News news news...Links links links

So,here I am again after having spent some days in the only city where your pics can be spoiled by double red buses driving on the street.Of couse I had a lot of fun,saw lots of nice places, sometimes thought about le Tour 2007 and become addicted to Starbucks (why doesn't it exist in Italy,why?).
Anyway.
Lots of things have happened in the last 5 days,here's a small resume.
VINO'S RIDING THE VUELTA: This news has totally shocked me,myself and I,aka me,Logic and Fangirl.Logic was speechless after having read this news,while Fangirl started blattering something about the Tour 2007,Astana,Davide Cassani,the Chickenman,the Tour 2008,Blood and Bleah.

Rasmussen won't be racing because of a rule that says that a rider must sign a contract with a team 20 days before of the beginning of a race.Perhaps,rather than Vino,I would have preferred to see the Emaciated Chickenman riding on the Spanish roads.

NIBALI BROKE HIS COLLARBONE: I don't know what the Italian newspapers wrote about this news,but I can imagine it.Nibali was one of the riders who could have raced the Worlds for the Italian team,but now his season is over because he broke his collarbone at the Eneco Tour.

Of course Italian ct Ballerini is having big problems with choosing the riders for the Worlds.The only rider that will surely be on the team is Ballan.Then,between the riders who are "under observation",there are Cunego,Basso,Visconti,Bertagnolli,Bertolini,Nocentini,Paolini,Bosisio, Bruseghin,Tosatto,Garzelli,Pozzato (aargh!),Santambrogio and probably other guys I can't remember right now.

NO POSITIVE RIDERS AT THE TOUR 2009: Or not yet,at least...Of course newspapers gave little space to this news,while instead they wrote a big article when,some time ago,someone said that there would have been at least 20 positive riders after this year's Tour.

ENECO TOUR: The GC of the Eneco Tour was won by Edvald Boasson-Hagen.Sylvain Chavanel came in 2nd,while 3rd was Sebastian Langeveld.Best Saxo Bank racer was Lars Bak, who came in 7th in the final GC and also managed to win a stage.
TOUR OF IRELAND: The GC of the Tour of Ireland was won by Russell Downing,who also won the first stage and came 2nd in the last one.Lars Nordhaug (winner of the last stage) came in 2nd in the final GC while Matti Breschel came in 3rd.4th in the GC was Kolobnev,while 5th was Professor Pinotti.The 2nd stage of the race was won by Cavendish.

LINKS LINKS LINKS:
Here are some Saxo Bank links and news.
JENS VOIGT RENEWS CONTRACT WITH SAXO BANK TEAM: http://www.riis-cycling.com/ny_news.asp?n_id=2488 .His Amazingness will be racing for Saxo Bank team at least until the end of 2010,and me's very happy to hear this news.Allez Jens!
CANCELLARA LINK: http://bazonline.ch/sport/weitere/Es-ist-meine-letzte-Chance-im-eigenen-Land-Weltmeister-zu-werden/story/11128933 (German).Answering to one question about the Worlds Championships,Cancellara said: "It's hard to decide which race is the most important for me,the TT or the road one.I've already been World TT Championship twice,but I haven't won any title on the road yet.So the idea of winning the road race appeals more to me.But on the other hand,it's also true that this one is my last chance to become World Champon in my own country and I've got more chances of victory in the TT race than in the road race one.In Mendrisio there will be lots of fans on the road and this means a lot to me".

ANDY SCHLECK TRIBUTE VIDEO: http://www.saxobanktakingthelead.com/?p=1390 .

I found this video on Saxo Bank website and I think it's a pretty one.I especially like the parts regarding the Liege,because they remember me of all the fears that I had during the last 10 kms of that race.In fact you must know that every time one of my favourite riders is alone on a breakaway,even when victory seems very close,I keep on having fears like: "Now he blows up.Now he falls.Now he runs over a dog.Now a fan makes him fall.Now his bike breaks."I know it's foolish,but that's it.