GRENOBLE, France, June 11, 2010 (AFP) – Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will test his reputed climbing skills for the first time on the legendary Alpe d’Huez on today.

The 27-year-old Astana rider is racing this week at the Dauphine Criterium, a key warm-up event for the July 3-25 Tour, and will go into Friday’s penultimate stage 1min 41sec behind race leader Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia.

The Alpe d’Huez climb is held over 13.8km and famously features 21 hairpin bends which are numbered in descending order.

The Alpe is a favourite with the Tour de France organizers, who last included it on the race in 2008 and 2006, however it is making its debut on the 62nd edition of the Criterium — which the Tour organizers have recently taken over.

Contador, the yellow jersey champion in 2007 and 2009, did not race the Tour de France in either 2006 or 2008.

Saturday’s 151.5km ride from nearby Crolles to the Alpe d’Huez takes in four climbs. Two — the Col du Glandon and the Alpe — have been rated ‘hors categorie’ (unclassified), the most difficult in bike racing.