Alberto Contador set for Vuelta a España but Nicolas Roche opts out

A stacked line-up in the Vuelta a España was further expanded yesterday when double race winner Alberto Contador confirmed he would indeed take part in this year's event.

Contador suffered a fractured tibia on July 14th when he hit the deck on the 10th stage of the Tour de France. He was forced to pull out of the race and his plans to ride the Vuelta were put in serious doubt.

On July 23rd he said via Twitter his recovery wasn’t going well and that he would definitely miss the race. However the Spaniard announced yesterday he had changed his mind. “I’m riding the bicycle for 10 days and yesterday was the first day I could climb a mountain pass without knee pain,” he said from his base in Lugano.

“It excites me, motivates me and has led me to make the decision to ride the Vuelta a España. I know it will be a Vuelta that I’ll have to do in a very different way than I had imagined earlier on in the season.”

He said that he would limit his ambitions to a stage win, although many believe he will actually aim higher than that.

Contador's Tinkoff Saxo team-mate Nicolas Roche told The Irish Times yesterday he would not take part in the race. He competed in the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France this season and while he is one of Contador's strongest helpers, he believes a third Grand Tour in one season would be too much.

“At some stage I was thinking about the Vuelta but then I reconsidered it,” said Roche, who finished fifth overall in the race last year and won a stage. “I have done the Giro and Tour, being super-competitive, always doing work and going in the breakaways. That is very demanding. I have already had a hard year and I will try different races for a change.”

Martin’s preparations

Roche’s first cousin

Dan Martin

is continuing his build-up to the Vuelta in the French Tour de l’Ain event. Martin placed 28th in Tuesday’s 4.6 kilometre prologue in Saint Amour, then finished in the main bunch on Wednesday’s stage.

He was again in the bunch yesterday, rolling in 73rd behind the winner and ongoing race leader Gianni Meersman (Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team).

Martin is 28th overall starting today’s stage, 30 seconds back. He is a strong climber and will aim to move up the general classification before the race ends tomorrow. The final two stages are much lumpier and will suit his racing abilities. He crashed out on the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia and is hoping to turn his season around in the Vuelta.

Meanwhile, fellow Irish professional Sam Bennett was caught out along with the other sprinters on yesterday's opening stage of the Arctic Race of Norway. While the NetApp Endura rider hoped to fight it out for the stage win, the final 15kms proved too lumpy and he, eight-time Tour de France stage winner Marcel Kittel (Giant Shimano) and others were distanced on the final climb. He rolled in 46th, one minute and 25 seconds behind winner Lars Petter Nordhaug (Belkin), who holds the race lead today.

Today’s stage and Sunday’s final leg should be suited to bunch sprints and Bennett will hope to show the speed which has earned him three UCI victories thus far this season.