Alberto won the road race after escaping on the last curve of a route made up of 14 laps of a 3-kilometer urban circuit. That win plus another in the mixed time trial—a test for teams made up one professional per several young Mexicans—was enough to get him the overall victory.

 Alejandro Valverde, the reigning Vuelta champion, earned second overall after a top performance in the individual time trial.

 Contador arrived in Cancún with his brother/manager Fran and chief gregario Benjamin Noval at midnight Thursday after a 13-hour journey. The trip came hot on the heels of Wednesday's appearance in Paris at the Tour de France 2010 route presentation.

 The visit to the posh watering hole on the Caribbean coast has been a chance to mix business with pleasure. At a time when concerns over the future of his team weigh heavy, Contador, radiant and carrying two or three kilos above his weight at top form, told MARCA, "Do I look worried? The headaches I leave to my brother, the one who takes care of things," he said.

 In spite of a criterium made tough by Cancún's heat and humidity, as well as competition from riders like Valverde, Oscar Freire, Roman Kreuziger and Ezekiel Mosquera, Alberto has taken the opportunity to enjoy his few days in Mexico. “This seems like paradise,” he said. “I’d like to go out for a day of fishing. They've told me that in this area you can fish for tuna.”

 Three more weekend criteriums (Asturias, October 24; Alcobendas, October 25; Amstel Curaçao Race, November 7) separate Alberto from a month-long holiday off the bike, during which he will devote some time to hunting when his schedule of post-Tour commitments allows it.