Contador Pretty in Pink with First Giro d'Italia Win

Contador and Astana showed why they should be included in every grand tour

Alberto Contador did what many doubted at the beginning of the Giro three weeks ago: win the Giro d'Italia. Behind strong support from his Astana team and shrewd tactical riding, the Spaniard was able to take his second grand tour without ever winning a a stage. Italians Riccardo Ricco, Danilo Di Luca and Emanuele Sella tried valiantly to dislodge Contador throughout the race, but were unable to turn the 25 year old away. With the victory, Contador put to rest any doubts about his status in the professional peloton. He is the best stage racer in the world, and can win even without ideal preparation for a particular race.

The revelation of the 2008 Giro, Sella took three stages, the mountain green jersey and a top ten overall

The talk must now shift to whether Astana will receive a belated invite to the Tour de France. They have shown themselves more than capable of competing on short notice, and would be a potent addition to the world's biggest bike race. Even more important, leaving the Astana team out of the Tour would decrease the legitimacy of the winner's ride. Sure the winner of the Tour would be deserving, but fans and pundits alike will mark the fact that the world's best stage racing team wasn't present.

Ricco whined and complained throughout the Giro about everything from faulty equipment to bad roads to lack of team support, earning himself a reputation as a sore loser and egotistical complainer

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme is faced with a tough decision: stubbornly stick to his guns and deal with the media and public backlash, or bow to Astana's superiority and appear at the mercy of the teams. Either way, the Frenchman will have regrets about his decision as he deals with a problem, that for better or for worse, he created. A suggestion from EuroPeloton to Mr. Prudhomme: swallow your pride and find a way to include the Kazakhstani squad. You'll regret it for the entire year if you keep them out, and you'll doubtlessly have to deal throughout this year's event with questions from the media and fans alike.