Alberto Contador and teammate Benjamín Noval checked out the first 100km of Sunday's stage one, along the windy dikes in the Netherlands. Contador, one of the top favorites for winning this year's Tour de France, gave a press conference in the evening, not without having a close look at the prologue course.
Contador is ready for the Tour de France, and does not expect to lose major time in the first week that includes cobble stones. "I don't think I will lose time, that would not be a good way to start the race," he told the press. He knows that the battle for the overall will start in the Netherlands and Belgium. "There are two powerful teams for the overall, Saxo Bank and RadioShack. They will be very dangerous [in those stages]."
But Contador thinks he can hold his own. "I was fortunate enough to have a teacher like [Peter] van Petegem on the pavé and I learned more in one day than in my whole life. If I can be up front, all the better. It is important to avoid the crashes, because a one-minute gap you can recuperate, but a crash can cost you the race."
Contador says that it is also important to stay close together as a team, something that the 2010 Astana outfit can handle. "The names and experiences of the 2009 team was a priori stronger, but I am content with my [2010] team, I know that they will do everything possible to win and for that I value them."
Last year, there was tension within the team, something that won't repeat this year. "The unity of the team is always important in all the races, but especially in the Tour, where you are away from home for a month."
He gets along with everyone, including Alexander Vinokourov. "My relationship with Vino is excellent, with a lot of confidence, and nothing like last year will happen."
Even though Contador says that in the three dangerous days in the Netherlands, more time could be lost than in the mountains, he still believes a mountain goat will climb to the top of the podium in Paris. "The last week is still far away, but that is where the general classification will be made. In the first week, someone could lose the chance for the overall win, but in the end, the climbers will be ahead. It has been quite a while since the Pyrenees were that difficult."
Armstrong important rival
He expects Lance Armstrong among those who will be in contention for the win after the Pyrenees. "I think he is a very important rival. There are 10-12 guys who can win and he is among them. He showed good form ahead of the Tour and he will be very motivated."
Armstrong will be led by Johan Bruyneel, Contador's former coach. But the Spaniard is not worried that Bruyneel knows him inside-out. "He knows me as a rider, but in the last two years I haven't shown too many weaknesses. In return, I have learned a lot from his way of thinking and how to handle the race. I think I have an advantage."
He won't have an advantage for the prologue, though. "It is totally flat, without many corners, which would favor me due to the changes in rhythm. It is better for the specialists like [Tony] Martin, [Fabian] Cancellara, [David] Millar or [Bradley] Wiggins. I will try to look for small advantages over other rivals for the overall."
Contador applauds the UCI for checking the equipment for any illegal motors, but doesn't think it is really necessary. "I don't think anyone would use a motor."
Whatever the outcome of the Tour, Contador has already won one prize, the Premio Internacional de la Fundación Cristóbal Gabarrón. The list of the winners for the prize that was created in 2002 is quite impressive and includes among others soccer star Zinedine Zidane (2003), five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Induráin (2004), the Soccer team FC Barcelona (2006) or former tennis-player Arantxa Sánchez Vicario (2007).