A little round up of this week’s news, but get ready for next week as we have some great articles in the pipeline.

Australian cyclist Allan Davis will be defending his 2009 Tour Down Under title with a new team this year.

Davis has signed a two year deal with Pro Tour team Astana, led by Tour de France champion Alberto Contador. Although Contador will not be riding the tour Down Under, Davis will be joined by his older brother Scott who is currently riding for Astana.

Davis has gone onto say.

“It was a hard choice to make as Quick Step really looked after me,” he said.

“My main reason for changing is to have more of a leading sprinter’s role in the team at the highest level of pro races throughout the year.

“Also having my brother, Scott alongside me was a key factor in my decision.”

After being controversially dropped from the Quick Step team on last years Tour de France line up, Davis has played down tensions with his former management.

Davis was dropped in favour of Belgian sprinter Tom Boonen who had been previously been ruled out of the tour after returning a positive result for cocaine. The out-of-competition test that proved positive was appealed against and successfully overturned.

Now I know that there is very much a catwalk look out on the roads these days and I would be the first to admit getting sucked into buying a fashionable cycling outfit. But Team Sky’s jersey with an anti-mud splatter design… really?

I’ve seen this next article in a couple of places this week and the comment I’ve seen described it as “genius”.

Now I’m not saying it’s not, but as far as I can tell it’s a blue line going up the back of the jersey. I’m fairly sure in thinking that during a tour like the Flanders, it doesn’t matter what colour your anti-splatter design is, you’re not staying clean!

I’m normally proud when at the end of a ride I look like I’ve been out in the elements and rode through the other side victorious.

But maybe that’s just me.

World and Olympic track sprint champion Victoria Pendleton is swapping her track bike for a 1970’s delivery bike!

But fear not, she won’t be competing at the 2010 UCI Track Cycling World Championships in March on such a machine, it’s purely for a deal she has signed with the Hovis bread company.

The three year deal starts with a campaign where Pendleton recreates the iconic 1970’s advert of a boy pushing a delivery bike up a cobbled road.

As well as promoting the bread brand, Hovis and Pendleton are aiming to encourage people to take up cycling as part of the new ad campaigns.

“I hope my work for Hovis will inspire a new generation of girls and boys on bikes who enjoy cycling as much as I did when I was younger and maybe even inspire some champions of the future,” Pendleton said.

PHOTO’S OF THE WEEK.

Steepest ever climb?

Loving the aero!

The 1953 Campag Gran Sport.

The picture speaks for itself.