Contador starts in style

Tour de France hero back with a victory

Last updated: 21st February 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Contador starts in style

Contador: Started 2010 with a win

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Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador started his 2010 campaign with overall victory in the Volta ao Algarve.

The Astana rider was second to fellow Spaniard Luis León Sánchez in the fifth and final stage, a 17.2km time trial from Laguna to Portimão, but had enough in hand to finish 30 seconds ahead of his compatriot in the general classification.

Contador, who won the third stage to claim the overall lead, hadn't raced for seven months and his victory sends out an ominous message to his rivals as he targets a third win in the Tour de France later this year.

Stage five result:

1 - Luis León Sánchez - (ESP) - Caisse d'Epargne - ( 21:32)
2 - Alberto Contador - (ESP) - Astana - (+13)
3 - Sébastien Rosseler - (BEL) - RadioShack - (+16)
4 - Levi Leipheimer - (USA) - RadioShack - (+22)
5 - Frantisek Rabon - (CZE) - HTC-Columbia - (+23)
6 - Tiago Machado - (POR) - RadioShack - (+30)
7 - Samuel Sánchez - (ESP) - Euskaltel - (+35)
8 - Rui Costa - (POR) - Caisse d'Epargne - (+44)
9 - Imanol Erviti - (ESP) - Caisse d'Epargne - (+46)
10 - Maarten Tjallingii - (NED) - Rabobank - (+48)

Final overall standings:

1 - Alberto Contador - (ESP) - Astana - ( 19:57:48)
2 - Luis León Sánchez - (ESP) - Caisse d'Epargne - (+30)
3 - Tiago Machado - (POR) - RadioShack - (+32)
4 - Levi Leipheimer - (USA) - RadioShack - (+37)
5 - Samuel Sánchez - (ESP) - Euskaltel - (+57)
6 - Rui Costa - (POR) - Caisse d'Epargne - (+1:11)
7 - Frantisek Rabon - (CZE) - HTC-Columbia - (+1:16)
8 - Andreas Klöden - (GER) - RadioShack - (+1:25)
9 - Tejay Van Garderen - (USA) - HTC-Columbia - (+1:33)
10 - Peter Velits - (SVK) - HTC-Columbia - (+1:45)