Pereiro in demand, future team-mate to Contador?

by Conal Andrews at 2:33 PM EST

He may have had a season to forget, thanks to the physical and mental after-effects of his fall in the 2008 Tour de France, but 2006 Tour winner Oscar Pereiro is in demand as he heads into what could be the final year of his career.

The Spaniard is being chased by three different teams, with his current squad Caisse d’Epargne, the Spanish ProTour team Footon-Servetto and Quick Step all reportedly interested.

The latter is perhaps the most significant as it would seem to be an approach which would find favour with Alberto Contador. The double Tour de France winner has been in talks with the Belgian team, previously seen as one for the Classics and the sprints, and Pereiro’s signing would send out a clear signal that they are setting things up for a GC transformation to help Contador.

General manager Patrick Lefevre previously told Contador that he could bring several riders of his choosing to the team, in order to ensure that he has the backup that he needs.

The Spaniard learned in recent days that he is no longer contractually tied to Astana due to the team’s failing to meet the initial UCI registration deadline of October 20th. He will speak with several teams in the days ahead and is likely to make a decision in the next fortnight.

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