Today Alberto Contador's individual time trial performance in the last stage of the Tour de France concisely chiseled his name in cycling's history books. Contador bested rival and friend Andy Schleck by 31 seconds, or, 39 seconds overall following nearly 3 weeks of bicycle racing through mountains and rain and fans.
Andy Schleck quoted in Cycling News stated the following regarding his performance in the most grueling sporting event in the world.
“I never had doubts about how I’d go in the time trial," Schleck said.
"My team had faith in me and I went out there today and did what I could. It was not a battle between me and Contador. In a time trial you fight with yourself, you’ve got to push yourself to the limits and I tried to do that. When I finished I could barely get off my bike. I gave it everything and I think I did a pretty good time trial. I’m satisfied with today and the whole Tour."
“I believe in everything that we do – in the race and in life. We do it because we want to do it. I made no mistakes… ah, well, I do regret that I dropped my chain the other day but he would still have won by two seconds and anyway, I can’t change that. I’ve won another white jersey, two stages and I believe it’s been pretty successful Tour for the whole team."
With Contador winning the TdF but not a single stage he joins two other recent TdF winners Greg LeMond and Oscar Pereiro.
Many say that 25-year old Schleck is heir apparent to the crown; and, perhaps, just perhaps, if his brother Frank hadn't crashed and fractured his collarbone on the cobbles early in the Tour things might have turned out differently this year.
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