Russian Pavel Tonkov announced his retirement from professional cycling. Tonkov, 36, won the 1996 Giro d’Italia and was one of the most successful Eastern European riders to break into the pro ranks following the fall of the Iron Curtain in the early 1990s.

“The moment has arrived to say enough is enough with racing,” Tonkov told Europa Press. “I’m sure my future will be in cycling, where I will try to put my experience at the disposition of young riders.”

Tonkov was born in 1969 in the Russian town of Ichevsk and won the world junior championships in Bergamo in 1987, which soon became his adopted hometown as he moved to Italy to enter the pro ranks.

His professional career stretched 14 years, which included more than 30 career victories, highlighted by the overall Giro title in 1996, the 1995 Tour de Suisse and the 1997 Tour de Romandie.

While he finished third in the 2000 Vuelta a España and failed to finish one of three Tours de France he started, the Giro was always Tonkov’s preferred battling ground. He won seven career Giro stages, including a memorable 2004 victory when he gave a bitter “up yours” gesture as he crossed the line to all the doubters who no longer believed Tonkov was capable of winning a big race.

He married a podium girl he met in the Vuelta and relocated to the mountains north of Madrid. It was in these same mountains during the Clásica de Alcobendas last May that Tonkov took his last win as a pro while riding this year with LPR.

Of all the big-time Russian riders to break into the pro ranks after the collapse of the old Soviet Union in the early `90s, only Dimitri Konyshev and Viatcheslav Ekimov remain active.

Rasmussen re-ups with Rabobank
Dane climber Michael Rasmussen will ride through the 2008 season with Rabobank after penning a three-year contract extension. Dutch wire services were reporting the Tour de France King of the Mountains winner turned down offers from other teams to stay with Rabobank.

Rasmussen, a former world mountain bike champion, dazzled this year’s Tour with a stage victory, the KOM prize and a top 10 finish. Despite a crash-marred final time trial, Rasmussen finished seventh overall and was one of the Tour’s main contenders.

Belgians want Simoni, García Quesada
Two-time Giro d’Italia champ Gilberto Simoni and rising Spanish rider Carlos García Quesada could join continental Unibet.com squad for the 2006 season, the team announced.

Formerly known as MrBookmaker.com, the online betting agency is hoping to earn the final spot in the 20-team ProTour league for the coming season and wants to big-time names to back up their bid.

The Belgian-based team was hoping to fuse with another established team, but now hopes to forge on its in own in the wake of the dissolution of the Sony Ericsson team proposed by Italy’s Giancarlo Ferretti.

“I believe if we can sign them, we’d be the favorites to obtain the last available license to enter the ProTour,” said company director Koen Terryn.

According to the company’s web site, Unibet is one of Europe’s top online betting pages and generated 212 million pounds (about $300 million) in 2004.

Both Simoni and García Quesada were under contract with Ferretti to ride for Sony Ericsson next year, but the telecom company announced Friday it had no intention of sponsoring a team. More than a dozen riders have been scrambling to find a new team for next season.

With Fassa Bortolo leaving cycling at the end of this season, there’s one ProTour license available if the UCI decides to maintain the 20-team format. French team Ag2r is considered the best positioned team after signing big names such as Francisco Mancebo and Christophe Moreau.

Spanish team Comunidad Valenciana officials announced Tuesday it’s not interested in trying to move into the ProTour in 2006.

Celestino under the knife
Italian classics specialist Mirko Celestino had his left knee operated in Bergamo after crashing in Saturday’s Giro di Lombardia. The Domina Vacanze team captain is expected to be off the bike for about two weeks, according to a report on the Italian wires.

Casero not done yet
Angel Casero, the 2001 Vuelta a España champion, said reports of his imminent retirement are greatly exaggerated. A day after the Spanish media reported that Comunidad Valenciana officials weren’t interested in keeping the veteran, Casero said he’ll “decide when I retire, not them telling me.”

Casero told the Spanish wire service EFE he’s still “motivated and strong” to race at least one more year in the pro ranks. Casero, 33, hasn’t won a race since the 2001 season.

British rider killed in crash
Zachary Carr, a top British rider, was killed Wednesday in England after a crash which involved a motor vehicle, BBC reported. Carr, 30, was known as “Zak” in the cycling world and was renowned as a solo and tandem cyclist.

He held national records at short and long distances as well as being an international. He had begun racing for Great Britain as a pilot for disabled athletes hoping to make it to the 2008 Paralympics and took part in the Paralympic Open European Championships in Holland in August.