Sunday 21 September. Alberto Contador of the Astana team today won the Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain) in emphatic fashion to become one of only five riders to have won all of the three week grand tours: The Tour de France, Giro D’Italia, and the Vuelta. Contador adds his name to a quartet of cycling legends, Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, Belgian legend Eddy Merckx and Italy’s Felice Gimondi. What makes Contador’s achievement even more notable is that his wins all come in a little over a year, starting with his win in the 2007 Tour de France. He followed that up with victory in this year’s Giro in May, where he beat Riccardo Ricco (subsequently thrown off this year’s Tour de France for doping), before today sealing his triumph in the Vuelta. The win is another emphatic riposte to the Tour de France organisers who controversially “uninvited” Contador and his Astana team from this year’s race – despite, the team, name aside, being virtually a completely different outfit from the one thrown of the 2007 Tour when then team leader Alexander Vinokourov failed a blood test for EPO. The banning of Astana was held in many quarters to have less to do with making an example of Astana for past sins, and more do with with a settling of old scores with the new Astana management lead by Johan Bruyneel for their success in winning the Tour seven times in a row – six with Lance Armstrong (US Postal and then Discovery) then followed up with last year’s victory for Contador. While not exactly welcoming back Astana with open arms the Tour de France organisers have said the “disinvitation” was not a permanent snub to Astana. Either way, it will be very hard to leave the man who currently dominates three week stage racing out of next year’s Tour. Like it or not it seems that ASO, the Tour organisers, will just have to put up with the fact that Contador and Bruyneel are going to be part of the scene for quite some time to come. Finally, assuming Lance resumes his career with his old team this leaves Astana officials with a potentially tricky task – who will be team leader for next year’s Tour de France? Is it conceivable that Contador will give up on the chance to win a second Tour after being denied last year too, particularly since he can lay claim to a legendary cycling feat of his own. Vuelta 2008: Final overall standings 1. Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana, 80hrs 40mins 23secs 2. Levi Leipheimer (US) Astana, +1:01s 3. Carlos Sastre (Spa) CSC +4:31" 4. Ezequiel Mosquera (Spa) Xacobeo, +5:04" 5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d’Epargne, +5:45"
Contador wins Vuelta to seal place in history and give his team a potential problem
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A perfect example where I advocate for loss of taste buds and libido as a deterrent. Because clearly, the murderer felt he could try to get away with it by his actions. Both at the time and next day to try to evade arrest. And even if arrested his belief might have been he'd get a relatively lenient sentence because... "it was just a cyclist"... Because we see so many lenient sentences when drivers KSI cyclists.
Only a cynic would suggest that some of them might have thought there was political capital to be had in deliberately running out the clock so that they could claim they were being 'forced' to put in 20 limits that 'didn't make sense' and then 'fighting back' by taking them out again...
@jaymack Must have moved recently - I could have sworn he lives near me.
@DrG82 I think the LAs bungled the exceptions. They had plenty of time in the run up to the implementation date to apply exceptions but mostly frittered this time away. Regardless, I think that the reduction in casualties brings financial savings not just to the NHS but the economy as a whole and makes it a great investment.
@the little onion the level of self-deception required to honestly and truthfully attempt such an argument seems in opposition of service to the crown. antithetical, even.
@the little onion Even worse, wearing or not wearing hi viz being seen by drivers who just don't give a s**t.
Have those Zeddam course designers been on a fact-finding study to Denbighshire? https://road.cc/news/active-travel-path-branded-pointless-due-to-steps
@the infamous grouse no. It’s what defence lawyers do. He’s doing his job. This case hinged not on whether the driving was bad at the point of collision, but whether the driver knew the poor victim was trapped afterwards, and knew that continuing to drive would cause him further severe harm.
In his closing speech to jurors on Tuesday, Jaime Hamilton KC, defending, said: "You are likely to hold Simon Richardson in contempt. That contempt may well manifest itself in a loathing of Simon Richardson and, in fairness, you are probably right to. Because it is right that we acknowledge it was the actions of Simon Richardson that led to the death of Michael Mullins. Not only is he responsible for the death of Michael Mullins, he acted in the most selfish of ways with one thought in his mind – himself. But that does not make him guilty of the homicide offences on this indictment." (emphasis mine) what a piece of shit.
@mctrials23 yeah ... but that's when we look at places like car parks and conclude that in fact 10 or even 5mph does in fact make a lot of sense!
2 thoughts on “Contador wins Vuelta to seal place in history and give his team a potential problem”
Nicholas Roche
Great ride by Nichlas Roche, 13th place and almost won a stage as well. Chip of the old block!
yeah good effort
Both the reports I’ve read in the Irish press (basically the same story re-cycled) talk about him “coming off age” which must be slightly galling when your 24 (okay a youngster in grand tour terms, but then Contador is only 25) and you’ve already been selected to lead your country’s cycling team at the Worlds.
Top effort though.