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Dear readers,
I’ve enjoyed the recent exchange on CO2 cartridges, and judging by the volume of lighthearted mail I’ve received on it, so have a lot of you. I thought we’d thoroughly covered all of the technical aspects of it to the point that no more needed to be said.

The International Tour de 'Toona will hold a four-day stage race this year, bouncing back after having to downscale to one-day criterium last year. The race is part of the National Racing Calendar for men and women. This year's race begins July 16 with a time trial in Altoona, in the mountains of central Pennsylvania. The event continues with a road race in Martinsburg on the 17th, then a difficult road race on the 18th and a concluding criterium in downtown Altoona on Sunday the 19th.

Price: $70 Weight: 71 grams Web site: www.eastonbike.com Easton EC90 bar ends, new for 2009, are made of Easton composite carbon fiber and are ergonomically molded. One-piece carbon construction lends strength and a clean look. The pair weighs in at just 71 grams and is approved for use with Easton bars. The EC90 bar ends carry a limited 5-year warranty.

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Price: $389 Weight: 315 grams per brake with rotor Sizes: 160, 180, and 203mm rotor sizes Web site: www.magura.com The Magura Marta SL hydraulic disc brake is now available in a magnesium model, which is about 20 grams lighter than the original SL model. The Marta SL Magnesium uses magnesium for the master cylinder and the slave cylinder, typically the heaviest parts of the system. For added look and feel, carbon levers are used and for additional weight saving, Magura uses titanium hardware.

Heinrich Haussler slammed home his third victory of the 2009 season on Monday in the second stage at the 67th Paris-Nice. The Cervélo TestTeam rider cranked up his sprint with 250m to go in the 195.5km stage and had plenty of time to thump his chest as he crossed the line clear by three bike lengths. Coming through second was Mark Renshaw (Columbia-Highroad) with Mirco Lorenzetto (Lampre) slotting into third. "The sprint wasn't easy. We were racing into a headwind so I tucked my bike in behind Renshaw and the Columbia team,” said the 25-year-old Haussler.

Price: $575 to $900 Sizes: 120mm spacing Colors: Silver, black, gold, red, blue, green, and purple Web site: www.philwood.com As part of their 38th anniversary, Phil Wood will be releasing 100 specialty track hubs. The 3.5 Track Limited hub has a 3.5-inch flange and is only available in 32 and 36 spoke models. [nid:89071]

It may strike some as a bit unusual that Giant Bicycles chose to present its 2009 mountain bike team — a team dominated by some of the best endurance riders in the world — at Woodward West, a freeriding, BMX and skate boarding haven in Tehachapi, California. Make no mistake, you can hardly pigeon hole any members of this team into the ‘XC Racer’ stereotype. They like to think of themselves as all-rounders and they did a good job of proving it in this latest meeting with the press.

J.R. Grabinger (Fly V Australia p/b Successful Living) and Janel Holcomb (Webcor Builders) collected the overall titles at the 23rd annual Tucson Bicycle Classic on Sunday. Nick Clayville (Hagens Berman LLP) won the final stage, the Speedway/Anklam Circuit Race, crossing five seconds ahead of Sean Mazich (Team Waste Management) and Chad Beyer (BMC). But Grabinger finished with the bunch at 1:48 to claim the overall after three days of racing. Michael Mathis (CRCA-Empire Cycling Team) took the runner-up spot at 17 seconds back with Waste Management’s Scott Stewart third at 0:24.

There’s not a lot on the menu this week in terms of choice. What Europe lacks in quantity this week is certainly made up for in quality, however. Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico serve up the season’s first major European stage races and provide the first glimpse of who’s strong in 2009. Victories at either one of these two prestigious races can make a season, and sometimes a career, for the victors. Winners coming out of France and Italy this week usually figure very high in both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.