Contador out of road world championships squad

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador was left out of Spain’s preliminary squad for the road world championships in Mendrisio, Switzerland from September 23-27.

Contador, who was crowned the yellow jersey champion in Paris, pulled out of the Tour of Spain last week and has now decided he is not 100 per cent fit to race.

Following talks with Spain's team chief Jose Luis de Santos, the Astana rider said in a press release: "After looking back at my season, and given that I haven't raced since the Tour de France we have decided it's best to give up my place to someone else. It's been a long season.

"To get in race condition for the start of the championships would really require a major effort, and the riders who are currently racing the Vuelta would come in with much better condition."

Also missing is 2008 Tour de France winner Carlo Sastre, although the provisional squad still includes plenty of talent, with Samuel Sánchez of Euskaltel-Euskadi presumably looking to add the rainbow jersey to the Olympic gold medal he won in Beijing last year, and Caisse d'Epargne's Alejandro Valverde and Rabobank's Oscar Freire also figuring.