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The final selection for the U.S. road team has been made, and it will be Christine Thorburn joining Dede Barry as America’s representatives in the Olympic time trial on Wednesday (August 18), a team source confirmed to VeloNews Thursday morning. Thorburn, who rides for the Webcor team back in the States, grabbed the spot ahead of T-Mobile rider Kristin Armstrong. Thorburn is the reigning U.S. national time trial champion, a title she won at the Olympic trials in Moreno Valley, California in mid June. On that day Thorburn stunned the heavily favored T-Mobile squad, taking an eight-second win

Mountain-bike racer Janet Puiggros Miranda was kicked off of the Spanish Olympic team on Thursday after testing positive for erythropoietin (EPO), Spain's Olympic Committee said. Puiggros Miranda failed the test on July 17 at the national mountain bike championships in Candanchu in northern Spain. Puiggros Miranda is the second Spaniard to have been sent home from the Games after a positive test. On Monday, canoeist Jovino Gonzalez was also dropped for failing a random test for EPO. "After notifying the affected party, who waived the right to a 'B' test, the Federation informed the

Jean-Patrick Nazon (Ag2r), winner of a stage in the Tour de France, won the morning sector of Thursday's action at the Tour de l'Ain in France. Nazon won the 83.5km stage from Izernore to Saint Genis Poully ahead of compatriot Jerome Pineau (Boulangère) and Saulius Ruskys. Earlier in the stage, Benjamin Noval (U.S. Postal Service) was part of a breakaway that included David Moncoutie (Cofidis) and Mikel Astarloza (Ag2r) that went over the Col de Cuvery. The trio was reeled in 9km to go to set up the mass gallop. American Tony Cruz, a winner on Wednesday, came through sixth for another fine

Spent a good chunk of Wednesday at the Olympic Village, the main housing location for all the athletes here in Athens. Reporter types like myself are only allowed in the International Zone, but you can still get a pretty good idea of what it’s all about. Besides providing sleeping quarters for most of the athletes, there’s a huge dinning hall, rec room, post office, Internet café, photo shop, flower shop and a big outdoor sound stage. Throughout the day groups of well dressed dignitaries file up onto the stage for pomp-and-circumstance presentations. This forced an NBC TV crew that was there

More sights from the lead-up days to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Tyler Farrar (Health Net-Maxxis) won the national under-23 individual time trial championship on Thursday as the Park City Cycling Festival got under way in Utah. Farrar outpaced a pair of TIAA-CREF/5280 riders to win the title on the hilly, 36km course at Antelope Island State Park in Syracuse, finishing nearly 45 seconds up on Timmy Duggan with 11-time national champion Blake Caldwell third. On Friday, the U-23s tackle the 193km road-race championship on the same course used in 1991 when Lance Armstrong won his first national title. Stay tuned to VeloNews.com for more on the racing in

Voeckler will be on the team in '05

Hamilton does an interview near the Olympic Village sound stage.

Info at the fingertips

Path of least resistance.

The torch makes its rounds.

A third of the Greek population calls Athens home.

Four Spanish team riders get in some training near the base of the Acropolis.

The cobbled section of the road course.

Team Norway fighting traffic.

Guys like this are all over the city.

A shadowy side street.

The backside of the road race course.

Nazon

Farrar en route to a national title

American Antonio Cruz (U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor) won the second stage of the Tour de l’Ain on Wednesday, outsprinting Théo Eltink and Jerome Pineau (Brioches la Boulangère). Pineau remains the overall leader. The undulating 141.7km stage from Lagnieu to Oyonnax was marked by an 80km break that included David Moncoutié (Cofidis), Didier Rous (Brioches la Boulangere), Sylvain Calzati (RAGT Semances-MG Rove) and Pablo Lastras (Illes Balears). Once the break was caught with 20km to go, Cédric Vasseur (Cofidis) and Franck Renier (Brioches la Boulangere) tried to escape, but the

Yasas (or yasu if we know each other) from Athens. It’s Wednesday afternoon local time — nine hours ahead of the East Coast back in the States — and your intrepid reporter has found his way to the Olympic Village for a 1:30 appointment with Tyler Hamilton. The Phonak pro is out on a training ride at the moment, but assuming he shows up afterward we’re going to snap a photo of him in U.S. team kit for his column in VeloNews. In the meantime here’s a little rundown on my first days in Greece. The whole adventure (I’m calling it that because this is my first go round with the world’s biggest

With just three days until the first of 18 cycling gold medals are handed out at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, Tyler Hamilton and the rest of the U.S. team were set to get their first look at the Olympic road race course late Wednesday afternoon. But no matter what they found on the streets of the downtown Athens course, both the men’s and women’s squads like their chances. Six of the team’s eight riders spent part of the afternoon in the International Zone (where the media is allowed) at the Olympic Village, doing interviews. Hamilton was the first to show up, and says that though

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is looking for its next executive director. The Boulder-based non-profit organization has retained the search firm T. Malouf & Company, Inc., to find a replacement for outgoing executive director Tim Blumenthal, who will become executive director of Bikes Belong in September. With 32,000 members, 500 affiliated clubs and hundreds of corporate and retail members, IMBA is the world’s largest mountain-biking organization, dedicated to creating, preserving and enhancing trail opportunities for mountain bikers worldwide. Blumenthal’s

Here's a look at some of the sights on the days leading up the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

Photographer Casey Gibson is in Athens for the 2004 Summer Games and sent us these glimpses of the U.S. team as they practice for the weekend's road races.

Doping is cheating, periodEditor:I've been reading the exchanges on doping in your mailbags. Some interesting points are being raised on both sides, but it seems to me we're making this issue more complicated than is necessary. Doping is cheating, period. There are plenty of good reasons for a person to cheat on final exams (better grades), aptitude tests (better college), performance reports (bigger profits), the Friday poker game (bigger winnings), or the weekend bike race (better results). But the plain truth is, it's still cheating. Period. One who cheats to get something does not

Not a bad spot.

The commuter train.

The media compound is well fortified.

The new digs.

The starship v-drome.

Office space.

The U.S. women's road team.

Hamilton's back bears the scars of the Tour.

Julich meets the press.

Teammates in '05?

Hamilton sporting Tugboat's tag.

Hincapie doing a phoner interview.

The Olympic mascot thingy.

One of the country's leading exports.

Sunset from the burbs of Athens.

The king of the pin collectors.

Don't bring the Amex here.

U.S. softball starlet Jennie Finch.

The torch is passed.

Striking a pose.

The U.S. men get ready to reconnoiter

Levi Leipheimer and Tyler Hamilton lead the way

VeloNews diarist Dede Demet Barry joins the Dutch women for a spin

Bobby Julich and Michael Rasmussen get in a few miles

Cunego wins Due Giorni Marchiagiana-GP Fred MengoniDamiano Cunego (Saeco) was back to his winning ways on Tuesday, outsprinting Team Italia’s Daniele Nardello and Cristian Moreni to win the Due Giorni Marchigiana-GP Fred Mengoni in Castelfidordo, Italy. It was the 11th win of the season for the young winner of the Giro d’Italia, who now is looking forward to the final part of the season, with his big objective the world championships in Verona. “Even I didn’t think I’d get back to form and win so quickly, even if I rode well at Camaiore and San Sebastian,” said Cunego, who capped his

Master cycling technician, Lennard Zinn, will make a special presentation at the REI Oakbrook Terrace at 7 p.m. on Friday, August 20th. Visit the REI Oakbrook Terrace to get the inside scoop on your bike fit, physical conditioning and have Lennard sign your copy of Zinn’s Cycling Primer. Admission is FREE. Seating is limited. REI Oakbrook Terrace17W160 22nd St.Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181Phone: 630.574.77007:00 PM About the book:Lennard Zinn does it again, taking you through the basics and particulars of bicycle maintenance and skill building to refine your bike and body. Zinn evaluates

Former world champion Oscar Camenzind (Phonak) has tested positive for EPO and was immediately removed from the Swiss Olympic team, according to information released Monday by the Swiss Olympic committee. Camenzind, 32, showed traces of the banned blood booster in a urine sample from a July 22 test conducted by the Swiss anti-doping agency. Under Swiss cycling rules, a rider can be suspended without a second follow-up test being conducted. Phonak also immediately suspended Carminzind from the team. “Every rider that gives a positive test during a race or during training for a product that

To revisit the COVERAGE OF THE 2004 TOUR DE FRANCE.

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Link racers’ pay to drug-free performanceEditor:It seems as though every single cyclist who has been caught doping or trafficking has recited the same excuse: "I had to succeed because my livelihood depended on it.” And it's hard to argue against their course of action. Mr. Millar

here is a new poll:

Camenzind has been dropped from the Swiss Olympic team and sacked by Phonak

Arvesen wins Tour of DenmarkNorway’s Kurt-Asle Arvesen (CSC) won the Tour of Denmark on Sunday, finishing just two seconds ahead of German teammate Jens Voigt. Arvesen overhauled Voight by taking three bonus seconds in the final 195km stage, which was won by France’s Jimmy Casper (Cofidis). Australia's Stuart O'Grady (Cofidis), winner of the fifth stage of last month's Tour de France, finished third overall. Tour of Denmark1. Jimmy Casper (F), Cofidis, 195km in 4:34:502. Tomas Vaitkus (Lit), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago3. Stuart O'Grady (Aus), Cofidis3. Giosue Bonomi (I), Saeco5. Jeremy Hunt

Alison Dunlap (Luna) held off an impressive late-race charge by Jimena Florit (RLX Ralph Lauren) to collect her 14th career NORBA short-track win Sunday at Snowmass Village near Aspen, Colorado. With a stiff wind kicking up clouds of dust on the slopes of Snowmass, Dunlap's Luna team put in a show of power that only Florit was able to challenge. After two laps on the dry, dusty course, which climbed one of the lower ski slopes and then descended through a series of loose, rocky S-turns, Dunlap launched a vicious attack. “I could just tell there wasn't anyone feeling really gung-ho today,”

Overcoming the disappointment of mechanical problems that might have cost him the win in Saturday's cross-country race at round seven of the NORBA series in Snowmass Village, Colorado, Maxxis rider Geoff Kabush put in a show of power to win the men's short-track event on Sunday. Riding his gold full-suspension Turner bike, Kabush wasted little time fighting his way to the front, while the other 55 pro men swapped elbows and swallowed dust behind him. “I watched the women's race and saw that there wasn't going to be much drafting in this race,” said Kabush after beating GT-Hyundai's Todd

You may think of cyclo-cross as a winter sport, but while you were sweating your way around a crit course somewhere in America, Sven Nijs (Rabobank) was winning the GP Eric De Vlaeminck, the summer edition of a winter sport. During a warm race in Zolder, Belgium, Nys had no competitors. Ben Berden finished second after a big gap while Wim Jacobs finished third. Bart Wellens, who won the race this year, abandoned due to the enormous heat. Now, Wellens leaves for a monthlong training camp in St-Moritz, Switzerland, before the real cyclo-cross season begins in September . . . when the weather

Kathy Pruitt completed the Luna-team double at Snowmass Village, Colorado, on Sunday, winning the women’s NORBA downhill race and adding to Alison Dunlap’s win in the short-track earlier in the day. In the men’s downhill, Australian Nathan Rennie (Santa Cruz Syndicate) ended Greg Minnaar’s three-race unbeaten streak to collect his second career NORBA downhill win. On a super-fast course that reminded riders of NORBA downhills of old, Pruitt edged her Luna teammate Marla Streb by 1.79 seconds for the win. “The key was to be consistent and not go off the course,” said Pruitt, the 2000 world

On Saturday in downtown Charlotte, North Carolina, Ivan Dominguez displayed his knack for winning big-time money criteriums, as he took the win at the inaugural Bank of America Invitational, featuring one of the biggest one-day payouts in the world. With $125,000 in prizes on the line, including $25,000 for first place, the Colavita Olive Oil rider beat out Health Net-Maxxis's Gord Fraser and Navigators Insurance's Henk Vogels in the mad dash to the finish. In the closing 10-laps of the 44-lap, 53-mile race, Health Net took control of the race, chasing down the late-race break that included

CSC had a good Tour of Denmark, claiming the top two spots on the podium

Mario de Clercq gives it a go

But it wasn't a day at the beach, even if it was hot enough for swimming

Sven Nijs had a better time of it

But then again, winning is always nice

Kaboom: Kabush rode away with another short-track win.

One time: Craig finished third on a single-speed

14 and counting: Dunlap chalked up another short-track win.

The other blue train: Luna was unstoppable.

Close call: Rennie won by a whisker.

Leading lady: Pruitt leads the DH series with one to go.

Out of the shadows: Rockwell made a surprise showing.

Spanish rider Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Saunier Duval) uncorked a vicious sprint with 250 meters to the line in Saturday’s Clasica San Sebastián to surprise pre-race favorite Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) for the biggest win of his career. Martin Perdiguero was part of a seven-man break that cleared the always-decisive Category 1 climb up Alto de Jaizkibel with 31.5km to go in the sweltering 227km race across the verdant hills of northern Spain’s Basque Country. “I sprinted at 250 meters, it wasn’t too far,” said Martin Perdiguero, the first Spanish winner since 1990. “I was confident I

George Hincapie will ride for the next three seasons with Discovery Channel after penning a contract extension to stay with the American team during the recent Tour de France. Hincapie has raced in the U.S. Postal Service colors since 1997 and decided it was best to continue with the team as cable giant Discovery Channel is set to take over the sponsorship for the 2005 season. “I’ve signed for three more years. I’m staying,” Hincapie told VeloNews after finishing 56th at 5:24 back in Saturday’s Clasica San Sebastián. “I had some offers and we didn’t know if the team was going to continue,

Ongarato sprints to win in PortugalAlberto Ongarato (Fassa Bortolo) won the 147.2km ninth stage of the Tour of Portugal between Figueira da Foz and Alcobaca on Saturday. The Italian outkicked Pedro Costa (ASC-Vila do Conde) and Ramon Zaragosa (Imoholding-Loule Jardim Hotel) to win in 3:18:48. With only Sunday’s final stage remaining, David Bernabeu (Milaneza-Maia) held onto his eight-second overall lead on David Arroyo (L.A. Pecol), with Rui Lavarinhas (Milaneza-Maia) third at 0:36. 66th Volta a Portugal (POR 2.2), Figueira da Foz to Alcobaca, 147.2km1. Alberto Ongarato (I) Fassa Bortolo,

It was a good day for Olympians at the Snowmass NORBA National event near Aspen, Colorado, on Saturday. Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai) and Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski (RLX Ralph Lauren), the two American men selected for the Olympic mountain bike race in Athens later this month, finished first and second in the 24.6-mile men’s cross-country race. Jimena Florit (RLX Ralph Lauren), who will represent Argentina at the upcoming Olympic Games, won the 20-mile women’s cross-country race to move into the overall series lead in the women’s standings. It was the climbing strength of the 29-year-old Wells that