Bike World News

In today’s cycling news, the African season begins, the Chicken returns, DeRosa sponsors new team, Tom Boonen talks about his year and more…

• Though the European season is over, things are just getting kicked off in Africa. The new season of the UCI Africa Tour kicked off with the Grand Prix Chantal Biya in Cameroon. The class 2.2 event, which took place from October 2nd to 4th, drew African teams from Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Angola and Cameroon (three teams). European Teams came from Spain, France, Belgium, Holland and Slovakia.
• Tom Boonen talked with Holland Sport about his turbulent season. He confesses to being very drunk the night before his positive test for cocaine, but says that he still does not know exactly what happened. He has been seeing a therapist since the incident and has found it helpful, saying that he no longer needs to drink to deal with stage fright.
• Bart Wellens is still coming back from a battle with the cytomegalovirus, the same bug that levelled former World Champion Alessandro Ballan for much of 2009. Wellens is back on the bike and hopes to race at the GVA Cyclocross race in Essen on December 12th.
• The government of Valencia has been ordered to pay Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, famous for being at the center of the Operation Puerto scandal, almost 600,000 euros for his service as team physician for the Kelme – Comunidad Valenciana for nearly four years (2003 to mid 2006). The government has five days to appeal.
• Katerina Nash and Tim Johnson lead the USGP Cyclocross Series after the two Derby City Cup races in Louisville. Nash won both women’s races, while Ryan Trebon and Johnson split the pair of men’s races.
• Erik Zabel will serve a term on the UCI’s ProTour council. He joins 12 other individuals who deal with fundamental issues for the Pro Tour.
• DeRosa has come on to be the title sponsor for the team being formed by Giovanni Fidanza out of the ashes of the LPR Brakes organization. 11 LPR riders are joining the team and Italians Roberto Ferrari, Giairo Ermeti, Claudio Cucinotta and Eddy Ratti have joined as well. This will be DeRosa’s first experience as a title sponsor.
• Giuseppe Palumbo has renewed with Acqua & Sapone through the end of 2010 and the team also announced the signing of Croation Vladimir Miholjevic (Liquigas) to the team.
• Footon (nee Fuji) – Servetto announced the signing of seven new riders today. David Vitoria (Rock Racing), Michele Merlo and Marco Corti (Barloworld), David Gutierrez Palacios (Camargo), Rafael Valls (Burgos Monumental) and Miguel Angel Rubiano (Footwear-Partizan) all join the team for 2010. All are riders that helps the team towards its goals of being young and international.
• Michael Rasmussen has reportedly signed with a European based team, but he’s not giving out any names yet until the ink is dry on the contract.

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