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Bettini defends his Lombardy title

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MILAN, Italy -- The European Pro Tour series ends on Saturday with the 100th edition of the Tour of Lombardy, a tough 245km trek around Lake Como in northern Italy.

Last year's Lombardy winner Paolo Bettini will be back to defend his crown, wearing the world champion's rainbow jersey after winning the global title in Salzburg on September 24.

Bettini is dedicating his appearance in the race to the memory of his brother Sauro, who died in a car accident at the start of this month.

"The only way I can thank everybody is to get back on my bike and honor my world champion's jersey in the hope I can give everybody something back with some great racing," said Bettini.

The Italian is considered one of the favorites to win along with compatriot Davide Rebellin and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg.

However, Pro Tour winner Alejandro Valverde has been removed from the race by his Caisse d'Epargne team following a rift with organizers.

Valverde, one of the most consistent performers this season, is guaranteed winning the Pro Tour's white jersey for dominating the season-long series.

However, organizers of the one-day Italian classic refused to carry out a podium award ceremony for television purposes at Lake Como where Valverde would have been handed his white jersey prize.

The reasons appear to relate to a rift in cycling between the International Cycling Union (UCI), which created the Pro Tour, and the organisers of the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta d'Espagne. The Tour of Lombardy is run by RCS, the same company which organises the Giro d'Italia.

As a result of this new escalation in hostilities, the teams taking part decided to boycott the pre-race and post-race ceremonies including the winners' podium.

Valverde's team feel the organizers' refusal to allow a podium ceremony for the Spaniard amounts to a loss of publicity for their sponsor.

As a result, they took the 25-year-old off the starting list having already sent a letter to the UCI complaining about the situation.

A team spokesman said a similar scenario was already witnessed at the Tour of Spain, where a podium was hastily built in order for the cemerony to be held.

But in the absence of a similar effort being made at Lake Como, he added: "Valverde is supposed to fulfil his obligations to the Pro Tour while not picking up the benefits."

The chief of RCS's race organising committee Angelo Zomegnan was defiant: "The Tour of Lombardy is a historic race which has been on the go for 100 years. If Valverde pulls out, it will be his loss, not ours."

He added: "There is no way we are going to agree to promoting the Pro Tour brand next to the Tour of Lombardy brand.

"I've received a letter from (Caisse d'Epargne manager) Jose Miguel Echavarri in which he mentions the protocol, for television, of awarding the jersey. But this is not one of my obligations."

Zomegnan was also defiant over the teams' boycott of the pre-race protocol, which will also mean there will be no winners' podium at the end of Saturday's race.

"It's a pity. The real victims of this will be the riders, the guy who wins the trophy and his sponsor."

Meanwhile, Ivan Basso, cleared of doping allegations this week, will not be returning to competition in this event.

Giro d'Italia winner Basso was hoping to ride after the Italian Olympic Committee formally requested the closing of a probe into his links with the 'Operacion Puerto' doping investigation in Spain. However, CSC team manager Bjarne Riis decided not to select Basso, for technical reasons.

Basso was one of nine riders withdrawn from July's Tour de France on the eve of the race and was suspended by his team. The Italian has always denied any links with the doctors arrested in Madrid.

The Tour of Lombardy starts in the Swiss town of Mendrisio and finishes on the shores of Lake Como.

The tough climbs of the Ghisallo, Civiglio and San Fermo della Battaglia in the latter stages will go a long way to deciding who ends the season with a final victory.

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