Fit-again Alberto Contador will race in Vuelta a Espana

Last month, Contador had ruled himself out of his home Grand Tour as he recovered from a broken shin bone. But on Thursday, the two-time Vuelta winner posted a video on Twitter announcing he would ride.

Spanish rider Alberto Contador crashed out of the Tour de France, but on Thursday he announced he will compete in next month's Vuelta a Espana (Tour of Spain). Contador quit the Tour de France, which he had been bidding to win for a third time, after suffering a fractured shinbone on the tough 10th stage. AFP PHOTO

Alberto Contador will ride the Vuelta a Espana after all, having recovered from the injury which ended his Tour de France challenge.

Last month, Contador had ruled himself out of his home Grand Tour as he suffered frustration in his bid to recover from a broken shin bone.

But on Thursday morning, the two-time Tour and two-time Vuelta winner posted a video on Twitter announcing he would ride.

“I’ve been riding the bicycle for the last 10 days and yesterday was the first day I could climb a mountain pass without knee pain”, the 31-year-old said in a subsequent release from the Tinkoff-Saxo team.

“That excites me, motivates me and has led me to make the decision to run the Tour of Spain. I know it’s a Tour of Spain I’ll have to do in a very different way than I had thought earlier in the season, or as I planned the Tour de France, but I think it can be very good considering the end of season and to start next year with guarantees.”

Contador’s return further boosts what looks like being an exciting field for the Vuelta, with Team Sky’s Chris Froome targeting the race following his own Tour injuries, while Giro d’Italia winner Nairo Quintana (Movistar) also plans to take part along with the likes of Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Sharp) and Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).

The Vuelta starts with a time trial in Jerez de la Frontera on August 23.

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