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News     El Pistolero Fires Back 20 / 10 / 11 The Outside Online exclusive interview with embattled three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador. 2012 Tour de France route officially presented 18 / 10 / 11 The route of the 2012 Tour de France has been officially presented in Paris today. The parcours, which had been mistakenly published by race organiser ASO one week ago, has been confirmed and detailed. The 99th Tour de France has been elaborated to include two long time trials and 'only' three summit finishes, so next year's winner will have to be an even more complete rider than in previous years. Alberto Contador, guest star in the presentation of the 2012 Giro 16 / 10 / 11 Alberto Contador was the big star in the presentation of the 2012 Giro d'Italia, that attended today with the manager of Team Saxo Bank-Sungard, Bjarne Riis. Alberto, last winner of the 'corsa rosa', attended the event along with a large group of riders among which were his top rivals in the last edition, Scarponi and Nibali. They could see that the 2012 edition will feature a race to be more human, less kilometers of transfers but also a decisive mountain on which stands the impressive stage with final atop the Stelvio after pass the Mortirolo. A Conversation With Alberto Contador 03 / 10 / 11 World’s top stage racer talks about his upcoming court date for his doping positive, Lance Armstrong as idol and rival, and winning another Tour de France. ByJames Startt The 'Scandal' Surrounding the Defending Tour de France Champ Takes a Turn for the Absurd 19 / 03 / 11 Remember that Seinfeld episode where Elaine tested positive for opium because she had eaten a poppy seed muffin? Like most Seinfeld episodes, it was hilarious. But real life situations like that are anything but laughing matters, and one is happening now. It's every bit as outrageous as the Seinfeld episode, except it's not remotely funny. And those advancing the absurdity have sparked a war in the already wild world of professional cycling. Contador's lawyer: "We've got an extremely solid case" 17 / 03 / 11 Alberto Contador's lawyer, Andy Ramos, has admitted that he has no idea whether the UCI will challenge the verdict of the competitions committee of the Spanish federation to decide against imposing a ban on the three-time Tour de France champion. But Ramos added that if the case does go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), everyone in the Contador camp is confident that the decision reached by the Spanish federation will be upheld. Alberto Contador press conference: “I will defend my innocence until the end” 28 / 01 / 11 Today is a sad day, truly sad for me. It’s a day in which I feel greatly disappointed and greatly deceived. As you know, two days ago I received a draft resolution for a one-year sanction from the Competition Committee. The European Association of Elite Athletes (EU Athletes) will stage a mass-action protest before presenting a petition t 23 / 12 / 10 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president, Australian John Fahey, suddenly has the erruption of a contentious issue on his hands. Athletes fear the ‘trap’ of clenbuterol 21 / 12 / 10 The case of Alberto Contador has raised an alarm among Spain’s professional athletes, who have formally requested of the country’s anti-doping agency director Javier Martín del Burgos, a battery of assurances each time they compete outside Europe, since they consider themselves unprotected against the possible poisoning of food with clenbuterol. Next year's roster is complete. First task starts Sunday at Playitas on Fuerteventura. 24 / 11 / 10 This is the official press release from Saxo Bank-Sungard anouncing next building camp in Playitas (Fuerteventura, Canary Islands) Alberto Contador and Jesus Hernandez travel to Kazakhstan 18 / 09 / 10 Alberto Contador and teammate Jesus Hernandez have traveled this weekend to Kazakhstan, where they met with Alexander Vinokourov and Eddy Merckx, the last guest of honor at the Astana team, thus celebrating successes along the entire year. Contador to race tours of France and Spain in 2011 07 / 09 / 10 Alberto Contador (Astana) has said it is extremely likely that he will race both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in 2011. Au revoir Professeur; a tribute to Laurent Fignon 31 / 08 / 10 VeloNation looks back at the career of one of the most enigmatic riders of the 1980’s, who sadly died today Alberto Contador to support stroke campaign 11 / 08 / 10 Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has been selected as an ambassador for the World Stroke Organization, six years after recovering from surgery to stop bleeding in his brain. Alberto Contador joins the World Stroke Campaign 04 / 08 / 10 Geneva, Madrid| 4 August 2010 - Alberto Contador, Spanish cycling legend and three time Tour de France champion, has joined the “One in Six” campaign as goodwill ambassador of the World Stroke Organization (WSO). The campaign underscores the vital importance of learning the facts about stroke. One in six people worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime. Draw of Alberto Contador’s watch to rebuild an orphanage in Haiti 31 / 07 / 10 Alberto Contador has donated the watch he used during the last stage of the Tour de France 2010 and the final awards ceremony on the Champs Elysees with the aim of collaborating in the campaign to rebuild an orphanage in Haiti, which also involved the singer huecco and ‘One Children Foundation’. Alberto Contador wins his third tour! 25 / 07 / 10 Alberto Contador was declared the winner of the Tour de France for the third time it's the fifth consecutive Spanish victory, after the twentieth and final stage from Longjumeau to Paris, with 102.5 kilometers, Alberto Contador won his third tour. Nice Guys Finish First? 03 / 07 / 10 Alberto Contador shows an undeniable hunger to win in the peloton, but still maintains a sense of humility. More than 5,000 euros for Doctors Without Borders in the Titan Desert 17 / 05 / 10 Specialized-Contador-MSF and Specialize-MSF teams have managed to raise over 5,000 euros with Titan Desert's solidarity initiative, a mountain bike race won by the former pro Roberto Heras, but above all a race with a massive participation of over 300 amateur riders who enjoyed the harsh Moroccan desert during five days. Contador: “What Messi does is really amazing” 09 / 05 / 10 Agustí Bernaus – Sport.es – 08-05-10 http://www.sport.es/default.asp?idpublicacio_PK=44&idioma=CAS&idnoticia_PK=711617&idseccio_PK=1268&h= He doesn’t go unnoticed in the streets of Pinto, no. Nor in the streets of Paris. His victories in the Vuelta, the Giro and twice in the Tour haven’t succeeded in changing him. Behind the best rider in the world there lies an unassuming person, affable, with very clear ideas, who shies away from the stereotypes of champions grown conceited with status, fame and money. Explanations… Paris-Nice provisional rider's list 25 / 02 / 10 This is the provisional Paris-Nice riders’s list. To see the course and to be familiar with stages, please, go to the official site: http://www.letour.fr/indexPNC_us.html First race, first joy 23 / 02 / 10 For Alberto Contador, the year 2010 began in the same way that 2009 ended, with hot-topic victories in competition and, therefore, with the joy of celebrating a new yellow jersey on the podium. This time the jersey is Algarve-yellow. Alberto fires the starting pistol for the 2010 season at the Volta ao Algarve 15 / 02 / 10 Alberto Contador hasn’t pinned on a bib number since July 26, when he last mounted the podium in the Champs Elysées. This Wednesday, February 17, he’ll be wearing number one on his back again, as he takes the start in his first race of 2010, the Volta ao Algarve. Rally accident claims Roubaix winner’s life 08 / 02 / 10 Former Italian cyclist Franco Ballerini was tragically killed on Sunday after a competitive accident while contesting the 1st Rally Ronde as a co-driver for experienced pilot Alessandro Ciardi. Ballerini suffered serious injuries in the accident before passing away at the Hospital of Pistoia, while no report on Ciardi’s condition has been made available. Contador's Stress-Free 2010 01 / 02 / 10 With a certain teammate gone, and with another year of experience in the peloton, Alberto Contador hopes 2010 will be even more fruitful than 2009. The adventure of directing Contador 01 / 02 / 10 Giuseppe Martinelli, the director who was champion with Marco Pantani, becomes new Astana’s “commander in chief” in the Pinto rider’s campaign for a third Tour. Watch again the Astana press conference of january 14th. 14 / 01 / 10 Watch again the press conference of january 14th. thru Alberto Contador official website! Oscar Pereiro, lastest rider to arrive at Astana 08 / 12 / 09 Óscar Pereiro has finally reached an agreement to ride with Astana next year, according to an announcement by the Kazakh team today. Happy Birthday on the web 06 / 12 / 09 The fans web site 'www.albertocontadornotebook.info' have done a special work tu congratulates alberto on his 27 birthday. Go an see it! Sketch jersey from Astana for 2010 02 / 12 / 09 The Kazakh-based Astana Cycling Team Fan Club has posted a sketch of the team’s 2010 uniform. Alberto Contador visited the headquarters of Sidi and Selle Italia 24 / 11 / 09 Alberto and Fran Contador have traveled to Italy this week to visit two of its sponsors, Sidi and Selle Italia. On the occasion of this visit, the Gazzetta dello Sport conducted an interview with the champion. Contador, Valverde and Sánchez at the City of Oviedo Criterium: “Spanish cycling ranks highest in the world” 25 / 10 / 09 ivals on the bike and friends outside the races, the three men who have brought Spanish cycling to the top of the world ranking have had a golden season. Alberto Contador, Alejandro Valverde and Samuel Sánchez shared the stage yesterday in the first edition of the City of Oviedo Criterium. The winner of the Tour de France, the victor of the Vuelta a España and the rider who lifted high the gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing outdid one another with praise, but they celebrated the current sweet moment in Spanish cycling even more. Alberto Contador, the Astana team and Spain top final UCI World Rankings for 2009 20 / 10 / 09 Spain’s Alberto Contador of the Astana team is the final overall winner of the 2009 UCI individual World Ranking and his success during the season helped the Astana team top the team ranking and Spain to dominate the nations ranking. Contador wins in Cancun's Criterium 18 / 10 / 09 Tour de France 2009 winner Alberto Contador won the inaugural edition of the Cycling Criterium Cancún Vive México yesterday in the luxury resort town of Cancún, where he prevailed over a peloton of European stars and ambitious Mexican riders. Alberto Contador received the French Senate's medal 13 / 10 / 09 Alberto Contador visited on 13 October, the eve of the Tour de France presentation, the French Senate, accompanied by his brother Fran, to receive the Medal of the Senate from the hands of its president, Gerard Larcher, that received from Alberto a yellow jersey with his signature. Alberto Contador saddled with much to think about 12 / 10 / 09 Owen Slot, Chief Sports Reporter (The Times) Lance Armstrong versus Alberto Contador has been one of the great dogfights of the year. It was a warfare that was fascinatingly psychological, a Tour de France epic that has every chance of delivering a sequel to match next summer. Contador at the Catalunya Rally 04 / 10 / 09 Josep Viaplana/Augustí Bernaus (Sport) Alberto Contador is the anti-celebrity. He likes to slip by unnoticed, although he willingly attended to fans who recognized him outside his own world. The cyclist from Pinto, a good friend of Fernando Alonso and Dani Sordo, was at Port Aventura yesterday getting better acquainted with a specialty other than cycling, and we took the opportunity of speaking with him about his taste for auto racing, the signing of the Asturian driver with Ferrari, as well as his future at Astana. Contador: “Valverde has a great opportunity” 07 / 09 / 09 “Basso’s very involved in the race, and Samuel Sánchez already knows what it’s like to be on the podium” Alberto Contador: “I’ll never stop being a person in order to be a celebrity” 23 / 08 / 09 by Carlos Arribas/El País Congratulations, POLITUS and ASTANA!!! You're the lucky winners of the autographed caps!! 14 / 08 / 09 Congratulations, Ricky, you're the lucky winner of the autographed bib number! 03 / 08 / 09 Contador, rightful leader 05 / 07 / 09 Javier de Dalmases for El Mundo Deportivo Contador: “What I like best about this Tour is seeing myself so motivated” 29 / 06 / 09 SERGI LOPEZ EGEA Contador wins Spanish Championship Time Trial 26 / 06 / 09 Tour de France 2009 Parcours: Watch the video fly-over 25 / 06 / 09 INTERVIEW WITH ALBERTO FROM EL PAÍS 04 / 04 / 09 “I ride to compete, not to accumulate victories" Contador wins over French fans 16 / 03 / 09 Contador returns to the scene of his first great success 30 / 01 / 09 Alberto Contador will be the man to watch at the next edition of Paris-Nice ALBERTO TO HELP SICK KIDS 09 / 01 / 09 Alberto Contador will support Proyecto Campeones by donating a gold jersey from the 2008 Vuelta a España. Contador wins Golden Bike award for second year in a row 26 / 11 / 08 The Spaniard beat time-trial Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland and compatriot and Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre in a vote by international cycling writers. Contador Visits Trek 10 / 11 / 08 “I’VE LOOKED AT DEATH AND DISABILITY CLOSE-UP” / 10 / 08 He won the Tour, the Giro, and the Vuelta, and if luck holds, more triumphs will be his. But he never forgets that his greatest victory is just being alive, and whole at every level. ALBERTO CONTADOR WINS THE 'VUELTA' 21 / 09 / 08 Alberto Contador wins Tour of Spain after final stage into Madrid on Sunday, he joined an elite group of cycling greats who have claimed all three major tours as he wrapped up victory in the Tour of Spain on Sunday. CONTADOR: I'M DREAMING OF THE VUELTA / 08 / 08 Pinto’s hero confidently eyes the prize