Freire and Contador to lead Spain in worlds

Three-time world champion Oscar Freire and newly-crowned Tour of Spain champion Alberto Contador will lead the Spanish team at the September 15-23 world championships in the Netherlands. The seven other riders are: Dani Moreno, Joaquim Rodriguez, Jonathan Castroviejo, Pablo Lastras, Alejandro Valverde, Juan Antonio Flecha and Samuel Sanchez. The list is not definitive, with a decision to be taken on Sanchez's participation to be made after the ongoing Tour of Britain, Egoi Martinez waiting in the wings as a replacement. "We are not the favourites," said Spanish federation coach Jose Luis de Santos. "As far as I'm concerned, there are two teams which are stronger than us: Belgium and Italy. "But that's not to say we don't have ambitions." Contador, who on Sunday won his second Tour of Spain just one month after returning from a two-year doping ban, will race the time-trial along with Castroviejo.