Spaniard Alejandro Valverde confessed that he never thought he would finish second in the Vuelta a España at the age of 39, but on Sunday, reigning world champion Valverde, along with Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Along with Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma) and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), he will once again be on the podium in Madrid.

"I was hoping for a stage win" - which came in the first week in Masdela Costa - Movistar admitted, "I thought second place was impossible."

Establishing a leadership position in Movistar's GC hierarchy is a task that baffles even Kremlin scholars, but Valverde was reportedly planning to be a support rider for Richard Karapas in his 14th Vuelta.

But after the Giro d'Italia winner pulled out due to injury in the week leading up to the race, Valverde and Nairo Quintana both assumed leadership roles.

Valverde was aware that his second place in GC was in jeopardy when Pogacar attacked in the closing stages of stage 20 at Plataforma de Gredos, and although Valverde, who is with UAE Team Emirates, eventually ousted Quintana from third place overall, the Spanish he was unable to overtake the Spanish rider.

"When he attacked I didn't have the time information. I changed the wrong settings on my radio and ended up asking Ion Izaguirre [Astana ProTeam] for the gap," Valverde said. [Fortunately, the fans along the roadside shouted that he [Pogacar] had a two-minute gap and that I needed to pull my leg.

Valverde, who finished second in the stage, finished 1:32 behind, 22 seconds ahead of Pogacar for second place on GC.

While disappointed that Quintana lost third place overall, Valverde said the overall balance of the race was positive for Movistar, with second place overall, a team class prize, and two stage wins. He also praised Quintana and Marc Soler and thanked the team for their hard work. [Valverde's second place was his first podium since 2014, when he finished third behind Chris Froome and winner Alberto Contador.

He has six podium finishes in Spanish Grand Tours, including overall victory in 2009, third in the Tour de France in 2015, and third in the Giro d'Italia in 2016.

However, his real strength has always been in the Vuelta, with his first podium coming in 2003, his second year as a professional. Like Alberto Contador, this will be his first runner-up finish in a Grand Tour since winning the third week of the 2012 Vuelta ahead of former leader Joaquin Rodriguez.

While both Rodriguez and Contador are enjoying retirement, Valverde is the last of Spain's "golden age of cycling." On Saturday afternoon, the veteran was so freshly applauded that he said, "I feel like I've won the Vuelta."