"Johan Bruyneel called me at the last minute" - Alberto Contador won 2008 Giro d'Italia after only planning to race a few days

In an interview at Fitur published by the AS, Alberto Contador answered ten quick-fire questions. The Madrid-born former rider, now head of Team Polti VisitMalta and an Eurosport pundit, reviewed his career, most personal memories, and take on cycling in a direct format.

The first question was inevitable for a rider who won all three Grand Tours. Asked to choose between the Tour, the Giro or the Vuelta, Contador replied: “It’s hard. The Tour for its prestige, the Giro because it’s the one I’ve always enjoyed most, and the Vuelta because it’s home.”

Between two of his standout memories, Fuente Dé 2012 and Angliru 2017, he also refused to pick easily. “Tough choice, but the memory of the Angliru… In the end, with a professional athlete you always remember their last race, and in my case the fact it was a win is… I feel very fortunate.”

Asked about the hardest part of life as a pro cyclist, he admits that it was related to nutrition: “The hunger you go through, although it’s true training has changed quite a bit now, and I think you go a little less hungry than before.”

Choosing a single moment on the bike wasn’t simple either, though he finally settled on one in particular. “There are many, but I think the victory I took at the Tour Down Under (in 2005, ed.), right now in January, because it was my return to racing after having a cerebral stroke. That was the best moment.”

On his most unexpected win, Contador went back to the 2008 Giro d’Italia, where he shares a very unlikely story that would be impossible to replicate in modern cycling: “I was on holiday, Johan Bruyneel called me at the last minute, we had to go so the team would get an invitation. I was going for a week, but I kept feeling good and told Johan I was sorry, that I was going to try to go all the way, and I ended up in pink.”

Recognition in Spain, where his name is mentioned alongside [Rafael] Nadal, [Marc] Márquez or [Marc] Gasol, fills him with pride. “Pride. I feel very proud to be Spanish and, on top of that, to belong to a generation that made history not only nationally but worldwide. For me it’s an honor.”

He also spoke about fatherhood and his relationship with the bike. “When I stopped, it was clear to me: I wouldn’t become a father until after retiring. I shouldn’t say this, but I think I would have braked a little more.”

Regarding his current role leading Team Polti VisitMalta, he set out a clear wish for the season. “With Polti VisitMalta, winning three little stages at the Giro would be good.”

As the last Spaniard to win a Grand Tour, he was asked who might be next. “I think there are riders well placed. Carlos Rodríguez has had a bit of bad luck. Let’s see with Ayuso, he’s joining a very good, very strong team and I think he has the potential.”

To close the interview, Contador defined cycling in a single phrase. “The best psychologist. In the end, physically and mentally it keeps you well. For me, without a doubt, it’s health.”