After a rough 2009 season that saw Oscar Pereiro pull out of the Tour de France, not start the Vuelta a España and finish the year without a win, Astana’s attempts to renegotiate his contract seem to be the last straw.
Pereiro recently signed an agreement to race for Astana in 2010 for less pay than his then-current deal with Caisse d’Epargne, citing his lousy season as justification but saying he was eager to ride next to Alberto Contador. However, shortly after signing the agreement, Astana said they wanted to negotiate for an even lower salary. Through his agent, Pereiro said he would not accept it and that, given the unlikelihood of another team picking him up this late in the game, he is probably headed for retirement.
“I am a realist and when I won the Tour in 2006, I knew that I wasn’t going to win another one because I don’t have the quality that Alberto (Contador) has to try to win various grand tours,†Pereiro told the Spanish daily, La Voz de GalicÃÂa. “I know this is the end for me, but I did all that I could in cycling. It’s not something that’s sad. I am relaxed. I dream of going out or starting a new life.â€Â
