A piece of advice for those who love cycling: tune in to TV channels, such as Eurosport, which show the arrival of the penultimate stage of the Vuelta live on Saturday afternoon at the top of the 2.247-metre Bola du Mundo, an impressive ascent, with peaks of 23% where the last act of the most beautiful Vuelta in memory will be played, a stage race that has overshadowed this year's soporific Tour and Giro due to its combativeness. Merit of the Spaniards, above all of an Alberto Contador, who returned after the disqualification for doping with the desire of a king who immediately wants to reconquer the throne from which he felt unjustly expelled. A Contador who in his twenty-second attack during this Vuelta a Joaquim Rodriguez – who seemed unbeatable with his explosive sprints in view of the many uphill finishes – in the 17th stage, Wednesday's one, broke the bank with a legendary ride started downhill and continued in an escalation of competitive exaltation on the last two peaks of the mountains of Asturias up to the finish line in Fuente Dé. Contador, who with his disqualification effectively lost his victories at the 2010 Tour and at the 2011 Giro, had officially not won a race for 27 months, exactly from the Alpe d'Huez stage to the Dauphine Tour. Now, after snatching the red leader's jersey from Rodriguez, there is only the Bola du Mundo before Sunday's final catwalk in Madrid to divide Contador from his second success in the Vuelta. And on the terrible spurts that lead to the penultimate finish line, Alejandro Valverde, back to the form of his best days, second in the standings at 1'35”, could attempt the impossible, encouraged by those 17 seconds gained in yesterday's stage won by Philippe Gilbert. For Rodriguez, although great and generous, it is yet another disappointment: after losing the Giro, won by the Canadian Ryder Hesjedal, right in the last 30 km of the Milan time trial, Purito saw the red jersey slip off after wearing it for a long time, for the usual defaillance that hits him in the last week of a great stage race. Even in the 2010 Vuelta Rodriguez seemed to be the sure winner, but in the last four days he was overtaken by Vincenzo Nibali. Difficult to think that he can turn the situation in his favor in today's stage.
Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez: an all-Spanish Vuelta that reduced the big favorite, that Christopher Froome, who had presented himself at the start of Pamplona with the halo of the strongest after what he had shown in the Tour. Given the defaillance of the British born in Kenya – always behind in the most difficult stages until he slipped to fourth place in the standings, very far from Contador – if the translation property could be applied in cycling, the outcome of the Vuelta would have been at least disturbing for Bradley Wiggins too. At the Tour Wiggo – absent from the Vuelta – triumphed but in the mountains he struggled to hold Froome's wheel as soon as his "gregarious" took off. In Spain Froome, declared captain of the Sky squadron, always lost the wheels of Contador, Valverde and Rodriguez as soon as the road reared up. The Spanish lesson therefore invites us to be cautious about the proclaimed British superiority, sanctioned by the Tour and the Olympics, in a cycling on which the Armstrong case weighs like a boulder and which must again be entrusted to Contador, who has atoned for his sins, to revive the enthusiasm and hopes for a clean sport. Until proven (or rather test tube) otherwise.
