Vincenzo Nibali has vowed to rebuild Astana's crumbling reputation after the Italian was disqualified from the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday.

Nibali's disqualification for taking a tow from the team car during stage two of the final Grand Tour of 2015 is the latest setback to hit the Kazakh team, having been hit by a number of doping breaches this year.

Despite their problems, Nibali is keen to see out the remaining year of his contract with Astana and lift the team back to the heights that saw him win the 2014 Tour de France.

"There's no get out clause in my contract, which is valid for all of 2016," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "The only way to end the contract would be via an agreement with the bosses at Kazakhstan cycling. 

"But I think it's in everyone interests to rebuild a good relationship. I need to find some peace of mind and so I need my group around me. 

"I've proved that I give my best when I'm happy and relaxed. Let me smile again and the results will come back."

Meanwhile, Nibali says Vuelta organisers were influenced by Astana's standing in cycling before making their decision to exclude him.

He added: "I don't like being treated like a monster because I'm not. I've been hit on as if I've killed someone. That's not the case. I made a mistake. That's all.

"I've got lots of friends in the peloton who I get on really well with. Perhaps some people have turned against me because of the team I ride for. 

"Some people don't like the Astana team, that can't be denied. That's also why I'm sure that the decision to throw me out of the race wasn't taken just by the chief race judge. 

"I might be wrong but surely such a big decision will have been approved by the UCI."