News and Results – December 3, 2008

December 3rd, 2008 by Ron Callahan View Comments

Zabel to help Columbia’s young riders, Risi and Marvulli split, Contador and Armstrong finally train together, Katie Compton looks to stay healthy and strong and more headlines after the split:

Erik Zabel will be an advisor to Team Columbia next year. Zabel will likely be working closely with Mark Cavendish and will help him continue to dominate in sprinting. Zabel will not be a member of the management team and will not be on a full time contract. (Sportwereld.be)
Dutch sprint and six day specialist Robert Slippens has announced his retirement at age 33. Slippens seriously crashed at a road race in 2006 and has never quite been able to recover. (SportBILD.de)
The Swiss Six Day team of Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli have split. Risi accuses Marvulli of a lack of professionalism. For next week’s Zurich Six Day Racee, Risi is expected to team with Danny Stam and Marvulli may work with Juan Llaneras. (Sportwereld.be)
Alberto Contador and Lance Armstrong trained together for the first time today. Earlier in the week, they had been split into separate groups, fueling rumors that the co-leaders may be forming separate camps within the team. (Le Derniere Heure)
Former Pro Cedric Vasseur is thinking about forming a professional racing team and is giving himself until 2010 to line up sponsors. (Sportwereld.be)
American Katie Compton won the World Cup cyclocross event in Koksijde, Belgium this last weekend and has her sights set on the National Championships coming up in less than 2 weeks, and the ‘cross Worlds in Hoogerheide on February 1st. At least for now, she is not being hampered by the leg cramps that plagued her earlier in the season. (Cyclocross Magazine)
The Italian Olympic Committee has opened an investigation on Matteo Priamo after he was named as the supplier of CERA to Emanuele Sella. Priamo’s house was raided and a stash of steroids was found. He claims that they belong to his mother! (The Podium Cafe)