Valverde poised for Tour assault after Dauphine victory

Spaniard Alejandro Valverde showed he is on track for a genuine Tour de France challenge with victory in the Dauphine Libere stage race yesterday.

Second behind the 28-year-old Murcia-born rider was Australian Cadel Evans, 39 seconds back while American Levi Leipheimer took third at 1 minute 24 seconds.

Kazakh Dmitriy Fofonov was the fastest of the three-man break that fought for victory in the mountainous seventh and final stage between Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Grenoble.

Jurgen Van De Walle of Belgium was second with Russia's Yury Trofimov third.

"It's my biggest ever stage race win," Caisse D'Epargne rider Valverde told reporters.

"It shows that my form is even better than I expected right now. It's looking very good for the Tour."

Valverde, sixth in last year's Tour, said the omens were good for a genuine Tour de France bid.

"I won the Dauphine a little like (five-times Tour de France winner) Miguel Indurain. I got the yellow jersey early on in the time trial then kept my rivals under control in the mountains.

"If I could do the same in the Tour, that would be great. But the time trial there is very different to the ones here."

Fofonov said he was unsure how the sprint at the end of the 128km final stage would pan out.

"I'm usually quite fast in sprints, but you never know what can happen at the end of this sort of tough mountain stage," the Kazakh told reporters.

"Tromifov attacked over the summit of the final climb and dropped me, but we kept him at a safe distance, reeled him in the descent and then I won."

Valverde punched the air with delight when he finished safely in the main pack in 24th place, 2 minutes and 21 seconds behind Fofonov.

"It was a very short stage, but very tough with three hard climbs," Valverde said.

"My rivals tested me on the first climb, and once they couldn't shake me off, my team kept the race under control.

"It's a great win for me and a great omen for the Tour."