With his current suspension due to end in less than four weeks’ time, Alberto Contador has confirmed that he will make his return to competition in the Eneco Tour, which begins on August 6th.
The Spaniard will lead the Saxo Bank – Tinkoff Bank team there, and will use the race as part of his buildup to what he hopes will be a winning performance in the Vuelta a España.
“The Eneco Tour will be a very special race for me for several reasons. Firstly, it will be my return to competition, so I’m excited because any rider likes to compete,” he said in a statement. “Secondly, I am very excited to come back here because the race is raced in two countries where cycling culture is deep-rooted and where cycling moves the people more than anywhere else. I’ve always felt at home here.”
Contador was handed a partially backdated two year ban on February 6th when he was unsuccessful in fighting a CAS appeal started by WADA and the UCI. His results since the 2010 Tour de France were stripped due to his positive test for Clenbuterol in that event, with his victory in that race plus in the 2011 Giro d’Italia amongst those to be struck off.
He has been training hard at home in Spain and has set the Vuelta a España and world road race championships as his two top targets for the rest of the season.
As regards the Eneco Tour, he sees the race as part of the buildup to those goals. “The route may not be the most favourable for me, but my ultimate goal here is to retake the pace of competition to meet the objectives at the end of the season,” he said.
The Eneco Tour will begin with a 203.9 kilometre race from Waalwijk to Middelburg. The following day will be a team time trial in Sittard, with a 17.4 kilometre individual time trial awaiting the riders on Saturday August 11th and giving Contador a chance to assess his form in that discipline.