How many grand tours has Alberto Contador actually won?

Asking how many Grand Tours a particular cyclist has won is usually quite a simple question. Chris Froome has won two. Nairo Quintana one, Vincenzo Nibali three.

In Alberto Contador’s case, however, it seems it depends who you ask.

If you ask the UCI, ASO, RCS, virtually any cycling body with any power you will get the answer seven. According to them Contador has won two Tours, two Giros and three Vueltas. He had won the 2010 Tour and the 2011 Giro in addition to these, but was stripped after his positive test for clenbuterol.

If you ask Alberto Contador though you will get a staunch, defiant, nine.

During an interview with The Guardian in his home town of Pinto, Spain this week Contador insisted that “without doubt I’ve won nine”. He even had the audacity to point out the winners’ jerseys he has on the wall, among them those for the 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro.

It’s hardly surprising Contador wants to maintain his innocence and claim his nine victories. If it were officially the case, next year he would be taking aim at Grand Tour win number 10, one behind the all-time record of 11 belonging to Eddy Merckx.

However, he is breaking the mould slightly when it comes to riders who have failed drugs tests. Most who have been caught have come out and apologised, admitting their wrongdoing. Contador’s defiance will not sit well with those in power.

There is another angle from which this question must be examined though. If Contador was on drugs during his 2010 Tour triumph, and by extension should not have been riding the 2011 Giro d’Italia, are any of his other Grand Tour triumphs genuine?

Much has been made of cycling’s new dawn when it comes to doping, and despite the suspicion around Chris Froome at this year’s Tour de France, many of today’s performances are lauded as victories for clean cycling.

With that said, is Contador included? Are his 2015 Giro victory and two Vuelta wins post-ban included in this vision of clean cycling? Contador would certainly say so, though of course he would. It’s likely the UCI would too, it would be very embarrassing after all if he was caught doping twice.

What about Contador’s victories before he was banned? He exploded into cycling fans’ consciences at the 2007 Tour, winning the race after virtually walking into yellow after Michael Rasmussen’s expulsion. From there on he proved to be the world’s dominant stage racer, taking the crown at not three more GTs before the 2010 Tour.

Are we supposed to believe his performances before his ban were clean? Or are we just supposed to go along with the flawed logic of the cycling authorities of banning and stripping some cheats, but not others. Jan Ullrich still has his 1997 victory despite cheating, should Contador still have his 2010 title then?

Officially, Contador has won seven Grand Tours. If you ask Bertie, he’ll tell you nine. Who knows what the actual answer is?