Triple crown winner Alberto Contador will again race the Giro d'Italia in 2011. According to TuttoBici, race director Angelo Zomegnan announced during a Giro d'Italia presentation on RAISport today that the 2008 race winner would again return to the event next year.
"Just yesterday we received confirmation: Alberto Contador will ride the Giro d'Italia in 2011," confirmed Zomegnan.
The Spaniard has won the Tour de France twice, and each of the other Grand Tours, the Giro and Vuelta a Espana once. When Contador rode into the maglia rosa in 2008 he hadn't planned on taking part in the event. He was scheduled to take a break from racing before riding in the Dauphiné Libéré, but his Astana team received a late invitation just one week prior to the start. The Spaniard was on vacation at the beach in Spain when he was given the news, and quickly changed gears to secure the overall victory.
Following the Giro, his team was overlooked by Tour de France organizers which prompted Contador to ride and win his home Grand Tour later that year. Contador has recently said that he will be making a concerted effort to rack up a more complete palmarès rather than focus exclusively on stage racing. Perhaps part of his plan will now include making him the first three-time triple crown winner.