- Born:
- December 6, 1982, Madrid, Spain (age 43)
Alberto Contador
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Who is Alberto Contador?
Alberto Contador, born on December 6, 1982, is a Spanish cyclist. He won the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009, though his 2010 victory was revoked due to a doping violation.
Contador turned professional in 2003, showing promise early on. In 2004, a racing accident led to brain surgery, but he recovered and resumed racing in 2005. His breakthrough came in 2007 with his first Tour de France win. In 2008, his team was excluded from the Tour, but he won both the Tour of Italy and the Tour of Spain. He also won the Vuelta a EspaƱa in 2012 and 2014, as well as the Giro dāItalia in 2015. Contador retired from racing in 2017.
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What sport did Alberto Contador compete in?
Alberto Contador is a Spanish cyclist who competed professionally from 2003 to 2017. He is regarded as a "complete rider" excelling in both climbing and individual time trials. Contador's notable achievements include winning the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009. He also won the Tour of Italy (Giro dāItalia) and the Tour of Spain (Vuelta a EspaƱa) in 2008. However, a third Tour victory in 2010 was stripped from him due to a doping violation. After serving a suspension, Contador continued his success, securing victories in the Vuelta a EspaƱa (2012, 2014) and the Giro dāItalia (2015).
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Which major cycling races did Alberto Contador win?
Alberto Contador, a Spanish cyclist, achieved significant victories in major cycling races. He won the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009. Although he initially won the Tour de France in 2010, he was later stripped of the title due to a doping violation. Contador also had success in other Grand Tours, winning the Tour of Italy (Giro dāItalia) in 2008 and 2015, as well as the Tour of Spain (Vuelta a EspaƱa) in 2008, 2012, and 2014.
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What makes Alberto Contador one of the top cyclists in the world?
Alberto Contador is considered among the top cyclists in the world because he is a "complete rider". This means he is both a peerless climber and a formidable competitor in individual time trials.
His accomplishments include winning the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009. Contador also won the Tour of Italy (Giro dāItalia) and the Tour of Spain (Vuelta a EspaƱa) in 2008. In 2012 and 2014, he again won the Vuelta a EspaƱa, and in 2015, he won the Giro dāItalia.
Contador had a 2010 Tour victory stripped from him after he was found guilty of doping.
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What challenges or obstacles did Contador face during his career?
Alberto Contador faced numerous challenges throughout his cycling career. In 2004, a fall during a race led to brain surgery to remove a blood clot, casting doubt on his future in the sport, though he recovered and resumed racing in 2005.
A significant setback occurred when his team, Astana, was excluded from the 2008 Tour de France due to prior doping offenses. Later, in 2012, the Court of Arbitration for Sport stripped Contador of his 2010 Tour de France title and banned him for two years after he tested positive for a banned substance in 2010.
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How has Alberto Contador influenced cycling in Spain and globally?
Alberto Contador, a Spanish cyclist, has significantly impacted cycling both in Spain and globally. He twice won the Tour de France (2007, 2009) and also had a victory in the 2010 Tour, though it was later rescinded due to a doping conviction.
Contador's career highlights include victories in the Tour of Italy (Giro dāItalia) and the Tour of Spain (Vuelta a EspaƱa) in 2008. Known as a "complete rider," Contador excelled as a climber and in individual time trials. Despite a doping controversy that led to a ban and the loss of his 2010 Tour title, he returned to win the Vuelta a EspaƱa (2012, 2014) and the Giro dāItalia (2015).
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Alberto Contador (born December 6, 1982, Madrid, Spain) is a Spanish cyclist who twice won the Tour de France (2007, 2009) and had a third Tour victory (2010) stripped from him after he was found guilty of doping.
Contador competed as an amateur from his mid-teens and made his professional debut in 2003. He showed early promise, winning a time trial that year at the Tour of Poland, but in 2004 his future was left in doubt after he suffered a fall during a race and subsequently underwent brain surgery to remove a blood clot. He made a remarkable recovery, however, and resumed racing in 2005, winning a stage of the Tour Down Under in Australia and earning his first overall victory as a professional rider at the Catalan Cycling Week.
Contadorās emergence as one of the elite figures of road cycling came in 2007, when he won his first Tour de France, beating Cadel Evans by 23 seconds. At the close of that season, however, his Discovery Channel team disbanded. Contador was unable to participate in the 2008 Tour because his new team, Astana, was excluded from the race for prior doping offenses. Despite the setback, he won both the Tour of Italy (Giro dāItalia) and the Tour of Spain (Vuelta a EspaƱa) that year. He returned to the Tour de France in 2009, but reports soon surfaced of a rift between Contador and his teammate Lance Armstrong over the leadership of Astana. Any doubt as to who was the stronger rider vanished on stage 15, however, when the Spaniard produced one of the fastest climbs in Tour history, making the final ascent to the Alpine village of Verbier, Switzerland, at an estimated rate of more than 6,070 feet (1,850 metres) per hour. Contador seized the leaderās yellow jersey on that stage and never relinquished it. He finished 4 minutes 11 seconds ahead of runner-up Andy Schleck and 5 minutes 24 seconds ahead of Armstrong, who finished third. Followers of cycling marveled at the Spaniardās versatility, regarding him as a ācomplete riderāāa peerless climber who was also a formidable competitor in individual time trials. In 2010 Contador defended his Tour title as he bested Schleck by 39 seconds.
In September 2010 it was revealed that Contador had tested positive for a banned substance during the final rest day of the previous Julyās Tour, which he claimed was the result of having ingested contaminated meat. He had initially received a one-year ban when the positive test was announced, but he was cleared on appeal by the Spanish cycling federation and returned to racing in February 2011 while his case remained under review by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In February 2012 the CAS rejected Contadorās appeal, and he was stripped of his 2010 Tour title and retroactively banned from the sport for two years. He returned to competition in August.
Contador subsequently won the Vuelta a EspaƱa (2012, 2014) and the Giro dāItalia (2015). However, he struggled in the Tour de France, achieving his best post-suspension finish in 2013, when he placed fourth. In 2017 Contador retired from competitive racing.