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Oscar Freire (Rabobank) proved fastest among an elite group of sprinters on Wednesday, winning the first stage of Tirreno-Adriatico. Freire won the 160km stage around Civitavecchia in 4:10:01, just nicking Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) and Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Caisse D'Epargne). The former world champion will wear the leader's blue jersey in Thursday's second stage, over 203km from from Civitavecchia to Gubbio.

Disgraced German cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz on Wednesday has denied reports claiming he made allegations about former T-Mobile teammates' doping practices to federal officers. "I did not say anything concrete on the doping practices of other riders," Sinkewitz told German tabloid Bild on Wednesday. "I do not know where this information comes from."

Memorials are being planned for the two cyclists killed on a training ride Sunday in California. A memorial service for Matt Peterson will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Sports Basement, 1590 Bryant Street, San Francisco. Friends are planning a memorial ride Saturday afternoon in honor of Peterson and Kristy Gough. The ride will leave from Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, at 2:30 More details: http://rememberingmatt.blogspot.com

A Frenchman hasn’t stood atop the Paris-Nice podium since Laurent Jalabert won the last of his three straight titles in 1997. Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis) promises he can restore French pride in the "Race to the Sun" after moving into the race leader’s jersey in Wednesday’s roller-coaster stage that saw Finnish rider Kjell Carlström (Liquigas) take a breakaway stage victory into St. Étienne.

Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team adds Mexican National Time Trial Championship to List of Victories. Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team kicked off the first racing week in March with Jose Manuel “Chepe” Garcia winning the Mexican National Time Trial Championship. The victory will go a long way to assist “Chepe” in making the Mexican Olympic team that will be racing in Beijing this summer.

The Superdrome at Frisco, Texas, proudly announces their racing schedule for the 2008 season. This year sees the return of the Richardson Bike Mart Superdrome Points Series (SPS), the Moritz Sprint Series, the Matrix Cup, Texas Cup races, a Masters Regional, an Elite National Qualifier and Collegiate Conference racing. The Superdrome Development Program encourages youth participation in the sport by including heats for junior racers during each of the SPS events. For 2008 we will also introduce a series of skills clinics taught by National track racing champions.

Fuji Bicycles is proud to announce its sponsorship of Seamus McGrath, top Canadian mountain bike racer. He will be racing and training on Fuji bikes exclusively during this Olympic year. He joins Fuji teammates Austrian National XC Champion Christophe Soukup and German U23 National Champion Robert Mennen for the European World Cup circuit, as well as pro cross-country races in North America.

Another wet day at Paris-Nice and photographer Graham Watson was there to keep track of events.

Health Net’s John Murphy moved into the overall lead at the 2008 Tour de Taiwan, solidifying his hold on the sprint jersey as well by earning sprint points and time bonuses in the 111-kilometer second stage. Murphy won the second and third intermediate sprints out on the road during a circuit race, run on a 14 km course, and finished 10th on the stage while helping teammate Kirk O’Bee to 7th on the stage. Time bonuses for the two sprints moved him ahead of previous leader Kam Po Wong of Team Hong Kong.

What can I do about foot pain while cycling?

Current and former world road champions Paolo Bettini, Tom Boonen, Igor Astarloa and Oscar Freire will be among those toeing the start line at the opening of Tirenno-Adriatico Wednesday. Aside from the rainbow stripes, these men share another trait in common: a desire to win the season’s first big one-day classic, Milan-San Remo. Other world-class sprinters slated to race T-A include CSC’s Stuart O'Grady, Milram teammates Alessandro Petacchi and Erik Zabel, and Silence-Lotto’s Robbie McEwen. The seven-day, 1122km race opens in Mar Tirreno and heads east to Mar Adriatico.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) confirmed Tuesday that it will examine Giro d’Italia champion Danilo Di Luca's appeal against a three-month ban for his connection with a doping scandal on March 20. The rider was suspended in October 2007 for his association with Italian doctor Carlo Santuccione, the key figure in the so-called “oil for drugs” scandal, dating back to 2004. Santuccione was investigated for allegedly supplying banned substances to Italian sportsmen.

Crashes and nasty weather are turning the 66th Paris-Nice into a war of attrition as Gert Steegmans (Quick Step) sprinted to his second straight win Tuesday in an exciting, attack-riddled 201km soggy march. The big Belgian didn’t want to wait for the bunch and made easy work of a four-up sprint on a slight rise into Belleville, three seconds ahead of a 44-rider chase group that was missing several GC contenders, among them Fränk Schleck (CSC – 76th at 2:56) and Haimar Zubeldia (Euskaltel-Euskadi – 53rd at 1:15) and José Angel Gómez Marchante (Saunier Duval – abandon).

It’s not often you see Gert Steegmans first in line. Since last season, the 6-foot, 3-inch Belgian has often been second in line at Quick Step, developing into the preferred lead-out man for cycling superstar Tom Boonen. Before that, he was the pilot for Robbie McEwen at Silence-Lotto. The soft-spoken Steegmans is never one to shove his way into the limelight, but when he won Stage 2 in last year’s Tour de France, he couldn’t help but get noticed. This season, Steegmans is getting more freedom to ride for his own victories.

For a guy who would rather be somewhere else, Thor Hushovd is making the most of a bad situation. The Crédit Agricole fast man surged to an impressive victory in Sunday’s prologue and then sprinted to third in Monday’s first stage to retain his grip on the race leader’s yellow jersey. Not bad for a guy who’d rather be in Italy.

To tape or not to tape, that is the question.
Whether 'tis faster on the rim to suffer
The goops and globs of outrageous Tubasti,
Or to take Tufo against a sea of glue stains,
And by taping end them?

Dear Lennard,
In a recent article you make mention of the fact that you do not use adhesive tapes, like that produced by Tufo, on tubular wheels, preferring instead to use the old system of building up with glue.

Peterson won the category 4 race with a last lap solo attack.

Peterson won the category 4 event at the criterium with a last lap solo attack.

Kristy Gough won the women's Cat. 3-4 race at the Merco Credit Union Downtown Grand Prix, March 1, 2008.

Grieving cyclists, friends and family in California's Bay Area are planning memorial services for two road racers struck and killed by a sheriff's deputy's patrol car on Sunday. Matt Peterson was a driven 30-year-old Cat 4 who competed in 24-hour mountain bike races and Ironman triathlons but who achieved one of his proudest victories — first place in the Merced criterium — just a week ago. The next day he sacrificed his chances to help a teammate win another race, said friend Larry Rosa. "He said, 'I wish everyone could feel this experience just once,' " Rosa told VeloNews.