MADRID (AFP) — Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez will lead the Spanish team at the UCI Road World Championships next week in Richmond, Virginia.
Valverde is a six-time worlds medalist, but he has yet to be world champion after winning silver medals in the road race in 2003 and 2005, and bronze medals in 2006, 2012, 2013, and 2014.
Rodriguez won silver in the 2013 road race and bronze in the 2009 event.
Giro d’Italia champion Alberto Contador, a seven-time grand tour winner, wasn’t included in coach Javier Minguez’s squad.
Juan Jose Lobato, Jon Izaguirre, Imanol Erviti, Dani Moreno, Luis Leon Sanchez, Ruben Plaza and Lluis Mas were also included for the road race on September 27.
Sanchez and Jonathan Castroviejo have been selected for the individual time trial on September 23.