Transfer rumour mill churning

The post-Tour period is the height of contract negotiations for the following season, and while most formal announcements will not come until September 1, the date the UCI lays down as the earliest date a contract can be finalised, some informal announcements and rumours come out well before then.

The Crédit Agricole riders were allowed to pursue new deals after manager Roger Legeay failed to secure a new sponsor for the upcoming season.

Pierre Rolland is the latest of the riders to find a new home for 2009 after learning of his team's likely demise at the season's end. Currently in Beijing to contest the Olympic road race, Rolland revealed that he is in negotiations with Bouygues Telecom.

"It's not signed but I will go with Bouygues Telecom," told AFP. He will join his Crédit Agricole team-mate William Bonnet on the French squad. Meanwhile, Remi Pauriol, also in Beijing, has signed for two years at Cofidis and Christophe Le Mevel will head to Française des Jeux through 2010.

Tuttobiciweb.it reports that Mark Renshaw will head to Team Columbia. Renshaw led the Tour Down Under for two stages at the start of the season.

They also report that Francis Failly has renewed with Acqua & Sapone - Caffè Mokambo. The Tuscan rider re-signed with the team of Palmiro Masciarelli for one year with an option to continue in the 2010 season.

Sporza.be has linked former U23 world time trial champion Dominique Cornu to the Quick-Step team. The 22-year-old who currently rides with Silence-Lotto has had a somewhat lackluster season, but could find new life at the rival Belgian squad. But he denied that he had signed anything yet.

Wilfried Cretskens, on the other hand, will leave Quick Step to head for Silence-Lotto, the Belgian paper reported.