Tour de France winner Alberto Contador was left out of Spain's preliminary squad for the 2009 road world championships on Wednesday.

"It was difficult after the long and intense season he has had ... we have spoken and concluded it was best that he doesn't go to Mendrisio," Spain manager Jose Luis De Santos said in a statement on the Spanish federation website (www.rfec.com).

The world championships are in Mendrisio, Switzerland, between Sept. 23 and 27.