Fabian Cancellara cruised to victory in Flanders(Image credit: Bettini Photo)
The 2013 RadioShack Leopard team was presented in Spain.(Image credit: AFP)
Andy Schleck in his first race back after fracturing his hip in June(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
An unhappy Frank Schleck during the Giro d'Italia(Image credit: AFP)
Flavio Becca is set to sell his WorldTour licence to Trek, who will create a new team structure for 2014 that is expected to be built around Fabian Cancellara and Andy Schleck, according to Luxembourg newspaper Tageblatt. The newspaper suggests that Becca will cancel Fränk Schleck's contract due to his positive anti-doping test for Xipamide during last year's Tour de France and that the future of the Leopard Trek development team is uncertain.
Becca did not reply to calls from Cyclingnews and has so far refused to discuss his plans for the team.
Cyclingnews reported at the end of the Giro d'Italia that negotiations with Becca to take over the team were underway. RadioShack announced earlier that it would end its sponsorship at the end of this season. Luca Guercilena replaced Johan Bruyneel as team manager after the Belgian's close links with Lance Armstrong were revealed in detail by the USADA doping investigation.
Trek has a contract with the team for 2014 but would need to secure Becca's WorldTour licence if it wants any current contracts with riders to be valid.
Cancellara's contract expires at the end of this year, but Tageblatt claims that he would stay with the team. Trek is said to have promised to build the team around him for the Classics. Andy Schleck is assured a place in the team because his contract runs through 2014, but things look difficult for his older brother Fränk. The newspaper said that he would not be on the team next year, and it is possible that Becca could fire him when he returns from his ban, if not before.
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