Contador wins race against the clock; Mollema’s honorable effort falls short
Xavier Tondo is one day away from taking his biggest career win, with the overall of the Vuelta Castilla y León. Tondo overcame his three-second overall deficit against Bauke Mollema, finishing the individual time trial 12 seconds faster than the Mollema. Both riders were beaten on the day by Alberto Contador, who clocked a 13:42. Saxo Bank took a double victory, with Richie Porte finishing only one second behind teammate Contador. Igor Antón (Euskaltel-Euskadi) was sixth, 20 seconds back, and stayed in third place overall.
Contador had bad luck on the previous day, when mechanicals removed him from the overall chances. He was still happy with the way he presented himself and how the team rode for him. “They deserved a lot more, but this victory is for them,” Contador said at the finish in Zamora.
The Spaniard shrugged off his misfortune. “That’s cycling. It is better that it happens here than in the Giro.” He did say that his overall classification would have undoubtedly been better, had he not flatted. “But I don’t want to think about it, really. I am just happy with today’s result.”
He was not too pleased with the parcours of the time trial. “I didn’t like the cobbles too much in the race, because I don’t weigh much and it throws me around a lot. Of course it is spectacular fore the spectators,” Contador said.
Contador had taken antibiotics to get over some sickness. His next goal is Flèche Wallonne. “Now I have to rest, although if I am not on top form [on Wednesday] maybe I can help a teammate.”
Mollema did a very good ride, but fell nine seconds short in the end. His directeur sportif, Jan Boven, was very pleased with the way Mollema rode. “He did a superb time trial. Tondo was faster, as expected. A time trial is always honest.”
Mollema felt that he became slower in the second part, but Boven disagreed. “In the second part he gained time even on riders like Contador and Anton. Bauke measured himself perfectly in this time trial. We had full confidence in Bauke and he didn’t disappoint us.”
Graeme Brown opened up the time trial, setting a 15’41. That time was shattered in the early part by Porte, who clocked a 13’43. This would have been a stage winning ride, wouldn’t his teammate Contador bettered him by one second.
More interesting was the fight for the overall, with Anton setting off first and riding to a time off 14’02. Next was Tondo, who already showed at the intermediate timing that he was not far off Contador’s time. His two-second deficit at the time check became three seconds in the end, with 13’45. Mollema tried hard, but was unable to match the Spaniard’s pace. The Dutchman came in at 13’57.
With only one flat day remaining, Tondo looks set to take the overall. This would be an enormous win for the 2007 Volta a Portugal winner.