Ivan Basso has left leadership in races behind as he moves on to a new chapter, becoming a super domestique for Alberto Contador as the Spaniard looks to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 2008 to win the Giro-Tour double.

“I let my heart lead me and it has led me here. I have been friends with Oleg [Tinkov] and he wanted me in his team with Bjarne for a long time. I had a couple more options at WorldTour, working for other leaders like Alberto, but I wanted to come here.”

He says that any thoughts he had of retirement have been put aside as he sets himself towards his new goal.

“There was no real talk of retirement because I had another few possibilities and I wasn’t ready to really stop,” Basso tells Cyclingnews.

The last two seasons have not been the best for Basso, failing to finish any Grand Tour in 2015 and finishing 15th in the Giro in 2014, when only four years ago he was winning the race. Basso acknowledges that he is no longer able to challenge for the win in a Grand Tour.

“This year I tried my best, I had the best preparation but something went wrong. This year wasn’t to my standard but it’s not just about age, it’s not just about the results, it’s also about what you feel inside. If inside you feel like you can’t support the pressure on you and you’re not in the same place as you were in the past, then you have to change your goal.”

Basso and Michael Rogers will become Contador’s super domestiques, providing him support on the final climbs of the Giro and Tour as he looks to defeat all comers in 2015.

“I don’t have to change my mentality too much. If I want to help Alberto I need to be in the front of the races when there are not many people there. That’s not changed and to help him I need to be a super, super domestique on the race and off the race but I need to be super team leader for all the young riders as well. That’s important, to make sure they do want Tinkov wants because he wants us to be the best team in the world. To be the best in the world you need to be the best with all the small details.”

“If you’re strong and you’re in the front of course you still have some good situations but that’s almost secondary because I’m here for another focus and that’s to help the team win.”

Basso has been around for long enough to realize just how difficult the Giro-Tour double is and he think it can be done, but he knows how difficult it will be to win the Tour as all of Contador’s rivals, like Froome, Quintana, Valverde, Rodriguez and defending champion Nibali all appear to just be targeting the Tour.

“As a spectator, my opinion is that if all the top GC decide to ride the Giro and the Tour and they all target the win then Alberto is the favourite for both races. If Alberto rides the first and the second and someone only rides the Tour, then that’s more difficult, but that’s just my opinion. I’ve never really rode close to Alberto. Sometimes in France and then now in training camps. He’s a Hors Categorie champion, he does his job and he takes care of all the small details as if he was a neo-pro and that’s the biggest difference. If you’re a big talent and you do everything right then it all makes a big difference.”