Contador prefers Vuelta title to Olympic Gold

Spaniard Alberto Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour de France and 2008 Giro d'Italia, stated that he would prefer to sacrifice his Olympic performance to arrive on form for the Vuelta a España, August 30 to September 21. The 25 year-old of Team Astana was not allowed to race the Tour de France this year, but is determined to aim for a historic triple.

"It would be something more historic than winning an Olympic medal," Contador noted of the Vuelta a España, according to todociclismo.com. "I want to do have a good Vuelta and even if I don't arrive 100 percent at the [Olympic] Games, to be able to prepare myself better for the Vuelta a España. I have already taken the Tour and the Giro, and to take a triple would be something more historic than winning an Olympic medal," affirmed Contador.

He would become the first Spaniard in history to win all three events, adding his name to a list of four that includes Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi and Bernard Hinault.

Team Astana, thanks to issues related to the previous incarnation of the team, was not invited to race the 2008 Tour de France. The non-invite left Contador, who followed Team Manager Johan Bruyneel from Discovery Channel to Astana over the winter, unable defend his maillot jaune.

He has no specific plans to watch the Tour de France. "If I will see it will be from home or from the beach. ... I am not going to have any envy, because the year is going on track, and with the Games and the Vuelta it could be a historic year."