Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador on Tuesday announced that he would extend his contract for a further year with the Tinkoff-Saxo team.
The Spaniard’s current contract with the team expires at the end of this season, but the 32-year-old will ride for an extra season before retiring.
“Hello all, happy to announce that in 2016 will continue being rider of @tinkoff-saxo!!!,” Contador wrote on his official Twitter account.
“I’m very happy that Alberto will lead Tinkoff-Saxo in 2016 as well, because I truly believe he is the best cyclist in the world and I am convinced he will continue to be so for a few more years,” said the team’s owner Oleg Tinkov in a statement.
“Unfortunately, he decided he would retire at the end of next year which means he will race with my team for two full seasons. I would have, obviously, preferred him to stay longer but that was his personal decision.
“However, I am very proud that Alberto’s impressive career will conclude in my team and I hope he takes the Tinkoff-Saxo colors to the top step of the Tour de France podium in 2015 and 2016.”
Climb specialist Contador, who has won all three major tours, is due to take part in this week’s Tirreno-Adriatico stage race in Italy which starts on Wednesday.
His main rivals in that will be reigning Tour de France champion Vincenzo Nibali and Giro d’Italia champion the Colombian climber Nairo Quintana, while Contador won the Tour of Spain last season.
Contador is among the favourites for the 2015 Tour de France, which begins on July 4 in Utrecht.
He previously won cycling’s biggest prize in 2007 and 2009 as well as the Tour of Spain in 2008, 2012 and 2014 and the Tour of Italy in 2008.