Following weeks of rumours, Europcar have confirmed that they have signed a contract with former U23 world champion Romain Sicard for the 2014 season. The Frenchman is the 6th Euskaltel rider to find a new team for the coming season.

Another Euskaltel rider has found a team for the 2014 season. Former U23 world champion has signed a contract with Europcar and will ride for French team for the first time.

Sicard burst onto the scene in 2009 when he won both the Tour de l'Avenir and the U23 world championships ahead of riders like Carlos Betancur, Tejay van Garderen and Thibaut Pinot but much to the frustration of the French public, he chose to sign a contract with the Spanish Euskaltel team for the 2010 season. Hailing from the French part of the Basque Country, the signing of the Frenchman was in accordance with the rules of the team that only allowed the management to sign riders from the region or who had a certain connection to the region.

Sicard got his career off to a good start when he finished 2nd on a big mountain stage in the 2010 Criterium du Dauphiné but his progress stalled when he started to suffer from an injury in his left leg. He barely raced in 2011 but this year he has got his career back on track. He finished his first Tour de France in the summer and was 12th in the Eneco Tour.

With the demise of Euskaltel, his future career was uncertain but now Europcar manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau has decided to give him a new chance.

"This is very good news," Sicard told French paper Ouest France. "Following the announcement of the negotiations between Euskaltel and Fernando Alonso and then the breakdown of  the project in early October, it was difficult. But Bernaudeau soon contacted  me and he even came to my house in Hasparren. He presented a project that I liked. Europcar has a beautiful race schedule and aims to join the WorldTour which could make it even better for me next season. "

"Riding for a French team makes me discover new things and that is what I really want. I willdDo my best to adapt as soon as possible and will aim to show that I deserve to do the biggest races."

Earlier, Europcar sports director Andy Flickinger had explained why his team had shown interest in the young Frenchman.

“He hasn’t had any results since his world title four years ago," he told L’Équipe. "A career passes quickly, but at the same time, it’s not too late for him. Far from it."

“The aim is to relaunch him, and for him to develop with us. He hasn’t ridden for a French team yet, and he wants to do that. Given his physical problems, he deserves a second chance.”

Sicard is the sixth Euskaltel rider to find a new team. Mikel Landa (Astana), Mikel Nieve (Sky), Ricardo Mestre (Efapel-Glassdrive), Gorka and Ion Izagirre (Movistar) have all signed new contracts while Mikel Astarloza has ended his career.