Road News: Armstrong to be Astana’s #3 for Tour de France

June 3rd, 2009 by Al Fresco View Comments

Here’s today’s cycling news: Alberto Contador will be Astana’s TdF captain, Sebastian Haedo moves up in NRC rankings, Giro stars race in crits, Silence Lotto recons team time trial course for Tour and more…

Astana manager Johan Bruyneel has announced that Lance Armstrong will be the number 3 man at the Tour de France. Alberto Contador will be the captain, with Levi Leipheimer as his lieutenant. Bruyneel downplayed inter team rivalry, saying that the only duel will be between Astana and the rest of teams.
Astana’s sponsors have fulfilled all our their financial guarantees and the UCI has given them the green light to participate in future races. They were expected to line up for Wednesday’s Tour of Luxembourg.
Defending National Racing Calendar champ Rory Sutherland (OUCH-Maxxis) remains in first place in the rankings, thanks to his win at the Joe Martin Stage Race and several stage wins and stage podiums this season, but Colavita’s Argentinean sprinter Sebastian Haedo has moved up from eighth to second thanks to his sprinting talent, winning the Tour of Somerville and several stages. He is now just 15 points behind Sutherland.
Some of the stars of the Giro raced in Arona last night at the Guffaanti Cheese Grand Prix – Cup Fontaneto Ravioli. Ivan Basso won the elimination race over Alessandro Petacchi and Leonardo Bertagnolli, and Danilo Di Luca won the scratch race ahead of Franco Pellizotti and Gilberto Simoni. There will be criteriums in Salò tonight and Brescia tomorrow. for tonight’s race, Alessandro Ballan, Di Luca, Basso and Petacchi are expected to appear.
Pellizotti will share captain duties for the Tour de France with his Liquigas teammates Roman Kreuziger and Vincenzo Nibali.
The 20th edition of the Giro d’Italia for Women will start on July 3rd in Tuscany. Organizers have prepared what they call a “very attractive and technically exciting” course for the race. [It will unfortunately be overshadowed by a little race going on in France that starts the next day. - Ed.]
Cadel Evans and some of his Silence-Lotto teammates were in France previewing the course for the Zolder time trial stage.
September’s “Around Berlin” and Brandenburg-Rundfahrt races have been cancelled due to financial problems. Organizers are still evaluating if the race will be back in 2010.
The Spanish Vuelta Clásica a los Puertos de Guadarrama race, scheduled for August 23rd has also been cancelled. Organizers cited the difficult economic situation.
Saxo Bank’s Karsten Kroon is being courted by the Sky TV and Vacansoleil teams. Both squads are looking for a strong rider who can play a role in the classics.
Four junior cyclists secured automatic nominations over the weekend to the U.S. National Team for the 2009 UCI Road and Time Trial World Championships: Nathan Brown, Lawson Craddock, Kendall Ryan, and Coryn Rivera. The May 30-31 Soto Classic in Nashville, Tenn. served as the 2009 UCI Junior Road and Time Trial World Championship U.S. trials, awarding a nomination to the male and female winners of the 17-18 road race and time trial events.
Omar Piscina will join the Ceramica Flaminia – Bossini team as its technical director in 2010.