Alberto Contador

Alberto Contador Velasco , born the December 6th 1982 with Madrid, is a Spanish racing cyclist . He measures 1,76 m for 69 kg. He makes his first turns of pedals on the circuit pro in 2003 in the Spanish team Ounce-Eroski at the sides of Joseba Beloki or Jose Azevedo. He now runs for the American team. He gained the Tour de France 2007. He signed a 2 year old contract with Astana where he finds Johan Bruyneel amongst other things there, his current managor, and Levi Leipheimer.

Biography

Contador began its career in 2003 with the Once with Manolo Saiz. He says him besides that he owes him all. Indeed, it is Saiz which discovers it and launches it in the professional world. It will also remain at its sides after its grâve accident with the Turn of Asturies 2004 ( to see thereafter).

It gains its first victory at only 20 years. It is essential this day on the last stage of the Tour of Poland, a against-the-watch, in front of runners of experiment like Andrea Noah or Jens Voigt. It had acquired, one year before, the national title of the discipline in the Espoirs category.

In May 2004, Contador is victim of a serious fall on the Lathe of Asturies. In addition to a fracture of the jaw, the doctors detect an incipient rupture of aneurism. Plunged in the coma during three weeks, it is operated of a cerebral edema and goes up on a bicycle only in December.

Of return in the professional group in 2005, it gains one of the first races which it disputes, the 5th stage Tour Down Under. After having gained the Catalan Week in March, it takes part in July in its first Tour de France. With more than one hour of delay on the winner Lance Armstrong, it takes the third place of the classification of the best young people.

In 2006, it is distinguished in April while being classified among the five first of the Tour of the Pays Basque (5th), the Tour of Romandie (2nd) and of Klasika Primavera (4th). It also gains in June a stage of montagen Tour of Switzerland. It is however taken in the scandal of the Affaire Puerto what prevents it, as the remainder of its team Astana-Würth, to take share with the Tour de France 2006. It will be bleached thereafter ( to see low).

Recruited for 2007 by the American team, Contador gains Paris-Nice, its first major victory, in the last stage. It benefitted from the power from its team, to weaken the team of its rival Davide Rebellin, which made it possible Contador to launch a large attack in the last bump of the stage. It had already tried to attack Rebellin the previous days but had not managed to catch up with it with general classification. In spite of the hunting carried out by Rebellin which must only attack on the end, but Contador gains the stage and keeps rather in advance to gain general classification.

Two weeks later, it is essential again on a stage race one week, the Turn of Castille and Leon. It also disputes in June the Critérium of Dauphine released where it is classified 6th.

Taking the departure of the Tour de France with a role of fellow-member of Levi Leipheimer, it gains the 14th stage with the Plate-with-Beille while assembling this last rise more quickly than Lance Armstrong (but less quickly than the record of Marco Pantani), and consolidates its second place with general classification behind Michael Rasmussen by taking a little time on 3rd, Cadel Evans. At the time of the 16th stage, Contador is not far from taking down Rasmussen but it does not reach that point in spite of two attacks very dry and a last rise of the fast Col of Peyresourde, which enables him nevertheless to increase once again its advance on its other prosecutors. There at the time of the 17th stage, it is taken down by Rasmussen in the last kilometer and thinks of giving up all its hopes of final victory. But Danish Michael Rasmussen is excluded this evening by his team. Contador thus seizes the yellow jersey at the time of the 18th stage. In the 19th stage, run Against-the-watch, it succeeds in keeping a 22 seconds margin of on Evans and 31 seconds on its team-member Levi Leipheimer. It thus gains its first Tour de France, in the former team of the victorious septuple Lance Armstrong.

The team disappearing at the end of the season, it signs for the year 2008 with the team, joining there the sport director of Discovery Johan Bruyneel, in company of several other runners of Discovery.

Prize list

2003

8th stage of the Turn of Poland (against-the-watch)

2005

5th stage of the Turn Down Under
3rd stage of the Catalan Week
General classification of the Catalan Week
6th stage of the Turn of the Pays Basque (against-the-watch)
4th stage of the Turn of Romandie
3rd of the Turn of the Pays Basque
4th of the Turn of Romandie

2006

4th stage of the Turn of Romandie
8th stage of the Turn of Switzerland
2nd of the general classification of the Turn of Romandie
5th of the general classification of the Turn of the Pays Basque

2007

4th stage of the Turn of Valence
4 {{E}} and 7 {{E}} stages of Paris-Nice
General classification of Paris-Nice
4th stage of the Turn of Castille and Leon
final Classification of the Turn of Castille and Leon
17 {{E}} stage of the Tour de France
General classification of the Tour de France
6th of the general classification of the Dauphiné Libéré

Results on the Tour de France

Tour de France 2005: 31e of general classification
Tour de France 2006: Excluded him and its team day before from the departure because of an implication supposed in the Business Puerto of itself and 5 of its fellow-member (it will be bleached thereafter).
Tour de France 2007: 1st of general classification, 1st of the classification of better young person, victorious of the 15th stage (Mazamet-Plate of Beille)

Rewards

Bicycle of Gold (2007)

Suspicions of doping

Alberto Contador appears in the file of instruction of the Affaire Puerto, it is excluded from the departure of the Tour de France 2006 because of its implication supposed in the Puerto business. But Contador, quoted initially, was quickly withdrawn from the file and was bleached.

The organizers of the test had prevented that the runners " cités" in the Puerto Business could not take the departure, which is not thus any more the case of Contador for the Tour de France 2007. It profited from the support of Patrice Clerc, the owner of the Turn, which affirmed that Contador was only quoted “within the framework of phone conversations for results of races” and that “to in no case the name of Contador could not be related to the customers of Mr. Fuentes”.

July 30th, 2007, a German expert of the fight antidopage, Werner Franke qualified the victory of Contador in the Tour de France 2007 of “greater swindle of the history of the sport”, and that it would have been profit of a “protocol of doping” that it details itself. He affirms to have the evidence and to have sent them to AMA.

The July 28th 2007, it had been already said ready to give its DNA to show its innocence.

The August 10th 2007, it again affirms to agree to subject itself to tests DNA, while denying done everything doping and any implication in the Puerto business.

External bonds

'' Le Monde '', article of July 28th, 2007

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