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The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Lab’s techniques severely flawedEditor:After having finally reviewed the PowerPoint presentation given by Floyd Landis’s attorney, I am shocked by the audacity of the "accredited" laboratory to call his results positive. The results seem only to indicate that the laboratory cannot perform

Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso, looking to race again after the Italian Olympic Committee recommended that doping allegations against him be dropped, says he has been courted by Lance Armstrong's former team, Discovery Channel. ''They made me a concrete proposal but I am open to other solutions,'' the Italian rider said in an interview published Monday by French sports newspaper L'Equipe. Basso gave no details. Discovery has been looking for a replacement for Armstrong, who retired after winning his seventh consecutive Tour de France in 2005. Basso said there

Six a.m. warm-up

Valverde capped of a stellar season on Saturday.

Bessette and Nash duke it out

Bruno Roy and Dickey tussle

Johnson seizes the lead early

McCormack descends

Smith heads for gold in Cow Town

Timmerman bunny-hops his way to victory in Syracuse

Is Basso ready to kiss CSC goodbye?

Saul Raisin continues to defy expectations in remarkable recovery from a life-threatening crash in April that sent him into a coma and put his future as a professional bike racer in doubt. Raisin returned to Europe last week to spend a month in Monaco and to pose for photographs the 2007 team photograph, a sure sign that the Crédit Agricole rider is making solid progress toward a possible comeback perhaps as early as next season. Raisin, 23, can’t guarantee he’ll race in the European peloton again, but he’s going to try. VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood recently caught up with

Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Tim Johnson (Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld.com) rode to convincing wins on Saturday during day one of the Downeast Cyclocross at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine. Bessette has been dominating this season, though she is coming off a stinging loss in last week's race in Gloucester, Massachusetts. So it was no surprise that she went off from the gun at the start with Rebecca Wellons (Gearworks) and Mackenzie Dickey. After the first course through the woods, it was Bessette in front with only Melissa Thomas (Maxxis) and Katerina Nash (Luna) on her

Raisin at last month's Palmetto Project Charity Ride.

Bessette over the barriers

Johnson through the mud

Anthony over the Log of Death

Italy's reigning Olympic and world champion Paolo Bettini has given his full support to ProTour champion Alejandro Valverde at the start of Saturday's season-ending Tour of Lombardy. Valverde, one of the most consistent performers this season, is mathematically guaranteed winning the ProTour's white jersey for dominating the season-long series. However, organizers of the one-day Italian classic refused to carry out a podium award ceremony for television purposes at Lake Como where Valverde would have been handed his white jersey prize. The reasons appear to relate to a rift

In Saturday’s Giro di Lombardia, Paolo Bettini discovered the best way to ease the pain of the recent death of his older brother was to win in his name. The recently crowned world champion nearly retired after his brother, Sauro, died in a car crash just days after Bettini won the rainbow jersey Sept. 24 in Salzburg, Austria. Only insistence by Bettini’s father convinced the Quick Step-Innergetic captain to carry on. On Saturday under cool fall skies, an emotional Bettini poured all his anguish into his pedals to win the season final in the 245km Lombardia. “Today I was not pedaling alone,”

Valverde at this year's Vuelta. He won't be at Lombardy

An emotional Bettini claims his second consecutive win at Lombardy

Bettini didn't ride this one alone.

Champions' respect: Bettini was a vocal supporter of Valverde's position.

The lake district

Bettini was aggressive on the Ghisallo,.

The risky descent.

It was an easy day...

...until an all-star break ripped the field apart.

A tenacious Wegmann was one of the few able to stay close to Bettini.

Ivan Basso – cleared by Italian officials of doping allegations on Thursday – will not race in Saturday’s Giro di Lombardia. Basso spoke with Team CSC manager Bjarne Riis and decided not to take part in the season finale despite being cleared to race after Italian officials ruled there wasn’t enough evidence to open an investigation into whether the 2006 Giro d’Italia champion was linked to an alleged doping ring in Spain. “I am a free man but Riis decided it would be better if I don’t race Lombardia,” Basso told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Bjarne told me it was not an ethics-driven decision

Passions were running high in Mendrisio, Switzerland on Friday 24 hours before the UCI ProTour comes to its climax in the 100th edition of the Tour of Lombardy. First, a “reprieved” Ivan Basso said he wasn’t going to make a dramatic return to racing at the Italian classic. ProTour leader Alejandro Valverde then scratched from the list of starters to protest the organizers’ decision not to present the ProTour champion’s jersey on the winners’ podium. And defending champion Paolo Bettini gave an emotional press conference following the death last week of his older brother. Basso looks like

RhabdomyolysisA common disorder which may result from a large variety ofdiseases, trauma, or toxic insults to skeletal muscle. It may be definedas a clinical and biochemical syndrome resulting from an injury which damagesthe integrity of the sarcolemma of skeletal muscle, leading to the releaseof potentially toxic muscle cell components into the circulation.(1,2,3)This may result in potential life-threatening complications including myoglobinuricacute renal failure, hyperkalaemia and cardiac arrest, disseminated intravascularcoagulation, and more locally, compartment syndrome.Craig Gordon

Jonathan Page faces surgery and months of rehabilitation after dislocating his left shoulder and tearing his rotator cuff while warming up at the October 1 World Cup in Aigle, Switzerland. In a posting on his website, www.thejonathanpage.com, Page wrote that he tore his left rotator cuff "completely off the bone." Surgery is scheduled for October 16, followed by three weeks in a brace and physical therapy. "I couldn't wait to do the surgery until after the season because each day that goes by now, the detached tendon retracts further, and so each day is doing more harm and each day

Basso wins the 8th stage of the 2006 Giro d'Italia

Bettini wants to repeat at Lombardy

More than a slight cramp: Gordon did some damage

After riding for 24 hours, Gordon was on his way to the hospital for 48

Dear Bob,Your September 7 column on crosswalks (See "CrossingGuard") hit close to home here in Minnesota. Under Minnesota law andas discussed by the MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Devices}, mid-blockcrossings can (and of course do) exist. The MUTCD explicitly states thatwhen crosswalk paint is applied to the roadway, the crossing is legallydeemed a crosswalk. But what happens if the city decides to remove thecrosswalk striping completely, put up signs that state "This is not a crosswalk,"yet leave in place advance warning signs that announce the trail, and atrail sign right at the crossing

After Steve Johnson wrapped up his first six months at the helm of USA Cycling, we sent VeloNews.com's Jason Sumner to Colorado Springs to meet with the national governing body's newest chief executive officer and review the past few months and the organization's plans for the future.We posted the first part of the full interview on Wednesday. We now offer the second half of a wide-ranging interview with the head of USA Cycling. VeloNews: Can you envision a day when there is a ProTour event in the United States? And if so what do you think it’s going to take to make that happen?

I am glad last week is over. I had a sinus infection, flatted four timeson three separate training rides, forgot to call my mom on her birthday,failed to pre-register for the UCI races in Gloucester and raced like Iwas carrying two 30-pound sand bags on my back. Now, may I have some cheese with my whine? Don’t get me wrong, I had a great trip to the beautiful Northeast forthe first round of the Crank Brothers Gran Prix of Cyclocross in Gloucester,Massachusetts, but to be honest it didn’t really go according to plan.Not to worry though, everyone has a bad race now and then and there arestill

The Italian Olympic Committee recommended Thursday that doping charges be dropped against Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso, one of nine riders barred from this summer's Tour de France. The committee's anti-doping commission said it will make the recommendation to the disciplinary body of the Italian Cycling Federation, which can decide whether to try the rider or dismiss the case. Basso and 1997 Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich were among those excluded from the Tour after being implicated in a Spanish doping investigation. Basso, one of the prerace favorites, denied the

Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has released a detailed online presentationwhich he says proves his innocence after he tested positive for testosteroneduring this year's Tour.The American, who tested positive for an 11-1 testosterone-epitestosteroneIMPORTANT NOTEIf you have difficulty logging on to Landis's site, please try to accesscopies of those same documents hosted here on VeloNews.comThe Landis Slide Show.Landis presentation to the USADA review board. ratio after the race's 17th stage, has always protested his innocenceand is hoping the several hundreds of pages of

Liquigas Chooses Cannondale for 2007 and BeyondBETHEL, CT USA OCT 11, 2007— Liquigas Pro Tour Cycling Team,including Cannondale alumni and winner of the inaugural Pro Tour DaniloDi Luca, has chosen Cannondale bicycles as technical bicycle sponsor ina multi-year partnership beginning in 2007.  The agreement securesa long-term partnership with the high profile and highly sought-after worldclass Liquigas team.  Both parties are enthusiastic about the spiritof partnership and the many important victories to come.“Liquigas has the breadth of talent to showcase and win with world

Hey Horner, wait for me!

Ben Turner get his team's rigs ready to race.

Pedros' Chris Zigmont get the kid's cross race ready to roll.

PURE SWEET HELL filmmaker Brian Vernor makes a fan say, Cheese.

Start 'em young.

Like I said, Start 'em young.

With Puerto unraveling, Basso may race Lombardia

It’s only been six months since Steve Johnson took over the reins at USA Cycling, but already the new CEO is dreaming big. Among the items on his wish list: a nation where obesity and an over-dependence on gas guzzling cars are wiped out by the new dawn of the bicycle. Johnson believes “the time of the automobile is rapidly drawing to a close, and I see the bike as a wonderful vehicle for transportation, health and fitness, and everything else that is wrong with America.” That might be just a tad overly optimistic, but some of Johnson’s other visions seem very attainable. He’s looking to

Beijing - - China has to sharply increase the number of anti-doping tests performed ahead of the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the chairman of the World Anti-Doping Agency said Tuesday. China does about 7,000 tests per year on its athletes, compared with 8,000 carried out by the much smaller Australia, said Dick Pound, who was in Beijing to meet Chinese sports officials. “They've got to increase the number of their tests,” he said at a news conference. “That's an imbalance that is not commensurate with the size of this country.” Pound said he couldn't give a figure for how many tests

American veteran Tony Cruz and Danish TT specialist Brian Vandborg are the latest additions for Discovery Channel as the team continues to reload in the post-Lance Armstrong era. Cruz, who raced with the team from 2001-05, returns to Discovery Channel after riding one season with Toyota-United while Vandborg, fresh off finishing fourth in the world time trial championships, joins the squad after three seasons with Team CSC. “Brian and Tony both come to our Team with a high-level of professionalism and a proven history. I know that we will be able to count on these guys throughout the

With less than three days before the 14th edition of La Ruta de los Conquistadores commences, organizers of the three-day mountain bike race across Costa Rica unveiled final 2006 course details on Tuesday. As usual the numbers are mind numbing.Total distance: 176.4 miles.Total climbing: 28,858 feet.Total maximum finish time: 35 hours.“It’s going to be an interesting three days,” said American Adam Craig, who was joined by Jeremiah Bishop and Colombian Leonardo Paez at the pre-race press conference held at the San Jose Hampton Inn on the outskirts of the Central American country’s sprawling

His six-month review: Part one of a two-part conversation with Steve Johnson

Despite the stalled Puerto investigation, Ullrich's future remains uncertain.

How can I re-finish my titanium frame?

Why are my Mavic wheels noisy?

Should I grease my Campy Ultra-torque spindle?

Floyd Landis, who may well become the first Tour de France champion to be stripped of the title over a doping charge, will release an online presentation outlining his defense, USA Today has reported.Landis told the newspaper he would post the presentation and documentation from his case on his personalwebsite this week.In a story first posted on its website at the weekend, USA Today's Sal Ruibal outlined documents from a preliminary version of the presentation that included "many elements" of Landis's planned defense. Landis is expected to post both a PowerPoint slide show and

The Discovery Channel cable television network is reportedly in negotiations to renew its sponsorship of its U.S.-based road cycling team. Discovery has sponsored the team since the 2005 season in a three-year deal that expires at the end of the 2007 season. Despite the sport’s scandal-plagued season, the Discovery team has avoided direct implication in any allegations of doping hitting the 2006 Tour and cycling in general. A spokesperson for Discovery said its sponsorship deal, reportedly worth between $10 million and $15 million each year, has proven to be a solid investment. The team

The standard version

The Compact version

Landis in Paris, ready to accept the final yellow jersey of the 2006 Tour. Will he be able to keep it?

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Due Process?Dear Mark Bertram,You are not alone on this(see "TheUCI is gonna do what?")."Guilty until proven innocent” is a terrible way for the UCI, or anyoneelse, to conduct business. Just ask Botero, Vino, Vino’s teammates and(apparently) Basso how they liked their forced vacations.

Berlin - A rider was suspended Sunday and the team doctor faces court for reportedly dispensing performance-enhancing drugs on the German cyclo-cross team Stevens. The case will be the first handled under strict anti-doping regulations passed by the German Cycling Federation allowing it to take action without a positive test. ''Stevens has a license from us. Our rules have been in effect since Aug. 31 _ this will be our precedence case,'' federation president Rudolf Scharping said.Stevens suspended rider Johannes Sickmueller after a report by the Suddeutsche Zeitung daily

Australian cyclist Karl Menzies won the second stage of the Herald Sun Tour on Monday and holds the overall lead over German Tobias Erler. Menzies, who finished third in Sunday's opening stage, won Monday's 110-mile stage between the towns of Shepparton and Bendigo in 4 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds. Mitchell Docker of Australia was second, two seconds behind, followed by Erler. In the overall standings, Menzies has a six-second lead over Erler. Menzies, riding for the U.S.-based HealthNet team, made a decisive break in the last of the three 1.17-mile closing laps in central

Gregory Henderson is the latest rider to move up from the Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis to the Pro Tour. In an effort to fulfill Greg’s lifelong dream to ride for a Pro Tour cycling team and race in a Grand Tour or the Classics, Health Net Presented by Maxxis has honored Greg’s request to release him from the 2nd year of his agreement with the team so that he can join T-Mobile for the 2007 season. “I am extremely grateful to the management, staff and riders of Health Net Presented by Maxxis for allowing me to pursue my lifelong dream of racing at the Pro Tour level in

Novakovich, Gasaway win Alaska seriesMatt Novakovich and Heather Gasaway wrapped up overall victories in the 2006 Alaska Cyclo-cross Series with convincing wins at a windy ArcticCross No. 6 in Anchorage. Novakovich (Team Bicycle Shop) and Josh Yeaton (Team Kaladi) wasted no time in leaving the rest of the men’s field behind on the first run-up. The two spent most of the race, as they had all season, in front of a chase group containing Andy Duneow, James Stull (Kaladi) and Tony Brugliera (Bicycle Shop). At only 16 years old, Yeaton is sure to be a force in coming years. By the end of a

Australian Karl Menzies (HealthNet) won the second stage of the Herald Sun tour of Victoria state on Monday and held the overall lead over Germany's Tobias Erler. Menzies, who finished third in Sunday's opening stage, won Monday's 179-kilometer (110-mile) stage between the towns of Shepparton and Bendigo in a time of 4 hours, 16 minutes and 40 seconds. Mitchell Docker of Australia was second, two seconds behind, followed by Erler, giving Menzies a six-second lead over Erler on GC. Menzies made a decisive break in the last of the three 1.9-kilometer (1.17-mile) closing laps in

Novakovich putting the hammer down

The long French victory drought at Paris-Tours was just a hazy memory on Sunday as Frederic Guesdon won the 100th edition of the classic race. The veteran rider from Brittany beat Norway's Kurt-Asle Arvesen at the line, the two of them representing the final, desperate remnant of a 28-man pack that broke away more than four hours earlier. Crossing the finish on the famous Avenue du Grammont in Tours, just eight seconds behind the first two riders, were 35 pursuers led by Stuart O'Grady. They had come some 254km, under sunny skies, from the outskirts of Paris. Guesdon, who turns 35

Day two of the Crank Brothers Grand Prix of Cyclocross once again saw sunny skies and a wide-open speedway of a course in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In the women’s race, Lyne Bessette (Cyclocrossworld.com) charged to the front just as she had the day before — only this time, both Wendy Simms (Kona) and Georgia Gould (Luna) managed to find her wheel. While the rest of the field shattered, Gould and Simms surprised spectators as they shadowed the hard-charging Bessette despite multiple attacks and accelerations throughout the course.

Melbourne, Australia - Australian Hilton Clarke won the opening stage of the Herald Sun cycling tour of Victoria state Sunday for the U.S.-based Navigators team. Clarke was one of six riders to join an early breakaway in the criterium stage at Shepparton in north-central Victoria. The group built a lead of more than a minute halfway through the stage. Australian team members Robbie McEwen and Simon Gerrans, last year's winner, worked hard to cut their advantage to 20 seconds but the lead group was able to hold off their pursuers. Clarke, who won the final stage of last year's

Chris Eatough’s attempt to secure his seventh straight victory at the 24 Hours of Adrenalin Solo World Championships ran into an impassable roadblock Sunday morning — Australian Craig Gordon. Gordon, a 34-year-old former World Cup cross-country rider, hails from Sydney, Australia. After riding wheel-to-wheel at a blistering pace, Eatough and Gordon lapped the field after only eight hours. But as night fell, Gordon (Cannondale) gradually rode away into the dark, adding two minutes, three minutes, five minutes, and once even ten minutes per lap over the 31-year old Eatough (Trek-Volkswagen).

Guesdon scores a second classics win, nine years after his first

The early going - before two thirds of the field called it quits

The day's first escape

Van Impe, Guesdon, Moreni and Arveson on the march