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Valverde wins 17th stage of Tour de France

Dunya News

Alejandro Valverde won Tour de France 17th stage while Bradley Wiggins retained yellow jersey.

Alejandro Valverde of Spain won the 17th stage of the Tour de France and Bradley Wiggins mastered a last big test in the mountains to retain the yellow jersey on Thursday.After ascending the last big climb, the Briton said he sensed that it was pretty much over with just three racing days left.The 143.5-kilometer ride from Bagneres-de-Luchon to the ski station of Peyragudes featured three hard climbs and an uphill finish.Valverde, the Movistar leader who returned from a two-year doping ban this year, won his third Tour stage in a breakaway. Christopher Froome of Britain was second, and his Sky team leader Wiggins was third, both 19 seconds back.Wiggins faces one last test to become the first Briton to win cyclings biggest race: Saturdays individual time trial, his specialty.Flat stages await on Friday and in Sundays ride to the finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, and arent expected to alter the standings.Overall, Wiggins leads Froome in second by 2 minutes, 5 seconds, and Italys Vincenzo Nibali trails in third, 2:41 back, after losing 18 seconds to them in the final ascent.Valverde, with tears in his eyes in the winners circle, had a rough start to the Tour with at least three crashes. He also sensed Wiggins and Froome closing on him at the end of the stage.I went all out, said Valverde, who also won stages in the Tour Down Under and the Paris-Nice races this year. When I saw there were only 700 meters left, I was really really happy.Of his victory he said, It erases all of the past.One of Skys dilemmas was exposed on Thursday: Froome entered the day clinging to an 18-second lead over Nibali and he was looking for any chance to gain time on the Italian.On the final ascent, up the Peyragudes, Froome tried to gain time on Nibali, but also repeatedly spoke with Wiggins and even gestured to him to come along.Chris encouraged me, saying Come on, come on, Wiggins said. Hes really strong ... he can win the Tour one day.Fridays 18th stage takes riders on a 222.5 kilometers from Blagnac to Brive-la-Gaillarde in central France.