Contador returned to racing after being reinstated from a provisional doping suspension at the Volta ao Algarve, an event where he was the defending champion. He finished fourth overall, having slipped from second in the final day's time trial, bettered in both the time trial and the overall standings by 's Tony Martin. Contador got back to his winning ways at the Vuelta a Murcia in March. He finished safely in the bunch in a flat but difficult stage 1, one where several overall contenders lost time. He won the hillier second stage, being the first up the Alto del Collado Bermejo and beating Denis Menchov and 's Jérôme Coppel by five seconds on the descent to the finish line. He also won the stage 3 time trial, by eight seconds over Coppel and 12 over Menchov, and the three finished in those same positions on the final podium. Since the Vuelta a Murcia overlapped with Paris–Nice by a day, Contador did not defend his championship at that event. At Tirreno–Adriatico, J. J. Haedo won stage 3 ahead of race leader Tyler Farrar, as Farrar had been forced to sprint from a long way out after an early leadout from world champion Thor Hushovd. The Argentinian timed his sprint just right and took an easy win. Contador won the queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya in March, last shedding former teammate Levi Leipheimer on the ascent to Vallnord in Andorra. The other stages all ended in group sprints, meaning Contador's 23-second time gap attained in Andorra was sufficient to win him the race overall.
