After the debacle of the offseason of 2013 with Fernando Alonso reportedly wanting to start a cycling team before attempting to buy Euskaltel, many people had forgotten about him heading into 2016. But just recently, his manager, Luis Garcia Abad, has sent more rumours out that he is looking for a team.

In statements reported by news agency Europa Press, Luis García Abad, Alonso’s manager, claimed the cycling project was “on stand-by". He said: "This year [2016] it is not going to happen. Next year? If the circumstances are right…that depends on other actors, not just us.”

With Oleg Tinkov pulling out of sponsoring the Tinkoff Team at the end of the year, Alonso could potentially buy the team, allowing him to have Peter Sagan and Spain’s top rider Alberto Contador, if he can convince the latter to stay in the sport.