All of your cycling news – December 22, 2009

In today’s cycling news, Rasmussen to Miche, Millar back in good graces of Scotland’s Commonwealth Games committee, USA Cycling wraps up second BMX devo camp and more…

• Michael Rasmussen has reportedly signed a contract with the Miche team for 2010. Organizers for the Argentina’s Tour San Luis have him registered in their January event with the Miche squad.
• Spanish rider Moisés Dueñas has been given the green light to return to competition following his reduced ban for testing positive for EPO during the 2008 Tour de France. Dueñas served a reduced suspension after cooperating with the Spanish Cycling Federation. He’s yet to find a team.
• The Kelly Benenfit Strategies/Energizer team will ride Orbea bikes equipped with SRAM components in 2010. The team is said to be focusing on stage races and as such will be making at least two swings through Europe as well as racing in Southeast Asia and South America.
• Phillipe Gilbert has high hopes for the Omega Pharma team in 2010, saying that many riders were stronger at this year’s camp than they were last year at this time.
  Andy Schleck was named the Luxembourg Sportsman of the Year. Cyclist Kim Kirchen won the honor last year.
• The GP Insubria is all new for 2010, the race will start and finish in Campione d’Italy in Pieve Vergonte, thanks to a trio of organizers consisting of the Alfredo Binda Cycling Society, the Velo Club Lugano and the Cheula Fans Club. The February 27th race will pass through Italy and Switzerland, two regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, and four provinces: Como, Varese, Novara and Verbano – Cusio Ossola. Twenty teams have already accepted invitations to participate.
• Igor Astarloa is expected to end his career. The 33-year-old Spaniard was suspended in June 2009 by the UCI under the biological passport program for abnormal blood levels. Astarloa, who rode for the now dismantled Amica Chips Knauf team in 2009 season, failed in his search for a new team.
• Scotland’s Commonwealth Games selection body has overturned its decision to exclude cyclist David Millar from the competition for his two-year doping ban in 2004. Millar tested positive for EPO but has campaigned against doping in sport since returning to professional cycling. Commonwealth Games Scotland banned him for life but now says it will pick him to ride in Delhi next year if he is good enough. Britain’s Olympic Committee has banned him from participating in the Olympic Games.
• Team Sky will be officially unveiled on January 4th, and as as part of the launch they are offering members of the public an exclusive opportunity to ride with the team. The 300 riders, who will be selected at random from all entrants, will get the chance to join the likes of Bradley Wiggins, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Juan Antonio Flecha as Team Sky takes to the streets of London.
• It has been announced that Rapha Condor are to become Rapha Condor Sharp. The electronics giant, who founded a relationship with Rapha Condor at the end of 2009, in conjunction with Sharp4Prostate, will become co-sponsors of the team with London based Condor Cycles and Rapha. The new Rapha Condor Sharp team kit and team bike will be revealed at the official team launch at the end of January, 2010.

Track News:

• British cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy says he will not risk his gold medal chances by chasing three Olympic titles at the 2012 Games in London. The three-time Beijing champion is one gold short of rower Sir Steve Redgrave’s career record of five, but the Scot, who will be 36 in 2012, said: “I wouldn’t risk losing a gold medal for the sake of having three bronzes or three silvers.
• Danny Stam, Peter Schep and Tim Veldt lead going into the final night of the Six Days of Appeldorn. The team of Keisse, Barth and Mouris are in second, but sit 77 points behind the leaders.

BMX News:

• The second USA Cycling Intense BMX Junior Development Program (JDP) Camp of the 2009/2010 season took place last week. With 22 participants, it was the largest JDP camp so far.

Cyclocross News:

• Cyclocross World Champion Niels Albert is slated to make a move to road racing in 2012. Christoph Roodhooft, manager of the BKCP Power Plus team will likely be applying for a professional continental license in 2011.

Tags: andy schleck, ASO, biological passport, Bradley Wiggins, Chris Hoy, cycling news, cyclocross, Danny Stam, David Millar, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Juan Antonio Flecha, kim kirchen, Luxembourg, michael rasmussen, Niels Albert, Peter Schep, Phillipe Gilbert, road racing, Spanish Cycling Federation, SRAM, UCI