MADRID (AFP) - Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain has given cycling rival Cadel Evans a pre-race boost by predicting the Australian will win this year's July 5-27 race.
Contador, who recently won the Giro d'Italia despite a last-gasp invitation for his Astana team, will not defend his Tour title because Astana, who were embroiled in a number of doping cases last year while under different management, were not invited by organisers.
Contador's focus for the rest of this season is the Olympic Games' road race, but to a greater extent the Tour of Spain crown that would help him achieve the rare feat of winning three major Tours.
In the meantime he has picked Evans, a runner-up to the Spaniard by just 23secs in last year's Tour, to become the first Australian to win the yellow jersey.
"My favourite for the Tour is Cadel Evans, he's a solid rider who can really make time differences count in the time trials," Contador told reporters here Tuesday.
Evans has been in promising form this season, although the 31-year-old former mountain bike champion from Northern Territory has a big rival in Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, the winner of Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the recent Dauphine Libere stage race.
Contador also believes that Russian Denis Menchov could be in the yellow jersey mix.
"It should be quite an open Tour, with Evans, Valverde and Menchov the main favourites," said the Spaniard, who said he was not feeling bitter about the race organisers' decision not to invite his team.
"The Tour is the best race in the world, but if I don't race it one year it's not a catastrophe. There are other races I can do.
"I did think at one time about changing teams (to be able to race the Tour), but I couldn't do that - especially as Astana built the team around me.
"In the end I think I've made the right decision.,"
The Spaniard is focusing some of his energy on Beijing, but has bigger ambitions for the Tour of Spain in September. A win there would help him achieve the rare feat of winning all three major Tours in the space of 14 months.
Contador added: "I've won the Tour and the Giro and if a do the triple it will be more historic than an Olympic medal."
Comment 1 - 6 of 6
they didn't invite Astana because they would have killed the tour and Contador will trace the steps of Lance because he has that capacity altough the 7 time winer is unique
Okay i have had a couple of beers when I write this.
I am of an opinion that tt specialists have had it too easy over the past number of years. It is not perfect but this year might be different - Pantani type tour would be the proverbial dogs ba's.
ricco wont b fit enough after the giro but may do ok in kom but solar will be hard to beat. solar could challenge overall if he has improved his time trialling as he is a great climber. I think contador would have won as he has a great team as well as being a great rider but i think he would of struggled after winning the giro as, like ricco, his fitness wouldent be at its best
If Piepoli is fit after his falls in the Giro Ricco is the one to watch for the overall and KofM. Evans cannot live with them in the Pyranees and on Ventou.
your talking rubbish madmitch, contador would have definitely won, the giro was down to his pure class and ability, he is the best rider in the world without a doubt
Contador would not have won even if he (AST) had been in this year. The TOUR sorts out the good and the great, he is good but not great.............yet. Wish he had been riding though because he is explosive and unpredictable. The Schleck brothers have not been mentioned in his predictions. They are being underestimated because they are from Luxembourg.
Not that I encourage betting but you can get huge odds on either to Frank or Andy to do well in this years race. Cant wait ....
Please login to post a comment
Not already a Yahoo! user ? Sign up to get a free Yahoo! Account