As we reported earlier two weeks ago, Sven Nys is switching from Rabobank to the Landbouwkrediet-Tönissteiner team. His original transfer date was to be on January 1, 2009, but he has negotiated that the move happen earlier, and if approved by the UCI, he will be wearing the new colors on May 28 for the start of the Tour of Belgium.
Luc Versele, the CEO of Landbouwkrediet, is very happy with the situation, Knack.be reports. “We are particularly pleased that Rabobank has constructively participated in a sporting solution…Sven can now relax and enjoy serenity in our team,” said Versele.
Nys has been ramping up his fitness in preparation for Beijing, and finished a respectable 16th at the European Mountain Bike Championships in Saint Wendel, Germany last Sunday, moving up through the field with ease after a back row start. The result bodes well for his Olympic ambitions on a mountain bike course that has been described as a long cyclocross course. Nys has just returned from a very short trip to check out the Olympics course, and thought the course suited him well.
Meanwhile, soon to be ex-Rabobank teammate and current world champ Lars Boom has been showing he too is in great form, finishing second in the prologue of the Olympia Tour in the Netherlands last weekend, and winning enough sprint time bonuses on the first road stage to take over the leader’s jersey by three seconds.
Are we in store for an epic battle between these two ‘cross starts this season?
