Whoever expected to see fast man Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) in front of the bunch in the finishes of the Vuelta's flat stages was proven wrong in today's stage two from Malaga to Cordoba. In fact, the team management has decided to spare Valverde's capabilities for the harder stretches of the race, and because of his clear aim at the general classification, he stayed put in the middle of the peloton as the sprinters took over the command of the race.
"In spite of the heat and the fact that David Arroyo was the victim of a puncture at five kilometres from the finish, we had a quiet day," commented team director Eusebio Unzue. "Alejandro Valverde never had the intention to sprint today. We decided indeed not to take any unnecessary risks during those first stages because with those massive sprints it is sometimes impossible to avoid the danger they represent."
