Written by: Thomas Cabral

FARO, Portugal, Feb 16, 2011 (AFP) – A relieved Alberto Contador completed
the first stage of the Tour of the Algarve on Wednesday, less than 24 hours
after being cleared by the Spanish cycling federation of doping.

And the three-time Tour de France winner insisted that for him, victory was
merely being able to take part.

“After what has happened these past five or six months, the most important
thing is to be here,” said the Spaniard before the race.

“For me it’s already a victory.”

“Yesterday was intense for me and I hope to have a calm day but I’m far
from my ideal form,” added Contador, who has won the last two editions of the
race.

Cheered on by well-wishers and warmly greeted by his fellow riders,
Contador finished in 28th place, five seconds behind Belgian stage winner
Philippe Gilbert, but elected not to speak to the media afterwards.

“His goal today was to get started and not lose time,” Contador’s
spokesperson, Jacinto Vidarte, told AFP.

“You can’t see it beneath his helmet and behind his sunglasses, but inside
of course he was very emotional.”

Contador had been provisionally suspended since last August after failing a
doping test during last year’s Tour de France, which he won, but was cleared
by the Spanish federation of intentionally doping on Tuesday.

The 28-year-old had repeatedly denied knowingly taking any banned
substances, blaming the result on a steak he says was contaminated with traces
of the muscle-building drug clenbuterol.

He arrived in Portugal at 2am on Wednesday morning before the race, in
which he took part for the first time in the colors of his new team, Saxo
Bank.

Saxo Bank director Bjarne Riis said he hoped that Contador would go on to
compete in and win the next Tour de France.

“We’re here to begin the season with him,” said Riis. “Afterwards we’re
going to discuss, this week or next, and decide on his programme.”

“We don’t know what the future holds but it’s already a good thing that he
can race now,” said Riis, adding that he was “confident” concerning a possible
appeal by the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the World Anti-Doping
Agency (WADA) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

“If I didn’t believe in him, he wouldn’t be here. He remained very calm, he
does his job and he’s well prepared.”

Some 208 riders from 21 teams lined out for the first stage over 157.5km
between Faro and Albufeira, with the race finishing in Portimao on Sunday.