My move to Trek made think about my life as a cyclist, and the first step I needed to take was out of Manchester. Whilst, I loved the city and people here, I needed to be somewhere where I could flourish as a cyclist, and get the maximum out of my training.

Without a moments hesitation, I chose Girona. Picturesque, relaxed way of life and a stones throw away from the Pyrenees, this place was perfect. I knew that the area was big with many in the peleton, so it was nice to know I wouldn't be on my own out here.

Decision made, it was time to pack up my belongings, but not without a going-away party with my friends and family. My arm was still in a sling following my crash, and I begged for it to be a low key affair. As per team orders, I was meant to be resting, remember!

It was fantastic night, and after the long season, I was nice to let my hair down a little. It was a great way to say goodbye to Manchester, and start my new life in Spain.

I have never been a fan of social networking, even more so since I began a became a cyclist with Great Britain. I joined Facebook for a while, but soon closed the account when I signed with the Development Squad. I kept my Twitter account, but only because it was a good way to connect with my fans, in the same way that many others do.

Today, social media came back to bite me in the arse. Last night, I was saying goodbye to my friends and family, this morning I woke with a slightly sore head, and several missed calls from my future boss. Calling him back, it would appear that several pics of me had appeared on a friend's Facebook, and in term they had turned up in a blog on a cycling website, mocking Trek's recruitment of a 'Wannabe Cyclist still living a Student Life'.

Only 7 or so pictures were uploaded in the blog, but they all showed me in not the best light to my future employers. In some pictures, I was drinking beer, whilst others showed me playing beer pong and doing tequila shots with my friends.

Guercilena gave it to me straight. He was far from pleased, and not only did the blog show me in a bad way, it did not reflect well on Trek. They were a new team, and they were not wanting to be portrayed in this way. Furthermore, I was meant to be resting from a serious injury that ended my season prematurely, something which he had try and convince the sponsors to overlook when the initial contract was set out.

To cut a long story short, the sponsors and the team bosses at Trek were to meet and decide on my future in the team. I would have an answer in a week...

Re Leone wrote:
Two great pieces. Trek should give Martijn a chance to show Andy Schleck how to properly party.

Waiting for the decision from Trek almost killed me on the inside. Everyday was spent making sure I was within reach of the phone, and I made sure I was housebound for the week. I had cancelled my move to Girona, opting to find out my future in the sport before I decide on my future home.

It was one week to the day after my discuss with Guercilena that I received the dreaded call back. The call short and sweet, and like with his call seven days ago, he was straight to the point. The decision was not an easy one, but the sponsors had ultimately come to the conclusion that I was too much of a risk for the forthcoming season.

There was no indication yet on how I would be after recovering from the injury suffered at the Tour of Alberta, and my off-season partying antics, when I was meant to be recovering, had brought bad press to the newly formed team. Luca was very sorry for the decision, and tried to reassure me that it was out of his hands.

Within 15 minutes, I received the email confirmation. My pre-contractual agreement with the WorldTour team was effectively ripped up. My dad tried to reassure me that everything would be ok, but I was devastated. MI had gone from WorldTour cyclist, living the dream with a world class Mentor to absolutely nothing.

If I thought my crash was rock bottom, then this had just slammed me through the floor!

It was my Dad who finally told me to stop sucking, accept what had happened and get my ass into gear! He always did have a way with words, but he was right. I needed to find a team for the 2014 season and fast. It was now November, and most of the team's rosters were getting full, but I still kept a small glimmer of hope.

Just like in July, my Dad became my agent. He was ringing teams every hour of every day, trying to see if anyone would take on this 'wannabe cyclist still living a student life' as I was now known. First port of call was the two main teams that I had ultimately rejected for Trek. Until the offer from Trek, BMC had been my first choice, but sadly they were not in sympathetic mood. My refusal to sign and opting for a rival just weeks before, clearly left them with a sour taste. They said no.

Thinking on my feet, I decided to contact MTN-Qhubeka, as my Dad continued to call other teams. I kept telling myself in my mind that they might still be interested, given that I only refused the offer based on the Team Role I was being given if I signed. Luckily, they were willing to listen, but unable to make anything certain. Their exact words were: 'we will get back to you.' I was not holding out much hope that they would.

Talking with my Dad, he had little luck at his end. Team Raleigh and Madison-Genesis were wanting to sit down with me and talk, so it was nice to know I could fall back on them, but it was not what I wanted. Signing with a British Domestic team would be like not like a step forward in my career. Saying that, after the last week, I was in no place to turn my nose up at them.

After a few long days, I was close to giving up, and was looking at proposals of the two British teams, when the phone rang. Taking the call, a wide smile appeared on my face. I had my glimmer of hope...

24 hours after my phone call, I was on a plane, flying to Paris, France for a meeting to discuss my future and a possible rider for the 2014 season. Stepping off the plane, surrounded by holiday makers travelling to this city of romance for a winter break, I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I had no luggage to collect, so I head straight through customs and passport control. Outside the airport, a driver was waiting to take me to my final destination.

I arrived at the Vélodrome National de Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, and I was greeted by Jean-René Bernaudeau, the manager of Team Europcar. We walked inside the great arena, and memories of 12 months ago with Team GB came back to me. I have no good memories of a velodrome.

Moving into Jean-René's office, we passed small talk over a coffee before he got down to business and discussed what he could offer me for 2014. He knew exactly what had happened with Trek and was willing to look past that in the offer of a contract.

Contract Specifics:
Monthly Wage:	2,250€/m
Contract Duration:	1 year
Team Role:	Young Rider

The offer was identical to what was proposed at the end of July, but he sensed that I was still unsure about joining his French team. I was still holding out for a contract from MTN-Qhubeka, but Bernaudeau had something up his sleeve that might make up my mind.

2014 would be the year that a Team Europcar South Africa would be founded, creating another opportunity for young cyclists to compete and develop at the highest level of racing in South Africa. Jean-René wanted me to be the face of the project, riding on the WorldTour team and acting an inspiration to the future South African stars.

Knowing nothing about this, I felt honoured he would think about me in this way, and think of me when it came to such a project. My mind was made up instantly, and I shook his hand. I would be a Team Europcar rider in 2014.