Alberto Contador's 2015 season kicks off Wednesday at the Vuelta a Andalucía Ruta Ciclista del Sol, where the captain of Tinkoff-Saxo will once again lead the team into action. Contador tells, that he is happy with how the winter went and the work carried out so far. 
 
"I'm happy to be here because it is a race I have never done in my career and I feel good. I had a winter the way I wanted, I did a lot of groundwork thinking about the Giro and the Tour, as they will be the two cornerstones that will mark my season. Perhaps I will lack a bit of explosiveness here, but I'm bringing a strong team and we can do a good job," commented the leader of Tinkoff-Saxo from the hotel, where he’s staying before the start.
 
This year’s edition of Vuelta a Andalucía features a parcours that suits the Spanish captain. "It's a very attractive route and I support this kind of parcours because it engages the public, and fans like it thanks to the time-trial and the two uphill finishes. I am familiar with the third stage, Hazallanas, and I know it's particularly hard. That’s where we will see how I compare to the other riders. I'll try to do my best and we'll see, where I stand."

In effect, Alberto Contador thinks he's a little late compared to last year. "This year I put on a little less intensity, thinking precisely on the Giro and the Tour. I wanted to have a good level, but not wear me out more than necessary. Maybe I'm a little further back than last year," Contador commented.
 
For the first time ever, Alberto Contador and Ivan Basso will ride together. According to Contador “it is a dream for me to have him on my team. We have an extraordinary relationship and I am honored that a champion of his level will work for me."
 
Given his current form, Contador doesn't want to think about the result of the race, even though he assures he will try to give his best. "I'm a rider that likes to give the maximum in every race and this is what I will do here as well. It will be my physical condition that decides how it all goes. I will do my best to finish with a result as good as possible, but if we refer to winning, I think it is complicated."
 
Finally, Alberto Contador commented on his statement made on Monday, when he talked about his possible retirement in 2016. "There have been many comments on what I said about my retirement, but you have to be aware that there are still two full seasons ahead. It seems as if I were to retire tomorrow and there are still a thousand races left ahead of us, in which a thousand things might happen. What I want, is to enjoy every moment, every race and continue the way I have been doing so far. Two years is still a long time," concluded the leader of Tinkoff-Saxo.