Injured Valverde pulls out of Giro d'Italia

Spanish world champion Alejandro Valverde, injured in a training fall, has pulled out of the Tour of Italy, his team said on Friday.

The Movistar team said in a statement the 39-year-old racer had not recovered in time for the May 11 start of the Giro after a training fall in April that left him with bruising to the base of his spine.

"The world champion will be resting without risking his recovery and will get back to normal in the coming weeks," the statement said.

Valverde, Giro winner in 2016, said he was sorry to miss a "great test" like the Giro but told his social media followers he would be 100 percent ready for the rest of the year.