Vincenzo Nibali may renew his contract with Astana after manager Alexander Vinokourov has offered him a new deal "twice". The Italian makes it clear that the decision is his and that he is more focused on the sporting ascpect than the paycheck offered by the Kazkhs.

Nibali seems to be far more relaxed than he was last year at this point after he spent a holiday with his family in Sicily and was informed that Astana have receivered a WorldTour license of Astana. He looks back on a mixed 2015 season that included two highlights:

his triumph in La Toussuire at the Tour de France and the win in Il Lombardia.

The opportunity to stay at Astana is still there and his contract which ends in 2016 is on the table. "I have had proposals to renew twice. The first time was two days after the Vuelta which was a gesture of great respect, and the other came recently. The interest on their part is clear, now it's my turn to choose. I will do so by considering what is beyond the contract. It is no longer an economic issue but more about what races I will do, what the schedule will be, who'll be with me. I want to happy when I go to races," he tells La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"What are the chances that you will extend with the Kazakhs?" was the question from the sports daily. "I would say they are good," Nibali replied.

After a few weeks of rest in his native Sicily, he will be in Montecatini Terme from Thursday until Saturday, in Montecatini Terme, and from next week he will spend a dozend days in the Spanish city of Calpe with his teammates.

Nibali is much more serene. His winter has been much less stressful as he is no longer the reigning Tour champion. "I'm much calmer. Last year everyone asked me and things were stressful. The UCI did not approve the WorldTour license until December 11. What could I say?" he said.

Even the expulsion from the Vuelta a Espana is no longer an issue. "I feel different. Even if I still do not consider myself guilty, I have delved into a number of ideas since that incident," he admitted.