Contador reveals his 2012 race programme

Alberto Contador will have to wait for a final verdict from the Court of Arbitration for Sport to find out if he can race in 2012. But if he is cleared of doping after his 2010 positive test for Clenbuterol, he intends to again target the Tour de France.

Contador faces a hearing over several days at the Court for Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne in November, with a verdict coming a few weeks after that. On Tuesday he will be in California for a bike ride starting in Sausalito near San Francisco.

"The Tour de France will be the number one goal, while the new thing will be riding Tirreno-Adriatico," Contador explained during a web chat on the El Mundo site.

The Spaniard traditionally rides Paris-Nice and has won it twice in 2007 and 2010, but is looking for a more gradual build-up if he is cleared to race in 2012.

"In principal my season will include races like Tirreno-Adriatico, Volta a Catalunya and the Vuelta a Pais Vasco. I'd then like to ride the Dauphine to get ready for the Tour de France. We'll have to see if I ride the Vuelta but it's possible."

Despite his drawn out doping investigation and appeal, Contador won this year's Giro d'Italia and went on to finish fifth in this year's Tour de France, 3:57 behind winner Cadel Evans (BMC). He dominated one of the toughest ever edition of the Giro but seemed to pay the price for his efforts at the Tour in July and has hardly raced since.

"I think the Giro is the nicest race that exists, considering the beauty of the course. This year's Vuelta was spectacular and kept the spectators hooked. It hasn't got the history of the Tour or the Giro but they're working hard on making course better and it's becoming more and more attractive. It's my home race and so is special for me."