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Valverde triumphs

April 26, 2015

Alejandro Valverde timed his attack to perfection to win the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic for the third time in his career. That clinched the Ardennes double after his midweek victory in the Walloon Arrow race.

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Alejandro Valverde
Image: Getty Images/B. Lennon

Spaniard Alejandro Valverde waited until 500 meters from the finish line to chase down countryman Dani Moreno. After overtaking Moreno, Valverde then held off a challenge from Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe - who then finished second behind him - to finish in a time of 6 hours, 14 minutes and 20 seconds.

The 35-year-old is enjoying a good start to the season. He was runner-up last weekend in the Amstel Gold Race and won the Walloon Arrow (also known as the Fleche Wallonne) mid-week.

Valverde last won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic in 2008. Only a small group of riders have won the event three times, while Belgian great Eddy Merckx managed it five times.

"It means a lot to me, it's a 'monument' of cycling and I think that winning here three times means I've entered a little bit into the history of this sport," Valverde said after the race.

"It's true that I was the big favorite and everyone was watching me, but I managed to respond in the right way at the end."

Spaniard Joacquim Rodriguez was third, while Portugal's Rui Costa was fourth ahead of Czech rider Roman Kreuziger. No German rider finished in the top 30.

Defending title holder Simon Gerrans from Australia struggled in the final phases of the race, falling off his bike twice.

al/jc (AFP, AP)