Geraint Thomas has admitted he is keeping his Team Sky options open as he eyes a Grand Tour challenge.
The Cardiff-born flier was believed to have signed a two-year deal with Sky when his contract extension was announced recently.
But Thomas has revealed he is only confirmed until the end of 2017 not 2018 with the second year an option.
The 30-year-old said: “I’ve basically extended it for a year. There were a lot of people saying I signed for two but it’s just the year.
“There’s an option for two but it’s not set in stone. I’m definitely there for one year, and then there’s the possibility of adding an extra one on top.
“I just felt that Sky was definitely – for this year and next – the right place for me to continue to learn and grow as a rider.
“I’ve only just started, you know trying to win stage races and things, and I just thought it was working and going really well, so why change it?”
Thomas will lead Team Sky’s challenge at the Tour de Suisse which starts on Saturday with the nine-day event likely his final race before the Tour de France which starts on July 2.
The double Olympic champ will have protected status at the Tour and will, in effect, be Plan B if Chris Froome has problems.
But with Froome signing a Sky deal until the end of 2018, Thomas may have to move if he wants to lead a Tour de France bid though the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana are also options.
Thomas, speaking to Cyclingnews.com ahead of the Tour de Suisse, added: “I might feel a bit differently come next year – I might want more of a leadership role all year.
“Basically if I felt I wanted to go and try to win or get a podium in the Tour, and I wasn’t able to do that in this team because of Froomey or whatever, it just gives me that chance to go to another team and try and do that.
“I’m not saying I’m going to go and podium at the Tour but, as an athlete, you always want do the best you can.
“If I got to the point where I was like ‘I want to go to the Tour and try to get the best result for myself’ – whether that’s a top 10 or a top 5 or a podium – it’s just keeping that option if that’s how I felt