Contador not sure he will race Tour de France
Category: Cycling
Alberto Contador continues to say that he may ride the Giro d’Italia or Vuelta a España instead of the Tour de France in 2013. But most likely only if Saxo-Tinkoff team fails to gain WorldTour status and an automatic invitation to the Tour.
He would like to ride the Tour de France next year. However, without an automatic invitation, Saxo-Tinkoff team will have to wait quite a long time to find out if it has been given a wildcard. Contador admitted that this may make him choose other races instead.
“We must see all the possibilities and at the moment we are waiting to see if the team will be in the WorldTour or not, because that’s a big difference,” Contador said at a press conference organised by a watch sponsor.
“My statements have not been at all a way to pressure the Tour, what I said is that we analyze all the possibilities."
"I would like to be there, of course. Last year I couldn’t go and the year before I wasn’t at my best, but this isn’t to put pressure on the Tour. Anybody who knows how preparation works also knows that the programme is important – not just yours, but that of your teammates. You need to know in time so as to be able to give them guarantees. You need a lot of time if you’re going to fight for victory, especially at the Tour.”
He says he needs at least eight weeks to prepare for the French race.
“If you start preparing thoroughly for the Giro and then don’t go there, everything changes, so it is important to know with enough time,” he said.
Contador will likely start his season at Tour de San Luis. But he hasn't really decided what else races to start in. He's thinking of only riding one grand tour, “because there are other riders on the team who can at least finish on the podium in the others.”
He would like to ride the Tour de France next year. However, without an automatic invitation, Saxo-Tinkoff team will have to wait quite a long time to find out if it has been given a wildcard. Contador admitted that this may make him choose other races instead.
“We must see all the possibilities and at the moment we are waiting to see if the team will be in the WorldTour or not, because that’s a big difference,” Contador said at a press conference organised by a watch sponsor.
“My statements have not been at all a way to pressure the Tour, what I said is that we analyze all the possibilities."
"I would like to be there, of course. Last year I couldn’t go and the year before I wasn’t at my best, but this isn’t to put pressure on the Tour. Anybody who knows how preparation works also knows that the programme is important – not just yours, but that of your teammates. You need to know in time so as to be able to give them guarantees. You need a lot of time if you’re going to fight for victory, especially at the Tour.”
He says he needs at least eight weeks to prepare for the French race.
“If you start preparing thoroughly for the Giro and then don’t go there, everything changes, so it is important to know with enough time,” he said.
Contador will likely start his season at Tour de San Luis. But he hasn't really decided what else races to start in. He's thinking of only riding one grand tour, “because there are other riders on the team who can at least finish on the podium in the others.”
