Contador showed strong form as he launched a solo attack on the uphill finish on Alto do Malhao with no riders being able to catch up with Contador. Lampre-Merida's World Champion Rui Costa struggled to keep up with Contador and finished three seconds behind. Previous overall race leader Kwiatkowski lost ten seconds to the reanimated Spaniard.

Team Lampre-Merida's American Vuelta a Espana champion Chris Horner finished in 6th position, 14 seconds behind the stage winner.
 
"I'm happy because the team worked very hard and what better way to pay back than finishing with a win," Contador explained after being celebrated on the podium.

"My physical condition is getting better each day and the hard work during the winter is now paying off. Actually, this climb was too short to make a big difference, but I wanted to concentrate on the stage win rather than the overall. But I'm happy because the team really sacrificed themselves for me and when you finish the work with a win, it leaves a very good taste in your mouth," Contador added.

Despite Contador's strong efforts in today's stage, Kwiatkowski still leads the Volta ao Algarve by 16 seconds before tomorrow's stage. Costa is 29 seconds behind the leader.

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