Let’s check in with a few riders and see what’s going on. It’s a little bit like playing “Where Are They Now?” but with athletes that are still in the lime light.
Alberto Contador, winner of the 2009 Tour de France, says he will stay with Team Astana. There had been some speculation on where he may go for 2010 with the uncertainty of Astana’s funding. Contador will honor his three year commitment (2008, 2009 , 2010) to the Kazakh funded team. Full story from BBC Sport.
Alexander Vinokourov has returned from a two year doping suspension. The Kazakh native is currently riding for the Kazakh National Squad, but has voiced his intention to rejoin his previous team, Team Astana. Vinokourov recently won his first stage race since his comeback, the Tour de l’Ain. Full Story from Cycling Weekly.
Tyler Farrar, from Team Garmin-Slipstream, took 1st place the Vattenfall Cyclassics. The Vattenfall Cyclassics is the biggest one-day race in Germany and encompasses a 216-kilometer route around Hamburg. Farrar said it felt really good to be on the podium as a winner, especially after several 2nd place finishes in the Giro de Italia and le Tour de France. Full story from VeloNews.
Levi Leipheimer, from Team Astana, is believed to have signed a contract to ride with Lance Armstrong on Armstrong’s new team Radio Shack according to VeloNews. Leipheimer seems to be recovering well from his crash in the 2009 Tour de France that left him with a broken scaphoid bone in his wrist. He says he was back on the trainer almost right away. One event he won’t miss is his GranFondo Oct. 3rd, 2009.
