Luxembourg-based Continental team for RadioShack-Nissan

Image 1 of 2

The new RadioShack-Nissan squad is touted to set up a Luxembourg-based feeder team at Continental level next season, according to a report in Le Quotidien.

RadioShack already has a feeder team in the shape of Trek-Livestrong and the squad directed by Axel Merckx will continue to operate next season. However, following the merger with Leopard Trek, team manager Johan Bruyneel and backer Flavio Becca are keen to have a Luxembourg feel to the set-up.

To that end, Laurent Didier (currently at Saxo Bank-Sungard) will join the Schleck brothers in the elite team, and Bruyneel is rumoured to be considering setting up a Continental squad based around young Luxembourg talent Bob Jungels. The 19-year-old was junior world time trial champion in 2010 and has attracted the attention of a number of WorldTour teams.

A decision on the formation of the Continental team is expected in the coming weeks, and any such squad would be comprised largely of espoirs from the Grand Duchy.

Meanwhile, Luxembourg has announced its candidacy to host stages of the Tour de France in either 2014 or 2015. The application, which was lodged with ASO in March, was formally announced at a ceremony on Wednesday night that also saw Fränk and Andy Schleck and Kim Kirchen receive medals of merit from the ministry of sport.

“The request was formulated by making ASO understand how good it would be if the Tour passed through Luxembourg while the Schleck brothers are still racing,” a ministry of sport sportsman told Le Quotidien.