With 21 high-level wins in his career, Kenny Van Hummel is one of the most successful riders on the now defunct Vacansoleil team but at the beginning of November, he still hasn't signed a contract for 2014. The Dutchman fears that he may have to put an early end to his career.

Kenny Van Hummel has been a prolific winner on the European cycling scene for several seasons and rose to fame when he battled hard in a failed attempt to get through his maiden Tour de France in 2009. Nonetheless, the sprinter is one of the Vacansoleil riders that hasn't found a team for the 2014 season and he now fears that his career has come to a premature end.

Van Hummel turned professional in 2007 with Skil-Shimano and made his name as a strong sprinter while riding for the Dutch team. His exploits in the Tour de France may have taken the greatest headlines but the Dutchman has long been one of the most successful sprinters in Belgian and Dutch races.

He got his chance at WorldTour level when he signed with Vacansoleil in 2012 but unfortunately his progressed stalled in his new surroundings. Stage wins in last year's Tour de Picardie and this year's Arcitic Tour of Norway was his only successes for his new team and now he finds himself without a team for the coming season.

"I'm not the worst sprinter but I have no concrete offer for the coming season," he told s24.pl. "I am saddened by this fact but this is cycling, unfortunately. Many teams fold in 2013 and leave many unemployed riders on the market. It's hard to find a team. I do my utmost but unfortunately it is possible that I may have to retire. I will make the decision in the next few weeks."

This year new broke that the Dutch riders' union VVBW is trying to set up a continental team for unemployed Dutch and Belgian riders. However, Van Hummel is not overly optimistic.

"Apparently, it was proposed to create a Dutch continental team that will employ those riders that have been left on the market by the demises of their teams," he said. "This is a very interesting initiative but the start is planned for 2015 (actually, president Bobbie Traksel was talking about a team that should start already next season, ed.) and I don't have so much time. I hope that somebody will sign me and that it will all end on a positive note."

Van Hummel ended his season at the Tour of Beijing in October.