We're running in a circle, a never ending chase
Category: Cycling
A rider who will leave Lampre-NGC is the World Champion Alessandro Ballan, who may ride for USA's BMC Racing Team in 2010. He wants to learn to speak English and see the world. It seems like a lovely reason to change team. He has been with Lampre for six years now and it’s time to leave to see something new. Perhaps he has some kind of a nomadic soul too; or maybe he is just interested about knowing new things about the world.
"I will not stay with [Giuseppe] Saronni because I want to better myself. It has been good in this team, very good, and I still have some big goals: repeating Worlds and Lombardia. But to stay another two years would be too much."
It is not yet known where he will race next year. The UCI prohibits teams and riders negotiating prior to September 1, tomorrow, but some riders have already decided were to race next year. It means they have to pay a fine. Alessandro Ballan will wait, because he still needs to sign the contract.
"Tomorrow I will know more about my future," Alessandro Ballan told Cyclingnews. "At the moment I have not signed with anyone."
It has been rumoured though that he speaks with BMC; a Professional Continental team based in USA. The team was formed when Phonak Hearing Systems disappeared and John Lelangue continued as a sport director for the new team. The team has been invited to some big races this season and next year they would like to be invited to a Grand Tour race. This year they have raced the Dauphiné Libéré and Paris-Roubaix.
"It's true that BMC is not a ProTour team and has to have invites. But Cervélo showed how it is done this year," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "You need to have good riders and the invitations will arrive. BMC also has [George] Hincapie, [Marcus] Burghardt and [Karsten] Kroon, no?"
At least it is rumoured that the three riders mentioned will be racing for BMC, so there is a chance that they will be invited to some big races.
