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168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Alejandro Valverde continues to rack up the podium places in the Vuelta a Espana, and recognises that it was impossible to outpace either Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) or Chris Horner (L🔯eopard Trek) in the battle for victory in Madrid.

Unlike the Italian or the American, Valverde reached the Vuelta having raced the Tour 🅺de France and rac✅ed it flat out.

"T🀅hey've both been stronger, but I can't be dissatisfied," Valverde said. "I'd have⭕ liked a stage win, but I've been second and third, and that's what getting the points jersey shows."

The Angliru was his last chance for that, but Valv♒erde was outpaced at the crunch moments by Nibali and Horner and had to drop back. When he finally came past Nibali, it was too late for him to do more than secure his podium position.

"I had to go up at a steady pace, I ✤was going well, but one of my rivals had to crack and they didn't," he said.

The winner in 2009, second in 2006 and 2012, Valverde's third place overall comes a decade after he netted the same result in the 2003 Vuelta. He also has a fourth and a fifth place🦄 overall.

The next target though, is to augment his podium positions in the Worlds - where he has twice been bronze an♔d💖 twice silver - with a gold in Italy.

"That would be great,🌸" Valverde said with a smile.