Contador wraps up overall win in Murcia time trial

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Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank) won the concluding time trial stage of the Vuelta a Murcia to seal overall victory in the three-day stage race. He put 8 seconds into young French talent Jerome Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) over the 12.4km course, while Denis Menchov was a further four seconds back in third.

The previous day Contador had demonstrated that his climbing legs were still in working order after a winter spent battling to avoid sanction for the positive test for Clenbuterol he returned at last year’s Tour de France, and on Sunday he showed that his proficiency against the watch also remains largely intact.

The Spaniard was still some way short of his best form, but he nonetheless scorched around the course at an average speed of 52.518kph, and did enough both to maintain his overall lead ahead of Coppel and take the stage win.

Contador returned to competitive action at last month’s Volta ao Algarve in Portugal, and most of the remainder of his Giro d’Italia preparation looks set to take place on Spanish roads. After his victory, Contador paid tribute to the home support.

"I was indebted to the fans," he said. "Their signs of affection helped me overcome the bad times and work hard.”

“2 km from the finish I had a lot of pain in my legs, but thanks to the spirits of the people I could handle it."

Jerome Coppel’s second-placed finish was enough to secure him second place in the overall standings. The young Frenchman has high ambitions for July’s Tour de France, and he will be pleased to have laid down a significant marker with his fine performance in Murcia.

Denis Menchov’s Geox-TMC outfit was not invited to the Tour, but he will be hopeful that his solid outing here will be a further boon to their chances of a wildcard berth at the Giro d’Italia. An announcement on the same is expected on Monday.

The trio of Contador, Coppel and Menchov had also dominated proceedings on Saturday’s mountain stage, but Alex Dowsett (Sky) was the best of the rest on Sunday as he rode strongly to finish in 4th place on the stage. Garmin-Cervélo’s American duo of Christian Vandevelde and David Zabriskie finished in the top 10 on the stage, although neither man was in contention overall.

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