MADRID, March 27, 2011 – Spain’s three-time Tour de France champion
Alberto Contador won the Tour of Catalonia on Sunday after the seventh and
final stage.

Frenchman Samuel Dumoulin won the stage, a 124.5km ride from Parets del
Valles to Barcelona, for his second win of the race.

For 28-year-old Contador it was his second overall success in three races
this season, having won the Tour of Murcia.

However, it will be a bitter sweet win as the International Cycling Union
(UCI) announced earlier this week it would appeal the Spanish federation’s
decision to acquit him of doping allegations.

The Spaniard had tested positive for a tiny amount of the banned
muscle-building substance clenbuterol during last July’s Tour, which he went
on to win.

But he was cleared to compete when the Spanish cycling federation (RFEC)
last month rescinded an initial decision to hand down a one-year ban,
accepting the rider’s claim that he had unknowingly eaten drug-contaminated
meat and was therefore not negligent.

“It has been a tough race and we had to control it with several mountains on our way. The last 4 days have been very hard as the breaks have been initiated very late. What I like is to compete and when I enter a race, I’m entering 100 per cent. Wednesday I felt strong and managed to win on the Andorra climb. So I’m happy about the win and very happy about the effort from the team. It’s a great satisfaction to win the anniversary edition. The Volta has a great story. Until yesterday, I had not seen the names of those who have won but there are Merckx, Anquetil, Gimondi and Ocaña. It’s an impressive list and I am extremely proud to be among them,” said Saxo Bank-SunGard’s Alberto Contador.

“The team has been working very hard the whole week so they’re all pretty tired now, but we are extremely happy to win. It’s the first time the wins here and it’s Alberto (Contador) first time to participate in the race and winning the anniversary version of the race simply makes the win even sweeter. Alberto’s has proven to be a truly world class pro and remained focused on the job throughout the week. A great win for Alberto and a great win for the team,” says Saxo Bank-SunGard sports director, Dan Frost.

Stage:
1. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA) Cofidis 2hr 33min 55sec, 2. Rigoberto Uran (COL)
Procycling same time, 3. Kenny Dehaes (BEL) Omega Pharma s.t., 4. Jose Joaquin
Rojas (ESP) Movistar s.t., 5. Manuel Cardoso (POR) RadioShack s.t., 6. Aitor
Galdos (ESP) Caja Rural s.t., 7. Michal Golas (POL) Vacansoleil s.t., 8. Blel
Kadri (FRA) AG2R La Mondiale s.t., 9. Ivan Rovny (RUS) RadioShack s.t., 10.
Kevin Seel Draeyers (BEL) Quickstep s.t.

Overall
1. Alberto Contador (ESP) Saxo Bank 29hr 24min 42sec, 2. Michele Scarponi
(ITA) Lampre at 23sec, 3. Daniel Martin (IRL) Garmin 35, 4. Chris Horner (USA)
RadioShack same time, 5. Rigoberto Uran (COL) Procycling 38, 6. Xavier Tondo
(ESP) Movistar s.t., 7. Ivan Basso (ITA) Liquigas s.t., 8. Cadel Evans (AUS)
BMC 50, 9. Kevin Seel Draeyers (BEL) QuickStep 1min 12sec, 10. Bauke Mollema
(NED) Rabobank s.t.