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With help from Rob Jones The third round of the 2008 UCI cross-country World Cup saw the world’s top riders battle on a sun-baked band of dust and gravel in the heart of Madrid, Spain. The fast, almost road-like course was a far cry from the muddy, wooded tracks in Houffalize, Belgium and Offenburg, Germany. The Madrid course favored riders with huge engines, strong legs and the mental strength to keep the gas pedal floored for two solid hours.

Belgium's Gert Steegmans of the Quick Step team won a sprint finish in the second stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk on Wednesday. France's Stephane Auge of the Cofidis team retained the leader's pink jersey after the 192km stretch from Henin-Beaumont. Steegmans, who averaged an impressive 40.2km/h, crossed the line just ahead of Australia's Marc Renshaw and Jean-Patrick Nazon of France.

The International Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland, (CAS) ruled Tuesday that Italian sprint star Alessandro Petacchi will be ineligible to compete until August 31, because of a doping case stemming from last year's Giro d'Italia.

Organizers of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling have announced the 25 professional men’s teams that will compete in the Pennsylvania races early next month. The teams include Tour de France-bound CSC, Team High Road and Slipstream-Chipotle. Domestic squads include Toyota-United, Health Net-Maxxis and the Pennsylvania-based Rite Aid team. Rock Racing will send ProTour veterans Freddie Rodriguez, Tyler Hamilton, Victor Hugo Peña and 2008 Redlands Classic winner Santiago Botero.

The Joe Martin Stage Race, set to start Thursday, will feature two road races, an uphill time trial, and a downtown criterium in the race’s hometown of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Organizers are expecting over 700 athletes from 17 countries and more than 40 states to compete in this year's race, said race director Bruce Dunn. Health Net-Maxxis has won the Joe Martin the last three years and anchoring the returning group is 2007 NRC winner Rory Sutherland, the 25-year-old powerhouse from Canberra, Australia.

Monique,
During a stage race I feel like I have my pre-race and race and post race nutrition worked out and feel happy with that part of my fueling, but could you give me some advice on what to eat during the day after my race so that I'm at my best the next day? I would think that I would need to take carbs in and protein but have in the past eaten too much, which would slow my recovery, especially eating too much before bed. Any advice on this topic would be great.
Thanks,
Larry

Tour Of St Louis TT 2008

Fausto Esparza Munoz, the Tecos-Trek rider who crashed Sunday at New Mexico's Tour of the Gila, remains in an El Paso hospital paralyzed below his midsection. Doctors say the likelihood of a full recovery of movement is "discouraging," according to a source familiar with Esparza's condition. Esparza is in critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit of El Paso's Thomason Hospital, a hospital spokesman said Tuesday. Esparza told responders at the scene that he could not move or feel his legs, according to responders at the scene and a team staffer.

Organizers in Kamloops, British Columbia, are close to finishing plans for a five-day endurance mountain bike stage race to be held in 2009. The Intermontane Challenge will run July 27-31 and boast 450km of riding in and around the city known as the “Tournament Capital of Canada.”

Stephane Auge of Cofidis claimed the leader's pink jersey, and victory in the first stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk after stunning the top sprinters in the race here Tuesday. Auge and fellow Frenchman Clement Lhotellerie broke away from the main peloton, including sprint heavyweights such as German Erik Zabel and Norwegian Thor Hushovd, at the 72km mark and never looked back.

It’s hot here. Windy too. I’m at the Tour of the Gila and a recurrent theme thus far is how hot, dry, and windy it is. Everyone is finishing with loads of salt on their faces and their clothing. There have been many heat casualties so far and it’s supposed to get hotter as the week goes on. I am hearing the familiar story about how they were seeing extraordinarily high HR (cardiac drift) and low power at the end of the race, and I’m looking at them at the finish and they have big goose bumps, and they are cramping and chilling … classic symptoms of heat distress.

Lampre’s Patxi Vila allegedly tested positive in March for testosterone and was dropped from the list of racers scheduled to ride in this year’s Giro d’Italia, the sports daily AS reported Tuesday. The 32-year-old Vila tested positive in an out-of-competition doping test carried out on March 3 at his home by the UCI, the paper said. Vila has asked for a "B" sample to be analyzed since his testosterone/epitestosterone ratio was close to the four-to-one limit, the paper said, citing sources close to the cyclist.

Lighter: The Saint rear hub drops 100-grams. Standard size Center Lock rotor interface: Greater compatibility and a lighter hub shell. Wider bearing separation: Increases overall hub stiffness for better suspension control. Superior Sealing: Newly designed labyrinth seal increases sealing by 400-percent. Angular contact bearings: Loads from any direction are more efficiently addressed with angular contact bearings than cartridge bearings and are easily serviceable. Micro-Ratchet freehub design: Quick engagement, added durability.

20mm thru-axle design with standard size Center Lock rotor interface: Standard size Center Lock provides easy rotor interchangeability and a lighter weight hub shell.
Angular contact bearings: Loads from any direction are more efficiently addressed with angular contact bearings than cartridge bearings and are easily serviceable. Superior Sealing: Newly designed labyrinth and lip seals increase sealing by 400-percent.

Hollowtech II Design: Saint uses the same Duralumin material featured in XTR and Dura-Ace cranks for a crank and spider that are over twice as stiff as Deore XT.
Options: Available in single and double chainring configurations for 68, 73, and 83mm bottom bracket widths.
Wide Range Double Gearing: The dual chainring crank is Shimano’s first purpose built wide range mountain bike double.
Single Specific Chainrings: The single ring crank has options for 34, 36, 38, 40, or 42T rings built specifically for single application.
Longer BB Adapter Cups: New longer bottom bracket adapters improve compatibility with aftermarket chain guides.
Durable Bashguard: The resin honeycomb design bashguard protects chainrings from most damage that is encountered along the trail.

Wide-Range Specific Compact Cage: Double specific mountain bike derailleur.
Ample Tire and Frame Clearance: The new design allows for super wide tires, steep chainstay angles, and less chain drag due to a compact, re-profiled cage.

Short Stroke and Instant Release: Shorter lever stroke.
Two-Way Release: Shifts in both directions for rider preference.
Variable Positioning: Shift unit can be mounted inboard or outboard of the brake lever with multi-position mount.

Dual Diameter Hydraulic Caliper: Asymmetric four-piston design.
Shimano High Power Hose: Stiffer hydraulic hose.
Greater Oil Volume: Extra oil volume manages caliper temperatures better and reduces fade. Improved internal oil flow eases bleeding and provides more balanced piston actuation.
Shimano Mineral Oil: Mineral oil is less caustic than traditional DOT fluids.

Super Wide Links: The Saint version Shadow RD boasts super wide links creating rigid structure that resists twisting and wear that leads to play in the bushings.
Integrated Skid Plate: An integrated skid plate protects the derailleur.
Increased Spring Tension: The top-normal derailleur spring has increased tension (10-percent stronger than the XT / XTR Shadow version). The pulley cage spring is has also been revised to better control the movement of the cage which is available in both SS and GS lengths.
Mode Converter: A mode converter allows the derailleur to track different type of cassettes. The DH mode is a close ratio mode to track up to a 23- or 28-tooth low gear while the AM mode is optimized for a wider ratio cassette with a 32- or 34-tooth low gear.
Lighter: 100 grams lighter using Shadow design.

Short Stroke and Instant Release: Shorter lever stroke.
Two-Way Release: Shifts in both directions for rider preference.
Variable Positioning: Shift unit can be mounted inboard or outboard of the brake lever with multi-position mount.

Dual Diameter Hydraulic Caliper: Asymmetric four-piston design.
Shimano High Power Hose: Stiffer hydraulic hose.
Greater Oil Volume: Extra oil volume manages caliper temperatures better and reduces fade. Improved internal oil flow eases bleeding and provides more balanced piston actuation.
Shimano Mineral Oil: Mineral oil is less caustic than traditional DOT fluids.

When it comes to downhill and freeride components, there is a real need to make them tougher. Manufacturers want parts to last longer and stand up to greater abuse, but the riders using them often take durability for granted and strive for something else — light weight.

Dear Lennard,
I want to replace the Raceface X-type road bottom bracket on my Giant TCR C1 road bike. I want to replace it with one that is smoother running, likely one with ceramic bearings. Will any Shimano compatible ceramic bearing bottom bracket work? I guess this sounds like a very general question, but it is probably because I have never changed or installed a bottom bracket before. I didn't know if I would have to worry about spacers to keep the proper chain line, etc.
Darrin

FDM Tuesday Night Crits, Richardson, TX

Bike Worship. Lake City, FL

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the latest edition of The Prologue, the weekly summary of news from the world of competitive cycling by your friends at VeloNews.com.

Organizers of the 2008 Giro d'Italia have released the preliminary start list for the three-week grand tour, which begins on Saturday. LPR Brakes, (Ita)