Valverde hands Spain two shots at Worlds glory with Ayuso and Mas as he warns against one scenario

Spain have already made a strong start to the championships, and national coach Alejandro Valverde sees no reason why that momentum should stop with the junior races.

Benjamín Noval opened the country’s account with gold in the junior time trial before adding a second world title in the road race on Friday, while Héctor Álvarez also contributed bronze to Spain’s medal tally.

“Very well,” Valverde told MARCA when asked about Spain’s start to the championships. “I think the national team has started well, with more or less good positions in the time trial and then Benja’s medal, which honestly is incredible, and Héctor’s as well.”

For the elite men, attention now turns towards Ayuso and Mas.

Ayuso remained in North America after the Canadian races rather than immediately joining the rest of the Spanish squad, allowing him to continue his preparation on terrain better suited to his final training sessions.

“We’ve been talking,” Valverde said. “It’s true that, after the Classics, he stayed here in the United States and Canada so he could train well, because where we are staying we don’t have many climbs nearby.”

“Ayuso is good, very good, motivated and excited for Sunday to arrive.”

Valverde made no mention of any lingering effects from Ayuso’s heavy crash at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, where he hit the ground hard after Paul Seixas was forced across into his path in the sprint for the minor placings. Ayuso was able to return to racing at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal two days later, where he attacked before eventually abandoning.

Mas gives Spain another proven option.

The 31-year-old arrives after the Vuelta a España, and Valverde is happy with how he has come through the race.

“He’s very good, very motivated,” Valverde said. “He has recovered well from the Vuelta.”

Valverde’s confidence in his riders is matched by his respect for the Montréal circuit.

After reconnoitring the course, the former world champion came away convinced that managing energy and position will be just as important as climbing strength.

“It’s demanding, very demanding,” he said. “It’s a circuit where you have to try to spend as little energy as possible and be well positioned."

That difficulty is only part of the challenge.

With no race radios at the World Championships, Valverde will have fewer opportunities to influence the race once it is underway.

“It’s clear that we would like to have the radio because you can talk a little more with the riders,” he said. “Here you have what you tell them at the start and then the little you can do on the circuit if you are seeing something.

“Because we have television in the car, if I see something I will have to say by phone in the feed zone: ‘Hey, tell them this’, or get out myself somewhere on the circuit and tell them something.

“But it is also quite complicated because normally at the World Championships there are huge crowds. Where do you stop so that he sees you or the riders see you? You can tell them, ‘I’m going to be at this point’, but in the end it is very difficult.”

That places even more responsibility on the riders themselves.

“What is said at the start and then, if any problem, anything or anything unexpected happens, you have to do this or that,” Valverde said.

Valverde does not expect Spain to control every phase of the race, but there is one scenario he is determined to avoid.

Spain cannot allow the decisive move to form without one of their riders in it.

“This can be controlled, in quotation marks,” he said. “What we cannot do is lose sight of the race.

“Whenever one of those national teams is there, we have to be there too. We cannot allow a break to form and not have us there while they are.

“That is something we have to be very clear about. Then it is positioning, staying attentive, spending as little energy as possible and seeing what happens.”

For Valverde, the target is clear.

“With a medal, I would be satisfied,” he said. “That is very clear. First, second or third.

“If it is first, of course everyone would like them to become world champion. But I think with a medal you have to leave extremely happy.”

Yet the result alone will not determine how Valverde judges Spain’s race.

“If it is a top five, then fine,” he said. “What we have to do is race well. We cannot say: ‘The race got away from us because we raced badly.’ We cannot allow ourselves that.

“We have to be super attentive, start completely switched on, race well and give everything. That is how we have to leave satisfied.”