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Abu Dhabi Tour: Valverde outsmarts Lopez to claim overall title

InternationalAbu Dhabi Tour: Valverde outsmarts Lopez to claim overall title

Alejandro Valverde of Team Movistar put in a spectacular performance to win stage five of the Abu Dhabi Tour, with that the overall General Classification for his first big win of the season.valeverde

The 37-year-old, who was eighth before the start of the final stage, brought his immense experience to hold off the challenge from the eventual White Jerseywinner (Miguel Angel Lopez of Astana Pro) with an overall timing of 16:00:11s to leave Team Sunweb’s Wilco Kilderman as the runner-up of the tour with a gap of 17 seconds.

Lopez claimed the last position on the podium with a time gap of 27 seconds. Elia Viviani retained his overnight Green Jersey (points classification) with 46 points while Nikolay Trusov of Gazprom-RusVelo walked away with the Black Jersey (Intermediate sprint) claiming 8 points in the final stage for cumulative tally of 25 points.
BORA – hansgrohe was awarded the best team of the tour.

Valverde claimed the Golden Grit Trophy with a timing of 4:38:47s after tucking behind Lopez till the flamme rouge and before launching the attack on the final curve to leave behind the Colombian rider.

Drama unfolded with 8 kms to go when leading group consisting of Astana riders looked to break away. EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale’s Lawson Craddock and André Greipel of Lotto-Soudal followed suit, but left behind the overnight leader Rohan Dennis behind.

Davide Formolo (Bora-Hansgrohe) then took the initiative and went past Dennis, which was followed by the group led by Valverde. Julian Alaphilippe of Quick-Step Floors joined the chasers bunch, but it was Alaphilippe and Valverde who caught with Lopez at the top.

UAE Team Emirates, star climbers Fabian Aru and Rui Costa could not muster enough strength to conquer Jebel Hafeet as both Lopez and Valverde stunning made quick time with ease on a tough trek. Tom Domoulin, another favourite for the overall GC had another mechanical failure at the summit after enduring a soft type in his specialist category of time trial a day before.
The duo were the only contenders with 3.1 kms to go. Valverde then tucked himself behind Lopez before finding space on the left with just 500m to go and went past the Colombian.
Speaking seconds after the stage finish, the winner Alejandro Valverde said: “Firstly, I want to thank my team for the great job they have done all week. It’s been a complicated day today with the wind and a bit of rain. This is a World Tour victory. I’m very happy with it.”
Miguel Ángel López, third in the GC and White Jersey winner said: “The podium and the White Jersey make it a good result for me. As always, I’ve had a great team to try and get the victory. But Alejandro Valverde is a great champion. Already to arrive with him up this climb is an achievement. To beat him in a sprint is almost impossible for me. So I’m happy with what I got in Abu Dhabi.”

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