Contador: “All in all I think, I think it suits me well”

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Le Tour 2014 News: Former winner Alberto Contador cautious about the 2014 Tour de France which starts in Yorkshire

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With a ‘classics’ type course to start in Yorkshire, cobbles in Belgium and then three sets of mountains before a long time trial, the course for the 2014 Tour de France has been widely as having something for everyone except maybe the time trialist.

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Team Saxobank’s Alberto Contador, a former winner, was playing up his ability on the cobbles showing a picture on twitter of him breaking away on them. He says of the Tour parcours “The start could be very nervous so we cannot make any conclusions before we finish these first stages.”

“The course offers only one time trial and it’s very long. Although there is only one, I would have preferred something like this year where one of them was hilly.”

“All in all I think, I think it suits me well but the most important are the legs and to arrive in peak shape because the rest changes very little. I’m not too worried about the cobbles despite the risk of falls and mechanical problems.”

“It’s going to be a spectacular stage for the home viewers although very nervous for us. I just hope to get through it well. In 2010 I lost a few seconds on the cobbles but the key is to be focused,” Alberto concluded.

Saxobank team boss Bjarne Riis meanwhile explained on his team’s website “It’ a really interesting course. Of course, I miss a prologue but other than that it’s a great set-up up and I’m looking forward to some exciting stages with a beautiful backdrop. Already on the second day to Sheffield, we’ll enter an undulating terrain”.

We’re glad that Bjarne has recognised this as the descrpiption of flat on Le Tour’s website is a little misleading.

Riis continues saying “Stage five with the cobblestones is definitely worth watching. As we know from the past, there are risks associated with the treacherous surface but it’s a part of the game that we see as a challenge and Alberto is not bad on the cobbles.”

“In addition, I’m looking forward to entering the Vosges mountains that could easily create havoc in the peloton and as always, the Alps and Pyrenees offer some entertaining key stages,” says Riis.

“The long time trial is an advantage for the riders who have the most energy left in the tank after a long and tough race. All in all, I’m content with the route as it has a good dynamic. Froome is the main favorite but there are quite a few mountains along the way where climbers get a chance to take time and put him under pressure before the crucial time trial.”

 

 

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