Road News and Results – August 3rd, 2009

August 3rd, 2009 by Al Fresco View Comments

Welcome back to Bike World News, your home for the latest in cycling news. We’re back with the weekend race action, new additions to the disabled list, the latest on Mikel Astarloza, post-Tour crit results and more….

Barloworld’s Daryl Impey is back in action and will be riding with the team at the Vuelta a Burgos in Spain as well as two one-day races in Italy. Impey was involved in what can best be described as a horrific crash at the Tour of Turkey. We wish him well on him comeback.
Rabobank’s Juan Manuel Garate fell on the final descent in Saturday’s San Sebastian Classic and broke his wrist. Team doctors are confident that he will heal in time to race in the Vuelta.
Andy Schleck was yet another victim of the wet roads at San Sebastian. His wheel slipped on a wet white line, causing his to go down and bruise his back. Team doctors are still assessing the injury, but they are saying that it could jeopardize his participation at the Tour of Spain.
Kenny de Kettle had a fall during the Sparkassen Giro, cracking a vertebrae in his neck. He could have experienced greater injury as the ambulance that was transporting him to the hospital was involved in a crash with another car. Had he been facing a different way, the accident could have been fatal.
The Bissel Pro Cycling team has dismissed team member Kirk O’Bee for a contract breach involving “a violation of the team’s ‘zero-tolerance policy’ regarding performance-enhancing drugs.” The team noted O’Bee is now cooperating with both the U.S. and World Anti-Doping Agencies to address an apparent doping violation and he seems to be owning up to his actions.
Tour of Denmark stage winner Nicki Sorenson has extended his contract with Saxo Bank until the end of 2011. His teammates Frank Høj, Kasper Klostergård and Anders Lund all signed a new contract through 2010.
Italy’s Danilo Napolitano extended his contract with Katusha until the end of 2011.
Alessandro Ballan has reportedly expressed interest in the Astana, Sky, Rabobank and Radio Shack teams. He has been with Lampre since 2004, but his contract is up this year and he has turned down an extension.
Alexander Vinokourov returns from his two year ban on Tuesday to race at the Castillon-la-Bataille criterium in southwestern France.
The Fuji Servetto team has won their appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport to be included in the Tour of Spain. 22 teams will now start in the Vuelta a Espana.
The Univest Grand Prix, the finale of the USA Cycling Pro Tour, expands for 2009 with the addition of a team time trial stage in Allentown, Pennsylvania on Friday, September 11. The Univest Grand Prix will now become a two-day UCI 2.2 (Pro-Am stage race) consisting of the opening TTT and followed by the famed Univest Grand Prix road race with start and finish in Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Mikel Astarloza:

Among those reacting to Mikel Astarloza’s apparent doping violation was Katusha’s Robbie McEwen, who said, “You’re a dick, Astarloza.”
Astarloza’s Euskaltel team has defended him, saying that they saw nothing untoward in their internal testing. They are confident that he will be exonerated by the testing of the B-sample.
After the suspension of Mikel Astarloza by the UCI, Sandy Casar (Francaise des Jeux) could be declared winner of the 16th stage of Tour de France, between Martigny and Bourg-Saint-Maurice, at which he took second place.
Astarloza’s suspension has put additional pressure on the Euskaltel team sponsors, who have already endured other recent scandals involving riders and staff. In June, team rider Inigo Landaluze tested positive CERA during the Dauphiné Libéré. In 2001, rider Txema del Olmo tested positive for EPO and was fired. Team doctor Jesus Losa was implicated in the Cofidis Affaire in 2004 and later fired. In 2005, Aitor Gonzalez tested positive for anabolic steroids which he insisted came from nutritional products he was taking.

Post-Tour Crits:

Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) won the Hamme post-Tour criterium, besting Thor Hushovd (Cervelo) and Greg Van Avermaet (Silence Lotto) at the line. Tom Boonen (Quick Step) finished fourth.
Alberto Contador (Astana) took his second post-Tour prize, prevailing at the Heerlen crit over World Champion Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) and Laurens Ten Dam (Rabobank).
Mark Cavendish took his 20th win of the year, sprinting to victory at the Sparkassen Giro over Milram captain Gerald Ciolek and the surprisingly strong Andreas Stauff (Kuota – Indeland)

Other Results:

Holowesko Partners-Felt U23 rider Alex Howes finished off the team sweep at the U23 national championships by winning the criterium championship, adding to his road race win two days earlier.
Karl Menzies of Team OUCH p/b Maxxis grabbed numerous time bonuses in the road race to move himself into the overall lead (and a $25,000 payday) at the prestigious Tour of Elk Grove.