Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) could not quite recapture the Tour which he won back-to-back in 2022 and 2023, instead settling for second place behind Tadej Pogacar.
And Contador told TNT Sports: “I think with Vingegaard, everyone knows he is the second-best Grand Tour rider in the world behind Tadej Pogacar.
“I think that if he doesn’t win the Vuelta it would be quite surprising, but at the same time I don’t think he has anything to prove because of what he has done at the Tour de France in previous years.
“It’s clear that Vingegaard is the favourite, and for me, the clear favourite. But many things can happen on a Grand Tour.”
‘Scared’ Vingegaard left it too late – and paid with ‘worst second place ever’
Video credit: TNT Sports
“It’s his second Grand Tour of the year after the Tour de France,” continued Contador. “So we will need to see how he has recovered, but in theory he should be better than the rest.”
La Vuelta returns to La Farrapona this year, which brings back memories for Contador of an epic battle there in the 2014 race.
Contador had to fight off an attack from Britain’s Chris Froome that day, which he successfully did on the way to winning the stage.
“That was an important stage. I was already leading the race, and I knew I had to hold Froome off, as well as ‘Purito’ [Joaquim Rodriguez] and [Alejandro] Valverde, who at some points earlier in the race were even bigger rivals than Froome,” said Contador.
Alberto Contador in action at Le Vuelta in 2014
Image credit: Getty Images
“Froome, bit by bit, got better, and then on that stage, maybe Valverde and Purito didn’t think he was up to it, Froome launched a ferocious attack.
“I think that when you are able to survive Froome’s first and second attacks, you know after that he won’t drop you.
“So I just stayed on his wheel and then when I saw the last KM sign, I attacked to snatch 10 to 15 seconds as well as the bonus seconds.”
The 2025 edition of La Vuelta begins on Saturday in Turin.
Watch every stage of La Vuelta 2025 live on TNT Sports and discovery+.