Alejandro Valverde on how the level in cycling has been raised so high - "There were 200 riders, and 20 of them were extremely well-prepared"

Alejandro Valverde has retired from pro cycling a few years ago but by no means has he left the sport, continuing his role as Spanish national coach but also occasionally as an athlete himself in gravel events. However, the words of the veteran regarding modern cycling are always interesting, taking into consideration he has spent generations as a top rider and sees how much has changed over the past few years.

"The problem is that before, there were 200 riders, and 20 of them were extremely well-prepared in terms of nutrition and training, so there was a huge difference between those twenty and the other 180," Valverde said in a press conference for a gravel race he will participate in this weekend.

"Now everything has become more technical: nutrition, bikes, altitude training camps... everything has improved. Therefore, the difference between the first and the two-hundredth is minimal." Whilst there big outliers such as Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel, the overall level in pro cycling and professionalism has increased exponentially. This is possible to see all-round in the average speed of races all over the world, the constant breaking of climbing records and the incredibly high power outputs that have been in constant evolution in the 2020's. A few riders who raced against Valverde in the 2010's currently also have power outputs that are substantially higher than what had been the case about ten years ago.

Lastly the rider from Murcia - who is set to be confirming his lineups for the World in Rwanda and European Championships in the Dròme-Ardèche region of France over the coming month - was also asked about the current state of Spanish cycling, a frequent question he receives, and he has answered the following: "There have been better times, worse times, and now we're in a transition period, from which victories and successes will come sooner or later".