Alberto Contador | Celebrity Net Worth 2026

Biography & Early Wealth Journey

Alberto Contador is considered one of the greatest stage racers of his generation. He won the Tour de France in 2007 and 2009, the Giro d'Italia in 2008 and 2015, and the Vuelta a España in 2008, 2012 and 2014. Those seven victories made him one of the small group of riders to win all three of cycling's Grand Tours and one of the few to win each race more than once.

Known as "El Pistolero," Contador built his reputation through explosive mountain attacks, strong time trials and an aggressive style. His career also included a major anti-doping case. A positive test from the 2010 Tour ultimately led to a two-year suspension and the removal of his victories in the 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro.

After retiring in 2017, Contador became a television commentator, team executive and entrepreneur. He co-founded the bicycle company AURUM with Ivan Basso and helped build the organization that became Team Polti VisitMalta.

Early Life

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

Alberto Contador Velasco was born on December 6, 1982, in Pinto, a municipality in the Madrid region of Spain. He was the third of four children. His younger brother, Raúl, has cerebral palsy, and Contador later became involved in charitable work related to health and disability.

Contador played soccer and participated in athletics before becoming serious about cycling at 14. His older brother, Francisco Javier, introduced him to the sport. Contador later won the under-23 Spanish national time trial championship and turned professional with ONCE-Eroski in 2003.

Life-Threatening Illness and Comeback

Contador earned his first professional victory in 2003 with an individual time trial at the Tour de Pologne. During the 2004 Vuelta a Asturias, he collapsed and suffered convulsions. Doctors diagnosed a cerebral cavernoma, an abnormal cluster of blood vessels in his brain. He underwent risky surgery and spent months recovering.

Real Estate, Luxury Assets & Personal Investments

Contador returned in 2005, winning a stage of the Tour Down Under and the overall title at the Setmana Catalana. His recovery later inspired some of his charitable work.

Tour de France Breakthrough

Contador joined the Discovery Channel team for the 2007 season. That summer, he entered the Tour de France as a leading young contender. He moved into the yellow jersey after race leader Michael Rasmussen was removed by his team amid questions about missed anti-doping controls.

Contador defeated Cadel Evans by 23 seconds, becoming the youngest Tour winner in a decade and the first Spaniard to win since Miguel Indurain.

Wealth Trajectory & Future Earnings Projections

After Discovery Channel disbanded, Contador joined Astana. The team was excluded from the 2008 Tour, but he won both the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España, becoming the first Spanish cyclist to win all three Grand Tours.

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Second Tour Victory

Contador returned to the Tour de France in 2009 as the leader of an Astana team that also included Lance Armstrong, who was returning from retirement. Their uneasy relationship became one of the central stories of the race.

Despite tension over team leadership, Contador established himself as the strongest rider. He won at Verbier, delivered a dominant time trial and finished more than four minutes ahead of Andy Schleck. Armstrong placed third.

The victory gave Contador his second official Tour title. At his peak, he earned millions of euros per year through salary, bonuses and endorsements.

Doping Case and Suspension

Contador initially won the 2010 Tour de France, defeating Schleck by 39 seconds. A test conducted during the race later detected a small amount of clenbuterol, a prohibited substance.

Contador maintained that the substance entered his body through contaminated meat. The Spanish cycling federation initially cleared him, but the UCI and World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

In February 2012, the court imposed a retroactive two-year suspension. His 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro victories, along with other results from the affected period, were removed. Contador continued to deny intentionally using a prohibited substance.

Return and Final Grand Tour Victories

Contador returned to racing in August 2012 and quickly reestablished himself as a Grand Tour contender. At that year's Vuelta a España, he launched a long-range attack on the stage to Fuente Dé that overturned the overall standings and carried him to victory.

He won the Vuelta again in 2014 after recovering from a fractured tibia and captured his second official Giro title in 2015 despite dislocating his shoulder early in the race.

Contador retired after the 2017 Vuelta, ending his career by attacking on the Alto de l'Angliru and winning the mountain stage on the penultimate day.

Business Ventures and Broadcasting

After retiring, Contador joined Eurosport as a cycling analyst and commentator. He also expanded the Alberto Contador Foundation, which promotes cycling development and raises awareness of strokes and neurological conditions.

Contador, his brother Fran and Ivan Basso developed a cycling program that grew from junior and under-23 teams into a professional organization. The team eventually became Team Polti VisitMalta, a UCI ProTeam that competes in major international races.

In 2020, Contador and Basso launched AURUM, a premium bicycle brand. The company produces high-performance road bikes and supplies equipment to their professional team. Contador has also remained involved in cycling events, sponsorships, public appearances and speaking engagements.

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