Rund um Köln 2010 saved

German one-day classic Rund un Köln has been confirmed to continue next season. The race, which will celebrate its 94th edition in 2010, has been assured live TV coverage by German public broadcaster WDR, and the event's organiser Artur Tabat is confident he will be able to attract enough sponsors to finance the race, scheduled to take place on Easter Monday, April 5, 2010.

Tabat confirmed that he already has two sponsors on board and can now look for more. "Now, I will be able to negotiate with other possible sponsors. Their products are sure to appear on TV," he told newspaper Kölner Stadtanzeiger.

Tabat was also happy to announce a return to trade team format. The 2009 Rund un Köln had been raced with national teams as public pressure to avoid any doping scandals was rife. Next year, the event will return to tradition and be open to trade teams again.

German ProTour team Milram is sure to participate, according to Tabat, and "other teams will follow." An anti-doping conference is also planned to take place in the days prior to the event.

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