardian, ProCycling, The Express and Reuters.