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Welcome to sunny — er, snowy — Williamsburg

Last year's race was held in epic conditions

The peloton tackles the cobbled climb

Johnson leads Tuft on an early trip up the big hill

The podium after a cold, hard day in the saddle

Whoops — wrong way

Even the bikes got blankies to keep them warm

Navigators tackling the climb

Chasing, chasing

McCarty workin' it

Tuft powers through the powder

In what is being billed as the “true North American Championship,” the inauguralU.S. Open CyclingChampionships are set for Saturday, April 7, in Richmond, Virginia.The 112-mile men’s race, a stop on the international UCI Americas Tourand the national USA Cycling Pro Tour, will begin in colonial Williamsburg,Virginia and follow the route along the historic Jamestown Plantationsand Civil War battlefields, ending with eight 5.5-mile circuits in downtownRichmond including a brutal cobblestone climb up Libby Hill. The men’s race begins at 8:10 a.m., and the men are expected to enterthe Richmond

Tom Boonen dares to dream of making it three in a row as he lines up as a five-star favorite for Sunday’s Ronde van Vlaanderen. The Quick Step-Innergetic captain talked to the Belgian media Thursday about his chances. “Over these last few days I’ve realized that I really could do something unique – winning the Flanders for the third time in a row, but I’ll also need a bit of luck on my side to do this. It won’t be an easy feat,” Boonen said. “I’m approaching the Ronde in good condition. I’ve done everything possible to be at the Ronde in excellent form.” Boonen has snagged his fair share

The Opener: For the men, the U.S. Open kicks off with a route through Virginia's historic countryside.

The Closer: The men's race ends with eight laps through Richmond

Toyota-United's Dominguez (center) and Vogels (left) are favorites who just might frustrate Americans' hopes of scoring a win at the U.S. Open.

Boonen won last week's E3-Prijs Vlaanderen for the fourth time. Now he's aiming for his third Tour of Flanders.

Mikhail Ignatiev is barely old enough to buy a drink (at least in the U.S.), but his palmares are already overflowing with impressive results. The 21-year-old delivered Russia’s only medal at the recent world track cycling championships with a bronze medal in the men’s points race. Although he’s the defending Olympic gold medalist in the points race, Ignatiev says his future remains firmly planted on the road. In the meantime, the lure of another Olympic gold medal is too great to ignore. “I want to defend my title in Beijing, so I will race more track events early next year to qualify and

College sports fans and cycling enthusiasts will soon get the chance to meet the country’s top women’s cyclists from colleges and universities all across the United States when the Ryan Collegiate All-Star Team takes to the roads at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. This will be the first All-Star team in the history of US collegiate cycling. The Ryan Collegiate Women’s All Star Team, sponsored by development/construction giant Ryan Companies US, Inc, is the result of a partnership between USA Cycling and the Nature Valley Grand Prix, a stage race ranked at the top of USA Cycling’s National

Ignatiev - here at the Mediterranean Tour - sees his future on the road.

Collegiate women at the 2006 Beanpot Criterium in Somerville, Massachusett

Perhaps not surprisingly, German media have slammed Jan Ullrich after reports that DNA samples have definitively linked the 1997 Tour de France champion to several packets of blood seized during police raids of properties owned by Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. Ullrich, 33, retired last month, after his career evaporated due to his link to the Spanish investigation dubbed Operación Puerto. Ullrich has maintained his innocence throughout and continued to do so after a Bonn prosecutor announced results of DNA tests on Tuesday. A glance at headlines from Germany’s major news outlets,

Michaelsen’s last ride loomingLars Michaelsen – the 38-year-old Team CSC rider – will retire after competing in Paris-Roubaix later this month. A winner of the 1995 Ghent-Wevelgem and a two-time top-five finisher at Roubaix, Michaelsen said he couldn’t think of a better scenario to end his career. “The spring classics have always been where my heart beats, so it’s a good way to say goodbye to this fantastic sport,” he said. “Paris-Roubaix will be my last race. I’m hoping to have the legs and be up there in the Arenberg forest and to be in the selection, then we’ll take it from there. The

After a seven-year partnership, Nike and Trek will part ways at the end of 2007. The decision, a result of the $15 billion sports giant’s new exclusive focus on high-end cycling shoes and apparel, sparked rumors that Nike is abandoning the sport altogether. Since 1999, Trek has been a Nike licensee and the primary distributor for Nike Cycling, the marketing of which had centered on seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. Nike recently downsized its in-house cycling division. However, the Nike-Trek split doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the Nike’s cycling division, said Maggie

Lawyers acting on behalf of former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich claimed Wednesday that blood seized in a Spanish doping scandal and linked to the former German cycling star were not in themselves proof of doping. On Tuesday, prosecutors in Bonn announced that DNA tests on blood seized in the offices of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes last year confirmed that nine bags of the 200 confiscated were Ullrich’s. "If all that is evoked is confirmed then all that has been found is theblood of our client in Spain, but that does not in itself mean that doping took place. We are a long way off

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today that AT&T will contribute $500,000 to become a major sponsor of the Tour de Georgia, which will be held the week of April 16-22. "I am very pleased that our newest corporate citizen is continuing the long legacy of civic participation established by BellSouth and Cingular Wireless," Governor Perdue said. "I have met with representatives from the new AT&T and remain convinced the company will continue to have a tremendous impact on our state’s economy for decades to come." This year’s Tour de Georgia marks the fifth year for the race, and the

Crankworx ColoradoWhistler Resort, home of the Crankworx Freeride Festival, has partneredwith Colorado’s Winter Park Resort to produce Crankworx Colorado. The eventwill be held at Winter Park, Colorado July 5-7, 2007. Like the Canadian event, the Colorado Crankworx will feature a cross-countryrace, a downhill event modeled after Whistler’s notorious Air Downhill,a Super D and a Big Air competition. The Colorado event will also featurea Slopestyle competition, which combines dirt jumping and on-bike aerobatics.The Winter Park Slopestyle course will be designed by famous course designerJohn

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you havea comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen incycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write toWebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name andhome town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writersare encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submittingauthors and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positionsof VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company,

The end of a legend? A workman packs up a poster of the 1997 Tour winner following his February retirement announcement.

Michaelsen will ride Paris-Roubaix and then retire.

The first big mountain-bike race of the season isn't just a chance to see which racers have been following their off-season training programs — it's an opportunity for gearheads to gauge which manufacturers have been doing their homework. For most companies, design, prototyping and testing generally take place one, two, even three years ahead of production. So the racecourse is one of the best places to get a look at what may be coming down the production pike. At this week’s NOVA National at McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona, there were plenty of

The sourceDear readers,I received a boatload of great responses on creaking noises from the March7 column, and it is something so commonly plaguing all of us as cyclists that I’m running a whole list of the fixes for them that I did not mention.LennardIt's the headsetI also have a Basso Diamante that I occasionally have creaking issueswith. Like many creaking issues, it's hard to track down where the noiseis coming from. I suggest it isn't coming from the seat area with the riderwho sent you the question. I would check the front of the bike. First,make sure the quick release

Some of the bags of plasma and blood confiscated during police raids on the offices of Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes belong to 1997 Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich, German authorities said Tuesday. Bonn prosecutor Friedrich Apostel says there is “no doubt” that the blood in those bags came from Ullrich, the German wire service SID reported Tuesday. Ullrich denied any links to Fuentes, alleged to be the mastermind of a blood-doping ring uncovered last May by Spanish authorities and later dubbed Operación Puerto. Fuentes allegedly used the code names “Hijo de Rudicio,” “Jan,” and

LiteSpeed is toying with a new suspension design

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Tech Report with Matt Pacocha - A look ahead

Ullrich could face charges

With five gold, two silver and two bronze medals the Australian track squad was the talk of the Athens Olympic velodrome in 2004. Just 17 months ahead of the Beijing Olympics, however, the talk at the end of the four-day competition world track championship in Mallorca was all about how the team’s dominance had all but evaporated. This time around, the Aussies scored two golds and four bronze medals. That’s not a bad tally – good enough for second on the final medals count - but it pales in comparison to past performances and to the seven golds, two silvers and two bronzes earned by

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now ready for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of our most recent contest. This week’s winning photograph is of two of the most remarkable racers we’ve encountered in our years of covering competitive sports. Dick Hoyt and his son Rick regularly compete in Ironman-distance triathlons and John Goeller’s photo – “The Hoyts doing the Holliston triathalon” – captures the challenge Dick Hoyt takes on when he and Rick take to the starting line. Indeed, the bike leg seems to be the easiest of the

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you havea comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen incycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write toWebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name andhome town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writersare encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submittingauthors and should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positionsof VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company,

Tom Danielson has announced plans to ride this weekend's edition of "Boulder-Roubaix"and has locked in the following schedule for the Boulder event on April6th and 7th.Friday April 6th:  5:30-7 pm after-work ride with Tom Danielson. Come for a spin around Boulder with one of the world’s top cyclists. Tom will be at Boulder's Bicycle Village - 2100 28th St -  at 5:30to lead out a group ride presented by Smith Optics.Saturday April 7th:  4:30-6:30  pm Q & A and Autographsat the Boulder BV.  Join Tom D. to discuss Paris Nice and all thingspro

Belgian racing is unique in such a way that I often forget just how unique it is until I am standing on the start line: The crowds are fervent and passionate, huge, the racing intense and dangerous, the wind constantly blowing, and the roads rarely straight for more than 10km. It had been a year since I last raced in Belgium when I crashed and ended up in hospital with a broken back at the Tour of Flanders. Oddly, it somehow, felt good to be back racing in Belgium, and despite images of last year’s accident, I was motivated to race; perhaps, because the Belgian racing feels like — and is,

What happened? With three veterans and a strong newcomer, the Australians expected to do better than sixth place in the qualifying round of the team pursuit.

The Hoyts doing the Holliston triathalon

Bike racer or cult member? You make the call.

Barry has his feet back on top of the pedals again after a bout with bacteria

Programming executives at NBC are finalizing plans for the premiere of a new “reality” TV show based on the day-to-day travails of one of this country’s most beloved professional road racers. “The whole bicycle racing thing is something of a mystery to most Americans,” said NBC’s vice president for reality programming, Graham Gibson. “Most people don’t really grasp the intricacies of the sport and it’s not for television’s lack of trying. We’ve tried to make the sport a profit center, but no one really jumps on board. What we finally decided to do is to develop a fan base by focusing on one

Pat McDonough will be a very busy man in the coming months. With the Beijing Summer Olympic Games on tap for the summer of 2008, the director of athletics for USA Cycling will have his hands full as he prepares teams to compete in track, road, mountain bike and the inaugural BMX medal events. A former director at the Lehigh Valley velodrome, USA Cycling tapped McDonough to take over the moribund U.S. track program in 2004. Then last summer, he was promoted as director of athletics for USA Cycling to oversee all disciplines. McDonough, a silver medalist in the team pursuit at the 1984

Jens Voigt (CSC) won the Critérium International on Sunday after soloing to victory in stage 2 and taking seventh in the final time trial. With his victory, the German became the first man to win the race three times since Sean Kelly in 1987. "Ever since I was a little kid Sean Kelly was my hero," Voigt said afterward. "Because he was a rider who was successful from the start to the end of the year, ready to compete for the win at each race, like Jaja [Laurent Jalabert] later on, or Erik Zabel.

Chris Hoy continued Great Britain’s gold medal rush at the Palma de Mallorca world track cycling championships after laying claim to his fourth career world title in the men’s kilo. Already a surprise winner this week in the men’s keirin, Hoy dominated his favorite event with the winning time of 1:00.999 in what was his final competitive kilo. “This is the last time I will race kilo, so it was really important that I won,” Hoy said. “I felt really good all day and I just tried to relax before the race. I felt strong right to the end and I’m relieved and happy to win.” Jamie Staff (Great

Dear readers,We have received a number of letters from readers complaining about USA Cycling’s plans to “outsource” its membership services to a contractor in India named “HelloDehli.” The story, which appeared on this website on Sunday April 1st, was an example of a long tradition at VeloNews, namely the April Fools Day news story. We regret any confusion this story generated and would like to assure readers that USA Cycling has no plans to outsource its services to contractors, be they overseas or in the United States. - Editor USA Cycling outsourcing membership servicesFaced with a budget

Georgia Gould (Luna) and Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) each won their respective NOVA National cross-country races in Fountain Hills, Arizona, on Sunday, scoring 30 UCI points as pro riders begin to rack up valuable points in preparation for the 2008 Olympics. For Gould the win completed a sweep of the weekend events, where the Luna rider was the golden girl of the three days of racing at and near McDowell Mountain Park in Fountain Hills. Sunday proved the hottest day of the weekend with temperatures rising into the 90s by the time women started racing at 1:00 p.m. The men’s event started in heat

'What's not to like about this guy?' said one network official.

McDonough and endurance coach Colby Pearce at world's in Mallorca

McDonough has high hopes for Beijing

Voigt takes a step toward winning his third Critérium International

Hoy powers to another kilo title

Next on the agenda is a new world record.

Lövkvist en route to dominating the final stage

Voigt takes the win ahead of Lövkvist and Valverde

Julich, who spent some time in the hot seat during the finale, wound up top American in 15th overall at 2:03

Bates in the lead

Colby Pearce launches Sara Hammer into the pts race

Bos with his coach

The Bos

Franco Marvulli and Bruno Risi

It's been a party for the last few days