Spaniard takes over race lead prior to time trial
Although he stated beforehand that he was over his racing weight and wouldn’t be in contention in the mountains, Saxo Bank rider Alberto Contador proved the strongest on today’s third leg of the Tour de San Luis in Argentina.
The Spaniard accelerated clear on the final climb of Mirador del Potrero, being joined by last year’s race winner Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas Cannondale) and Omega Pharma Quick Step’s Levi Leipheimer. Nibali went backwards and Contador and Leipheimer squared up in a sprint to the line, which the Saxo Bank rider won.
“I was better than expected, because I had my doubts after I took many months without cycling after the Tour de France,” he said. “I started training after the training camp in Israel, in the second half of December. Despite everything, we’ve done a good job and we got a rather unexpected victory for me.”
While Contador played down his chances prior to the mountain stage, he admitted today that he had checked out the course beforehand. “I saw it by car because it rained heavily that day, but still did not know how it would be,” he said.
“We made a small selection, but certainly I did not know how I was or how the rivals will be. But all went well. I could not leave it without trying [something].”
Androni Giocattoli rider Miguel Angel Rubiano Chavez was third, five seconds back, while Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches-Ofone) and Daniel Diaz (San Luis Somos Todos) were nine and twelve seconds down.
Leipheimer’s directeur sportif Davide Bramati was full of praise for the Omega Pharma Quick Step riders afterwards. “The team moved very well again today,” he said. “The guys controlled the race, protecting Levi in the first part of the race. In the kilometres immediately proceeding the start of the climb we accelerated, reducing the group to only 30 riders. With two kilometres to go to the arrival Levi attacked Contador. At 300 metres from the arrival Contador took off and Levi, who had worked hard beforehand, couldn’t respond to the acceleration.”
The 168.2 kilometre stage began in Estancia Grande and was marked early on by a surge by Tomas Metcalfe (Carmin-Prio) and Gregory Duarte (Uruguay). The duo attacked prior to the day’s first big climb, the third category La Florida ramp. They were chased by Renato Dos Santos (Brazil), and crossed the summit in that order.
The latter managed to bridge across and opened up a maximum lead over six minutes by the time they began the category one Alto de Nogoli.
The climb lasted 25.5 kilometres and reached an attitude of over 2000 metres by the summit at kilometre 60; the breakaway riders went on to extend their lead to eight minutes, but this then started falling when a twenty man group went clear of the peloton.
This split contained several well known riders such as French champion Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma Quick Step) and Contador’s Saxo Bank team-mate Jesus Hernandez.
The three man move was still clear at the summit, where Dos Santos took the prime in front of Rubiano and Duarte. All of those were mopped up after the first intermediate sprint by approximately sixty others. Angelo Pagani (Colnago-CSF Inox) then attacked from this group and built a lead of almost two minutes with 50 kilometres remaining.
He tried to resist as the final climb of the Mirador del Potrero approached, but his chances were hampered by a flat tyre which delayed him. He was finally caught inside the final twenty kilometres, after which Contador and the other big guns played things out.
It’s hard to know if he was trying to put pressure on Leipheimer or if he genuinely believes this to be the case, but the Spaniard insisted that the American rider was the race favourite now, despite being four seconds back overall.
“He is the strongest for the overall, he looks very fit and highly trained,” he said. “For me this victory was important, but there are others who are bigger favourites than me for tomorrow’s time trial and for the overall”.
Bramati also believes his rider has a big chance. “The game is still anyone’s to win. Levi is in great shape and he can count on a fantastic team,” he explained. “It’s going to be a fantastic fight.”
Schumacher ends the day third overall, 19 seconds back and three ahead of Diaz.
Mirador del Potrero