I still think Contador might not be superior in long-distance attacks. Problem is, everybody is so scared of him very few people have tried that tactic. The way he rides, when he attacks he takes advantage of his unmatched explosiveness to accelerate and create a gap early on, then maintains it more or less till the finish. One on one, on the last climb of the day, only the best Candy has proved he can match him. Contador might also be superior in long-range, endurance duels, hell, he probably is, but it's the card Scarponi and Nibali have to play.
That said, Jesús Hernandez's performance on the Etna is not good news for anybody outside of Saxo.