By Monika Prell in Orio, Spain Astana's Alberto Contador overcame a week of personal challenges and...
Spain's Alberto Contador (Astana) (Image credit: Monika Prell)
By Monika Prell in Orio, Spain
Astana's Alberto Contador overcame a week of personal challenges and continued his dominating performance in the Vuelta al País Vasco to win the final stage and the overall classification. In the stage six 20 km time trial, the Spaniard won by 22 seconds over Australian Cadel Evans, from Silence-Lotto. Rabobank's Thomas Dekker was third, 27 seconds back . Evans and Dekker also finished second and third in the overall.
Contador was ecstatic in the press conference. "The win ... has a prestigious value for me. The victory has not been easy, neither for the profiles nor for the climatic conditions." He was surprised about the gap between him and Evans. "I beat him for 22 seconds? That is really surprising to me!"
He dedicated the victory, his sixth ever in a stage race, to his grandmother, who died during the race some time ago as well as to his grandfather Avellardo. "It was so hard," he said. He also struggled with a molar infection, something that he only told Benjamín Noval. "Nobody knew it, but I slept so poorly this week, also because of dental problems. On Thursday, we had to look for a dentist after the race. Yesterday, I felt so bad but I could hide it from the other riders."
"I did not want to say it as the rivals could have heard about it and tried to attack me even more."
Contador also thanked members of the Basque public, whom he said cheered him on to victory.
