"Javier, my head just told me enough is enough. I need to rest. Kind regards." That’s Alejandro Valverde in the evening after Il Lombardía, informing Spanish National Coach Javier Mínguez of his decision to decline his selection for the upcoming UCI Road World Championships in Doha, Qatar. Mínguez could only accept the rider’s choice and send regards back.
This story, first told at Spanish digital newspaper El Confidencial, is quite revealing as to how the Spanish men's Elite team is approaching the Qatari event. Always an influential force in the men’s Elite road race, the pan-flat route of Doha has pushed it into a more peripheral role this year.
Despite claiming during the Vuelta a Espana that he had “plenty of cyclists” willing to go to Doha, truth is, Mínguez didn’t. Most of the current Spanish star riders were discarded off the bat because their abilities do not match the demands of the Doha course.
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Meanwhile, others backed off because of the event being in mid-October, forcing them to extend their seasons for more than a month after an already busy racing schedule. That’s the case of Luis León Sánchez or the aforementioned Valverde. The injuries suffered by other potential nominees, such as José Joaquín Rojas and Rubén Fernández, didn’t help either.
Therefore, the Spanish team for the men’s road race is a circumstantial one rather than a change of guard, despite the fact it features five riders who have never competed in the World Championships as Elites.
Juan José Lobato, a sprinter who has netted five victories for Movistar Team this season and is set to move to LottoNL-Jumbo next year, is the designated leader despite having pulled out from five out of the eight latest races he has taken part in. His fourth-place finish in the Gran Piemonte classic is an encouraging sign, however.
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