Contador starts season with bang, ahead of Wiggins-Tour battle

Alberto Contador, Tour of the Algarve 2010, stage three

Alberto Contador (Astana) has done what Bradley Wiggins (Sky) and Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) have failed to do: win in his season's first outing. The two-time Tour de France winner won the Volta ao Algarve overall classification yesterday in Portugal, an aggressive start and contrast to the slow build up of his rivals.

"I have thought about this," Astana Sports Director Giuseppe Martinelli told Cycling Weekly. "He has told me when he lines up for a race he lines up to win, so this is the only response that I can give. It is the first time for me to have a Grand Tour rider who can already win a race so early in the season."

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Gregor Brown

Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.