Alberto Contador Photo Gallery
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Major victories | Professional teams | Photo gallery
Alberto Contador (born December 6, 1982) was the finest stage racer of his era. With seven Grand Tour wins, he is tied with Fausto Coppi and Miguel Indurain for 4th place in total Grand Tour wins, behind Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Eddy Merckx. That's fine company, indeed.
As of spring 2018, he is also one of only six riders who have won all three Grand Tours.
Contador turned pro in 2003 for the Spanish ONCE team, but early the next year he fell ill and had to undergo a difficult and risky surgery.
By early 2005 he was winning pro races. But mid-way through the 2006 season he was caught up in the Operacion Puerto doping scandal. He was cleared and in 2007 began racing for the Discovery Channel team. That year he won his first Grand Tour, the Tour de France.
Contador won his third Tour de France in 2010. But he tested positive for the banned substance Clenbuterol. The case dragged on for years and it wasn't until February of 2012 that the Court for Arbitration for Sport found Contador had indeed violated doping rules and gave him a largely retroactive two-year ban that ended August 5, 2012. He was stripped of his 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro victories.
When he returned to racing, he had a slow start. But by late 2012 he was roaring and won the Vuelta a España.
His last really good year was 2015, when he won the Giro. He raced through 2017, making an attempt to win the Vuelta a España his final race. Though he didn't win that Vuelta, a fifth place in a Grand Tour is an substantial accomplishment.
In the photo gallery below I've included pictures from the 2010-2012 period when his results were voided.
Major victories & high placings:
2004:
- Vuelta a Aragon mountains classification
2005:
- Catalonian week also winning Combination classification and stage 3
- Points classification Tour of the Basque Country
2007
- Tour de France, also winning Best Young Rider classification and stage 14
- Paris-Nice, also winning Best Your Rider classification and stage 4 & 7
- Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
2008
- Giro d'Italia
- Vuelta a España, also winning Combination classification and stages 13 & 14
- Tour of the Basque Country
- Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, also winning Combination classification
2009
- Tour de France, winning stages 4 (team time trial), 15 & 18
- Tour of the Basque Country, winning stages 3 & 6
- Volta ao Algarve
- Spanish Time Trial Championship
- UCI World No 1 rider
2010
- Paris-Nice, winning stage 4
- Volta ao Algarve, winning stage 3
- Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, winning Combination classification & stage 4
July 2010 - February 2012:
- Results voided. Among the big victories that were cancelled were the 2010 Tour de France, 2011 Giro d'Italia & 2011 Vuelta a Murcia
2012
- Vuelta a España, winning stage 17 along the way
- Milano-Torino
2013
- 2nd place Tour of Oman
2014
- Vuelta a España, also winning the Combination Classification
- Tirreno-Adriatico, winning stages 4 & 5 along the way
- Tour of the Basque Country, winning stage 1
2015
- Giro d'Italia
- Route du Sud, winning stage 3
- 2nd place Vuelta a Andalucia
2016
- Tour of the Basque Country, winning stage 6
- Vuelta a Burgos
- 2nd place Paris-Nice
- 2nd place Volta a Catalunya
2017:
- 2nd place Paris-Nice
- 2nd place Vuelta a Andalucia
- 2nd place Volta a Catalunya
- 2nd place Tour of the Basque Country
- 2003 - 2006: ONCE
- 2007: Discovery
- 2008 - 2009: Astana
- 2011 - 2016: Saxo Bank
- 2017: Trek-Segafredo
Nickname: El Pistolero
2007 Tour de France: Alberto Contador beats race leader Michael Rasmussen to win stage 14.
2007 Tour de France: Tom Boonen (left) has won the points classification and Alberto Contador is the owner of the yellow jersey.
The final 2008 Giro d'Italia podium, from left: Marzo Bruseghin (3rd), Contador & Ricardo Ricco (2nd).
Contador wins stage 13 of the Vuelta a España atop the legenday Alto de l'Angliru
Contador wins stage 14 of the 2008 Vuelta a España
Contador climbing to Verbier in stage 15 of the 2009 Tour de France.
Contador winning that 2009 Tour stage 15 and taking the GC lead.
Alberto Contador with racing immortal Bernard Hinault at the prologue of the 2010 Dauphiné
Wearing the colors of the Spanish Champion, Contador won that prologue
Alberto Contador leads Janez Brajkovic up Alpe d'Huez in the 2010 Dauphiné. Though Contador won the stage, Brajkovic was the race's final winner.
Alberto Contador climbs in stage 12 of the 2010 Tour de France with Joaquin Rodriguez on his wheel.
Contador descends in 2010 Tour stage 15. He would be in yellow at the finish.
Andy Schleck lead Contador in 2010 Tour stage 17.
Contador racing in the 2011 Giro d'Italia, stage 5.
2011 Giro d'Italia stage 9: Contador looks back to make sure José Rujano is safely dropped.
GC leader Alberto Contador time-trials in the 2011 Giro's final stage
As he finishes in front of Milan's spectacular cathedral, he knows he has won the 2011 Giro. At least until he was stripped of the win.
Contador climbs in stage 12 of the 2011 Tour de France. He was unable to respond to Andy Schleck's hard attacks.
Cadel Evans leads Contador on a descent in stage 16 of the 2011 Tour de France.
Contador climbs in stage 18 of the 2011 Tour de France.
Contador at the start of the 2012 Tour of the Benelux.
Flat-backed Contador time-trialing in the 2012 Benelux Tour stage 6.
Miguel Indurain and Alberto Contador at the start of Vuelta a España stage 2.
Contador racing that Vuelta stage 2.
Contador attacking in 2012 Vuelta a España stage 12.
Joaquin Rodriguez leads Contador in the mountains of the very difficult 16th stage of the 2012 Vuelta a España
Contador in the leader's jersey riding the final stage of the 2012 Vuelta.
2012: Contador wins Milano-Torino
Alberto Contador and Chris Froome at the start of stage 6 of the 2013 Tirreno-Adriatico
Alberto Contador climbs La Redoute in the 2013 Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Contador attacks in stage 5 of the 2013 Dauphiné
Contador talks to a mechanic before the start of the 2013 Tour de France.
2013 Tour de France, leading his squad in the stage 4 team time trial.
Contador leads yellow-jersey Chris Froome in Tour de France stage 16.
Contador gives his trademark pistol shot as he wins stage four of the 2014 Tour of the Algarve.
Contador descending in stage 2 of the 2014 Tirreno-Adriatico
Contador attacks in stage 5 of the 2014 Tirreno Adiratico
Contador wins stage 1 of the 2014 Tour of the Basque Country.
Contador (in green jersey) races stage 6 of the 2014 Dauphiné
Contador looks back as he attacks in stage 7 of the 2014 Dauphiné
Contador and his team check out a strectch of cobbles before the start of the 2014 Tour de France.
Vincenzo Nibali and Alberto Contador suffer in the rain during 2014 Tour de France stage 8.
Contador in the leader's red jersey before the start of Vuelta a España stage 12.
Contador defends his lead in the the 2014 Vuelta by attacking in stage 20.
Contador climbing in the 2015 Ruta del Sol
Appalling conditions in the 2015 Tirreno-Adriatico, stage 5.
In pink, Contador descends in stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia.
Contador (pink jersey) and the Tinkoff team in stage 16 of the 2015 Giro d'Italia, on the Tonale Pass.
Contador grits his teeth in stage 11 of the 2015 Tour de France.
Stage 6 of the 2016 Tour of the Algarve.
Contador starts the time trial of the 2016 Paris-Nice.
Ready to start stage 6 of the 2017 Dauphiné
And racing that 6th stage of the Dauphiné
Contador is presented at the start of the 2017 Tour de France, his last TDF.
Contador heads to the start of Tour stage 6.
Contador ascending in 2017 Vuelta a España stage 20.
Contador enjoying his time on the podium after winning stage 20 of the 2017 Vuelta. With just the 21st stage to ride, Contador certainly ended his career on a high note.