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ALBERTO CONTADOR NEWS
March 11, 2010


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DOGFIGHTER, LION HUNTER

March 10 - Alberto sinks teeth into sprint squabble and gains time in Stage 3

Contador fights to the finish line to grab a few all-important seconds

Alberto Contador countered an attack by Nicolas Roche on the climb of the Côte de la Martinie in the final kilometers today and became an instigator in a nasty dogfight among six of the ace riders at this edition of Paris-Nice.

It’s naïve to be surprised by an action by Contador on a climb three kilometers from any finish line, but the insignificance of the côte and his supposed vulnerability since Monday’s crash made this, for spectators, an agreeable shock.

Full report at PARIS-NICE RACE WATCH

RESULTS: Contador in Stage 3 - 6th (0:02 Sagan). Contador in GC – 7th (0:20 Voigt)

CHRISTINE'S PARIS-NICE DIARY

March 9 - Final two installments

This celebrity needs no introduction - he won the Tour five times! (Photo by Kahane)

Our correspondent Christine captures the atmosphere around the team.

Our paparazza Christine gets some star shots.

Our friend Christine sees for herself, and reassures us, that Alberto's injury will not put him on the sidelines.



Alberto stops to sign before he and Benjamin take the bus to work (Photo by Kahane)

GO TO THE FANS' NOTEBOOK

PARIS-NICE STAGE 2 REPORT

March 9 - Contres to Limoges

For results, report, press release and comments

GO TO PARIS-NICE RACE WATCH

INJURED CONTADOR SURVIVES STAGE 2

March 9 - He will not abandon: “Continuing in the race is guaranteed.”

Photo by Kahane

Alberto Contador managed to finish an especially complicated stage today, since he had to overcome the consequences of the crash that injured his left leg yesterday. His outlook is on the upswing after the 200-kilometer journey from Contres to Limoges, because the danger of abandoning is now gone. “Continuing in the race is guaranteed,” confirmed Alberto from Astana’s hotel.

“The day was more or less as I expected,” Contador explained. “I knew that it would be a complicated day and that I wasn’t going to be able to pedal well as a consequence of the injury, but as I got warmed up, each time I pedaled was better.”

Nevertheless, he’s still not completely comfortable. “I couldn’t get into my natural pedal stroke,” he said, “but I was able to salvage a long day and now I have to work with the masseur to see if in two or three more days I can be perfect.”

Alberto assured that he’s already out of danger of abandoning. “I really don’t think I’ll be going home, because today was an acid test. I was able to finish, plus I was able to keep to the front, so continuing in the race is guaranteed.”

Contador is taking this race as training for the Tour, owing to its toughness. “The average speeds are very high and there’s a lot of tension throughout the entire stage. You have to pay attention at all times, so it’s like a training session for the month of July and the Tour.”

Finally, Alberto said that so far “the rider that seems the strongest to me is Jens Voigt. Even though things are going well for a lot of people, he’s the one I’m keeping a close eye on,” he said. (Official press release, Alberto Contador press office)

FOLLOW THE LEADER

March 10 - and participate in our contest on Thursday!

Follow us at @Contador_Notebk on Thursday to get a chance to win a card signed by Alberto at the Volta ao Algarve.

Contest entries will only be taken at Twitter. But don't worry, if you don't have a Twitter profile, you'll get another chance to win soon.

Follow Alberto Contador's updates from Paris-Nice: @albertocontador.

MESSAGE BOARD

Leave your message of support

Support and encourage Alberto Contador and his team! GO TO MESSAGES OF SUPPORT

STAGE ONE VIDEO: PARIS-NICE

March 9 - See Contador's crash in the final kilometers

New: Eurosport English commentary. GO TO ViddyContador

CONTADOR: PRESS RELEASE

March 8 - “What worries me is the knock on the leg”

The second stage of Paris-Nice turned out to be a tough race for Alberto Contador, who crashed at about 3 kilometers from the line, causing a strong impact to left thigh. “What worries me is the knock on the leg. It’s pretty affected now and that’s while I’m still warm. I hope to be able to continue in the race tomorrow,” he said shortly after crossing the finish line.

“It was a question of tenths of a second,” explained Contador. “I was going to the left in a relatively normal way when someone snagged me and jerked me to the left. I’ve totally broken the front wheel and gotten a good smack.”
Quickly, Stangelj gave him his bike and Alberto tried to reconnect with the peloton. The crash happened very close to the last 3 kilometers, and at the finish line the judges determined that the peloton had already passed that mark, so even though Contador managed to bridge on his own, he would have been given the time of the group that crossed 17 seconds behind the winner anyway.

Contador complained about the hard knock. “The problem is a blow to the muscle, that’s what can bring down the level of my performance, although I hope to be able to start tomorrow.” About the gap, he said that it was “a pity to have gotten left back, mainly for my team, because we were at the front all day and we were paying attention every second.”

Alberto Contador now hopes “to analyze the situation in the general, but the truth is that I’m not worried about the 17 seconds that the front group took, but rather the consequences of the crash. It would have been better not to lose time, but the most important thing is seeing how I recover.”

(Official press release, Alberto Contador press office)

CRASH AND SCRAMBLE!

March 8 - Havoc in Paris-Nice Stage 1, Alberto crashes

Alberto Contador crashed in the final kilometers of Stage 1 of Paris-Nice today, but rode back into the main chase group on the bicycle of his teammate Gorazd Stangelj.

A late attack by Caisse d’Epargne established an escape that grew to 17 riders in the final 10 kilometers of the turbulent stage. The group contained many of the aces: race leader Boom, as well as Voigt, Valverde, Luis León Sánchez, Kreuziger, Millar and others.

Astana failed to make the split. Samuel Sánchez and Levi Leipheimer were also among those caught out in the fight against the wind and the effects of several crashes.

For full report, GO TO PARIS-NICE RACE WATCH

ON THE EVE OF PARIS-NICE

March 6 - The new Shiv TT bike is worth waiting for

Alberto Contador and Mike Sinyard, CEO of Specialized (AC press room)

Alberto Contador will take the start tomorrow in the opening time trial of Paris-Nice, covering a route that he reconned today on his new bicycle. On the new Shiv, modified according to UCI regulations, he hopes to produce a far better performance than in the Algarve, where he was forced to compete with an obsolete model and without time for training. Today, in a press conference, he offered his latest impressions.

After winning in 2007 and having shown that you were able to win in 2009, what does Paris-Nice mean to you?

It’s a race that I really like and which is held at a period of the year when I’m usually in good form. Besides, it’s a little rehearsal for the Tour de France, with very tense stages, similar routes—above all in the flat stages—and with an extremely high level. Of the first races of the season, it’s probably the most important.

What lessons have you learned from last year’s bonk?

That was a very important stage and you learn a lot of things from days like that, because really, when things don’t go well is when you can extract some lessons. There were many factors on that day, but the things I derived from it were good, like how you have to be more stoic in the race, to think about the other candidates for the general and prioritize who the more dangerous ones are, besides, obviously, you can never forget to eat and drink, and even though all riders know that, there’s always some day that you forget.

How’s the route of this time trial and what do you expect from the new bike?

It’s a tough route and, even though it’s only 8 kilometers, it’s possible to take more time on other riders than you might expect. About the bike, there’s a big difference. This is the Shiv, the one I’ve gotten used to in training, and it’s totally different from the one at the Algarve. I hope to give it a good premiere tomorrow.

What’s the difference between the two bikes?

They’re completely different because this is a more evolved phase, it’s faster in the wind tunnel, lighter and more rigid. They’re changing many factors and everything’s better.

On the eve of Paris-Nice 2009 you said that you’d never be great against the clock and the next day you won. During the year you confirmed your improvement and now you’ve gotten second in the Algarve, are you a time-trial specialist or is it that you come into form more easily?

It’s a little of both things. It’s true that since becoming a professional I’ve done well at the time trial and I’ve improved thanks to equipment and taking care of all the details, but it’s also certain that I take form very quickly. What’s important, nevertheless, is the very, very hard work that’s behind it all. It might seem like I go to the race and win thanks to my inherent qualities, but what really produces that is the work.

Has Team Astana changed much since last year, are you calmer now?

Yes, this year I have much more peace of mind for concentrating on my goals as an athlete and I’m also very happy with the team, because I’m in touch with all the riders and, for example, there are a lot of them that wanted to come to this race and there wasn’t a place for everybody. That indicates the great motivation that they have.

At the beginning of the season, people were talking a lot about how weak Astana was but, after the Algarve, they’re starting to say that the team is stronger than it seemed, do you agree?

Of course the team has a very good level and its performance at the Algarve has been unbelievable. I hope things go that way all year, but it’s also certain that controlling the Tour de France is not the same. At any rate, I’m sure that I’ll have a very strong and very competitive team, even if others maybe have more big names and more experience.

In 2007, you won at Mende, do you think that this year you’ll be able to take differences, and what are the key stages of the race?

I’ve got good memories of that year, although not so good of the 2005 Tour de France. The climb at Mende is very different from the one last year, it’s short and explosive; the gaps will be minimal. It’ll be a very difficult race, like Paris-Nice always is, but with such small time gaps, you’ll have to control many riders.

The time trial tomorrow is a goal, who are the favorites?

It’ll be a good test for me. I’ll put everything into it and hope to do well, but winning or not will be a question of 2 or 3 seconds and there are other riders who are very strong. Tomorrow there’s a big group of favorites, like Millar, Vande Velde, Samuel Sánchez, Luis León, Chavanel…and lots of others that I’m not mentioning. I hope to have a good day, but the time gaps will be minimal.

(Official press release, Alberto Contador press office)



Alberto signs for a fan who has one of our postcards in his frame! (AC press room)

SPRINGTIME ARRIVES SUNDAY AT PARIS-NICE

March 5 - Contador will vye for another title in the Race to the Sun

Contador expects the arrival of his new crono bike before the Stage 1 time trial on Sunday (AC press room)

Alberto Contador will begin his second race of the season on Sunday at Paris-Nice, a competition that, since his victory in 2007, has always had a special significance for him. The occasion also marks his first return to French roads since winning the Tour, which has been another source of motivation for reaching the start line in good physical condition. “I’m arriving in a good state of form,” says the leader of Astana, “although I’ve only done a little more work since the Volta ao Algarve.”

How’s your current condition?

I’ve had a cold, I think as a consequence of the rain we had to put up with in Portugal, but in spite of everything, I think that I’m in good form.

What have you been doing since your victory in the Algarve? What has changed since then?

I’ve rested a little more than planned, because it was a tough tour, also because I had the cold. Since then I’ve done some training with the idea of brushing up on the work I did during the winter, but I don’t know if I’m better or worse than I was in Portugal, because things were already going really well there.

In Paris-Nice 2009 you suffered a spectacular bonk, do you have a desire for revenge or is that just an entertaining story from the past?

No, I don’t desire revenge. That was a pretty valuable experience that served to let me know that you can’t be careless about anything and that you have to take a stoic view of the race. It cost me the victory in 2009, yes, but an important experience came with it.

What are your goals, will you fight to win?

Of course I’m going to try to fight to win with the team that I’m going with, to be in the fight, although it’s really difficult to win and there are riders who are very strong and who’ve got more miles in their legs than I do, like Luis León or Valverde, who’ve done more days of competition. The goal, in any case, is to be there.

Who are the favorites?

There are riders that I think are farther along than I am, like Luis León or Valverde. Alejandro already knows what it's like to win nearby, in the Tour of the Mediterranean, and he’s also been in Australia and Almería. At the beginning of the year, you really notice having more days of competition. But in a race like Paris-Nice, there’s a wide range of favorites. There’s also Samuel Sánchez, Frank Schleck, Sandy Casar and Chavanel, among many others.

How does this edition’s route seem, what are the key points?

It’s a good route, but the difference is that the summit finish, at Mende, is short and very explosive. I already climbed it in 2007 and the time differences will be minimal. This year the victory will be decided by a few seconds and the time bonuses will probably be important. The last three days in the mountains will be very difficult to control, just like it always is in Paris-Nice. The podium will be decided by a very slim margin.

The time trial is coming up on Sunday, do you have the new bicycle ready?

I hope that I will not have to use the one from the Algarve. It still hasn’t arrived from the United States, but it’ll arrive in time and I hope to do the best crono I can. The route doesn’t have any climbs, there are eight pretty flat kilometers, but I still hope to be with the front-runners there. Last year I won, but I don’t think that I’ll be at the same level this year.

(Official press release: AC press room)

NEW PHOTOS!

March 6 - New from the Volta ao Algarve

We've opened a new photo album for Christine's Diary from the Volta ao Algarve. More photos will be added, so keep watching.

GO TO Chrstine's Volta ao Algarve Photo Album

VICTORY IN PORTUGAL

February 28 - Alberto Contador, winner of the Volta ao Algarve 2010

(Photo: AC press room)

GO TO PALMARÈS

VOLTA AO ALGARVE 2010 FINAL

February 21 - 2nd in the TT earns the title for Contador and new Astana

Alberto reaches the final finish line and another title (Photo by AC press room)

Alberto Contador recorded second-best time in the final time trial of the Volta ao Algarve today, only 13 seconds behind stage winner Luis León Sánchez. The score translated into victory in the final general classification with full marks over his two closest rivals, Tiago Machado and Levi Leipheimer, who was knocked out of third place on the podium.

In spite of having suffered continuous setbacks owing to the last-minute ban on use of his new time trial bike and being forced to prepare urgently an obsolete frame in order to continue his quest for the title, Alberto Contador proved that he is a rider who thrives in the face of adversity. It was also thanks to the swift reaction of Specialized and his mechanics that he was able to rise to this difficult challenge facing him in his first race of the season.

But Contador wanted more than anything to highlight the merit of his team, who proved to him at the season's first opportunity that they’re up to his level. “It was a very important victory for the team’s morale,“ he said after the stage, referring to his teammates’ fine work.

“This race is extremely important, especially for my team, because they’ve done an excellent job during the entire tour. We’ve had to take responsibility knowing that other riders who were flying under the radar might be able to win the race, but they've worked their butts off, every one of them. They’ve ended up very tired, but we’re very happy,” repeated the leader of Astana.

Contador said that he feels “very happy, because the results have been really good. I had my doubts, especially yesterday, when I tried out the bike and it felt pretty bad. This morning we made some adjustments and it was a little better, but I still had my doubts. Mainly, the bike was very different when I stood up, but things went very well and in the end the results were good, and I’ve been able to remain leader.”

About the significance of this victory for him, he said that he didn’t know “if I was going to get it, because I was fine, but I didn’t know in regards to the other riders who were coming with more miles in their legs. I’m very happy because it’s always a confidence-booster, especially for my team.”

To finish, he referred to the next race on his calendar, Paris-Nice, where he’ll “keep working with the Tour in mind. I hope to arrive in good form, but there are also other riders and other teams very interested in this race. I’ll go and do the best I can,” he concluded. (AC press room)



Contador, in Spanish national colors, thriving in the face of adversity (Reuters)

VOLTA AO ALGARVE RESULTS

RESULTS: Alberto Contador in Stage 5, 2nd (0:13 LL Sanchez). Alberto Contador in final GC, WINNER (19:57:48)

TOP FIVE OVERALL: 1st Alberto Contador, 2nd Luis León Sánchez (0:30), 3rd Tiago Machado (0:32), 4th Levi Leipheimer (0:37), 5th Samuel Sánchez (0:57)

AN ACT OF AFFIRMATION

February 20 - Contador wins the queen stage of the Algarve alone to vindicate his Astana

De la Fuente for Alberto, like Chechu for Lance (Specialized)

El País - Perhaps the person who least needed to win the queen stage, the short and tough climb of the Malhão, in Loulé, (2.7 km at 9.25%), or the entire Volta ao Algarve was Alberto Contador, who already has the Portuguese winter race in his palmarés, who also already has two Tours, a Giro, a Vuelta and more besides.

But perhaps also, not the person, but the organization who could benefit most from a pistol shot of self-esteem was his team, the new Astana, built at the last moment with riders from here and there after Lance Armstrong left in order to create RadioShack with the best of Astana 2009.

That’s why, the fuller and heavier (2.5 kilos more than his weight in form) Contador sacrificed one more day and dedicated the queen stage to building the team. First he ordered them to pull, to control the escape, to close the doors in the peloton; later, when they delivered him to the foot of the mountain and David de la Fuente launched him, he assumed his responsibility, he attacked and didn’t stop until getting a victory that justified his teammates, vindicated their quality and rewarded their work.

“It’s not my victory, it belongs to my team, who have been incredible,” said Contador, new leader of the race by an advantage of 15 seconds over the Portuguese rider Tiago Machado and 28 seconds over American Levi Leipheimer. That both cyclists ride precisely for RadioShack outwardly added breadth, fortunately, to the message sent yesterday by Contador in the first summit finish of the year.

The title will be decided tomorrow with a time trial of 17.5 kilometers in Portimão. Contador, who cemented the victory in 2009 in the final time trial, is the natural favorite, although he’ll leave the start with a handicap in the form of a last-minute decision by the UCI not to approve the bike on which he’s practiced in recent weeks, due to the way that the parts are assembled. Contador will have to adapt himself in the time trial to a Specialized model from 2008. (Carlos Arribas)

VOLTA AO ALGARVE, STAGE THREE

February 20 - (Chorus) Please, Alberto! Just one moment. You go too fast.

Contador makes his rivals' worst dreams come true (AC press room)

It took Alberto Contador exactly 15 hours, 20 minutes and 17 seconds to win a yellow jersey after seven months off the bike.

His victory at the summit of the Alto do Malhao yesterday was sensational. Mind-boggling. What is the origin, in the cosmic scheme, of such a master?

And his teammates—experienced riders, but as a team, greenhorns. Yet they rode with the fire and dedication of a champion Tour team.

The emotionless data from the race ticker made the victory seem both amazing and inevitable: "Astana are riding like wild horses! They can do anything he needs! FEAR THEM!"

Alberto Contador and his new team are a big story, and it’s moving fast. To record it all spontaneously is...a challenge. Like Salieri taking dictation from Mozart, what can you do but write feverishly and inwardly exclaim, “Please, Alberto! Just one moment. You go too fast.”

RESULTS: Contador in Stage 3, 1st (5:02:55). Contador in GC, 1st (15:20:17).
GC TOP FIVE: Alberto Contador, Tiago Machado (0:15), Levi Leipheimer (0:28), Samuel Sanchez (0:35), TJ van Garderen (0:35)

GO TO RACE WATCH

TOUR DE FRANCE 2010 - LET'S GO!

Christine's essential travel guide

Are you dreaming of attending the 2010 Tour de France? Going to the Tour can be tricky: finding a hotel that's not already booked and navigating the backroads of France take a little know-how.

Christine Kahane's EUROPEAN TRAVEL TIPS FOR THE CYCLING FAN is based on tons of savvy and experience. It's a must-read if you're planning your first Grand Depart.

SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

Alberto Contador wins the 2009 Tour de France

A very sunny ending to the Tour (Lionel Bonaventure/AFP/Getty Images)

UPDATED PALMARÈS
TOUR PRESS
GALLERY

MUCH MORE at CONTADOR'S SPECTACULAR TOUR DE FRANCE BOOK



Valor y al toro!

2009 RACES

Race reports: Spanish Championship, Dauphiné Libéré, País Vasco, Castilla y León, Paris-Nice, Volta ao Algarve, criteriums

GO TO RACE WATCH 2009

SOUVENIR OF TOUR 2009

Alberto's second triumph

To my dear dad, Bob Bell (April 14, 1931 - August 7, 2008)

"Finis vitae sed non amoris"