Cycling Profile: Alberto Contador Velasco - Part 2
In the season of 2009 Contador participate into the Volta ao Algarve race and winning the overall classification, placing second on stage 3, in the individual time trial. After winning the Prologue, Alberto was in a position to win the Paris Nice but he
suffered a break down in stage seven and lost his yellow jersey. He also finished 4th overall.
On June 26, 2009 Contador won first position in the Spanish national time trial championships. He entered the race in order to gain more experience on his new Trek TT bike, but he came away with a persuasive victory over Luis León Sánchez. Later that year,
he won his second Tour De France in overall classification.
In Tour de France race, Contador managed to take the 4th time trial stage and also extended his lead in the 15th stage. He continued his decent efforts and managed to secure his overall lead in the 18th stage. Contador took
his second victory in Tour de France and took the total of 4 minutes and 11 seconds over Andy Schleck.
On February 21 Contador grabbed his first race the Volta ao Algarve, finishing second in the final time trial. Due to the changing in the UCI rule, Contador use the standard red specialized time trial bike instead of using his shiv time trial bike. On March
14, 2010 continued his good performance and managed to take his second Paris Nice, Contador’s main attack came in the mountain-top finish to Mende and crossed the finish line ahead of the other cyclists to secure his yellow jersey.
Contador won the Tour de France for third time on July 2010 with an improvement of 39 seconds over Andy Schleck. He became the seventh rider to win a Tour de France without winning a stage. He also grabbed the third place in the La Fleche Wallonne.
In late January 2011, the Spanish Cycling Federation proposed a one year ban, but Contador’s appeal was accepted and he was cleared from all charges. He returned to race in February in the Volta ao Algarve. He also won the second and third stage and due
to this he secured overall standing and points standing of Vuelta a Murcia. He also took a part in Volta a Catalunya and took the third and overall standing of the stage. Contador also showed his good performance in the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon and managed
to take the time trial of fourth stage.
Contador took a part in the 2011 Giro d’ltalia since his victory in 2008. He won the ninth stage and sixteen time trail stage and finally he took the overall standing of major event as well as also grabbing the overall points standing.
Alberto is among the favourites to win the Tour de France and in the final stage, he tried his best to take a lead by launching a solo attack in the stage but he failed to hold the pace and took the overall fifth place in Tour de France ahead of the stage
winner Cadel Evans. However, if Contador continues his good efforts in the next year’s event then there is possibility that he can win the 2012 Tour de France.
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