“Hitting tempo at the outset cost me a little and it had an impact on this time trial, but later I was pretty comfortable. I didn’t manage to win, but that’s even better considering the team, because we have less responsibility,” said Contador. “There are other riders who are very strong, but I also got some important time on people like Chavanel, Schleck and Valverde.”
 
The time trial had a section of cobblestones at the beginning, but for Contador it wasn’t significant. “It’s always different than if it was a smooth road, but it didn’t have much effect on the race, because it was a short section. Besides,” he concluded, “I felt pretty comfortable on it.”