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Spanish PM praises tenacity of Contador
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero praised Tour de France winner Alberto Contador as an example of "tenacity and hard work" on Monday at a reception for the cyclist at his official residence.
"I want to thank you for always having defended with pride the colours of our flag. You are an example of hard work and tenacity and of how to behave and compete in sports," he said, adding he believed Contador would win another Tour.
Contador, the winner in 2007 and 2009, pulled on his third Tour de France yellow jersey on Sunday after the 20th and final stage of cycling's premier event.
The 27-year-old was greeted by hundreds of supporters when he arrived at Madrid airport earlier on Monday.
After being received by Zapatero, he travelled to his hometown of Pinto near the Spanish capital where he waved his yellow jersey and jumped on the balcony of the town hall as the crowd below waved yellow and red Spanish flags.
"Thank you so much, I can't say anthing more," he said.
His victory comes just two weeks after Spain won their first World Cup title and it came on the same day that two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso won Sunday's German Grand Prix while Jorge Lorenzo won the United States Moto Grand Prix.
"It is extraordinary. We are at this moment the country with the most success in sports at the highest level," said Zapatero.
Earlier this year tennis world number one Rafael Nadal's won Wimbledon
and the French Open while Spain also won the world basketball
championships in 2006 and finished as runners-up to the US at the Olympic
Games two years later.
