2011 Tour de France Preview – Spain & Portugal

One recurring theme in contemporary Tour de France coverage is the decline of French cycling. The story that’s written less often is the rise of Spanish riders in the pro ranks, led, of course, by SaxoBank-Sungard’s Alberto Contador, winner of last year’s Tour, this year’s Giro, and most of the other races he’s entered. Contador is, like Armstrong and Indurain before him, the dominant big tour rider of his generation. Unlike his American predecessor though, Contador races (and wins) smaller races throughout the year, so that by the age of 28, he has already established a palmares to rival the...Continue Reading