Alberto Contador breaks his own climbing elevation record at Alpine endurance race

The Spaniard ascended more than 7,000m in the gruelling nine hour race

Alberto Contador (Yuzuru Sunada)

(Image credit: Yuzuru SUNADA)

Despite retiring two years ago, Alberto Contador hasn't lost his competitive streak.

The double Tour de France winner is a regular Strava user and often posts updates showing him still enjoying riding his bike after years spent in the professional peloton.

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His latest ride, though, was really quite impressive and the sort of effort you'd expect from a multi-Grand Tour winner.

Competing in the ultra endurance event the Tour des Stations, Contador climbed more 7,000m of elevation in a 216km ride, which took just over nine hours.

Contador's Strava data from his Tour des Stations ride

At an average speed of 23.4km/h, the Spaniard reached up to 80km/h on the descents with an estimated average power of 206 watts.

He set multiple personal records during the ride, as well as taking second and third place on many climbing sections.

The Tour des Stations takes place in Valais, Switzerland, and 2019 was only the second edition of the endurance race, which was launched last year.

Over 2,000 riders participated, with the option to choose from three elevation options, 7,400m, 4,700m or 2,000m.

Contador came eighth overall, finishing 38 minutes down on Italian Fabio Cini. Despite not challenging the podium places the 36-year-old said it was a new record number of metres ascended in one day.

Contador said: "We have a new record of meters ascended in one day! What a madness the Tour des Stations is, so happy to do it and with good sensations!"

A photo posted by on

Contador will next ride his own Gran Fondo, taking place near Valencia, Spain on 21 September.

Last October, Contador took the Strava KOM record on the feared Bola del Mundo climb west of Madrid.

He rode the 3.29km distance in just over 15 minutes, one and a half minutes faster than the previous record time.

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Hi. I'm Cycling Weekly's Weekend Editor. I like writing offbeat features and eating too much bread when working out on the road at bike races.


Before joining Cycling Weekly I worked at The Tab and I've also written for Vice, Time Out, and worked freelance for The Telegraph (I know, but I needed the money at the time so let me live).


I also worked for ITV Cycling between 2011-2018 on their Tour de France and Vuelta a España coverage. Sometimes I'd be helping the producers make the programme and other times I'd be getting the lunches. Just in case you were wondering - Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen had the same ham sandwich every day, it was great.