Samuel Sanchez, the Beijing Olympic Champion, will ride in amateur level in 2014? At least the Cellarbrations Racing Team, an amateur team from Australia, thinks so, as they formally offered the Asturian rider a contract for next season, according to biciciclismo.

Cellarbrations Racing Team Manager Scott Suine admits it's a bold move that it will surprise many foreigners, but "Given all the information on the Euskaltel-Euskadi folding at the end of the recent season and with so many good cyclists who remain without contract for 2014, we thought, why not ask the question? The worst thing you can get is a 'no'. "

Without a contract for a long time since Euskaltel-Euskadi disbanded, the Asturian rider is struggling to find a new job. While there's team like Colombia interested in him, Sanchez, though, is seeking to resolve the contract issue with Euskaltel-Euskadi first, presumably because of getting a much lower contract offer from Colombia than he was due to earn in the Basque team.

Not surprising, salary is a problem, too, for the Australian amateur side. The team explains that none of the current team riders receive a salary and therefore would require Sanchez to accept an good portion - if not one-hundred percent salary reduction. "In fact, we might not be able to pay at all," says Suine. He even admits that the Spanish rider would have to pay for his the accommodation in Sydney. But in the team's favor, it offers "excellent lifestyle of Australia, along with participation in the Sunderland team and the undisputed team leader status and free participation in racing, transportation, team kit ,many energy bars and vitamins..."