Mark Cavendish notches another win, Andy Schleck to race Vuelta, Flecha to Sky TV and more road racing news

August 4th, 2009 by Al Fresco 3,762 views No Comment

Welcome back. It’s duck weather here at BWN headquarters, but we have your latest racing news! Saxo Bank picks up another Luxembourger, Andy Schleck will race the Vuelta, Flecha to Sky TV, teams line up for Pro Tour licenses and more…

Nicole Cooke’s Vision 1 Team has run into some financial problems, so Cooke will ride with Team GB for the remainder of the season and prepare for the World Championships. Cooke had intended the team to serve as a development squad for young female riders.
Luxembourger Laurent Didier is joining compatriots Frank Schleck and Andy Schleck on the Saxo Bank team. He is the son of former professional cyclist Lucien Didier, who was a teammate of Bernard Hinault.
Despite his fall at the San Sebastian Classic, Andy Schleck has said that he will race the Vuelta. He has back and knee pain, but apparently feels well enough to race, having competed in the Lommel post-Tour criterium.
Rabobank denies being in talks with World Champ Alessandro Ballan, saying that they have not spoken to him or his manager.
Juan-Antonio Flecha will be leaving Rabobank for the Sky TV team. He says that he felt underappreciated on the Dutch team.
We noted yesterday that Alexander Vinokourov would make his professional return tonight, but missed the news that he will not be riding in Astana colors. The team still has an issue with his return and they have not reached any agreement. Vinokourov, of course, feels that the Astana team was formed around him and that he, more than anyone else, deserves to be racing for the squad.
The Skil-Shimano, Sky TV and Radio Shack Cycling teams are all expected to apply for a Pro Tour license for 2010. Skil-Shimano wants to move up from Continental status, and Sky TV and Radio Shack are looking for a quick entry into the sport’s most prestigious classification. The Cervelo Test Team has yet to express interest in joining the Pro Tour, however. Ag2r, Lampre, Cofidis, Bouygues Telecom and Bbox Milram are all expected to apply to renew their licenses.
Skil-Shimano’s Kenny Van Hummel leads the continental tour’s Europe Tour for a third month.
Van Hummel will make his comeback to the peloton in Thursday’s Oostvoorne criterium.
After his bicycle crash and subsequent ambulance crash, Kenny de Ketele found out that his wife was going into premature labor. She gave birth to a daughter, Lena, on Sunday.
Cyclocross specialist Niels Albert won a stage of the Tour of Alsace on Sunday. Some are thinking he may change his focus to road cycling, but he is not committing either way.
Mikel Astarloza faced the press this morning, declaring his innocence on recent doping charges. He says that he did not take any banned products and went on to say that it would be professional suicide to take EPO. He also stated that, if he had been doping, he would have provided false whereabouts to avoid the doping controllers [The UCI should jot a note down on that for the future... - Ed.]. Astarloza has asked for his B-sample to be tested.

Post-Tour Crits:
Johan Vansummeren (Silence Lotto) won the Lommel crit over an apparently recovered Andy Schleck (Saxo Bank) and Tom Boonen (Quick Step).
Mark Cavendish (Columbia-HTC) racked up win number 21, taking the Kaai criterium (Turn of the Qaai) over Alberto Contador (Astana) and Frank Schleck (Saxo Bank).