Team Saxo Bank-SunGard's Alberto Contador took the overall lead in the Tour of Catalunya after winning stage 3 earlier today. It was the queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya 2011 race.

Alberto Contador beat Michele Scarponi of Italy and American Levi Leipheimer (Team RadioShack) while waiting for the International Cycling Union (UCI) to announce whether it will appeal against the Spanish federation's decision to clear him in a doping case.

Contador flew away on the dreaded Andorra climb to claim a beautiful stage win largely as a result of a heroic effort from Saxo Bank-SunGard teammates Chris Anker Sørensen and Daniel Navarro, who supported Contador in fabulous fashion on the climb.

"The stage win was simply the icing on the cake after a perfect team effort on a very demanding mountain stage. First, André, Benjamin and Volodymir put a huge pressure on the peloton in the flat terrain and then Hernandez, then Daniel and finally Chris was pacing the field to an extent where no one was able to follow Alberto when he made his move on the final part of the uphill finish, Team Saxo Bank-SunGard sports director Dan Frost told Roadcycling.com and Roadcycling.mobi after the finish.

"Now, it's going to be difficult to take the jersey away from us but we have to work hard again in the next few days in order to bring home the overall win," Frost added.

The UCI has said it will announce its decision on three-times Tour de France champion Alberto Contador either today or tomorrow.

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