Valverde keeps save to claim Tour of Catalonia

MADRID, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) made good his advantage to assure he retained the Volta de Catalonya (Tour of Catalonia) cycle race title for the second successive year.

"We have started the year in the best possible way," said Valverde after receiving his title.

The veteran Spaniard went into the seventh and final stage of the race with a 29-second lead over his Movistar teammate, Nairo Quintana and on a stage which involved several circuits around the famous 'Montjuic' in Barcelona never looked as if he was in danger of losing that advantage.

Valverde's powerful team was able to control any important threats to his lead, reeling in any escapes before they threaten to open too big a lead.

Quintana had started the day in third place behind Sky's young Colombian rider Egan Bernal, who had the bad luck to fall with about seven kilometers remaining. The Colombian was knocked off his bike by another Movistar rider, Jose Joaqiun Rojas, who lost his balance on a curve.

The seventh stage was won by Simon Yates (Michelton-Scott), who was involved in a break along with Movistar's Marco Soler in the closing kilometers and proved to be the strongest finisher, winning with a 13 second advantage of Soler and 18 ahead of the main peloton containing Valverde. Enditem