Alberto Contador Wins Vuelta

Astana Rider Contador Takes Winner's Golden Jersey in Tour of Spain

Sep 22, 2008

Spain's Alberto Contador takes victory in the Vuelta a Espana and joins a distinguished list of cycling legends.

Team Astana's leader Alberto Contador has won the 2008 edition of the Tour of Spain, or Vuelta a Espana, to become only the fifth rider in history to boast victories in all three of cycling's grand tours.

The grand tours – races of three weeks in length – comprise of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France as well as the Vuelta. They are probably the toughest races to win; they include all of cycling's disciplines – time trials, mountain climbs and flat stages and are a true test of a rider's overall ability.

Contador Reigns in Spain

Contador was the pre-race favourite and he didn't disappoint his fans. He rode conservatively in the opening couple of weeks, always doing enough to ensure he stayed within striking distance of the overall lead, before launching a fearsome attack on the race's definitive climbing stage – stage 13 to Alto de l'Angliru.

The Angliru is a simply monstrous climb with inhumane stretches at gradients up to 25% that would test a mountain goat let alone a bike rider. It was on the steepest of these sections that Contador opted to attack to devastating effect. Only the best could follow his initial attacks but Contador just kept accelerating in little bursts until no-one could stay with him. He simply rode away from his rivals, roared on by the huge crowds lining the climb, to claim a memorable victory on possibly the toughest cycle climb in road racing, taking overall control of the race and pulling on the leader's Gold Jersey for the first time.

Not content with that he did then did exactly the same the next day on the summit finish to Fuentes de Invierno, taking his second stage victory in as many days. He then survived a small fall on stage 15 before riding to protect his lead in the remaining stages and claiming overall victory in Madrid.

A Select Few

Contador's victory makes him the first Spaniard in history to taste victory in all three of cycling's grand tours. He joins a select list of only five riders to have achieved the feat – Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Italian Felice Gimondi and Belgian legend Eddy Merckx.

What is more startling is that Contador, having won the Tour de France in July 2007 and the Giro d'Italia in May this year, has achieved this accomplishment quicker than anyone else, taking only 15 months. When the fact that he is only 25 years old is thrown in to the mix, it is clear he will, if he isn't already, become one of cycling's all time greats.

Speaking after the race Contador said, "The truth is I'm still not fully conscious of what I have achieved. Perhaps with the passage of time, I'll be able to savour it. I'm still not thinking about it too hard, although I'm really happy to have achieved this, I just want to go on winning races.”

Final Results

References

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