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Alejandro Valverde

, 42 years old, the oldest in the peloton, sails arms in Utrecht, where the

Vuelta a España

starts this Friday .

An edition with a special character, the last big round before the farewell, on October 8 at the Giro de Lombardía.

The Spanish rider with the most victories (133) attends the event organized by Unipublic with the aim of helping

Enric Mas

to conquer the positions of honour, but, above all, with the intention of enjoying himself.

"If I manage to win a stage it will be a great culmination, but that does not obsess me," he warns.

Valverde won the 2009 edition, which also left the Netherlands.

In his record in the Spanish round there are 12 partial wins, three second places in the general and three third places.

In the Vuelta a España of your farewell, what do you feel before taking the start, emotion, sadness, joy, relief? Above all, emotion.

As time progresses you get used to the idea that this is over. Isn't there going to be a step back, as has happened on other occasions? No.

I have it very clear, it is a decision that has been made and that I will not change. Who had more influence on the decision to withdraw, the family, the team or yourself? Myself.

You have to be aware that there is a beginning and an end.

I was going to retire a year earlier, but I realized that I could still do beautiful things, as I have done at the beginning of this season.

And what remains until the end of the year I hope it continues to be just as beautiful, that I can have fun.

I wanted to retire being at a good level, not dragging myself around.

What goals have you set for yourself in your last Vuelta? My goal is to enjoy myself, knowing that there will be better and worse days.

My main mission is to help Enric Mas, which I think he can do very well, as he has done on other occasions.

If I can win a stage in my last Vuelta it would be a great climax, but this is not something that obsesses me. What pleasant and unpleasant memories do you have of your 15 participations in the Vuelta? The best memories are all the podiums , the victory in the general classification in 2009, the first stage won, in Envalira in 2003, the victory in La Pandera, the return in 2012 after the suspension, with those duels, with Alberto Contador, Purito Rodríguez or Chris Froome.

Among the worst memories I would highlight the 2006 edition, which Vinoukourov scored and which I could have won.

Movistar Team

When you retire at the end of the season, will you know how to live without cycling? It will be difficult for me to live without cycling, but I have a great training group that makes me enjoy it a lot.

With them, I do my job and have fun at the same time.

When I retire I won't have that incentive of a goal to compete, but I know I'm going to have a good time, that I'm going to continue taking care of myself, training.

I like to think of cycling in a different way than now, without a clear goal.

I will do marches, I will enjoy in another way.

I will also be able to spend more time with my family, something that I really want. Will you continue with the Movistar team? Yes, because I still have two years on my contract.

I don't know what role I will play.

I would like to be an ambassador for the team, help as much as I can, advise young people. Do you see yourself working on the technical side? No,

because if I give up cycling it is to spend more time at home.

If as a rider I was out 180 days, as a director I would be 220. Who have been the most difficult rivals you have faced? I had big disputes with Alberto Contador, competing against him was always very hard.

I also remember how difficult it was to compete with Bettini, although there was a big age difference, I'm younger, we coincided many times in races, classics and World Championships.

With Alberto Contador I had great disputes, competing against him was always very hard

I suppose that in the Movistar team there will be a lot of concern about winning victories that provide the necessary points to avoid relegation from the World Tour category? Of course there is concern, if I said otherwise I would be lying, but we have a good team to face this problem.

We are the 18th ranked team and we are relegated from 19th. Of course we are worried about this situation, but we trust in ourselves.

From now until the end of the season we have several races that can come in very handy to pick up points.

We have a problem and we have to deal with it in the best possible way. You are the most versatile Spanish cyclist, with high performance in classics, world championships, grand tours. I don't know if I am the most versatile.

I consider myself a good cyclist.

A runner who has given good success to Spain,

who has given his best for Spain.

I have also met other great cyclists, such as Contador, Purito, Samuel, Sastre... All very good and different.

I define myself as a good runner. Do you regret not having attended the classics more often to the detriment of the big rounds? I don't regret it.

Not much less.

I have won five editions of the Walloon Flecha, four Lièges, two San Sebastián classics.

I've been on the podium at the Amstel, in Lombardy... I think what I've achieved is good.

four Lièges, two classics from San Sebastián.

I've been on the podium at the Amstel, in Lombardy... I think what I've achieved is good.

four Lièges, two classics from San Sebastián.

I've been on the podium at the Amstel, in Lombardy... I think what I've achieved is good.

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