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Our man Andrew Hood found himself with a little extra time on his hands Friday (okay, a lot of extra time), and so he shot a few snaps of what he called the "unique" opening ceremonies of the 2007 Giro d'Italia, which entailed ferrying the riders, support staff, organizers, officials and press to the deck of Italy's only aircraft carrier — to say nothing of a fair amount of just sitting around, waiting for something to happen. Finally, it did, and Andy sent us the pix to prove it.

The 2007 Giro d’Italia starts Saturday without its defending champion and without any clear candidate to fill the void left by the scandalous fall of Ivan Basso. Riders polled during Friday’s opening ceremony pointed to two-time Giro champion Gilberto Simoni (Saunier Duval-Prodir) as the point man in a peloton reeling from doping scandals and uncertainty ahead of the season’s first grand tour. That seems fine for Simoni, who’s finished no worse than third in seven of the eight preceding Giros and is the best-placed returning rider from last year’s Giro in the 198-rider peloton. “I feel

Olympic champion Chris Hoy will attempt to set a world record for the kilometer time trial on Saturday at the Alto Irpavo Velodrome in La Paz, Bolivia. The 31-year-old Scot, a multiple world champion over the distance and the world record holder at sea level, is attempting to beat Frenchman Arnaud Tournant's mark of 58.875 seconds, set at the same venue in 2001. The concrete track sits some 3407 meters above sea level. Hoy set the sea-level world record of 1:00.711 in taking the gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, meaning he will have to ride almost two seconds quicker on

The state of Colorado swept the men’s podium and the Mara Abbott-led Whitman women made their first step to an overall repeat on Friday at the 2007 USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. Friday’s race, a team time trial and the first race of the three-day championship, saw teams navigating a banking, gradually sloping, 12-mile stretch on the grassy outskirts of the muggy college town. In the Division I men’s race, the upper-80 temperatures and humid weather seemed to favor the riders from Colorado. Colorado State finished third on the course, which was sandwiched between a

With Operación Puerto eliminating defending champion Ivan Basso and potential contenders Michele Scarponi and Tyler Hamilton, the list of potential winners is much shorter. This will lead to a more uncertain Giro, but the podium is almost sure to be contested by the big four: Cunego, Simoni, Savoldelli and Di Luca. TOP FAVORITES Damiano Cunego (I), Lampre-Fondital Age:25 Giro highlights: Overall winner, four stage wins and 11 days in the maglia rosa in 2004, 4th overall in 2006 (but almost 20 minutes back), 18th in 2005, 34th in 2003. The skinny: After being zapped by mononucleosis in

UCI PROTOUR TEAMSAg2r (F)Race numbers: 51-59GC contender: New team leader Rinaldo Nocentini (I) is most interested in winning a stage.Best sprinter: Alexandre Usov (Blr) had a top-three stage finish in the 2004 Giro. Other rider to watch: Carl Naibo (F), a late replacement, is a useful climber.Giro will be a success if: Nocentini wins a stage.Astana (Swi)Race numbers: 11-19GC contender: Paolo Savoldelli (I) is looking for his third Giro title after contending and then falling sick in 2006Other rider to watch: Eddy Mazzoleni (I) is a strong climber riding support for Savoldelli.Giro will be a

Ivan Dominguez (Toyota-United) and Katherine Carroll (Aaron’s) took their respective openers as the 30th Joe Martin Stage Race kicked off Friday in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The 110-mile pro men’s race started in 80-degree heat and gradually grew hotter, but rains late in the stage dropped the temperature to a more comfortable 70 degrees. Dominguez, who took the sprint finish ahead of teammate Ivan Stevic and Alex Candelario (Jelly Belly), said the rains were a welcome relief. “The beginning was a little bit hot, but it was great when the rains came. It really cooled down,” Dominguez said.

Unibet manager Koen Terryn (L) and director Jacques Hanegraaf (R) have spent most of the season plotting legal strategies as opposed to putting a team on the road.

Jill Kintner

The varsity boys race

The Discovery team rides what is proving to be a very unpopular TTT course

Paolo Bettini brings wife and daughter in tow for Friday's opening ceremony. With defending champ Ivan Basso out of the picture, the world champion will start with the No. 1 bib for Saturday's TTT

Giro d'Italia race director Angelo Zomegnan sports a cap from the Garibaldi aircraft carrier's crew

L-B-L champ Danilo Di Luca walks the walk

Riders hitch a ride back on a ferry to get back to hotels to rest up before Giro start

These sailors were happy to see the Giro's podium girls show up

French attacker Thomas Voeckler hopes to win a stage

No one was happy waiting for the ferry ride back from Maddelena Island

Team CSC's Dave Zabriskie carried the team banner on the walk down the launch pad on the Garibaldi

Could Simoni win his final Giro?

Fort Lewis's men took the Division 1 men's time trial

And the Fort Lewis women won their event, too

Abbott leads the Whitman women to a D-II victory

The UC-Santa Barbara mascot, the Gaucho, was out cheering on his team

CU rides to the runner-up spot

Defending champ UC-Davis rides to fourth place

The public prosecutor in the northern Italian town of Busto Arsizio has opened a doping investigation into Italian cycling star Ivan Basso, the ANSA news agency reported on Thursday. And the public prosecutor in the German town of Göttingen wants to hear from Basso regarding an inquiry involving a doctor suspected of supplying drugs to Eufemiano Fuentes, the physician at the center of the Operación Puerto blood-doping scandal that rocked last year’s Tour de France. The new investigations come after Basso admitted on Monday before the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) that he was involved in

The course for the 90th Giro d’Italia offers something for everyone — but the climbs in the final week should decide the winner. The May 12-June 3 grand tour has eight “flat” stages, five “mixed” stages, five mountain stages (with four summit finishes), two individual races against the clock (one of them a hill climb), and an opening team time trial that could see a bitter battle between the top teams — with CSC, starting with world time trial champion Fabian Cancellara and U.S. TT champ Dave Zabriskie, the favorite. Indeed, the opening stage TTT is a challenging 25.6km long, linking the

American continental road team BMC made history on Thursday when it won the team time trial at the May 9-13 Giro del Friuli Venezia Giulia in Italy. It was a round of firsts for the team — its first European race, its first European win, and, according to team consultant and USA Cycling president Jim Ochowicz, BMC was the first all-American squad to win a team time trial in Europe. The win launched BMC’s Jonathan Garcia to the top of the general classification and landed Scott Nydam in second place overall. Both Garcia and Nydam were members of a 20-man breakaway during stage 1 that

The 2007 route

More than 500 riders will be on the roads of east Kansas this weekend,all vying for the title of “college cycling’s best” at the 2007 USA CyclingCollegiate Road National Championships. For the third straight year, racers will travel to Lawrence, hometo the University of Kansas, for the three-day event, held May 11-13.The University of California-Davis (Division I) and Whitman College(Division II) will look to defend their team titles in the event, whichfeatures a team time trial, road race and criterium. Awards are given tomen and women in the individual events, and teams in the TT and

Dear Monique,I just finished reading large sections of your book, which I find fantasticand will highly recommend to friends. With regards to supplements, onethat I take, but did not see mentioned is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA).Any thoughts on whether this is needed in a reasonably healthy diet? Iam an 80 kg, 46-year-old competitive road racer.Best regards,ChrisHi Chris,At this point there is no reason to add conjugated linoleic acid toa healthy diet or training diet as based on the current research. CLA hasbeen studied fairly extensively, but mostly in animals.  In theseanimal

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USA Cycling has named Jess Schwartzkopf director of sponsorship and business development. Schwartzkopf comes to USA Cycling from EchoStar Satellite L.L.C., (DISH Network), where he had been marketing manager since April 2004. “The addition of Jess to our staff represents a major step forward in the continuing evolution of USA Cycling and our business development goals,” said Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling. “We are putting a great deal of emphasis on creating partnerships in the cycling industry and providing greater value for our members. Additionally, Jess’s appointment will greatly

Tyler Hamilton and Jörg Jaksche will not race the 2007 Giro d’Italia and have been suspended indefinitely “until the competent authorities ... have finally sorted out all the implication of the riders in Operación Puerto,” their Tinkoff Credit Systems team announced on Wednesday. In a press release, team management said the decision was aimed “at relieving pressure created around the Giro … and on the team itself” after statements made by other squads that decided to deny Giro starts to riders thought to have been implicated in the Spanish blood-doping inquiry. German sprinter Danilo Hondo

Carol Hutton, winner Mara Abbott and Anna Milkowski after last year's women's D-II event

Ft. Lewis drives to a TTT win last year

Hamilton is benched again

How can I record my bike position so I can duplicate it?

Making the transitionDear Lennard,I have spent a couple of years "tinkering" with my position on thebike. I feel like my position is now as close to perfect as possible.I am now worried that if I change shoes or damage my bike, etc. that Iam going to lose my "perfect position". What measurements shouldI record in order to duplicate my current setup on a new bike in the future?Also, I currently wear Sidi cycling shoes. How difficult is it toduplicate my cleat placement on a different manufacturer's shoes if I chooseto switch brands in the future?RyanDear Ryan,This is a perfect question for

Organizers of Costa Rica’s famed La Ruta de los Conquistadores mountain bike race unveiled an updated course Monday. For the first time in the event’s 15-year history, there will be a fourth day of racing. “We included a new stage on day 2 that will link the finish venue of day 1 with the start venue of day 3,” said La Ruta race director Luis Viquez during a press conference in San José, Costa Rica’s sprawling capital city. “Now we will truly cross Costa Rica from coast to coast.” Day 1 will depart from the Best Western Jacó Beach Hotel on the Pacific Coast, and finish 96km later at El Rodeo

Ivan Basso said Tuesday that even though he had planned to blood dope for the 2006 Tour de France, he had actually never taken banned drugs or used blood transfusions. Basso's comments at a press conference follow his admission on Monday to the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) that he was involved in the Operación Puerto blood doping scandal that rocked last year's Tour de France. "I have never taken banned substances and I have never employed blood doping," last year's Giro d’Italia champion told reporters in an emotional statement he read prior to the start of a press

"I experimented with marijuana a time or two. And I didn't like it, and didn't inhale, and never tried it again." — Bill Clinton, The New York Times, March 31, 1992 Anyone expecting great things following Ivan Basso’s solemn confession that he was the “Birillo” named in Operación Puerto should sit down, take a deep breath and a deeper drink, and recall how he or she felt when told that Santa Claus, the Easter bunny and compassionate conservative George W. Bush weren’t for real. This guy won’t even do a proper job of ratting himself out, much less anyone else. "I have never taken

Basso readies to meet the press.

Basso said he is willing to accept the consequences

Curtiss Gunn (Successfulliving.com) and Sarah Uhl (Cheerwine) won the finale to the USA Crits Southeast Series on Sunday, the Decatur Daily Downtown Criterium in Decatur, Alabama. Gunn spent most of the men’s race off the front with Mike Olheiser (Memphis Motor Werks), soaking up all the primes, then took an easy sprint win over the Cat. I from Huntsville. The women’s race saw Uhl and five other riders escape the field, with Uhl proving strongest at the finish, as the contenders for the overall sat on behind. When the final points were tallied, the overall titles went to Mark Hekman

Ivan Basso on Monday confessed to the anti-doping prosecutor of the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) that he was involved in the Operación Puerto blood doping scandal. CONI said the 2006 Giro winner came to them of his own accord and offered to cooperate with their investigation and clarify his part in the scandal. Basso will face the media Tuesday at a midday press conference at Milan's Michelangelo hotel. The 29-year-old Basso now faces a ban from cycling of up to two years and an additional two-year exclusion from riding on ProTour teams. If his doping is connected to his 2006 Giro

Last Friday, we noted the impending limited release of the Graeme Obree biopic “The Flying Scotsman” and asked for your capsule reviews. We got that and more — several of you wrote to remind us of works we had overlooked in our abbreviated list of cycling films, including “6 Day Bike Rider,” a 1934 comedy starring Joe E. Brown; “Deux Secondes,” a Canadian film about an aging downhill racer who takes a job as a bicycle courier; “Le Vélo de Ghislain Lambert,” a comedy-drama about the misfortunes of a Belgian cyclist; and “Tracks of Glory,” an Australian mini-series about the legendary champion

Giro d’Italia organizers on Monday released a preliminary start list for this year’s national tour of Italy, which is slated to begin on Saturday. In the absence of Ivan Basso, who on Monday confessed to his involvement in the Operación Puerto doping scandal, organizers have given the returning champion’s number plate – the No. 1 – to reigning world champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step). There are four North Americans on the 188-rider list, including Americans George Hincapie (Discovery), David Zabriskie (CSC), Aaron Olson (T-Mobile) and Mexican Julio Alberto Perez Cuapio (Ceramica Panaria –

Americans Georgia Gould (Luna) and Ryan Trebon (Kona) won the short-track cross-country at the National Mountain Bike Series stop at Southridge Park in Fontana, California. The May 4-6 event was the third round of the 2007 NMBS. Undefeated in 2007 NMBS cross-country races, Gould came into the race facing the toughest challenge from her Luna teammate Katerina Nash, Canadian great Alison Sydor (Rocky Mountain-Haywood) and reigning American cyclo-cross champion Katie Compton (Spike). Compton, winner of the April 14 Sea Otter Classic short track, and Nash, victor at the second NMBS short track

Basso

'The Flying Scotsman': Your reviews

Gould hit the front and stayed there

Trebon tearing it up

Thousands of people beat the barriers lining downtown Anniston, Alabama, on Saturday as AEG-Toshiba-JetNetwork's Frank Travieso roared across the line to win the Sunny King Criterium. With several teams having abdicated their top-10 positions (among them Kodak Gallery's Dominique Rollin and Josh Thornton, Health Net's Kyle Gritters, and Rock Racing's Rahssan Bahati), the large crowd witnessed a decidedly revitalized field battling for points in the 2007 USA Crits Southeast series. Breakaway action came in the form of a quartet that included Yosvany Falcon

Argentina’s Juan Jose Haedo (CSC) won a sprint finish in Denmark’s Colliers Classic on Sunday. The Argentinean sprinter outkicked Alex Rasmussen (Team Odense Energi) and Jens-Erik Madsen (Team Designa Køkken) to win the 199.5km race, run around Aarhus. Top five1. Juan Jose Haedo (Arg), CSC, 199.5km in 4:41:102. Alex Rasmussen (Den), Team Odense Energi, same time3. Jens-Erik Madsen (Den), Team Designa Køkken, s.t4. Staffan Loffler (G), Team Sparkasse, s.t.5. Kurt Asle Arvesen (Nor), CSC, s.t.Complete results Nibali wins Giro di ToscanaItalian Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas) won the 80th Giro di

Jonathan “Jock” Boyer may be best known as the first American cyclist to compete in the Tour de France. But these days, the 51-year-old has focused his passion on the central African nation of Rwanda. Along with longtime friend Tom Ritchey, Boyer is one of the key members of Project Rwanda, which aims to use cycling to accelerate Rwanda’s economic and social recovery from a brutal civil war and genocide. Ritchey’s involvement with the project centers on designing affordable bicycles to help Rwandan coffee growers distribute their crop. Boyer’s job is to establish and develop a team of elite

Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) won the final time trial and the overall on Sunday at the Tour of Romandie. The lanky Netherlander, who was Dutch time-trial champion in 2005, covered the 20.4km course around Lausanne in 26 minutes and 36 seconds to leap past overnight leader Chris Horner (Predictor-Lotto) in the overall standings. Horner’s 27:31 put him in seventh position on the day and dropped him to fifth overall. He could console himself with having correctly predicted the final outcome after taking the leader's jersey in Saturday's stage. "If I had to pick someone now, I would pick

The final stage of the 2007 Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila ended with two pairs of winners — stage winners Scott Moninger (BMC) and Marisa Asplund (Tibco), and overall winners Nathan O'Neill (Health Net-Maxxis) and Mara Abbott (Webcor). The infamous Gila Monster stage began at Gough Park in Silver City and finished in Pinos Altos. The pro men’s field followed a 105.7-mile loop to its turnaround point at the Gila Cliff Dwellings Visitor Center, then went on to the finish in Pinos Altos, climbing 9131 feet. Pro women followed an abbreviated loop of 71.8 miles, bypassing the Gila Cliff

The men's podium

The women's podium

Boyer and Adrien Niyonshuti prepare for the first stage of the 2007 Absa Cape Epic

Team Rwanda riders Adrien Niyonshuti (right) and Rafiki Jean De Diu Uwimana

The team takes a training ride on Park Avenue in Moab, Utah

The team as it prepared to race the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico

Dekker wins the finale and the overall

Horner rode well enough to stay in the top five overall

The men's podium

Moninger wins the stage and takes third overall

O'Neill celebrates his overall victory

Asplund wins the women's finale

The women's podium

Alejandro Borrajo (Rite Aid) scored his second victory in the 2007 USA Crits Southeast series on Friday, crossing the line with relative ease on a cool, cloudy night in Spartanburg, South Carolina. With some of the more well-known squads exiting the series for other races and rest blocks (among them Health Net and BMC), the dynamic throughout the SmithBarney Classic was a mixture of agitation and fatigue as tired riders looked for fresh opportunities in a shrinking assembly.

Ukrainian Yaroslav Popovych will lead Discovery Channel during the Giro d’Italia following the departure of last year's champion, Ivan Basso. The 27-year-old heads up a team with great experience - 58 grand tours among them - with a view to winning at least one stage and wearing the overall leader's pink jersey at some point during the race, which runs from May 12 to June 3. Popovych, third in the 2003 Giro, replaces Basso after the Italian quit the team last Monday, saying that ongoing suspicions regarding his alleged connection to the Operación Puerto scandal were damaging the

Chris Horner (Predictor-Lotto) seized the overall lead of the Tour of Romandie on Saturday as Igor Anton Hernandez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) won the penultimate stage in Morgins. "The Tour of Romandie is a great race and this was a great mountain stage, so it's a great win for a climber like me," Anton told Reuters afterward. Anton Hernandez was off the front with a lead of some 10 seconds when Horner attacked with 3km remaining in stage 4, a rain-soaked, crash-marred 155.9km leg between Charmey and Morgins. Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) and John Gadret (Ag2r) quickly grabbed his wheel, and soon

Brice Jones (Jelly Belly) and Jill McLaughlin (Touchtone Climbing) took commanding wins at the Downtown Silver City Criterium, the fourth stage of the 2007 Ben D. Altamirano Tour of the Gila. The stage did little to shake up the general classification, with Nathan O’Neill (Health Net-Maxxis) and Mara Abbott (Webcor) retaining their pink leader’s jerseys. Wind and blowing dust assaulted both the professionals and amateurs who raced around the 1.1-mile downtown circuit, which included two short, punchy climbs. The small ascents created separations in both pro races — but the course’s long,

Georgia Gould (Luna) and Canadian Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) won the May 5 National Mountain Bike Series cross-country race at Southridge Park in Fontana, California. The two, who both won the NMBS cross-country rounds in Fountain Hills, Arizona, and Santa Ynez, California and claimed the April 15 Sea Otter Classic cross-country, are unbeaten this year on North American soil. As she has done all season, Gould simply rode away from the women’s field from the get-go. Her teammate Katerina Nash held Gould’s wheel for the first of two laps around the 7.5-mile course, but then Gould powered away on

The podium at Spartanburg

Dekker gestures as Anton goes for the win