Hoste has five offers

Leif Hoste is close to leaving Discovery Channel at the end of the season, reports sportwereld.be. The Belgian, who finished second in the Ronde van Vlaanderen and virtually second in Paris-Roubaix (but was disqualified for going through a train crossing), has better financial offers from five different teams: Davitamon-Lotto, Unibet.com, and three French ProTour squads.

"I've still not made a decision and am leaving the work up to my manager," Hoste was quoted as saying. But Discovery said that it will not match the offers of the other teams: "We didn't do it for Livingston, nor for Leipheimer, Hamilton, Boonen or Roberto Heras," said Johan Bruyneel. "That's not our style. But of course it's disappointing that he goes now at the moment that the time is ripe with Leif."