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Beppu leads

Julia and Ramirez

Lampre on the front

And Valverde on the attack

The Force crank

The brake-shift lever

The rear derailleur

Pressure washDear Lennard,Just wondering about a brief explanation on the “dos and don’ts” associatedwith bike cleaning and pressure washers. There seems to me to be two schoolsof thoughts around this and that pressure washers are a "no-no" that canruin components -specifically bearings, yet we see a lot of pro teams mechanicscleaning their teams bikes using stands and pressure washers? What areyour recommendations using pressure washers and some simple rules?DaveCanada (land of road salt and sand!)Dear Dave,My recommendation, in general, is to stay away from power washers.Of course, there

Following SRAM’s European OEM camp in the hills above Malaga, Spain, photos of the new 2007 X.9 derailleur and shifters were leaked to European websites. In an effort to squelch rumors and hearsay, SRAM confirmed the redesign, releasing minimal information and photos of the components in question. SRAM’s official release follows: Here's some buzz that just leaked out. A well-positioned photographer snapped some sneak peeks of some of our new X.9 gear! Complete details will be released at Sea Otter. SRAM recently held a private test session in the remote hills of Malaga, Spain, where

Fresh off a podium finish at the Tour of California, defending champion Bobby Julich (CSC) heads an international field for Paris-Nice, March 5-12. Team CSC will come with a stacked squad that also includes fellow California podium-finisher David Zabriskie, compatriot Christian Vande Velde, Jens Voigt, Frank Schleck, Michael Blaudzun, Andrea Peron and Vuelta a España podium-man Carlos Sastre. Other North Americans on the preliminary start list released Wednesday by race organizers include Floyd Landis (Phonak), fresh off his overall victory in the Tour of California; Chris Horner

Spanish roads must remind Heinrich Haussler of his native Australia, because the young Gerolsteiner rider took another impressive victory in the attack-heavy opener of the Tour of Murcia on Wednesday. Haussler, whose father is German and mother is Australian, was raised Down Under until he left for Germany at 14 to chase his dream of becoming a professional racer. That dream turned into reality when Gerolsteiner signed him to a two-year deal last year and he quickly repaid the favor, winning a stage in last year’s Vuelta a España. Haussler, who turned 22 last weekend, easily outkicked Ariel

The rear derailleur

The shifter

Julich atop the final podium at Paris-Nice 2005

Haussler profits from disorder in the finale . . .

. . . and scores both the stage and the leader's jersey

Veneberg and Perez had a go

Caisse d'Epargne leads the bunch

Just rolling along

Valverde and VDB

Menchov and Vino'

Cunego

Former U.S. PRO Championship winner Thomas Prehn will host a presentation on racing tactics at Sonoma Restaurant in Washington, D.C. The event is Sunday, March 5 from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. The event is part of a Mid-Atlantic Race Clinic produced by D20 cycling teams including M Street Racing, NCVC, Team Snow Valley, Artemis, DC Velo, and others. Admission is free and open to the cycling community. Attendees receive a discounted dinner and may win door prizes. The clinic will draw on the insights of Prehn, local elite cyclists Ryan McKinney and David Osbourne, and USCF officials. They will

Continental teams Ceramica Panaria-Navigare and Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni each nabbed wild-card bids to ride alongside 20 ProTour teams for the upcoming Giro d’Italia, race organizers announced this week. Panaria made a splash two years ago when Italian up-and-comer Emanuele Sella, then a 23-year-old neo-pro, won a stage early in the 2004 Giro. Last year, Selle Italia was a major force, scoring stage-wins with Jose Rujano and Ivan Parra as well as a surprising third-place podium overall for Rujano. The two continental teams will battle against the established favorites, with

Sella en route to winning a stage of the 2004 Giro

Ullrich's training is spot on, says Pevenage

Cycling's governing body the UCI has conceded that a leak by one of its own staff was the source of information that formed the basis of a newspaper article alleging that seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong was a drug cheat. Last August French sports daily L'Equipe carried a front page story headlined "Armstrong's Lie" suggesting the Texan had used the illegal blood booster EPO (Erythropoietin) during his first Tour win in 1999. The L'Equipe story charged that traces of banned blood booster EPO had been found on six different occasions in Armstrong's 1999

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.If TV coverage was poor, print was worseEditor:We've all been spoiled by OLN's Tour de France coverage, which seemed to take generations to achieve. We all remember CBS's coverage back in the 1980s, and watched it grow, like a child, into the fab’ coverage we get each July.

The Union Cycliste Internationale has suspended the manager of its health department for leaking Lance Armstrong drug tests results. The results formed the basis of a newspaper article alleging that seven-time Tour de France champion was a drug cheat. Last August French sports daily L'Equipe carried a front page story headlined "Armstrong's Lie" suggesting the Texan had used the illegal blood booster EPO (erythropoeitin) during his first Tour win in 1999. L'Equipe said traces of EPO had been found on six different occasions in Armstrong's 1999 urine samples by

Final overall 1. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 22:46:46 2. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 0:29 3. Bobby Julich (USA), CSC, 0:34 4. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, 0:45 5. Nathan O'Neill (Aus), Health Net Maxxis, 1:08 6. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 1:10 7. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 1:29 8. Thomas Danielson (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, 1:49 9. Christian Vande Velde (USA), CSC, 1:55 10. Jason McCartney (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, 1:58

Ten-time German national champion, Ina Teutenberg, 31, (T-Mobile) claimed opening honors for the 2006 UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup Series with a sprint victory on the 119km (eight lap) course in Geelong, Australia, on Sunday. Teutenberg proved too powerful over the final 200 meters holding off Japan's Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie) and 2006 Australian road champion, Kate Bates (Team Nürnberger) who collected the minor placings. "Winning the first world cup it doesn't go any better," said Teutenberg after the race. " The team can relax now a little bit until we go back to

The inaugural Amgen Tour of California is one for the books, and for two riders, it couldn’t have ended better. Saturday’s field-sprint winner, T-Mobile’s Olaf Pollack, narrowly edged out another tour double-stage winner, J.J. Haedo of Toyota-United, to win the final stage Sunday, a 76.5-mile circuit race in Redondo Beach. Pollack's teammate Andre Greipel rounded out the podium.

Belgian Nick Nuyens (Quick Step) soloed to victory in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday, crossing seconds ahead of Leif Hoste and Tom Boonen. The 25-year-old Nuyens made a key move 3km from the finish of the 194km race, attacking a nine-man break as the others marked his teammate, world champion Boonen, who seemed very much in form, often creating the selection in key sections of the course. "The team did formidable work all day. Having numerical superiority in the lead group, we controlled the finale very well," said Nuyens. "Everyone was watching Tom. I benefited from this and got

It's been a remarkable week in California, as the premiere edition of the Amgen Tour of California was blessed with fine spring weather, more than a million fans and strong support throughout the Golden State. Casey Gibson has followed the race throughout and was there to document activities before, during and after Sunday's final stage.

Pollack takes the finale

Chadwick up front

Olson takes the point

Frattini and Chadwick

No worries for Landis

Redondo Beach turns out to watch

Davitamon-Lotto turns out to ride

The podium for the day

Um, I only have one question: What is it?

Landis stayed in command.

Leipheimer celebrates his climber's jersey

Floyd spends time in autograph alley.

Tony Cruz interviewed by our man Neal Rogers.

Track star-turned lawyer Jessie Grieco interviews Floyd for ESPN2.

Norwegian fans chat with Norway's only son in the race, Mads

Getting ready for a long day of spectating

Killian Patour tries out a new frame before the start. Comfortable as it is, it's regarded as worthless in a sprint.

The peloton rolls through the start area in Redondo Beach.

Chris Horner and Lotto lead the chase for Fast Freddie.

Floyd Landis accelerates out of the corner on his way to wrapping up the overall title.

Tom Peterson sticks it out after his early crash to hold on to the best young rider jersey.

Leipheimer celebrates the mountain jersey with some serious champagne.

Cancer survivors win big, as Amgen donates $1.1 million.

In a blur of pink, T-Mobile’s Olaf Pollack streaked across the finish line at the Amgen corporate campus in Thousand Oaks, upsetting a hard-charging field to win stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California on Saturday. It was the first victory of the season for Pollack’s German T-Mobile squad, and a nice present for T-Mobile's bike sponsor, Giant, whose USA headquarters lies just two miles from the finish line.

Boulder, CO, February 28, 2006 — VeloGear, the cycling and triathlon gear retailer, will hold its annual Warehouse Clearance Sale in Boulder on Saturday, March 4 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Prices will be slashed up to 75% off VeloGear’s extensive inventory of apparel, jerseys, books, DVDs, posters, jewelry, and home décor. "VeloGear’s Annual Warehouse Clearance Sale is like a mini-VeloSwap", according to Pete Murphy, VeloGear Customer Service Manager. The clearance sale will make room for VeloGear’s new spring merchandise. VeloNews subscribers will receive VeloGear’s spring mailing

Belgian Philippe Gilbert won the 61st edition of the Omloop Het Volk on Saturday over 202km between Gent and Lokeren in Belgium. The Française des Jeux rider beat compatriot Bert De Waele of Landbouwkrediet in the opening classic of the season in Belgium, with the Netherlands' Leon Van Bon of Davitamon taking third place. "This is the best victory of my young career," said an overjoyed Gilbert. "It's incredible. This morning I didn't feel 100 percent. I was a little bit ill these last few days but I was very motivated."

The Amgen Tour of California visited the home campus of its name sponsor Saturday as Phonak's Floyd Landis edged yet another day closer to locking up the overall title. While the peloton made it to Amgen world headquarters for a visit, it was another sponsor of cycling that was able to celebrate a win, as T-Mobile's Olaf Pollack sped across the line ahead of Italian Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval-Prodir) and American Fred Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto) astride his Giant road bike... just a few kilometers from that company's corporate HQ. Sponsorship hopes aside, our man Casey Gibson

Pollack picks one off

Landis flanked by his teammates

No sunflowers here, but Euro-style speed nonetheless

Krauss takes a dig . . .

. . . next to go was Wegmann . . .

. . . followed by Lang

Landis took it all in stride, even taking a lunch break

CSC put in a lot of work and came up empty-handed

. . . Jones and Davis pitch in . . .

The peloton flashes by Lake Casitas.

George and Levi fans have been a common sight.

Levi Nation ahead.

United and HealthNet lead the peloton onto the circuit.

Gerolsteiner's Krauss alone, just before being absorbed.

Toyota Julich and CSC control the front of the pack with 2 to go.

But it's T-Mobile's Pollack who takes the day...

... and seems rather pleased with the outcome, too.

Fast Freddy and his junior development program.

I know that for more than a few mountain-bike enthusiasts word of Shimano’stitle sponsorship of the UCI World Cup and the company's offerof neutral mechanical assistance conjoured up horrible images of somethingakin to road racing. You know where a bunch of dudes dressed from headto toe in Shimano garb ride on motorcycles laden with spare wheels behindthe racers, fixing flats, changing wheels and replacing chains. Well, that bad dream will, for the time being, remain just that. TheUCI and Shimano have decided not to allow neutral mechanical assistanceto venture outside of the tech zone.