If reports are correct, a three way battle to sign world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara has now ended, with the Swiss rider choosing to stay with some familiar faces next season.
The Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project was up against the BMC Racing Team and Team Sky and, according to the respected Belgian publication Gazet Van Antwerpen, the 29 year old has opted for the first of those three.
If confirmed, that will see him line out alongside many of those he has raced with for the past few seasons. Andy and Frank Schleck will lead the team and, along with Cancellara, look set to form its nucleus in the biggest races. Fellow Team Saxo Bank riders Jens Voigt and Stuart O’Grady will be there, as will Jakob Fuglsang and Dominic Klemme.
Former Saxo Bank press officer Brian Nygaard and chief directeur sportif Kim Andersen will play central roles in the organisation of the squad, which is set to be impressively strong for a new team.
Those joining from outside the Danish setup include GC contender Linus Gerdemann, top sprinters Daniele Bennati and Wouter Weylandt, as well as the promising Belgian Maxime Monfort.
Nygaard has confirmed that the Tour de France is a major goal; Andy Schleck has finished second overall for the past two years, and the chance of wining the race now presents itself. Nygaard has said he also wants to try to make history by putting two brothers on the podium in the Tour.
Cancellara was known to have been on the wish list of the BMC Racing Team. It’s registered in the US, but has long-standing links with Switzerland, being backed by a Swiss bike company and owned by the businessman and cycling enthusiast Andy Rihs. Signing him would be a major boost but, in the end, the chance to go with familiar faces and continue in a similar setup to this season may have been too inviting.
The Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project has yet to reveal its main sponsors, and therefore it is quite possible that the name will change before the start of the season. Further announcements about the line-up and the backing are expected soon.