I get the impression that Valverde is one of those riders who would have dominated everything with or without doping. He has a base level that other dopers have to peak (in addition to their doping) just to get to. His rounded power profile is something that doping can only accentuate; doping alone can't suddenly give an aerobic diesel the ability to sprint or put out incredible anaerobic power - you have to have some kind of existing fast twitch fibres and natural ability. Plus his record as a junior suggests he's not solely some kind of mutant super-responder - unless he was doping since he was about 10.
He can probably feel slightly hard done by that he grew up in an era where doping was necessary.
He can probably feel slightly hard done by that he grew up in an era where doping was necessary.