Busche leads troupe of climbers staying with Trek for 2014

Matthew Busche leads a troupe of quality climbers staying with Trek for the 2014 season.

The former U.S. national champion joins Haimar Zubeldia, Laurent Didier, and Robert Kiserlovski as part of four riders who will stay with Trek as the team transitions from RadioShack-Leopard to Trek for 2014.

“These four riders form a strong group of guys that have more than just one card to play,” said team manager Luca Guercilena in a team release Wednesday. “They can ride for their own result, but they can also ride in support of a leader.”

The announcement means that Busche will stay in Trek colors for 2014, and so far, he represents the lone American confirmed for the team next year. Chris Horner is still without a contract while Ben King moves to Garmin-Sharp for next year.

Busche has made steady progress since joining the team in 2010, and he wants to continue to improve.

“I’ve been with the team since 2010, and the decision to stay was pretty easy,” Busche said. “They have helped me improve a lot as a cyclist in four years and I am confident that this is a good team for me to progress to the next level. I am excited about what the future holds.”

The four confirmations join 16 existing RadioShack riders who will stay with the team for next season, including core riders such as Andy Schleck, Fabian Cancellara, Jens Voigt, and improving talent Bob Jungels.

The roster is nearly full, with 11 new riders coming on board, including Frank Schleck, back from his one-year racing ban, Fumiyuki Beppu, the Van Poppel brothers, and Kristof Vandewalle from Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

Another dozen riders on the 2013 roster are facing different fates. Veterans Horner and Andreas Kloden are still waiting to see if they have contracts for next year.

Tony Gallopin and Maxime Monfort are both headed to Lotto-Belisol, while Jans Bakelants goes to Omega Pharma.