Roster Ruminations, Part III – RadioShack-Leopard

RadioShack-Leopard is a team in transition.  With U.S. roots and Luxembourg registration, it will likely look very different next year.  RadioShack has pulled the plug on its sponsorship, effective at the end of this season.  Bicycle maker Trek has agreed to take control as owner and primary sponsor, and promises to “create a new team”  through negotiations currently under way with “several marquee athletes.”  Will they keep their current stars?  Or will they find new ones?  Does the Tour de France roster for 2013 give us any clue for 2014?

Andy Schleck headlines the 2013 TDF roster, and will try to reclaim the Yellow Jersey.  Several familiar names will ride in support, Jens Voigt, Andreas Kloden, and Haimar Zubeldia.  Tour veterans Maxime Monfort, Tony Gallopin, Laurent Didier and Markel Irizar are joined by newcomer Jan Bakelants.  This makes for a very Eurozone roster, with riders from Luxembourg, Belgium, Spain, Germany and France.  So, who is missing?

The Americans to begin with.  No sign of Chris Horner, Ben King or Matthew Busche.  And where is Spartacus?  Swiss star Fabian Cancellara will skip this year’s Tour, apparently by his own choice.  He holds the record for the most days wearing the TDF Yellow Jersey without ever having won the race.  How can they have the Tour de France without Cancellara?  And what of the rumor that BMC (an American team sponsored by a Swiss company) may try to steal Fabulous Fabian away from the Luxembourg team as it transitions to Trek control?

Back to the Tour:  What does this roster portend for the upcoming race?  I predict that Andy will have his best race of the season (which isn’t saying very much), but that he will be lucky to finish in the top 10.  Jens Voigt will join a few breakaways and possibly win a stage.  Kloden and Zubeldia will acquit themselves with honor in the mountains.  The RadioShack era at the Tour de France will close on a relatively quiet note.