Mikel Nieve is the next Euskaltel rider to find a new home following the disbandment of the Basque team. The climber confirms to El Diario de Navarra that he has agreed a two-year deal with the British team.

The recent breakdown of the negotiations between Fernando Alonso and the Euskaltel team has left several Euskaltel riders looking for a new team but so far very few have had success. One of the team's leaders, Mikel Nieve, is now the first rider who is ready to announce a contract with a new team.

The Basque climber confirmes to El Diario de Navarra that he has agreed a two-year deal with the British squad. Prior to the announcement of the Alonso negotiations, he was rumoured to be close to a contract with Astana but has chosen to join the team which has won the two most recent editions of the Tour de France.

“Even before the Fernando Alonso option appeared I was already convinced that I wanted to go to Sky,” he told the paper. “I’ve still not signed because I wanted to see how things played out with Euskaltel, but I’ve agreed a two-year deal.”

Nieve has been one of the leaders on the Euskaltel team and has finished in the top 10 in both the Vuelta and the Giro and won queen stages in both stage races as well. This year he made his debut in the Tour de France where he rode an aggressive race and finished 3rd on the Mont Ventoux.

Joining one of the strongest teams in the world, he knows that he will have a different role in the future.

“I fully understand that I am going to be working for other team-mates, and that this is a team where I can provide real support in mountain stages,” he said. “I know that I am going to a team in which I am going to ride in a very different way and in which things are going to be very different all-round. I believe this change will suit me very well. It is the best team in the world and I believe I can progress as a rider.”

Nieve has spent his entire career with Euskaltel and acknowledges that it is painful for him to see so many close friends in a difficult situation.

“I’ve spent five years with these guys," he said. "I don’t know if all of them are going to find a team for next season. It’s not an easy situation, I wish them all the best of luck."