The most mountainous Tour de France

Contador, who ignored Armstrong pleased with the course of 2010, with little time trials and the Pyrenees overdose marks the centenary of the first ascent of the mountain

"You have to do as these athletes," I have long recommended Alberto Contador, "turning the opponent's strength, its rush, your best weapon in your own strength." During the 2009 Tour, Contador eagerly applied the lesson to get the obsession, jealousy, by Armstrong himself, climbing fragile figure, the heart of one champion, becoming the heavy burden of Texan boy supplemental energy Pinto, who managed to surpass the U.S. in more than six minutes between the mountains and 45s against the clock to give him only in the range of La Grande Motte, the great monument of Armstrong and Hincapie themselves in the Tour of the return of Texas, which finished third.

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Among the Spanish and Texas yesterday there was no look, no word

Before ending the campaign of 2009, Armstrong announced he would return in 2010 stronger and better, and on a different computer [RadioShack], giving it freedom to attack. Contador was silent. Armstrong does not exist for him than any other broker, or sometimes less, as shown yesterday when the presentation of the route 2010, at the time of taking seats in the great palace of congresses in Paris, Contador, who arrived last with the four-minute delay that signal their status as number one, not even a word went to Texas, a look, when he rose to let him pass. Contador sat two seats away, with Andy Schleck as firewalls.

So he came back to feed the obsession of Armstrong and Contador started to win the Tour in 2010, which will be born on 3 July at the Erasmus Bridge in Rotterdam, and whose route, the most mountainous of the past few years -23 colleagues three arrivals high, twice the Tourmalet-liked. "It's tougher than that of 2009," said Contador, Tour winner and 2007 to 2009 and reputed as the only rider capable of increasing differences with a long seizure group. "There are more mountain time trial, a journey to make more differences. The closest I can be on the mountain's Andy Schleck.

Building on 100 years ago that the Tour discovered the Pyrenees-the circle of death, was known as the road linking Luchon to Pau by four mountain passes, Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque, 100 years ago were no more than mule path amid forests populated by bears, and in search of spectacular, the only concept that sponsors and viewers seem to understand, Christian Prudhomme, the pattern of the Tour, has drawn a path exaggerated, no team time trial and a single long time trial on the eve of Paris, 51 km Bordeaux, touring the vineyards of the Medoc.

The mountain will begin on the seventh day in the massif of Jura, with the arrival at the station of Les Rousses, appetizer of the Alpine stages will have two strong, one arrival and one day Avoriaz La Madeleine. After a quick and rough crossing of the Massif Central, with winks to Armstrong-way through the col of La Rochelle, where Beloki broke his hip and he crossed field without falling-through-arrival Indurain Mende airfield, where both underwent Navarre in 1995 at the hands of Jalabert, last week is devoted fully to the Pyrenees, where over four stages, from east to west and back, no stone is left unturned. It will end the first day in Ax, will continue the next day just 100 years, day by day, July 19, then by the first ports to be played in the Pyrenees, Portet de Aspet and Ares, to culminate the following day with great honor, between Luchon and Pau, the four giants.

For dessert, the hardest thing, to 2115 meters final at the summit of the Tourmalet, the second time in history, 36 years after the first, after spending the terrible Marie Blanque and Barèges Soulor and climbing. "It always happens, however, that the more mountain, more fear and more conservative we become runners," said Contador. "Since last year, less strong, everyone said to keep for the last week, but I think in 2010 you can do interesting things before. It will require a good team to control. To see in what I am. The Sept. 20 just within the ICU for registration, to see what the Astana ".

Without such problems, Armstrong was able to bask in a nice touch he had with him Prudhomme. The Texan, who, less than Contador in the mountains and time trials, you should seek the advantage in areas of ambush, regretted the absence of a team time trial where you do an initial screening, but in return, was pleased with the inclusion, on the third day of 13 miles shield in four tranches of the Paris-Roubaix, a plot similar to that used to get rid of Iban Mayo, who feared in 2004. "But it will be different," he said. "The goal is much closer, there will be many differences." "I just hope it does not rain," said Contador, but I did not lose any sleep over the shield. "Some may lose much there," he said Johan Bruyneel, the director of Armstrong, "but there will not be won on Tour.