Contador: I think Froome can win the Tour and Bernal the Giro
Alberto Contador has tipped Chris Froome to win a fifth Tour de France and Egan Bernal to land the Giro d’Italia, but has warned Vincenzo Nibali and Tom Dumoulin about the fatigue of the Giro-Tour double and suggested that no current Grand Tour rider races with the aggression and panache that he did.
Contador was known for his attacking and tactically astute racing skills, as well as his strength of character. He overcame a cerebral cavernoma early in his career and stood up to Lance Armstrong during their time together at the Astana team in 2009.
He rode 18 Grand Tours during his career, winning seven: the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009, the Giro d’Italia in 2008 and 2015 and the Vuelta a Espana in 2008, 2012 and 2014. His victories at the 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro were revoked after he tested positive for Clenbuterol and the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed his defence that he had consumed Spanish meat that had been tainted by the steroid.
Contador retired in 2017, aged 34, bowing out on home roads at the Vuelta with an aggressive performance and a stage win atop the Alto de l’Angliru on the penultimate day of his career. He now owns the Continental-level Kometa Cycling Team and is a brand ambassador for Trek. He says he has no regrets about retiring when he did even if compatriot Alejandro Valverde won the world title in Innsbruck at 38.
"I’ve never had any regrets. I left at the perfect moment, at the top and with some great memories of even the final days of my career," Contador told La Gazzetta dello Sport in a wide-ranging interview published on Tuesday.
"I could have carried on for another two or three years, I had some good options… But I also had some personal plans such as becoming a father and that needs space in your life.
"I miss competing a little, because I was born competitive, but on the other hand I’m no longer a slave when it comes to things like diet. I always had to be careful. There was also the tension of the races and the fear of crashing."
Bernal is already ready to take on the best
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com