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Valverde bounces back with San Sebastian win

Spain's Alejandro Valverde bounced back from his Tour de France disappointment by winning Saturday's Clasica de San Sebastian.

Valverde bounces back with San Sebastian win
Photo: AFP

The 34-year-old Movistar rider, who finished fourth at last month's Tour after being pushed off the podium in the final mountain stage, finished 14 seconds ahead of Dutchman Bauke Mollema and Spaniards Joaquim Rodriguez and Mikel Nieve.

Last year's winner of the 219.2km race over undulating terrain along the Basque coastline, Frenchman Tony Gallopin, was fifth at 26sec.

It was Valverde's second victory in the one-day race having triumphed in 2008.

The hilly Classic includes former Tour winner Miguel Indurain, former world champion Paolo Bettini and Ardennes Classics specialist Philippe Gilbert amongst its past champions.

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CYCLING

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Swiss rider Gino Maeder has died from the injuries he sustained when he plunged into a ravine during a stage of the Tour of Switzerland, his team Bahrain-Victorious said on Friday.

Swiss rider dies after fall into ravine on Tour of Switzerland

Maeder, 26, fell during a high-speed descent on the fifth stage between Fiesch and La Punt on Thursday, after an exhausting day marked by three ascents over 2,000 metres altitude.

He had been found “lifeless in the water” of a ravine below the road, “immediately resuscitated then transported to the hospital in Chur by air”, organisers said.

But the next day, “Gino lost his battle to recover from the serious injuries he sustained,” Bahrain-Victorious said in a statement.

“It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we must announce the passing of Gino Mäder,” his team wrote in a statement.

“On Friday June 16th, following a very serious fall during the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his fight to recover from the serious injuries he had suffered. Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.”

“Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team,” the team said in a statement.

Maeder had enjoyed a strong start to the season, finishing fifth in the Paris-Nice race.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also fell on the same descent from Albula, during the most difficult stage of the race with multiple climbs. The Ineos-Grenadiers rider was hospitalised with “bruises and concussion,” organisers said.

On Thursday, world champion Remco Evenepoel criticised the decision to compete on such a dangerous road.

“While a summit finish would have been perfectly possible, it wasn’t a good decision to let us finish down this dangerous descent,” the Belgian wrote on Twitter.

“As riders, we should also think about the risks we take going down a mountain.”

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