Andrey Amador and Movistar terminate contract amid battle to join Ineos

Andrey Amador and Movistar have agreed to terminate his contract as the rider has been fighting to leave his team for Ineos.

Amador was spotted wearing Team Ineos kit during a training rider in December as he has been trying to free himself from a pre-contract agreement that tied him to Movistar until 2021.

The Spanish WorldTour team announced on Tuesday (February 11) that Amador’s contract had been terminated and that he was now free to leave the team.

A statement from the team said: “Movistar announces on Tuesday it has reached an agreement with Andrey Amador for the termination of the contract between both parties.

“We wish Andrey all the best in his future endeavours, after 11 successful years together. Thank you."

News emerged in September that 33-year-old Amador wanted to cancel his renewed deal with Movistar after signing an agreement at the end of the Tour de France.

Amador was thought to be following his old team-mate Richard Carapaz to British WorldTour squad Ineos, but Movistar resisted his attempts to leave.

The case ended up in front of the UCI arbitration board over Christmas, but is now believed to be resolved after the announcement by Movistar.

Amador started his WorldTour career with Movistar, then Caisse d’Epargne, back in 2010 and has been with the squad since.

In 2012 he won a stage of the Giro d’Italia and went on to finish fourth overall in the Italian Grand Tour in 2015.

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Amador hasn’t raced since the World Championships in Yorkshire on September 2019 because of the dispute, while Ineos have not yet confirmed his signing.

But he was spotted by a fan riding a Pinarello bike and wearing a Team Ineos kit while training near his home in La Garriga, Spain last December.