Paris (cyclingfans.com) - One might think that with Lance Armstrong's return to cycling, negotiations for broadcast rights for races that Armstrong competes in would go smoothly.  After all, Armstrong is a big draw wherever he goes.  Organizers and broadcasters alike benefit from his presence.

Think again.  There isn't much easy about negotiating broadcast rights in today's world of complicated geo-restrictions, TV vs. online rights, and package deals.  And the presence of Armstrong raises the stakes for everyone.  If a race organizer or other rights owner packages, say, a race in March such as Milan-San Remo (Saturday) with an even bigger event such as the Giro d'Italia in May, and it isn't even clear by mid-March who an online broadcaster will be dealing with for Giro rights, online rights for Milan-San Remo can go unpurchased.  Everyone loses, especially cycling fans.

Fortunately, the unthinkable (no M-SR to a big market like the U.S.) has been avoided thanks to Ben Golding of cycling.tv/jumptv.com.  In a phone conversation this afternoon, Golding told me he sought and has secured rights for Saturday's Milan-San Remo.  The trick was to separate M-SR negotiations from Giro negotiations, not an easy task.  "I didn't want to lose Milan-San Remo," Golding told me.  Final paperwork is pending but Golding came to an agreement with rights owner RAI and the result is that cycling.tv will be broadcasting Saturday's race to cycling fans in the U.S. and Canada.

Cycling.tv's Milan-San Remo live race coverage Saturday is scheduled to run from 9:30am to 12pm U.S. Eastern with Anthony McCrossan and Brian Smith in the commentary box.

Anthony McCrossan, cycling.tv
Copyright © 2008 Pete Geyer/www.cyclingfans.com

More MS-R details to come...

cyclingfans.com will of course publish a full Milan-San Remo Live Coverage Guide later this week.

- Pete Geyer, Publisher, cyclingfans.com

Note: cyclingfans.com is a cycling.tv affiliate partner

Race organizer Amaury Sport Organization (A.S.O.) today announced the 25 teams that will be competing in next month's Paris-Roubaix (April 12):

"ProTour" teams: AG2R, Bbox Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Française des Jeux, Lampre, Liquigas, Caisse d'Epargne, Euskaltel, Quick Step, Silence-Lotto, Rabobank, Saxo Bank, Milram, Columbia, Garmin-Slipstream, Katusha, Astana.

Also invited: Cervélo, Skil-Shimano, Vacansoleil, Topsport, Landbouwkrediet, Agritubel, Amica Chips, BMC.

cyclingfans.com will of course once again be covering Paris-Roubaix: Live video, audio, tickers and graphics.  And of course photos.

Astana has announced the following changes to Lance Armstrong's pre-Giro racing schedule:

- Armstrong will race the Tour de Castille et Leon (Vuelta a Castilla y León, Spain, March 23-27) alongside teammate Alberto Contador.  This race will allow Armstrong to test himself in a time trial and mountaintop finishes.  Contador had previously expressed a desire to race with Armstrong prior to July's Tour de France.

- Armstrong will NOT race the 2009 Critérium International (France, March 28-29).

- Armstrong will NOT race the 2009 Tour of Flanders (Ronde van Vlaanderen, Belgium, April 5).  (Ed. - This is not a surprise as Armstrong told French sports daily L'Equipe a month ago that he would likely skip Flanders in order to return to the U.S. earlier.)

2009 Tour of California, Stage 8:  Frank Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) wins the final stage in Escondido.
Photo shows running time since Schleck crossed the line as well as elapsed time in hours, minutes and
seconds since the stage start in Rancho Bernardo.
photo Copyright © Laura Alber/cyclingfans.com

2009 Tour of California: Frank Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) with podium girls after his Stage 8 victory in Escondido.
photo Copyright © Laura Alber/cyclingfans.com

2009 Tour of California:  Overall race winner for the third consecutive year,
Levi Leipheimer (Astana) holds a giant check for $14,000.
photo Copyright © Laura Alber/cyclingfans.com

- Escondido stage update from "The 3 Riders of the Apocalypse Featuring Christy Craig" here.  (Talk to your neighbors, thanks Christian Vande Velde, best towns, goals for next year)

Still to come:  full 2009 Tour of California Photo Galleries

2009 Tour of California video highlights

The complete Solvang Time Trial Start Order and Times:

Sacramento Police released some details and a photo of Armstrong bike in their possession.

Press conference quotes from Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer, George Hincapie, Tyler Hamilton, Christian Vande Velde, Ivan Basso, Mark Cavendish, Carlos Sastre, Oscar Freire, Phil Liggett, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and others.

There seems little doubt that Lance Armstrong will continue racing into 2010.  According to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) story today, Armstrong told cycling great Eddy Merckx yesterday that he will race in next year's Tour of Qatar.  Merckx, for years a close friend of Armstrong's, assists with the organization of the race.  The two spoke by phone as Armstrong dined with Merckx's son, Axel.  Merckx added that had Armstrong not raced the Tour Down Under last month, he'd have raced in Qatar this year.

Versus in the U.S. is showing several cycling programs today.  The following times are U.S. Eastern:

3:30pm-4:30pm:  Tour Down Under Recap Show
4:30pm-5:00pm:  Lance Armstrong: The Return
5:00pm-6:00pm:  Tour of California Preview Show

Check our Versus Schedule link and/or your local listings.

You'll always find the latest video highlights and clips from pro bike races, including today's Cyclo-Cross World Championships (Women's and Men's races) and the GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise (the start of the European road race season!) in our Recent cycling videos section at the top of our Cycling videos page.