Alberto Contador#2009 Verbier climb
{{short description|Spanish professional cyclist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{family name hatnote|Contador|Velasco|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox cyclist
| name = Alberto Contador
| image = 2015 Tour de France team presentation, Alberto Contador (cropped).jpg
| caption = Contador at the 2015 Tour de France
| fullname = Alberto Contador Velasco
| nickname = El Pistolero
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|12|6|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Pinto, Madrid, Spain
| weight = {{convert|62|kg|lb stlb|0|abbr=on}}
| currentteam = Retired
| discipline = Road
| role = Rider
| ridertype = All-rounder
| amateuryears1 =
| amateurteam1 =
| proyears1 = 2003–2006
| proteam1 = {{UCI team code|ONC|2003}}
| proyears2 = 2007
| proteam2 = {{UCI team code|DSC|2007}}
| proyears3 = 2008–2010
| proteam3 = {{UCI team code|AST|2008}}
| proyears4 = 2011–2016
| proteam4 = {{UCI team code|SAX|2011}}
| proyears5 = 2017
| proteam5 = {{UCI team code|TFS|2017}}
| majorwins = Grand Tours
::General classification (2007, 2009)
::Young rider classification (2007)
::3 individual stages (2007, 2009)
::General classification (2008, 2015)
::General classification (2008, 2012, 2014)
::Combination classification (2008, 2014)
::6 individual stages (2008, 2012, 2014, 2017)
:Paris–Nice (2007, 2010)
:{{nowrap|Tour of the Basque Country (2008, 2009, 2014, 2016)}}
:Volta ao Algarve (2009, 2010)
:National Time Trial Championships (2009)
Other
:Vélo d'Or (2007, 2008, 2009, 2014)
}}
Alberto Contador Velasco ({{IPA|es|alˈβeɾto kontaˈðoɾ βeˈlasko}}; born 6 December 1982) is a Spanish former professional cyclist. He is one of the most successful riders of his era, winning the Tour de France twice (2007, 2009), the Giro d'Italia twice (2008, 2015), and the Vuelta a España three times (2008, 2012, 2014). He is one of only seven riders to have won all three Grand Tours of cycling, and one of only two riders to have won all three more than once. He has also won the Vélo d'Or a record 4 times.
He was regarded as the natural successor of Lance Armstrong and won the 2007 Tour de France with the {{UCI team code|DSC|2007}} team. During his time at the Astana team, he won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España and the 2009 Tour de France. Between 2007 and 2011 he won six consecutive Grand Tours that he entered. This included winning the 2010 Tour de France with Astana, although it later emerged that he had tested positive for clenbuterol during the race. After a long battle in court, he was suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and stripped of his 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro wins.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cas-sanction-contador-with-two-year-ban-in-clenbuterol-case|title=CAS sanctions Contador with two-year ban in clenbutorol case|date=6 February 2012|access-date=6 February 2012|website=Cycling News}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.tas-cas.org/d2wfiles/document/5649/5048/0/Media20Release20_English_2012.02.06.pdf
|title=Alberto Contador found guilty of an anti-doping rule violation by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): suspension of two years
|date=6 February 2012
|publisher=The Court of Arbitration for Sport
|access-date=13 February 2011
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120226222721/http://www.tas-cas.org/d2wfiles/document/5649/5048/0/Media20Release20_English_2012.02.06.pdf
|archive-date=26 February 2012
}}
Contador was known as an attacking rider who excelled as a climber, and on his best days was also an excellent time-trialist. He was also known for being able to turn races around to his favour, most notably during the Fuente Dé stage at the 2012 Vuelta a España. Following his return from suspension, he won the Vuelta twice and the Giro once more. On the penultimate day of his career, he won a stage victory at the mountaintop finish of the Alto de l'Angliru.
Personal life and early career
Contador was born on 6 December 1982 in Pinto in the Community of Madrid, the third of four children. He has an older brother and sister and a younger brother, who has cerebral palsy. Having previously taken part in other sports, such as football and athletics, Contador discovered cycling at the age of 14 thanks to his elder brother Francisco Javier.{{cite web
|url=http://www.albertocontador.es/biografia.php
|title=Alberto Contador Biography
|publisher=albertocontador.es
|access-date=18 May 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090529005642/http://www.albertocontador.es/biografia.php
|archive-date=29 May 2009
|url-status=dead
}}
When Contador was 15, he began to compete in races at the amateur level in Spain, joining the Real Velo Club Portillo from Madrid. Although he got no victories that year or the next, he demonstrated great qualities and was soon nicknamed Pantani (after Marco Pantani, regarded as one of the best climbers of all time) for his climbing skills.{{cite web
|url=http://www.eldiariomontanes.es/20070729/deportes/talento-sacrificio-para-llegar_200707291632.html
|title=Talento y sacrificio para llegar a lo más alto
|work=El Diario Montañes
|date=10 August 2007
|publisher=El Diario
|access-date=18 May 2009
|language=es
}} In 2000, he experienced his first victories, winning several mountains classification prizes from prominent events on the Spanish amateur cycling calendar.
He dropped out of school at the age of 16 without having finished his Bachillerato and signed with Iberdrola–Loinaz, a youth team run by Manolo Saiz, manager of the professional {{UCI team code|ONC|2000}} team. In 2001, he won the under-23 race at the Spanish National Time Trial Championships.{{cite web
|url=http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/Rider_Details.aspx?Code=4#gpm1_3
|title=Past Highlights & Podiums
|publisher=Astana Team
|access-date=18 May 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080731005610/http://www.astana-cyclingteam.com/Rider_Details.aspx?Code=4
|archive-date=31 July 2008
|url-status=usurped
}}
Contador lives with his wife{{cite web
|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-calm-and-confident-ahead-of-cas-hearing
|title=Contador calm and confident ahead of CAS hearing
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=5 November 2011
|access-date=5 November 2011
}} Macarena in the city of Pinto when not competing. He has a fascination for birds, keeping personally bred canaries and goldfinches at home.{{cite web
|url=http://stanford.wellsphere.com/biking-article/alberto-contador-happy-just-to-be-alive/453583
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090717011035/http://stanford.wellsphere.com/biking-article/alberto-contador-happy-just-to-be-alive/453583
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=17 July 2009
|title=Alberto Contador – Happy Just To Be Alive!
|date=23 October 2008
|access-date=22 May 2009
|url=http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/celebrities/alberto-contador.htm
|title=Spanish Fiestas:Alberto Contador
|publisher=Spanish Fiestas
|access-date=22 May 2009
|archive-date=2 May 2012
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502064759/http://www.spanish-fiestas.com/celebrities/alberto-contador.htm
|url-status=dead
}}
Professional career
=ONCE–Eroski/Liberty Seguros (2003–2006)=
Contador turned professional in 2003 for {{UCI team code|ONC|2003}}. In his first year as a professional he won the eighth stage of the Tour de Pologne, an individual time trial. He deliberately let himself fall back on the morning's road stage and saved energy to deliver the winning effort in the time trial in the afternoon.{{cite web|last1=Fotheringham|first1=Alasdair|title=Alberto Contador: The five races that changed my life|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/alberto-contador-the-five-races-that-changed-my-life/|website=cyclingnews.com|access-date=18 April 2018|date=18 April 2018}} During the first stage of the 2004 Vuelta a Asturias he started to feel unwell, and after {{convert|40|km|abbr=off}} he fell and went into convulsions. He had been suffering from headaches for several days beforehand and was diagnosed with a cerebral cavernoma, a congenital vascular disorder, for which he underwent risky surgery and a recovery to get back on his bike.{{cite web|url=http://www.universalsports.com/news-blogs/article/newsid=312425.html |title=Tour of Spain winner Contador is world's top stage racer |author=Fotheringham, Alasdair |date=23 September 2008 |publisher=Universal Sports via Reuters |access-date=24 December 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213041008/http://www.universalsports.com/news-blogs/article/newsid%3D312425.html |archive-date=13 February 2012 }} As a result of the surgery, he has a scar that runs from one ear to the other over the top of his head.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cycling-tour-contador-interview-sb/contador-stronger-for-brush-with-death-idUSTRE56P1SF20090726|title = Contador stronger for brush with death|newspaper = Reuters|date = 26 July 2009}} Contador started to train again at the end of November 2004{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/16/alberto-contador-tour-de-france-olympics-end-interview |title=Alberto Contador: 'It would be perfect to win the Tour, do the Olympics and end' |last=McRae |first=Donald |author-link=Donald McRae (author) |date=16 November 2015 |website=The Guardian|access-date=16 November 2015}} and eight months after the surgery he won the fifth stage of the 2005 Tour Down Under racing for {{UCI team code|ONC|2005}}, as the team previously known as ONCE had become. He subsequently described this win as the greatest of his career. He went on to win the third stage and the overall classification of the Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme, thus winning his first stage race as a professional. He also won an individual time trial during the Tour of the Basque Country, where he finished third, and the fourth stage of the Tour de Romandie, where he finished fourth overall.{{cite magazine
|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Rider_Profile_Alberto_Contador_article_270848.html
|title=Alberto Contador: Rider Profile
|date=27 October 2008
|magazine=Cycling Weekly
|access-date=18 May 2009
|archive-date=27 March 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327123732/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Rider_Profile_Alberto_Contador_article_270848.html
|url-status=dead
}}
In 2006, he won stages at the Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse in preparation for the Tour de France. Prior to the start of the race he was implicated along with several teammates in the Operación Puerto doping case by the Spanish authorities, and the team was not able to start. He was later cleared by the Union Cycliste Internationale, cycling's governing body.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/aug06/aug17news2
|title=Former Liberty five: 2/5 cleared
|author=Tan, Anthony
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=17 August 2006
|access-date=18 May 2009
}} Contador returned to racing in the Vuelta a Burgos but he crashed after finishing fifth in stage 4, when he was riding back down to the team bus, and briefly lost consciousness.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/aug06/aug11news
|title=Contador crashes
|author=Jones, Jeff
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=11 August 2006
|access-date=18 May 2009
}}
=Discovery Channel (2007)=
File:Contador angouleme.jpg during the 19th stage of the 2007 Tour de France.|alt=A man with yellow clothes and a blue helmet, riding on a bicycle. In the background some spectators.]]
After having been implicated in the Operación Puerto doping case, Contador was without a professional contract until mid-January 2007, when he signed with {{UCI team code|DSC|2007}}.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/jan07/jan15news2
|title=Contador signs with Discovery Channel
|author=Stokes, Shane
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=15 January 2007
|access-date=18 May 2009
}}
Contador's first major professional victory came with Paris–Nice, which he won on the race's final stage. {{UCI team code|DSC|2007|nolink=yes}} effectively wore down the remnants of the race leader Davide Rebellin's {{UCI team code|GST|2007}} team, allowing Contador to launch an attack on the final climb. With Rebellin leading the chase, Contador held off his competitors in the final kilometres, winning him the race.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/mar07/parisnice07/?id=results/parisnice077
|title=Alberto Contador on Miguel Induráin's path
|author=Quénet, Jean-François
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=18 February 2007
|access-date=18 May 2009
}}
In the Tour de France, he won a stage at the mountaintop finish of Plateau de Beille, and was second in the general classification to Michael Rasmussen.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour0714
|title=Rasmussen takes control of the Tour
|author=Brown, Gregor
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=22 July 2007
|access-date=18 May 2009
}} Upon Rasmussen's removal from the race before stage 17 for lying to his team about his pre-race training whereabouts,{{cite news
|url = http://www.nrc.nl/international/Features/article1858787.ece/The_Rasmussen_schandal
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090710040854/http://www.nrc.nl/international/Features/article1858787.ece/The_Rasmussen_schandal
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 10 July 2009
|title = The Rasmussen schandal
|date = 6 January 2009
|newspaper = NRC Handelsblad
|access-date = 20 May 2009
}} Contador assumed the overall lead and the yellow jersey, though he did not don it until after the stage.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour0717
|title='Benna' blasts to first Tour stage win in Castelsarrasin
|author=Brown, Gregor
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=26 July 2007
|access-date=18 May 2009
}} In the stage 19 individual time trial, he managed to defy expectations and keep hold of the yellow jersey by a margin of only 23 seconds over challenger Cadel Evans and 31 seconds over teammate Levi Leipheimer. As this was the Tour's penultimate stage, it was the last real competition of the race (since the final stage is traditionally non-competitive save for a bunched sprint to the finish line) and it secured Contador his first Tour de France victory.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=results/tour0719
|title=Kid Contador conquers Tour de France
|author=Brown, Gregor
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=28 July 2007
|access-date=18 May 2009
}} It is the closest the top three finishers in the Tour de France have ever finished to one another.
{{cite web
|url=http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/LIVE/us/2000/journal_etape.html
|title=Contador:Another Victory For Discovery
|date=29 July 2007
|publisher=Letour.fr
|access-date=18 May 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608023648/http://www.letour.fr/2007/TDF/LIVE/us/2000/journal_etape.html
|archive-date=8 June 2009
|url-status=dead
}}
=Astana (2008–10)=
After {{UCI team code|DSC|2007}} announced 2007 would be its final season in professional cycling, Contador announced on 23 October 2007 that he would move to the {{UCI team code|AST|2008}} team for 2008.{{cite web |url=http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13559.0.html
|title=Contador confirms with Astana
|author=Hood, Andrew
|date=23 October 2007
|publisher=VeloNews
|access-date=23 October 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071025042149/http://www.velonews.com/race/int/articles/13559.0.html |archive-date = 25 October 2007}}
==2008 season==
File:Contador rosa 5.JPG during the 21st stage of the 2008 Giro d'Italia.|alt=A man in pink clothes and pink shoes, sitting ducked down on a bicycle. In the background people are watching.]]
On 13 February 2008, the organiser of the Tour de France, the Amaury Sport Organisation, announced that Astana would not be invited to any of their events in 2008 due to the doping previously perpetrated by Astana, despite the fact that its management and most of its ridership had changed before the 2008 season.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2008/feb08/feb13news3
|title=Alberto Contador may not be able to defend Tour de France title
|author=Haake, Bjorn
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=13 February 2008
|access-date=13 February 2008}} Consequently, Contador was unable to defend his Paris–Nice and Tour de France victories. He went on to win his second Vuelta a Castilla y León, as well as the Tour of the Basque Country by winning the opening stage and the final individual time trial. His next scheduled race and objective was the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré but his team received an invite to the Giro d'Italia one week prior to the start of the race. Contador was on a beach in Spain when he was told he was going to ride the Giro.{{cite web|url=http://www.velonews.com/article/76007 |title=Contador: from the beach to the Giro |author=Hood, Andrew |date=9 May 2008 |publisher=VeloNews |access-date=18 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724013704/http://www.velonews.com/article/76007 |archive-date=24 July 2008 }}
Despite the lack of preparation, he finished second in the first individual time trial and took the pink jersey after the 15th stage up to Passo Fedaia. Upon winning the final pink jersey in Milan, he became the first non-Italian to win the Giro d'Italia since Pavel Tonkov in 1996 and also the second Spanish rider to win the Giro after Miguel Induráin won in 1992 and 1993. He later emphasized the importance of this win by saying that "taking part in the Giro and winning it was a really big achievement, bigger than if I'd had a second victory in the Tour de France".{{cite web| title=Vuelta a España – Contador plays down favourite tag |publisher=Yahoo! |url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/29082008/58/vuelta-espana-contador-plays-favourite-tag.html |date=29 August 2008 |access-date=21 September 2008|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080907162824/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/29082008/58/vuelta-espana-contador-plays-favourite-tag.html |archive-date = 7 September 2008|url-status=dead}}
At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Contador competed in the road race and the individual road time trial. He did not finish in the road race, in which 53 of the 143 starters did not complete the course in particularly hot and humid conditions.{{cite web|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/CR/C73R/CRM012101.shtml#CRM012101 |title=Cycling – Men's Road Race Final Results |publisher=The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games |date=9 August 2008 |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224003811/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/CR/C73R/CRM012101.shtml |archive-date=24 December 2008 |url-status=dead }} He placed fourth in the individual time trial, eight seconds behind his regular teammate Leipheimer.{{cite web|url=http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/CR/C73T/CRM011101.shtml#CRM011101 |title=Cycling – Men's Road Individual Time Trial Final Results |publisher=The Official Website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games |date=9 August 2008 |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090502140827/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/CR/C73T/CRM011101.shtml |archive-date= 2 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}
File:Contador2.jpg during the 20th stage of the 2008 Vuelta a España.|alt=A man in yellow clothes and blue shoes, riding a bicycle, followed by a car. People are watching him from behind a fence.]]
Contador entered the Vuelta a España as the main candidate to win. His biggest challenger was likely to be compatriot Carlos Sastre, who had won the Tour de France just a month before. Contador won stage 13 by attacking on the fabled Angliru climb and this resulted in him capturing the golden jersey as the leader of the race. He extended his lead by winning stage 14 to Fuentes de Invierno and maintained his lead in subsequent flat stages and the final time trial, won by Leipheimer by a wide margin. Contador later took some offence to Leipheimer seemingly riding with winning the Vuelta in mind, after it had been established earlier in the race that Contador was Astana's team leader.{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/cycling/news/story?id=3604414
|title=Contador says Armstrong could pose 'difficult' situation on team
|author=ESPN.com news services
|date=24 September 2008
|publisher=ESPN
|access-date=18 May 2009}} In the final standings, Contador finished 46 seconds ahead of Leipheimer and more than four minutes ahead of Sastre.{{cite web| title=Stage 21 – September 21: San Sebastián de los Reyes – Madrid, 102.2 km |author=Brown, Gregor |url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2008/vuelta08/?id=results/vuelta0821 |work=Cyclingnews |date=21 September 2008 |access-date=21 September 2008}} The win made him the fifth cyclist, at that point, to win all three Grand Tours, after Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, and Bernard Hinault.{{cite magazine
|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Contador_quickest_to_complete_grand_tour_set_article_268244.html
|title=Contador quickest to complete Grand Tour set
|author=Birnie, Lionel
|date=21 September 2008
|magazine=Cycling Weekly
|access-date=20 May 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024143946/http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Contador_quickest_to_complete_grand_tour_set_article_268244.html
|archive-date=24 October 2008
}} In the process he also became the first Spaniard,{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/cycling/news/story?id=3600784
|title=Contador wins Spanish Vuelta; first Spaniard to win cycling's big three
|date=21 September 2008
|agency=Reuters
|publisher=ESPN
|access-date=20 May 2009}} youngest (age 25),{{cite web|url=http://www.velonews.com/article/83412/ |title=Leipheimer wins final TT; Contador locks up Vuelta |author=Hood, Andrew |date=20 September 2008 |work=VeloNews |access-date=20 May 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080924050115/http://www.velonews.com/article/83412 |archive-date=24 September 2008 }} and shortest amount of time to accumulate all three wins (15 months).{{cite web |url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2008/09/22/2003423836
|title=Contador maintains lead in Vuelta
|date=22 September 2008
|agency=AP
|work=Taipei Times
|access-date=20 May 2009}} He also became only the third cyclist to win the Giro and the Vuelta in the same year, joining Merckx (who did it in 1973) and Giovanni Battaglin (who did it in 1981).
Later in the year, Contador won the Vélo d'Or award for the best rider of the year for the second consecutive season. The Giro and Vuelta winner beat Olympic time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara and Sastre in a vote by international cycling writers.{{cite magazine
|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/Contador_wins_Velo_dOr_award_article_272857.html
|title=Contador Wins Vélo d'Or Award
|author=Farrand, Stephen
|date=26 November 2008
|magazine=Cycling Weekly
|access-date=18 May 2009
}}{{Dead link|date=February 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
==2009 season==
On 9 September 2008, Lance Armstrong announced that he was returning to professional cycling with the express goal of participating in the 2009 Tour de France.{{cite web |url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/2008/09/08/20080908armstrongON.html
|title=Lance Armstrong to return for 2009 Tour de France
|date=8 September 2008
|agency=Associated Press
|work=Arizona Republic
|access-date=22 May 2009}} {{UCI team code|AST|2009}} manager Johan Bruyneel, Armstrong's former mentor and sporting director, said that he could not allow Armstrong riding for another team and later signed him. Contador hinted at the possibility of leaving the team if he was given a secondary role supporting Armstrong but Bruneel said in no uncertain terms that he would hold Contador to the terms of his contract but he also said "Alberto has had a magnificent year and is currently the best professional cyclist in the world",{{cite web| title=Bruyneel: Armstrong, Contador will have to work together |publisher=ESPN |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/cycling/news/story?id=3621407 |date=2 October 2008 |access-date=27 November 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081104105657/http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=3621407| archive-date= 4 November 2008 | url-status= live}} Contador was later given assurances by Bruyneel that he would remain team leader and decided to remain at Astana for the 2009 season.{{cite web| title=Contador will stay at Astana |work=VeloNews|url=http://www.velonews.com/article/84387/contador-will-stay-at-astana |date=18 October 2008 |access-date=27 November 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081207011756/http://www.velonews.com/article/84387/contador-will-stay-at-astana| archive-date= 7 December 2008 | url-status= live}} Contador later claimed the situation was drastically overblown by the media.{{cite web |url=http://www.albertocontadornotebook.info/media.html
|title=Cycling and Fame, Life and Death
|date=10 November 2008
|work=El País
|access-date=22 May 2009}} Contador decided to miss the Giro d'Italia to focus on winning the Tour de France.{{cite news| title=Contador opts to miss 2009 Giro |publisher=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/7696002.stm |date=28 October 2008 |access-date=27 November 2008| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081217145015/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/7696002.stm| archive-date= 17 December 2008 | url-status= live}}
Contador started his 2009 season at the Volta ao Algarve race in Portugal, winning the overall classification, placing second on stage 3, and winning the decisive {{convert|33|km|abbr=off|adj=on}} individual time trial.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2009/feb09/algarve09/algarve095
|title=Haussler wins final Algarve stage; Contador overall
|author=Brown, Gregor
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=22 February 2009
|access-date=18 May 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624134245/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road%2F2009%2Ffeb09%2Falgarve09%2Falgarve095
|archive-date=24 June 2009
|url-status=live
}} He was in position to win Paris–Nice again after winning the prologue and the toughest mountain stage, but suffered a breakdown in stage 7, losing his yellow jersey to fellow Spaniard Luis León Sánchez. Contador and his Astana team later blamed the breakdown on Contador eating inadequately, leaving him without the energy to chase attacks.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road/2009/feb09/algarve09/algarve095
|title=Sánchez topples Contador
|quote=He said he had a hunger knock in the finale and could not answer the attack of Sánchez.
|author=Haake, Bjorn
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=14 March 2009
|access-date=18 May 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624134245/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road.php?id=road%2F2009%2Ffeb09%2Falgarve09%2Falgarve095
|archive-date=24 June 2009
|url-status=live
}} Contador finished fourth overall; he continued his build up to the Tour de France by racing the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré. He put in a strong performance of the opening time trial and stayed in touch with race leader Cadel Evans on the longer time trial.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/jun09/dauphinelibere09/?id=results/dauphinelibere094
|title=Stage 4 – June 10: Bourg-Les-Valence – Valence (ITT), 42.4 km
|author=Quénet, Jean-François
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=11 June 2009
|access-date=20 June 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619080953/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/jun09/dauphinelibere09/?id=results%2Fdauphinelibere094
|archive-date=19 June 2009
|url-status=live
}} However, the strong ride of compatriot Alejandro Valverde up Mont Ventoux distanced Contador and he rode to help Valverde take the Yellow Jersey while finishing comfortably in third place overall.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/jun09/dauphinelibere09/?id=results/dauphinelibere098
|title=Stage 8 – June 14: Faverges – Grenoble, 146km
|author=Quénet, Jean-François
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=14 June 2009
|access-date=20 June 2009
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617051851/http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/jun09/dauphinelibere09/?id=results%2Fdauphinelibere098
|archive-date=17 June 2009
|url-status=live
}} On 26 June, Contador competed in the Spanish National Time Trial Championships. He stated that he entered the race in order to gain more experience on his new Trek time trial bike, but he came away with a convincing victory over Sánchez, the defending champion, winning by 37 seconds. This was his first national championship as a professional.
File:Tour de France 2009, andy en albert (22014224710).jpg leading Andy Schleck at the 2009 Tour de France.|alt=A man in yellow clothes, with a yellow helmet and yellow handgloves, riding a bicycle. Just behind him is another cyclist, in blue clothes.]]
Contador won Stage 15 of the Tour de France by soloing to the finish line more than a minute ahead of most of his closest general classification competitors, and in so doing took the yellow jersey.{{cite web
|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/96th-tour-de-france-gt/stages/stage-16/results
|title=Contador king of Verbier
|author=Les Clarke
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=19 July 2009
|access-date=19 July 2009
|url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090720184936/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/96th-tour-de-france-gt/stages/stage-16/results
|archive-date=20 July 2009
}} He then extended his lead on Stage 17, after finishing second in a breakaway of three riders with the same time as the stage winner, and then the next day he won the second time trial, increasing his overall advantage to more than four minutes.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8163760.stm|title= Contador moves closer to Tour win |date=22 July 2009|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=23 July 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090723100738/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8163760.stm| archive-date= 23 July 2009 | url-status= live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/24/sports/cycling/24tour.html|title= Contador Still in the Lead With Time Trial Victory |date=23 July 2009|work=The New York Times|access-date=23 July 2009 | first=Juliet | last=Macur}} Contador won his second Tour de France on 26 July with a winning margin of 4' 11" over Andy Schleck, and finished 5' 24" ahead of Armstrong, who finished third in his return to the Tour after a four-year absence.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8169503.stm|title=Contador seals 2009 Tour victory |date=26 July 2009|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=27 July 2009| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090727101032/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8169503.stm| archive-date= 27 July 2009 | url-status= live}} Contador had won the last four Grand Tour races that he had entered. During the celebration at the podium, the organisers of the Tour wrongly played the Danish national anthem instead of the Spanish Royal March.{{cite web|url=http://www.marca.com/2009/07/26/ciclismo/tour_francia/1248625187.html|title=¡¡En París suena el himno danés en honor a Contador!! |date=26 July 2009|work=Marca|location=Spain|access-date=26 July 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2009/news/article/19717/-Contador-Tour-win-celebrated-with-wrong-anthem|title=Cycling: Contador Tour win celebrated with wrong anthem |date=26 July 2009|work=Cycling Central|access-date=27 July 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090830145522/http://tdf.sbs.com.au/tdf2009/news/article/19717/-Contador-Tour-win-celebrated-with-wrong-anthem|archive-date=30 August 2009 |url-status=dead}} In the aftermath of the tour, Contador and Armstrong engaged in a war of words, with Contador quoted as saying that, although Armstrong "is a great rider and [..] did a great Tour[, but] on a personal level [..] I have never admired him and never will", and Armstrong responding that "a champion is also measured on how much he respects his teammates and opponents."{{cite news|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-contador-armstrong |title=Contador, Armstrong trade barbs after Tour |date=15 September 2009 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=29 July 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101204073340/http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-contador-armstrong |archive-date=4 December 2010 }} The sniping caused others, such as the director of the Tour, to wonder "what it would have been like to have had Contador and Armstrong in different teams." Contador later described the experience as "psychologically tough", likening it to having to compete in two races – one on the road, the other in the team hotel. Armstrong's control of the team during the race extended to its entire fleet of team cars, forcing Contador to rely on his brother to take him from stage finishes to the hotel.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/100-tours-100-tales/2015/nov/05/p-is-for-peloton-the-a-z-of-cycling |title=P Is For Peloton: The A-Z Of Cycling |last1=Clemitson |first1=Suze |date=5 November 2015 |website=The Guardian |access-date=5 November 2015}}
On 31 July, Contador's agent (who is also his brother) announced that Contador had turned down an offer to remain with Astana under a new four-year contract because he had felt so uncomfortable being caught between the Kazakhstan owners of the team on one side and Bruyneel on the other, and he was hoping to leave Astana at the end of the year, although his contract did not expire until the end of 2010.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSTRE56U1J420090731 |title=Contador turns down Astana offer, says agent |date=31 July 2009 |work=Reuters|access-date=1 August 2009}} However, on 11 August, Contador's teammate and close friend Sérgio Paulinho accepted a two-year contract with {{UCI team code|RSH|2010}}, indicating that Contador might not be able to leave Astana as readily as he and his agent wished.{{cite web |url=http://www.velonews.com/article/96556/ |title=Paulinho follows Armstrong to RadioShack; Azevedo new DS |author=Andrew Hood |date=11 August 2009 |publisher=VeloNews |access-date=18 August 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090815085812/http://www.velonews.com/article/96556|archive-date=15 August 2009 |url-status=dead}} This was confirmed on 15 August, when a spokesperson for the Kazakhstan sponsors of Astana said that they intended to sponsor the Astana team on the UCI ProTour through 2013 and that they intended to enforce the last year of Contador's contract with Astana in 2010.{{cite web|url=http://www.velonews.com/article/96670/astana-intends-to-enforce-contador-s-contract |title=Astana intends to enforce Contador's contract |agency=Agence France-Presse |date=15 August 2009 |publisher=VeloNews |access-date=18 August 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090818141136/http://www.velonews.com/article/96670/astana-intends-to-enforce-contador-s-contract|archive-date=18 August 2009 |url-status=dead}}
==2010 season==
File:Tour de France 2010, andy en alberto op de tourmalet (14868015984).jpg following Andy Schleck on the Col du Tourmalet during the 2010 Tour de France. He was later stripped of this title.|alt=A man in yellow clothes. In the background people are watching.]]
On 21 February, Contador won his first race of the season, the Volta ao Algarve, by winning its queen stage and finishing second in the final time trial.{{cite web
|author=Cyclingnews
|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ao-algarve-2-1/stage-3/results
|title=Contador takes control in Malhão
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=19 February 2010
|access-date=20 February 2010
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100219235425/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ao-algarve-2-1/stage-3/results| archive-date= 19 February 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite web
|author=Stephen Farrand
|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ao-algarve-2-1/stage-5-itt/results
|title=Contador wins the Volta ao Algarve
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=21 February 2010
|access-date=21 February 2010
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100222060255/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ao-algarve-2-1/stage-5-itt/results| archive-date= 22 February 2010 | url-status= live}} Due to new UCI regulations concerning the nose cone of time trial bikes, Contador did not use his Shiv time trial bike, and instead used the standard red Specialized time trial bike.{{cite web
|author=James Huang
|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/specialized-shiv-time-trial-design-possibly-banned-by-uci
|title=Specialized Shiv time trial design possibly banned by UCI
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=19 February 2010
|access-date=20 February 2010
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100222012340/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/specialized-shiv-time-trial-design-possibly-banned-by-uci| archive-date= 22 February 2010 | url-status= live}} On 14 March, Contador won his second Paris–Nice, finishing ahead of other pre-race favorites like Alejandro Valverde and Luis León Sánchez. His main attack came in the hilltop finish to Mende, where he crossed the finish line alone and successfully secured the yellow jersey.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8567053.stm|title=Contador claims second Paris–Nice |date=14 March 2010|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=14 March 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100315054515/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8567053.stm| archive-date= 15 March 2010 | url-status= live}} Contador also competed in and concluded the Critérium International with a second place in the final time trial, only 2 seconds behind stage winner David Millar, while Pierrick Fédrigo successfully defended the maillot jaune against rivals such as Cadel Evans and Samuel Sánchez.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
Contador was a favourite coming into the Tour de France, along with Team Saxo Bank's Andy Schleck. On Stage 15 Schleck was race leader and pressing the pace over the day's final climb of Port de Bales when he threw his chain. Contador and Denis Menchov immediately moved to the front and attacked, pressing the advantage over the crest of the climb and all the way back down into Bagneres-de-Luchon. They were aided by Samuel Sánchez and two others making a group of five riders. Schleck chased hard, but had no other riders to help bridge the gap. By stage's end, he had lost the yellow jersey and 39 seconds to Contador.{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jul/19/tour-de-france-2010-stage-15-live|title= Tour de France 2010: Stage 15 – live!|work=The Guardian |location=UK |access-date=19 July 2010|date=19 July 2010 | first1=Barry | last1=Glendenning| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100722170555/http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/19/tour-de-france-2010-stage-15-live| archive-date= 22 July 2010 | url-status= live}} Contador, who now had an eight-second lead in the race, met with a mixed reception as he received the yellow jersey on the podium at the end of the stage. It is an unusual occurrence in the Tour for the new race leader to be met with whistles and cat calls as he is given the yellow jersey.{{cite web|author=PA Sport |url=http://sportal.com.au/tourdefrance-news-display/contador-steals-lead-95155 |title=Contador steals lead |date=19 July 2010 |work=Sportal Australia |publisher=PA Sport |access-date=19 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100722185107/http://sportal.com.au/tourdefrance-news-display/contador-steals-lead-95155 |archive-date=22 July 2010 |url-status=dead }} The yellow jersey changing shoulders made a large difference in the remainder of the race, for now the onus was on Schleck to attack Contador, and not the other way around.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
Jered Gruber, writing for VeloNation, argued that Contador was right to attack, defending him on the basis that Schleck did not wait for Contador when he was delayed behind a crash on the cobblestones in stage 3 and lost 1' 13" to Schleck, a crash that cost Schleck the aid of his best ally in the tour, his brother Fränk Schleck. But of course that was early in the race and neither rider had the yellow jersey at the time.{{cite web|url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/4951/Alberto-Contador-Today-we-could-not-do-like-we-did-in-Spa.aspx |title=Alberto Contador: "Today, we could not do like we did in Spa." |publisher=Velonation.com |date=19 July 2010 |access-date=30 September 2010}} Race commentator Paul Sherwen thought the attack in poor form, whereas his co-commenter Phil Liggett thought not.{{cite video|people=Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen |year=2010|title=Le Tour De France 2010|type = DVD |work=World Cycling Productions}} Schleck said he considered Contador's actions to be unsporting.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8835486.stm|title=Contador seizes Tour de France lead from Schleck |publisher=BBC Sport |date=19 July 2010|access-date=23 July 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100722135000/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/8835486.stm| archive-date= 22 July 2010 | url-status= live}} Hours after the conclusion of the stage, Contador voiced an apology for his behaviour on his YouTube channel.{{cite news| url=http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/contador-apologizes-on-youtube/ | work=The New York Times | title=Contador Apologizes on YouTube | first=Robert | last=Mackey | date=19 July 2010}} Five days later in the stage 19 time trial, Contador beat Schleck again, taking 31 seconds from him. Contador went on to win the Tour de France for the third time with an advantage of 39 seconds over Andy Schleck, the exact amount of time he had taken from Schleck on Stage 15.{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8852774.stm|title=Alberto Contador seals third Tour de France victory |date=25 July 2010|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=25 July 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100725191405/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/8852774.stm| archive-date= 25 July 2010 | url-status= live}} Contador became the seventh rider to win a Tour de France without winning a stage,{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} but this win was later nullified due to his doping suspension.
=Saxo Bank–SunGard (2011–16)=
Contador signed a two-year contract with {{UCI team code|SAX|2011}} for the 2011 season, to ride under team manager Bjarne Riis, who revealed that he would like Contador to try winning all three Grand Tours in one season, a feat never before accomplished. Contador's agent and brother Fran later countered the statement by saying it was "nothing but a dream". Within two weeks, three of Contador's Spanish teammates signed to make the same transfer: Jesús Hernández, Daniel Navarro and Benjamín Noval.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/saxo-bank-sungard-signs-contadors-top-spaniards |title=Saxo Bank–SunGard Signs Contador's Top Spaniards |work=Cyclingnews |date=12 August 2010 |access-date=30 September 2010}}
==2011 season==
File:Alberto Contador Giro.jpg as the winner of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, in Milan. He was later stripped of this title.]]
Amidst the clenbuterol controversy, Contador earned his first win in the Vuelta a Murcia. He won the overall classification as well as two stage victories en route to his victory. Later in the month of March, Contador entered in the Volta a Catalunya, where he claimed a win on the third stage to Vallnord, maintaining his advantage until the end of the race.{{cite news|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/27032011/2/cycling-contador-wins-tour-catalunya.html|work=Yahoo! Eurosport|publisher=TF1 Group|date=27 March 2011|access-date=27 March 2011|title=Contador wins Tour of Catalunya|agency=Reuters}} He also won the individual time trial of Vuelta a Castilla y León.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
Contador competed in the Giro d'Italia, his first time racing in the Giro since his victory in 2008. Contador won the ninth stage on Mount Etna, his first stage win at the Italian Grand Tour. He attacked midway through the climb, dropping his overall rivals and gaining almost a minute on them. That stage gave him the overall lead in the Giro, as well as the points classification lead. Contador extended his overall lead to 3 minutes over second place Vincenzo Nibali where he broke away with José Rujano on the Grossglockner. He solidified his lead through stage 14 up the Monte Zoncolan and a very difficult stage 15 through the Dolomites taking his lead up to 4 minutes ahead of second place Michele Scarponi. He also won the {{convert|12.7|km|1|abbr=off|adj=on}} mountain time-trial to Nevegal. On 29 May, Contador went on to win the race for the second time finishing 6 minutes ahead of second place Scarponi.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/8545051/Alberto-Contador-wins-Giro-dItalia.html|title=Alberto Contador wins Giro d'Italia|date=29 May 2011|work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |access-date=30 May 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cycling/13589276.stm|title=Alberto Contador wins 2011 Giro d'Italia |date=29 May 2011|publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=30 May 2011| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110530112459/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cycling/13589276.stm| archive-date= 30 May 2011 | url-status= live}} In addition to winning the general classification, Contador also won the points classification and finished second in the mountains classification.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} This made the sixth consecutive grand tour that he entered and won.
Despite the fact that he was scheduled to appear before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in early August, Contador announced in early June he would compete in the Tour de France.{{cite news |title=Alberto Contador will race in Tour |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/cycling/news/story?id=6653498 |date=12 June 2011 |access-date=22 July 2011}} The CAS had planned to hear the case in early June but the dates were pushed back to early August. Contador aimed to become the first rider to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year since Marco Pantani accomplished the feat in 1998.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
In the opening stage Contador was slowed by a crash and lost more than one minute. He lost additional time in the team time trial at Les Essarts but finished second in the fourth stage up to Mûr-de-Bretagne. Contador suffered four crashes in the opening nine days of the Tour, injuring his right knee before facing the Pyrenees mountain stages. He was dropped in the final kilometre in the stage to Luz Ardiden and finished two seconds behind Andy Schleck at the top of the Plateau de Beille.{{cite news |title=Alberto Contador optimistic about the Alps |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/cycling/Alberto-Contador-optimistic-about-the-Alps/articleshow/9251333.cms |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719130420/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/cycling/Alberto-Contador-optimistic-about-the-Alps/articleshow/9251333.cms |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 July 2012 |newspaper=The Times of India |date=16 July 2011 |access-date=24 December 2011}} On the sixteenth stage to Gap, Contador attacked on the ascent of the Col de Manse, with Cadel Evans and Samuel Sánchez joining him in taking a time advantage over the other favourites in the general classification, including more than a minute over Schleck.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-16 |title=Calm before the storm |work=Cyclingnews |date=21 June 2011 |access-date=2 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630144847/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-16 |archive-date=30 June 2011 |url-status=dead }} He was also aggressive in the next stage to Pinerolo but unable to win time to the other favourites besides Thomas Voeckler and Ivan Basso. In the stage to the Col du Galibier he lost time to the other favourites after Schleck launched a solo attack {{convert|60|km|abbr=off}} from the finish and Contador was later unable to follow the pace set by Evans.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-18 |title=The Tour's highest-ever finish |work=Cyclingnews |date=19 October 2010 |access-date=22 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110630144828/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-18 |archive-date=30 June 2011 |url-status=dead }} Contador launched an early attack on the last mountain stage to Alpe d'Huez, reaching the top of Galibier with Schleck, but their effort proved unsuccessful and they were captured by the rest of the main contenders following the long descent from the mountain. Contador launched another attack on the first kilometres of Alpe d'Huez but he was eventually beaten to victory by Pierre Rolland with Samuel Sánchez second.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/14253301|title = Andy Schleck takes yellow jersey|work = BBC Sport}} Contador finished fifth in the overall classification, 3 minutes 57 seconds behind Evans, bringing an end to his streak of winning six consecutive Grand Tours that he entered.{{cite news |title=Hincapie, Ochowicz win in supporting roles |author=Dale Robertson |url=http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/cycling/7672458.html |newspaper=Houston Chronicle |date=27 July 2011 |access-date=28 July 2011}}
==2012 season==
Contador started his season with still no verdict in the clenbuterol case. He finished second overall in the Tour de San Luis and he won both uphill finishes, only falling short in the time trial stage of the race. On 6 February he was stripped of these early results, as well the 2010 Tour de France and 2011 Giro d'Italia wins and many other victories. He was also suspended until 5 August and his contract with {{UCI team code|SAX|2012a}} was annulled.{{cite news|first=Rupert|last=Guinness|url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cycling/cold-comfort-for-schleck-as-he-awaits-contadors-crown-20120215-1t6qt.html|title=Cold comfort for Schleck as he awaits Contador's crown|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=16 February 2012|accessdate=19 December 2021|quote=Contador, who will be allowed to race again from August 5, had his Saxo Bank team contract cancelled last week after the court ruling.}}
On 8 June it was announced that Contador would rejoin {{UCI team code|SAX|2012b|nolink=yes}} upon the completion of his ban, signing a contract that would keep him with the team until the end of the 2015 season.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-returns-with-saxo-bank|title=Contador returns with Saxo Bank|date=8 June 2012|access-date=8 June 2012|website=Cycling News}}{{cite news|url=http://www.team-saxobank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3654 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130204034838/http://www.team-saxobank.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=3654 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 February 2013 |title=Contador returns to Team Saxo Bank |date=8 June 2012 |access-date=8 June 2012 |publisher=Riis Cycling |work={{UCI team code|SAX|2012a}} }} After the completion of his suspension, Contador competed in the Eneco Tour as preparation for the Vuelta a España where he finished 4th in the general classification.{{cite news|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/08/news/road/2012-eneco-tour-results-stage-7_234330/2|title=2012 Eneco Tour results, stage 7|date=12 August 2012|access-date=21 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915162008/http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/08/news/road/2012-eneco-tour-results-stage-7_234330/2|archive-date=15 September 2016|url-status=dead}} Consequently, Contador was named leader of {{UCI team code|SAX|2012b|nolink=yes}} for the Vuelta a España.{{cite news|url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12617/Saxo-Bank-Tinkoff-Bank-names-Alberto-Contadors-team-for-Vuelta-a-España.aspx|title=Saxo Bank–Tinkoff Bank names Alberto Contador's team for Vuelta a España|date=12 August 2012}} Contador attacked numerous times throughout the mountains in the first sixteen stages of the race, but with no avail, since the race leader Joaquim Rodríguez always countered and finished ahead of him. This proved costly since there were bonus seconds awarded to the first three riders of each stage: twelve seconds for first, eight seconds for second and four seconds for third.{{cite web |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/09/news/contador-opportunities-exist-every-day-to-catch-purito_237494 |title=Contador: Opportunities exist every day to catch Purito |work=Velonews.competitor.com |access-date=5 September 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915135040/http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/09/news/contador-opportunities-exist-every-day-to-catch-purito_237494 |archive-date=15 September 2016 |url-status=dead }} Even on the queen stage of the race, finishing atop the Cuitu Negru and featuring slopes with a gradient of more than 20% close to the line, Rodríguez annulled the numerous attacks of Contador and sailed past him to the finish.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-16/results |title=Epic win for Cataldo on Cuitu Negru |website=Cycling News|date=3 September 2012 |access-date=6 September 2012 |author=Peter Cossins |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103152639/http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-16/results |archive-date=3 November 2011 }} However, his fortunes turned around during the seventeenth stage; he attacked in that latter portion of the stage and made a solo effort up the final climb of the day after his breakaway companion Paolo Tiralongo of {{UCI team code|AST|2012}} was dropped.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/9523600/Alberto-Contador-leads-Vuelta-a-Espana-after-brilliant-stage-win.html|title=Alberto Contador leads Vuelta a España after brilliant stage win|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=5 September 2012|accessdate=19 December 2021}} Contador won the stage by six seconds over the first chase group and took the lead away from Rodríguez, who was relegated to more than two minutes in the general classification. He held on to the race lead during the last mountain stage leading atop the Bola del Mondo, where he was dropped by Rodríguez and Alejandro Valverde ({{UCI team code|MOV|2012}}), who held second place overall. He managed to limit his losses and retain the lead of the race.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-20/results |title=Menchov prevails on the Bola del Mundo |website=Cycling News|date=8 September 2012 |access-date=11 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910091958/http://www.cyclingnews.com/vuelta-a-espana/stage-20/results |archive-date=10 September 2012 }} On the next day, Contador crossed the finish line in Madrid with the race leader's red jersey, earning the second Vuelta victory of his career.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2012/sep/09/contador-wins-vuelta-a-espana|title=Alberto Contador wins Vuelta a España for the second time|work=The Guardian UK|agency=Associated Press|publisher=2012 Guardian News and Media Limited|date=9 September 2012|access-date=11 September 2012|location=London}}
Contador participated in the UCI Road World Championships held in Valkenburg in both the road race and the individual time trial. He was ninth in the time trial, after being overtaken by eventual winner Tony Martin, who started two minutes behind him.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-has-lacklustre-worlds-time-trial|title=Contador has lacklustre Worlds time trial|website=Cycling News|date=20 September 2012|access-date=27 September 2012}} For the road race, Contador rode in support of his Spanish teammates{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/spain-ready-to-play-various-cards-at-world-championships|title=Spain ready to play various cards at world championship|website=Cycling News|date=22 September 2012|access-date=27 September 2012|author=Alasdair Fotheringham}} and finished 53 seconds in arrears of the victor, Belgian Philippe Gilbert.{{cite news |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/uci-road-world-championships-2012/elite-men-road-race/results |title=UCI Road World Championships 2012: Elite Men road race Results |website=Cycling News|date=23 September 2012 |access-date=16 April 2016 |author=Daniel Benson}} Days later, Contador headed for Italy to take part in the newly resurrected Classic Milano–Torino. He took the win by accelerating on the final slope of the day in sight of the final kilometre banner, dropping all contenders. It was the first time in his career that he won a single-day race, and he dedicated the event to the memory of Víctor Cabedo, a young professional cyclist who died in a training accident a week prior.{{cite news|url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2012/09/26/alberto_contador_wins_milano_torino_race/|title=Contador wins revived Milano–Torino road race|work=SportsNet|publisher=2001–2012 Rogers Communications|agency=Associated Press|date=26 September 2012|access-date=27 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305205119/http://www.sportsnet.ca/more/2012/09/26/alberto_contador_wins_milano_torino_race/|archive-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead}}
==2013 season==
File:Tour de France 2013, froome en contador (14889667653).jpg at the 2013 Tour de France]]
In 2013, Contador's only victory was a stage in the Tour de San Luis in January. From then on, his season did not go as expected: though finishing 3rd in Tirreno–Adriatico he became ill during the race. This disrupted his preparations for the rest of the season. Contador returned to racing in the Tour of the Basque Country in April and finished fifth in the general classification. He was too late to be in optimal condition for the Tour de France, where he could not match up to Chris Froome and finished in fourth place.{{cite news|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/11/news/alberto-contador-wraps-up-camp-sets-big-goals-for-2014_310255|title=Alberto Contador wraps up camp, sets big goals for 2014|work=VeloNews|date=30 November 2013|access-date=12 April 2014|publisher=Competitor Group, Inc.|archive-date=24 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424012512/http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/11/news/alberto-contador-wraps-up-camp-sets-big-goals-for-2014_310255|url-status=dead}} After the Tour, main sponsor Oleg Tinkov expressed critical comments on Contador's style of riding. At the end of the season, Tinkov bought the team ownership, but Contador stayed loyal to the team.{{cite news|url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/15922/Contador-rules-out-breaking-Saxo-Tinkoff-contract-before-end-of-agreed-term.aspx|title=Contador rules out breaking Saxo Tinkoff contract before end of agreed term|date=1 December 2013|access-date=12 April 2014|work=VeloNation|publisher=VeloNation LLC}}
==2014 season==
File:Critérium du Dauphiné 2014 - Etape 6 - Alberto Contador.jpg]]
After a disappointing 2013 season, Contador went into the season trying to find the form that allowed him to take numerous victories in the past. Contador's first objective of the season was the Volta ao Algarve. Although he would lose time to Michał Kwiatkowski after his two consecutive stage wins, Contador showed his much improving form in the race, taking third in the second stage and fourth in the third stage individual time trial before taking his first win of the season on the fourth stage. In the stage featuring a summit finish at Alto do Malhão, Contador attacked a kilometre from the finish as he eventually soloed to the stage win, three seconds ahead of Rui Costa.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ao-algarve-2014/stage-4/results|title=Contador wins Algarve stage atop Alto do Malhao|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=22 February 2014|access-date=23 February 2014}} He eventually finished second overall, 19 seconds down on Kwiatkowski.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}}
Contador's next race was Tirreno–Adriatico where he faced stiffer competition with riders such as Nairo Quintana and Jean-Christophe Péraud. He continued to show his strong form by winning the third stage of the race going to Cittareale after he outsprinted Quintana, his main rival for the race.{{cite web|title=Stage 4: Indicatore (Arezzo) to Cittareale (Selva Rotonda)|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/TirrenoAdriatico/it/download/info_tappe/4/T04_alt.pdf|work=Tirreno–Adriatico|publisher=RCS Sport|access-date=12 March 2014}} He took the lead in the general classification on the next day, winning a second successive stage as he attacked on the stage's penultimate climb before soloing to the finish.{{cite web|title=Stage 5: Amatrice to Guardiagrele|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Speciali/TirrenoAdriatico/it/download/info_tappe/5/T05_alt.pdf|work=Tirreno–Adriatico|publisher=RCS Sport|access-date=12 March 2014}} He kept his lead for the remainder of the race, finishing more than two minutes clear ahead of runner-up Quintana.{{citation needed|date=August 2015}} Contador raced the Volta a Catalunya next, where he had his first duel with riders such as Chris Froome and Joaquim Rodríguez. On the race's first mountain stage, he followed attacks set by his fellow general classification contenders before he had to settle for second in the stage, 5 seconds behind Rodríguez.{{cite web|title=Stage 3: Banyoles to La Molina|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/volta-ciclista-a-catalunya-2014/stage-3|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=19 March 2014|access-date=24 March 2014}} He finished the race in second place overall, just 4 seconds behind Rodríguez.{{cite news|url=http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/news/alberto-finished-second-overall-catalunya/ |title=Alberto finished second overall in Catalunya |work={{UCI team code|SAX|2014}} |publisher=Tinkoff Sport |date=30 March 2014 |access-date=30 March 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140402051133/http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/news/alberto-finished-second-overall-catalunya/ |archive-date=2 April 2014 }}
Contador's next objective for the season was the Tour of the Basque Country. He got into a duel with fellow Spaniard Alejandro Valverde and both riders did not disappoint on the first stage. Contador followed Valverde's attack on the stage's last climb before putting on an attack that Valverde was not able to answer. He negotiated the descent and soloed to the stage win and yellow jersey, 14 seconds ahead of Valverde. He kept the race lead to the end, finishing second on the final stage time trial and winning the race by 49 seconds ahead of Michał Kwiatkowski.{{cite news|url=http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/news/contador-wins-vuelta-pais-vasco/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413155210/http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/news/contador-wins-vuelta-pais-vasco/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=13 April 2014 |title=Contador wins Vuelta Pais Vasco |work={{UCI team code|SAX|2014}} |publisher=Tinkoff Sport |date=12 April 2014 |access-date=12 April 2014 }} As his final preparation for the Tour de France, Contador entered the Critérium du Dauphiné where he battled with Froome and Vincenzo Nibali, his main rivals for the Tour. Contador started the Dauphiné on good form, finishing second to Froome on the race's short individual time trial before dueling with Froome on the Col du Béal. Unlike in 2013 where he was unable to follow the accelerations of Froome, Contador was able to stay on his rival's wheel, eventually finishing second on the stage after Froome outsprinted him to the line. He had his next duel with Froome on the seventh stage, the queen stage of the race. Contador attacked with {{convert|2|km|abbr=off}} left on the stage and Froome (who was suffering from the effects of a crash on the previous day's stage) was not able to bridge the gap to him as Contador took the yellow jersey as leader of the general classification. However, Contador fell victim to an ambush on the next stage as several riders in the top ten went into the breakaway including Andrew Talansky, who was sitting in third place overall, 39 seconds behind Contador. Contador was left isolated with no teammates around him as he tried to bridge the gap to the leading group but he ran out of steam as Talansky won the race overall. However, Contador dealt a psychological blow to Froome ahead of the Tour as Froome struggled in the stage, eventually dropping to 12th place overall.
File:Contador after his Tour de France 2014 crash.jpg crash, going to a medical facility with crutches]]
In the Tour de France, Contador entered the race in much better form. He avoided crashing during the first week but he lost a lot of time in the fifth stage of the race, the stage featuring cobbles as part of the route. He lost around {{frac|2|1|2}} minutes to fellow overall contender, Nibali, as he was unable to bridge the gap to him after mud became stuck in his gears. On the Tour's first summit finish going to Gérardmer, he attacked as Nibali went with him. Contador made a final acceleration near the finish line as he took 3 seconds back on Nibali. On the descent of the Petit Ballon in the tenth stage, Contador crashed heavily before he was treated on the side of the road.{{cite news|last1=Cary|first1=Tom|title=Alberto Contador crashes out as Vincenzo Nibali takes Stage 10 and yellow jersey|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/tour-de-france/10967088/Tour-de-France-2014-Alberto-Contador-crashes-out-as-Vincenzo-Nibali-takes-Stage-10-and-yellow-jersey.html|access-date=15 July 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=14 July 2014}} He tried to ride for nearly {{convert|20|km|abbr=off}} after the crash but he eventually abandoned the Tour. He initially ruled himself out of the Vuelta a España as well{{cite news|url=http://pelotonmagazine.com/feedzone/contador-says-adios-to-the-vuelta/|title=Contador says adios to the Vuelta|work=pelotonmagazine.com|access-date=10 April 2016|archive-date=31 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531174021/http://pelotonmagazine.com/feedzone/contador-says-adios-to-the-vuelta/|url-status=dead}} but he eventually joined the start list of the race.{{cite news|url=http://pelotonmagazine.com/feedzone/contador-to-ride-vuelta-healing-faster-than-expected/|title=Contador to ride Vuelta, healing faster than expected|work=pelotonmagazine.com|access-date=10 April 2016|archive-date=31 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531174554/http://pelotonmagazine.com/feedzone/contador-to-ride-vuelta-healing-faster-than-expected/|url-status=dead}}
His Vuelta started well as his team, {{UCI team code|SAX|2014}}, finished seventh in the opening team time trial, 19 seconds behind the {{UCI team code|MOV|2014}}, the team which fielded fellow overall contenders, Quintana and Valverde. On the race's first mountain stage to La Zubia, he was able to stay with the overall contenders as he eventually finished the stage in third place behind Froome and Valverde. He showed his improving form on the next mountain stage to Valdelinares, attacking with around {{convert|2|km|abbr=off}} to go while dropping Froome and Valverde among others as he sat 3 seconds behind red jersey holder Quintana before the individual time trial. He took the red jersey on the individual time trial as he finished fourth. He showed he could defend the red jersey by staying with his fellow overall contenders. On the race's queen stage to La Farrapona, he followed Froome's attack with {{convert|4|km|abbr=off}} to go while distancing other overall contenders. He stayed in his rival's wheel before putting on a finishing kick with around {{convert|800|m|abbr=off}} to go, winning the stage and strengthening his hold on the red jersey.{{cite news|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/alberto-contador-drives-stake-vuelta_344601|title=Alberto Contador drives stake into Vuelta a España|work=VeloNews|date=September 2014|access-date=8 September 2014|author=Andrew Hood|archive-date=9 September 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909030917/http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/alberto-contador-drives-stake-vuelta_344601|url-status=dead}} The same thing happened on the penultimate stage to Puerto de Ancares where he followed Froome throughout the climb, distancing the other contenders once again before kicking on to take the stage, all but securing the red jersey.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-espana-2014/stage-20/results|title=Vuelta a España: Contador wins on Ancares|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=13 September 2014|access-date=13 September 2014|author=Peter Cossins}} On the final stage individual time trial, he rode conservatively in wet conditions to avoid any mishaps and though he lost time to the other favourites, he had more than enough time in hand to win his third Vuelta.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-espana-2014/stage-21/results|title=Contador seals overall 2014 Vuelta a España victory|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=14 September 2014|access-date=14 September 2014}}
During the Vuelta, Contador announced he would not contest the UCI Road World Championships in Ponferrada, saying the course did not fit his characteristics at all.{{cite news|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/contador-defends-decision-skip-spanish-worlds_345129|title=Contador defends decision to skip Spanish worlds|work=VeloNews|date=11 September 2014|access-date=11 September 2014|author=Andrew Hood|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225908/http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/09/news/contador-defends-decision-skip-spanish-worlds_345129|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}} Contador suffered a crash in the Giro di Lombardia, injuring the knee that he had hurt in the Tour de France and ending his chances of winning the 2014 UCI World Tour overall classification, as he decided to forego the Tour of Beijing to better prepare for the 2015 season.{{cite news
|url=http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/news/alberto-contador-withdraw-beijing-focus-2015/
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141008072652/http://www.tinkoffsaxo.com/news/alberto-contador-withdraw-beijing-focus-2015/
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=8 October 2014
|title=Alberto Contador: "I withdraw from Beijing to focus on 2015
|work=Tinkoff–Saxo
|publisher=2014 Tinkoff Sport A/S
|date=6 October 2014
|access-date=6 October 2014
}}
==2015 season==
File:Alberto Contador at the 2015 Vuelta a Andalucia.jpg]]
For 2015, Contador announced that he would attempt to win both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, a feat that had not been done since Marco Pantani accomplished it in 1998.{{cite news|url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/alberto-contador-confirms-giro-tour-double_360840|title=Alberto Contador confirms Giro-Tour double ... again|work=VeloNews|date=14 February 2015|access-date=30 April 2015|author=Andrew Hood|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161018143343/http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/02/news/alberto-contador-confirms-giro-tour-double_360840|archive-date=18 October 2016|url-status=dead}} His debut race was the Vuelta an Andalucía in February. He took the race lead after the time trial on stage 1b, finishing fourth.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-moves-into-vuelta-a-andalucia-race-lead|title=Contador moves into Vuelta a Andalucía race lead|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=30 April 2015|access-date=30 April 2015|author=Alasdair Fotheringham}} Contador then won stage 3, a mountaintop finish, by attacking with {{convert|7.5|km|abbr=off}} to go.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/contador-wins-ruta-del-sol-stage-three-and-extends-overall-lead-158806|title=Contador wins Ruta del Sol stage three and extends overall lead|work=Cycling Weekly|publisher=IPC Media Sports & Leisure network|date=20 February 2015|access-date=20 February 2015|author=Richard Windsor}} He did however lose the race leader's jersey on the very next stage, another mountain affair, where Chris Froome snatched both the stage win and the race lead.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-andalucia-ruta-ciclista-del-sol-2015/stage-4/results|title=Froome seizes overall lead at Vuelta a Andalucía|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=21 February 2015|access-date=30 April 2015}} Froome did not relinquish his lead and Contador finished the race second in the overall classification, only 2 seconds behind. In mid-March, Contador finished fifth overall at Tirreno–Adriatico, helping his teammate Peter Sagan win stage 6 by accelerating on a climb and shedding the pure sprinters off the leading group.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tirreno-adriatico-2015/stage-6/results|title=Tirreno–Adriatico: Sagan wins stage 6|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=18 March 2015|access-date=30 April 2015|author=Daniel Benson}} At the end of March, Contador took fourth place in the Volta a Catalunya, where he crashed severely in the penultimate stage. Contador was able to remount and participate in the last stage, securing his general classification placing.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-crashes-hard-at-volta-a-catalunya|title=Contador crashes hard at Volta a Catalunya|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=28 March 2015|access-date=30 April 2015|author=Alasdair Fotheringham}} At the end of April, and days before the start of the Giro d'Italia, Contador revealed that he was ready for the Grand Tour race. His injuries sustained in the Volta a Catalunya were healed and included a micro-fissure in his sacrum. He stated: "I'm going very well, the big blocks of training here in the Canaries are all but finished and I'm now beginning to go through the recovery phase prior to the Giro. I've done a huge amount of climbing rides in these last three weeks and now what we've got to do is ease back before next week."{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/alberto-contador-exclusive-recovered-from-injury-and-ready-for-the-giro-ditalia|title=Alberto Contador exclusive: Recovered from injury and ready for the Giro d'Italia|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=30 April 2015|access-date=30 April 2015|author=Alasdair Fotheringham}}
At the Giro d'Italia, Contador's {{UCI team code|SAX|2015}} team performed well in the opening team time trial, finishing 2nd to {{UCI team code|MTS men|2015}}. He gained 6 seconds on Fabio Aru, 12 seconds on Rigoberto Urán, and 20 seconds on Richie Porte.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-ahead-of-giro-ditalia-rivals-in-opening-ttt-skirmish|title=Contador ahead of Giro d'Italia rivals in opening TTT skirmish|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=9 May 2015}} Contador took the maglia rosa on the summit finish on stage 5 to Abetone. However, the next day, Contador dislocated his shoulder after crashing on the finishing straight. He was able to finish but dislocated the shoulder again before the podium presentation.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-confirmed-to-start-giro-ditalia-stage-7|title=Contador confirmed to start Giro d'Italia stage 7|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=15 May 2015}} Despite this, Contador was able to continue in the race, holding on to the jersey. However, on stage 13, on what most assumed was an "easy day" of racing, Contador crashed in a pile-up, {{convert|3.2|km|abbr=off}} from the finish; he crossed the line 42 seconds behind the peloton, including Aru. Thus Contador lost the pink jersey, the first time he lost the leader's jersey in any Grand Tour up to that point in his career.{{cite web|url=https://sport360.com/article/cycling/37091/fabio-aru-takes-pink-jersey-alberto-contador-caught-giro-ditalia-crash |title=Fabio Aru takes pink jersey as Alberto Contador is caught up in Giro d'Italia crash – Cycling | Sport360.com |access-date=23 May 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150701122149/https://sport360.com/article/cycling/37091/fabio-aru-takes-pink-jersey-alberto-contador-caught-giro-ditalia-crash |archive-date=1 July 2015 }} However the next day, on a {{convert|59.3|km|abbr=off|adj=on}} individual time trial, Contador led the field, taking back the pink jersey and created a sizable time difference over the rest of the peloton.{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/giro-ditalia/alberto-contador-back-in-giro-ditalia-lead-after-crucial-time-trial-173347|title=Alberto Contador back in Giro d'Italia lead after crucial time trial – Cycling Weekly|date=23 May 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/cycling/2015/05/23/contador-reclaims-giro-lead--aru-after-time-trial/27838333/|title=Alberto Contador reclaims Giro lead from Fabio Aru after time trial|website=USA Today}} On stage 16, Contador suffered a mechanical problem on the descent of Apria and other teams including Astana tried to take advantage. Still, Contador made contact with Aru at the Mortirolo Pass and put another two minutes into his rival as Mikel Landa became the second-placed rider on the general classification.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/amazing_landa_makes_it_two_in_a_row_in_the_queen_stage/|title=Amazing Landa makes it two in a row in the queen stage|work=Cycling Quotes|publisher=CyclingQuotes.com 2013|date=26 May 2015|access-date=27 May 2015|author=Emil Axelgaard}} On Stage 20, Contador lost some time to both Landa and Aru but retained his pink jersey. Eventually, he won the overall classification by 1:53 over Aru.{{cite news|url=http://www.eurosport.com/cycling/giro-d-italia/2015/standing.shtml#general-classification|title=Results-Giro d'Italia|work=Eurosport|publisher=Discovery Communications|access-date=30 June 2015}} Despite being stripped of his 2011 title for a doping suspension, Contador insisted that this was his third Giro victory, therefore including the 2011 race in his count.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/racing/giro-ditalia/this-is-my-third-giro-ditalia-win-insists-alberto-contador-174528#3yPTBbJBcZsQZiw8.99|title=This is my third Giro d'Italia win, insists Alberto Contador|work=Cycling Weekly|publisher=IPC Media Sports & Leisure network|date=31 May 2015|access-date=1 June 2015|author=Gregor Brown}} With his second official Giro title, along with two official Tour de France titles and three Vuelta a España overall wins, Contador joined Bernard Hinault as the only cyclists to have achieved multiple victories at each of the Grand Tours.{{cite web|url= https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/giro-d-italia/11641874/Alberto-Contador-seals-Giro-dItalia-after-Iljo-Keisse-holds-on-for-final-stage-victory-in-Milan.html|title=Alberto Contador seals Giro d'Italia after Iljo Keisse holds on for final stage victory in Milan|date=31 May 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|access-date=4 June 2015}}
In preparation for the Tour, Contador chose to ride the four-day Route du Sud, where he won the queen stage and the overall classification. His main rival was Nairo Quintana, a competitor he had to contend with at the Tour de France.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/route-du-sud-win-changes-nothing-says-contador|title=Route du Sud win changes nothing, says Contador|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=22 June 2015|access-date=22 June 2015}} Contador had solid opening to the first week of the tour; despite losing a little time to Chris Froome in the team time trial, he gained time on his rivals including Nibali and Quintana who both lost time on stage 2. He struggled though on the opening summit finish losing 3 minutes to stage winner Froome putting a serious dent to his victory chances. Despite this setback he improved on the next two Pyrenean stages staying in contact with his big rivals where he also remained 6th overall. His chances faded after he crashed on the descent of the Colle d'Allos on stage 17. Despite a hard effort on the finishing climb after, he lost over 2 minutes to Froome and Quintana. He was unable to recover from his crash on stage 17 and his efforts in the Giro which made him unable to match his rivals on the last 2 mountain stages. Contador finished the Tour de France in fifth place, 9' 48" down on winner Froome.{{cite web|title=Classifications|url=http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2015/us/classifications.html|publisher=ASO|access-date=9 August 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809072606/http://www.letour.fr/le-tour/2015/us/classifications.html|archive-date=9 August 2015|url-status=dead}} Though he failed to achieve the double in the end, Contador had no regrets over his attempt. "It's true that there are riders that would dream of finishing fifth. For me that was not my objective but I'm glad that I tried. If I hadn't tried then after my career I might have wondered whether I could have done the Giro-Tour double and now I know. I don't think it's impossible to do the double but it's really complicated because nobody has the experience on how to prepare it. However, I prefer having tried than being left with a desire to do it".{{cite news|last1=Pretot|first1=Julien|title=Contador double bid fizzles out after Giro exertions|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cycling-tour-contador-idUSKCN0Q00QJ20150726|work=Reuters|access-date=7 March 2016|date=26 July 2015}}
After the Tour, Contador planned on racing the Clásica de San Sebastián but had to cancel due to sickness, ending his 2015 season.{{cite web|title=Kreuziger replaces sick Contador as captain in Clásica San Sebastián|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kreuziger-replaces-sick-contador-as-captain-in-clsica-san-sebastin/|website=cyclingnews.com|access-date=7 March 2016|date=30 July 2015}}
==2016 season==
In March 2015, Contador signed a contract extension with his team, {{UCI team code|SAX|2016}}, but at the same time announced that 2016 would be his final season in professional cycling.{{cite magazine|last1=Clarke|first1=Stuart|title=Alberto Contador confirms retirement date|url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/alberto-contador-confirms-retirement-date-161662|magazine=Cycling Weekly|access-date=7 March 2016|date=10 March 2015}} He competed in his first race of the season at the Volta ao Algarve, finishing third overall and winning the final stage of the race.{{cite web|title=Thomas seals consecutive overall Volta a Algarve victories|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/thomas-seals-consecutive-overall-volta-a-algarve-victories/|website=cyclingnews.com|access-date=7 March 2016|date=22 February 2016}} He went on to claim runner-up finishes in Paris–Nice, where he attacked race leader Geraint Thomas from {{convert|50|km|abbr=off}} out and again on the final climb of Col d'Èze before Thomas closed the gap on the final descent to the finish line,{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/geraint-thomas-stages-remarkable-comeback-to-hold-off-alberto-contador-and-win-paris-nice-216402 |title=Geraint Thomas stages remarkable comeback to hold off Alberto Contador and win Paris–Nice |last1=Clarke |first1=Stuart|date=13 March 2016 |website=Cycling Weekly |access-date=14 April 2016}} and the Volta a Catalunya,{{cite web|url=http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/storystream/volta-catalunya-quintana-cruises-tsatevich-claims-finale|title=Volta a Catalunya: Quintana cruises as Tsatevich claims the finale|date=28 March 2016|website=sbs.com.au|access-date=14 April 2016|archive-date=23 April 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423005932/http://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/storystream/volta-catalunya-quintana-cruises-tsatevich-claims-finale|url-status=dead}} before taking the general classification and the stage six time trial at the Tour of the Basque Country, subsequently stating to the press that he would postpone his retirement for at least another year.{{cite web |url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-cycling-contador-idUKKCN0X60SM |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160424110511/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-cycling-contador-idUKKCN0X60SM |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 April 2016 |title=Contador to carry on competing in wake of Basque triumph |last=Martin |first=Richard |date=8 April 2016 |editor-last=Ferris |editor-first=Ken|work=Reuters|access-date=14 April 2016}}
Contador got off to a difficult start to the Tour de France, crashing in the opening stages and losing time to his rivals. He was in 20th place on the general classification with a deficit of 3 minutes 12 seconds to leader Chris Froome before the ninth stage, where after attempting to make the breakaway at the start of the day, he withdrew from the race, citing a fever which had developed overnight.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jul/11/alberto-contador-withdraws-from-tour-de-france |title=Alberto Contador withdraws from the Tour de France|date=11 July 2016 |website=The Guardian |access-date=15 September 2016}} In August, Contador won the overall classification of the Vuelta a Burgos, beating both Ben Hermans and Sergio Pardilla by just one second.{{cite web |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-a-burgos-2016/stage-5/results/ |title=Contador wins Vuelta a Burgos title by one second |date=6 August 2016 |website=cyclingnews.com|access-date=6 August 2016}} He went on to finish fourth at the Vuelta a España.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/sep/15/alberto-contador-switches-to-race-for-trek-segafredo-2017 |title=Alberto Contador will switch to race for Trek-Segafredo in 2017|date=15 September 2016 |website=The Guardian |access-date=15 September 2016}}
=Trek–Segafredo (2017)=
File:Alberto Contador Roubion 2017.jpg]]
During the 2016 Tour de France it was reported that Contador would race for {{UCI team code|TFS|2017}} for the 2017 season,{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contador-signs-with-trek-segafredo-on-tour-de-france-rest-day/|title=Contador signs with Trek Segafredo on Tour de France rest day|work=Cyclingnews.com|date=12 July 2016}} with the deal being confirmed by the team in September, along with the transfer of teammate Jesús Hernández and Tinkoff directeur sportif Steven de Jongh. This would be his final season as a professional cyclist.
In February, Contador began his season by finishing Vuelta an Andalucía, one second behind {{UCI team code|MOV|2017}}'s Alejandro Valverde. In March, Contador missed out on victory in Paris–Nice to a {{UCI team code|SKY|2017}} rider by a narrow margin for the second year running after Sergio Henao managed to fend off a final-day attack to win the race by just two seconds.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/39247854|title=Team Sky's Sergio Henao wins Paris–Nice by two seconds|publisher=BBC Sport|date=12 March 2017|access-date=12 March 2017}} Contador had trailed by 31 seconds overnight, but had gone clear with {{UCI team code|QST|2017}} rider David de la Cruz and Marc Soler of the {{UCI team code|MOV|2017}}; after taking a couple of seconds at an intermediate sprint, Contador was beaten to the line in Nice by de la Cruz, which cost him four bonus seconds and decided the race in favour of Henao. Later that month, Contador finished second overall at the Volta a Catalunya, 63 seconds behind Valverde. In April, Contador finished second overall at the Tour of the Basque Country, again behind Valverde.
In July, Contador rode the Tour de France for the final time, but was unable to challenge for overall victory, finishing ninth overall, 8 minutes and 49 seconds down on the winner, Chris Froome. In August, Contador rode the Vuelta a España, which was to be his final race as a professional. Contador rode an aggressive race in search of a stage victory, placing fifth overall, winning the combativity award in his final Grand Tour, as well as winning the final mountain stage atop the iconic Alto de l'Angliru after attacking on the penultimate climb of the day.
Alberto Contador raced his final professional road race, the Japan Cup criterium, on 21 October 2017.{{cite web |title=Japan Cup criterium: Canola wins, Contador stars, Porte returns - Gallery |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/japan-cup-criterium-canola-wins-contador-stars-porte-returns-gallery/ |website=Cycling News |date=21 October 2017 |access-date=21 October 2017}}
Doping
=Operation Puerto=
After final rosters had been presented for the 2006 Tour de France, Contador and five other members of the {{UCI team code|ONC|2006c}} team were barred from competing due to alleged connections with the Operación Puerto doping case. Contador and four other members of his team at the time, {{UCI team code|ONC|2006c|nolink=yes}}, were eventually cleared of all charges on 26 July 2006 by the Spanish courts and later two out of the five (including Contador) were cleared by the UCI. Each received a written document signed by Manuel Sánchez Martín, secretary for the Spanish court, stating that "there are not any type of charges against them nor have there been adopted any type of legal action against them."{{cite news |title=Astana 5' cleared by Spanish courts |author=Andrew Hood |url=http://velonews.competitor.com/2006/07/road/wednesdays-eurofile-astana-5-cleared-by-spanish-courts-landis-sets-post-tour-schedule_10588 |publisher=VeloNews |date=26 July 2006}}
In May 2006, a document from the summary of the investigation (Documento 31) was released. In it, the initials "A.C." were associated with a hand-written note saying, "{{langx|es|Nada o igual a J.J.|link=no}}" (Nothing or the same as J.J.). J.J. were the initials of Jörg Jaksche, who later admitted to being guilty of blood doping prepared by the Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes in 2005.{{cite web
|url=http://www.as.com/mas-deporte/articulo/tour-califica-contador-lider-limpio/daimas/20070727dasdaimas_3/Tes
|title=El Tour califica a Contador de líder "limpio" y "creíble"
|date=27 July 2007
|author=Gutiérrez, Juan
|publisher=As.com
|access-date=30 May 2008
|language=es
}} Contador was questioned in December 2006 by the magistrate in charge of the Puerto file. The rider declared to Judge Antonio Serrano that he did not know Fuentes personally.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/dec06/dec13news
|title=First witnesses testify in Operación Puerto
|author=Johnson, Greg
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=6 December 2006
|access-date=30 May 2008
}} According to French daily {{Lang|fr|Le Monde}}, he refused then to undergo a DNA test that would have judged whether or not he had any link to the blood bags that were found in the investigation.{{cite web
|url=http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/?id=/riders/2007/interviews/tour_alberto_contador_stage1907
|title=An Interview with Alberto Contador, July 29, 2007
|work=Cyclingnews
|date=29 July 2007
|access-date=30 May 2008
}}
On 28 July 2007, Le Monde, citing what it claimed was an investigation file to which it had access, stated that Contador's name appeared in several documents found during Operación Puerto.{{cite web
|url=http://www.lemonde.fr/sport/article/2007/07/28/contador-n-aurait-pas-du-participer-au-tour_940003_3242.html#ens_id=940173
|title=Alberto Contador, maillot jaune miraculé de l'"opération Puerto"
|date=28 July 2007
|author=Mandard, Stéphane
|work=Le Monde |language=fr |location=France
|access-date=30 May 2008
}} A second reference includes initials of riders' names that appeared on another training document, although neither of those two references could be linked to doping practices.{{cite web
|url=http://www.velonews.com/article/12964
|title=On the list, off the list – Alberto Contador and Operación Puerto
|date=26 July 2007
|author=Hood, Andrew
|publisher=VeloNews
|access-date=30 May 2008
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080321175408/http://velonews.com/article/12964
|archive-date=21 March 2008
|url-status=dead
}}
On 30 July 2007, German doping expert Werner Franke accused Contador of having taken drugs in the past and being prescribed a doping regimen by Fuentes, who was connected with Operación Puerto.{{cite news
|url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/tourdefrance/greatest-swindle-in-sporting-history/2007/07/31/1185647857951.html
|title=German drugs expert points finger at Contador
|date=31 July 2007
|agency=Agence France-Presse
|work=The Sydney Morning Herald
|access-date=31 July 2007
| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070817020012/http://www.smh.com.au/news/tourdefrance/greatest-swindle-in-sporting-history/2007/07/31/1185647857951.html| archive-date= 17 August 2007 | url-status= live}}{{cite web
|url=http://www.zdf.de/ZDFsport/inhalt/25/0,5676,5579481,00.html
|title=Das größte Ding aller Zeiten (The greatest thing of all times)
|date=30 July 2007
|publisher=ZDF
|access-date=30 July 2007
|language=de
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070804005612/http://www.zdf.de/ZDFsport/inhalt/25/0%2C5676%2C5579481%2C00.html
|archive-date= 4 August 2007
|url-status=dead
}} He passed his allegations on to the German authorities the following day.{{cite web| url=http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=vn20070801130748974C945748 |title= Expert claims Contador doped |access-date=1 August 2007 |date=1 August 2007 |work=Independent Online|location=South Africa| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070817171759/http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=vn20070801130748974C945748| archive-date= 17 August 2007 | url-status= live}} Contador denied the accusations, saying "I was in the wrong team at the wrong time and somehow my name got among the documents." On 10 August, Contador publicly declared himself to be a clean rider in face of suspicions about his alleged links to the Operación Puerto blood doping ring.{{cite web |url=http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/13069.0.html
|title=Contador: 'I have never doped'
|date=10 August 2007 |publisher=VeloNews |access-date=10 August 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070828202243/http://velonews.com/news/fea/13069.0.html |archive-date = 28 August 2007}}
=2010 Tour de France=
In September 2010, Contador revealed that a urine sample he had given on 21 July, a rest day in the Tour de France, had contained traces of clenbuterol. He has stated, due to the number of other tests he passed and that only a tiny amount of the substance was detected in the one he failed, that food contamination was to blame.{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2010/09/30/tst.contador.cycle.brfg.cnnplus?iref=allsearch |title=Video – Breaking News Videos from |publisher=CNN |access-date=30 September 2010}} Adding credibility to the explanation, anti-doping doctor Don Catlin said that of the contaminants found in food supplements, clenbuterol is one of the more common. However, when asked if it was plausible that Contador had ingested the clenbuterol through contamination, Catlin said "without knowing what the level in his sample is, it's impossible to say."{{cite web|author=Weislo, Laura |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-contaminated-food-excuse-or-possibility |title=Contador's Contaminated Food: Excuse Or Possibility? |work=Cyclingnews |date=30 September 2010 |access-date=30 September 2010}} Contador stated that he is the victim,{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/9047960.stm |title=BBC Sport – Cycling – Angry cyclist Alberto Contador pleads innocence |publisher=BBC News |date= 30 September 2010|access-date=30 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101001043139/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/cycling/9047960.stm| archive-date= 1 October 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite news |url=http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/tour-de-france-winner-tested-for-dope/?iref=allsearch |title=Tour de France winner rejects positive doping test – This Just In – CNN.com Blogs |publisher=CNN |access-date=30 September 2010 |date=30 September 2010 |archive-date=18 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120318081846/http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/tour-de-france-winner-tested-for-dope/?iref=allsearch |url-status=dead }} and he can "hold his head high" and that he thinks he should not be punished.{{cite web|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/30092010/58/contador-blames-contaminated-meat.html |title=Contador blames contaminated meat – Yahoo! Eurosport |publisher=Yahoo! |access-date=30 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101002063456/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/30092010/58/contador-blames-contaminated-meat.html| archive-date= 2 October 2010 | url-status= live}} Several people related to the sport defended Contador saying that there is little benefit from using the drug in the amounts that were discovered and that no one would intentionally take such an easily detectable substance.{{cite web|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog/blazin-saddles/article/1186/ |title=Blazin' Saddles – Yahoo! Eurosport |publisher=Yahoo! |access-date=30 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101005102954/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog/blazin-saddles/article/1186/| archive-date= 5 October 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/sports/2010/09/30/riddell.friebe.contador.intv.cnn?iref=allsearch |title=Video – Breaking News Videos from |publisher=CNN |access-date=30 September 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100930065452/http://www.cnn.com/video/ |archive-date=30 September 2010 |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/cyclist-alberto-contador-blames-food-contamination-for-failed-steroid-test/?iref=allsearch |title=Cyclist Alberto Contador blames food contamination for failed steroid test – amFIX – CNN.com Blogs |publisher=CNN |access-date=30 September 2010 |date=30 September 2010 |archive-date=1 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120701160505/http://amfix.blogs.cnn.com/2010/09/30/cyclist-alberto-contador-blames-food-contamination-for-failed-steroid-test/?iref=allsearch |url-status=dead }}
There was some scepticism of Contador's claim that contaminated meat was to blame. In 2008 and 2009, only one animal sample came back positive for clenbuterol out of 83,203 animal samples tested by EU member nations. Out of 19,431 animal tests in Spain over the same period, there were no samples that came back positive for clenbuterol.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/feb/08/alberto-contador-defence-doping-ban |title=Alberto Contador submits final defence to overturn proposed doping ban |work=The Guardian |location=UK |date=8 February 2011 |access-date=24 July 2011}}
Contador's urine sample, taken during the day before his clenbuterol positive sample, was reported to contain plastic residue (plasticizers) indicating possible blood doping as these materials are introduced to the bloodstream from blood bags used in blood doping,{{cite news|last=Macur|first=Juliet|title=2nd Failed Test Puts Heat on Contador|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/05/sports/cycling/05cycling.html|access-date=19 February 2011|newspaper=The New York Times|date=4 October 2010}} but the test was not recognised by the World Anti-Doping Agency, so no charges in relation to this finding were brought. A theory circulated that blood doping could account for the minute traces if the clenbuterol was introduced through a transfusion, re-introducing contaminated blood that had been extracted at a time when he had been taking Clenbuterol. It was supposed that this caused the presence of it in his system and the subsequent failed test, rather than the direct ingestion or injection of the drug at the time. This theory also recognised that Clenbuterol is not very effective at all as a performance-enhancing drug, but effective if used to strip fat and hence reduce a rider's weight pre-season, and it is theorized that this is when the blood was taken which was later re-introduced by transfusion.{{cite news|url=http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-10-01/sports/27076906_1_alberto-contador-clenbuterol-tour-de-france-title |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603140805/http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-10-01/sports/27076906_1_alberto-contador-clenbuterol-tour-de-france-title |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 June 2012 |title=Experts mixed on Alberto Contador's tainted beef defense for positive Clenbuterol test during Tour |date=1 October 2010 |access-date=24 July 2011 |location=New York |work=Daily News}}
The UCI issued a statement reporting that the concentration was 50 pg/mL, and that this was 400 times below the minimum standards of detection capability required by WADA, and that further scientific investigation was required. Contador was provisionally suspended from competition, although this had no short-term effect as he had already finished his racing programme for the 2010 season.{{cite web|url=http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/30092010/58/contador-suspended-positive-test.html |title=Contador suspended after positive test – Yahoo! Eurosport |publisher=Eurosport |access-date=30 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101002064843/http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/30092010/58/contador-suspended-positive-test.html| archive-date= 2 October 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/alberto-contador-tests-positive-for-clenbuterol |title=Alberto Contador Tests Positive For Clenbuterol |work=Cyclingnews |date=30 September 2010 |access-date=30 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101002025223/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/alberto-contador-tests-positive-for-clenbuterol| archive-date= 2 October 2010 | url-status= live}}{{cite web|author=Greg Johnson |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-contador-positive-requires-further-scientific-investigation |title=Alberto Contador Suspended Over Traces of Clenbuterol From Tour De France Test |work=Cyclingnews |date=30 September 2010 |access-date=30 September 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20101003064949/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-contador-positive-requires-further-scientific-investigation |archive-date= 3 October 2010 |url-status=dead }} Contador had been informed of the results over a month earlier, on 24 August.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11441045 |title=BBC News – Tour de France winner Alberto Contador tests positive |publisher=BBC |date=30 September 2010 |access-date=30 September 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100930040148/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11441045| archive-date= 30 September 2010 | url-status= live}} Later the amount discovered was clarified as 40 times below the minimum standards, rather than the 400 times originally reported by the UCI. Contador's scientific adviser claimed that he would have needed 180 times the amount detected to gain any benefit in his performance.{{cite news |title=Contador's scientific expert De Boer details defense |author=Weislo, Laura |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/contadors-scientific-expert-de-boer-details-defense |work=Cyclingnews |date=30 September 2010}}
In late January 2011, the Royal Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) proposed a one-year ban, but it subsequently accepted Contador's appeal and cleared him of all charges. Contador returned to racing in February in the Volta ao Algarve, a race he won in 2009 and 2010. The UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency each appealed the RFEC decision independently to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in March 2011, but Contador remained free to ride until the CAS made its ruling.{{cite news |title=UCI appeals Contador decision to Court of Arbitration for Sport |url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-appeals-contador-decision-to-court-of-arbitration-for-sport |work=Cyclingnews |date=24 March 2011}} The hearing with CAS was initially scheduled for June, but following an extension requested by Contador's legal team, it was rearranged for August, in the week following the Tour de France,{{cite news|publisher=velonation | url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/8640/Hushovd-unhappy-with-delays-in-Contador-doping-hearing.aspx | date=3 June 2011 | title=Hushovd unhappy with delays in Contador doping hearing}} and later postponed again until November,{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/jul/26/alberto-contador-vuelta-tour-france |title=Alberto Contador's doping case delayed until November |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=26 July 2011 |access-date=27 July 2011 }} with the result to be given in 2012. The decision on 6 February 2012 found Contador guilty of accidental ingestion of the prohibited substance Clenbuterol{{cite web|url=https://www.wada-ama.org/en/questions-answers/prohibited-list|title=Prohibited List|date=December 2014|access-date=20 January 2016|archive-date=6 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506135824/https://www.wada-ama.org/en/questions-answers/prohibited-list|url-status=dead}} and hence he was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title, and his results since that race, including victory in the 2011 Giro d'Italia and fifth place in the 2011 Tour de France, were voided, and he was suspended until August 2012. The following day, in a press conference, his contract with {{UCI team code|SAX|2012a|nolink=yes}} was annulled.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-continues-to-support-contador-despite-ban|title=Riis continues to support Contador despite ban|website=Cycling News|date=7 February 2012|access-date=7 February 2012}}
Post racing
{{Main|Aurum bikes}}
Following his exit from racing, Contador and Ivan Basso opened up Aurum bikes in 2020.{{cite web |title=Aurum bikes is the winning brand of Contador and Basso. |url=https://global.velodrom.cc/bicycles-aurum-bikes/ |website=velodrom.cc |access-date=19 December 2023}}
In 2018 Contador joined television channel Eurosport as a cycling commentator.{{cite news |title=Alberto Contador becomes a Eurosport commentator |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/alberto-contador-becomes-a-eurosport-commentator/ |access-date=19 December 2023 |agency=cyclingnews.com |date=11 January 2018}}
Career achievements
=Major results=
{{colbegin|colwidth=22em}}
;2001
: 3rd Time trial, National Under-23 Road Championships
;2002
: 1st {{cjersey|spain}} Time trial, National Under-23 Road Championships
: 9th Overall Ruban Granitier Breton
;2003 (1 pro win)
: 1st Stage 8 (ITT) Tour de Pologne
: 9th Clásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
;2004
: 1st Mountains classification, Vuelta a Aragón
: 5th Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
;2005 (5)
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Setmana Catalana de Ciclisme
::1st Combination classification
::1st Stage 3
: 1st Stage 5 Tour Down Under
: 3rd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
::1st {{cjersey|green}} Points classification
::1st Stage 5b (ITT)
: 4th Overall Tour de Romandie
::1st Stage 4
: 7th Klasika Primavera
;2006 (2)
: 1st Stage 8 Tour de Suisse
: 2nd Overall Tour de Romandie
::1st Stage 3
: 4th Klasika Primavera
: 5th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
: 9th GP Miguel Induráin
;2007 (8)
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de France
::1st {{cjersey|white}} Young rider classification
::1st Stage 14
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Paris–Nice
::1st {{cjersey|white}} Young rider classification
::1st Stages 4 & 7
: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
::1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Combination classification
::1st Spanish rider classification
::1st Stage 4
: 1st Stage 4 Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
: 3rd Trofeo Sóller
: 6th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
;2008 (10)
: 1st {{cjersey|pink}} Overall Giro d'Italia
: 1st {{cjersey|gold}} Overall Vuelta a España
::1st {{cjersey|white}} Combination classification
::1st Stages 13 & 14
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour of the Basque Country
::1st Stages 1 & 6 (ITT)
: 1st 20px Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
::1st {{cjersey|white}} Combination classification
::1st Spanish rider classification
::1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 4
: 2nd Clásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama
: 3rd Overall Vuelta a Murcia
: 4th Time trial, Olympic Games
: 6th Overall Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
;2009 (11)
: 1st UCI World Ranking
: 1st {{cjersey|spain}} Time trial, National Road Championships
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de France
::1st Stages 4 (TTT), 15 & 18 (ITT)
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour of the Basque Country
::1st Stages 3 & 6 (ITT)
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Volta ao Algarve
::1st Stage 4 (ITT)
: 1st RaboRonde Heerlen
: 2nd Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
: 3rd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
: 4th Overall Paris–Nice
::1st Stages 1 (ITT) & 6
;2010 (8)
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Paris–Nice
::1st Stage 4
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Volta ao Algarve
::1st Stage 3
: 1st 20px Overall Vuelta a Castilla y León
::1st {{cjersey|white}} Combination classification
::1st Spanish rider classification
::1st Stage 4 (ITT)
: 2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
::1st {{cjersey|green}} Points classification
::1st Prologue & Stage 6
: 3rd La Flèche Wallonne
: 9th Liège–Bastogne–Liège
{{Hidden begin|title = Voided results from July 2010 to February 2012.
|titlestyle = background:lightgrey;}}
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour de France
;2011
: 1st {{cjersey|pink}} Overall Giro d'Italia
::1st {{cjersey|red}} Points classification
::1st Stages 9 & 16 (ITT)
: 1st {{cjersey|Volta a Catalunya}} Overall Volta a Catalunya
::1st Stage 3
: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Vuelta a Murcia
::1st Points classification
::1st Stages 2 & 3 (ITT)
: 1st Stage 4 (ITT) Vuelta a Castilla y León
: National Road Championships
::2nd Road race
::3rd Time trial
: 4th Overall Volta ao Algarve
: 5th Overall Tour de France
;2012
: 2nd Overall Tour de San Luis
::1st Stages 3 & 5
{{hidden end}}
;2012 (3)
: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Vuelta a España
::1st Stage 17
::{{cjersey|red number}} Combativity award Overall
: 1st Milano–Torino
: 4th Overall Eneco Tour
: 9th Time trial, UCI Road World Championships
: 9th Giro di Lombardia
;2013 (1)
: 2nd Overall Tour of Oman
: 3rd Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
::1st {{cjersey|red}} Points classification
: 3rd Klasika Primavera
: 4th Overall Tour de France
: 4th Overall Tour de San Luis
::1st Stage 6
: 5th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
: 5th Milano–Torino
: 10th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
;2014 (9)
: 1st {{cjersey|red}} Overall Vuelta a España
::1st {{cjersey|white}} Combination classification
::1st Stages 16 & 20
: 1st {{cjersey|azul}} Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
::1st Stages 4 & 5
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour of the Basque Country
::1st Stage 1
: 2nd UCI World Tour
: 2nd Overall Volta ao Algarve
::1st Stage 4
: 2nd Overall Volta a Catalunya
: 2nd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
: 6th Milano–Torino
;2015 (4)
: 1st {{cjersey|pink}} Overall Giro d'Italia
: 1st {{cjersey|orange}} Overall Route du Sud
::1st Stage 3
: 2nd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
::1st Spanish rider classification
::1st Stage 3
: 4th Overall Volta a Catalunya
: 5th Overall Tirreno–Adriatico
: 5th Overall Tour de France
: 7th UCI World Tour
;2016 (5)
: 1st {{cjersey|yellow}} Overall Tour of the Basque Country
::1st Stage 6 (ITT)
: 1st {{cjersey|purple}} Overall Vuelta a Burgos
: 2nd Overall Paris–Nice
: 2nd Overall Volta a Catalunya
: 3rd Overall Volta ao Algarve
::1st Stage 5
: 4th Overall Vuelta a España
::{{cjersey|red number}} Combativity award Stage 15 & Overall
: 5th UCI World Tour
: 5th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
::1st Prologue
: 5th Overall Abu Dhabi Tour
;2017 (1)
: 2nd Overall Paris–Nice
: 2nd Overall Vuelta a Andalucía
: 2nd Overall Volta a Catalunya
: 2nd Overall Tour of the Basque Country
: 5th Overall Vuelta a España
::1st Stage 20
::{{cjersey|green number}} Combativity award Overall
: 9th Overall Tour de France
::{{cjersey|red number}} Combativity award Stages 13 & 17
: 10th UCI World Tour
{{colend}}
==General classification results timeline==
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|colspan=15 align="center"|Major stage race general classification results |
| scope="col" | Grand Tour
! scope="col" | 2004 ! scope="col" | 2005 ! scope="col" | 2006 ! scope="col" | 2007 ! scope="col" | 2008 ! scope="col" | 2009 ! scope="col" | 2010 ! scope="col" | 2011 ! scope="col" | 2012 ! scope="col" | 2013 ! scope="col" | 2014 ! scope="col" | 2015 ! scope="col" | 2016 ! scope="col" | 2017 |
|---|
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|{{cjersey|pink}} Giro d'Italia | — | — | — | — | style="background:pink;"|1 | — | — | | — | — | — | style="background:pink;"|1 | — | — |
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|{{cjersey|yellow}} Tour de France | — | 31 | — | style="background:yellow;"|1 | — | style="background:yellow;"|1 | | | — | style="background:#ddf;"|4 | DNF | style="background:#ddf;"|5 | DNF | style="background:#ddf;"|9 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;"|{{cjersey|gold}}/{{cjersey|red}} Vuelta a España | — | — | — | — | style="background:gold;"|1 | — | — | — | style="background:red;"|{{font colour|white|1|link=2012 Vuelta a España}} | — | style="background:red;"|{{font colour|white|1|link=2014 Vuelta a España}} | — | style="background:#ddf;"|4 | style="background:#ddf;"|5 |
| colspan=15 align="center"|Major stage race general classification results |
| scope="col" | Race
! scope="col" | 2004 ! scope="col" | 2005 ! scope="col" | 2006 ! scope="col" | 2007 ! scope="col" | 2008 ! scope="col" | 2009 ! scope="col" | 2010 ! scope="col" | 2011 ! scope="col" | 2012 ! scope="col" | 2013 ! scope="col" | 2014 ! scope="col" | 2015 ! scope="col" | 2016 ! scope="col" | 2017 |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|yellow}} Paris–Nice | 26 | 15 | 24 | style="background:yellow;"|1 | — | style="background:#ddf;" |4 | style="background:yellow;"|1 | — | — | — | — | — | style="background:#ddf;" |2 | style="background:#ddf;" |2 |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|tirreno}}/{{cjersey|azul}} Tirreno–Adriatico | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | style="background:#ddf;" |3 | style="background:dodgerblue;" |{{font colour|white|1|link=2014_Tirreno–Adriatico}} | style="background:#ddf;" |5 | — | — |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|Volta a Catalunya}} Volta a Catalunya | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | style="text-align:center;" | | — | — | style="background:#ddf;" |2 | style="background:#ddf;" |4 | style="background:#ddf;" |2 | style="background:#ddf;" |2 |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|yellow}} Tour of the Basque Country | — | style="background:#ddf;" |3 | style="background:#ddf;" |5 | 14 | style="background:yellow;" |1 | style="background:yellow;" |1 | — | — | — | style="background:#ddf;" |5 | style="background:yellow;" |1 | — | style="background:yellow;" |1 | style="background:#ddf;" |2 |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|yellow}} Tour de Romandie | — | style="background:#ddf;" |4 | style="background:#ddf;" |2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|Dauphine}} Critérium du Dauphiné | — | DNF | — | style="background:#ddf;" |6 | — | style="background:#ddf;" |3 | style="background:#ddf;" |2 | — | — | style="background:#ddf;" |10 | style="background:#ddf;" |2 | — | style="background:#ddf;" |5 | 11 |
| style="text-align:center;"
! scope="row" | {{cjersey|yellow}} Tour de Suisse | — | — | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
==Monuments results timeline==
| class="wikitable"
! scope="col" | Monument ! scope="col" | 2003 ! scope="col" | 2004 ! scope="col" | 2005 ! scope="col" | 2006 ! scope="col" | 2007 ! scope="col" | 2008 ! scope="col" | 2009 ! scope="col" | 2010 ! scope="col" | 2011 ! scope="col" | 2012 ! scope="col" | 2013 ! scope="col" | 2014 |
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;" |Milan–San Remo | style="color:#4d4d4d;" colspan=12 rowspan=3|Did not contest during his career |
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;" |Tour of Flanders |
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;" |Paris–Roubaix |
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;" |Liège–Bastogne–Liège |— |— |— |80 |27 |— |— | style="background:#ddf;" |9 |— |— |57 |— |
| style="text-align:center;"
| style="text-align:left; background:#efefef;" |Giro di Lombardia |DNF |— |— |— |— |— |— |— |— | style="background:#ddf;" |9 |DNF |34 |
| class="wikitable"
|+ Legend |
| scope="row" | —
| Did not compete |
|---|
| scope="row" | DNF
| Did not finish |
| scope="row" | | Voided result |
=Awards=
- Vélo d'Or: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2014{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cycling/29824246|title=Alberto Contador wins Vélo d'Or rider of the year award|publisher=BBC Sport|date=30 October 2014|access-date=30 December 2019|quote=Britain's Bradley Wiggins won the 'Golden Bicycle' in 2012 – and Contador himself took the award in three consecutive years from 2007 to 2009.}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikinews|Contador wins 2009 Tour de France; Cavendish wins six stages}}
- {{Official website}} {{in lang|es|en}}
- {{sports links}}
- {{IMDb name|3059502}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box
|before= Luis León Sánchez
|title={{nowrap|Spanish National Time Trial Championships
Winner}}
|after= Luis León Sánchez
|years=2009}}
{{s-end}}
{{Navboxes
|title=Alberto Contador sporting positions and awards
|list1 =
{{UCI World Tour Winners}}
{{Tour de France general classification winners}}
{{Tour de France young rider classification winners}}
{{giro d'Italia general classification winners}}
{{Vuelta a España winners}}
{{Vuelta a España Combination Classification}}
{{Vélo d'Or}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Contador, Alberto}}
Category:Cyclists from the Community of Madrid
Category:Cyclists at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Giro d'Italia winners
Category:Spanish Giro d'Italia stage winners
Category:Olympic cyclists for Spain
Category:Spanish Tour de France stage winners
Category:Tour de France winners
Category:Spanish Vuelta a España stage winners
Category:Vuelta a España winners
Category:Tour de Suisse stage winners
Category:Doping cases in cycling
Category:Spanish sportspeople in doping cases
Category:Spanish male cyclists
Category:2014 Vuelta a España stage winners
Category:Cyclists stripped of Tour de France titles
Category:UCI World Tour winners