Alberto Contador getting close to Vuelta a Espana overall victory
The longest stage of the Vuelta a Espana 2012 was just the right venue for Alberto Contador to prove his strength at the stage-race cycling.
The cyclist managed to extend his overall lead after a splendid show of his abilities during the 204.5 kilometre race. He finished almost 10 seconds behind the race leader Daniele Bennati and occupied the 47th position.
Contador is now leading the stage 18 classifications with a healthy lead of 1 minute and 52 seconds over Alejandro Valverde Belmonte of Team Movistar.
Joaquim Rodriguez Oliver of Team Katusha is at the third spot, with Christopher Froome and Daniel Moreno Fernandez holding the third, fourth and fifth positions respectively.
"I'm pleased and proud to be wearing this jersey, and I thought a lot about how I got it. Frankly our tactics yesterday on the stage were perfect, it couldn't have worked out better. I'm very satisfied," he stated.
"I talked it over a bit with [former leader] Joaquim [Rodriguez] and it's nice to think that even if we hammer each other on the stages, there's enough sportsmanship in cycling to be able to discuss it afterwards in a friendly way - unlike other sports".
Contador did not bag any wins in the current season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport handed him a two-year ban.
The organisation also stripped him off from all the victories since the Tour de France 2010, which also include two Grand Tour overall victories.
He was accused of using clenbuterol during the Tour de France 2010 and the judges were convinced that Alberto used unfair means to enhance his performance at the race.
The ban prevented him from riding all the vital cycling events of the season, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the 2012 Olympic Games.
The cyclist returned to professional cycling at the Eneco Tour 2012, where he achieved the fourth overall position after the final general classifications.
He is now ideally placed at the first overall spot after the Vuelta a Espana stage 18 classifications and is all set to take an overall victory at the Spanish Grand Tour, which will be enough to answer all his critics.
Tags: