Valverde wants success in Ardennes

Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) returns to the Ardennes on the hunt for a victory in one of the three classics in the offering.

Hot off second place at the Vuelta al País Vasco behind Chris Horner (RadioShack), Valverde says he’s in shape to have a good run through the Ardennes.

“I come with a lot of motivation and ambition to get the best possible result, just like every time I race,” Valverde said. “These are three races that I like a lot and they are well adapted to my characteristics, just as I’ve demonstrated in my win at Flèche and two at Liège. This year, I’d like to win one of the three.”

For Amstel Gold Race, Valverde admits that he’s typically missing that winning edge as he tries to hit top form for Flèche and Liège later in the week.

“On paper, (Amstel Gold) suits me well, but because it’s the first of the three, I’ve always arrived just a little bit short,” he said. “I have missed a little strength on the final. Let’s see if this year I have the luck and the strength in the final kilometers to fight for the win.”

VeloNews.com will provide live coverage of this Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race, Wednesday’s Fleche Wallonne and next Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège. You can reach the live coverage at velonews.com/live. On mobile, go to mobile.velonews.com and follow the link at the top of the page to the live player.