Alberto Contador won't rule out ending career at Vuelta a España

Alberto Contador could bow out of professional cycling with the Vuelta a España, although the Spaniard says that he will have to consider how it fits in after the Tour de France and Olympic Games.

Contador, 33, has won seven Grand Tours, the most of any modern day cyclist. Two titles, the 2010 Tour de France and 2011 Giro d'Italia, were stripped as part of a doping suspension.

And while his personal ambitions of contesting both the Tour and Olympics road race are important, Contador says he may race the Vuelta to help the team achieve its goals.

"It will be the final year of the Tinkoff team and I would like to conclude it in the best way possible," Contador said after the Vuelta route was revealed. "I still have to talk to [team owner] Oleg Tinkov and the team in order to decide our schedule but I don't rule out riding the Vuelta.

"Still, we have to figure out what is best for the team. My desire is for Tinkoff to finish in the highest step possible of the UCI WorldTour ranking and for that reason we cannot rule out my participation in the Vuelta."

The riders to watch in the WorldTour in 2016

Contador won Spain's Grand Tour in 2008, 2012 and 2014. This year's route, starting in Ourense and ending in Madrid, was unveiled by organisers on Saturday and favours climbers more than ever with 10 summit finishes.

Only Colombians Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Esteban Chaves (Orica-GreenEdge), and Spaniard Joaquím Rodríguez (Katusha) have committed the race to their 2016 programme so far.

Most cyclists who would normally mark it down immediately are hesitating because of the Olympics with a climbers' course.

Sky's Chris Froome, Tom Dumoulin (Giant-Alpecin), Richie Porte (BMC), Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) and 2015 winner Fabio Aru (Astana) could line up in Spain, but much will depend on the Games in Rio.

Contador’s end of career coincides with Tinkov's departure from the sport. The Russian businessman pulled the plug on his sponsorship and said that he would try to sell the licence, but it is unclear if anyone is in line to buy the team that also includes world champion Peter Sagan.

If Contador raced the Vuelta, he would support his country's biggest race and end his career in Tinkoff's colours instead of the national kit far away from home.

"This will be a special year for me. I would like it to be a very good one and I'm working hard for that. There is no doubt that my focus in 2016 is, first and foremost, the Tour de France and then the Olympics," added Contador.

"However, 2016 will be the toughest year to reach the Vuelta in good form. After the Tour, it will be very tough to rest because of the Olympic Games. It will be much more difficult, compared to previous years, to fully recover in order to start the Vuelta in top shape. In any case, the Vuelta will always be a very special race to me."

Contador skipped the Vuelta in 2015 after attempting the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double, winning the first and finishing fifth in the Tour.