Spaniard signing would bring an end to interest in Aru
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Alberto Contador with the fans on stage 2 of the Tour de France(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador racing the opening stage of the Tour de France(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador on stage 1 of the Tour de France(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
Alberto Contador in the TDF Trek-Segafredo kit(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Alberto Contador and Koen de Kort (Image credit: Bettini Photo)
As Cyclingnews reported during the Criterium du Dauphine in June, Alberto Contador is close to signing a contract extension with Trek-Segafredo, with L'Equipe breaking the news on Tuesday that the Spaniard will put pen to paper on the first rest day of the Tour de France.
Contador, 34, signed for Trek at the exact same point last season, when he agreed a deal for 2017, with the option of a second season left open for both him and the team. Contador has not won a race so far this season, but he has come close on several occasions, most notably when he took second place overall in Paris-Nice.
Despite Contador's advancing years, Trek believe that the former Tour de France winner can maintain a high level for the next 18 months, while the bike brand has been particularly impressed with the level of feedback and analysis he has provided both on their products and his previous set-ups on other manufacturers' bikes.
Asked if Contador was planning to return to the Giro in 2018, Guercilena said: "We're not talking about the calendar right now. The most important part is to focus now on the Tour de France and then we'll sit down and talk about the future calendar.”
Aru's position, however, remains unclear. He is said to be looking for a new 3 million Euro deal – a price his current Astana squad are reluctant to meet. That means the Tour de France is pivotal in Aru's next move, with UAE Team Emirates just one of the potential suitors.
Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.
