Alberto Contador

MADRID, Oct 23 (CP) - Spaniard Alberto Contador Velasco will ride for Astana the next two seasons. The reigning Tour de France champion will be re-united with former boss Johan Bruyneel at the Kazakh formation.

The 24-year-old from Madrid today ended months of speculation as to what team he would ride for in 2008 when he penned a two-year contract. The rumours that Astana would be his next employer surfaced once his boss at the now defunct Discovery Channel, Johan Bruyneel, joined the team.

The rider will hope to repeat this year's Tour success come next July, and will no doubt have some strong riders by his side. Andreas Klöden will likely be his right-hand man and co-captain, while American stage-race specialist Levi Leipheimer has also been heavily linked to the Kazakh outfit.

© Magnus Aarre