Prologue
by Rebecca Bell
No cycling fan needs a special reason to admire Alberto
Contador. Just seeing him race is enough. Since 2005, his exploits
on the bike have drawn the eyes and dropped the jaws of fans everywhere.
His spectacular win at Paris-Nice last March branded him as a new
hero in the sport, a phenom, a rising sun.
What more could you ask for?
When I was diagnosed with a brain tumor in November, 2006,
Contador’s story took on new meaning. I’ve felt a special kinship with
this young athlete who experienced a cerebral hemorrhage and brain surgery
in 2004. In terms of inspiration, he’s my own personal Lance Armstrong.
During recovery, I was advised to keep a notebook nearby,
and to write things down. It was cognitive therapy, at first. But
as the stack of steno pads has grown, my pen has traced the name Alberto
Contador many times. It has been therapy for the heart and soul, not
simply lubrication for the mental machinery.
Many eyes will be on this hot young star each day in the
Tour de France. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know him a little better
from the perspective of a singularly-motivated fan.
Alberto Contador in action
2005 Paris-Nice
photo:
Pete Geyer
|
Race Report, Prologue
London
Looking fit and supple, Alberto Contador bounded to a 15th
place finish today, 35” behind winner Fabian Cancellara. He finished
ahead of most of the climbers and many of the overall favorites in today’s
inaugural stage of the 2007 Tour de France.
He said after the race, “It was a time trial for power riders,
not a rider with my qualities, and because of that I’m satisfied
after a first look at the results.”
“I’m a bit surprised at the differences among some of the
favorites, which were bigger than expected,” added Contador, “although
the Tour has just started and it’s unwise to give too much significance
to these times. My goal now is to spend the next few days riding calmly,
in advance of the mountain stages. There we’ll take a close look at the
placing of each one.”
Phil Liggett’s comments about Contador today:
“Wherever he goes, he gives his best. We had the pleasure
of meeting him a couple of weeks ago, and having a long chat with him,
and he struck me as being a very personable character.”
“We know this boy is nursing terrific form, and his manager,
Johan Bruyneel, really believes in this man and sees him as the big
man of the future.”
About Contador’s prologue performance, Liggett added, “This
is a warning to the rest of the world of cycling, that this year or
next year this man could be the man we’re all going to talk about as
a Tour de France winner.”
|