Garmin-Transitions and Cervélo TestTeam are on a path to merge for next season and riding under the name, Garmin-Cervélo.
"It's more or less official," a source with Cervélo told Cycling Weekly, "It will be Garmin-Cervélo."
Cervélo TestTeam lost its key rider, 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre, over one week ago. Sastre announced he will ride for Team Geox in 2011, two years after joining Cervélo and helping it makes its debut in 2009.
In this hectic time of rider transfers, Swiss team Cervélo has been quiet. It also failed to request a ProTour licence to make a jump from second to first division for next year. American first division team, Garmin-Transitions, has been quiet as well, only signing Frenchman Christophe Le Mevel.
Brit Dan Lloyd joined Cervélo for 2009, when he made his debut in a Grand Tour with the Giro d'Italia. This year, he rode both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in support of Spain's Carlos Sastre.
Daniel Lloyd (left) with fellow Cervelo Brit Jeremy Hunt
Lloyd confirmed that Cervélo Test team will fold at the end of the year.
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"We had a meeting last night, saying Cervélo TestTeam as it exists can't continue next year," Lloyd said. "The manager [Jean Paul van Poppel - ed.] didn't really give much more information."
Lloyd and some other riders have contracts through 2011 that the new team should honour. Thor Hushovd and Heinrich Haussler are due to ride with the new team, possibly making an uneasy relationship with sprinter Tyler Farrar.
If Garmin and Cervélo confirm the deal, Garmin will replace its Felt bicycles with Cervélo bicycles. Garmin team manager, Jonathan Vaughters did not respond to telephone calls regarding the merger.
Andy and Fränk Schleck's new Luxembourg-based team may sign the remaining riders from Cervélo, according to new reports. The team applied for a ProTour licence and needs top-level cyclists to help complete the team, though it is currently rumoured to have signed 20 riders, including Stuart O'Grady, Brice Feillu, Joost Posthuma and Jakob Fuglsang.
Brit Emma Pooley, recent winner of GP Plouay, may remain relaxed. Cervélo's women's team is set to continue.
Related links
Fight for ProTour places hots up
Daniel Lloyd: Rider Profile
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Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
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