13. Alejandro Valverde – chosen by Vasco Serrano

From youth, we move to seniority. There is no doubt that Alejandro Valverde belongs to the pantheon of world cycling stars, but even so, I feel that there is not enough talk about the 41-year-old Spaniard, especially in anticipation for the Olympic race. Perhaps it was because of the greater focus on Tokyo (not forgetting he crashed on the first day) that we saw a discreet Valverde on Tour, focused on the goal of taking Enric Mas to a new top 5. But the truth is that he is in great shape, climbing, descending, rolling and to the surprise of many, even at altitude. He marked the stage of Andorra on the calendar and there, he was only beaten by Sepp Kuss. The ingredients are in the pot, but will Valverde be able to prepare the sweet taste of Olympic glory?