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After four years of racing in February, the 2010 Amgen Tour of California will be held May 16-23, during the same time slot as the Giro d’Italia. America’s biggest stage race will move from its winter dates into the spring, taking dates on the UCI calendar occupied this year by the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya ProTour event.

Rising star Catharine Pendrel of team Luna Chix was a slim 14 seconds short of winning the Houffalize World Cup on Sunday. The featherweight Canadian had a breakout season two years ago and continues in her bid to become the top North American female mountain bike racer. Although Team Luna Chix is taking a more selective approach to the 2009 World Cup series, she’ll still have plenty of opportunity to thrive.

Caisse d’Epargne’s Alejandro Valverde announced on Wednesday that he intends to file a lawsuit against Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri. "Mr Torri acts, in a repeatedly obstinate manner, with total disregard for the Spanish legal authorities, refusing to submit to the decision of the Madrid judge that forbids CONI from using criminal evidence against athletes," Valverde said in a statement.

French rider Jimmy Engoulvent gave his small Besson-Sojasol squad another big win in the second stage at the Four Days of Dunkirk on Wednesday. Engoulvent out-kicked the pack in the 178.9km stage to claim victory. André Greipel – the big German sprinter who is back to racing action for the first time since breaking his leg at the Tour Down Under back in January – finished second in the stage to take the leader’s jersey. Greipel moves ahead of second-place Sebastian Chavanel (FDJeux) with Stephen De Jongh (Quick Step).

The Russian-sponsored Katusha team has suspended Austrian rider Christian Pfannberger following a non-negative doping control, the team reported Wednesday. According to Katusha officials, Pfannberger gave a non-negative result in a surprise, out-of-competition control at his home on March 19. There was no indication of what type of product might be involved.

Defending Giro d’Italia champion Alberto Contador will be watching this year’s corsa rosa on TV. That’s just fine for Contador, who has bet everything on winning the Tour de France. “I’m going to be able to enjoy it from home, even though good memories from last year will make me feel a little nostalgic. This year my objective is the Tour. There’ll be a time for going back to Italy,” Contador explained in a press note. “It’ll be a lovely Giro, with lots of very good riders fighting for victory. It’ll be quite interesting for the spectator.”

Garmin-Slipstream’s Giro d’Italia starts upside down, with the team’s most important stage coming on day 1 and everything else after that being a bonus in the three-week Italian grand tour starting Saturday. With that in mind, the American team lines up with a loaded squad that should bring more firepower in the team’s quest to defend its title in the team time trial in the opening stage in Venice.

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Hood River, Ore., May 5, 2009 – This year’s Mt. Hood Cycling Classic is excited to announce that Pacific Power, one of the West’s leading electric utilities serving approximately 1.7 million customers in six western states, has signed on as the race’s Title Sponsor for 2009. With hard times falling on many American races, Pacific Power’s commitment is a sign of the strength and viability of one the toughest stage races in the U.S.

KBS Pro Cycling Team Athletes to Support International Relief Program Efforts; Visit Africa The Kelly Benefit Strategies (KBS) professional cycling team, already well known for its environmental program, announces today that it has made a commitment to support World Bicycle Relief in its mission to provide bicycles to those in need. World Bicycle Relief supports healthcare, education and economic development programs in underdeveloped regions, creating better access to independence and livelihood through the power of bicycles.

The prototype’s light weight was impressive considering its use of race proven components. This is not a save-weight-at-all-costs project.

You’re likely to see lots of Felt bikes in the coming days, especially with the Garmin-Slipstream team at this week’s start of the Giro d’Italia. Rest assured, however, none of them will racing this new bike from Felt. We caught a glimpse of this prototype mountain bike last month. It’s a new full suspension cross-country machine that Felt makes for sponsored racers.

Dutch rider Kenny van Hummel out kicked the pack to win the 186.5km opening stage at the Four Days of Dunkirk on Tuesday in northern France. The Skil-Shimano sprinter came through ahead of Sebastian Chavanel (FDJeux) and Belgian Steven de Jongh (Quick Step). The victory comes as Van Hummel is posting a string of promising results. He notched three second places in April before notching his first win in 2009 at the Ronde Van Overijssel on Saturday. The 55th Four Days of Dunkirk continues Wednesday with the second stage from Coudekerque-Branche to Arques.

Filippo Simeoni thought winning the Italian national championship last year would help him salvage the final years of his career. He was wrong. The prestigious tricolore jersey didn’t help him find a ride with a larger, better-funded team and Simeoni was forced to stay with bottom-rung Ceramica Flaminia during 2009. At least he was holding out hope on wearing the distinctive Italian jersey during the Giro d’Italia. But those dreams were dashed when race organizers overlooked Simeoni’s modest squad when handing out wild-card invitations.

After strong performances in 2008, Joaquim Rodríguez has finally earned the confidence of his team and rolls into the Giro d’Italia as team leader for Caisse d’Epargne. With four Giros under his belt, including 17th last year, he will carry the Caisse d’Epargne hopes into the season’s first grand tour. “I hope to be up front in the GC and win a stage,” Rodríguez said. “That’s my objective, but in the Giro, the most important thing is to do well and enjoy being on the bike last year.”

The Italian L.P.R. Brakes team appears to have its bases covered for the upcoming Giro d’Italia. The team will boast the firepower of Alessandro Petacchi in the sprint stages and then work for 2007 champion Danilo Di Luca for the overall title. Sprint ace Petacchi will be back in his first grand tour since the 2007 Vuelta a España following his controversial ban for high levels of the asthma medication Salbutamol. A winner of 19 Giro stages, Petacchi will also take aim for the points jersey.

The Astana cycling team on Tuesday named an international line-up to support Americans Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer in the Giro d’Italia, which starts in Venice on Saturday. Six nations are represented in the group containing Leipheimer and seven-time Tour de France champion Armstrong, who has returned to the sport this season after retiring in 2005. Leipheimer and Armstrong took first and second place in last week's Tour of the Gila in New Mexico, where they competed alongside compatriot Chris Horner.

With the season’s first grand tour clicking into gear this weekend, there’s not a lot on the international calendar this week. Stage races in France and Poland are the main highlights, along with the fifth leg of the women’s World Cup this weekend in Switzerland. Otherwise, all eyes will be on the buildup for the Giro d’Italia, starting Saturday in Venice. Tuesday to Sunday

Dear Readers,
I’m in the Denver airport about to fly to Italy for the Giro d’Italia. I have enjoyed a lot of the feedback from a few recent columns, and I thought you might as well. Next time you hear from me will be from the Giro, so look for some cool bikes for the team time trial soon.
Lennard

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Price: $200 Sizes: 39 to 48 Colors: White/blue, white/black, and red/silver Web site: www.northwave.com Northwave introduces the Aerlite 3 road shoe, an evolution of the Aerator concept. As one of Northwave's top-shelf cycling shoes, the Aerlite 3 is designed for comfortable lightweight performance.

The 2009 Carmichael Training Systems Sand Creek Series kicks off Sunday at Bear Creek Terrace in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The mountain bike series includes the CTS Sand Creek International Classic, slated for June 13 at Cheyenne Mountain State Park, just south of Colorado Springs. The UCI C3 International Classic is part of the USA Cycling Pro Mountain Bike Cross Country Tour presented by Sho-Air and serves as the Western final of the Kenda US Cup.

Colavita-Sutter Home teammates Kyle Wamsley and Tina Pic both needed the finish-line camera to confirm their respective victories in Sunday's Global BMW Sandy Springs Criterium in Sandy Springs, Georgia. The photo finish in the men's USA CRITS Speed Week finale gave Wamsley the edge over Ken Hanson (Team Type 1) and Andrew Pinfold (OUCH-Maxxis), while Pic took the win from Kori Seehafer (Team Type 1) and Brooke Miller (Team Tibco). It was so close at the line that a weary Wamsley didn’t even realize he had won until announcer Chad Andrews congratulated him on the victory.

Mark Cavendish, the only member of Britain's successful track cycling team to fail to win a medal at the Beijing Olympics, has hit out at the nation's obsession with the Games. Cavendish went to Beijing as the Madison world champion alongside Bradley Wiggins, but the duo's competitions earlier in the year left them weary and they finished ninth. The 23-year-old from the Isle of Man had won four Tour de France stages in July, while Wiggins had already won golds in the individual pursuit and team pursuit by the time he competed in the Madison.

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Fly V's Phil Zajicek won Sunday's Gila Monster stage of the SRAM Tour of the Gila, outsprinting Mellow Johnny's teammates Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer in the final, technical meters of the 106-mile stage. Zajicek, who has won several stages at the Gila in prior years, said the win Sunday was the biggest of his career. "Because I beat Lance and Levi," he happily told VeloNews at the finish. Leipheimer secured his overall win, while Armstrong moved up to second and Zajicek moved into third on the final GC standings.

Frenchman Julien Absalon continued his domination of the 2009 UCI World Cup series, handily taking a win on a dry course in Houffalize, Belgium. The victory was Absalon’s second of the 2009 series, and his second-consecutive win at Houffalize. “Houffalize is the biggest World Cup of the season,” Absalon said. “The spirit is very nice. It is always competitive.”