Spaniard Alberto Contador is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours of road cycling, and is widely acknowledged as one of the sport’s premier climbing and stage specialists. He appeared in Dubai for the announcement of the inaugural Dubai Tour, which starts in 2014Being a professional athlete, I am constantly travelling, so much so that I can’t even think of how many countries I’ve been to; I’m guessing around 30.I spend most of the year either racing or training, so when I get to take a holiday, you won’t see me on any cycling tours of cities. However, as we constantly need to be in good shape, taking two weeks off can be tough. On the recent tour of Oman, I was 3kg over my normal weight, which made

it a lot tougher. Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten so much while I was on vacation.The Tour de France is the most important race in the world, and I am very lucky and proud to have won it, although there are many other races that stand out. The Giro D’Italia, for example, is a great race, and the Italian people are very passionate about it. I also love the Vuelta a España, as it is my home race and I receive a lot of support.My proudest moment in my career was winning the Tour de France in 2009. I was made team captain despite Lance Armstrong returning and joining the team.If I wasn’t a professional cyclist, I would have liked to work with animals. Perhaps I would have studied to become a vet. When it comes to other sports, I must admit that I am a Real Madrid fan. Although I don’t see them play much, I always follow their season.

Travels WITH... AlberTo ConTADor