Well, the Tour is almost over and come the start of next week, we will all be picking up where the season temporarily grinded to a halt on Sunday 2 ^nd July, once again focusing on the ProTour and the end of season races including the Vuelta a Espana and the World Championships, this year held in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /?>
Madrid. There are of course those that through injuries will not be able to line up and recent editions to this list are Jans Koert of Cofidis and current ProTour leader, Danilo Di Luca. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /?>

36 year-old Koerts fell and broke his leg in three places while competing in the recent Trofeo Agostinho race in
Portugal.  Besides his leg, the sprinter has reportedly also broken both ankles.  There is no news yet as to when he is expected to return to competition.

Italian Di Luca was out training last week with a group of fellow pros when he fell on a descent near
Chieti, Italy.  He was helped home and thankfully is only suffering from cuts and bruises on his right thigh and shoulder.  Despite the set-back, the Liquigas Bianchi rider hopes to be back in the saddle immediately and lining up to defend his ProTour leader jersey in the HEW Classic in  Hamburg on 31st July.

It is also at this time of year that the transfer rumour mill begins following the successes and disappointments of many in the Tour de France. One rider now confirmed not to be moving anywhere is Italian, Ivan Basso, the rider expected to finish in second place when the Tour finishes in
Paris on Sunday.  CSC has announced an extension of their sponsorship of Riis Cycling, the new deal will return through to 2009.  The deal was announced in a press release during the rest day in
Pau:

?Both personally and on behalf of the team, I am very happy, that the sponsorship agreement has now been finalized. Our partnership with CSC gives us the perfect foundation to create the absolute best team in the world. Now we have the right perspective for the future, and this gives us unique possibilities to develop in the right direction. We have come far in the last couple of seasons, and no one should have any doubts, that our ambitions are sky high,? underlines Bjarne Riis, who in connection with CSC's extension has also extended the contract with Ivan Basso.

?Ivan has not only lived up to our expectations, he has impressed me time after time with his will to improve and take responsibility for himself and his team. He has developed enormously. From being a talent and someone who constantly made the top 10 in many of the big races, he is now the future of cycling for the next couple of years. Ivan has never made a secret of the fact, that he likes being on our team, and that means a lot to us all. With us, he has the full support and a team, where he fits