Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) will take the start of both the time trial and road race of the Spanish championships this week. The races will be his first competition since his Giro d’Italia, and his last before his attempt to defend his Tour de France title.
“Everybody wants to win these races and try to win, plus it comes particularly well to prepare for the Tour after not having raced since the Giro”, said Contador. “This will allow me to get the rhythm of competition and the time trial will be a test a lot like the last TT of the Tour, which is very similar to this one.”
Contador missed both championship races last year but in 2009 he wore the red and yellow jersey as national time trial champion. This week he hopes to regain that title as he goes all out in the race.
“In the time trial I'll go full gas and we will see what the result is,” he said. “I’ve spent a month without competing, I’ve rested a lot and I'm sure I will notice the pace of competition in respect of those who have come from the Dauphiné and the Tour of Switzerland, but I hope to do well.”
While Contador feels that the time trial will be good for him, he realises that not both courses suit his characteristics.
“The time trial reminds me of the Tour one,” he said, “which I watched a few days ago with my teammates in Grenoble [the Critérium du Dauphiné used the exact course as will be used in the Tour de France – ed]. There are about 500 or 600 metres of climbing in just over 40km and it’s a course that suits me. As for the road race: it doesn’t suit my characteristics, but is good for fast riders that can get over the small mountains. My goal will be to find my rhythm and to roll a little.
Although neither race is particularly important in terms of the Tour de France – aside from the obvious honour of wearing the national champion’s jersey – for Contador, the race kilometres themselves will be important, given the amount of time since his last race.
“They’re not crucial, but it always helps to do a full gas test at the time trial,” he said. “Remembering that on the second day [of the Tour] we have the team time trial and so you can get the position on the bike right. In addition, is good to have a bit of pressure after such a long rest after the Giro.”
Having won that many have declared the toughest Giro d’Italia for many years, Contador was naturally fatigued after the three-week race. Since then he has been steadily recovering on his way to challenging for the Tour de France.
“As time has passed I’ve gradually felt more rested,” he said, “but it is a mystery, because all I’ve done is rest. My fatigue was very great and now I feel each effort a lot. Now I begin to feel more rested, but I still have this mystery of how I will respond.”
Contemplating fresher rivals with a tried and tested team
Most of Contador’s rivals sat out the Giro d’Italia, electing to prepare for the Tour with races like the Critérium du Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse. There is one thing that he will be missing that the others, riding their first Grand Tour of the season, will have.
“Undoubtedly freshness,” he said. “Not only physically but also mentally.”
The Saxo Bank-SunGard team was announced on Wednesday, with many of the riders supporting him in France having already guided him to his Giro victory.
“I am very happy with the Tour de France team,” he said, “it’s a very balanced one, with four riders for the flat and other four climbers who will support me, who are very motivated, and will give one hundred percent.”
Contador’s team had some good news this week, in the shape of a renewed contract with it’s principle title sponsor Saxo Bank for another year. The knowledge of the team’s immediate future security means he will have one less concern as he takes on the Tour.
“News like this is always good,” he said, “especially with a sponsor like Saxo Bank, which has been in cycling for many years. It’s a serious sponsor, which clearly supports cycling and that's great news that transmits calmness to the team, to the entire staff.”
Should he win this year’s Tour, Contador will become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to do the Giro-Tour double. Whether he will get to keep either, or his victory in the 2009 Tour for that matter, will be decided by the Court for Arbitration in Sport (CAS) in August as it comes to a verdict on the International Cycling Union (UCI) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appeals over his exoneration for his positive test for clenbuterol.