What’s Next for the Tour's Top Five?
The 2010 Tour de France ended on Sunday July 25th with Alberto Contador taking his 3rd overall victory in the last four years. Despite the end of the Tour, there is still plenty of cycling season left for the top contenders to continue to prove their skills.
Alberto Contador – 1st overall – 91:58:48
Contador is one of only five cyclists to ever win all three Grand Tours, of which the Tour de France is the second. Earlier in the season was the Giro d’Italia, and in a month will be the Vuelta a Espana, which will take place in Contador’s native country. The champion won the other Grand Tours in 2008, the year his Astana team did not participate in the Tour de France, making Contador’s Grand Tour total five wins in four years. The Spaniard is satisfied with his performance this season and says it is unlikely he’ll ride the Spanish Tour this year to take on the Schleck brothers once again.
“The route of this year’s Vuelta is very attractive, and although I’m not saying it is 100% certain I won’t ride it, the likelihood is that I won’t appear. But I certainly will be back in the future.”
Andy Schleck – 2nd overall + 00:39
Guillén, the organizer for the Vuelta a Espana, has promised a magnificent line-up and confirmed both Andy Schleck, this year’s Tour de France runner-up, and his older brother Frank Schleck, who was a pre-Tour favourite, but had to abandoned the race early on due to a broken collarbone from one of the many crashes which plagued the first week.
"I know what I missed this Tour," said Andy Schleck. "I definitely know it was my brother, and I know with him it would have been a different scenario in the climbs. I'll be back here 10 more times and I can stand up there in yellow."
Denis Menchov – 3rd overall + 2:01
The Vuelta has also confirmed that Denis Menchov would be competing for his third win in the Spanish Grand Tour, after his victories in 2005 and 2007. The Russian also won the Giro d’Italia in 2009 and seems that he isn’t finished improving as a cyclist, opting out of competing in the Italian Grand Tour in favour of training for the Tour de France with the goal of becoming the sixth person, after Contador, to win all three Grand Tours.
In the meantime, Menchov and teammate Robert Gesink will race in the San Sebastian Cycling Classic on Saturday.
Samuel Sanchez – 4th overall + 3:40
Samuel Sanchez narrowly lost his podium spot in this year’s Tour de France to Menchov after he cracked the radial bone in his right arm in the crucial 17th Stage to the Col du Tourmalet. The Spaniard hasn’t confirmed his expected involvement in the Vuelta, but his team has announced that following the best performance of his career in this year’s Tour de France, the injury shouldn’t prevent Sanchez from continuing with his program for the rest of the season. He finished last year’s Vuelta in second place, behind Alejandro Valverde.
Jurgen Van den Broeck – 5th overall + 6:54
Jurgen Van den Broeck's became Belgium's first cycling hero in decades during his mature performance in the 2010 Tour de France. He became the first Belgian in the top-5 since 1986, sparking a new hope him his Omega Pharma-Lotto team.
"We have worked seven years to achieve this," said Coucke, the team manager. "Evans was one of the top riders of our team, but Cadel wasn't Belgian, of course. This is different. Jurgen has proved that he is world class. His performance is an example for the youth. Belgium is proud of us.”
The Belgian has proven himself as a Grand Tour force, and has a long career ahead for him to race against his own record.
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