Spaniard’s former rival believes team strength is of secondary importance
Having fought with the rider throughout the 2007 Tour de France and then followed his career since, Danish rider Michael Rasmussen has no hesitation in saying who will win this year’s Tour: Alberto Contador.
The double Tour King of the Mountains winner regards the Spaniard as being a class above his most-tipped rival, plus the others he will be up against.
“I just think that Contador is better cyclist Andy Schleck, a much better rider,” he told Ritzau. “And that can not be compensated for. Last year was tight, but that was just because Contador was below his usual level. I don’t think that will be the case this year.”
One advantage he thinks that the Luxembourg rider will have is that his Leopard Trek team is stronger. However even that will not be enough, he feels. “If they don’t have the strongest rider, it [the team] doesn’t matter,” he said.
Both have taken a very different approach to the race. Contador has ridden, and won, the Giro d’Italia, and has taken nine victories in all this year. Schleck is still waiting for his first win of 2011, and rode the Tour of California rather than the Italian Grand Tour.
Eighth overall in the American race, he had a relatively quiet Tour de Suisse, aside from second on the stage to Serfaus. He was second behind his brother Frank Schleck in last weekend’s Luxembourg road race championships. The double Tour runner-up remains convinced that he can win this year’s edition.
Four years ago, Rasmussen looked to have come out best in his duel with a then-24 year old Contador. He seized yellow on stage eight to Tignes and then underlined his grip on the jersey when he won the Col d’Aubisque stage. However, proof emerged that he had lied about his whereabouts prior to the Tour and he was removed from the race by his-then Rabobank team. He incurred a two year ban.
He is now racing with the Christina Watches-Onfone team. He has accepted that he will never race the Tour again, but said that he wants to return in the future as a directeur sportif.