Contador cuts Algarve lead

Lisbon - Spain's two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador won the fourth stage of the Tour of Algarve on Saturday to make serious inroads into Michal Kwiatkowski's lead with one day's riding to go.

Contador, with the Tinkoff-Saxo team, was 32 seconds adrift going into the 164.5 kilometre ride, but after beating Rui Costa to the summit finish at Alto do Malhao, he had cut that deficit to just 16sec.

Local rider and world road race champion Costa came in three seconds behind Contador with Kwiatkowski in third, 10sec back.

The Algarve race concludes with Sunday's sprinter-friendly 155.8km fifth stage between Tavira and Vilamoura.

Results of the Tour of Algarve fourth stage, a 164.5 kilometre ride from Almodovar to the summit finish at Alto do Malhao on Saturday:

1. Alberto Contador (ESP/Tinkoff-Saxo) 4hr 02min 08sec, 2. Rui Costa (POR) at 3sec, 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) 10, 4. Eduard Prades (ESP) 13, 5. Tiago Machado (POR) s.t.

Overall standings

1. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL/Omega Pharma) 13hr 05min 50sec, 2. Alberto Contador (ESP) at 16sec, 3. Rui Costa (POR) 29, 4. Alexandre Geniez (FRA) 1min 10sec, 5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) 1:29