With Alberto Contador and Alexander Kristoff both penning deal to stay with their current teams for 2016 and beyond, the most in demand rider in Pro Cycling is Michal Kwiatkowski. He says he wants to stay with Etixx-QuickStep, but with Sky and another team interested, and Etixx’s budget not getting bigger in a season where 5 other big riders need new deals, it may be difficult to keep the 24-year-old Pole.

Speaking before Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the current world champion spoke to the press about his situation, where he announced his desire to stay with the Belgian team, with whom he has achieved most of his success in his short career.

“After Liege I will listen to my manager Giuseppe Acquadro. I want to stay,” Kwiatkowski said.

“I am taking a step forward here year after year. I feel better and better in the team and more and more supported.”

But he may not get his wish, as his agent revealed Sky and another team, along with Etixx, are trying to steal the Pole away.

“We are talking with Patrick Lefevere, with two other teams that Michal is interested in. Sky and another one that I can’t say,” said Giuseppe Acquadro.

“Sky is interested in Michal, Etixx knows that. Sky’s a big team, one of the biggest in this moment. If he needs to change, it’s normal that he goes to one of the big ones. Like everyone knows, Sky’s up there with Etixx and Movistar.”

His appeal is undeniable. At just 24, he has won the World title, Amstel Gold, prologues in Paris-Nice and Romandie, as well as big one-day races Strade Bianche and Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana. He was also eleventh in his debut Tour de France and is a good stage racer, podiuming the Basque Country, Paris-Nice, Tour of Britain Volta ao Algarve, and Tour of Poland in the last three and a bit years.

However, Etixx may not have the funs to re-sign him, as the team’s manager Patrick Lefevere admitted. The team also has Mark Cavendish, Tom Boonen, Rigoberto Uran, Zdenek Stybar and Julian Alaphilippe (who scored better results overall than Kwiatkowski in the Ardennes this year) out of contract next year. Not all will be re-signed.

“Fact is,” Lefevere told Belgium’s Het Nieuwsblad, “we have no additional budget available and none of my riders dropping in price.”

Acquadro spoke of his clients needs, saying that while money is important, to a young rider like Kwiatkowski, development comes first at this stage of his career.

“He wants a long-term contract. That’s needed so that he has time to plan and to grow within a team,” Acquadro added.

“He wants different things: to develop in one-day race, in stage races…The money is important, of course. He needs to feel well in the team too. It all has value. To be honest, 200,000 here or there won’t change much. It’s important that he feels well in the team.”

If he wants to grow into a Grand Tour rider, Acquadro says Sky may not be the team for him, with Froome, Porte, Henao all calling the team home. But Acquadro says for now he can’t win the Tour, but he may be able to one day if the route is right.

“Michal has to evaluate that…They also have Sergio Henao, who’s improving after injuries and will have a good Vuelta a España this year,” said Acquadro.

“A Tour de France with time trials like the one that Wiggins won in 2012 could suit Michal, he could win or play for the podium.

“Patrick says that he can’t win the Tour, and he may change his mind. Or maybe Michal Kwiatkowski can’t become a Tour winner."

"That’s the great thing about sport, you just don’t know.”