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Video: Alberto Contador to ride the Vuelta

Tinkoff-Saxo rider back on bike after breaking leg, will be targeting stages rather than overall

One month after breaking his leg during the Tour de France, Alberto Contador has said that he is fit enough to ride the Vuelta a España, which starts a week on Saturday.

The Tinkoff-Saxo rider, twice a winner of his home Grand Tour, broke the news in a video posted to YouTube. He’s realistic about his prospects should he take to the start in Jerez, however, and will be hunting a potential stage win rather than going all out for a third title.

He said: “Hi all. I've been riding my bike during last ten days and yesterday was the first day I could climb a mountain pass without knee pain, and that excites me, motivates me and led me to take the decision that I will ride the Tour of Spain.

"I know it's a Tour of Spain that I'll have to take in a very different way than I had thought earlier in the season, or as I planned the Tour, but I think it can be very good for me thinking on the end of the season and either to start next year with guaranties, and perhaps in the last week I could be fighting for a stage win.

"Now I'll try to do my best in this last week until the start, see you all in Jerez!"

Three weeks ago, Contador tweeted that as a result of complications in his recovery from his injury, he was unlikely to be able to ride the Vuelta.

Together with Chris Froome of Team Sky, he was one of the two big favourites for the Tour de France when it began in Yorkshire last month, but left the race after crashing on a descent on Stage 10 to La Planche des Belles Filles.

Froome, who is riding the Vuelta and was runner-up in the race in 2011, had crashed out of the Tour five days earlier on the stage to Arenberg-Porte de Hainaut.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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7 comments

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unclebadger | 9 years ago
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I think this is great news.

I am sure that rather than being forced by sponsors Contador must actually want to race in his home race.

I very much doubt his doctor would let him loose if there was the likelihood of making it worse. I hope not.

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Leviathan | 9 years ago
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He'd better loose 10 minutes early doors or he ain't going on no break aways.

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Flying Heron | 9 years ago
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Is it just me, or does this look like a sponsor pushing to get money's worth in someone who surely can't be fit for action? This could damage his leg even further???? From a selfish tv spectator view the more the merrier but can't see him finishing this.

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Jimmy Ray Will | 9 years ago
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Oh... the glamorous life of a pro!

I would not want to be in Alberto's shoes right now...

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farrell replied to Jimmy Ray Will | 9 years ago
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Jimmy Ray Will wrote:

I would not want to be in Alberto's shoes right now...

Me neither, but that's because I've noticed he wears some seriously hideous trainers when he's off the bike.

Some of the monstrosities he has worn on the podium are a disgrace.

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eddiew replied to farrell | 9 years ago
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 24
So TRUE!

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PhilRuss replied to farrell | 9 years ago
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[[[[[ Will that be a new Rule? (see Contador's "hideous" daisy-roots)

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