All of your cycling news: February 19, 2010

In today’s cycling news, BMC starts European season, Boasson-Hagen shows his range, Rock Racing goes amateur and more…

• The BMC team will start their European season this Sunday at the Tour du Haut Var. Team Director Sportif John Lelangue. “It’s not a sprinter’s race and it’s not mountainous, but it’s a difficult stage race,” and as such, they are fielding a squad that can attack on the rollers and be aggressive. The roster will be
• Brent Bookwalter (USA), Mathias Frank (SWI), Thomas Frei (SWI), Karsten Kroon (NED), Jeff Louder (USA), Steve Morabito (SWI), Mauro Santambrogio (ITA) and Florian Stalder (SWI).
• Albejandro Valverde will pass on the Haut Var. He picked up a cold at the Tour of the Mediterranean and will return to racing at next weekend’s Clásica de Almería.
• The UCI made their announcement of all of the professional teams earlier in the week. Rock Racing did not satisfy the UCI’s requirements and was ultimately not granted a license.
• A motorist who hit and fatally injured Irish road racer David McCall has been convicted of causing death by dangerous driving. Michael Gerard Groome, 27, from Belfast, was on his way to the airport on August 12 2008 when he hit McCall while overtaking another vehicle.
• Australia’s Tour Down Under last month attracted record crowds, visitor numbers and income, the South Australian state government said Friday. According to government figures, the January 17-24 event around Adelaide attracted 770,500 spectators, up from 760,500 in 2009 and an increased 43,700 visitors to South Australia for the Tour. It was estimated that the Tour had a $41.5 million ($37.2 million U.S.) economic impact on the state compared with $39 million the year before.
• Edvald Boasson Hagen further proved his versatility today, winning the closing time trial at the Tour of Oman. He bested World time trial champion Fabian Cancellara by 16 seconds.
• Mark Cavendish (HTC-Columbia) is slated to begin his 2010 campaign on Sunday at the Ruta del Sol after an abscessed tooth postponed a planned start at the Tour of Qatar.
• Frank and Andy Schleck are also on the roster for Saxo Bank for the race. Frank started his season at the Challenge of Mallorca.

Tags: andy schleck, BMC, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Fabian Cancellara, HTC-Columbia, Karsten Kroon, Mallorca, Mark Cavendish, mathias frank, Mediterranean, Rock Racing, Saxo Bank, South Australia, steve morabito, Thomas Frei, tour down under, tour of oman, tour of qatar