Alberto Contador aiming high for a double major title this season: Cycling News
The Spanish professional road cyclist for UCI ProTeam, Alberto Contador of Saxo Bank-SunGard Team has big the highest in the sport with the most unusual challenge to lift both the Giro d’Italia as well as the Tour de France crown
in a single season. He has been referred to as the best climbing specialist and perhaps the best stage racer in the world of cycling sports.
Just a day before the prestigious Giro d’Italia commenced in Turin, the Spaniard claimed to aim for the enormous feat by saying, “It will be very difficult to do, but I want to try it. Maybe the Giro d’Italia isn't the best preparation
for the Tour because the Giro has such a difficult route this year but to try to do both gives me an extra level of motivation and (to win them) will be something very important."
The 28-year-old Contador has been struggling to clear his name out of a controversy of alleged intake of a prohibited drug during last year’s Tour de France, which he came out victorious by the end. Despite the psychological stress,
the Saxo Bank rider is now defending a world record of a winning streak of all the Grand Tours he has taken part in the past five years.
Winning the double major in a same sporting season is however an exceptional target for a cyclist of any calibre. The last rider to claim this virtue was the Italian rider late Marco Pantani in 1998, riding for the Mercatone Uno team.
The Saxo Bank's team manager, Bjarne Riis, showed his high hopes and optimism about Contador's current form.
Contador has been unbeaten in any major event since 2007, winning three Tours de France crowns, the Tour of Spain as well as a pink Jersey at the Giro d’Italia in 2008, the only one he took part in.
"I think though, it will be the hardest stage race I've ever done," admitted Contador but with high aims to achieve the goal. If anybody in today’s cycling sport could attain this challenge, it’s indeed the Spaniard himself.
The Spaniard was adamant that the Italian rivals, Vincenzo Nibali who shared the podium last year and Michele Scarponi, also won the Tour of Trentino this year, and shall give a tough hindrance at their home soil to his aims.
Ivan Basso shall be concentrating keenly over the Tour de France this year, hence not taking part in the Giro d’Italia.
The Giro d’Italia will commence in Turin on Saturday, May 7, 2011 with a 19.3km team time-trial stage and after snaking around Italy will conclude with the daunting mountain stage up Mount Etna in Sicily later this month by May
29.
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