Alberto Contador made a final analysis of what the Vuelta a España 2024 has given. The Spanish legend talked about the spice that Ben O'Connor's exhibition in Yunquera has given to the race, recalled his last moments as a professional cyclist in the streets of Madrid, left a tip for Primoz Roglic and dropped a bombshell about Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and Remco Evenepoel.
First he began by commenting a little on what has been this edition of La Vuelta, one of the most hilly in history and with an unexpected element at the beginning but that has given a lot of play to the three weeks of competition.
"I think it has been a very nice Vuelta. It has been a Vuelta in which there has been excitement from the start. I think the unexpected ingredient, which was Ben O'Connor, has made it even more of a Vuelta where the riders were forced to attack. And that's what has also given us more spectacle, I think that without Ben O'Connor the Vuelta would not have been the same. And exciting until the last day," he says. "It's true that it was more or less predicted that there would be no big changes, although they were within a few seconds. And well, finally it has been confirmed but I think it has been a great Vuelta".
He then spoke of the moment when he walked the streets of the Spanish capital for the last time with a bib on his back and the memories he had of seeing the fountain behind him as he carried out his role as a commentator, where he has been for some years now.
"It is an unforgettable day. It's hard not to get excited when I have the fountain behind me, not because I'm from Madrid but because this is where I did my last pedal strokes as a cyclist. For me it is something very special, and of course, because in the end you live it with all your people, all your family comes. And well, in the end, no matter where you look you just see riders with their families, and enjoying themselves".
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Finally he made a striking comment about BORA, where he seemed to imply that they have Remco Evenepoel tied down and allowed himself to leave Primoz Roglic a piece of advice: go for the Tour de France in 2025 and complete the trilogy of grand tours before seeking to make even more history in the Vuelta a España with a fifth red jersey.
"It is not necessary to go all out, but I was listening in detail to my colleagues, and I asked the question to BORA: 'Hey, congratulations, so and so, so and so. And I say, 'Well, next year, I'm not even going to tell you'. And they started smiling from ear to ear, I'll leave it at that," 'El Pistolero' adds.
"He has to go all out for the Tour. Roglic is not Remco, Remco goes like this and Roglic, the theory says he has to start to slow down. Come on, if I'm Roglic I don't think about it for a minute. Another thing is then the plans that they make, but come on, I have 100% clear that there had to be circumstances for him to win it, and every year it's further ahead, I think he can have it more complicated".
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- He should have been allowed to go to Movistar. Right now both arent a good fit for each other and are just wasting each other's time and effortabstractengineer08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - i did not see it. was the relegation justified or an overly hard decision? and don‘t cross riders deviate from straight lines all the time? bumping into each others when they cut corners, etc … why being more strict with the rules on the finish sprint?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- seems like we are advertising the website with pointless comments…Ketterechts08-11-2026
- So?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- The UCI do have their favorites.
Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- People see what they want to. I am actually the opposite of your accusation, probably more of a rebel than most of you who don’t get the big picture. The difference is, I don’t go moaning publicly about the consequences of my transgressions, I understand the need for rules and I take my OWN responsibility when deciding to ignore or break them or doing so involuntarily. I will also not hesitate to state my case or argue vehemently when relevant, sometimes it works, sometimes it makes things worse but that’s the price to pay for principles and having character.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- That may be but that was unknown to others and nothing says that’s the whole truth. Again, don’t try to misinterpret, it is a call and technically it is correct. Besides, even if there is a valid reason, that does not disqualify the ruling or punishment as far as the rules have been developed. I don’t think they’re as far as in football where for handball there is a distinction (in some ways and specific cases) between intentional or not. And football can be just as harsh and people live with it, eg the offside rule, also judged to within tiny fractions but often wrong or ignored. It’s the nature of every collective organisation and sometimes I wonder if our rebellion against it isn’t seated in the feelings we carry from the injustices we’ve felt personally, like being flashed driving 1km/h too fast when we are explained limits are just a security measure but we are absolutely certain not to have endangered anyone with our transgression. The problem is, nobody has better solutions and no 2 people have the same interpretation of where a limit should be.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Because for you deviated implies the other rider MUST have been made to fall and fail to finish ??? I don’t know if you ride a bike but next time someone carves you up or drives dangerously close, just hold back from those feelings of changing something, reporting or filming or even complaining. Everyone will just say, hey you’re still here undamaged, doesn’t seem like anyone did anything.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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- Valoración final de @lavuelta - La sonrisa en Bora por ¿Evenepoel? - El consejo a Roglic 🗣️ Las palabras de @albertocontador desde la ceremonio final en Madrid. #LaVuelta24 | #LaCasadelCiclismo
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