Lampre-Merida are trying to sign Alberto Contador for the 2017 season

It was less of a shock to hear that Alberto Contador had shelved his retirement plans than it was to hear that Lampre-Merida are trying to sign the Spaniard.

With Oleg Tinkov planning to pull his sponsorship from the sport at the end of the 2016 season, Contador will be a free agent come the end of the year, with the seven-time Grand Tour winner originally planning to hang up his wheels.

But after some strong performances to start his season, including the overall win at the Tour of the Basque Country, Contador turned his back on retirement and the transfer speculation has ramped up.

"We already have some contact with Alberto Contador. Who would not be interested in a rider like this? It will not be easy, but we will try," Lampre-Merida general manager Giuseppe Saronni told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Alberto Contador's Tour de France bike

Saronni is absolutely right - why wouldn't the team be interested in a rider who would instantly raise the credibility of the squad?

Bringing Contador on board would give the team a bona fide general classification contender, which it currently lacks. Rui Costa is taken on the leadership at the Tour de France in recent years, but has failed to get close to the top 10, withdrawing from the past two editions.

But the battle for Contador's signature is guaranteed to be fierce, especially if he puts in a strong performance at the Tour this year.

Trek-Segafredo could be looking for an upgrade in their Grand Tour squads and will have the capital once Fabian Cancellara retires and is off the wage bill. Then there's the possibility of Contador's former manager Bjarne Riis getting back into the sport and offering the Spaniard a contract.

This is just the start of transfer speculation that will run throughout the season.