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Pat McQuaid has expressed his wish for a trouble-free Tour de France but says that it was a mistake for the event to have broken away from the International Cycling Union (UCI). "I am saddened by this, but it is the decision of the organizers,” the international cycling chief said. “It is sad but it has to be accepted. In terms of world cycling it is not a good decision." Speaking to AFP four days before the Tour starts on Saturday in the Britanny port of Brest, McQuaid said he would not be attending the race, which finishes on July 27 in Paris.

The Tour de France starts this weekend as a rebel race. Or at least as a race that’s no longer part of the ProTour format. Cycling’s civil war has now simmered down to a Cold War, as the breakaway races, including the Tour, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España continue on their collective path apart from the ProTour calendar. The ProTour, meanwhile, is alive and kicking. Despite the departure of many of Europe’s most important and prestigious events, the ProTour project is moving forward with an ambitious plans to expand the format to Russia and China in 2009.

Damiano Cunego will be brandishing a new look for the Tour de France and it won’t just be a fresh dye-job on his curly locks. The 2004 Giro d’Italia champ and Lampre team leader is supporting a new anti-doping campaign and has had its slogan tattooed on his left arm. It reads: “I’m doping free.”

Characterizing his defenses as “unfounded,” the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday issued a strongly worded dismissal of Floyd Landis's appeal of his suspension for doping at the 2006 Tour de France. In a 3-0 decision released on Monday, CAS confirmed the initial decision issued by a panel of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) on September 20, 2007.

It's almost July and the Tour de France season has begun. And this year, you can follow every move of the world's largest bike race, no matter where you are, on VeloNews.com. Say you are in line at your bank, or by the side of the road in St. André-de-la-Marche, with your cell phone handy: you can find out who is ahead with live text updates at mobile.velonews.com

Bouygues Telecom will start the Tour de France with a squad loaded with stage-hunters and almost no one for the overall classification. The French team will be headlined by Thomas Voeckler, remembered for his heroic defense of the maillot jaune in the 2004 Tour, and Pierrick Fédrigo, winner of a stage in the 2006 Tour. The team is betting on winning a stage rather than wasting energy in a futile fight for the overall.

Heading into this week's Tour de France, the French Ag2r-La Mondiale team will be looking to fill the void left by the departure of consistent Christophe Moreau with Cyril Dessel and Tadej Valjavec. Moreau, who has consistently been the best French performer in the Tour the past few years, is now racing in Agritubel colors. Ag2r will instead be hoping Dessel can win a stage and Valjavec can pop into the top 10.

Campagnolo’s three new 11-speed groups are tied by two bonds, the Ergopower Ultra shifters and 11-speeds. All are intended and designed for competition. There are numerous technologies, but each is tied to one of these end features — for a full report on the technical features of the group, reference our initial 2009 Campagnolo product report. Aside from that, Chorus, Record and the new Super Record are merely defined by materials.

Racing through Pittsburgh in the Tour of PA

Michael Ball, owner of the Rock Racing team, says he and his companies will contribute "hundreds of thousands" of dollars to launch a fund to help elite racers who seriously injured while racing. "Let's do the right thing for these guys," Ball told VeloNews.

Rock Racing's Rahsaan Bahati won his second Manhattan Beach Grand Prix on Sunday, outsprinting Ricardo Escuela (Successful Living), and Brad Huff (Jelly Belly). “I had a lot of trust in my teammates and they delivered,” Bahati said before being congratulated by Rock Racing Team Owner Michael Ball and a host of teammates and cheering fans. “With a lap to go, I was concerned about us getting swarmed. But our lead out was tremendous. The guys started sprinting with a kilometer to go.”

David Veilleux (Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast) wrapped up the overall at the American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania on Sunday as Daniel Holloway (VMG-Felt) collected the final stage win in downtown Pittsburgh. Holloway — who also won the tour’s opening criterium Tuesday in Philadelphia — sprinted to victory in the finale ahead of Keven Lacombe (Kelly Benefit Strategies-Medifast) and Erik Barlevav (Time Pro Cycling). The 50-mile race, run on a 1.5-mile, four-corner circuit, was interrupted by a tornado warning and heavy rains that required spectators to take cover.

Luna swept the top three spots on the podium in Sunday’s short track cross country during the fourth stop of the National Mountain Bike Series at the Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. Katerina Nash took the honors in 23:47, with Catherine Pendrel second at 11 seconds back and Georgia Gould third at 48 seconds. Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) won the men’s race in 23:39, four seconds ahead of Ryan Trebon (Kona) with Carl Decker (Giant) third at 11 seconds.

Française des Jeux on Sunday announced that Philippe Gilbert and Sandy Casar would lead its team, which includes three Tour novices, at the Tour de France. "The choice was not easy because three-quarters of the guys were on the same level," team boss Marc Madiot told AFP. Three newcomers, Arnaud Gerard, Yoann Le Boulanger and Jeremy Roy, will make their debuts when the Tour kicks off on Saturday in Brest. Belgian Gilbert won the Het Volk in Belgium earlier this year, while Casar won the 18th stage at last year's Tour.

Newly crowned French cycling champion Nicolas Vogondy will ride for Agritubel at the Tour de France, alongside last-minute inclusions Freddy Bichot and David Le Lay. "It is a homogenous team with guys who can help Christophe (Moreau) in the mountains, sprinters, and those who can contest the breakaways and stage victories," team boss Denis Leproux told AFP. French climber Le Lay, the only Tour newcomer in the Agritubel line-up, joined the team during the season.

European countries selected elite men’s national road champions on Sunday, with Nicolas Vogondy scoring victory in France and Fillippo Simeoni earning the Italian title.

France

Editor's Note: Subaru/Gary Fisher pro endurance racer Nat Ross will be sharing daily diaries from the BC Bike Race with VeloNews.com readers. This is the first installment.

Stage 1 Shawnigan Lake to Lake Cowichan