After a year of disjointed results for Spanish cycling, Alberto Contador said he believes the sport will return to his country's former top level, but it will not be a straightforward process.

"Spanish cycling used to be dominant at the world level, but now it has lost its strength. [Spain has young riders with great potential like Enric Mas, Marc Soler, and Ivan Garcia Cortina. But it will be difficult to repeat what Spain has achieved in the last decade."

Movistar, Spain's only WorldTour team, will celebrate 40 years in the sport in 2019, a notable achievement in the economically precarious world of professional cycling and its first Grand Tour victory since 2016. Not to be outdone by a Spaniard, Ecuador's Richard Carapaz won his country's first Grand Tour, outrunning and outperforming Movistar teammate Mikel Landa, Spain's stage race hope, in the process.

Movistar's overall team win notwithstanding, Spain has not had a stage win or a day at the top of the overall standings in the 2019 Tour de France, settling for observer status. In the Vuelta a España, veteran Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) saved the day for the host nation by finishing second overall and winning a stage.

On the UCI World Tour calendar, the only complete Spanish victories were Ion Izaguirre (Astana) in the Vuelta al País Vasco and Enric Mas (Detunink-Quickstep) in the Tour of the Guangxi. The UAE Tour, where Valverde finished second overall, and the Grand Prix of Montreal, where Garcia Cortina finished third, rounded out the Spanish top three.

"I think Enric will have to set big goals next year. He was second in the Vuelta a España two years ago and he is a very ambitious rider. He is a very ambitious rider," Contador said.

Contador was less sure about Mikel Landa, who will move to Bahrain McLaren in 2020. The Basque rider has moments of brilliance, but is a volatile player with crashes and injuries hampering his 2019 season.

"Landa is a rider with great qualities when he's in good shape, and he's great in the Grand Tours, but it takes a lot to actually translate that into wins," Contador reflected.

Contador himself won the Vuelta in 2012 and 2014 and the Giro d'Italia in 2015, building a reputation as one of Team Sky's most unpredictable and tenacious competitors and contributing in no small part to the success of Spanish cycling over the past decade.

Other notable Spanish achievements in men's road racing over the past decade include Alejandro Valverde's 2018 world title, Milan-San Remo (2010 Oscar Freire), Liege-Bastogne-Liege (2015, 2017 Valverde), and Il Lombardia (Joaquin Rodriguez in 2012 and 2013), as well as podium finishes in all three Grand Tours.

The Continental Team Kometa-Xstra, which operates under the auspices of the Alberto Contador Foundation, helps pave the way for the next generation of riders from Spain and further afield. Kometa-Xstra, run by Contador's brother Fran, has had some notable successes in terms of launching the careers of its riders, but Contador is concerned that sponsorship is still non-existent on the cycling scene in his country, especially in the upper echelon.

"Four riders have moved to WorldTour teams this year, one to Ineos with Carlos Rodriguez. Juanpe Lopez and (Luxembourg's) Mieke Ries moved to Trek Segafredo and (Italy's) Stefano Aldani moved to Lotto Soudal," Contador said.

"We are working well with our base because these riders should be part of the future of cycling. However, there is a definite lack of major teams in Spain, and so far only Movistar." More is needed.