Alberto Contador: "The Vuelta won’t just be a battle between UAE-XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike"

“I think the key in the Vuelta is to try not to fail – or to fail as little as possible. In Spain, you don't necessarily have to be the strongest, but because there are so many uphill finishes, so many days when you have to react and be in the right place, consistency is what makes the difference,” said the Spaniard. “We've seen how Primoz Roglic sometimes had a bad day but still managed to win. If you're a rider who stays consistent and doesn't completely collapse, that's an essential step towards victory.”

“This Vuelta is also very important for Juan Ayuso. Among other things, he already knows what it's like to finish on the podium at a young age, but the fact that he hasn't managed to win yet means he still has that last step to take,” said Contador.

"What do I think could happen? I think UAE Emirates will give both João Almeida and Juan Ayuso a chance to fight, and then the race will determine the leader. Or they might try to play both cards to put pressure on Jonas Vingegaard, who starts on paper as the slight favorite thanks to his two Tour de France victories and the consistency he has shown in the Grand Tours."

“However, after three mountain finishes in a row, there is always the risk that the GC will already be decided in favor of one rider. We know that Vingegaard is coming, the second-best rider in the Grand Tours after Tadej Pogacar, and he will undoubtedly want to seize opportunities from the start,” he predicts.

"Ultimately, it's mainly the Tour that motivates Vingegaard, because the Tour is the most important race. Pogacar has indeed been superior over the past two years, but Vingegaard has still performed at a very high level. I don't think he'll give up – on the contrary, I think he'll stay focused on winning. The only thing is that if he manages to win the Vuelta a España this year, or next year at the latest, he will definitely go to the Giro d'Italia to try to complete all three Grand Tours."

“I don't think we can say that the Vuelta will be strictly a duel between Visma and Emirates. Of course, they are the teams to beat, but anything can happen in cycling. Visma has indeed brought a very strong team to support Vingegaard, but I also believe that there are plenty of other riders who are serious contenders,” says Contador.