Despite Alberto Contador insisting he wont ride the Vuelta a Espana and defend his title this year, race director Javier Guillen is hopeful he may make the start in Marbella on August 22.

“I would be very pleased if Contador can manage the Giro-Tour double,” Guillén was quoted by the sports daily AS in a presentation to confirm Carrefour as a Vuelta sponsor through 2016. “We already know that the Vuelta isn’t on his program, but he is a cyclist who takes on challenges, and it would be a good reason to convince him that he races the Vuelta in 2015.”

But during last month’s Giro, Contador said it would be too hard for him to ride all three Grand Tours looking to win them.

“Racing the Giro and Tour is enough for one season,” Contador said. “I am not planning on racing the Vuelta. Unless something strange happens at the Tour, as in a crash or a very bad performance, I won’t be at the Vuelta this season.”

But his Tinkoff-Saxo boss Oleg Tinkov is also hopeful his star rider will try to complete the Grand Tour Triple Crown. But he too says it will be difficult to get the 32 year old to agree to ride the event.

“That is his decision. Let’s finish Giro and the Tour and see what happens,” Tinkov said. “If I were him, I would definitely go to the Vuelta. Alberto makes his own decisions. It was even his decision to race the Giro-Tour double. The Vuelta is not hard enough for him. It is more suitable for [Joaquim] Rodríguez or [Alejandro] Valverde. Three grand tours, it’s a really hard task.”

Nevertheless, the Vuelta wont lack stars. Guillén confirmed the Vuelta will see Katusha’s Rodríguez, Movistar’s Valverde and Quintana, as well as Astana revelation Mikel Landa. Giro runner-up Fabio Aru also might race the Vuelta as well.