Astana News: Trek-Sponsored Riders Take Top Two Vuelta Podium Steps

Riding for the Trek-sponsored Team Astana, Spaniard Alberto Contador and American Levi Leipheimer finished this year’s 63^rd Vuelta a Espana an impressive 1-2. For Contador, capturing the overall title etches his name into the history books alongside an elite group of riders, each of whom won all three Grand Tours. Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Jacques Anquetil, and now Alberto Contador all won the Tour de France, Giro d’ Italia, and Vuelta a Espana. At 25, Contador’s trio is perhaps the most impressive of the group given that his wins took place in just 14 months. For Trek, the win marks the 12^th Grand Tour championship in just eight years, and the third for the new Madone, which captured Tour de France yellow in its first season on the road (2007), followed by Giro pink and Vuelta gold this year. 

“To win the three Grand Tours in such a short period is surely very special,” noted Contador, “but I don't realize it yet. They were three very different Tours. In France and Italy, I did not start as a favorite, which made it easier. In Italy I had to deal with the cold temperatures and rain. In France there was the stress provoked by the crowds and many media. In Spain I could ride on my own roads and was encouraged by my home fans. All three victories are special."

For Leipheimer, who sacrificed his own general classification ambitions to serve as a super domestique for Contador, a second-place finish was in no way a disappointment: “I don’t know what would have happened if the circumstances had been different, but Alberto came here with a lot of pressure and I had no pressure at all. Alberto started the Vuelta with all the pressure as the big favorite and he handled it well. He deserves to win this Vuelta.”

“Alberto was strongest in all the key moments,” noted Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel. “He’s the best climber in the peloton right now and he can defend well in the time trials. Those are the qualities you need to win grand tours. If you put a good team around him, he can win many more.”

Leipheimer and Contador rode within seconds of each other for the entire 21-stage Vuelta. Leipheimer kicked things off by racing his Equinox TTX to victory in Stage 5’s 42.5 km Individual Time Trial, donning the leader’s gold jersey for the first time and putting 47 seconds between himself and Contador. Leipheimer strategically gave away the jersey the next day, only to recapture it in Stage 8, with Contador now just 21 seconds down in the overall. Again, Leipheimer and his Astana team were content to let the burden of defending the leader’s jersey fall to another team, giving up the jersey the next day.

In the Vuelta’s most feared stage, the steep ascent up the Angliru in Stage 13, ‘Kid’ Contador uncorked his fearsome climbing legs, unleashing his Madone to the stage victory, the leader’s jersey, and a one minute and seven seconds lead over Leipheimer, who now sat in second place. Contador added another 10 seconds to his advantage over Leipheimer with a win in Stage 14, setting up a final showdown in Stage 20’s uphill time trial. In Stage 20, Leipheimer raced his aero bar-clad Madone to his second stage win, pulling back 31 seconds from Contador, who admittedly rode conservatively to preserve his overall lead. In the end, Contador preserved a 46 seconds lead over Leipheimer, sealing up the overall victory, and winning his history-making triple crown of Grand Tours. 

Final General classification
 
1 Alberto Contador Velasco                 80.40.08
2 Levi Leipheimer                              0.46
3 Carlos Sastre Candil                         4.12