Triple Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has been forced to bring forward his break in training due to a problem with his knee after a training crash yesterday.
The 27 year old Spaniard hit the deck on the outskirts of his home town of Pinto, near Madrid, slipping on a pool of oil on a roundabout.
Initially, the crash didn’t seem problematic and he was able to ride back home. However overnight the knee swelled up and he now has what his spokesman terms “a strong inflammation.”
He must now rest the knee and see how it progresses, starting his break from training a week earlier than planned.
The Team Astana rider had not planned to compete in any more major events this season. He initially expressed an interest in riding the Vuelta a España, but then decided during the Tour that he needed a mental break. He has been competing, and winning, since the start of the year, following a more intense programme than many of his competitors.
It is thought however that he may opt to do some criterium events.
Contador will move to Team Saxo Bank at the start of next year, having signed a two year deal with Bjarne Riis.