Astana Cycling Team

Alberto Contador in Paris-Nice

Photo ContadorInfo

“The important thing was to win to get the bonus”

Alberto Contador did the forecast and won in Mende, a short and explosive climb  where proved to be the strongest climber in the race. Alberto repeated the victory in this same scenario in 2007, when he ended up winning the race in Nice. At the finish line, the differences were small, 10 seconds over Valverde and Samuel Sanchez, although linked to bonuses, place Contador as the new leader, 24 seconds over Valverde, 25 on Kreuziger and 28 on Luis Leon Sanchez. “The important thing was to win to get the bonus”, confirmed Alberto.
“The choice was to try to win and make differences, but above all to win, to get the bonus. Everything worked out as expected”, said the Astana’s leader, who went solo a little over one and a half kilometer from the arrival. “I had to start from afar and have chosen to regulate the maximum. The advantage is not great, but what mattered was the win”.
Alberto said have felt good during the ascent, “but not super, super. I had to do much effort to place well and you always paid this in the last kilometers. But yes, I had good legs, but had some concerns about how rivals respond, although I have feel quite well during the whole stage”.

Photo ContadorInfo

After this result, however, Alberto does not consider decided the race. On the contrary, “It remain a lot of race, this has just begun”, he said. “Additionally, with the yellow jersey is more complicated than going to win this race at 15 or 20 seconds overall”.

Contador has no doubts about the forces of his teammates. “Yes, my team is strong and is all with me”, he said, “but Paris-Nice is the second or third race more difficult to control on the international calendar. It is very hard and very crazy. I do not know how we will respond, but we will try”.
Finally, Alberto said “Paris-Nice may be lost at each stage yet, because there are many riders very near. It is not yet won”.

(Automatic translation. Forgive inaccuracies).

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Jacinto Vidarte
Jefe de Prensa / Press Officer