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Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) is a step closer to tying a Giro d’Italia stage-win record after claiming his sixth victory on Friday. The Italian speedster once again held off Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo), who finished second to the seemingly unstoppable Italian, with Alexandre Usov (Phonak) finishing third. "I'm really happy to have won for the sixth time here, which equals my record here last year," said Petacchi after coming a step closer to becoming the fourth rider of the modern era to claim seven stages in a single edition of the race. "I don't know what the

“You’re all mixed up, like pasta primavera —Yo, why’d you throw that chair at Geraldo Rivera, man?”Beastie Boys“What Comes Around,” from "Paul’s Boutique" It’s time to slip into “guilty-pleasure mode,” ladies and gents, because there’s a little trouble brewing in the neighborhood this week. First, please allow me to wash my hands, as I have spent the past few days digging through a few Dumpsters. The trouble began almost three weeks ago at the second annual Cheaha Challenge criterium May 1 in Anniston, Alabama. I see a few of you are already nodding your heads, wondering, “What took these

Swiss rider Martin Elmiger handed his Phonak team a welcome victory in the 162km third stage of the Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon in Aigues-Mortes on Friday. Elmiger, a 25-year-old mountain-bike specialist who also plays golf and skis cross country, welcomed the win with open arms after believing he had been pipped at the line. Ukrainian Yuryi Krivtsov (AG2r Prevoyance) threw everyone, including the race announcer, into disarray when he raised his arms in victory after crossing the finish line. But Elmiger was given the decision after a photo finish indicated he had won by three

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com, appearing each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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.Single-speeding and simplificationEditor:With the increase in both complexity and cost of equipment to the recreational user, is it any wonder there's been some grass-roots backlash evident in the increasing popularity of single-speed racing?

I’m honored. No, really, I am. I’ve finally made it to the big time. I’m talking about getting my name plastered all over the most prestigious cycling website there is (aside from velonews.com, of course): www.drunkcyclist.com. A warning before you go dashing gleefully over there: This site is definitely not for the eyes of minors or those ultra-conservative types who are not big fans of pornography. My column last week apparently struck an off-key chord with the single-speed audience. To boil down my side of the argument, I mentioned that I’m not a believer in racing classes specifically

It might have been wise for organizers to hand out name tags to go with the medals they passed around at Friday’s awards ceremony following the stage 1 time trial at NORBA National No. 3 in Big Bear Lake, California. With many of the top cross-country pros absent this weekend to compete in the opening round of the World Cup in Madrid, Spain, it was a pair of relatively unfamiliar names — Heather Irmiger and Jimi Mortenson — standing atop the podium when racing was done at Snow Summit Resort. Mortenson (Specialized), who lives in Eagle, Colorado, took advantage of opportunity, posting the

Stage races are like a crash course in tactics and Racing 101. If you really want to learn fast, sign up for some stage races. Depending on the length of the race, you can learn three or four months’ worth of lessons in just one event. Today’s Giro d'Italia stage finished in another beautiful lead-out by Fassa Bortolo, sending Alessandro Pettachi off to his sixth stage win this year. But there are other lessons to be learned, aside from the picture-perfect lead-out. What do you do if you are on a team that does not have a powerful sprinter or isn’t strong enough to provide the 10km

With the laps counting down on Friday night's New Haven criterium and the peloton breathing down the necks of a seven-man breakaway, overall race leader Mark McCormack took it upon himself to keep the lead group out front, and in the process delivered teammate Ivan Dominguez to Colavita Olive Oil's second win in three stages of the Tour of Connecticut. The Friday night festivities in Connecticut featured 60 laps of a pancake-flat, four-corner, half-mile circuit around the New Haven Green, starting and finishing at the steps of the state courthouse. From the gun, the pack set a blistering

Ivan Dominguez (Colavita Olive Oil) powered to the win in the third stage of the Tour of Connecticut in Friday in New Haven, Connecticut, beating Charles Dionne (Webcor) by less than a wheel in a spectacular hour of racing. Mike Sayers (Health Net) crossed third. The victory, Colavita's second, kept team leader Mark McCormack in the leader's yellow jersey going into stage four Saturday in Waterbury. The race was fast and furious from the first lap as the 87 cyclists fought for position on the technical circuit. On the final laps a break of eight finally stuck, and race leader McCormack saw

Man, do I feel like crap today. I started the day out feeling like I was coming down with something. I've had a sore throat for a few days and now it's beginning to take a toll. Despite the easy terrain, I made it through the stage just sitting there in the field, feeling really, really average on the bike the whole day. The only thing I managed to do was to bring my teammate, Angelo Furlan, up to the front with about 3km to go. I wanted to do as much as I possibly could, so I just went up and took a big turn with the hope that Angelo was on a good wheel. I figured since I was losing steam

This was not a very good day for me. The frustrating thing was that I had great legs. I felt great. I thought I’d put myself into just the right spot coming into the finish and help up there and then it just didn’t happen. The finish today was just chaotic. I almost killed myself coming in. The day was pretty much under the control of Fassa Bortolo all the way from the start. They allowed a small break to get away, mostly just to keep things under control in the field, and then they just held a very moderate pace. Actually, it really slowed down toward the last 30km today. It was more like

With a coveted spot on the TIAA-CREF Cycling team on the line for the overall men’s and women’s individual champions, the 2004 collegiate national road cycling championships kicked off Friday afternoon with a round of criteriums on the streets of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Early morning thunderstorms threatened to stop the races before they started, but the weather was only the beginning in what would be one of the most dramatic days in all of collegiate racing. After a heart-breaking second-place finish at last year’s collegiate national championship road race, the University

Guess who?

In this corner, Jonny Sundt ... and in that corner, Roberto Gaggioli

Was this dent caused by a crash – or a two-by-four?

Choo choo

Cunego is rolling right along – but a time trial's on the menu tomorrow

It doesn't get much closer than this

Hushovd retains the lead going into tomorrow's hilly stage

Mortenson heads to the TT win.

Irmiger emerged from her fiancee's shadow for a day.

Florit was ready for battle, but finishsed 28th.

Race leader McCormack does a spot of domestique work

Meanwhile, the Cuban Missile Crisis takes matters into his own hands

And their work pays off in a stage win

So close ... and yet, so far

For the first time in seven years Snow Summit Resort did not serve as the NORBA National Series season opening venue, but that doesn’t mean America’s premier mountain-bike circuit is bypassing the kitschy charm of Big Bear Lake, California. Starting Friday the only venue to be on the dance card in all 15 years of the NORBA series will up its count to 16, as stop No. 3 of the 2004 series rolls into town. The cross-country stage race will kick off competition, as what’s left of the pro ranks will take on the stage 1 time trial. The reason for the thin upper tier of the XC fields is the event’s

Lance Armstrong's U.S. Postal team gave an indication of their collective force on the second stage of the Tour of Languedoc-Roussillon, won in Narbonne, France, on Thursday by Thor Hushovd. Hushovd has been a force to be reckoned with all spring, so victory after 188km of riding in hot temperatures between Port-Leucate and Narbonne came as little surprise for the Norwegian. The Credít Agricole sprinter came over the finish line ahead of French duo Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R) and Jerome Pineau (Brioches La Boulangere) to tighten his grip on the race leader's jersey. However, the day was marked

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Another rider from Generation Next made an exhibition in Thursday’s hilly 11th stage of the 87th Giro d’Italia, providing yet another glimpse at a possible future Italian star. First-year pro Emanuele Sella (Panaria) won an emotional stage in a poignant reminder of the fighting spirit of Marco Pantani as the 228km stage finished in the birth-place of the fallen star. The 23-year-old Sella roared away from the main bunch with 60km to go and blew past a faltering 20-man breakaway to earn his first win as a pro in a very Pantani-esque display of racing. “I can’t believe it. I am beyond

Christian Vande Velde is back racing after a two-month ordeal to secure a working permit that would allow him to legally race with his new Spanish team Liberty Seguros. With working papers safely in hand, Vande Velde negotiated the perils of the Vuelta a Asturias last week in northern Spain for his first week of racing since the Tour of Valencia in mid-February. After an injury plagued 2003 season, the 28-year-old Vande Velde decided it was time for a change. After racing his entire pro career at U.S. Postal Service, Vande Velde is opening new doors with a switch to Liberty Seguros where

Boulder, CO -- Inside Communications (ICI), the leading multi-title sports publisher, has named Bill Garrels to the newly created position of vice-president, sales and marketing. Garrels will head up all advertising sales and marketing efforts for VeloNews, Inside Triathlon, Ski Racing, VeloSwap and associated Web sites and events. Garrels moves to ICI from Time Inc's Mountain Sports Media and Transworld units, where he was Western Advertising Director responsible for bike, ski, and boardsports properties such as Transworld Surf, Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Ride BMX, Ski and Warren Miller

Bob,I noticed that there is a tax break for people who commute and also those who use hybrid vehicles to commute. Someone told me that there may be a deduction available to commuters who ride a bike to work. Is this true? One Less Car in NY Dear One Less Car,You are correct that there is a deduction available for individuals who drive hybrid cars. However, the current deduction of $2000 is set to be reduced by 25 percent per year until it is completely phased out. Even in its current state, the deduction is available only as a one-time deduction and is limited to three approved cars on the

We had a good day today. It was a long day, quite hot at times, but our guy, Cristian Moreni, finished second to that young kid none of us knew anything about. Cristian has been looking good here at the Giro and a day like today really suited his abilities to a tee. He’s really good on the short, steep climbs that marked the last half of the route today. As you know, those aren’t exactly my cup of tea, but Cristian just loves that stuff. After about 50 kilometers this morning – which was only an hour or so into the race! – he said he was feeling pretty good and so we tried to get him in

It was a long day in the saddle. A long day, a hot day and a day with a lot of climbing. It was a lot harder than I expected. We built our strategy for the day on the assumption that the race would be won in a breakaway today. Most of our guys were working hard to get into anything that went and we were always represented when something did go. Before the start my teammate, Rinaldo Nocentini, came up and said “I’ve already made the deal. There are four or five of us going to go right at the start!” Of course, our strategy was the pretty much the same as everyone else’s and the speed was

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First year professional Emanuele Sella of Italy

Hushovd takes his sixth win of the season

Armstrong and Postal set a pace that shattered the peloton and erased many a GC hope

Cruising through the French countryside

Stage 11 - Porto Sant’Elpidio - Cesena 228 (228km)

Stage 11. It was the last part that proved to be the toughest.

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LA back in saddle in FranceLance Armstrong (USPS) returns to action in Wednesday’s opening stage of the Tour du Languedoc-Rousillon (FRA 2.1) in southern France. The race signals the rebirth of the GP Midi Libre, which Armstrong won in 2002 but was not held last year. It’s also the five-time Tour de France winner’s first race since winning the Tour de Georgia in April. “Lance seems to me very well mentally. Physically, he’s fitter than last year, which is not difficult given the problems he had,” Bruyneel told Reuters. Armstrong returned to Europe last week and promptly went to Alpe d’Huez

Alessandro Petacchi applauded as he crossed the line a victor for the fifth time of the 2004 Giro d’Italia. He wasn’t clapping for his fast legwork, but rather for his teammates in the trenches. The gentleman sprinter was full of praise of his Fassa Bortolo “Silver Train,” who pushed the Italian to a relatively easy sprint victory in the hilly 146km 10th stage from Porto Sant' Elpidio to Ascoli Piceno. “I clapped my hands in praise of my teammates. I really want to thank them for the work they did today,” said Petacchi, who finished ahead of compatriot Marco Zanotti (Vini Caldirola) and

The 2004 Trek Bikes Collegiate Road National Championships kick off Friday in Madison, Wisconsin, with the TIAA-CREF Downtown Criterium. The crit, a mostly flat circuit, starts and finishes on State Street, with racing starting at 1 p.m. An open category, new for 2004, will allow all licensed male collegiate cyclists to compete. Saturday’s road race starts and finishes in the town of Black Earth. The 15-mile loop winds through well-paved, hilly country roads just 20 minutes west of Madison. The weekend’s competition wraps up on Sunday with the team time trial, on a fast, flat 32km

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com, appearing each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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.Single-speeding offers a challengeEditor: I am writing in response to Andrew Juskaitis’s single-speed article. I race a single speed in the Wisconsin WORS series . Personally speaking, if I had to race my age group (40 plus) rather than in a

One of the beautiful things about a stage race is that there are so many races going on within the race. To be sure, the big race at the Giro d’Italia is for the maglia rosa. To start, there’s always the scramble for a stage win – of which Alessandro Petacchi has now scored five – but there are also competitions for the Intergiro and King of the Mountain jerseys, as well as team classifications. Just because you may not be in contention for the overall prize does not mean that you don't have a lot to race for. Much of the excitement on today's stage or the previous stage was the long

You never really know how you’ll feel until you give it a go at the line. Yesterday for the rest day, I gave up plans to go out on a short ride and actually stayed in my bed from morning until the evening. I had a bit of a sore throat, a sore knee and I wanted to let the ankle heal up, so I spent the day in bed sleeping and watching a couple of DVDs. I didn’t do a single meter on the bike yesterday, which is normally not a good thing to do on a rest day, but I really needed to give the ankle a rest. The ankle problem also caused some small knee problems for me – that usually happens when

After failing to lock in a title sponsor, the Colorado stop of the Pro Cycling Tour – Vail’s Rocky Mountain Classic – has been cancelled for 2004, though promoters hope to resurrect the event for next year. The planned three-day, $1.6 million Labor Day weekend cycling event was to include a citizen’s ride from Denver and two pro races which had also secured an appearance commitment from U.S. Postal star Lance Armstrong. But on Tuesday, promoters announced the cancellation of the event. “We just couldn’t land that big sponsor,” Rick Chastain of Vail-based Legacy Sports Marketing told the

AUSTIN, Texas — As a tribute to Lance Armstrong’s inspirational fight against cancer as well as his historic attempt at a sixth Tour de France win, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF) and Nike will launch the Wear Yellow Live Strong campaign. Nike will donate $1 million to the Foundation and lead efforts to raise an additional $5 million through the sale of yellow wristbands engraved with Lance’s mantra, Live Strong. All proceeds will benefit LAF programs that help young people with cancer live strong. "Young people with cancer should be empowered to fight hard, dream big and live

It’s been a long time since I competed in a 10-day tour. The approach is a little different from the shorter tours – in a race this long, it’s important to conserve one’s energy for the critical moments. So at the start of the Tour de L’Aude, I took a good look at the race bible, which contains all of the stage distances and course profiles. With my team, we determined what we thought would be the most significant stages based on the difficulty of the mountain passes and the time trials. We have broken the race up into segments. The first stage did not look too difficult, so we agreed that

Give the man a hand. Petacchi gets another.

Cunego is his own man

Rolling hills and great scenery marked the Giro's 10th stage

The Koppenberg Circuit Race lived up to its namesake on Sunday, dishing out rough dirt roads, wind and a leg-breaking climb that shattered fields and crowned two new champions in the elite men's and women's events: Will Frischkorn (Colavita-Bolla) and Ann Trombley (Excel Sports). The women's race didn't stay together long, as Trombley, a former Olympic mountain-bike racer, Shannon Tupa (Tokyo Joe's) and Erin Huck (Denver Spoke) surged up the rutted Koppenberg on the first lap and found themselves away early on. Huck eventually dropped back, but even with the second group chasing hard,

Giro d'Italia leader Damiano Cunego planned to kick back and relax on Tuesday’s first of two rest days in Porto Sant'Elpidio, Reuters reported. "I will try to recover during the rest day," said the Italian, who leads Saeco teammate Gilberto Simoni by 10 seconds in the general classification. “I'll do one and a half to two hours on the bike, eat a little and rest.” But the Italian is already looking ahead at the challenging week.“I'm thinking about the next few stages, for example the one in Cesena [stage 11], which could be more difficult than it looks,” he said. Nevertheless, Cunego is