The Trek Bicycle company has confirmed the story reported in the Luxembourg media on Sunday, that Fränk and Andy Schleck will be joining its WorldTour team next year. Younger brother Andy currently rides for the RadioShack-Leopard team, whose ProTeam licence Trek has bought from 2014, while Fränk was with the team until his positive test for the diuretic xipamide during last year’s Tour de France and banned from the sport for a year.
“We’re very excited to add two riders that bring the race experience and professionalism that Andy and Fränk both have,” said Trek VP Joe Vadeboncoeur. “We’ve built a strong relationship with them in the past few years, and we can’t wait to see what we’ll be able to accomplish together next season”
Andy Schleck appears to have put what was arguably the toughest period of his career behind him, having finished 20th in the recent Tour de France. For the rider who was retrospectively made the winner of the 2010 edition of the race, and finished second in the 2009 and 2011 editions, this result may be a modest one but, for the rider that failed to finish a stage race for almost a year - following a pelvis fracture sustained in a crash during the time trial of the 2012 Critérium du Dauphiné - it represents a significant step.
"I'm happy to re-sign with the Trek family and be a part of this project,” he said. “The jersey of the team may be different but I'm happy that a large part of this team will remain intact," said Andy Schleck. "I'm really looking forward to the future with this team."
Fränk, meanwhile, has not raced since his positive test, despite his ban ending on July 14th. The current management of the RadioShack-Leopard team announced shortly before this that it would not be re-signing the 33-year-old former Luxembourg champion, and it is currently unclear if he will race in 2013.
“Andy and I feel very similar about Trek,” said Fränk Schleck about signing for the new team in 2014. “We have a good relationship and we hold Trek in our hearts. They supported me throughout the rough period I have been through - from the people on the road to the top management. We wanted to return this confidence and trust by signing on to their new project.”
To date, the only other rider to be confirmed as having signed for Trek in 2014 is Classics King Fabian Cancellara, but many of the current RadioShack-Leopard riders will likely follow him across.