All of your cycling news – December 17, 2009

In today’s cycling news, Louisville constructing permanent ‘cross course, UCI wants Lance Armstrong in the Worlds, fire at a Bianchi warehouse and more….

• The Colnago Gran Fondo series have added a new event in St. Tropez. [Sign me up. - Ed.]
• Louisville, Ky is continuing efforts to build a permanent cyclocross course in Eva Bandman Park between River Road and the Ohio River. While its not the first permanent ‘cross course in the country, it is certainly going to be a great asset for racing here in the Midwest. Louisville hopes to become a hub for cyclocross and to eventually attract world level events to the city.
• The Court of Arbitration for Sport has delayed their decision on Michael Schumacher’s appeal to January 10th.
• Quick Step manager Patrick Lefevre still hopes to snag Alberto Contador in 2011. He felt that Quick Step was likely leading the pack in the Tour de France champ’s options, and added that Contador called him last week to thank him for the interest.
• The UCI is hoping to see Lance Armstrong ride in the 2010 World Championships in Adelaide, Australia. “We’re not closing the door and we’ve been talking on-and-off to his management. We’d certainly be keen to make sure he was here if we could, but obviously from a competitive perspective that’s totally his decision.”
• Bianchi has been affected by a serious fire in their Telgate – Bergamo warehouse on Wednesday morning. The warehouse is in another location and the Bianchi factory in Treviglio was not affected. Bianchi confirms that no one was injured in the fire.
• Italy’s National Anti-Doping Tribunal has recommended a 21 month ban for junior cyclist Eugene Bani.
• Swiss rider Aurelian Clerc has announced his retirement at age 30. He rode for AG2R this year but was not able to find another contract after leaving the team. He will begin work as a consultant at a Swiss insurance company at the start of 2010.
• A dispute about doping problems between the UCI’s Patrick McQuaid and former World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound has been settled out of court. As part of the settlement, Pound acknowledged that comments interpreted to mean that the UCI under Verbruggen was doing nothing to combat doping were excessive.
• The 2010 edition of the Critérium International will be held on the island of Corsica on March 27 and 28. The 2010 edition represents the first time the three-stage race will be held on Corsica, a territorial collective of France. The decision by the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) follows Corsica’s recent application to serve as the starting point of the 2013 Tour de France.
• Team Radio Shack is taking a pass on the 2010 Giro d’Italia, instead taking on the Tour de Picardie and Tour of Belgium, which will be going on at the same time. Meanwhile, here in the States, Lance Armstrong will be focusing his efforts on the Tour of California.
• Germans Leif Lampater and Christian Grasmann have taken over the leadership of the Zurich Six Day race on the second night.

Tags: Ag2r, alberto contador, Bianchi, colnago, Court of Arbitration for Sport, Dick Pound, Giro d'Italia, Lance Armstrong, Patrick Lefevre, Patrick McQuaid, Quick Step, team radio shack, The Tour, World Anti-Doping Agency, World Championship, World Championships