Who Is Alberto Contador? Age, Biography and Wiki
Born on December 6, 1982, Alberto Contador is a renowned Spanish professional cyclist celebrated for his exceptional talent and determination in the world of cycling. With a career that includes victories in all three Grand Tours—the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España—Contador is widely regarded as one of the greatest cyclists in history. As of 2025, he is 42 years old and continues to be an influential figure in the sport.
| Occupation | Cyclist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | December 6, 1982 |
| Age | 42 Years |
| Birth Place | Pinto, Madrid, Spain |
| Horoscope | Sagittarius |
| Country | Spain |
Popularity
Alberto Contador's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Alberto Contador stands at an impressive height of 1.78m (5 feet 10 inches) and maintains a competitive weight of approximately 69 kg (152 lbs). His athletic build and rigorous training regimen contribute to his remarkable performance on the cycling circuit. Contador's endurance, speed, and agility are often highlighted metrics in comparisons of elite cyclists.
At the Giro d'Italia, Contador's team performed well in the opening team time trial, finishing 2nd to. He gained 6 seconds on Fabio Aru, 12 seconds on Rigoberto Urán, and 20 seconds on Richie Porte. Contador took the maglia rosa on the summit finish on stage 5 to Abetone.
However, the next day, Contador dislocated his shoulder after crashing on the finishing straight. He was able to finish but dislocated the shoulder again before the podium presentation. Despite this, Contador was able to continue in the race, holding on to the jersey.
However, on stage 13, on what most assumed was an "easy day" of racing, Contador crashed in a pile-up, 3.2 km from the finish; he crossed the line 42 seconds behind the peloton, including Aru. Thus Contador lost the pink jersey, the first time he lost the leader's jersey in any Grand Tour up to that point in his career.
However the next day, on a 59.3 km individual time trial, Contador led the field, taking back the pink jersey and created a sizable time difference over the rest of the peloton. On stage 16, Contador suffered a mechanical problem on the descent of Apria and other teams including Astana tried to take advantage.
Still, Contador made contact with Aru at the Mortirolo Pass and put another two minutes into his rival as Mikel Landa became the second-placed rider on the general classification. On Stage 20, Contador lost some time to both Landa and Aru but retained his pink jersey. Eventually, he won the overall classification by 1:53 over Aru.
Despite being stripped of his 2011 title for a doping suspension, Contador insisted that this was his third Giro victory, therefore including the 2011 race in his count.
With his second official Giro title, along with two official Tour de France titles and three Vuelta a España overall wins, Contador joined Bernard Hinault as the only cyclists to have achieved multiple victories at each of the Grand Tours.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
As of 2025, Alberto Contador is happily married to his longtime partner, María José. The couple tied the knot in 2016 and has since welcomed two children into their family. Contador and María José often share glimpses of their family life on social media, showcasing their strong bond and commitment.
Contador lives with his wife Macarena in the city of Pinto when not competing. He has a fascination for birds, keeping personally bred canaries and goldfinches at home.
Net Worth and Salary
Alberto Contador has built a substantial fortune throughout his career, with a net worth estimated at around $25 million. His earnings stem not just from racing but also from various sponsorships, endorsements, and his ventures in the cycling industry post-retirement. In his prime, his annual salary ranged from $5 million to $10 million, solidifying his status as one of the highest-paid cyclists.
On 8 June it was announced that Contador would rejoin upon the completion of his ban, signing a contract that would keep him with the team until the end of the 2015 season. After the completion of his suspension, Contador competed in the Eneco Tour as preparation for the Vuelta a España where he finished 4th in the general classification.
Consequently, Contador was named leader of for the Vuelta a España. Contador attacked numerous times throughout the mountains in the first sixteen stages of the race, but with no avail, since the race leader Joaquim Rodríguez always countered and finished ahead of him.
This proved costly since there were bonus seconds awarded to the first three riders of each stage: twelve seconds for first, eight seconds for second and four seconds for third.
Even on the queen stage of the race, finishing atop the Cuitu Negru and featuring slopes with a gradient of more than 20% close to the line, Rodríguez annulled the numerous attacks of Contador and sailed past him to the finish.
However, his fortunes turned around during the seventeenth stage; he attacked in that latter portion of the stage and made a solo effort up the final climb of the day after his breakaway companion Paolo Tiralongo of was dropped.
Contador won the stage by six seconds over the first chase group and took the lead away from Rodríguez, who was relegated to more than two minutes in the general classification.
He held on to the race lead during the last mountain stage leading atop the Bola del Mondo, where he was dropped by Rodríguez and Alejandro Valverde, who held second place overall. He managed to limit his losses and retain the lead of the race.
On the next day, Contador crossed the finish line in Madrid with the race leader's red jersey, earning the second Vuelta victory of his career.
Career, Business and Investments
After retiring from professional cycling in 2017, Alberto Contador remained actively involved in the sport through coaching, mentoring, and managing his own cycling team. He has invested in various businesses related to cycling gear and nutrition, further diversifying his income. Contador also hosts cycling tours and events that promote sports and wellness, demonstrating his dedication to encouraging younger generations to engage in cycling.
Contador was known as an attacking rider who excelled as a climber, and on his best days was also an excellent time-trialist. He was also known for being able to turn races around to his favour, most notably during the Fuente Dé stage at the 2012 Vuelta a España.
Following his return from suspension, he won the Vuelta twice and the Giro once more. On the penultimate day of his career, he won a stage victory at the mountaintop finish of the Alto de l'Angliru.
Social Network
Alberto Contador maintains a vibrant presence on social media platforms, including Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, where he connects with fans and shares insights from his life, career, and cycling events. His social media engagement helps him maintain a strong connection with the cycling community and support budding cyclists around the globe.
Contador won Stage 15 of the Tour de France by soloing to the finish line more than a minute ahead of most of his closest general classification competitors, and in so doing took the yellow jersey.
He then extended his lead on Stage 17, after finishing second in a breakaway of three riders with the same time as the stage winner, and then the next day he won the second time trial, increasing his overall advantage to more than four minutes.
Contador won his second Tour de France on 26 July with a winning margin of 4' 11" over Andy Schleck, and finished 5' 24" ahead of Armstrong, who finished third in his return to the Tour after a four-year absence. Contador had won the last four Grand Tour races that he had entered.
During the celebration at the podium, the organisers of the Tour wrongly played the Danish national anthem instead of the Spanish Royal March.
In the aftermath of the tour, Contador and Armstrong engaged in a war of words, with Contador quoted as saying that, although Armstrong "is a great rider and [..] did a great Tour[, but] on a personal level [..] I have never admired him and never will", and Armstrong responding that "a champion is also measured on how much he respects his teammates
and opponents." The sniping caused others, such as the director of the Tour, to wonder "what it would have been like to have had Contador and Armstrong in different teams." Contador later described the experience as "psychologically tough", likening it to having to compete in two races – one on the road, the other in the team hotel.
Armstrong's control of the team during the race extended to its entire fleet of team cars, forcing Contador to rely on his brother to take him from stage finishes to the hotel.
Education
Alberto Contador attended the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where he pursued studies in sports science. His educational background complements his professional insights, allowing him to approach cycling not only as an athlete but also as someone knowledgeable about the science behind peak physical performance.
He dropped out of school at the age of 16 without having finished his Bachillerato and signed with Iberdrola–Loinaz, a youth team run by Manolo Saiz, manager of the professional team. In 2001, he won the under-23 race at the Spanish National Time Trial Championships.
