Washington - Lance Armstrong's bicycle was stolen just hours after he rode it in a California race, but the US cycling legend was confident of getting it back - there's only one like it in the world.

Armstrong is racing in the nine-day California Amgen Tour, which started Saturday. His bicycle was stolen, along with three others from the Astana team truck.

Brussels  - Belgian professional cyclist Frederiek Nolf was laid to rest on Saturday in the west Flemish town of Kuurne.

So many people wanted to pay their last respects to the 21-year- old Topsport Vlaanderen rider, who died in his sleep during the Tour of Qatar on February 5, that several hundred people did not fit into the church, the Belgian news agency Belga said.

Belgian sport minister Bert Anciaux and former Head of State Yves Leterme were amongst the mourners for the cyclist, who was given a guard of honour by his former team-mates.

Brussels  - Belgian professional cyclist Frederiek Nolf was laid to rest on Saturday in the west Flemish town of Kuurne.

So many people wanted to pay their last respects to the 21-year- old Topsport Vlaanderen rider, who died in his sleep during the Tour of Qatar on February 5, that several hundred people did not fit into the church, the Belgian news agency Belga said.

Belgian sport minister Bert Anciaux and former Head of State Yves Leterme were amongst the mourners for the cyclist, who was given a guard of honour by his former team-mates.

Rome  - Spanish cycling star Alejandro Valverde has been summoned by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) in a new doping investigation linking the rider to the Operation Puerto affair.

CONI said on its website Wednesday that Valverde has been summoned to a hearing for Monday.

Italian media reports said DNA tests on blood samples taken from the rider last July match blood samples seized by police from the laboratory of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

Rome  - Spanish cycling star Alejandro Valverde has been summoned by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) in a new doping investigation linking the rider to the Operation Puerto affair.

CONI said on its website Wednesday that Valverde has been summoned to a hearing for Monday.

Italian media reports said DNA tests on blood samples taken from the rider last July match blood samples seized by police from the laboratory of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.

Turnhout, Belgium - Belgian cyclist Tom Boonen will not face further sanctions over cocaine use, a court in Turnhout ruled on Tuesday.

The judges accepted a request by Boonen's lawyer to dismiss the charges against the 28-year-old Quick-Step cyclist.

Boonen, who is idolized like a pop star in Belgium, tested positive for cocaine during an out-of-competition test in May last year.

The judges said that he had been penalized enough by testing positive. His image suffered as a result and he had to pay a fine issued by his team.