Leah Thomas has signed a new contract with Movistar Team Women through 2021 after her Equipe Pole Ka abruptly disbanded in October, and the 31-year-old American all-rounder hopes to continue her development in the top tier of women's professional cycling.

"My interactions with the Movistar team have been nothing but positive," Thomas said.

"They value their riders as more than expendable athletes and believe in being honest and transparent about what they can offer. I am excited to be on a team that, like myself, strives to grow and get better every day. An added plus is that we have great facilities."

Thomas renewed her contract with Ekip Paulka in August, signing her through the 2021 season. The contract renewal came after she finished third on the podium at Strade Bianche.

In October, however, the team announced that it would immediately disband after not receiving the agreed sponsorship money from its financial backer, Paule Ka.

The team was forced to demand the release of bank guarantees to pay the riders' salaries, and Paule Ka's owner told Cyclingnews that "the team and the company owner are in negotiations regarding the termination of the sponsorship agreement."

Thomas began racing with the Twenty16 development team in 2015. He then raced for UnitedHealthcare (2018) and Bigla (2019), which took on the new name Equipe Paule Ka in July.

Thomas is a strong time triallist, having placed seventh at the 2019 World and Pan American Championships, and also won last year's Chrono de Nations; she placed eighth at The Women's Tour in 2019 and also won the Tour of Scotland. This year, she won the queen stage of the Setmana Valenciana and was third in the Strade Bianche.

"Cycling is a special sport where there is always room for improvement. In the upcoming season, I want to stay consistent and focus on doing my best in each race I enter," Thomas said. Thomas added, "Not because I finished third, but because I never stopped fighting, even though I had some bad luck during the race...Not because I finished third, but because I never stopped fighting, even though I had some bad luck during the race. I hope to take this lesson of resilience and perseverance and extend it next year. I have specific race goals, but I want to push forward with an understanding of the team's needs. One, of course, is to make the US Olympic team.

"I have learned from previous teams that true teamwork is essential for team success. First and foremost, I want to be a support to Annemiek [van Fruten] in the upcoming season. In addition, I want to continue to grow as an opportunistic racer who excels at really hard, unforgiving, classic-style racing. I'm really looking forward to working with everyone next season."

Thomas is Annemike van Fruten, Katrine Allerud, Aude Biernik, Jelena Elich, Alicia González, Barbara Guariski, Shayla Gutiérrez, Sara Martín, Emma Norsgard, and Lourdes Oyarbide, Paula Patiño, Gloria Rodriguez, and Alba Teruel are the last of 14 players to be signed.

"Rea is the last piece missing to create a strong, balanced group for next season. 'Leah is the last piece that was missing to build a strong, balanced group for next season. She is a great time triallist, a solid climber who excels in mountain finishes, and a valuable asset to the Classics. With her on board, we can better support Anne-Mike and at the same time aim for great results throughout the season."