Alberto Contador Trek-segafredo

here was a time when Alberto Contador epitomised the phrase ‘dancing on the pedals’. Lightfooted and stylish, ‘El Pistolero’ used his much-lauded talents to dance up mountains, away from his rivals and all the way into the yellow jersey on the Champs-elysées — three times. However, in 2012 he was judged to have danced way too close to the fire, and was handed a two-year backdated ban for a clenbuterol positive which stripped him of his 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro d’italia titles.

Despite winning the 2012 Vuelta a España, somehow he has never quite looked the same rider, particularly at the Tour, where his most successful finish since 2010 was fourth place back in 2013.

In fairness to Contador, he has perhaps not had a full crack of the whip in France, where he has had to abandon injured twice in four years. When you factor in recent wins at the Vuelta (2014) and the Giro (2015) and an ability to always be in the mix, it’s hard to shake the feeling that the Spaniard still has the potential to deliver a surprise.

Due to retire this year, this will be Contador’s final Tour de France. It’s a basket in which he has now placed the last of his eggs, having forgone any chance of success at the Criterium du Dauphiné in favour of using the race very much as preparation.

“Some people might want to win for a psychological boost, but that’s not the case for me,” he said beforehand. “The Dauphiné is the Dauphiné, and the Tour is the Tour.”

Wary of going too deep, which he claimed had affected his Tour in the past, Contador finished the Dauphiné a contented 11th, insisting he was well on track for July.

Last time lucky? Time will tell.