Spaniard speaks prior to today’s start of the Eneco Tour

Back to action today in the Eneco Tour, Alberto Contador has said that his six month ban and long battle against doping charges have changed him as a person and how he sees the sport.



The Spaniard is clear about the strain he was under, but also feels that coming through the experience is something that he could draw on in the future.



“It is difficult to assess [the effect of the experience], but it is true that it in some ways takes away the perception that I had eight years ago,” he said, speaking to journalists yesterday at a press conference held one day prior to the start of the Eneco Tour, his comeback race. “It also makes you grow up and see cycling as a part of your life, but not your whole life. I think it will help me in tough situations; it will be good in dealing with situations where there is a lot of pressure.”



Contador tested positive for Clenbuterol in the 2010 Tour de France. After battling for a year and a half to try to stave off a sanction, he was ultimately handed a partially-backdated two-year ban and the loss of all his results since the positive test, including that 2010 Tour title and the 2011 Giro d’Italia.



Giving its ruling on February 6th last year, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said that Contador had most likely consumed a contaminated supplement and could not compete until August 5th. From that point on he prepared for his comeback, and he believes the work done has put him into good shape.



“Those six months have been difficult and I’ll remember them forever,” he admitted. “I did not want to be idle, I changed my training locations, there have been days of having more desire and others less, but I'm just as tired as another year at this time because I trained hard to be going well here.”



The Eneco Tour represents his return to competition and while the course doesn’t suit his characteristics particularly well, he’s pleased to pin on a number again and get going. “I'm looking forward to competing because is what I like to do,” he said. “[My goals are] above all to enjoy the competition and pick up the pace after so many months, because training is never the same. I have desire to do well.”



When asked, Contador said that he was not motivated by thoughts of revenge. “Not at all, I just want to enjoy it,” he answered. “I enjoy training, sacrificing myself to be the best and look forward to enjoying and reaching the results.”



The main goals this year are the Vuelta a España and the world road race championships but, also, to regain the pace of competition and lay a foundation for next season. The Tour de France will me the major target then; he’s won three titles, lost one of those, and wants to clock up more in the years ahead.



Before all that, the Eneco Tour beckons. Today’s the opening leg but it’s also more than that; it’s the first step in the second phase of his career.