Former road cycling world champion Alejandro Valverde was hit by a car while training in his native Spain and suffered minor injuries.
The accident happened on July 2 near the municipality of Alcantarilla in the Murcia region in the east of the country, according to the authorities and also the Movistar team. Both Valverde and a training partner of the 42-year-old Spaniard who was also hit were only slightly injured. The driver involved committed a hit-and-run and has not yet been identified, it said.
Neither Valverde nor his team-mate suffered any broken bones or other serious injuries, Movistar said on Twitter. Both athletes are doing well. To be on the safe side, Valverde will remain in the hospital for 24 hours for observation. He will probably be released on Sunday. The circumstances of the accident are not known for the time being.
Valverde continues to be successful in his 21st year as a professional. In 2022 he already achieved three successes. He now has a total of 133 wins. The Spaniard from Murcia wants to retire at the end of the year.