Road News and Results: August 24, 2009 Early Edition

Here’s the (not so) latest from the weekend. More later.

• The U.S. cyclocross season will kick off with the FSA Star Crossed race on September 19th in Redmond, WA and will be followed the next day by the Rad Racing Grand Prix on the 20th. Star Crossed will be the first race in the North American Cyclocross Trophy ten race series.
• American cyclocross star Katie Compton has secured a contract with Planet Bike. She joins 2007 Worlds silver medalist Jonathan Page on the team.
• UCI President Patrick McQuaid has confirmed that there have been no positive tests at the Tour de France, making it the cleanest Grand Tour in history.
• Brice and Romain Feillu have signed a contract with the Vacansoleil team and are already expected to have a repeat appearance at the Tour de France.
• Freddy Bichot (Agritubel) has announced a transfer the the BBox Bouyges Telecom team for 2010.
• 32 year old Addy Engels has renewed with the Quick Step team for 2010.
• After leaving the Cinelli-Down Under team, Frank Vandenbroucke has lost his UCI license. He is allowed to apply for an indvidual license, or join another team.
• Lampre has confirmed that they have signed Alessano Pettachi to a two year contract. Pettachi feels that he will definitely have more opportunities for bigger races.
• Liquigas has announced their final team selection for the Vuelta: Ivan Basso, Danniele Bennati, Maciej Bodnar, Kjell Carlstrom, Roman Kreuziger, Manuel Quinziato, Sylvester Szmyd, Fredrik Willems, Oliver Zaugg.
• Rabobank will send six Dutch riders to the Vuelta: Robert Gesink, Koos Moerenhout, Bram Tankink, Pieter Weening, Tom Leezer and Lars Boom. The squad will be rounded out by Spaniards Juan Manuel Garate and Oscar Freire and German Paul Martens.
• Silence Lotto for the Vuelta: Cadel Evans, Christophe Brandt, Francis De Greef, Mickael Delage, Philippe Gilbert, Olivier Kaisen, Matthew Lloyd, Jurgen Roelandts, and Charles Wegelius.
• Lance Armstrong abandoned during the 3rd stage of the Tour of Ireland (citing back problems), but he wasn’t the only one. About half the peloton dropped out because of torrential rain.
• Vincenzo Nibali crashed during Sunday’s fifth stage of the Eneco Tour, breaking a collarbone.

Results:

• Tom Boonen (Quick Step) won Friday’s third stage of the Eneco Tour. Tyler Farrar came across second to maintain his overall race lead. Farrar came back on Saturday for a win in the fourth stage, just edging out Edvald Boasson Hagen in an uphill finish. Going into Sunday’s stage, Farrar led Boonen by 20 seconds. Lars Ytting Bak of Saxo Bank won Sunday, while Boasson Hagen picked up bonus seconds to move into the overall race lead.
• It was a good weekend for the Cervelo Test Team at the GP Ouest Plouay. Emma Pooley won for the women on Saturday, and Simon Gerrans made it two by taking the 229.2km men’s race. Gerrans was the best in a group of seven that had a slight lead on the peloton.  On Friday night, Heinrich Haussler won the 25th edition of the Night of Hanover.
• Tom Zirbel of the Bissell team won Friday’s stage 3 individual time trial at the Miller Motorsports Park near Tooele, Utah. Ian McKissick and Brent Bookwalter of BMC took the other two spots on the podium. Francisco Mancebo of Rock Racing was able to hold onto his overall lead. Team Type 1′s Darren Lill was able to draw 5 seconds closer to Mancebo. Felt-Holowesko’s Alex Howes won Saturday’s stage, a 153km race that culminated in a mountaintop finish at the Snowbird Ski Resort. Howe is wearing the race’s best young rider jersey. Bernie Sulzberger (Fly V Australia) overtook an OUCH-Maxxis sprint train roaring out of the final corner of the Downtown Salt Lake Criterium on Sunday to win the bunch sprint in final stage of the 2009 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah. Overall leader Francisco Mancebo (Rock Racing) finished safely in the pack to lock up his overall win.
• Mark Cavendish won the second stage of the Tour of Ireland. Bernhard Eisel led him out for a perfect sprint win over Michael Van Staeyen (Rabobank) and Stuart O’ Grady (Saxo Bank).
• Mathieu Perget (Caisse d’Epargne) won Friday’s 42nd edition of the Tour du Limousin at the end of the fourth and final stage, 180.1 kilometers run on Chalus between Limoges. Team Type 1′s Matt Wilson is wearing the mountains jersey. Russell Downing (Candi TV) finished second on Sunday, close enough to defend his overall race lead and take the race win.
• Giovanni Visconti (ISD) beat his compatriot Stefano Garzelli (Acqua e Sapone) to win the sprint to Fondo in Saturday’s 18th edition of the Trofeo Melinda.

Tags: Agritubel, Bernhard Eisel, Bouyges Telecom, cadel evans, Caisse d'Epargne, cyclocross, Darren Lill, Edvald Boasson Hagen, eneco tour, Francisco Mancebo, Heinrich Haussler, Ivan Basso, Juan Manuel Garate, katie compton, Lance Armstrong, lars ytting bak, Liquigas, Mark Cavendish, Matt Wilson, North American Cyclocross Trophy, Patrick McQuaid, Quick Step, Rabobank, Robert Gesink, Rock Racing, romain feillu, Saxo Bank, Simon Gerrans, Team Type 1, Tom Boonen, Tom Zirbel, tour of ireland, tour of utah, Tyler Farrar, Vincenzo Nibali