All of your cycling news – December 14, 2009

In today’s cycling news, Garmin looks to Vande Velde for Tour chances, Vino pledging full support to Contador, AMPO backs Footon-Servetto, and more….

Alberto Contador received the UCI World Award today in Madrid. Contador was named Rider of the Year and the Spanish Natioanl Cycling Federation received the award for best nation.
The 2010 edition of the Six Days of Cremona has been cancelled.
Spaniard Ruben Plaza will transfer to Caisse d’Epargne for 2010. Plaza was caught up in the Operation Puerto scandal and though he was eventually cleared, he was not able to find a Pro Tour contract and spent the last two years racing in Portugal.
With Bradley Wiggins off to Team Sky, Garmin-Transitions manager Jonathan Vaughters will look to Christian Vande Velde to stand on the podium at the Tour de France. Vande Velde managed fifth place in 2008 and came across in eighth this year.
In a bit of a change of direction, Alexandre Vinokourov will participate in the 2010 Liège-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro d’Italia, but now plans to ride in the Tour de France. He says that he will ride “in full service of Alberto Contador”. He is hoping that Tour de France organizer ASO will allow him to race.
Contador met with his new team last week in Pisa, Italy and though much of the team is new, he is confident that they will be able to help him to another Tour de France win.
Yvon Saquer and Lorenzo Lapage are part of the new team management structure at Astana. Lapage worked with Rock Racing this year and says that he is happy to be back on the Pro Tour scene.
Just ten days ago Oscar Pereiro was set to retire. Now he’s back with Astana and training in preparation for next month’s Tour Down Under.
The Basque company AMPO has thrown their support behind the Footon-Servetto team from 2010, effectively killing the former Ampo-Contentopolis squad.
German sprinters Maximilian Levy and Carsten Bergemann have received invitations to race in Japan’s Keirin tour.
Tony Martin and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg are Germany’s cyclists of the year for 2009.
The Giro di Grosseto, planned for February 12 to 14 will not run in 2010.
Around the Eschborn-Frankfurt Financial Center, nee “The Frankfurt Classic”, nee “Around the Henninger Tower”, nee “Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop” will return for 2010 on the first of May. The race will take place on a four mile circuit around Frankfurt’s center city.

Cyclocross News:
World Champion Niels Albert was back on form on Saturday, winning the fourth round of the GVA Cyclocross series in Essen. He dominated the race from the start and stayed off front to finish a little ahead of his compatriot Sven Nys. Zdenek Štybar finished third.
Katie Compton came in nearly a minute ahead of the pack to notch her sixth National Championship in a row (tying Luna’s Alison Dunlap’s titles) on Sunday, besting Meredith Miller (California Giant Berry Farms) and Amy Dombrowski (Schlamm p/b Primus Mootry).
Timothy Johnson (Cannondale/cyclocrossworld.com) rode strongly to his third national title, taking advantage of mistakes by his competitors to take the win. Ryan Trebon (Kona) took second and Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) came across in third.

Tags: alberto contador, alexandre vinokourov, Alison Dunlap, Bradley Wiggins, Caisse d'Epargne, Cannondale, christian vande velde, cyclocross, Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop, Giro d'Italia, GVA cyclocross series, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Jonathan Page, Jonathan Vaughters, katie compton, Meredith Miller, Niels Albert, operation puerto, oscar pereiro, Ruben Plaza, ryan trebon, Sven Nys, Tony Martin