After Igor Anton has finally found the team to continue his career as a professional cyclist, when Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue decided to create an extra spot within his team for a talented climber, there are still nine rider left jobless after the demise of the Basque Euskaltel-Euskadi team.

"It was nonsense that a rider like Anton was left without a team," Movistar's team manager Eusebio Unzué told El Mundo.

"He still has a lot to offer cycling. The deal was done very quickly." 

Apart from Anton, Spanish Movistar turned out to be a lifeline for several other Euskaltel riders, in the likes of both Izaguirre brothers and sprinter Juanjo Lobato, while next three riders managed to sign contracts with other World Tour teams: Mikel Landa at Astana, Mikel Nieve at Team Sky and Romain Sicard with Europcar, while Pello Bilbao signed with pro continental team Caja Rural.

Further seven riders of folding Euskaltel were forced to make a step down and sign contracts with Pro Continental teams, three other – left without reasonable enough options for continuing their career decided to retire, while Alexander Serebryakov was fired after a positive doping test and Moroccan Tarik Chaoufi left the team because he couldn't adapt to riding for a team abroad.

Although the former leader of Euskaltel team is considered as one of nine riders left without the contracts for an upcoming 2014 season, it is rumored that the former Olympic champion has already signed a contract with a WorldTour team which will be announced in January.

The 35-year old Spaniard has been recently linked to several different teams, like United-Healthcare, Wanty-Groupe Gobert or Team Colombia, but none of those teams have confirmed the signing of Olympic Champion from Beijing for the next season.

Apart from Samueal Sanchez, the latter eight former Euskaltel riders left jobless are Egoi Martínez, Jon Aberasturi, Jorge Azanza, Ricardo García, Miguel Mínguez, Rubén Pérez, Gorka Verdugo and Steffen Radochla, and it is very unlikely for them to find a team for the upcoming season, while the majority of professional squads have already started their preparations ahead of 2014.