March 27, 2011
- Spain's three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador won the Tour of Catalonia on Sunday after the seventh and final stage.
Frenchman Samuel Dumoulin won the stage, a 124.5km ride from Parets del Valles to Barcelona, for his second win of the race.
For 28-year-old Contador it was his second overall success in three races this season, having won the Tour of Murcia.
Contador said he was extremely proud to have won a race which aside from celebrating its centenary has also previously been won by some of the legends of the sport.
"I feel a great satisfaction and more than that on the centennial of the race," said Contador.
"The race has a great story. Until yesterday I had not seen the names of those who have won, but there are Eddie Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi and Luis Ocana. It's an impressive list and I am extremely proud to be among them."
Contador, who started off his season with fourth in the Tour of the Algarve, admitted that it had been a tough week for him and his team. "It has been a tough race, harder than others we had to control with more mountains," he said.
"The last four days have been very hard, the breaks have come very late and even I had to go on the attack."
Contador said that the final stage had been taxing because of the wet conditions which led to a crash which hindered overall runner-up Michele Scarponi.
"The surface was not bad, but some curves were wet and especially when we entered a roundabout we were skating around a bit and that cut up the bunch a little. The most important thing is we have not fallen. All the team was ahead and we were not harmed. There has been some nervousness, but nothing more."
However, it will be a bitter sweet win as the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced earlier this week it would appeal the Spanish federation's decision to acquit him of doping allegations.
Final Results from Tour of Catalonia Stage 7:
1. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) Cofidis 2hr 33min 55sec
2. Rigoberto Uran (COL) Procycling same time
3. Kenny Dehaes (BEL) Omega Pharma s.t.
4. Jose Joaquin Rojas (ESP) Movistar s.t.
5. Manuel Cardoso (POR) RadioShack s.t.
6. Aitor Galdos (ESP) Caja Rural s.t.
7. Michal Golas (POL) Vacansoleil s.t.
8. Blel Kadri (FRA) AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
9. Ivan Rovny (RUS) RadioShack s.t.
10. Kevin Seel Draeyers (BEL) Quickstep s.t.
Overall
1. Alberto Contador (ESP) Saxo Bank 29hr 24min 42sec
2. Michele Scarponi (ITA) Lampre at 23sec
3. Daniel Martin (IRL) Garmin 35
4. Chris Horner (USA) RadioShack same time
5. Rigoberto Uran (COL) Procycling 38
6. Xavier Tondo (ESP) Movistar s.t.
7. Ivan Basso (ITA) Liquigas s.t.
8. Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC 50
9. Kevin Seel Draeyers (BEL) QuickStep 1min 12sec
10. Bauke Mollema (NED) Rabobank s.t.