Bike World News

In today’s cycling news, confusion reigns around Contador, Bellis to return to Britain, Team Sky adds strength, Cadel Evans determined to win Tour de France and more…

Alberto:

• Quick Step is still trying to woo Alberto Contador, but if they are not successful, they are looking to sign Jan Kuyckx and possibly four others.
• Contador has expressed the most interest in Caisse d’Epargne and if you believe some news sources, he may announce his decision by early next week.
• Kazakh Cycling Federation Vice Chairman Nikolaj Proskoerin is still confident that Contador will stay with the team for 2010 and that their license is not in danger. The team is working on sponsors, but their management structure was thrown further into question as Federation Chairman Danial Akhmetov announced that he was resigning for health reasons.
• Proskoerin says that they “have absolutely no problem” with Contador and that he’ll remain with the team, but Contador has thus far been mute on the issue.

The News:

• British cyclist Jonathon Bellis, injured in a motorcycle accident while in Italy preparing for last month’s World Championships, is expected to return to Britain in the next several days. He was in a drug-induced coma for a period of time to help recover from the head injuries that he suffered.
• Swiss sprinter Aurelien Clerc (AG2R La Mondiale) is reportedly in negotiations to join the burgeoning BMC Racing squad.
• British squad Team Sky have boosted their 2010 squad by recruiting three more riders, taking the total to 19. The new team has signed up Canadian Michael Barry, Chris Sutton from Australia and Belgian Serge Pauwels.
• The Six Days of Grenoble kicks off tonight with 11 teams. Christian Prudhomme, the director of the Tour de France, is the patron of the event.
• The 2010 Tour of Switzerland will kick off on June 12th with a prologue in Lugano. The 6th stage of the race will be the highlight, traveling from Meiringen to La Punt over the Pässe Susten (8% average) and the Albula Oberalp (7.5% on average over the last 8 kms) and a finish at the top of La Punt (7% average). Fabian Cancellara is the defending champion.
• Having been rebuffed by France’s Conseil d’Etat, Stefan Schumacher is planning to appeal his doping suspension to the European Court of Justice.
• Cadel Evans is not going to rest on his World Championship laurels and says that he is more determined than ever to win the Tour de France.
• Frenchman Arnaud Jouffroy joins Niels Albert at the BKCP-Power Plus team. The 19 year old was junior world champion in 2008 and is the reigning French national champion. His contract will run throught the end of 2011.

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