Title: Alejandro Valverde Content: thumb|right|Alejandro Valverde in 2005 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (born April 25, 1980) is a Spanish road racing cyclist. He rides for the Caisse d'Epargne team. Valverde won the Liège-Bastogne-Liège race in 2006 and 2008. He was second in the 2006 Vuelta a España and sixth in the 2007 Tour de France. He won the 2008 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, an important race before the 2008 Tour de France. This means that many people think he will do well in the Tour. Valverde is a strong climber, sprinter and time trialist. == Achievements == ;2001 : U23 Road Race Champion ;2003 : 2nd overall, World Cycling Championship Road Race : 3rd overall, Vuelta a España :: 1st, Stages 9 and 15 :: 1st, Combined Classification :: 2nd, Points Classification : 1st, GP Primavera : 1st, GP Villafranca de Ordizia : 2 stage wins, Troféu Joaquim Agostinho : Stage win, Vuelta al País Vasco : Stage win, Vuelta a Aragón ;2004 : 4th overall and 1 stage win, Vuelta a España : 1st overall and 3 stage wins, Vuelta a Burgos : 1st overall and 2 stage wins, Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana : 1st overall, Vuelta a Murcia : 1st, Trofeo Cala Millor - Cala Ratjada : 3 stage wins Vuelta a Castilla y León : Stage win, Vuelta al País Vasco : 1st, GP Primavera ;2005 : 1st, Stage 10, Tour de France : 1st, Stage 8, Paris-Nice : 1st, Trofeo Manacor : 1st, Trofeo Soller : 1st, Stages 3 and 4, Vuelta al País Vasco : 2nd overall, World Cycling Championships Road Race ;2006 : Champion, UCI ProTour : 2nd Overall, Vuelta a España :: 1st, Stage 7 : 3rd overall, World Cycling Championships Road Race : 1st, La Flèche Wallonne : 1st, Liège-Bastogne-Liège : 1st, Stage, Vuelta a Murcia : 2nd, Overall, Vuelta al País Vasco :: 1st, Points Classification :: 1st, Stage 1 : 3rd, Overall, Tour de Romandie :: 1st, Stage 4 : 7th, Overall, Dauphiné Libéré ;2007 :2nd, Liège-Bastogne-Liège :2nd, La Flèche Wallonne :7th, Amstel Gold Race :5th Overall, Vuelta al País Vasco ::3rd, Vuelta al País Vasco, Stage 4 :1st, Overall, Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana :1st Overall, Vuelta a Murcia ::1st Stage 4 :3rd Overall,Critérium International ::1st, Points classification : 1st Stage 4, Vuelta a Burgos :6th Overall, Tour de France ::2nd, Stage 9 ;2008 :1st Overall, Vuelta a Murcia ::1st Stage 4 : 2nd, Klasika Primavera : 1st, Paris-Camembert : 3rd, Amstel Gold Race : 1st, Liège-Bastogne-Liège : 1st Overall, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré :: 1st, Points Classification :: 1st, Stage 1, Stage 4 (ITT) ;2009 : 1st, Overall, Volta a Catalunya :: 1st, Stage 3 : 1st overall, Vuelta a Burgos : 20px 1st Overall, Vuelta a España :: 20px Winner combination classification : 1st, Klasika Primavera : 1st Overall, Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré : 2nd Overall, Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid : 4th Overall, Tour de Romandie : 7th, La Flèche Wallonne : 9th Overall, Vuelta a Castilla y León :: 1st, Points classification :: 1st, Mountains Classification :: 1st, Combination Classification :: 1st, Stages 3 & 5 ;2010 All results were voided from 31 May, because of the suspension backdated to 1 January. : ~~1st, Tour Méditerranéen~~ : ~~1st Overall Tour de Romandie~~ :: ~~1st Stage 5~~ : ~~2nd Paris–Nice~~ : ~~2nd GP Miguel Indurain~~ : ~~2nd Overall, Tour of the Basque Country~~ :: ~~1st Stages 1 & 2~~ :: ~~20px 1st Points classification~~ : ~~3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège~~ : ~~8th La Flèche Wallonne~~ ;2012 :20px 1st Overall Vuelta a Andalucía ::1st Stage 2 ::20px 1st Points classification ::1st Combination classification :1st Stage 17 Tour de France :2nd Overall Vuelta a España ::1st Stages 1 (TTT), 3 & 8 ::20px Winner points classification ::20px Winner combination classification :2nd Overall Tour Down Under ::1st Stage 5 :3rd World Cycling Championship Road Race :3rd Overall Paris–Nice ::1st Stage 3 ;2013 :20px 1st Overall Vuelta a Andalucía ::20px 1st Points classification ::1st Prologue & Stage 3 :1st Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana :2nd Giro di Lombardia :2nd Amstel Gold Race :2nd Clásica de San Sebastián :3rd 15px World Road Race Championships :3rd Overall Vuelta a España ::20px Winner points classification :3rd Liège–Bastogne–Liège :3rd Vuelta a Murcia :4th GP Miguel Indurain :6th Milano–Torino :7th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné :7th La Flèche Wallonne :8th Overall Tour de France :9th Overall Tour de Romandie Grand Tour general classification results timeline: