After much speculation, a little strategic maneuvering, and then a final parting of ways Swiss time trial champion Fabian Cancellara has found a new home.   And the new home looks a lot like the old home.  Fabian has followed the Schlecks, Voigt, O’Grady and others to the new Luxembourg Team.  By my count, this makes him the 25^th (and final) member of the team.    The timing leads to questions about whether or not Cancellara was waiting to be sure the team received their ProTour license – which in fact they did.

A news item posted to Cancellara’s website (www.fabiancancellara.com) stated:

Fabian Cancellara signs with Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project, which also includes the Schleck brothers belong to a three-year contract. (sic – Google translation for the original German post)

The Director Sportif of the new Luxembourg team, Kim Anderson, has stated that the signing of Fabian is a recent development.  According to a story in the Danish news publication Ekstra Bladet (English translation):

“No, it’s only just recently that everything fell into place. It was not something we had anticipated from the start. He had a contract,” said Kim Andersen

The statement possibly adds credence to the idea that Cancellara was waiting on ProTour status confirmation for the team before signing.

Exstra Bladet is the same publication that claimed to have “exclusive information” (English translation) about Fabian signing as far back as September 20^th.

The UCI licensing board has announced the recipients of the latest batch of 4 year ProTour licenses.  A ProTour license allows teams a spot in all ProTour races, setting the stage for a team’s season.

Most of the teams are current ProTour license holders, reapplying when their 4 year license expired.  However, two teams – BMC and Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project – are new to the ProTour ranks.

BMC competed last season with Pro Continental status.  While holding a ProTour license gets you in the races, lack of one doesn’t necessarily keep you out.  Instead, non-ProTour teams can try for one of the wildcard spots.  Now, BMC does not have to worry about trying to get those wildcard spots.

If ever there was a shoe-in to receive a license, however, the Luxembourg Pro Cycling Project may just be it.  Consisting of Frank & Andy Schleck, Stuart O’Grady, and Jens Voigt among others, the team is poised to be a powerhouse next season.  There is still a possibility that Fabian Cancellara will also join his former Saxo Bank teammates.

With the two new additions came two teams that were denied their applications – Geox-TMC and Cofidis.

Geox-TMC has been particularly vocal about the decision.  Their roster would seem up to par on paper.  They’ve got Carlos Sastre – 2008 Tour de France winner – and Denis Menchov.  Menchov as among his palmares a 2009 win at the Giro, and a 2010 podim finish in the Tour de France.

From their own website, the UCI’s mission is;

The International Cycling Union (UCI) is cycling’s International Federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The UCI was founded in Paris in 1900.

The UCI administers and promotes the development of the eight disciplines of cycling all around the world (road, track, mountain bike, BMX, para-cycling, cyclo-cross, trials and indoor cycling). Over the last 10 years, the UCI has intensified its development activities on all five continents.

The UCI’s mission is to develop and promote cycling, in close collaboration with National Federations, be it as a competition sport and its associated values (effort, well-being and fair play), as a healthy recreational activity or as a means of transport.

The Danish website TV2 Sporten is reporting that Brian Holmes – currently of HTC Columbia – will move to work with the new Luxembourg based team of Frank and Andy Schleck.  Brian’s contract with HTC Columbia expires at the end of this season.  From the english translation of the original post, Brian Holmes is quoted as saying:

If you had asked me last week, I would have confirmed that I stop on HTC-Columbia. But I said to Brian Nygaard (CEO of Team Luxembourg, ed) that I need a couple extra days to think about me in

VeloNews.com is reporting that Andy Schleck has officially confirmed that he and his brother Frank will be leaving the team currently known as Saxo Bank at the end of this season.

So, after first reporting that the brothers were leaving, and then reporting that wasn’t certain during the Tour de France, we’ve finally got more concrete, specific information.  Next year we will see a new pro cycling team out of Luxembourg, with Frank and Andy Schleck riding for their home country’s team.

It was reported here at JustAnotherCyclist.com that the rumors of brothers Frank and Andy Schleck leaving the Riis Racing team (currently sponsored by Saxo Bank) at the end of this season were indeed true.  However, according to press releases by Bjarne Riis during the Tour de France, that may still not be set in stone.  It was revealed that SunGard – currently a minor sponsor of the team – would step up and fill the title sponsor role being vacated by Saxo Bank at the end of this season.  With this move, according to VeloNation:

With Sungard and the second, unnamed, sponsor on board, Riis will likely be able to afford to keep hold of the team’s two biggest assets: the Luxembourg brothers, Fränk and Andy Schleck. “We will continue at the same level,” said Riis, “We will still aim to be the World’s best cycling team.”

Andy Schleck, however, deflected direct questions and chose to focus on the current Tour de France by saying “Now we will get the Tour out of the way, then we will talk about it later in the year” (VeloNation)

It does not appear that this effects Bryan Nygaard’s plans to start a new pro cycling team based in Luxembourg.  It does, however, spur additional questions about exactly what theam the Schlecks will call home.