Years ago, in a place that felt like a distant galaxy, José Miguel Echávarri, the name behind the discovery of Miguel Indurain and Pedro Delgado, helped shape a curious Spanish cycling tradition. The Vuelta a España boasted a habit of sharing meals with the journalists who would cover the race in its early days.
In 2003 a gathering happened in a restaurant in Gijón. The idea emerged there to cheer for the rider who would win the most stages. The next day the meeting was no secret. Echávarri, a veteran of Kelme, asked how the meal had gone. He was told the innovation had been to form a club, though finding winners would be hard. “Put the child to bed every night, and you’ll be right,” Laguía teased. “Is it a child?” he was asked. “Yes man, Alejandro Valverde.”
Valverde didn’t win every stage, but he captured the two main mountain stages of the 2003 Vuelta, in Envalira and La Pandera. He was only 23 years old.
impressive history
“You will have put it on Valverde.” It was Laguía who called a journalist from the top of Envalira in Andorra to check how the club fared. The winner’s name written on that day’s paper was kept as a state secret, and it remains possible that memory fails about whether the correct rider would race the next day almost twenty years later. The Giro di Lombardia, the last great classic of 2022, would hang the bike with a Spanish rider boasting an impressive tally of victories, 133 in total. What stands out is the consistency: finishing inside the top 10 across three-week races for two decades—rarely missing, rarely slipping away from the podium.
His record speaks for itself: one world championship (plus four silvers and two bronzes), one Vuelta a España, six podiums in the Tour of Spain, plus a Giro and a Tour appearance; four Lièges, five Flechas Valloon, three Vueltas a Catalunya, two Dauphinés, one Itzulia, two San Sebastián Classics, five Vueltas y Andalucía, three Spanish titles…
no leg pain
“What is Valverde’s secret to eternal youth?” A question that once sparked the rumor mill about why the rider seemed unfazed by fatigue. The insight emerged from Óscar Pereiro, winner of the 2006 Tour, who observed that Valverde remained fresh when others tired. “Alejandro felt light, even when everyone else struggled. He squeezed through the Tourmalet in 2008, and while the others suffered, he pushed on and then found a comeback in Hautacam when the race had almost run its course.”
Valverde’s love for the Tour has been a constant theme. He approached every stage as if the race itself could be won on a single day. There were seasons when he carried a French taste for the tour, delivering performances that kept him among the strongest contenders. If the Tour and the goals had been separated, Valverde would still be Valverde because he pushed himself to the limit, especially in stage races where he wore yellow only once in 2008, yet finished high and stayed in the conversation for years. He repeatedly finished in the top 10 across multiple Grand Tours.
Behind the scenes, coach José Miguel Echávarri played a pivotal role, guiding him from Kelme to Caisse d’Epargne and later Movistar, with Eusebio Unzué leading the team. The bond between a rider and a team that blends the Tour’s love with the classics runs deep here.
idyll with Liège
The now-retired Navarrese coach recalls a line Valverde spoke after clinching his first Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2006. “José Miguel matters more than winning this Tour of Murcia.” Respect for the land that saw his rise is clear, even as Valverde—nicknamed El Unbatido in his youth for his relentless tenacity—proved Liège could open doors to the world’s best one-day races. How many one-day wins did he add along the way?
If asked about the happiest day of his life, Valverde would point to a ride that carried history. A sprint in Innsbruck on September 30, 2018, when World Champion with a strong finish at age 38, he raised his left arm in triumph. The roar of that moment still echoes across the Austrian Alps years later, a reminder that endurance and timing can define a career. Even during the controversial 2010 suspension, Valverde stayed active, training with the Murcia team and planning future victories. He continued racing with the same drive, focused on results, and remained a guiding presence for Movistar in advisory roles after his competitive years.
This Saturday in Lombardy marks a farewell at age 42. The Last Bullet will finish a remarkable run that included second place at the Augustoni Cup, fourth at the Giro di Emilia, and third at the Tres Valles Varesinos in the week’s three classics. Afterward, he will stay connected with Movistar in consultancy and representation. Who could argue with a career that defined an era?