Astana Cycling Team

Alberto Contador in the Tour de France

“The biggest danger in the Pyrenees is having a bad day”

Alberto Contador will face starting tomorrow the Pyrenees, where since the beginning of the race he said they were going to decide the 2010 Tour. A 31 seconds to Andy Schleck, his strategic position is quite favorable, waiting for these four stages in which, he says “the biggest danger is having a bad day”.

Contador, after having “a good day at the Madeleine and also yesterday”, added that must exercise caution. “Here, you may have a good day and then, maybe one bad. And in the Pyrenees, with the toughness they have, the question will be not to fail even than take time differences”.

The 10 seconds of Mende are “not many, but you never know if they can be definitive at the end. Psychologically were pretty good”. Although he sees Andy Schleck “fairly well. We have spoken many times and I know him well. Is a man who does not give up, I’m sure he want to reach the mountain again to see what he could do”.

Alberto tactic raises a bit tricky to tackle the Pyrenees. “My situation is good. If I do not see things clear I'll try not to attack, because my position on Andy is good and I will not risk more than I need”. Even to take time. “You always like to be ahead and if I can, I’ll try, but I have the advantage of the time trial if I need to recover some time”. He also has the Andy Schleck’s need. “He need more that me to try something in the mountains”, he says, without giving much importance to the nerves that his rival says he has. “I do not know exactly who is more nervous, if he or me”, he replies.

His analysis of the four stages of the Pyrenees has not changed. “As I said before the Tour, the Pyrenees will be the judges of the race. I hope to have good sensations, because every day I'm feeling better. I hope to take these stages so hard to get differences of time and, if possible, get ahead of Andy Schleck”.

While recognizing the four stages of the Pyrenees, Alberto Contador is well aware of the course. “The first pass is very hard, Palhieres, with huge percentages and a fast descent before the climb to Ax 3 Domaines, short but tough. The differences will be very important. The next day is marked by the climb to Bales, a long and very hard pass before the finish, with a descent very bad. This stage is similar to that of Madeleine. There may be attacks and people who play it down. The stage of Bagneres de Luchon-Pau will be a difficult day, because it begins with the climb to Peyresourde and then have to overcome the Tourmalet and the Aubisque, but since there will still be 60 kilometers until the finish. Let's see what movements people do. Finally there is the arrival at the Tourmalet, which is that everybody talks about, with two pass before, Marie Blanque and Soulor. That day we will have to look at the classification to decide what to do. But in general the most important thing is not having a bad day in the Pyrenees, otherwise we risk to throw all the options. That is the most dangerous”.

Alberto Contador believes that, faced with Andy Schleck, the possible match will be "quite equaled. One day is one better than the other and vice versa. But it is true that I have some relax with Bordeaux time trial in case I could not be capable to reduce differences or even if he take me something more”.

And about the rest of rivals, Alberto says there is a group of riders “with a high level, but the danger will be the movement from afar, because in the last climbs the differences that they can make are not too big”.

(Automatic translation. Forgive inaccuracies).

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Jacinto Vidarte
Jefe de Prensa / Press Officer