Another Cyclopunk Exclusive: Schlecks' new sponsors!

Hot on the heels of news that Johan Bruyneel is in a spot of bother and today's revelation that Jakob Fuglsang has been made to go to his bedroom without any tea and has to stay there for the rest of the season, Cyclopunk's Copenhagen-based sister newspaper Overskud Lort has come up with the strongest evidence yet that the Brothers Schleck will be racing for a new team backed by a German sponsor in 2013.

Overskud Lort undercover journalist Spionclopunk has obtained apparently genuine documents showing that well-known candy manufacturer Haarigen Jungen - which amusingly produced black licorice coins named negertaler as late as 1993 - has signed an agreement to supply the new and as-yet un-named team (instructions on how to write and pronounce the new team's name are expected to be published a few months after it's revealed) with one bag of fizzy jelly rainbow-coloured frogs per day. It's understood that the sweets will be used to bribe Jens Voigt, whom the Schlecks recruited some years ago to prevent bigger boys from stealing their lunch money when UCI officials are looking the other way.

It's still not entirely clear how the team is to be financed, though Andy Schleck has been overheard saying that he knows a magical pixie who has promised him a pot of gold.

More Spyclopunk exclusives

Confirmed: Schleck to miss Tour

No 2012 Tour for Andy?

Luxembourg's RTL broadcaster carried a report this morning stating that Andy Schleck will not take part in this year's Tour de France due to a spinal injury suffered at the Criterium du Dauphine last week. There have been widespread doubts about the Luxembourger's form in the run up to the Tour, following poor performances in the Classics and his decision to abandon first Paris-Nice and then the Volta a Catalunya - leading to rumoured ruptions with team boss Johan Bruyneel.

RadioShack-Nissan conducted a press conference at 16:00CEST today, which many took as confirmation that the story was true as soon as it was announced. Andy, accompanied by a team doctor and Bruyneel, explains that he has a fractured pelvis and will not be able to cycle for four to six weeks, ruling him out of the Tour which begins on the 30th of June. He may have recovered in time for the Vuelta - in which case, a head-to-head battle with a returning Alberto Contador could make it the most fascinating of the 2012 Grand Tours.

Schleck had previously explained his decision to abandon the Dauphine as being down to the worst pain he has ever suffered. "Already in the first two hundred meters I had pain in the right leg and the lower back," he told reporters shortly after abandoning. "It just got worse. I've never suffered like that in a race. I couldn’t use my right leg any more. I had no other option than to quit the race."

Bruyneel served with US subpoena rumours

Johan Bruyneel

According to widespread rumours, RadioShack-Nissan boss Johan Bruyneel was served with a subpoena as he stepped off his plane and onto US soil this week on his way to the Tour of California. Though the rumours remain unconfirmed, it doesn't take a huge leap of the imagination to connect the story to Floyd Landis, who rode for Bruyneel's US Postal team between 2002-2004 and is currently subject to federal investigation related to the "Floyd Fairness Fund" he set up to pay for his legal team when he was accused of doping. 

Others have suggested that if the subpoena really does exist, it could be part of an ongoing USADA investigation into Lance Armstrong. Whether or not USADA is able to issue a subpoena is unclear - Betsy Andreu, interviewed by Anthony Tan for Velonews, says that they can, other sources say they cannot, while the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which works with and partially funds USADA and is a component of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, would certainly be able to seek a subpoena.

Velonation has since located a source "with knowledge of the matter" who claims that the team manager met with investigators on Friday. A USADA spokesperson told the website that an "investigation into the sport of cycling is ongoing."

The story took most of Saturday to get into the mainstream news, leading some fans to suggest it was all a load of rubbish; while others thought that the press had been told not to talk about it. Bruyneel Tweeted some photos from California at around 8pm (BST) the day the story broke, but made no mention of it.