The Saxo-Tinkoff team went out for a ride of an hour and a half in the morning of the first rest day of the Tour de France. Later, Alberto Contador held a press conference, where he expressed confidence in his ability to strike back at Chris Froome (Team Sky) and the other GC favourites in the third week of the race.

The Spaniard said he didn’t see the point in attacking Froome in yesterday’s stage, saying: ”I analyzed the race and in the end I thought it would be a senseless attack. There were 30 kilometers left, and many riders were still left in the group. The penultimate climb hadn’t been very hard and I thought it was better to preserve energy with an eye on the time trial [on Wednesday].”

Michael Rogers said yesterday that he had to tell his leader to calm down, but Contador maintained it was his own decision not to attack: “I decided it myself. It is true that Michael has a lot of experience, but in these cases it’s best to make a decision based on you feel yourself.”

He continued by saying that he was likely to take the opportunity the next time: “It’s always good to see a possible weakness in his [Froome’s] team. It’s unusual, so it was a surprise to us. If there is another chance, I’ll try to take it.”

“I’m not in the situation I’d like to be in. I’d rather be at the same time as Froome, but I didn’t have a good day,” Contador commented on the first mountain stage to Ax 3 Domaines, where he lost 1:45 minutes to the yellow jersey. “The upcoming time trial is also in Froome’s favour, because it is completely flat and suited to specialists. But I’ll give hundred percent and then we’ll see what happens. Thanks to my teammate Kreuziger I’m still in the race.”

Asked about the condition he and his main rival were in, Contador said: “He is very strong, and my form isn’t extraordinary; but a lot of things can happen. I’ve always been at my best in the third week of the Grand Tours; and although Froome is very strong, the last week of the Vuelta a España last year was too much for him.”

Asked about the possibility of another surprise move like the one on the Vuelta stage to Fuente Dé, Contador cut back a bit on his statement that Froome might falter at the end of the race: “It’s only a possibility that the last week will be hard for Froome, so far he has shown no weakness. I intend to try, after all everyone’s legs hurt the same. And if you don’t believe you can win, it’s impossible to achieve it. Sometimes you have to take risks.”

Having been sidelined during the last Tour de France due to a suspension, it was natural that there was also a question about doping. Contador was asked directly whether spectators should believe in him racing clean, but he didn't open up: “All I can say is that I’ve always raced clean, and that I always will. You can believe what you want.”