http://www.tdf-tours.com/Will Spyns Tour de France 2010 clients see another Contador victory? Lance Armstrong has certainly been talking tough of late but can the 39 year old best the Spanish rider - 12 years his junior?
While the media hounds lap up Lance's friendly time-trial showdown in Maui, Alberto Contador quietly demonstrates why he is currently the world's #1 rider with an impressive win in Portugal's Volta ao Algarve.
The Astana rider was second to fellow Spaniard Luis León Sánchez in the fifth and final stage, a 17.2km time trial from Laguna to Portimão, but had enough in hand to finish 30 seconds ahead of his compatriot in the general classification.
Contador, who won the third stage to claim the overall lead, hadn't raced for seven months and his victory sends out an ominous message to Lance and others as he targets a third win in the Tour de France later this year.
Final overall standings:
1 - Alberto Contador - (ESP) - Astana - ( 19:57:48)
2 - Luis León Sánchez - (ESP) - Caisse d'Epargne - (+30)
3 - Tiago Machado - (POR) - RadioShack - (+32)
4 - Levi Leipheimer - (USA) - RadioShack - (+37)
5 - Samuel Sánchez - (ESP) - Euskaltel - (+57)
6 - Rui Costa - (POR) - Caisse d'Epargne - (+1:11)
7 - Frantisek Rabon - (CZE) - HTC-Columbia - (+1:16)
8 - Andreas Klöden - (GER) - RadioShack - (+1:25)
9 - Tejay Van Garderen - (USA) - HTC-Columbia - (+1:33)
10 - Peter Velits - (SVK) - HTC-Columbia - (+1:45)
Incidentally, I was thrilled to see Levi break the top 10. Leipheimer has been too long in Lance's shadow and I was hoping he'd be designated lead rider for Radioshack yet there can only be one alpha dog - and that's Lance Armstrong. Lance clearly has the stronger team however Contador is clearly the stronger rider. It will make for a very interesting 2010 Tour de France.
Incidentally, I was thrilled to see Levi break the top 10. Leipheimer has been too long in Lance's shadow and I was hoping he'd be designated lead rider for Radioshack yet there can only be one alpha dog - and that's Lance Armstrong. Lance clearly has the stronger team however Contador is clearly the stronger rider. It will make for a very interesting 2010 Tour de France.
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