Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, who has been banned for two years from racing in Italy, became the leader of the Tour of Catalunya on Tuesday.
Valverde finished 17th on Tuesday’s stage, a bunch sprint won by Matti Breschel, which gave the Spaniard the overall lead after his second-place finish in Monday’s opening prologue.
Frenchman Jerome Pineau was second, and Spaniard Xavier Florencio came third.
“Given everything that’s happening, being a leader here is important,” Valverde told reporters after the stage. “That said, I’ve already shown what I can win in stage races and one-day events around the world.”
Valverde, the world’s top-ranked rider last year, was banned for two years on May 11 by Italy’s Olympic Committee (CONI).
CONI said blood samples Valverde gave at a doping control when last year’s Tour entered Italy for a stage matched DNA from code-named bags of blood discovered in Spain’s Operacion Puerto investigation, launched in 2006.
Valverde has repeatedly protested his innocence and said he will appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
In the meantime, despite suffering the after effects of a bout of flu, the Caisse D’Epargne rider continues to ride and race outside Italy.
On Tuesday, Valverde claimed the leader’s green and white jersey after forming part of a group of 54 riders that broke away on the day’s final climb. Pineau is second overall, tied on time with Valverde, with Florencio third.
The Tour of Catalunya finishes on Sunday in Montmelo.
■TOUR OF ITALY
AFP, PINEROLO, ITALY
Danilo Di Luca tightened his grip on the race leader’s pink jersey by winning the 262km 10th stage of the Tour of Italy from Cuneo to Pinerolo on Tuesday.
Italy’s 2007 champion, of the LPR team, attacked on the descent of the Pra Martino climb and left all his rivals in his wake to take his eighth Giro stage win in a little over six and a half hours.
Di Luca now holds an overall lead of 1 minute, 20 seconds on Russian Denis Menchov, the two-time Tour of Spain champion who rides for Rabobank.
Australian Michael Rogers of Columbia is third overall, while American Levi Leipheimer of Astana is fourth.
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