Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank rider kept out of the wind and manages to avoid late crash
Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank) made a safe return to the peloton in yesterday’s opening stage of the Enoco Tour, following his suspension for returning a positive test for Clenbuterol in the 2010 Tour de France. The Spanish rider has only actually been away since February, although his suspension was backdated until the day he failed the test, and so his results have been annulled since that time.
The Eneco Tour is not a big target for the 29-year-old, but is being used for him to get used to the pace of the peloton after what has actually been just under six months away.
“For us it was all about safety and not taking any silly risks, going to the front of the pack and staying out of trouble and we succeeded perfectly,” said Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank directeur sportif Fabrizio Guidi after the flat, windy 203.9km stage across the southern Netherlands. “The riders were working brilliantly as a team and Alberto seems as strong and determined as ever.
“Tomorrow, we hope for a very good result on the team time trial and we have to put in a 100% effort in order to deliver just that and put Alberto as close to the top of the rankings as possible.”
Contador himself was also very happy with the way the stage had gone. The Danish team had spent much of the second half of the stage at the front of the peloton, keeping him out of trouble, and he also managed to avoid the crash that brought down a number of riders with two kilometres to go.
“[I had a] pretty good feeling, given that it was not the best day to debut,” he said “With more than 200 kilometres, rain, wind and all flat. I don’t think we climbed more than 100 metres in the entire stage.”
Contador was one of many riders that was held up behind the crash, which disrupted most of the peloton’s sprint trains, but he managed to avoid coming down, which was the most important thing for his first day back.
“My teammates protected all the time and I think these days will help me to pick up my pace towards the Vuelta a España,” he said. "The objective was to prevent crashes and the best way to do that is to ride at the front. True strength is spent, thinking that tomorrow is a time trial, but the bottom line here is not falling, because the objective is later.”
Today’s stage will be a mostly-flat 18.9km team time trial, which will likely have a big effect on the seven-day race’s final overall standings. It has also been identified by a number of teams as a good rehearsal - and a marker - for the world championships team time trial for trade teams, which will be held for the first time in Limburg, Netherlands, in September.
"We have a good team and I think we can play a big role,” said Contador. “We will have a look at the stage, and see what that we can do in the time trial.”
Contador’s absence has been felt heavily by Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank, which was largely built around delivering the Spanish rider to Grand Tour success. Since his suspension, and thus the loss of all the results he took in the 2011 season, the Danish team has struggled to score points in the International Cycling Union (UCI) Worldtour.
Although - subject to an appeal to the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) from team owner Bjarne Riis - Contador’s results will not be counted towards the WorldTour classification for another two years, Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank is clearly pleased to have it’s biggest rider back in the fold; and Contador himself is also delighted to be able to pin a number on his back once again.
“[I’m] very happy to be back with all my Tinkoff Bank-Saxo Bank teammates,” he said. “I am delighted with everything, they worked hard for me and I hope that, for what remains of the season, we can be protagonists.”