Alberto Contador made himself the big favourite to win the Vuelta a Espana when he finished fourth in the long time trial and took the leader's jersey. However, the Spaniard would prefer to lose the coveted tunic before taking it back in the final week of the race.

Going into the Vuelta a Espana, Alberto Contador claimed that he was unlikely to be in contention for the top positions. However, he has continually done better than expected and today he firmly established himself as the man to beat when he finished fourth in the time trial and took the leader's jersey.

"I’m extremely happy with the position I had on GC before the time trial and the position I have after the time trial," he said. "Had I been told twenty days ago that I’d wear the red jersey today, I would have laughed.

"My first week at the Vuelta gave me the confidence I needed for the time trial. It was impossible for me to do better than this. I expected to clock more or less the same time as Froome but it’s much better than I thought.

"I had the feeling to have started well but you never know how the others are going at the same time. I wanted to ride at a regular pace. I knew the last part was for the specialists so I had to use the hill to my advantage.

"The downhill wasn’t just a question of luck, it was a question of staying focused. I went and recognized the hill and the downhill in the evening and again in the morning. It went well for me.

"Quintana is one of the many riders who were in contention for the overall win. He’s an excellent rider and he’s got many Vueltas ahead of him. But we’ll keep a close eye on him in the coming climbs.

"All eyes are on me now. If I manage to win the Vuelta, it’s incredible after my crash at the Tour de France. But I want to take it day by day and with no pressure.

"I had great legs at the Dauphiné and I didn’t win the race. It would be perfect to lose the red jersey and take it back at Santiago but it’s going to be complicated. My goal is to have it at Santiago. Anyway, for now, I prefer to be ahead than behind."

"Alberto did an amazing job on the course with a wild pace on the climb and from then on he maintained the pressure but on the descent he lost time to the likes of Martin and Cancellara," sports director Steven De Jongh said. "However, we're thrilled to have the jersey and tomorrow's a very tough day with an uphill finish. We'll try to control the stage and naturally defend the lead."