Madrid - Two-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will see out the remaining year of his contract with Astana after the Kazakh-backed team was finally granted its ProTour licence for next season Thursday by the International Cycling Union (UCI). "I am pleased with this solution because it was time to clarify my future. I had reached a preliminary agreement with the team and was all pending on the licence. Finally, as expected, I will continue with Astana," said the Spaniard in a statement Friday.
Contador admitted that, following the departure of Lance Armstrong to the newly formed American RadioShack team, Astana was "not as powerful, especially in terms of names, as others racing the Tour."
But he remained confident that he can defend his Tour title in 2010.
"I realise that everyone is prepared and that will be very difficult, but as far as I can, I will fight again for the victory," he said.
Contador is expected to receive around 4 million euros (6 million dollars) from Astana for racing next year but the UCI has demanded bank assurances that the team can meet its budget requirements as last season Astana riders went without pay at certain times.
"After all the circumstances that have occurred in these months, I think at the end I made the best decision and all I can say is that I will fight 100 per cent to be able to race the Tour," said Contador, who also won the 2008 Giro d'Italia.
