Among the riders without a new team is Androni climber Simone Stortoni who has already embarked on a new profession. The Italian turned professional in 2009 but after three years at Colnago CSF, two years at Lampre, a season with Amore e Vita and another with Androni, he has been working in a bike shop for 10 days.

"I started a new job at Copparo Bike Store in Ancona,” he tells Tuttobiciweb. “I'm learning a new profession. I deal with both the sale of products and work as a mechanic. It is one thing to ride a bike and another deal with customers so I have so much to learn. However, I wanted to prove myself immediately.

The new job means that the professional career is now over.

"I know I could wait another few months, but I am not the type that can stay home without doing anything,” he said. “The situation in cycling is clear for everybody. I have a family to take care of and I cannot afford to ride for almost nothing or for free. I cannot take any chances. I have 2 children, Filippo who is two years old and Sofia who is 2 months old, and I want to make them proud.”

This season lots of good Italian riders are left on the market and so Stortoni is just one of many victims.

“It’s like a casino, isn’t it,” he said. “When you see strong riders like Ballan, Finetto and many others being unable to find a contract, it is clear that the situation is critical. Especially in Italy it is really bad. It is not for me to comment on that but it is clear that something is wrong.”

Stortoni may never have been a prolific winner but he has had a solid career as a domestique. He even got close to a stage win on a big mountain stage in the 2010 Giro d’Italia.

"I know that I have always done what I felt and thought was right,” he said. “Every now and then I think of what I could have done, but that doesn’t bring you forward. I would have liked to continue because I am only 30 years old but that wasn’t possible. The ‘normal’ life is very different from that of the professional rider who has a reality out of the ordinary and I feel fortunate to have experienced that until now. I'm getting used to this new life.”