Bike World News

In today’s news, Ullrich gets to keep his medals, Katie Compton returns to Europe for World Cup quest and Risi/Marvulli back on top in Zurich…

• U.S. cyclist David Mock has accepted a (suspended) three-month suspension after testing positive for a metabolite of marijuana. The 32-year-old’s period of ineligibility was to begin Dec. 11, but it was reduced from three months to time served after he completed USADA’s anti-doping educational program Thursday.
• Jan Ullrich will be allowed to keep his Olympic medals from the 2000 Games. IOC President Jacques Rogge says that they have not found incriminating evidence of doping that would lead them to request the return of the medals.
• Phillipe Gilbert cites his move to Monaco and the excellent training conditions there as contributing to his outstanding season.
• Columbia-HTC’s Mark Cavendish will ride his first Vuelta a Espana in 2010, and will primarily use the race as preparation for the World Championships. Cav’s teammate Andre Greipel will be following the same plan. The planned course the World Championships in Australia are said to be ideally suited to sprinters.
• Colnago-CSF Inox’s first camp completed yesterday. The team spent the last several days attending meetings, receiving clothing and being fitted to their new road and TT bikes. Some riders also underwent biomechanical tests at Velosystem in Cesenatico, adjusting pedaling movement and the position on the saddle, and in some cases also using some custom-made plantars to adjust balance on the bike. Team members also recieved a nutrition briefing from supplements provider Powerbar.
• The Radio Shack and Saxo Bank teams both announced today that they would not be using the services of anti-doping doctor Rasmus Damsgaard in 2010. Rasmus’ company Clearidium will work directly for the UCI next year and it is therefore not possible for Rasmus to continue the private programs he initiated. Both teams pledged full cooperation with the UCI’s biological passport program, which they feel will provide outstanding quality and results.
• The ValueAct Capital Women’s Pro Cycling Team has a new sponsor, new name and new mission for 2010. Now called Team VBF, they have recruited NRC individual champion Alison Powers to captain the team. The team is working with the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer to raise funds for breast cancer research.
  Quick Step has released Australian sprinter Allan David from the team, citing economic issues in the departure of equipment supplier Specialized.

Cross:

• Sunday’s World Cup ‘cross race in Kalmthout is said to be ideally suited to Zdenek Stybar, who does better in snow and ice than some of his competitors.
• After taking her 6th U.S. title, Katie Compton will be at Kalmthout in search of her 3rd World Cup win this year.
• Fresh on the heels of USA Cycling’s team announcements for the Cross Worlds, Canada has published their selections. Vicki Thomas will represent Elite Women, Jared Stafford is the U23 pick and Kris Dahl, Conor O’Brien, Kiernan Orange and Mackenzie Carson will race the junior class.
• Sven Nys won a shortened edition of the Scheldecross today. The race was shortend from 60 to 45 minutes because a grenade was found in close proximity to the course.

Six Day:

• The trio of Belgian Iljo Keisse, Dutchman Jens Mouris and Germany’s Marcel Barth have taken the lead in the Six Days of Apeldoorn.
• The Swiss duo of Bruno Risi and Franco Marvulli have recaptured the lead at the Six Days of Zurich, knocking Leif Lampater with Christian Grasmann back into second.

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