Valverde hard to crack

He alawys looked the goods, although suspicions have clouded his recent career. Now he has shown his 2008 form, who will be able to beat him to Paris? Evans will clearly try, and may have the edge in longer, flatter TTs, but he may not have the advantage elsewhere. Whilst Cadel has Popovych to help him in the mountains, Valverde also has Tour-winner Pereiro up his sleeve. It's looking like a real dogfight, once again. Throw in some rejuvenated Frenchmen like Dessel, plus almost anyone on teams CSC and High Road and it's looking good for a boilover in July. From CN: Overall winner Valverde reckons the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré is one of the best on the cycling calendar. "This is the most important victory of my career so far," said the Spaniard. "Because of the prestige of this race but also because of the time of the year when it's held. This week allowed me to judge the condition of my adversaries. I came with a good condition myself after the training camp we had in the Alps."

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