With the ink drying on his contract with the Saxo Bank – Sungard team, Alberto Contador has spoken about his enthusiasm for the change in squads, and of the thoughts of the seasons to come. The 27 year old announced this week that he will race with Bjarne Riis’ team in 2011 and 2012, aiming to increase the number of his Tour de France wins to five in that time.
“I’m very excited,” said the rider today, speaking about changing to the Danish squad. “I think it was the best choice, because I come to a team with a definite philosophy, a good way of working and one which can give me the tranquility that I have not had in recent years. I am happy and eager to start this project.”
The Spaniard has raced for the Astana team for the past four seasons but they have been turbulent ones. After the team was passed over for Tour de France selection in 2008, he then endured the late payment of salaries in 2009 as well as an increasingly tense relationship with team-mate Lance Armstrong. The squad ruptured after last year’s Tour, with many riders opting to move to the RadioShack team.
Contador tried to move to another setup but was ultimately unable to do so, having to work on rebuilding the Astana team and then defending his Tour title. Things worked out well in the end, but it was undoubtedly a difficult time.
As things stand right now, he still has several months left in his contract. While it is thought unlikely that he will race again this season, he said that he would fulfill other obligations in that time.
“We have to speak about, but I have very clear that I am still an Astana rider and I owe this team,” he said. “My season is already more than accomplished, but we still have to think about it, besides attending various commitments with sponsors. Our relationship is still perfect and I'm very grateful to Astana, although the best decision was to move.”
In July, Contador said that he had a number of offers that he was considering. When he was looking around last year, teams such as Quick Step, Caisse d’Epargne and Garmin Transitions expressed an interest. This year brought several suitors, but it wasn’t until midway through the Tour de France that Riis was mentioned as a possible team manager for him. That possibility cropped up after the Dane declined to criticise the Astana rider for attacking Andy Schleck after he experienced chain problems, and the theory ultimately proved to be true.
Contador said that there were a number of factors why he ultimately opted for the squad. “There were several things, but without doubt the seriousness he requires and his philosophy of work have been the primary reasons.
“Those things will allow me to be more relaxed, thanks to his great experience and [being] always on teams which have the best riders and are very powerful. It allows you to face all objectives.”
There’s also another reason too, namely the fact that Riis worked for several seasons with Andy Schleck, who is shaping up to be Contador’s main rival for the seasons ahead. The Dane knows the young climber better than any other manager, and now his chief rival can benefit from that knowledge in deciding strategies and exploiting weaknesses.
“I have managed to win in the last two years after a hard fight and now I can tell him about my sensations, while at the same time he can tell me about the weaknesses of Andy. It will be a good union.”
As always, the move of a big champion to a new team will require restructuring. He wants to bring some right-hand men from the Astana squad, while Riis will also have to shop around to find replacement riders for those who are leaving. The two Schleck brothers are departing, and there are rumours that they will take several others with them. Amongst those tipped to leave are Jacob Fuglsang, Jens Voigt and Stuart O’Grady, while there have also been whispers that Fabian Cancellara could go elsewhere.
In all likelihood, there will be quite a few changes, but Contador believes that the fundamental strength of the team will remain. “I see it with great optimism,” he said, when asked how he envisaged things next year. “The core is a very solid team, riders have an incredible quality and I really want to start the first training camp. We will get on perfectly. For my part I will try to incorporate Benjamin Noval, Dani Navarro and Jesus Hernandez, but I also hope that the team is strengthened with new signings.”
Part of the reason why those signings will be important is because he is considering, for the first time since 2008, riding two major events in one season. The Tour is a certainty, of course, but he wants to double up and take part in either the Giro or the Vuelta a España. He had the chance to do so this year, but has been riding hard since the beginning of the season and feels the need to take a break from racing.
2011 could be different, though. “It is still too early to know the calendar, but I have in mind to do two Grand Tours next year,” he said. “I do not know exactly which ones they will be, but I have to start changing the my system of training a little bit and perhaps start the year more relaxed.”
When he was winning his seven Tours, Lance Armstrong never rode more than one Grand Tour in a season. Contador wants to do things differently, particularly as he has a lofty goal which was mentioned by Riis and then later denied by his brother Fran Contador, who acts as his agent.
It appears, after all, that he does indeed think about becoming the first rider in history to win the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España all in the same season. He’s got no idea if it is a reasonable objective or not, but doing two Grand Tours will help him understand if he has the necessary power of recovery to even consider riding, and winning, three of them.
“Of course it's a dream…I don’t know if it is impossible or not,” he said. “I think I you can ride the big three at a good level, but from there is a lot of difference in going from that to win them. You have to go little by little, I realize that it is practically impossible, though perhaps in the future ... It's a dream. Everyone has dreams and this is mine.”