Astana Cycling Team

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Rajko Petek, December 10, 2009

Štangelj showed Pisa to Contador

 Slovene cyclist Gorazd Štangelj, who'll be competing for Team Astana next season, had his first training with two-time Tour champion Alberto Contador on Tuesday.

The cyclists of Astana started their first trainings for the new season in Pisa on Tuesday. Since not all arrived in the morning, everyone did their individual training. "As I went for a ride, Contador did the same. Therefore, we went on training together. Since I know the roads around here very well, we were both satisfied. The first impression I got of him is that he's a modest and relaxed guy," so Gorazd Štangelj to Sportal about his first impressions of the team leader.

Contador came to Pisa accompanied by his brother Fran, who is his manager, and will stay there until next Sunday. Then he'll return to Spain where he'll receive the award for the best cyclist of the ProTour in Madrid. It will be an all-Spanish ceremony, since the second place went to Alejandro Valverde and the third to Samuel Sanchez. In the ranking there're three Slovene cyclists as well: Tadej Valjavec on 65th place, Borut Božič 102nd and Jani Brajkovič 176th.

Contador has revealed his racing schedule already. "I'll start the season in February with the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal. I'd like to fight for the win at Paris-Nice. Then come the Tour of Cataluna and the Tour of Basque Country that I'd like to win as well. I won't be competing at the Giro, since I want to focus on the Tour completely. After the Tour, I'll decide about whether I'll participate in the Vuelta," so Contador.