German rider reported to be one of first signings of as-yet unannounced team
Even before it has been officially announced, the new Luxembourg team set up around Fränk and Andy Schleck has already been signing riders. According to De Telegraaf 27-year-old German rider Robert Wagner, currently riding for Skil-Shimano has agreed a contract with the team.
Wagner, sadly no relation to the star of Prince Valiant, Hart to Hart and the Austin Powers movies, has ridden for the Dutch Professional Continental team since 2008. As a sprinter he has twice won the Ronde van Noord-Holland; this season he has also won a stage of the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, a stage of the Bayern Rundfahrt and a stage of the Delta Tour Zeeland.
Although both Schleck brothers, and Saxo Bank team manger Bjarne Riis, have confirmed that they will be leaving the Danish team at the end of the season, no official announcement has been made as to their destination. Brian Nygaard has and Kim Anderson, both former Saxo Bank press officer and director sportif respectively, have been working to build a new team around the brothers.
No official news about the team or its sponsors, one of whom is rumoured to be Belgian fast food chain Quick, is expected until early next month.
Wagner is currently racing in the Tour of Poland, but found himself one of a number of riders blocked by the crash in the closing kilometres.