A week into the new year, Andrei Amador's future remains unresolved, and the UCI is currently investigating a contract dispute between the Costa Rican rider and his former team, Movistar, and his prospective team, Ineos.

Due to the long Christmas break, the situation could not be resolved before the official start of the 2020 season, and the issue is being addressed again this week when UCI staff return to work.

The governing body confirmed to Cycling News that the Amador case is now back before the arbitration committee, but the approximate ruling date remains unknown, despite riders and teams having indicated for weeks that the matter would be resolved soon.

As of now, Amador is unemployed, but his contract with Team Ineos will be completed once he is released from the pre-contract he signed last year when he was negotiating a contract extension with Movistar. If not, he will have to pay a hefty transfer fee to trigger a termination clause.

According to Movistar boss Eusebio Unzué, the confusion stems from the fact that Amador signed pre-contracts with both Movistar and Team Ineos.

"For me, signing is a very serious thing. Amador and (Amador's agent, Giuseppe) Acquadro are in jeopardy from the UCI because they have two contracts; they both signed with us on the eve of the Giro d'Italia in Bologna," Unzue said in an El Confidencial (open in new tab) El Confidencial (open new tab).

"We won't stop him from leaving, but he has to pay compensation. This dispute can be resolved simply: if he pays, he leaves."

Meanwhile, Amador and Acquadro remain tight-lipped. The 33-year-old Amador, who helped Richard Carapaz win last year's Giro d'Italia, only spoke publicly in an interview with the Joan Seguidor (opens in new tab) website in early December.

"Of course I want to go to Team Ineos. Of course I want to go to Team Ineos. I've always loved my 10 years at Movistar, but I need a change. I hope the situation will clear up soon."

On the last day of 2019, he was apparently spotted running in La Garriga, Catalonia, wearing a full Ineos kit with his last name sewn into the side. Given that his contract with Movistar had just expired at midnight that day, he may have been in breach of his contract.

The Amador debacle was the backdrop to the complete breakdown of the relationship between Unzue and Acquadro after Giro d'Italia winner Richard Calapaz decided to move to Ineos. Movistar now refuses to cooperate with Acquadro.