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Vincenzo Nibali and Alejandro Valverde will end their careers on the occasion of the 116th edition of the Tour of Lombardy on Saturday October 8. The two riders will have largely marked the history of cycling.
There is an end to everything. On the Tour of Lombardy, the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, 42 ans and the Italian Vincenzo Nibali, 37, two champions with an encyclopedic record, are competing in the last race of their careers, in the cool of autumn. It was time to put the bike away for the two veterans of the peloton.
Placed at the very end of the season, this Italian classic which is one of the five “Monuments” of cycling with Milan-San Remo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liege-Bastogne-Liegewill provide a final setting for two living legends of the “Little Queen”.
This year, a real red carpet will be rolled out to greet the release of two artists who, through their longevity, their track record and their aura, have marked the last two decades of cycling, including its darkest side.
185 victories between them
Valverde et al Nibali, both gleaned 185 victories, including 133 for the Spaniard. Valverde (Movistar) was notably world champion in 2018, won four Liège-Bastogne-Liège, five Flèches Wallonnes, the Tour of Spain (Vuelta) and 17 stage victories on the Grand Tours.
Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), professional since 2005, has won the three Grand Tours with that of Italy (the Giro, in 2013 and 2016), the Tour de France (in 2014) and the Vuelta (in 2010), as well as the two Italian monuments, Milan-San Remo and the Tour of Lombardy, where he won twice, in 2015 and 2017. It was in his hometown of Messina in Sicily, during the last Giro, that he announced last May his retirement at the end of the season. He had left the family cocoon at the age of 16 for Tuscany with the aim of embracing a career as a cyclist. “ I don’t want to live my last race as something dramatic or sad, I want to enjoy it until the end Nibali told Cyclingnews in an interview.
Good climber, excellent descender, tactician, Nibali did like Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador and Chris Froome, by winning the three Grand Tours. The “Shark of Messina” has often been criticized for running on instinct. But Italy has always revered “old-fashioned” runners, like Marco Pantani. ” Racing isn’t about watching your power meter or even sticking to every team order. If you feel good, you have to go “, he explains. ” It’s a great honor to finish my career on one of my favorite races “, says the idol of the tifosi who has remained far from the doping business.
Valverde a little less. The man who started his career in 2002 was suspended for two years in 2010 for his involvement in the Puerto blood doping scandal. But in recent years, we have especially remembered its exceptional longevity. He remained competitive until the dusk of his retirement.
« Enjoy cycling in another way »
Valverde continued to line up the places of honor with disconcerting regularity. Second in the Coppa Agostoni last Thursday, 4th Saturday in the Tour of Emilia, 3rd Tuesday… He too intends to join the fight for victory on Saturday in Como in a race that has always eluded him, despite three second places in 18 participations.
« I feel real good right now, just as good as ten years agolaunched Alejandro Valverde at a press conference on Thursday, October 6 in remarks reported by Eurosport Spain. For now, I’m playing with the best, I wonder if I shouldn’t continue my career… But no, it’s better to end it this way! »
« I think I’m one of the favorites for the Tour of Lombardy. In any case, I’m going there to aim for victory, I like the course “, underlines Valverde who then counts” enjoy cycling in another way », with outings with friends and a few criteriums.
Philippe Gilbert will also bow out
Valverde and Nibali won’t be the only great champions to put their bikes away for good this week. On Sunday, it will be Belgian Philippe Gilbert’s turn to do his last pedal laps in the professional peloton during Paris-Tours.
A way to come full circle for the 2012 world champion with 80 career victories. ” VSwas important for me to finish there because that’s where I got my first big win in 2008 recalls Gilbert, who won four of the five Monuments (Lombardy 2019 and 2010, Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2011, Tour of Flanders 2017 and Paris-Roubaix 2019).
