Alberto Contador to shelve retirement plans

After winning the 2016 Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco on Saturday with a time trial victory, Alberto Contador says he will probably continue to race in 2017 instead of retiring at the end of this season: “Recently, I have been pondering and thinking about my future with my entourage and, most probably, I will continue riding. I’m sure this isn’t the last time I come here.”

The 33-year-old Spaniard, who is seeking his third Tour de France and fourth Vuelta a España titles in 2016, is still at the top of his game.

The numbers are impressive. In four stage races this season, Contador has won one, come runner-up in two (Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya) and placed third in another (Volta ao Algarve). Last season he took his second Giro d’Italia crown. But here’s the kicker: over the last three seasons, Contador hasn’t placed lower than fifth in the 12 stage races he’s completed, winning Pais Vasco twice, Tirreno-Adriatico, a Vuelta, a Giro, and the Route du Sud in that period.

Contador continues to be an aggressive and gifted climber, and seven top-five individual time trial results over the past three seasons shows he has plenty of power.

His team Tinkoff is losing the title sponsorship of Russian banking tycoon Oleg Tinkoff, but the squad is looking to secure sponsorship by the end of the Giro d’Italia. Tinkoff’s other big star, Gent-Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders winner Peter Sagan, is reportedly drawing interest from BMC, Trek and Etixx-QuickStep.