Road News and Results – April 14, 2009

Here’s the latest in cycling news for today. Results from the Netherlands, Turkey and France, updates to the disabled list, Tom Boonen to battle Alessandro Petacchi at the Scheldprijs, and more…

Results:

• Emma Johansson (Red Sun) won the Ronde van Drenthe Women’s World Cup event in the Netherlands last weekend. She takes over the lead in the cup from Marianne Vos.
• Maurizio Biondo (Cermica Flaminia) won the men’s event at Ronde de Drenthe.
• Junior national team member Adam Leibovitz finished third overall in a very tight race at the Ster Van Zuid-Limburg stage race in Belgium on Monday, after leading the race through the weekend.
• German Andre Schulze (PSK Whirlpool) won the third stage in the Tour of Turkey.
• Jimmy Casper (Besson Chaussures-Sojasun) won the sprint the 73rd edition of Paris-Camembert over Agritubel’s Romain Feillu. Full report later today.

Disabled List:

• Alexandre Pichot of Bbox-Bouygues Telecom fell on his hip during Paris-Roubaix and had to withdraw from Tuesday’s Paris-Camembert race.
• Stijn Devolder (Quick Step) also had a fall during Paris-Roubaix and injured his left leg and right forearm.

News:

• Lance Armstrong continues to hang out at his new house in Aspen Colorado and train. He did two rides yesterday. Let’s hope he’s not over-stressing the collarbone.
• Alejandro Valverde was slated as a favorite to win today’s Paris-Camembert race. He continues to race and train in preparation for Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race. On May 11, Italian anti-doping authorities will meet to determine if they will bar him from racing in Italy. There is a risk that the UCI may accept Italy’s national ban as a worldwide ban.
• Wednesday’s Scheldprijs race will see a battle between Tom Boonen and Alessandro Petacchi, but Mark Cavendish will not be there to defend his title.
• While he has not yet racked up four wins at Paris-Roubaix, some are already saying that Tom Boonen is the king of the race. Roger De Vlaeminck won 4 times in 14 tries. Boonen has had three victories in eight tries and only finished out of the top ten once.
• Stijn Devolder is happy for Boonen, but disappointed at his own performance, and a little worried about the injuries from the fall that he took in the Forest of Wallers. Devolder will skip the Scheldprijs due to the injuries.
• Devolder’s teammate Steven de Jongh has recovered from injuries suffered at the Tour of Qatar and will make his return at the Scheldprijs.
• Organizers of the Rund um Köln say that this year’s edition of the race was the first and last to only have national teams. Next year should see the return of pro teams as well as a new course.
• Rachel Lloyd’s current summer team and team of her 2007 cyclocross season (PROMAN) is expanding their junior women’s program to a national level. The team features four promising NorCal Juniors, including rising mountain bike racer, Ruth Winder.
• Wednesday’s Fleche Wallone will feature some new climbs, but will still focus on the formidable Muur de Hoy, over which it will pass three times. Columbia Highroad’s Kim Kirchen is the defending champion.
• Silence Lotto has ended their cooperation with Tom Steels. He was providing training consultation to the team.
• Patrik Sinkewitz is still fighting a lawsuit over damages from his 2007 doping offense. He had been ordered to pay 100,000 euros to former sponsor Förstina, and is trying to get the fine reduced.
• Gerald Ciolek will head Milram’s team for the Scheldprijs.
• Rabobank’s Bauke Mollema has removed the Fleche Wallone and the Tour of Romandie from his race schedule. The 22-year-old Dutchman dropped out of last week’s Tour of the Basque Country due to fatique. A blood test confirmed problems that contributed to his loss of form.

Tags: Alejandro Valverde, Alessandro Pettachi, Andre Schulze, Emma Johansson, Jimmy Casper, Lance Armstrong, Maurizio Biondo, romain feillu, Steven de Jongh, Stijn Devolder, Tom Boonen