Tour de France: Alberto Contador hopes to flourish in final week
Spaniard showed improved form on mountainous 12th stage
Thursday 16 July 2015 20:40, UK
Alberto Contador hopes to keep attacking race leader Chris Froome after finally finding form at the Tour de France on stage 12.
Having endured a subdued first 11 stages, losing almost three minutes on stage 10, the 32-year-old Spaniard put in a much-improved performance on Thursday’s climb to the summit finish on Plateau de Beille and attacked Froome with around 8km remaining.
He was quickly reeled back in, but he finished alongside all of his rivals and remains 4min 4sec down on Froome in sixth overall.
Contador said: "We were all at the same level today. Everybody attacked. So did I, but it didn't work. You must try again every day and I hope that my sensations will return in the last week."
Stage 12 started in searing heat of around 35C but ended in torrential rain on the final climb and Contador admitted he got better as the weather got worse.
"It was a difficult day," he added. "The first part of the stage it was very hot and then it rained. But little by little I felt better.
"Today, there was a lot of headwind and it was difficult to attack a team like Sky, who impose such a steady pace."
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