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CONTADOR: I'M DREAMING OF THE VUELTA

August 28, 2008

Pinto’s hero confidently eyes the prize

EFE - Madrid - 25/08/2008

Alberto Contador (Pinto, 1982) wraps up training in the Sierra de Madrid ready to face a major challenge: On Saturday in Granada he’ll begin his battle to become the first Spanish cyclist in history to win all three grand tours.

Contador, the winner of the 2007 Tour and the 2008 Giro d’Italia, told EFE in an interview that he’s starting the Vuelta with both body and mind in form. He’s ready to fight for a race that gives him special motivation, where he'll share top billing with reigning Tour winner, Carlos Sastre, whom he considers the prime candidate for the title.

Having missed a medal in Beijing by a mere eight seconds, in the Vuelta he’ll seek gold again. This time Contador hopes to join the legendary trio of Anquetil, Merckx, and Gimondi—the only three cyclists who have all three grand tours in their palmarés.

In your last race, the Clásica a los Puertos, you looked tough and aggressive, and it’s no secret that your hopes are set on the Vuelta. How will you begin this edition?

I dream about the Vuelta. I really want to do something great and will try to do well in the GC, but it’ll be difficult to win because the level is very high. I feel good, but we’ll see what level I show at the Vuelta.

I’m starting confidently: the last test was good and every day I get better. I think I’ll get there in a very good moment of form. You never know, of course, but my physical and psychological states are very good.

In addition, you’re bringing the best possible team, including names like Leipheimer and Klöden, men with results and experience. The former won the bronze in Beijing.

Having the support of Leipheimer and Klöden gets rid of a lot of the responsibility and pressure on me, so I can be more relaxed from the beginnng. It’s an honor to have these riders on the team, but I also have complete confidence in the entire group.

After getting fourth at the Olympics, the Vuelta is only worth gold.

A silver medal wouldn’t be bad either, but I am thinking about the overall. It’ll be difficult to win; nobody thinks it will be easy, but I will try.

In principle, you won’t have a lot of chances to ride the Vuelta and win. You’re a Tour man, and your future goals will be directed toward the Tour de France.

Yeah, who knows. This year I’m doing the Giro and the Vuelta and at the moment I’m happy with how it’s working out. I guarantee that my target in the future will be the Tour de France, but I’ll never count out the Vuelta. I’ll always have it in the back of my mind.

You’ll have rivals among your compañeros: Sastre, Valverde.

I think the likeliest candidates to win are Sastre, Valverde, and even Leipheimer, but many names will crop up. Carlos Sastre is the number one favorite because he proved his level in the Tour de France.

Obviously, having not participated in the Tour, you’ll arrive fresher than they will.

Everybody knows how hard they’ve worked. I was really worn out after the Giro, then I recovered, but the truth is that the people who rode the Tour will be more fatigued than I am.

Do you aspire to become the first Spaniard to win all three grand tours?

Absolutely, that’s something that motivates me. It would be a dream come true to make history for that reason. I’ve always said I’d like to win the Vuelta, if not this year, another year. But certainly, I’m shooting for it now.

There’s nothing wrong with the route, with five mountaintop finishes and not much racing against the clock. Plus there’s the incentive of the Anglíru, the most feared peak in the Vuelta.

If I feel good, the finish on top of the Anglíru will suit me really well, but the question is whether or not I’ll feel strong enough on that exact day, because it could be an important stage to gain time.

You climbed the Mortirolo in the Giro and studied the Anglíru in July. Are they anything alike?

The Anglíru could be the Spanish Mortirolo, but it’s different because the Mortirolo has a steady gradient, very hard throughout the climb, and the Anglíru has varying gradients with a level zone in the last 1,500 meters. However, it has five deadly kilometers, with an incline that seems to go on forever.

It’ll be a beautiful and spectacular stage for the spectator. It’s good that the organization has included stages like this.

What are the keys to the race?

The key will be to avoid losing too much time in the time trials and to try to go day by day and arrive fresh in Asturias, where the general classification will already have taken shape. The uphill time trial at Navacerrada could be a good time to finish it off.

Cycling is in a state of euphoria. What do you say about the role of the sport in Beijing?

Spain’s performance was superb. It’s a pity that we couldn’t come away with another medal in the time trial. Joan Llaneras was impressive. They ought to build a monument to that man, because he deserves it. The most distinguished Spanish athlete at the Games.

Can you say something about this key moment in cycling after several years of difficulties?

It’s a great moment, to see if it’s true that the sponsors and the public show a new enthusiasm. Cycling is in a good place, and must get better.

Alberto Contador leaves for Granada Wednesday, 27 August, where he hopes to begin another outstanding chapter in his career. The youngest Spanish Tour de France winner finishes training camp in the Sierra de Madrid, honng the form that will make him the main character in the Vuelta a España story, starting Saturday.

EIGHT SECONDS FROM BRONZE

August 19, 2008

This story by Marcos Lopez has appeared in numerous Spanish periodicals. We present it here with translation help from Christine Kahane.

Thursday, August 14, 2008—He left one room yesterday and entered another. Without a medal on his neck.

One hour after finishing the time trial, in which Fabian Cancellara of Swizterland flew towards Olympic gold, Alberto Contador was at the foot of the Great Wall of China, passing antidoping controls. First blood tests, then urine. A short distance from the Giro winner was the more youthful figure of Samu Sanchez, taking photos with his digital camera, capturing his last impressions of Beijing, the city that raised him to the top last Saturday.

The race in which Contador missed a medal by a mere eight seconds was devasted first by the cyclone Cancellara–sometimes prophecies are fulfilled–then by Gustav Larsson, a Swedish rider signed last year by CSC, Carlos Sastre’s team.

The little-known Swede won the silver. “I couldn’t put a face with that name,” said Samu, illustrating the stir Larsson caused among the favorites.

From Better to Worse

While Contador killed time before urine analysis, he reviewed the race mentally. He started fast, was best at the first intermediate check, and became the virtual gold medalist.

Later, everything that he had won in the ascent, he lost on the descent.

“Alberto went as fast as 80 kilometers an hour, imagine how fast sprinters go,” said Paco Antequera, the Spanish selector. “They were the superiors, they spoiled our party.”

“That’s the plain truth, but it’s not so bad,” Sanchez explained, who was only sorry that because he was the first of this select group to begin, he was never compared to the favorites in the time checks.

The Wicked Descent

The Asturian said it with an effusive hug for Cancellara, the model of a rider. Or the rider who didn’t want to be a model. The fastest in the world, one of the best time trial specialists that Sanchez can remember, because he has the advantage of his bulk and powerful legs in gaining seconds. While others ride like humans, Fabian rides like an extra-terrestrial, almost faster than is possible.

While he was going downhill on the Great Wall, Contador was not alone. “I’m sorry to Spain, who wanted another medal. Also the people of Pinto cheered for me in the Plaza de Constitución. I felt them pushing me down the slope, only a little was missing to finish it off,” Contador lamented, still keeping sight of the big picture.

He came to Beijing to add to his extraordinary palmarès (consecutive Tour and Giro, and possibly an unusual triple slam after the Vuelta in a few weeks), but hadn’t made the Olympic TT a definitive goal.

“It’s not my forte, but I’ve demonstrated that every day I improve.”

Weight Watchers

It went so well that he only lacked eight seconds, the time it takes to sigh, to be in the top three and gain the honor of stepping onto the Oympic podium. Or to put it simply, the anonymous Swede surprised him.

“Larsson? He did what? Silver! I don’t even know him,” Contador said, still seated on the bike on the final straight stretch of the circuit, after locking in a long and sincere hug with Sanchez, a touching moment.

“I’m not going to create a stink over not getting bronze,” he said, remembering that “the best in the world were here.” For sure, no one was missing.

When the road zoomed upward, Contador had the virtual medal on his chest. When the road plunged, he tried valiantly, but couldn’t hold on.

Samu, too. “If the ascent had been harder, it would have gone far better,” the winner of the road race commented. “If you look at the weight and musculature of each rider, there’s the explanation,” he pointed out.

Contador, who abandoned the road race, also suffered two blows to the knee. Add these factors to the different physical characteristics of the riders--the lightweight Spaniards vs. the extraordinary physique of a powerful Cancellara (1.86 meters tall, weighing 80 kilos) and the longeline of Larsson (1.95m, 77 kilos)--to explain how the medal got away.

Inspiration from Spartacus

Contador was fourth, inches from the craze of an Olympic podium, even though—remember—he’s a climber. He’s not like Spartacus, as Cancellara is known to his team. The Swiss gladiator earned his country it’s first Olympic gold in Beijing. A cyclist disguised as a human locomotive, who found the necessary motivation in the sumptuous scenery along the route.

“The Wall has given me the power and the force. When you see that it’s more than 5,000 kilometers long and the immense effort required (to build it), you think, “Maybe it’s a sign.”

“That’s how hard I had to work,” said Cancellara, who collapsed in exhaustion at the end. He crossed the goal, threw down his bike, was corralled by the media, and cried out for air.

Pure air for the best rider, while Sanchez joked about the dinner (ed.—the prize ham awarded to Sanchez along with the gold medal, not transportable to Spain) that awaited them last night in the Olympic Village: “One thing’s for sure: tonight we’re eating ham!”

A hug from Sanchez after the TT (photo Jordi Cotrina)

BEIJING, THE WEB, AND LA VUELTA

August 18, 2008

Alberto Contador got home from Beijing on Thursday with one thing on his mind. The Vuelta a España starts in two weeks, hot on the heels of the Olympic Games. Thanks to an initial test of form in Beijing, Contador knows that when the peloton leaves the gate in Granada, he'll be ready to win.

He gets fans up-to-date in this interview for his new official website, albertocontador.es .

Did you like your experience at the Olympic Games?

Yes, it was very beautiful. Every athlete wants to be in the Olympics at least once in his life, because it's a privilege few can have. Being in the Olympic Village with the best athletes in the world is something that we want to be able to enjoy.

What conclusions have you drawn about finishing fourth in the time trial? Will you return in four years for the gold medal?

My conclusions are very good. I'm happy with the result, since my physical condition was not the best. I worked very hard and squeezed every ounce of potential from my body, although I was deflated at the end.

I can see that my preparation for the Vuelta a España is on target and that I've improved enormously in the time trial, which gives me peace of mind regarding the other climbers. I need to fine-tune my form, but I believe that I can arrive at the Vuelta in very good shape.

Will you want to go back to the next Olympic Games?

I would definitely like to return for a triumph, but that's very difficult to do. I believe that in a few more years I should've improved in the time trial and then I'd like to go back to fight for the gold, although I'm not obsessive about that goal. What I know is if I'd ridden the Tour and finished well, I would've gotten a much better result in Beijing.

A controversy has arisen over Levi Leipheimer's time trial bicycle. What do you think of that?

What I would never want is for them to take his medal away and give it to me, because Levi is a colleague and a friend.

Also, I don't believe there's any reason. They've already looked at his bike at other races and if there was something wrong with it, they wouldn't have allowed him to take the start in Beijing. I'm not concerned about it.

When you got back to Madrid, you got the good news that your new website is ready. What do you think about it, what do you expect from it?

I was eager to see it, because the previous one was beautiful and had lots of visitors, but it lacked updates.

Good work has been done and it has very interesting things. I'll write contributions myself when I'm in competition, and we'll have a lot of content.

The best thing I can say is that I hope lots of fans will visit and tell us what they think and how to continue improving it. It's not cool to be without a good website these days, plus I can be in closer contact with fans all over the world.

There are 15 days before the start of the Vuelta. What's your plan?

To get over jet lag and the effort of the race on these first 3 days so that I can start training again.

I also want to scout out the Sierra de Madrid stages, because the team will train at Navacerrada just before the start. Also, I'm going to ride the Clásica a los Puertos to get back into the rhythm of competition.

How do you see yourself before the start of the Vuelta?

Mainly I'm really excited and very motivated to ride to win, because unlike in the Giro or the Tour, here I know the parcours very well and I want to enjoy the Spanish fans.

All this is very important in the month of September, and since I didn't ride the Tour, I believe that I'll be very good physically.

Also, I'm lucky that in this team I'm not under pressure to win. I'll start the race with my duties clear, I'm still very young, plus Leipheimer will ride, and he's another guy that can fight for the general with confidence, plus Klöden will probably come, and his quality makes him another candidate.

The objective is that Astana wins, and we have three very solid tricks up our sleeve.

Will the road choose the leader?

Yes, the road will tell us the best strategy. Astana wants to win, and I'm lucky to have these two teammates with me, because we'll be able to defeat stronger rivals.

Do you believe all the program changes will affect you, as well as having done the Giro?

No, this year hasn't affected me. This year has been an exception, because I won't ride two big tours in the same season again, but I believe that I'm going to arrive fresh, especially mentally.

Will your debut in the Vuelta be lucky, like the Giro?

I don't know, but I'm sure that both knowing the race and my desire to enjoy my country and the Spanish fans will work in my favour.

What will be the key elements of the race?

I think that we have to wait until the end to know the winner, but the first test will be the first 40 km time trial, where some of the favorites might fail.

Then the Pyrenees stages will show proof of each rider's form. After this group of mountains, the big story will be the stages in Asturias - Angliru and Fuentes de Invierno.

Whoever leaves Asturias as leader will have won most of the Vuelta, which only leaves the last test in the Sierra de Madrid and the time trial to Navacerrada to settle things, if the differences are still small.

Is the Vuelta a España for climbers or time trial specialists?

For climbers, although it's not bad either for people who can do well in the TTs, then ride defensively in the mountains.

VUELTA 2008: THE PYRENEES WON'T DECIDE THE RACE

July 13, 2008

Alberto Contador completed a training foray into the Pyrenees Thursday, a visit designed as a study of Stages 7 and 8 of the upcoming Vuelta a España. The expedition to Andorra included Contador’s Asturian teammates Chechu Rubiera, Benjamin Noval, and Dani Navarro, and Sérgio Paulinho of Portugal.

“Yesterday we rode the final 120 km of Stage 7: We climb La Rabassa twice, the second time with an extra four kilometers at the end--a first for the Vuelta. It will be a very difficult stage because of the cumulative kilometers in our legs, especially if it’s hot.

“The first two kilometers of the climb are really hard, but it gets easier after the sixth kilometer. The last part smooths out and there’s a chance to recover a little.”

“In the second part things will be determined by how the legs feel after 200 kilometers. Everything depends on the rhythm set at the beginning of the stage, but the last four km are not as hard, so it stands to reason it will come down to a small group of three or four riders. It will be my first time up this mountain, I only remember it from the year that Zarrabeitia got his finger cut off in the descent.”

On Thursday, Contador and his teammates rode 133 km of Stage 8, from the top of the Puerto del Cantó to the finish at Pla de Beret, reported press manager Jacinto Vidarte.

“El Cantó looked really hard to me. We took our bikes to the top, and after the descent we climbed the Puerto de Enviny, which was no big deal. We went on through a fairly long valley before La Bonaigua, which is tough. Today they were resurfacing the road. We were able to get through, but with 19 km of that plus the heat, it was really difficult," said Contador.

“On the other hand, I was a little disappointed with the Pla de Beret. It’s not very difficult, the road surface is good, and the last one-and-a-half kilometers goes downhill. Nobody will get much of a margin there.”

Alberto has a clear mental picture after these two days of reconnaissance. “In some ways I’m disappointed with the Pyrenees, because if it’s going well, there’s no place to grab the margin that I’d like, and if it’s not going well, you can limit the damages because there will be a lot of chances to get organized and ride defensively."

“These are not mountains for pure climbers. The only danger is that if you’re not on a good day, you could lose the general. But I don’t believe they’ll be decisive in winning the race."

Contador will scout out the mountain stages of Asturias next week, including a climb of the Anglirú on Thursday and the summit of Fuentes de Invierno on Friday. He’s hoping to find a different scenario there.

“Asturias will be much more decisive than the Pyrenees. Some of the favorites will be dropped here, but the real differences in the general will happen there, in Asturias.”

The Vuelta a España 2008 will take place August 30 - September 21.

Visit the Vuelta a España official website for more information about the race.

ROYAL RECOGNITION

July 4, 2008

A royal reception in Madrid (EFE)

On Sunday, June 23, Alberto Contador was invited to the Royal Palace of Madrid as a recipient of Spain’s National Prize for Sport.

According to numerous accounts in the press and the official website of His Majesty Juan Carlos, the awards ceremony was a shared event by the palace and state dignitaries to recognize athletes and organizations for outstanding achievement in sport in 2007.

Those assembled at the palace were guests of King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofía, and the princesses Elena and Cristina. The Prince of Asturias was also to have been present but could not attend due to the death of his mother-in-law.

The royal family hosted the affair in the Hall of Columns, and participated in the ceremonial act of awarding the prizes.

Present were Jaime Lissavetsky, Spain’s Secretary of State for Sport, and other dignitaries, including Madrid’s mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, the presidents of the Spanish Olympic Committee and Paralympic Committee, and the ambassador from Argentina.

The list of honorees featured individual athletes of international prominence like Contador. Prizes were also give to people who disguished themselves by promoting sportsmanlike conduct, and as marks of international goodwill.

Sportsman of the Year ("Premio Nacional Don Felipe de Borbón") was given to yachtsman Rafael Trujillo Villar, Sportswoman of the Year (“Premio Reina Sofía”) to middle distance runner Maria Teresa Martinez Jiménez.

Contador was given the prize for Revalation of the Year ("Premio Infanta de España S.A.R. Doña Cristina") for the spectacular season which culminated in victory in the Tour de France.

Don Juan Carlos concluded with a statement, in which he emphasized that “successes are not improvised. They are built by much work and much tenacity, with thorough planning and the necessary structures of support for the athlete.”

He emphasized that the athletes assume the responsibility “to set an example in overcoming difficulties, therefore encouraging the best virtues of sport. Virtues that spring from the generous and shared common loyalty of teamwork, discipline and nobility, and the spirit of reaching for ever higher goals. Virtues that are, for this reason, a basic instrument for the formation and well balanced development of the person, in order to contribute to solidarity among citizens.”

The king ended by congratulating the awardees, on behalf of the queen and the princesses, for “the example you have set, and for upholding the image of Spain beyond our borders.”

A reception by the royal family put the finishing touch to the ceremony.



Only the king stands between Alberto Contador and his prize cup (EFE)

EL PAÍS INTERVIEW

June 20, 2008

In a career sweet spot between back-to-back Tour/Giro victories and tackling the Olympics/Vuelta duo, Alberto talks things over with Carlos Arribas of EL PAÍS.

“People are getting excited again”

Coming home to Pinto, Alberto Contador (1982) says his recent Giro victory has had even more repercussions than his triumph in the Tour last July. He modestly assumes the role of “messiah,” the man who has come to save cycling.

Alberto Contador is on vacation, but it’s almost impossible to find a gap in his schedule.

Between working on his house and accepting invitations for radio and television appearances, the guy from Pinto has no spare time.

Finally we manage to grab a minute, and sit down on a bench in Egido Park, about 200 meters from his parents’ house, where he still lives.

The backdrop is the Polideportivo, the multi-purpose athletic pavilion which sports a glistening label bearing the name Contador. The building displays a gigantic picture of Pinto’s favorite cyclist, wearing the maglia rosa and holding a golden spiral, the Giro trophy.

From time to time, children approach, recognizing him in spite of his enormous sunglasses. They’re hunting for autographs. On pink paper, of course.

When you won the Tour, you weren’t in the middle of such a media whirlwind. It’s as if the Giro were more important...

It’s not that it’s had more impact, it’s that it all adds up. After the Tour there was a tremendous commotion, too.

My exclusion from the Tour has been in the news for a long time now. Then, in the Giro, the story about our invitation was big news, and even though it was only broadcast for three days, it drew a lot of attention. Much more than the Tour.

Two and a half million Spaniards were watching you live on TV when you crossed the finish line in Milan…

I think that, considering the Giro was only broadcast by Eurosport, all told it was a very high number.


Do you think it was influenced by lack of doping scandals?

No. What influenced it more is that people are getting excited, especially in Spain. And all over the world. In Italy, the Giro got 44% of the television shares. That’s gargantuan. They needed a foreign rider to go there and give them a good show. It had been twelve years since a foreigner won.

But people are getting enthusiastic again because they see something new in cycling, not just that there are no scandals...

Yes, that too, but that's not an obsession. It’s more fun to talk about tactics—who’s going to attack tomorrow, what the route is like—than to drone on about scandals.


How was this victory significant?

It’s been good for Spanish cycling and world-wide cycling. A race as beautiful as this one, riders fighting on equal footing …an explosion by one guy on one day, and the next day somebody else…It’s good for everybody and mainly, for Spain.

All countries, Spain in particular, take their lead from their champions. If there’s no scandal in the Tour and the Vuelta, it will be really, really good.

There are riders that need a director telling them what to do at every moment, but you go when it feels right…

Yes; in the Giro, I used my own judgement in every stage. Man, the director always has an influence, but to be perfectly clear here, I’m the one who knows best how I feel on the bike.

But there wasn't much room to manuever either. We didn’t have such a powerful team that we could play around with tactical moves. The tactics were always quite simple, although complex, because handling all the rivals stacked against me was complicated. The Giro was not won from the car.

Therefore you’re against using the earpiece. In a survey of the union, 70% of the riders were in favor of it.

I’m in favor of it. I know that some say the earpiece kills spectacle, but I think that, no, it has changed cycling, that everything is more equal and that they’re pleased with the show it makes.

The earpiece has never held me back. If I’ve got legs to attack and think the time is right, I’m not going to hold back. You’ve got to take advantage of the opportunities. The earpiece is good for breakdowns and other rough times.

In the end, it seems that the Tour has done you a favor: If they hadn’t blackballed you, you wouldn’t have won the Giro, nor would you ride the Vuelta a España.

In priciple, it always seems that negative things bring about positive things. The Giro has had more impact than winning two consecutive Tours. I’ve won the Giro and the Tour at 25 years old. And right now, I’m glad they haven’t invited me to the Tour. I’ll be able to go to the Olympic Games and ride the Vuelta. If I’d gone to the Tour, I don’t know when I could’ve ridden these races.

Having gone to the Giro and having won it has more prestige in the press, on a personal level, and in the record books than winning two Tours, although the Tour is the best race.

Can you tell that you’re reaching a different magnitude of importance as a rider, becoming like a leading figure?

I don’t believe in that, but every time I’m taken more into account. It’s clear that it changes the situation. I’m not just recognized in my hometown now. They also know me outside. My life has changed.

It looks like you’ve placed a high value on the Olympic Games. Are you doing this as a personal point of principle, considering that most cyclists and teams don’t pay much attention to them?

The Games are important: they’re only celebrated every four years, although I have to juggle the preparation without jeopardizing the Vuelta. I won’t go in peak form, but we’re going to try to adapt as well as possible to be competitive.

But isn’t it dangerous to saturate yourself with so many big races at the age of 25?

Certainly, but you have to consider that there won’t be another year like this for a long time. I’m going to ride two grand tours, but that’s because they’re the Giro and the Vuelta with three months in between.

I believe that if I start to ride a lot at 25…I’d rather ride one and be sure of success than go to two or three and come in third. Because at my current level, people demand that I win; it’s not worth it just to get a podium place.


In July, during the Tour, will you be nostalgic at times?

If I hadn’t won the Giro, maybe, but no nostalgia. If I can arrange it with training and rest, I’ll watch stages of the Tour and use it to study and analyze the rivals for future races.


Valverde is very strong…

He’s very strong. He showed it in the Dauphiné. He’s well-prepared and is in great shape mentally. He’s betting everything this year on winning the Tour.

If Valverde wins the Tour, it would be a spectacular Vuelta with you both.


I think so, yes. The Vuelta needs that.

In the 1950’s half of the people in Spain were for Loroño and half were for Bahamontes. Is it possible to produce something like that again?

I think it’s good because it means that there are enough riders for fans to identify with and see compete in all types of races. Some choose one type of race or another--classics, grand tours, short tours--with different styles of riding, and it makes sense that one rider specializes at one type, and another rider chooses another, but not so extreme as to create factions…It’s complicated.

Photo: Contador with the trophy in Madrid, June 2 (JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images)

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RAMIREZ ABEJA INTERVIEW

June 8, 2008

Javier Ramirez Abeja rode alongside Alberto Contador at Liberty Seguros and in the former Astana team in 2006.

Although currently out of work as a professional--like many other riders in the last two years--he has returned to amateur ranks, where he's often seen on the winner's podium.

Contador cites Ramirez Abeja as an example of the perfect teammate.

El Desmarque reports If there’s anyone in Seville that really knows Giro winner Alberto Contador, it’s cyclist Javier Ramirez Abeja.

Friends for many years, the Pinteño tried to work it out so the Andalusian rode with him, but in the end external circumstances prevented it. Abeja, who doesn’t count out returning to professional cycling if he gets an interesting offer, doesn’t want to compare Contador to Induráin, but he’s convinced that Contador has five Tour victories in his legs.

Did you expect Alberto Contador's triumph in Italy?

"At first expecting it was too complicated because he was on vacation ten days before the Giro and didn’t plan to ride. But Alberto has proven that at the moment there is no other cyclist at that level. He’s achieving extraordinary things and is demonstrating that he’s a rider at the pinnacle of the sport."

What’s Contador like?

"His main virtue is he has the mentality of a winner, one hundred percent. He gets his mind in the groove when he mounts the bike, and it shows from race to race all season long, from February to October."

Does it hurt him not to ride the Tour this year?

"It’s a very detrimental decision, for the Tour and for everybody, because it's leaving out the best cyclist in the world. Certainly, it hurts him, but it’s up to the Tour to decide, and they won’t let his team participate."

Having won a Tour and a Giro by the age of 25, how far can he go?

"I don’t know, but of course he can go far. He’s already proving it at 25 and still has a long way to go."

Contador has two grand tours to his credit and is a much younger person than Induráin was when he won his first Tour. Is it going too far to say that he can surpass the five Tours won by the man from Navarre?

"Comparisons are always horrible. Five Tours is a lot--five years in a row—because in five years a lot happens and with all the circustances he may face it's much more complicated. Notice that currently he’s only won one and he’s already had problems, because they won’t let him ride.

I’m conviced that he has five Tours in his legs, but his style is very different from Induráin’s."

At the end of last season it was said that Contador could have recommended you to his team. Was there ever any chance for you to race by his side this year?

"It’s true that we had many conversations, but first there was a misunderstanding with director Johan Bruyneel, and later Astana had so many riders already under contract that it spoiled the deal."

Personally speaking, regarding the streak of victories that you’ve gotten in your return to the amateurs ranks, can that help you reinvent yourself and give you a boost back into the professional peloton?

"It depends on those higher up, but certainly it means that if I got an interesting offer, I’d accept. It’s true that I win a lot, but going back to being a professional isn't up to me.

"What must be, will be. During the last two years professional cycling has gone through many negative circumstances, because both existing teams that I’ve ridden with have disappeared. We’ll see if I get lucky, and someday it all seems like a bad memory."

VUELTA AL PAIS VASCO UPDATE

“I don’t have words to express my thanks for the treatment I’ve received”

April 24, 2008

Benito Urraburu of Diaro Vasco spoke with Alberto the day after his victory in Basque Country.

Alberto Contador dominated the Vuelta al País Vasco from the first day in Legazpi. Yesterday he left Orio dressed in yellow, his face completely swollen by an abscess.

The winner of the 2008 Vuelta al País Vasco finished the race, and left for his home in Pinto as soon as possible with his fiancee and friends, after complying with post-race protocol: the podium, the doping control, and the press conference. The kilometers that he crossed in the car to Madrid let him forget the week’s tension, and to experience some relief.

How are you the day after winning the Vuelta al País Vasco?

I’m a mess. I have an enormous abscess. If the race had lasted one more day, I wouldn’t have finished it. I didn’t take any antibiotics, and this is what happened. From Saturday night to Sunday morning I spent almost all of the time wide awake. I fell half asleep at four o’clock in the morning and was quite annoyed. I’m worn out.

Why do you say you wouldn’t have been able to finish the race?

If I had to race right now I wouldn’t be able to fasten the helmet on. You get the idea of how my face is. I’m really uncomfortable.

When are you going to the dentist?

I’ve requested an appointment for today, to see what he says and what is the state of the inflammation. I don’t know what caused the toothache. These are things that don’t usually happen in a race, but sometimes they do happen to you. I had to go to the dentist, and was in bad shape.

Did you celebrate the triumph in some special way?

First with my teammates in the bus. Then I got in the car with two friends and my fiancée and went straight to Madrid. While we were in the car, the tension of the whole week dissipated.

Did you train the day after winning the race?

No, with the abscess and fatigue there hasn’t been any training.This week I’m going to take it easy. I won’t stop riding the bike, but I will train every other day. My form will come down a little. Now it doesn’t serve any purpose to maintain it. What we’ve had is a dinner with my mother’s family.

How has your family taken your triumph?

With joy. It’s a pity that my father is in low spirits because of the death of my grandmother. It still hasn’t been very long. Those things don’t go away in a day or two, it takes time.

They say that the Vuelta al País Vasco leaves a body quite beaten up, true?

Six days of racing, going at the limit, it leaves a mark. The terrain is very difficult, you build up tension every day. Then there’s the weather, with rain and cold. I went with the idea of winning, and that adds still more responsibility. Then there are the rivals, the level of the race. If you add it all up, then yes, you finish tired.

Are you satisfied with the way things ended up?

I’m happy with the result. I notice that I’ve improved in the race against the clock and that I defended myself well in the race. I gained time where I could. There was no mountain stage finish to create a margin. I finished satisfied and surprised at how well I did in the time trial.

Did you notice anything special about the race?

The amount of people who were there. It seemed like people were being watered with a garden hose on some of the rainy days, but people stuck with it. At the start and finish lines and on the road I noticed the enthusiasm of the fans.

I’ve done the best I could for everyone. Some days they even had to accompany me to the doping control because of all the people around me. I posed for lots of photos, I signed autographs. Often I haven’t been able to satisfy everybody. Before, in Castilla y León and Murcia, I also noticed the fervor of the fans. It’s a comfort.

Johan Bruyneel says that you have something special. What is it?

Don’t ask me. I can’t explain it. You should ask Johan, other people. Look, people may think you win because you’re good, but I take care of all the details to the very limit, everything, even the minutiae.

The difference between a good rider and one who wins is in those thousand details that I’m talking about. I’m the kind of person that, if I set my mind on a goal, I prepare thoroughly, to the max, with all the consequences. I train a lot; I like to train. I’m very strict with myself.

They’ve told me that you’re very careful about what you eat, is that true?

Yes, I’m careful. After the Vuelta a Murcia I had to crack down and lose a few pounds. You’ve been fooled, because I don’t eat small amounts, I eat a lot, I eat well. I’m fonder of fish than of meat, but I don’t have special diets.

Your favorite dish?

Tortilla de patatas. I’m terrible. If there’s one in the kitchen, first I take a piece, than another one, and I end up eating it all. I have to be careful.

Did you have some special plan for Sunday?

Dinner with friends. One of them had a birthday and we had dinner.

Do you keep up with your old friends?

The friends I’ve had all my life, from my district, my town. Some of them are the ones who come to many of my races.

You surprised people by the way you won, but also your team. What do you think of your teammates?

They’ve been doing piecework in the race every day. People said that we had the race locked up. What else could we do? There were no differences in the general. The aim was to maintain the leadership. They’ve had to work hard, like bulls. Where else could I find people like that? Where else is there a team that sacrifices everything for you.

Have you ever thought about changing teams?

They pay me well, respect me. What am I supposed to do, desert them? They’ve made it easy for me. I’ve never thought about leaving, never.

What do you think of Cadel Evans? How does he look?

He looks good to me. In the Friday stage, which ended at Orio, he was at the front and I had to do what I could. He’s having a strong early season. He did a very good race against the clock.

And Thomas Dekker?

He got a very good result in the race. I did better than he did, but he did a very good time trial. He’s been very consistent. It may look easy on TV, but any error means seconds of difference.

Are you thinking about the Dauphiné Libéré, your next race?

No. When the time comes, I’ll think about it. Right now I’m going to relax a little, but not neglect things. In a few days, we’ll see what I’ll do.

You want to win every race you ride?

I want to do my job well and if I win, so much the better, but I like to win.

“The more I win, the more they’ll miss me in the Tour”

April 17, 2008

In the wake of Alberto's Basque Country triumph, JOSU GARAI at MARCA asked him some questions last Sunday.



Contador was the best of the favorites in the Vuelta al País Vasco, leading the race from beginning to end. He won the first stage after an attack in Deskarga that nobody could respond to, and the last one, the time trial, in which he pulverized the opposition.

Q: You made it look like an easy victory. Was it?

A: No, it was far from easy. Every day there were difficulties and my team had to work very hard from the beginning. For that reason I feel proud of the great team I’ve had, because it allowed me to keep the leader’s jersey that I earned the first day. Fortunately, I was also able to finish off the great work they did.

Q: Have you raced with more anger since the exclusion by the Tour?

A: I wouldn’t call it anger. But I can’t deny that I’m more motivated considering I won’t be able to compete in cycling's greatest annual event this July. I have to take advantage of other items on the calendar like this one.

Q: Winning in Basque Country is always prestigious. But this year, with the star roster it’s had, it’s even more prestigious.

A: Winning here has special value, it’s very important. Aside from the three grand tours, it’s one of the more prestigious races at the international level, one that all cyclists want to win. In addition, a victory with Evans on the podium is even more prestitious. He’s been on the podium at the Tour.

Q: It seems that you didn’t race in perfect condition because of a toothache.

A: It started to hurt Monday night after the victory in Lezgapi. And as days went by, the problem got worse. I went almost two nights there without shutting my eyes because I didn’t want to take antibiotics for the inflammation I have now. This morning I was in a very bad way.

Q: With victories you’re making the Tour organization doubt the decision to ban your team.

A: The more my name is associated with victories, the more they’ll notice my absence in the Tour.

Q: And now, what’s your program?

A: First a little rest. Then I’ll speak with the team, but I imagine that we’ll do a training camp in the Pyrenees or Alps to lay a foundation for the Dauphiné, where I still don’t know if I’ll go to dispute the victory or not. Later, the Olympic Games and the Vuelta a España.

(photo: RAFA RIVAS/AFP/Getty Images)

61 kilos of dynamite

Diario Vasco - April 11, 2008

Kepa Zelaia, Astana’s physician, formerly of Discovery Channel team, is one of the people who best knows the physical machine of Alberto Contador, “a privileged constitution,” according to him.

“I got to know him in 2003, five years ago. I was surprised by the effort test performed by Dr. Alberto Garai. The result was spectacular, far above the norm for a young man of only 21.”

How was Contador different? “What stood out is the extremely resistant quality of his fine muscular cells. He eliminated lactates very rapidly. And he recuperated extremely fast.” These are qualities that the leader of the Vuelta al País Vasco has enhanced by training.

Dr. Zalaia ranks him “at the level of the greatest climbers of all time, like Lucho Herrera or Marco Pantani. He weighs 61 kilos and he has a resting pulse rate of between 38 and 41 beats minute.” Of course, seeing him climbing the slopes with such a high pedal cadence, another of his characteristics, one can unequivocally state that it’s 61 kilos of dynamite.

Kepa Zelaia understands that Alberto Contador “has plenty of margin left to improve in the coming two years, especially in the time trial. He’s 25 and has not yet reached physical maturity. He eats moderately. I would even say that he eats little.”

“Self-control”

The Astana physician also emphasizes another aptitude which stands out in the effort tests. “Self-control. The cavernoma did not diminish him physically. On the contrary, I would say that it strengthened his character, level-headedness, and maturity.”

His grandmother died last Tuesday

He demonstrated those qualities recently, since his grandmother Maria passed away last Tuesday. She lived in Badajoz, Barcarrota, and had been hospitalized for several days. On Monday Alberto dedicated his victory in the Legazpi stage to her.

In the past few weeks, speculation has been that Contador was diversifying his preparation and his training plans after learning that his team, Astana, had not been invited to the Tour de France. Zelaia denies this alleged change.

“Normally, he had to be well-prepared for Paris-Nice. ASO didn’t invite the team to this race, so he then aimed to be in the best possible form for the Vuelta al País Vasco, occurring one month later in the pro cycling calendar. We limited ourselves to delay his fine-tuning. From this point of view, the preparation has been the same as last year’s. In any case, Alberto's not at 100% yet. He’s still capable of improving on the bike.”

The Vuelta al País Vasco ends the first part of Contador’s season. Zelaia realises that “a race like this one demands an important effort every day.”

"In addition, in his racing style he plays offense: he attacks a lot, and this uses more energy, so much so that Alberto could pay the price next Saturday in Orio. For example, during last year’s Tour de France he attacked in five out of the six mountain stages, and paid for his efforts in the Aubisque. We’ll see how he feels after the Vuelta al País Vasco, and decide about the follow-up. There’s the option of a training camp in the Pyrenees or the Alps, as previously planned. But for the moment we must wait. There could well be a change of schedule. We’ll see.”

A reminder: Contador will not be at the departure of the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, two classics lead by the ASO, the same entity that organizes the Tour, where Astana has not been invited either. The only possibility offered would be to take part in the Dutch Amstel Gold Race, but this race is not included in Contador’s schedule.

Alberto’s next objective will will be focused on the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.

(Translation by Christine Kahane)

(photos: top right, Lucho Herrera in 1987; bottom, Graham Watson - the paceline)

“At 25, I’ve lived much”

Alberto Contador finds lessons in the hammer blows dealt by the cycling world, and still burns white-hot, enjoying every minute.

Diario Vasco, April 6, 2008

“I have a bad memory for the climbs, but I know more or less what I’ll find in the Vuelta al País Vasco. Last year the route was harder. It’s one of those races where you can’t just go for a walk.” Alberto Contador studies the parcours, takes note of the kilometers, the climbs, all the facts and figures.

Although not envisioning every detail of the next week, he knows the land perfectly. In fact, when he begins to reel off the stages, he first says emphatically, “ The Vuelta begins with a classic stage, the one at Legazpi, with Deskarga, Aztiria. I know that territory. I often spent time there when I was with Iberdrola.”

There were times during his amateur days in Gipuzkoa when he came from Madrid by bus, or lived in Oiangu and trained in that area. “Then there’s the finish at Viana, the Orio stage, the time trial. The Vuelta al País Vasco is one of those races with no rest day.”

He finished Castilla y León with a win and has set himself to prevail whenever he rides. The winner of the Tour de France 2007, who will not defend his title in 2008, has had to rearrange all his initial plans.

“In the Vuelta a Murcia I realized that I was still green. Because of that I trained a lot before Castilla y León. It went well. I had 15 days to recover and work on condition. I’m in very competitive form. I’m not at the top, but I’m good.”

Being a naturally slender cyclist, he’s lost nearly 2 kilos since the Vuelta a Murcia, something that he’ll notice on the highways of Euskadi where he’ll sign in having 17 days of competition under his belt, nearly ideal for a cyclist who usually reaches form quickly.

“I’ll begin with the idea of disputing a race that I’ve done several times, where I’ve had chances to win, where I’ve come close, but where you have to be 100%. To win? It won’t be easy, both because of the difficultly and the great participation.”

There’s another important factor for Alberto Contador: the allergies that affect him in April. “Last year they bothered me in the stage that Beltrán won. It was miserable, I could hardly breathe. In the last stage I also had problems. Those things can work against you, depending on how the race goes.”

None of his past appearances at the race have gone unnoticed: “In 2005 I came in third in the general and I won the time trial. In 2006 I finished fifth, after the debacle that reordered the general in the final time trial in Zalla. Last year things were not as good for me.”

In the Zalla finish in 2006, with everything in his favor, José Angel Gómez Marchante gambled against all odds, and Contador went down the tube.

When it comes to naming favorites, Contador thinks you have to examine the roster.

“Everybody talks about Cadel Evans, the entire CSC team, Popovych. I know that I’m said to be the main favorite, but there are more. Many riders will arrive in form and although nobody’s mentioning them, they’ll be up front.”

His plans after the Vuelta al País Vasco, whether he wins or not, are quite clear. “I want to go forward, and have spoken with the team about it. The plans will be similar to those I would do if I were thinking about the Tour. I’ll rest and train in the Alps and the Pyrenees, soon after I’ll do the Dauphiné Libéré and later we’ll re-evaluate what to do during July. I don’t want to think about it much, at least not at the moment.”

He confessed, “The Vuelta al País Vasco usually leaves you pretty beaten up, so to take it easy for a while is not bad, either.”

He won’t ride, but will go on living as if he were going to ride.

He says with emotion, “I’m doing well, I’m in good spirits. I love the bicycle, and racing competitively. I see how it is in cycling these days and it’s painful. I miss having the power to ride the Tour. Instead of thinking about it, I’ll mentally reboot, although it costs me. It’s not easy.”

He’s 25 years old and it seems that he’s been racing all his life, like a veteran. He has lived much, perhaps too much. “Yes, it’s true. At 25 years old, I’ve been through many things that many people won’t ever experience in their careers. What things? Not riding the Tour, for example, but there are other important ones. You rethink everything and you try to find the positive things. Not riding the Tour is not the crappiest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Alberto Contador continues growing at all levels. He has become hardened, and not only physically. Mentally, the ups and downs that he has suffered are forging him into iron. “It’s clear that you become stronger. It allows you to see everything from another point of view, to value certain things very much. I’ve won the Tour and my life is not easy.”

He rebels when you tell him he’s a born cyclist, that’s why it’s easy for him. “It might seem that you win because you have the talent to do it, but winning is the fruit of constant labor. I’m a strong believer in training, in work. I train a lot, watching the series, controlling the effort I make."

"Since I was small I’ve been quite strict. When I raced in cadets they called me Pantani, because of the facility I had in the climbs. I heard that people said, ‘Pantani is going to burn himself up,’ but I never did.”

Contador: "I want to ride the Tour, but not at all costs"

Dutch journalist Sander de Vaan interviewed Alberto for the Dutch paper NRC Handelsblad on March 6, during the Vuelta a Murcia. Portions of the interview subsequently appeared in the German paper Die Welt and in other publications. The full interview appeared in esciclismo.com .

Alberto Contador weighs in officially at 62.5 kg. But if people could measure their indignation in grams, the winner of the last Tour de France would weigh perhaps twice as much.

And so the cyclist from Pinto continues to be dumbfounded by the decision of the Tour de France organizers (ASO) to exclude Astana from the next Tour.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all. It’s a leap backward for cycling."

"We deserve to be in the Tour. We’re a clean team and one of the most competitive in the world, but the chances are almost nil. Therefore we don’t have any other remedy left but to set new goals, like the Vuelta a España and the world championships,” Contador said.

The subject is even more regrettable because the Madrileño thought long and hard about joining Astana after the sponsor of his previous team, Discovery Channel, left cycling. It’s a fact that the Kazakh-sponsored team was ejected from the 2007 Tour as a result of several doping scandals, the most notorious being that of Alexander Vinokourov.

But then, everything changed.

“I mulled it over for two months. But when director Johan Bruyneel explained that he wanted to build a new team around me with many of the Discovery Channel people—masseurs, mechanics, technical directors, and all the riders who helped me win the Tour—I made the decision.

"Obviously, I also thought about the problems of last year, but the only thing left was the name. Everything else was new,” assured Alberto.

We spoke in the town of San Pedro del Pinatar in Murcia, a place that at first had not appeared on his calendar. As a result of the ASO ban, Astana can’t participate in races like Paris-Nice. The Vuelta a Murcia seemed to Alberto Contador like a good alternative, another chance to log kilometers and show the entire world that he’s not thinking about changing teams.

“I have principles,” says Alberto, who, in spite of all the problems, still looks like a kid. “I want to ride the Tour and to win it again, but not at all costs. For that reason, I’m not changing teams. I value too much what I have all around me. Also, since this team has nothing to do with the one last year, I also feel responsible for my teammates. If they don’t let us ride the Tour this year, we’re penalized, but what can we do?

Strangely, Astana’s exclusion has not yet prompted a unified outcry from the other professional teams. But Alberto Contador understands.

“There are a great many people who acknowledge that this is incomprehensible, but the situation in cycling is so absurd now that they don’t want to get caught in the crossfire. I also think it gets on their nerves. They all express their support to me, but each one has a sponsor and often they can’t just say whatever they think.”

Besides Astana, T-Mobile also had serious problems last year. But the German team (now called High Road) apparently will now be able to participate in the Tour. In addition, the director of CSC, Bjarne Riis, who confessed in 2007 after years of lying that he won the 1996 Tour with EPO in his veins, hasn’t been banned by the ASO as of this time. For these reasons Astana might very well resort to the International Court of Arbitration (CAS) in Switzerland.

Nevertheless, Contador would rather not think about it. “I don’t know if they’re going to court or not. Those are matters for the team. I want to be focused on the races, to try to win and enjoy cycling. And I want to show the world that our team is the best one of all.”

Contador knows what it’s like to fight. In 2004, he had emergency surgery for a cerebral cavernoma. After release from recovery he returned to racing with a victory in a stage of the Tour Down Under. At the time, Alberto rode for Liberty Seguros, a team with close ties to Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. As a result of the Operación Puerto scandal, Contador couldn’t take part in the 2006 Tour. And although his name was more or less cleared soon after, there have continued to be people who associate it with doping.

One of them was the German expert Werner Franke, who labelled Contador’s Tour triumph as “the greatest fraud in the history of sport.” Yet this is the same cyclist who has repeated time and time again that he was simply on the wrong team at the wrong time.

“It’s painful,” he says now. “The fact that in 2007 there was a young winner without a history of doping in the Tour, with a clean team, could have been a departure point for a new era in cycling. But when you see that they don’t let the winner participate the next year, nothing makes sense anymore.”

“As soon as I arrived in Paris, stories about me started to circulate, among them Mr. Franke’s. It hurt, because I got there with hard work and a 100% clean record.

"In the end I gave a press conference, but it hasn’t done any good. It’s easy to make light of a public figure, but it can cause a lot of damage. Maybe, on the other hand, it’s a logical consequence of winning the Tour de France.”

In spite of it, have you truly been able to enjoy your victory?

“Yes. Right now those stories don’t affect me. I know that I haven’t done anything bad and that I don’t have anything to hide. I want to be optimistic.

"I’ve already been saying it for a long time, but I hope this all changes someday. However, I also know that nowadays in cycling it’s this type of thing that sells papers, not the sport. And as far as Operación Puerto is concerned, if the authorities need me for something, I’m completely at their disposal. I can’t do more than that.”

“In some ways, the Tour victory came before I expected it,” he says. “In 2007 I aspired to a stage win and maybe the maillot blanc, but I didn’t hope to win the Tour. I was still young, I lacked the experience and perhaps the confidence to win a three-week race. But because the Discovery team was so strong, I could keep up with the best riders.

"Also, I owe a great deal to Johan Bruyneel. He’s very smart, he knows how to read the stages and whether it’s best to attack or not. Thanks to my teammates I didn’t have to expend so much energy, which is the reason I got to the mountains in good physical condition.”

In the Pyrenees, rivalry between Alberto Contador and Michael Rasmussen sparked memorable duels that even intrigued viewers who were already jaded by doping in cycling, until the moment when the Dane was expelled from the Tour by his team, Rabobank.

“I still consider it a very unfortunate decision. If he didn’t abide by the rules, clearly he deserved a punishment, but not in the middle of the Tour, with the maillot jaune. I could stay with Rasmussen in most of the stages, but in the end he really was very strong.

"That’s exactly why I’m sorry they threw him out. If you let a rider start the Tour, you’ve got to let him go on to Paris, unless he has a positive test on the way. If Rasmussen had been 50th in the race, you can bet he wouldn’t have been thrown out,” said Contador.

Meanwhile, cycling sinks lower and lower, as much because of doping stories as because of the conflict between the organizers ASO and the International Cycling Union, the UCI.

“Sadly, we’re no more than puppets in this struggle for power,” complained Contador. “It’s infuriating. We’re all going through so much, yet it seems like it will never end. They don’t realize how much damage it’s causing to the sport.”

But wouldn’t now be a suitable time to step out of the role of puppets and present a common front? As the last Tour winner, couldn’t you play a key role in all this?

"I doubt it. It’s very difficult to get all the riders together, like shrapnel from a hand grenade. Each one has his own team and sponsor that pay his salary. In addition, in this type of thing, people talk and talk, and still nothing gets done. And it’s important to remember one thing: the organizers and leaders are the people in charge of this conflict. They must reach an agreement.

"I’m a cyclist. I feel truly happy on the bike, when I go out on the roads and can think about all the goals I still want to reach. One of them is another victory in the Tour, but time will tell when this will be possible.”



Read the interview in Spanish
Read the interview in French

photos: top, EFE; upper left, fotoreportersirotti; middle left, KreutzPhotography; bottom, Dani Cardona (Reuters)

February 25, 2008

CONTADOR AND THE CUSTOMERS
by Carlos Abellán, El País

Professional cyclist Carlos Abellán rode with Alberto Contador at Liberty. Unemployed as a result of Operación Puerto, he is now the creator of the webpage contadoraltour.com, which has obtained 17,000 signatures in four days.

The great response to the webpage has made me reflect on the following subject: Who is really the main character in cycling, who is really the main character in any sporting event?

If it’s clear that modern professional sport is closely bound to marketing, you have to ask yourself what marketing is. Wikipedia provides a clear and concise definition for us: “Marketing is the use of a set of tools directed toward the satisfaction of the customer.”

And who is the customer in sport? The fans, which is to say, the consumer power that justifies sponsors’ investment of significant sums in races, teams, and athletes.

And now I ask myself, “Is the central character in cycling really the spectator?” And I realize that, no, the different echelons of cycling are monopolizing the attention of the most important people with the absurd fight for power that they’ve been waging for a long time, and that the true protagonists, the spectators, are growing tired of feeling ignored.

This brings me to the story of the drastic decision of the Tour about not inviting Astana to the 2008 edition, the team in which the race’s current champion, Alberto Contador, rides. The Tour justifies its decision as being based on a standard of ethics – hardly a valid criterion if there’s a comparison to the treatment of the other team with a questionable past -, when in fact the reason Astana is in this position is because it [the Tour] wants to demonstrate to the UCI and to the team that it can impose its law because it has absolute power.

Nevertheless, neither the Tour nor the other echelons realize that it’s absurd to fight for power. Federations, like the organizers and teams, are essential pieces of the same puzzle.

Meanwhile, the fans, those customers who must be satisfied according to the definition of marketing, are getting tired. They’re getting tired because what they want to see is a sporting spectacle that this absurd power struggle prevents. The proof is in the heap of signatures requesting that this be rectified, indicating that cycling is a higher priority than political swagger, and asking for a return to common sense.

It will be too late when fans, tired of so much fighting, give up and devote their enthusiasm and time to something else. Then, when all the people who’ve signed (and all those who are yet to sign) stop following the races, cycling will be finished, because it no longer has a reason to be. Does it make sense to want to satisfy a customer who no longer exists?

The question is no longer whether Contador and his team ride the Tour. The serious matter is that cycling is crying for coherence, rules, and guarantees that do not exist. How can you convince a company to sponsor a professional team if it sees that a team with a budget of 15 million euros and one of the best organizations in the world cannot participate in the race that has the most repercussions in the media? How are you going to tempt the younger people into cycling academies if you destroy the careers of their idols?

Likewise, just as the one who prevailed as winner of the 2007 edition is not able to defend his title in 2008, it makes no sense, neither should it be tolerated, that the organizers declare publicly that a rider is not welcome to the race because they consider him suspicious—in spite of the rider having no disciplinary file open; or that teams are dismissing riders based on rumors and thus ending their participation in respective professional races, with no guarantees that they will be invited to certain races in other years.

In the text that I wrote for the webpage, contadoraltour.com, I mention the words of José Saramago that I heard on a CD by Ismael Serrano, because they fit perfectly with the initiative. Incidentally, before quoting them, the singer recalls other words that also go with the story: “Gandhi said: ‘An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. And if we are blind, we are not able to see the suffering of others.’”

And that’s the problem in cycling, more than doping or the Pro Tour: they’re so blind in their absurd and rancorous fight that they don’t realize the suffering of the people on whom the whole story hinges, the fans.

February 22, 2008

Contador: “Leaving Astana is not part of my plans”

“Signing was a risky decision, but it was my mistake to make,” indicates the rider.

EFE - el País writes, Alberto Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour de France, now riding for the Astana team, declared in an interview that his greatest desire for next summer would be “to be able to participate in, and to win, the Tour.”

“The best summer for me would be to take part in the Tour de France and if possible claim the title again, and, thinking about football’s European Cup, that the Spanish team could win it. Apart from that, if Raúl makes the team, that would be even better,” Contador said.

Lamentably, the Astana team has not been invited to the Tour by the organizers, and to change teams in order to participate is something practically impossible.

“To begin with, I have a contract, and even if I wanted to leave it would be practically impossible. But that doesn’t enter into my plans either, because I’m a person with priniciples.”

“I understand that the decision to sign with Astana was a bit risky, but it was my mistake to make,” explained the Madrileño.

“Right now there’s a team surrounding me and depending on me. And what I cannot do is desert all these people who are counting on me just because the Tour hasn’t invited us. I acknowledge that many, many fans want me to change teams, but I believe they’ll understand my position.”

Contador is, come what may, an optimist as he looks at his future. “I’m optimistic enough and since people are seeing that it’s an exemplary team, and it doesn’t show any resemblance to last year, opinions will change. I’m not talking about this year, because I think that’s complicated, but about next year."

"It’s surprising and incomprehensible to me that they won’t invite us to the races with the team totally remodelled, but continue to doubt and prolong the situation.”

One thing the cyclist doesn’t lack is support from the fans. “I’m pleasantly surprised, because people are supporting me and exerting more pressure than I could have imagined.”

Also a web page has been created, contadoraltour.com, where fans can show their support for the Spanish Tour champion.

“Carlos Abellán (an ex-teammate from Liberty) called to ask if it would bother me if he did this web page, and I told him no, it wouldn't. That guy is a real jack-of-all-trades, and I told him he had my permission. It looks like participating in the Tour will be complicated, but if pressure can be made from all quarters, then so much the better.”

At the Laureus Awards, Contador was one of the nominees, but in the end the prize went to F1 driver Lewis Hamilton.

“It didn’t bother me that Lewis Hamilton won the Laureus. Of course, everybody likes to win prizes, but having one fewer didn’t annoy me. I went as a nominee and it was good to go, but I wasn’t disappointed.”



Photograph by trekbikesusa

February 19, 2008

SPORT'S REVELATION OF THE YEAR WENT HOME WITHOUT THE PRIZE

Contador: “Not doing the Tour is a step backward”

The Laureus Awards relegate Contador to second place. The Tour also voted.

Joan Vehils, sport.es writes

How many votes did the veto of Astana cost Alberto Contador? Without a doubt, negative influences made it to Saint Petersburg and affected the outcome of the Laureus Awards, although the cyclist has nothing to do with the scandalous behavior of Astana in 2007.

The “Oscar” for the Most Promising, or Revelation, of the Year left him standing at the altar. The fact that the winner was Lewis Hamilton (rookie British F1 driver) instead of Contador is significant. The Madrilenian rider possibly gave the explanation himself without knowing it: “Cycling is at the present time a sport without rules,” where “incomprehensible decisions without clear explanations” are commonplace.

The personal history of Contador before winning the Tour is heart-wrenching. When was he savoring the honey of triumph, when he was feeling at his best, a decision by the organizers eliminated his chance to defend the maillot jaune that he conquered last year with Discovery Channel.

“If instead of Astana we took any other name in the book, we’d be in the Tour,” he explained with bitterness, assuring that his new team, “doesn’t have anything to do with the one last year.

"We have invested approximately one million euros in antidoping measures and we, independent of UCI and WADA controls, have conducted twelve additional internal controls ouselves. This is everything we can possibly do. For that reason, if next year they don’t let us participate either, I’d be in favor of saying, ‘Let’s chuck it, and vamonos.’ It would be something incomprehesible.”

Contador is skeptical about the possibility of resorting to TAS, the Court of Arbitration for Sport: “I only see a one percent chance and I don’t want to awaken false hopes.”

His feelings now are “more rage than powerlessness,” because he thinks he deserved to be in the most important race in the world “in a year in which I see more strength and solidity than when I won. For me this is a step backward.”

His first reaction when he found out he couldn’t be at the exit line of the Tour was “to send them a DVD of the last edition, saying, “Watch this. This is Contador, this is the one that animated the race, the one that made the Tour more entertaining.”

He recognizes that although he has received the support of many cyclists, “this is a crazy sport where the unity we desire does not exist. If it existed, I wouldn’t be giving this press conference or discussing this subject.”

COVERAGE OF TEAM ASTANA BAN BY ASO

February 16, 2008

Spanish government supports Contador

February 15, 2008

Contador sticks to plan

February 14, 2008

Contador rages in Mallorca

Bruyneel disappointed: "incomprehensible"

Paris-Nice invitations indicative of ASO plans

Astana in disbelief over ASO decision

Prudhomme: "No more mistakes allowed"

Teams react to Astana ban

PRESS RELEASE FROM TEAM ASTANA

February 13, 2008

With surprise, disbelief, incomprehension, but dignity as well, Astana Cycling Team has been informed of the non selection of the team for the races of ASO, including Tour de France 2008.

“Since breaking with the ProTour, Tour de France is free to issue its own invitations. After the non selection for the Tour of Italy, we knew that there would be a chance that ASO as well could consider not to invite us”, says Team Manager Johan Bruyneel. “The Giro argument, that we do not come to the race with our best riders, is no longer valid. With Tour number one and three of last year, Alberto Contador and Levi Leiphemer, and with two times runner up Andreas Klöden, we maybe have a too strong team now?”

“That the happenings of last year in Tour de France, prompted the Tour organizers to leave Astana out of the season's most important race, sounds understandable. However, Astana Cycling Team 2008 has nothing to do with the team of last year. We have done everything to change the dynamics of the team. New management, new riders, new philosophy. Only the name of the sponsor remained. The Kazakh authoroties gave me “carte blanche” to run the team. No pressure was put on us, there was no demand for big wins. We are spending 460,000 euros on internal anti-doping efforts for 2008. What more can we do? The fact that UCI accorded us a ProTour license proved that our new system functioned well. Maybe that is a part of the problem. Is Astana this year a victim of the war between UCI and ASO?”

“ASO asked us in December open communication. We communicated a lot but never got a reply. ASO has probably the right not to invite us”, continues the Team Manager. “They want to augment the credibility of their races after the happenings of last years. Unfortunately, Tour the France will lose now much of its credibility by not letting participate some of world’s best riders, who even were never were implied in doping scandals. The name of Alberto Contador was sometimes linked to the famous Puerto affair. A Spanish judge cleared him. Even afterwards, Alberto was always available for justice to give required information. He really has nothing to do with that sad affair.”

Sports Director Alain Gallopin: “We cannot force anything. It is probably impossible to appeal against their decision. We will prove in other races that we are left home unjustly. It is better to know early than late that we cannot participate. There are still other races on the cycling calendar. I am disappointed for Alberto. Now I need to make soon a new programme for the riders and staff and go forward.”

“What strange is”, says Johan Bruyneel. ASO does not invite us because of the past of a team that had the same name. Many other teams, with a similar suspicious past, that even did not change management or structure, can participate without problems. Where is the consistency? Is Tour the France not loosing all credibility now?”

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador is deeply disappointed. After the 4th stage in the Tour of Mallorca, a stage he dominated, he declared with tears in his eyes :“The last weeks I never thought that it would be possible not to do the Tour de France. It is my race, I dream of that race. Yesterday I even did special tests at the velodrome of Palma to improve my time trial capabilities. We are not invited. What can we do? Tonight I will look at the calendar. We have to change everything. Don’t ask me for the moment which races I will or can do. Anyway, I thank our sponsor who stays behind us, but I’m afraid other sponsors can leave cycling because of what happened today. It is a sad day for cycling.”

CPA denounces organizers’ decisions as “debilitating to the teams”

February 12, 2008

The Spanish press has widely reported that the Association of Professional Cyclists has expressed its uneasiness about the future of numerous riders “after the recent decisions of the organizers concerning invitations of teams to races.”

According to an official statement, the CPA believes race organizers “despise talent” and “debilitate” teams.

The CPA regards as crucial the hammering out of objective and precise rules for selection of riders and teams. They state that raising doubts about selection of the best riders affects patrons who out of necessity must guarantee their investments, and could bring about “the retirement of important sponsors.”

“Cycling cannot escape modernization and must adapt to the current economic context in order to survive,” continues the communiqué.

In addition, the CPA affirms that in future the subjecting of riders and their teams to the “arbitrary decisions of some organizers” is not a healthy situation.

“In the absence of clear rules it will always be the cyclists who lose,” it emphasizes.

Read MORE at cyclingnews


Toni Colom: “Contador will be in front”

February 9, 2008

Antoni Oliva of Diaro de Mallorca reports that Toni Colom is sure about his teammate’s chances in Mallorca

With an overall victory—in the 2004 edition—and two stages wins, Toni Colom of Astana has demonstrated that he’s the Mallorcan cyclist best able to win throughout the seventeen years of the Challenge-Volta a Mallorca. A circumstance that puts a special value on the opinions of this amibitious 29-year-old from Bunyola. A professional who’s sounding a warning on Alberto Contador’s chances for victory in the Challenge or one of its stages.

Poised to start the race at 11:35 tomorrow, Sunday, in the Passeig Marítim de Palma, Toni Colom issues an advisory about the victory options of the winner of the last Tour de France. “Contador will be ahead in the Challenge,” he warns.

Colom defines the young Tour champion as a “phenomenon.”

“He’s a different rider from all the others. A cyclist with an innate capacity to ride fast, especially upwards,” assures Colom concerning his new teammate and the leader of Johan Bruyneel’s Astana team.

“Contador always does well. He has so much class that, as a rider, I need two months’ work to be at his level when he comes back from vacation. In training camp at Jávea in December, he proved it to us. That’s why it wouldn’t be strange if he won the Challenge. Last year he was far ahead in the stage to Sóller that I won,” Toni remembers with admiration.

On the other hand, Toni Colom is not expected to win the Challenge. “I need to pace myself,” and offers that until now he has centered his preparation on “hours in the saddle, a base.”

“I need quality work to consider myself ready. My immediate goal for this year is Paris-Nice and the Vuelta al País Vasco, not the Challenge,” he clarifies. “I know I’m a good rider and that I don’t have to prove anything to anybody. I’ve already won the Challenge and other races in Mallorca.”

Colom contemplates the Tour de France as his main challenge of the season, although he knows that the second time he participates in the Tour “will be more difficult than last year. I’m on Bruyneel’s preliminary list, but to get on the Tour team is difficult,” he emphasizes.

Astana’s Mallorcan rider has another iron in the fire: “If I don’t go to the Tour, I’ll get in top shape for the Vuelta, where I could even go as team leader. In that case, it would be important to play a good role in the general classification. I’m at a the right age to compete for the victory in a grand tour,” says Colom.

BULLETIN 20

December 31, 2007

Contador “I’m only thinking about recapturing the Tour victory”

Josu Garai of MARCA interviews the best cyclist of 2007

Alberto Contador, by virtue of his triumph in the Tour de France, and his victories in Valencia (a stage), Paris-Nice (two stages and the final GC), and Castilla y León (a stage and the final GC), has become the cyclist of the year. Considering his palmarés and the fact that he just turned 25 last December 6, the man from Madrid could well dominate the next decade.

Winning the Tour has been a dream come true, no?

When I was a boy, my dream was to be a professional. Soon, as time went by, I started to dream about riding the Tour, and finally, about winning it. I’ve had the luck to achieve it at 24 years old, already I’ve started dreaming about going back to win it again.

You’re not considering other challenges?

So far, no. My goal is to try to recapture the title. If I didn’t think that way, it wouldn’t go well, would it? I know it’s hard, because it’s the most important race in the world and everybody wants to be brilliant, but I’ll be at the start line thinking about regaining the title. I have confidence in myself and my team, in which both Leipheimer and Klöden also have chances.

Let’s talk about that, about Leipheimer and Klöden. Won’t there be too many roosters in the hen house?

People said that this year when Leipheimer and I signed with Discovery Channel, and everything has gone well. Levi sacrificed for me in Paris-Nice and in Castilla y León, he mortgaged his options to help me. And then in the Tour he stayed on the margin. I know there'll be no problem with him and I hope it happens the same way with Klöden. I trust that we’ll all respect one another.

That’s easy to say, but one of these days, at the moment of truth, it may not be so easy.

They have options, too, but I’m 25 years old, so it makes sense that I'll grow as a rider, and I already know what it is to win the Tour. I must be committed to them, and they must be committed to me. We must respect one another. In addition, to have two riders like them in the team gives you peace of mind because you know that if things don’t turn out well for me, they can try to settle it, too. But I don’t think about that: I like the pressure.

You have more confidence than ever in your chances.

That works like the chicken and the egg. When things go well, it gives you confidence, which makes things go better. The problem is that it also happens the other way around: when things don’t go well, everything falls apart. Still, right now I’m optimistic: I feel good, my confidence is strong, plus I have a team where I feel at home.

Have you already started training?

Yes, and from now on I’m going to follow a strict plan, like in 2007. I’ve been through too much commotion these days and now I’ve got to concentrate on the bike. I'm really motivated, and the truth is, I’m feeling pretty good.

In between commitments, are you having a good winter?

I’ve always been trying to look for holes in the schedule, to go out on the mountain bike or to do some walking. As I say, I’m really motivated on the road bike.

How have you planned the season?

Like this year, with the first peak of form at Paris-Nice, but I’ll be facing it without pressure, not like this season, when I had to win. However, I like to go to the races in shape, competitive, not treat them like a walk in the park. Soon, after the Classics--Fleche Wallone and Liége-Bastogne-Liége--I’ll rest a little and shift my focus to the Tour.

Where will you make your season’s debut?

In Mallorca, I’ll ride there in a little while. Later Valencia, Paris-Nice, maybe Castilla y León and Circuit de la Sarthe and the Classics.

Is it too soon to start the season in Mallorca for a rider who likes to get to the Tour in great shape?

I like to race. Everybody says that I need to take time to rest, but I think the secret is in pacing the work well, because sometimes things go better with the team, in the transitional stages, than training at home.

What’s your reason for giving up riding the Vuelta al País Vasco this year?

It’s just that it’s a very demanding race and I know that if I go I’ll end up jumping into the fight. Plus, it’s a time when allergies bother me quite a bit.


Except for that, the program will be very similar to 2007.

Yes, why change what's worked so well? The key is in pacing myself, and in recovery. Soon, before the Tour, I’ll do the Dauphiné, but only after proper preparation.

And what comes after the Tour?

The priority is the Tour, above everything else, but 2008 is an Olympics year and I really want to do the Olympic Games. More than the road race—which looks good for me because it has a 12 km ascent that's climbed seven times—I’m thinking about the time trial, which climbs the same ascent twice. The race suits me pretty well, but it’s essential to finish the Tour, because if not…

And the Vuelta a España?

This year it’s going to be problematic, although I don’t discount it. I really want to race at home, plus the route this year is a very good fit for my characteristics. Everybody knows that an athlete’s plans can change due to circumstances: crashes, sickness, injuries…

Right now, is there something that you worry about? Are you afraid of anything?

No, nothing. I want to recapture the Tour title, that’s everything to me. But if I don’t, I won’t consider it a failure or that I’ve been cheated. I’m beginning with the end in mind, a win, but if I don’t get it, I won’t be depressed about myself.

You’ve won your first Tour at 24. Have you thought about how many you can win?

No, I haven’t stopped to think about that. People say I can win five and even approach Armstrong’s seven, but I say you have to go one step at a time. I don’t make accounts like that, that would just be showing off.

photos: top, KreutzPhotography; right, KreutzPhotography; middle right, Paris-Nice, AFP; left, Vuelta al País Vasco, EFE

Translation: Bruno Lopez Vizcon

BULLETIN 19

December 23, 2007

El Mundo Deportivo reports

Alberto Contador has been cycling’s great revelation of 2007. He started by winning Paris-Nice, which was within the realm of possibility for a rider in his class. Nevertheless, he also won the Tour and, at 24, that was something not even he had expected.

“I went to London ready to fight for the young riders’ white jersey and suddenly, in the Pyrenees, I was competing for the yellow, to win the Tour. I never hoped to win it, it was something I didn’t expect, surprising and with a wonderful result,” the cyclist from Madrid told MD in a tone that was both shy and determined.

After that he spoke to us about what came next and, mainly, about his hopes for a career that is already splendid.

You’re a draftee in a new team, Astana, so how was your first meeting last week at the training camp in Jávea?

Very good, so much that I was surprised and happy when I left. I think we’ll have a well-balanced team of a very high level. Better even that the one last year in Discovery. I saw all the riders excited about becoming a group of friends with the same goals. Everything was very easy from the first moment with the two initial groups, those of us that came from Discovery and those that were already in Astana. But right away, logically, communication problems with the Russians blew us into little pieces like a hand grenade.

In this first encounter, there was no Andreas Klöden, the latest signing with the team and someone who’ll be, in addition to your teammate, your rival at the Tour.

I don’t know what the conditions were in his signing with Johan Bruyneel, our manager. But I totally trust him and he trusts me. I know Johan from last year and there’s a thing about him that I really like: he looks you right in the eye and tells the truth, and gets directly to the point.

Surely the situation with Klöden has been like that, so that he knows he’ll have to work for me just as much as I work for him if he’s the one in a strong position. On the other hand, I really like the pressure that he provides to my status in the team by his presence. I think that it’s really a mutually beneficial relationship.

What does it mean for you to continue with Bruyneel next year?

For me, it’s very important because I think he’s an intelligent director who knows what it is to command a team where the Tour de France means more than anything else. He has won it eight times, more than anyone else. I agree he’s always had a powerful team at his command and a leader with charisma who could guarantee results.

So far my relationship with him is superb. He knows me like the back of his hand because he’s been following me since I became a professional, and his support makes things happen.

What did you think when you heard Bruyneel would retire?

Man, I knew that was bad news for me because it meant the end of the really good times we had shared, including the Tour de France victory. But I scouted around, studying the market. I was determined to go on with my career the best way possible. Later Astana called him to take the position with the new team, and Bruyneel came looking for me. Immediately I understood that he was interested.

With Christmas almost here, where are you in your preparation for next season?

This year I’ll do less weight training so that from training camp at Jávea onward, I’m already on the bike. I trained with my teammates and now I’ll do the same, but at home. The pity is that I don’t have much time at the moment. I’ll follow this routine until the last week of January when the whole team goes off to the USA. Klöden, Leipheimer, and Horner will be there, too, and others that were not at Jávea.

Obviously, the prime objective of the 2008 season will be the Tour de France, but before that you’ll do Paris-Nice, which you won last year. Will you resist the temptation to go there to win?

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not satisfied simply going to the races. Paris-Nice I really like, because it’s suited for a racer with my qualities, but I assume that those are very early days to be in peak form, although I’m conscious that with the number one on my back I’ll have a tacit obligation.

At the Vuelta presentation ceremony last December 5, I got the impression that you really like it. Will you do anythng special to be in shape to compete?

Next year, the problem is the Olympic Games in Beijing. As I understand it, the route is hard and would be wonderful for me. The Olympic Games are tests of the highest level and prestige that only come along every four years, and I want to take this opportunity to have a completely good experience. My idea is to do the Tour and later travel to Beijing.

Are the routes in the Olympic Games the type of one-day race that goes well for you?

In the time trial, you climb the Great Wall seven times. You go up and down all along it and the goal is located at the end of the last slope. In the road race the circuit is longer, but very similar. If I have to give up racing the Vuelta a España next year, I will. I’ll be 25 years old and I can afford the luxury of coming back in other years.

Bruyneel thinks of you as the man of the future, but thinks you’ve got to improve against the clock.

That’s the way it is. This year, I’ll do specific training to improve my position on the bicycle. It’s fundamental for my racing, although next year the Tour has only 80 kilometers of time trial compared to 120 kilometers this year. I think the next Tour will be good for the man who’s strong, who’s best prepared. It doesn’t benefit just one type of rider. I like it, although I’d like it better if there was a mountain time trial, but certainly, you can’t have everything.

Who will fight against you for the Tour triumph?

Klöden, Evans, Menchov, Valverde, Sastre, Andy Schleck, and some unexpected people that can climb.There’ll be underdogs, too. Who knows how fitness is going to be at that point in the season.

Will being in Bruyneel’s team make you a product of “the Armstrong school?”

I’ll be a product of “the Contador school,” although Lance and Johan knew what had to be done to win the Tour. But I’ll be thinking about this. Now I just want to disconnect the phone and enjoy Christmas.

photos: top, bbc.co.uk; middle right, ES Marca; middle left, Alistair Hamilton

BULLETIN 18

December 20, 2007

Contador plays St. Nick to kids at South Madrid hospital

ATB News reports that Alberto Contador, winner of the last Tour de France, distributed toys yesterday to children at the University Hospital of Getafe, on behalf of a goodwill campaign organized annually at Christmastime by the city’s Popular Party.

Contador toured the hospital wards giving out gifts to the children. He was accompanied by the spokesman of the local PP, Carlos Gonzáles Pereira.

The Tour champion told Europa Press that children who spend Christmas in the hospital, “ don’t get along too well. I, fortunately or unfortunately, have had to spend a long time in the hospital, too,” the athlete remembered, referring to a cerebral hemorrhage that he suffered a few years ago. The illness nearly forced him to quit cycling.

Contador was delighted to take toys to the children “because they get excited about it, and it’s a such a small thing to do to give joy and hope to children who are patients here. It’s a very important thing, to make them feel a little better, since they’re away from home,” he added.

The Getafe PP’s goodwill campaign has a similar goal every year: to bring gifts donated by local companies and individuals to all those people who for different reasons don’t get a Christmas present. Last year the people who distributed gifts to the children at the Hospital were players for Getafe CF football team.

photo: Contador with young fan, July 10, 2007

BULLETIN 17

December 18, 2007

Catching up with Jávea

Starved for news from Astana's training camp at Jávea? Here are a few bites, which will have to be enough for now. If it leaves you greedy for more, remember your Dickens: Enough is as good as a feast.

Bruyneel: I'm sticking with cycling thanks to Contador

Johan Bruyneel, directeur sportif of Astana, has indicated that he wouldn’t have continued in cycling if Alberto Contador, reigning Tour de France champion, hadn’t come to the Kazakh team.

The directeur sportif declared, “I had decided to to retire, since there was nothing else in the sport to aspire to. Now the challenge is to put this team into action. Without Alberto Contador, I wouldn’t have continued. He’s a good foundation to build on, he’s young and one of the best. His signing was what convinced me to keep going.”

The Belgian boss, with eight Tours in his palmarès as a directeur sportif (seven with Armstrong and one with Contador), voiced his total support for the Spanish cyclist, the cornerstone of Astana, although he didn’t forget that expectations will have to be satisfied during the upcoming season. “Alberto is one of the best, but there are other riders with potential. He’ll have to demonstrate again that he can win the Tour and he relies on all of us to have confidence in him to do it. He has everything in his favor. He’s newly arrived and now has what he needs to fight for everything. He reminds me in many ways of Armstrong, and I know he’ll be the leading figure of the future.”

More reading!

Chechu Rubiera tells Contador of his experiences with Armstrong

Read Life with Armstrong. See CHECHURUBIERA.INFO.

Alistair Hamilton of PezCycling News visited Astana's training camp at Jávea on the weekend:

The man at the helm, Johan Bruyneel has the job of welding these two distinctly different elements into one super team and with Tour winner Alberto Contador leading the charge it should be another successful season for the man that was behind the Lance Machine.

Enjoy PEZ on the Scene: Astana's First Camp! (with photos)

See PEZ CYCLING NEWS

Photos: Reuters, Alistair Hamilton for PezCycling News

BULLETIN 16

December 6, 2007

Happy Birthday, Alberto!

Alberto Contador is 25 years old today.

He's one of the youngest Tour winners in history, and the youngest Spanish winner ever. Next year he'll still be eligible for the Best Young Rider prize.

Alberto was born in Madrid on December 6, 1982, the third of Francisco Contador and Francisca Velasco's four children.

He grew up in Pinto near Madrid with his two brothers, Francisco and Raúl, and his sister, Alicia. He's a first generation Madrileño. Alberto's parents moved to Pinto in the 1970’s, leaving behind a large extended family in Barcarrota, Extremadura. Alberto loves his family, and often travels to Barcarrota to see his grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

What birthday present do you give someone who has a new house, a new car, a new team, and the 2007 Tour de France title? For the Contador family, shopping must have been difficult this year!

Everybody knows that, gift or no gift, a birthday song makes any guy feel special on his day. The traditional Happy Birthday to You is always a good choice. Try it in the key of F, then join Alberto in a SONG that must be even more meaningful (it's in A-flat).

December 6 is also the feast day of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of children. A rich legend surrounds the 4th century Bishop of Myra. During his lifetime he is said to have given gifts to the poor anonymously, and to have saved sailors from shipwreck by appearing as an apparition and helping them pry their ship loose from the rocks.

Stories tell of him reviving three boys who had been chopped up and pickled by an evil butcher. Saving these helpless children, and his reputation as a free giver of gifts, is the basis for his modern image as Santa Claus.

St. Nicholas is the patron saint of Alicante in Spain, where Alberto will join new team Astana for training camp December 10-18. Nicholas is also very important in Brittany, the coastal region that harbors the first five host cities of the 2008 Tour de France.



Another icon is turning 25 this year. It, too, is something many cycling fans can't live without The emoticon was invented in 1982 by American Scott Fahlman. Fahlman, a computer scientist, proposed using the symbol :-) to point out humor for readers who weren’t sure.

The idea was perfect for computer-age communication. It was quick and funny, and it freed people from a struggle for verbal expression that had been going on since the Stone Age.

Harvey Ball’s 1963 graphic creation, the Smiley, is the quintessential emoticon. Mr. Smiley has fathered many colorful and animated children.

Smiley is now revered as the patron saint of emoticons. To believe otherwise would be emoticonoclastic. ;-)

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Alberto! May 25 be as full of good things as 24 for Contador, and even more.

Photo: Tour 2007 (RAI), artwork presented with permission of the artist, Beka, and cyclingfans.com. Thanks, Pete!

BULLETIN 15

November 28, 2007

Contador wins the Velo d’Or

Alberto Contador has won the prestigious Velo d'Or, or Golden Bicycle. The prize, given annually by Velo magazine, goes to the year's best cyclist.

Contador was chosen by an international jury of 18 journalists. Only one other Spanish rider has ever been granted the honor. Five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain claimed it in 1992 and 1993.

BULLETIN 14

November 28, 2007

For Contador, the good life is training

He stood under the Arc de Triomphe—a cyclist’s gateway to celebrations—four months ago. But Alberto Contador still has to hustle to keep up with his social calendar.

Last Friday found him in Chiclana in Cadiz, a place that’s crazy about sports, especially cycling. Alberto visited Chiclana to attend the annual Sports Gala of the Vipren Foundation. The event is the creation of ex-cyclist Federico Bahamontes, the “Eagle of Toledo.”

Bahamontes, 79, can easily identify with Contador. A climbing specialist, he became Spain’s first Tour winner in 1959, going on to claim six KOMs. Contador, the fifth Spaniard to wear yellow, is following the Eagle’s career flight path. He may soar even higher.

Contador was the chief honoree among more than 40 athletes from different disciplines. One of many notables was former Olympic cyclist José Manuel Moreno (gold medal, Barcelona, 1992). The two men together in the same room brought to mind a question. Will Contador seek to follow Moreno’s example in Beijing?

For now, one thing is clear: He’s had enough champagne and caviar. “I’ve got to cut out the galas because it’s time to concentrate, and I’ve already begun to get ready for next season.”

Alberto commented about this and other matters to MARCA

BULLETIN 13

October 31, 2007

Tour de France 2008 parcours suits Contador

The winner of the Tour de France 2007 says he’s happy with the route planned for next year. Alberto Contador attended the presentation of Tour 2008 in Paris on October 25, and has analyzed the parcours. He says he’d prefer it if there were “a prologue and a time trial for the climbers, but this way it will be a more difficult challenge, and more interesting to tackle."

Contador sized up the 2008 edition in general terms. “I like it and I expect it will give me possibilites to look for the victory, and to offer it to the fans again.”

Looking ahead to the mountains, Alberto likes what he sees. “There are four summit finishes, including the mythical peak of the Tourmalet in the middle of one stage. Also, the queen stage ends on Alpe d’Huez, after the Galibier and Croix de Fer. It will be a very beautiful stage to try to win.”

Regarding the rooftop of the race, the Bonette-Restefond, he commented that it’s “something different, and it could take a toll on some riders because of the lack of oxygen at those heights. With 2,800 meters, there could be some surprises, but for me, I don’t think it’s bad, because this year I felt well on the Galibier, where I attacked.”

Contador also approves of the upcoming time trials. “They’re good, I just would’ve liked a mountain time trial to give me the opportunity to take time instead of losing it to some specialist.”

Tour de France 2008 official presentation video: see YOUTUBE

BULLETIN 12

October 27, 2007

Contador: “With this route, I can think about the victory”

The winner of the 2007 Tour assures that the 2008 edition will be a new challenge in his life and hopes to demonstrate that he’s at the highest level.

“I would have liked it better if there had been a mountain time trial and a prologue on the first day. That would have been perfect for me, but it is what it is. So it will be a more important challenge for me to be able to demonstrate that I’m at the highest level in any route,” said Contador, speaking at the October 25 ceremony unveiling the route for the 2008 Tour de France.

Contador played down the influence that wearing the number one at the start would have on his performance. “I rather like the pressure, it’s something that goes along with winning, and I just have to accept it,” he said. “It’s impossible to say that I’m going to win, because that’s something very difficult to do, but I’m going with the hope that I’ll be able to revalidate the title,” affirmed the cyclist from Pinto, who indicated that if he had designed the route, it would have taken another shape. “I hope to adapt to this route and to fight for the victory.”

Contador pointed out that the stage which ends on the Alpe d’Huez, Stage 17, is the “star” of this year’s edition, and has paid attention to it with the goal in mind of taking a victory there, just as he marked Plateau de Beille for a win in 2007.

As far as the new measures taken to fight against doping, like the biological passport, Contador said that “in the short term it will be difficult to eliminate all the suspicions,” but was optimistic that it can “clean up this sport if it’s applied with the necessary physical and economic means.”

The colors of Kazakhstan

Contador will meet the challenge of capturing his second consecutive Tour title in the colors of a new team, Astana, to whom he committed a few days ago.

"After evaluating for several months the different offers, I didn’t know which one to choose. The image of last year’s Astana has been dimmed by scandals. I’ve had doubts, I’ve spoken with my family and I’ve seen that it was the best option,” he said.

“The technical organization will change totally. It has a competitive team guaranteed to be, on the 5th of July, in condition to fight,” he assured.

Contador said that the arrival at Astana of his Discovery team director, Johan Bruyneel, was a key element in his decision to go to the Kazakhstani organization, although it also had much to do with the fact that they've selected a thoroughly competitive body of riders.

“We’re going to apply anti-doping systems similar to those of CSC. I believe it’s a very important step in changing the image of the team, and seeing all this, I believe that I’ve made the best decision,” he commented.

from La Vanguardia, October 25, 2007
Photo: Contador targets Alpe d'Huez (AFP)

BULLETIN 11

October 24, 2007

Benjamin Noval: “It’s a joy to follow Contador”

La Nueva España reports today that Benjamin Noval will go with the Tour de France winner to Astana for two years.

Alberto Contador, winner of the last Tour de France, announced yesterday that he has accepted Astana’s offer and will go to the Kazakhstani team for the next two seasons. The Madrileño officially recognizes that he’s willing to take a bet on this team because his sports director with Discovery Channel, Johan Bruyneel, also chose Astana. Contador is taking along Asturian rider Benjamin Noval, who will continue to be his lieutenant in the next Tour. Noval explains, “A long time ago I had an agreement with Bruyneel’s group to go together to the same team and to follow Contador, who always showed that he wanted to take me wherever he went.”

Noval, 28, proved his worth last June in the Dauphiné Libéré when he demonstrated to Contador his skill in sheltering the leader against the wind and risks of crashes in the flat stages, so that Contador could be fresher in the mountain stages. Contador, a skilled climber, appreciated Noval’s willingness to work hard at a job that was not glamorous. He strongly requested the Asturian’s presence to give him the same help in the Tour. In spite of a serious crash that sent him through the back window of a car, with serious consequences, Noval continued to labor for Contador. In addition, Noval established a great friendship with the champion in France last July when the two were roommates.

Contador, after gaining the Tour, put Noval’s mind at ease by assuring him that he would take him along to his next team. He has been good to his word. In fact, the Asturian had signed a contract with Bruyneel to go en masse with Contador, Leipheimer, and Paulinho, which has now become reality in Astana. Contador explains that he goes to Astana because “it’s a totally new project with people I have confidence in. The idea is to be in the next Tour de France, looking to revalidate my title.”

Whereas Noval says, “It’s a great joy to follow Contador, and to be able to assist him to the maximum degree with my efforts.”



Photos of Contador and Noval at the Tour of Missouri by Liz Kreutz

BULLETIN 10

ALBERTO CONTADOR SIGNS FOR TWO SEASONS WITH ASTANA
October 23, 2007

Alberto Contador has signed a contract to ride with the new incarnation of the team Astana. Contador will lead the team in the Tour de France. Having won the maillot jaune in the last edition of the La Grande Boucle, his main objective for 2008 will be to repeat the victory.

Contador has reached an agreement with Johan Bruyneel, the new general manager of the organization, to head the completely remodeled team. There will be many changes in personnel, both riders and technical staff, beginning with new sports directors, Frenchman Alain Gallopin and Russian former rider Viatcheslav Ekimov.

After many rumors, it is only now that Contador has signed an agreement that he values, especially because it will allow him to focus all his efforts on the Tour de France. “My main objective in 2008 will be to ride the Tour de France and try to confirm the yellow jersey in the Champs Elysees,” he declared. “After considering the different offers that I’ve had, I’ve opted for Astana because it’s a completely new project, with absolute sports guarantees, and that will put all the resources for a great Tour team at my disposal.”

Johan Bruyneel is also quite satisfied with this agreement. “The new Astana project is magnificent, and I’m very happy to be able to have Alberto Contador lead this team, because he is the rider of the future. With him, along with the other riders that have formed the basis of my previous team, we hope to be able to present a great Astana at the start of the next Tour de France.”

Contador is no stranger to Astana kit. After the demise of the Liberty Seguros team in 2006, he rode in Astana colors until being sidelined by an injury in August 2006 at the Vuelta a Burgos. The injury prevented him from taking part in the Vuelta a España. He remained out of competition until signing with Discovery in January of 2007.



Photos: left and bottom, Vuelta a Burgos 2006 (guanjo)

BULLETIN 9

HIGH AND LOW IN VALL d'UIXO
October 21, 2007

Discovery Channel’s Alberto Contador finished on top yesterday in the 2nd Criterium International "Festes de Familia Sagrada i Sanctissim Christ" in Vall d’Uixo.

The criterium in the Valencian region of Castellon was a part of the city's traditional annual festival. In what must have been a grueling affair, Contador’s endurance was tested by his opponents. His hosts also made demands.

The criterium, a race in two acts, consisted of a points contest and another by elimination. Oscar Sevilla of Relax GAM got the better of David Bernabeu (Fuerteventura) and Contador, in a spirited performance in the first round.

The real drama happened in round two, the elimination test, when Contador decided to perform for the audience. Sevilla could no longer keep his breath under him, and faltered in the final laps. When the man from Relax dropped out with five riders to go, Contador, free of his rival, upped the tempo, treating the vast assembly to some of his trademark spectacle. He tucked in and let fly, his bike singing across the line. A bravura finish to a scintillating aria, it was enough to earn him the