Alberto Contador took an excellent win atop the Alpe d'Huez on Saturday over a tenacious Jani Brajkovic, but couldn't quite wrest free of the grip of the tiny Slovenian. The two dueled all the way up the 13.5 km ascent with its 21 switchbacks, leaving everyone else behind in the final two kilometers.
Contador admitted after the stage that he was excited about the climb of Alpe d'Huez and spent some time Friday evening watching old videos of the legendary ascent.
"Last night, I was online learning more about the climb. I saw some videos of riders like Pantani and Armstrong winning at Alpe d'Huez, and I went to bed hoping that I could win today."
Contador ups the ante a moment later, "When I went to bed last night, I was dreaming of winning today...Winning on Alpe d'Huez is a dream fulfilled"
The winner of four Grand Tours was happy with his team's performance in the 151.5 km sixth stage of the Criterium du Dauphine.
"The team did a great job, and I was able to pull off the victory. I am very content."
In the lofty position where Contador now resides as the world's best climber, anytime he is not able to dispatch everyone, eyebrows are raised. Contador describes his form as "not great," but was nevertheless pleased with the effort and reminds that the goal was to win the day, not the overall.
"The goal today was to win the stage. Brajkovic proved again today that he was very strong and after his time trial performance the other day, he deserves to win the Dauphine."
The 45 minute ascent of Alpe d'Huez was far, far from the record time of sub-39 minutes set by Marco Pantani and nearly equaled by Lance Armstrong, Contador and Brajkovic had to contend with some meteorological difficulties in their two-way battle for glory.
"There was a lot of wind. It was tough, and Brajkovic was strong."
Contador is quick to point out that he is not at his best just yet, which could be a serious issue for all of the Tour de France hopefuls, because even when he's not in top form, he's a prohibitive favorite to win anything.
"I am still not in top condition, but I am content with this Dauphine. I have won two stages and the team is riding great."
Adding in Dani Navarro's win yesterday makes it three stage wins for Astana at the Dauphine - an excellent performance for sure. Contador won't be waiting around to enjoy his two stages and likely second overall after tomorrow's concluding stage. He has a lot of work to do before the Grand Depart in Rotterdam on July 3rd, just under three weeks away.
"After the Dauphine, I'll go to the Alps to preview some stages of the Tour. I will then do some more training in the mountains near Madrid, not far from my house. Then, I'll race the Spanish time trial championships."