Report: Klöden, Monfort dropped by Trek team for 2014

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There is no room for Andreas Klöden and Maxime Monfort on the new Trek team under construction from the ashes of the Radioshack-Leopard team for 2014, according to the Gazet van Antwerpen.

The two veterans are looking for new teams for the 2014 season. The Belgian newspaper also said that Kristoff Vandewalle will sign with Trek, and that Lotto Belisol is pursuing Pim Ligthart.

Monfort finished 14th in the Tour de France this year, the best of the RadioShack-Leopard team. However, with Trek taking over the team licence in 2014, the emphasis is said to be moving towards supporting Fabian Cancellara in the Classics. He is said to be talking to Lotto Belisol.

Klöden, 38, is also reported to be without a contract, and is in contact with the Swiss team IAM. Klöden's last wins came for RadioShack in 2011 when he won the overall title in the Tour of the Basque Country and stages at the Giro del Trentino, Criterium International and Paris-Nice, where he finished second overall. In 2012 he was 11th overall in the Tour de France. He had finished second overall at the Tour de France in 2004 and 2006.

Joining the Trek team would be Kristoff Vandewalle, Gazet van Antwerpen said. The Belgian, now with Omega Pharma-Quick Step team, has won his national time trial championship the last two years, and this year also took home the title at the Three Days of West Flanders.

Lotto Belisol is talking not only to Monfort but also to Ligthart. The former Dutch champion currently rides for Vacansoleil-DCM, which will apparently stop at the end of the season. Ligthart was extremely aggressive in the recent Eneco Tour but failed to win a stage.