The Spanish ex-pro isn’t taking his retirement easily

Former Spanish grand tour star Alberto Contador isn’t letting go of his competitive streak, as demonstrated by his attack on the Strava KOM record on the feared Bola del Mundo climb west of Madrid.

Contador, winner of all three grand tours, set a new Strava record over 3.29km, riding the distance in 15 minutes 01 seconds – one and a half minutes faster than the previous best time.

“Today, it was time to ride the famous Bola del Mundo climb,” said Contador on Instagram.

“Luxurious day for the bike through Madrid’s Range, today was time for the famous climb to ‘The World Ball’. I’ve given a good squeeze with the 39×25!”

Contador rode a pearl purple Trek bike with black and white kit. Of course, not being one of the Vuelta a España stages, as per his ascents in 2010 and 2012, he had to descend back down.

“I’d recommend a 34×30 gear ratio and better not to have so much tyre pressure, that way your tyres will skip less! By the way, the discs are appreciated in such a steep descent!”