Samuel Sanchez may have found a new team for the 2014 season and surprisingly, the former Olympic champion may not continue his career on a major European squad. Marca reports that the Euskaltel leader has had several talks with the Sky Dive team from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the Spaniard is excited by the project that is hoped to develop into a ProTeam in the near future.

When the demise of the Euskaltel team was announced, few expected the team's major star, Samuel Sanchez, to face any difficulty finding a new team but surprisingly, the former Olympic champion still hasn't found a home for the 2014 team. Rumours have linked him to the new Belgian Wanty team while he has also made it clear that his career may be approaching a premature end.

However, a solution may now have been found and unlike what most had expected, it doesn't involve any major European team. Instead, Sanchez may now be signed as the leader of the new Sky Dive continental team that will make its debut in 2014.

Based in Dubai in the Unitad Arab Emirates, the team has already signed Francisco Mancebo who will make his return to Europe after several years of riding - and winning - in America. Marca reports that Sanchez may join forces with his compatriot to form a very strong duo of leaders with plenty of grand tour experience.

Having recently been on holiday with his family in Dubai, Sanchez took the opportunity to Osama al Shafar, the president of the federation and one of the leaders of the Sky Dive team. Having been introduced to the project, Sanchez praised the idea.

"We had a great time together," he told Marca. "First he invited me to dinner with the team manager at his house and then we had a dinner at a place called "The Ranch". We talked a lot about cycling and what has to be done to make it grow in the region. They need experienced riders to lead the team.

"This is a spectacular country and seems like another world. I am very happy with how I was treated. From the beginning I've had a fantastic reception. I looked a little at the cycling facilities over here and I am really surprised by the resources and infrastructure."

The Sky Dive team hopes to ride the Tour de France within the next two or three years. The objective is to become one of the biggest teams in the world.

"Sky Drive looks great," Sanchez said. "The idea is that next year it will be a continental team and in 2015 or 2016 it will be a WorldTour team. The project attracts me."

In previous interviews, Sanchez has made it clear that he won't reduce his wage demands dramatically to find a new team. With the Arab team having a big budget, that is unlikely to be necessary, should he choose to join forces with Mancebo in Dubai.