At his 32-years of age, the Swiss classics specialist Fabian Cancellara is still at the top of his game with more challenges to take in the coming seasons, just to mention his one hour record attempt. The multiple World Champion in time trial has made it clear, however, that his current three-year contract with Trek Factory Racing would be the last, as he aims to end the professional career before becoming a shadow of his former self.

Interviewed by Cyclingnews in Doha on Thursday evening, the always classy Swiss rider pointed out, that showing no disrespect for what his present and former team-mates are doing, particularly having Jens Voigt and Christopher Horner on his mind, he cannot imagine himself riding a bike as a professional with over 40 years under his belt.

"I have a three-year contract and then it's over," Cancellara said.

"I have a three-year contract and in my opinion it doesn't look like there will be a fourth or fifth year because it will be sixteen years as a professional. I don't feel tired although once in a while I feel tired, and that's normal. That's not going against Jens or Chris Horner but you will not see me riding the bike at their age."

Cancellara will turn only 35 in 2016, when his contract with Trek Factory Racing expires, what can be regarded a relatively young age for finishing a career in cycling, should the latest achievements of Christopher Horner be taken into account, and three years are still a long enough time to reconsider such decision. However, the Swiss rider is determined to stop while being on the highest level and considering the almost endless string of his spectacular achievements, his reluctance to downgrade himself to play the role of deluxe gregario for a younger cyclist comes as no surprise.

Still, Cancellara claims to be very motivated to try his utmost during the coming three seasons, driven by the feeling that there is a still a room for improvement and few more challenges to face await him.

"I think of course I will stop on the highest level," he said.

"In my situation, I can't wait until I'm down here, that's normal. I could stop now and I would not have a problem to find new ambitions, but I would still miss something. I feel like I'm not finished yet with what I want to achieve. There's still some time left, but there's many options after and I'm not scared of that."

As the expiry date of the Swiss rider’s career has been seemingly very well defined, Cancellara obviously put some though into what he will do after he hangs up his wheels and alike many other champions of the discipline he definitely aims to remain closely involved with professional cycling.

"I want to bring something back to cycling," Cancellara said. "I have a few ambitions to bring cycling back to another level, and this will be the next thing I do.

"I think cycling is now somewhere a political mess with all the new things that are coming. We have still this big mess with the races and the rules. I think I will be a strong opinion-maker afterwards. Now it's difficult because I'm still a rider, because when you talk as a rider you get singled out. But when you finish, you're free with what you want to do."

Even though the more detailed nature of the future Cancellara’s role in cycling as a opiniom-maker is yet to be determined, it seems certain that Trek Factory rider will be closely involved with the Tour de Suisse organization, as the company owned by the him, InfrontRingeir, will take over the organization and marketing of the race from 2015.

Cancellara, currently competing in all three races of the Persian Gulf campaign, has experienced a rather slow start to the 2014 season, achieving results within top 5 in individual time trials both in Dubai and Qatar. Even though he admits to feel fatigued by racing for nine consecutive days, Swiss rider believes that the effort will pay off when the time for cobbled classics comes around.

"On the end, I know where I want to reach. I have my datas, we have our things under control," he said, adding: "This not April, this is February and there’s still a long way."