Alberto Contador

Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España victories — one of only six cyclists ever to win all three Grand Tours.

Born in Madrid on December 6, 1982, Alberto Contador Velasco grew up in Pinto, a suburb south of the Spanish capital. He began cycling as a teenager and quickly demonstrated exceptional climbing ability, turning professional in 2003 with the ONCE-Eroski team. His early career was briefly interrupted by a brain hemorrhage in 2004, but he recovered fully and resumed competition within months. Contador's breakthrough came in 2007 when he won his first Tour de France at age 24, becoming the youngest winner since 1983. His aggressive attacking style and superior climbing skills defined his racing approach. He secured a second Tour victory in 2009, though his 2010 triumph was later stripped due to a controversial doping case involving clenbuterol. Beyond the Tour, he claimed the Giro d'Italia in 2008 and 2015, and the Vuelta a España in 2008, 2012, and 2014, establishing himself as one of cycling's most versatile Grand Tour competitors. The Spaniard joined an exclusive group of only seven riders to have won all three Grand Tours, accumulating seven legitimate Grand Tour victories throughout his career. His tactical intelligence and explosive climbing attacks made him particularly formidable in mountainous terrain. Despite the setbacks from his doping suspension between 2012-2013, he returned to win additional Grand Tours, demonstrating remarkable resilience and sustained excellence. Contador retired in 2017 following his home Vuelta a España, leaving behind a complex but undeniably significant legacy. His natural climbing talent, combined with his willingness to attack when others hesitated, influenced a generation of racers to adopt more aggressive tactics. While controversy surrounded parts of his career, his impact on professional cycling remains substantial, having elevated the sport's profile in Spain and demonstrated that calculated risk-taking could still prevail in an increasingly controlled racing environment.

Contador was renowned for his explosive climbing style and ability to launch sudden, devastating attacks on mountain stages. He possessed exceptional acceleration and could repeatedly surge on steep gradients to drop competitors. His aggressive racing mentality made him unpredictable and dangerous in stage races, often attacking when least expected.

Contador is remembered as one of only seven cyclists to win all three Grand Tours, cementing his place among cycling's elite stage race specialists.

• Tour de France 2007 2009
• Italia 2x
• Vuelta a España 2x