All of your cycling news – October 16, 2009

It is with a profound sense of melancholy that I write the last daily digest of road racing news on the eve of the Giro d’ Lombardia. Of course, it may be the off season for the road guys, but six day and cross season is already underway, and as such, we’re not going anywhere.

Here’s today’s news:

• The toxicological study of Frank Vandenbrouke will take place in France.
• Vandenbrouke’s mother has told the media to stay home during his funeral. She wants it to be a private ceremony for friends and family.
• A black cloud is hanging over the 2010 Dauphine Libere as the new owners for its sponsoring newspaper have yet to commit to funding the race. IF the race actually takes place, organizers are planning on a stage completion in Grenoble as well as a mountaintop finish on Alpe d’Huez on the penultimate day.
• In addition to riding for the Cervelo Test Team in 2010, Thor Hushovd will also help with the management of a Continental team that will be headquarted in Grimstad, Norway. The PlussBank-Cervélo team will serve as a development squad for Norwegian cycling.
• The former Equipe Nurnberger team will now be known as Skyter and will be registered in Wales. Nicole Cooke is the most recent signing and she will have Amber Neben and Trixie Worrack among her teammates.
• British Cycling is preparing to start construction on a new indoor BMX track that is expected to ready in time for the 2012 Olympics. The track will have seating for 2000 spectators. The building, which will be located next to the Manchester Velodrome, will also serve as headquarters for British Cycling.
• Russian cyclist Eduard Vorganov will join Katusha in 2010. He has ridden for Spain’s Xacobeo Galicia team for the past three seasons.
• Eduardo Gonzalo will transfer from the disintegrating Agritubel team to the French Continental squad Brittany-Schuller. He’ll be the first Spaniard ever on the team. Gonzalo’s Agritubel teammate Steven Caethoven has signed with Landbouwkrediet-Colnago for a year.
• Haimar Zubeldia may yet leave Astana for Radio Shack. He’s opened a grievance with the UCI, as he apparently has a release letter from Astana’s old management, but current team management is not honoring that letter. If the UCI does not release him, he’ll ride another year with Astana.
• Snow is expected for Sunday’s second round of the UCI Cyclocross World Cup race in Pilsen, Czech. Niels Albert acknowledges that Sven Nys is better in snow than he, and that he might just have to “limit the damage” if the white stuff is on the ground.

Giro d’Lombardia Preview:

• The two big favorites for Saturday’s “Race of the Falling Leaves” will be defending champion Damiano Cunego and Belgian Phillipe Gilbert. Gilbert will be seeking his 4th victory of 2009 and his third win this week after taking Sunday’s Paris-Tours and the Giro del Piemonte on Thursday.
• Some of the other possible contendors are Gilbert’s Silence-Lotto teammate Cadel Evans, Dutchman Robert Gesink (Rabobank), Joaquin Rodriguez (Caisse d’Epargne)  and Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel) of Spain, Italian Filippo Pozzato (Katyusha) and the Kazakh Alexander Vinokourov.
• Teams expected at the race are: Lampre, Liquigas, Euskaltel, Caisse d’Epargne, Silence-Lotto, Quick Step, Saxo Bank, Katusha, Astana, Columbia, HTC, Milram, Francaise de Jeux, Cofidis, AG2R, Bouyges Telecom, Garmin-Slipstream, Fuji Servetto, Cervelo, ISD, Vacansoleil, Acqua e Sapone, Serramenti PVC and Topsport Vlaanderen.

Results:

• Garmin’s Bradley Wiggins laid down the fastest time in Friday’s time trial to take over the lead of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour.

Tags: alexander vinokourov, Amber Neben, astana, Bouyges Telecom, Bradley Wiggins, Caisse d'Epargne, cervelo test team, cyclocross, cyclocross world cup, Damiano Cunego, Dauphine Libere, Filippo Pozzato, Francaise de Jeux, Frank Vandenbrouke, fuji servetto, nicole cooke, Niels Albert, Paris-Tours, Phillipe Gilbert, Rabobank, Robert Gesink, Silence-Lotto, Sven Nys, Thor Hushovd, topsport vlaanderen