Bike World News

In today’s cycling news, Gran Fondo takes hold in America, Valverde gets a reprieve, Doctor Mabuse back to jail, Kloden denies (and makes) payment to stop a doping investigation. And more….

• Gran Fondo everywhere! First, there was Levi Leipheimers’s King Ridge Fondo in October, then came news of two Colnago sponsored events in San Diego and Pittsburg next year. Now we’ve learned that the 2010 Sea Otter Classic will add a Gran Fondo event on Saturday, April 17, 2010 and will offer three fully supported ride distances: a 28-mile coastal route, a 45-mile coastal route and, for the more experienced riders, a 100-mile inland route. The short and middle distances wind along the coastal communities of Marina, Seaside, Monterey, and Pacific Grove. The cyclists will ride along the Pacific coastal recreation trail, past historic Fisherman’s Wharf, and through the popular Cannery Row of John Steinbeck fame.
• In a similar vein, the 62 mile Tour of the Battenkill’s Fall Ride will take place this Sunday in upstate New York. The race course features 25 percent unpaved roads, covered bridges, scenic countryside, and direct passes through the small villages in Upstate New York’s Washington County and follows the route of the Pro/Am Tour of the Battenkill that takes place in April.
• The Court of Arbitration for Sport has postponed Alejandro Valverde’s appeal hearing that was scheduled for November 16th. The appeal was to attempt to reverse his ban from competing it Italy due to a suspected link to Operation Puerto doc Eufaminio Fuentes. If he loses this appeal, its likely that he will receive a two year suspension from the UCI.
• Dario Cioni will make a move to the Sky Team for 2010. He rode with the ISD squad this year.
• Francisco “Patxi” Vila has returned from his suspension for epitestosterone and is reportedly talking to teams like Astana, Lampre and BMC. He’s not ruling out a ride with Xacobeo Galicia, Andalucía-Cajasur or Carmiooro, either.
• The Equipe Nurnberber team will be known as the Skyte World team in 2010. The name comes from new title sponsor Skyte Shipping. The team’s nickname will be “The Speed Queens”.
• The French public prosecutor has upheld the 3 year prison sentence for Bernard Sainz (Doctor Mabuse) for administering doping products and the illegal practice of medicine. Sainz maintains that he never helped anyone dope and that he only practiced homeopathic remedies.
• Francis Mourey (Française des Jeux) has always been a strong national rider for France, but he’ll attempt to make his mark on the World stage as the Cyclocross World Cup comes to Nommay, France this weekend.
• Skil-Shimano will open the 2010 season in the GP d’Ouverture La Marseillaise on 31 January. Soon after, the Pro Continental team will take part in the Tour of Qatar on 7-12 February.
• Andreas Kloden denied (through his lawyers) that he paid a 250000 € fine to stop an ongoing doping investigation in Germany. At the same time, the lawyers confirmed that the Bonn public prosecutor’s investigation is going to stop. His attorneys say that he will donate a sum of money to a facility for physically and mentally disabled children, but it will be less than 25000 €.
• Laurent Fignon told L’Equipe that he has been undergoing a new chemotherapy treatment and the results are good. The tumor mass has decreased by 17 percent. He says that he is not well, but will go on fighting.

Results:

• Dutch sprinter Kenny Van Hummel won the Criterium Jan Thiel in Curaçao today over compatriot Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) and Frenchman Brice Feillu (Agritubel). The event serves as the warm up to tomorrow’s Amstel Curaçao Race.

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