Stage set for battle royale over treacherous course

Spain's Contador looking to cement legacy as era's top rider against a vaunted field

Alberto Contador will cement his status as the best grand tour rider of the modern era if he emerges as the winner of the Big Four's battle royale at the Tour de France - the most highly anticipated race in decades.

The Spaniard is looking to achieve the Giro d'Italia/Tour double for the first time since the late Marco Pantani in 1998, but the competition has never been fiercer for the seven-time grand tour champion who will retire at the end of next year.