When Carlos Sastre stood on top of the podium as Tour de France champion in Paris last July, it was in the knowledge that he was not even the best cyclist in Spain, let alone the world.
Sastre admittedly rode a stunning race to seal a surprise victory but he did so without Alberto Contador in the field, universally regarded as the world's best cyclist of the Grand Tours.
Contador had been denied the chance to defend his 2007 Tour crown after his Astana team were banned from last year's race because of failed drug tests by some of their riders.
The Spaniard was not among the guilty parties but missed out on cycling's premier race because of the indiscretions of riders such as Alexander Vinokourov, who has since served a ban from the sport for doping.
Astana's unclean riders have been sacked and Contador will line up as the star-studded team's leader even, despite having a seven-time Tour de France winner in Lance Armstrong in their nine-man Tour line-up.
Contador admits the 2008 race was hard to watch but he shrugs it off as nothing more than a minor setback. The 26-year-old from Madrid has had worse to deal with in the past.
Four years ago while riding on stage one of a fairly innocuous stage race, the Vuelta a Asturias, Contador collapsed and was taken to hospital where doctors found bleeding in his brain.
He underwent high-risk surgery to correct the problem but gradually managed to recover and, to coin an Armstrong phrase, got back on the bike. Contador still sports a scar on his head from ear to ear and admits he uses that life-threatening setback as a springboard for some of his tougher days on the bike.
"When something so serious happens to you, it makes you evaluate the really important things, and realise how narrow the line is between success and failure," said Contador.
"I haven't forgotten it and never will, so it serves to make me more consistent.
"I had to fight very hard to overcome it and return to racing.
"Since then, my motto is 'where there's a will, there's a way' and I've tried to be faithful to that ever since."
His return to health and fitness was helped, in part, by Lance Armstrong.
While recovering in hospital, Contador avidly read Armstrong's autobiography about his battle with cancer and his triumphant return to the Tour de France.
Comparisons have been drawn between the pair, but Contador shrugs them off.
"I've won one Tour de France and he's won seven so there's a big difference between us," said the Spaniard.
The irony that Armstrong's book could yet inspire his Astana team-mate to Tour glory is not lost on the Texan, who has stated his desire to win an eighth Tour de France this month.
As it stands, Contador is the team No 1, but his team's loyalty could severely be tested if he shows the slightest chink in his armour and Armstrong produces the past form the peloton knows he is capable of.
The politics at the team could yet derail Contador, the favourite to win the Tour, but he refuses to talk in anything but positive fashion about the returning Armstrong, even if there is a hint of doubt in his voice.
"Being on the same team with Armstrong is a great experience and I think that'll be a positive in the Tour," said Contador.
"I don't think I can really consider him a domestique.
"For instance, he finished well in the Giro d'Italia [Armstrong was an admirable 12th] and still has aspirations for the Tour.
"Time will tell how it goes in the end. It will be the race that chooses one or other of us."
Armstrong has clearly played a role in making Contador the rider he is today and Contador is grateful to his part-time mentor, although hints that their relationship is far from close.
"We haven't been around each other for any length of time but it's always instructive to see how he does things and what goes on around a team in which one of the riders is somebody like Lance Armstrong," he said.
So what is it that makes a great leader for Armstrong? In Contador's mind, there is one sole ingredient.
"You've got to get important victories, it's the only way," he said.
And as it stands there have been no shortage of those.
After being ruled out of last year's Tour de France, he instead rode the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta d'Espagna, comfortably winning both.
This season, the results have been more modest but, then again, Contador has singled out the Tour, much as Armstrong did in his prime, as his sole aim for 2009.
"Sure, I'll be one of the favourites but only one of the favourites at the start line," he said.
"The Tour is the most complicated race in the world to win as always.
"You need to be the strongest and also to have everything go well, which doesn't always happen.
"One small crash and bam, your season's over so it's too early to say it's a race I'll definitely win."
Whatever the outcome on French soil over the next 23 days, there is no denying that Contador is some way short in terms of cycling greatness than Armstrong. However, the motivation of being a multiple Tour winner may have been Armstrong's motivation, but it is not that of his successor.
"For me, the important thing isn't accumulating Tours, Giros or Vueltas," he said, "but enjoying competition every day. That's what I like and what motivates me to train."
On the bike, Contador's racing future is unsure, although, aside from Caisse d'Epargne, there are a host of teams lining up for his signature.
For his part, he - well, publicly anyway - says that he is happy at Astana. But the Kazakh backers have been seriously hit by the credit crunch with many of the riders and backroom staff having gone unpaid parts of the season amid serious financial difficulties.
That uncertainty had even cast doubts over Contador and the team's involvement at this year's Tour, but their lead rider insists he cannot dwell on the difficulties the tem are facing.
"The team's problems are important but my main concern is that it will not affect my preparation for the Tour de France in any way and I think I've succeeded in that," he said.
"As for resolving the problems, we're in the process and I think that we'll get them resolved before the race starts."
Contador admits that the Tour has been his sole focus for "so, so long" and claims that off the bike he has a "boring, simple life".
As well as birds, he has a passion for hunting when his schedule allows and is a motorsport nut, karting with friends whenever possible and following the fortunes of countryman Fernando Alonso on the television whenever possible.
But his biggest passion off the bike is his fiancee Macarena, although Contador has no immediate plans to marry.
"It's still too soon for making plans like that," he said.
"She, like the rest of the key people in my life, knows me and knows what's important for me at any given moment.
"She helps me keep my feet firmly on the ground.
"But my life is not all exciting, despite people always wanting to know about it. I have very ordinary tastes and try to hang around with friends that I've known all my life."
For the next three weeks, his sole interest will be in riding into yellow come Paris.
@Email:mmajendie@thenational.ae
more from Janine di Giovanni
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
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The biog
Favourite book: Men are from Mars Women are from Venus
Favourite travel destination: Ooty, a hill station in South India
Hobbies: Cooking. Biryani, pepper crab are her signature dishes
Favourite place in UAE: Marjan Island
PFA Team of the Year: David de Gea, Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen, Nicolas Otamendi, Marcos Alonso, David Silva, Kevin De Bruyne, Christian Eriksen, Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Five films to watch
Castle in the Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Pom Poki (1994)
The Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013)
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
War
Director: Siddharth Anand
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Tiger Shroff, Ashutosh Rana, Vaani Kapoor
Rating: Two out of five stars
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Scotland v Ireland:
Scotland (15-1): Stuart Hogg; Tommy Seymour, Huw Jones, Sam Johnson, Sean Maitland; Finn Russell, Greig Laidlaw (capt); Josh Strauss, James Ritchie, Ryan Wilson; Jonny Gray, Grant Gilchrist; Simon Berghan, Stuart McInally, Allan Dell
Replacements: Fraser Brown, Jamie Bhatti, D'arcy Rae, Ben Toolis, Rob Harley, Ali Price, Pete Horne, Blair Kinghorn
Coach: Gregor Townsend (SCO)
Ireland (15-1): Rob Kearney; Keith Earls, Chris Farrell, Bundee Aki, Jacob Stockdale; Jonathan Sexton, Conor Murray; Jack Conan, Sean O'Brien, Peter O'Mahony; James Ryan, Quinn Roux; Tadhg Furlong, Rory Best (capt), Cian Healy
Replacements: Sean Cronin, Dave Kilcoyne, Andrew Porter, Ultan Dillane, Josh van der Flier, John Cooney, Joey Carbery, Jordan Larmour
Coach: Joe Schmidt (NZL)
THE SPECS
Engine: 1.5-litre
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Power: 110 horsepower
Torque: 147Nm
Price: From Dh59,700
On sale: now
The biog
Born: High Wycombe, England
Favourite vehicle: One with solid axels
Favourite camping spot: Anywhere I can get to.
Favourite road trip: My first trip to Kazakhstan-Kyrgyzstan. The desert they have over there is different and the language made it a bit more challenging.
Favourite spot in the UAE: Al Dhafra. It’s unique, natural, inaccessible, unspoilt.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
RESULTS
5pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner: Yas Xmnsor, Sean Kirrane (jockey), Khalifa Al Neyadi (trainer)
5.30pm: Falaj Hazza – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Arim W’Rsan, Dane O’Neill, Jaci Wickham
6pm: Al Basrah – Maiden (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Kalifano De Ghazal, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
6.30pm: Oud Al Touba – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Pharitz Oubai, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm: Sieh bin Amaar – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (D) 1,800m
Winner: Oxord, Richard Mullen, Abdalla Al Hammadi
7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: AF Ramz, Sean Kirrane, Khalifa Al Neyadi
8pm: Al Saad – Handicap (TB) Dh70,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Sea Skimmer, Gabriele Malune, Kareem Ramadan
