Written by: Justin Davis (AFP)

PARIS, June 29, 2011 – Despite years of Grand Tour experience, Alberto Contador will head into the unknown when he begins the defense of what could turn out to be another controversial Tour de France crown.

The 98th edition of the world’s premier cycling event begins Saturday and while Contador has several potential challengers other obstacles could stand in the way of a fourth yellow jersey win.

The joy of a third yellow jersey triumph for Contador in 2010 was tempered a month later after he announced he had tested positive for clenbuterol on the race’s second rest day.

Almost a year has gone by and, much to the annoyance of the organizers, the final judgement is still pending.

“Obviously we would have liked to have a final ruling before the start of the Tour,” lamented Tour director Christina Prudhomme who, nevertheless, said he will be treating Contador as innocent until proven guilty.

Contador’s claim that he ingested the banned substance while eating a contaminated steak was accepted by the Spanish authorities, but did not wash with the International Cycling Union (UCI) nor the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

Both bodies appealed the decision to clear the Spaniard to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which will not make a final decision until August.

The UCI also says it will treat Contador with respect, although that pledge will have little value if CAS finds the Spaniard guilty and he has to hand back all the wins he pocketed since and including last July.

The psychological burden borne by Contador ultimately failed to wreck his bid to win what was an immensely difficult Giro d’Italia last month.

But despite being on course for a rare double, not seen since Marco Pantani’s feat in 1998, it remains to be seen whether Contador has enough fuel in the tank, both physically and mentally, to go the distance.

In any case Andy Schleck, who lost the race by only 39secs last year, has only one objective.

“I’m going there to win the Tour. I’ve been second twice so this time I want the top step of the podium,” the Leopard team’s climbing expert said during the Tour of Switzerland last week.

If organizers were longing for another Contador v Schleck duel, they should certainly have it — and much more thrown in for good measure.

This year’s race has something for everyone, from the sprinters like Britain’s Mark Cavendish — the winner of an amazing 15 stages in three editions — to the ‘punchers’ like Belgian Philippe Gilbert, who are at home on the undulating stages that finish with an uphill sprint.

Yet it’s to the climbers that Prudhomme is offering most rewards.

Featuring only one individual time trial, a 42.5 km ride around Grenoble on the 20th and penultimate stage, the 21-stage race has nine days in which at least one categorized climb appears.

The opening salvos in the yellow jersey battle could come as early as eight and nine in the Massif Central, or the powder kept dry for any one of a trilogy of Pyreneean stages which feature the race’s first summit finishes (stages 12 and 14).

If the yellow jersey is still undecided after two hard days in the Alps, it almost certainly will be on stage 19. Over 42 km of climbing features as the peloton tackles the legendary Telegraphe and Galibier mountain passes before finishing on the summit of Alpe d’Huez.

The presence of several other bona fide contenders won’t make Contador or Schleck’s job any easier. Australian Cadel Evans, Italian Ivan Basso, Dutchman Robert Gesink, Belgian Jurgen van den Broeck and Britain’s Bradley Wiggins all have the credentials to play a leading role in the race.

Although Contador and Schleck could end up courting their rivals for indirect help as the race goes on, for now Schleck is simply wary of the threat.

“I think Gesink will be really good. Cadel will be strong and I believe Ivan (Basso) will come to the Tour in good shape. Van den Broeck also showed good form in the Dauphine (Libere) race,” said the Luxemburger.

“I’m not going to the Tour just to fight Contador.”