Feillu brothers to leave Vacansoleil?

Brice and Romain Feillu are said to be looking to break their contracts with Team Vacansoleil. The French brothers are apparently looking to move up to a bigger team, although Vacansoleil has said it plans to apply for a ProTour licence for the coming year.

The brothers are said to be in contact with the new Luxembourg-based team being set up by Kim Andersen and Brian Nygaard.

The Feillus moved to the Dutch team this season from Agritubel. Brice, 24, won a stage of the Tour de France in 2009. Neither brothers has any wins this year.

They are said to want to leave because the Professional Continental team was not invited to any of the Grand Tours this year. In 2009, the Professional Continental team rode the Vuelta a Espana, which started in the Netherlands. The team had hoped for wildcard invitations to the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, both of which also had their starts in the Netherlands this year, but did not receive them.

“I am surprised by this,” Vacansoleil manager Daan Luijkx told the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. “I don't know if I am open to this. They have ongoing contracts through 2011.”