Carlos Sastre

It may be another fortnight before the new ProTour season starts with the Tour Down Under, but Team Saxo Bank’s 2010 has got off to the worst possible start with the news that the Danish Bank is terminating its sponsorship of Bjarne Riis’s outfit at the end of this year, 12 months earlier than originally agreed.

The blow comes a little over a year after a separate deal to bring on board a co-sponsor to Saxo Bank had fallen apart, reportedly leaving officials of the bank unhappy at it being left as sole title sponsor of the team.

As if having a flash new paintjob for his frame and slippery aero kit wasn't enough, Carlos Sastre's cranks are also getting the custom treatment. Spanish CNC-meisters Rotor bike Components have produced a super-limited run of six of their 3D cranksets decked out in not-too-subtle yellow by a design company better known for airbrushing Moto GP helmets.

To celebrate both the start of this year's Tour de France and Carlos Sastre’s position as defending champion, Cervélo have lunched two very special and very limited editions of their flagship road frames; the all-conquering R3-SL and super aero S3 in exclusive black and yellow pinstripe paintjobs.

Just 50 of the R3-SL framest will be produced, and Cervelo will be releasing just 200 of the S3 frames.

As reported on road.cc a few weeks back from tomorrow you'll get the chance to own a Tour winner's yellow jersey and you won't need to book the whole of July off as holiday and put a big ride in either because Carlos Sastre has already done the hard work for you.

Few people ever get to wear a genuine Tour de France Yellow jersey, let alone own one, without first riding 3000Km around France. This April you'll get the chance to own a Tour winner's yellow jersey and you won't need to book the whole of July off as holiday and put a big ride in either because Carlos Sastre has already done the hard work for you.

We've just been to the Cervelo Test Team team launch to film interviews with star riders Carlos Sastre, Thor Hushovd, and British Olympic medallist Emma Pooley, plus Cervelo co-founder Gerard Vroomen – the man behind the bikes.