Valverde to miss Tour de France

The 37-year-old was on solid form until a broken knee suffered in bad fall in the Tour de France's opening day time-trial this year ended his season.

Alejandro Valverde (right) is also targeting a tilt at a world title, having come close on numerous occasions.

Top Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde revealed on Monday he would target the Giro d'Italia and la Vuelta a Espana next season, but said he would skip the Tour de France. The evergreen 37-year-old was on solid form until a broken knee suffered in bad fall in the Tour de France's opening day time-trial ended his season.

"I don't want go to the Tour de France next year," said Valverde, who began 2017 by clinching two classics and the Tour of the Basque Country. "I'm going to concentrate on the Giro and the Vuelta," said Valverde, who won the Vuelta in 2009, was third in the Tour de France in 2015 and third in the Giro in 2016.

Valverde is also targeting a tilt at a world title, having come close on numerous occasions. "Next year there's a really hard world championships route in Austria," said Valverde, who believes the route suits his roving style in the hills and vales. "I haven't got many chances left, I've won six medals but none of them is gold."