When Alberto Contador won the Tour de France for the first time, in 2007, his life changed forever. Suddenly people all over the world knew who he was, and what a great thing he had done.
Of course, many people in many nations became Contador fans. Then he won the Giro, and the Vuelta! And now he’s the Spanish Champion time-trialist! Lots more people have joined the ranks.
Rebble Kelsey took this photo of Alberto and Benjamin Noval at the Tour of Missouri
Alberto has fans all over the world, from Constantinople to Timbuktu. In Antactica? Maybe. In the Aleutian Islands, or Mali, or Bangladesh?
Now Alberto is riding the Tour again, and the whole world is watching. So tell us, fans, what is your home country, and what’s it like for you to support Alberto Contador?
We’ll start: The home of the Alberto Contador Notebook is in the USA, in Kansas City, Missouri. We were really happy and proud when Alberto rode through our city in the Tour of Missouri in 2007.
Let me be the 1st! I’m from Hungary and love Alberto a lot! I’ve been his fan since he arrived to Discovery Channel team! I just enjoy to watch his style of racing, especially his climbing! And I’m very glad that he and Benjamin Noval became friends as Benjamin has been a my favourite rider since his first Tour with USPS! I’m lucky because I can share my passion with my best friend, Beáta, who is also a great fan of Alberto!
( Hope I’m in the right section now :D )
Hope I’ve got it right…….I’m British, but I live in France; used to be a Lance fan; now disgusted with his behaviour; support Alberto all the way; love his style – and CANNOT believe what I have just read in VeloNews, that Contador says he won’t attack Armstrong?? And if none of the other principal rivals can go with Armstrong when he attacks – what then?? You wait til he has accumulated a massive advantage in the Alps, and what of Mont Ventoux? Alberto is a stronger climber and it appears he has the legs on Lance in the individual TT.
You are not going to let him get away with it/win it – surely???? You are the number one: You are the designated leader of that team? I’m sorry, I just don’t understand
Hola!
The first time I started following the Tour de France, was when I noticed Alberto in 2007.
Unfortunately we haven’t seen much action till now during this Tour. Since it’s all about Armstrong Armstrong Armstrong on tv (getting really tired of it!) we don’t get to see much of Alberto here in Belgium. I was wondering if he only speaks Spanish or also English? If he doesn’t, then I have found my new motivation to keep learning Spanish for if I once get to meet him :) His website is in English as well, but I have no idea if he writes that himself or somebody does it for him. Only heard him speak Spanish on television so far.
Anyway, hope to see him in that yellow shirt real soon and of course till the finish!
BUENA SUERTE ALBERTO!
PS:
Love your diary Christine. It’s definately gonna have a place in my favorites ;-)
Nice to read that Alberto seems to be such a great guy.
Saw somewhere on the internet that he had a fiancee. Did he get married?
Adiós from Belgium
Nice to meet you, Hungary, Britain and Belgium!
Global Contador!
We are rooting for you here in america. Don’t let that bully get under your skin!!! We hope you have good sensations in the Alps and show the “Cult” leader whose boss!!
Thanks for being such a classy rider!
GO ALBERTO!
Hola!
I’m from the Netherlands, so a new country here on this site. I have to say I’m a big fan from Alberto since this Tour de France. So you could say I’m a fresh, new supporter ;) I really like his racing style, he makes cycling seem so easy. And next to the fact that he’s an amazing cyclist, I think he’s amazing as a person also. From what I’ve seen and read, he seems so nice and down to earth.
I have nothing against Lance Armstrong and I have respect for him, but I don’t like the way he acts. It seems that there’s always some kind of show around him, with all the famous people like actors who always hang around him. I agree with the Belgian commenter on here that there’s always so much focus on Lance. I would love to see more interviews with Alberto on tv, but here on the Dutch tv you mostly see Lance (because a famous tv presenter here is good friends with him). I wish they would pay more attention to Alberto’s story. I mean, he also have been through a lot in 2004 and nobody ever talks about that. I bet a lot of people don’t even know what happened to him.
But I’m really glad that Alberto (probably) will win the Tour. I really hope he will not fall or get some other thing against him. I will definately continue to follow him after this Tour!
Don’t know about anybody else – but I am just so tired of this continual sniping, criticizing and psychological undermining of Alberto by LA & JB – but primarily I blame JB. It was he that wouldn’t release Alberto from his contract, when Lance imposed himself on the team – and then this is the support that he gives to his so called ‘team leader’ and number one rider.
In LA’s heyday, team members were team members and nothing more; he NEVER had to race with the goal of putting his team on the podium as well; he raced to win; nothing more. Just read his book(s)………”No presents”
Bravo, bravo Alberto – see my message in messages.
Just a little question on something that has been bothering me!!
When Alberto is time trialling, I notice, that he has to keep adjusting himself on the saddle – constantly pushing himself back. Obviously this neither affects his power or his velocity, but this must be very annoying for him – or not? I notice he did this both before and after his new TT bike.
Anyway, once again, Soooooo pleased to see him win – and PLEASE please may he have a good, fully supportive team around him next year: I fervently hope so!
Wouldn’t it have been great if LA could have put away his colossal ego and ridden as a domestique. He certainly believes his own publicity. JB should have announced who the team leader was before the start of the Tour instead of playing this silly game day to day. It only served to undermine the team.
The TV commentary here in the US was all LA, LA, LA. It was one-sided and boring. There are so many other riders that we would like to have had featured. All in all, I’m glad it’s over.
Congratulations to Alberto!! He won like the champion he is with a lot of dignity and grace. Looking forward to watching his career in the future.
monsieur Aleberto CONTADOR
bravo pour votre tres beau tour de france 2009
j’ai appris par la radio que vous étiez éleveur de canaris moi
aussi .j’éleve des creest border norwich gloster fife fancy et raza que faite vous comme canaris!!! en espérant avoir une réponse de vous si vous avez besoin de quelque chose pour votre
elevage je serai content de vous rendre un service ou vous passer
des oiseaux.
Hi Contador Fans,
I’m from New Zealand and have spent the last three weeks
glued to the TV as all the action has unfolded..
Congratulations Alberto on winning the tour with humility
and grace. The constant bombardment from Armstrong & Bruyneel lacked class, but you showed them who the real Boss is..
I will continue to follow your progress this year
and as you build up to next years Tour
It’s just pure poetry in motion how you glide up those Mountains
I’ve been a fan of Contador since I started to watch cycling (after I had to stop myself, due to a blessure) – the Tour de France 2007. Though Holland is a real cycle-country and people here are generally realle obsessed with sports and nationalistic , the Spanish Contador has always been my favorite, and I really really hope that I can see him once in real life!
Greetings from Leiden, The Netherlands.
Hi, Leonie!
Are you going to the Vuelta? Too bad Contador isn’t riding, this could’ve been a great chance to see him.
Anyway, welcome, and if you go to the Vuelta while it’s in your country, have fun!
Actually, I wasn’t planning to go see the Vuelta here, because the places are all quite far away from my city and the price for a train ticket would be very expensive. But after reading your reply I started googling for the exact route out of curiosity, and now I am maybe going to see the Vuelta in Zutphen on monday! Going together with a friend who has a train card so I’ll get a discount on the ticket.
I really hope we’ll go and maybe see some of my heroes! Thanks for the reply, without that I wouldn’t be planning this now :)
That would be cool! Let us know how it went, and share a photo if you want.
Have fun!
(jealous)
PS: Everybody, see our new project for fans all over the world, The Wonderful Adventures of Skinny Lizzy – http://skinnylizzy.wordpress.com/
Grand tour champions and their nicknames:
Eddy Merckx – The Cannibal
Bernard Hinault – The Badger
Jacques Anquetil – Mr. Chrono
Felice Gimondi – The Phoenix
Alberto Contador – The Pistol
I would like to give Alberto another nickname. “The Don”
This would tie in his ability to manage tough situations like a godfather and have a Spanish tie to Don Quixote in his first and second quest during his journey. The cruel treatment Quixote endured was similar to what Alberto had to deal with during the last Tour de France with lance.
Thoughts?
Heya
Well I’m really happy I went to Zutphen to the Vuelta monday. Not only did I see the riders, I got invited to the SaxoBank teambus -still no idea why, just lucky coincidence I guess- to congratulate Matti Breschel with his birthday. I got his autograph and Andy Schleck signed the drawing I made of him. That was an amazing experience, I’m super happy!
I made some photo’s, of the buses and the race, yes I could upload some, just tell me where :)
Leonie