All Content

Aix-les-Bains, France, - Cofidis sprinter Stuart O'Grady admits he won't be firing on all cylinders in this week's Dauphine Libere - though for the no-nonsense Aussie there are bigger aims just around the corner. O'Grady had a huge season last year, winning two stages on the Dauphine, coming second in Milan-San Remo, claiming an Olympic title in Athens and finally winning his first World Cup race at the HEW Classics in Hamburg. The 31-year-old Adelaider admits it has been hard to better those achievements. However with the Tour de France just around the corner - and Italian

Discovery Channel's George Hincapie has won the prologue of the 57th editionof the Dauphiné Libéré, a 7.9-kilometer individual time trial in Aix-les-Bains. Hincapie surprised prologue specialists with a winning time of 9:55 for the 7.9km individual time trial held in hot temperatures in the historic spa town. Four Americans broke into the top five on Sunday, with Hincapie besting Gerolsteiner's Levi Leipheimer by one second. Phonak's Floyd Landis took fourth, bettering Hincapie's teammate Lance Armstrong by one second. Andrey Kashechkin, of Credit Agricole, upstaged his

Unfortunately, the Willingen World Cup weekend ended on a sour note when the men refused to race the 4-Cross, and only 8 women did – doing so under duress. Anneke Beerten (Specialized) was the winner, but all riders on the podium turned their backs to the cameras. The downhill, on the other hand, was a complete success. Anne-Caroline Chausson (COX) made her return to World Cup competition after recovering from a broken shoulder at the World Championships last fall, with a convincing win, while Greg Minnaar (Honda) took the leader's jersey in the men's category with his victory.

While the Keystone State already has a town with the name, Philadelphia might want to start thinking of borrowing the moniker “Germantown” for a few hours every year. Ina Yoko Teutenberg (T-Mobile) became the eighth German winner in the 11 editions of the Wachovia Liberty Classic, out-kicking a select break at the end of the 57.6-mile race. The gigantic women’s field was scheduled for four laps of the 14.4-mile lap, but less than half-way through the opening tour a careless cross of wheels sent riders scattering and created the first of several scenes of havoc on a nervous first lap. But as

With three men off the front of the field by more than one minute in the final kilometers of the USPRO Championships, held Sunday in Philadelphia, two truths had become self-evident: there would be an all-American podium, meaning one rider was going to win the race as well as the stars-and-stripes national champion’s jersey awarded to the first American across the line. Out of a dwindling 40-man breakaway that had gone clear early in the 156-mile race, Chris Horner (Saunier Duval-Prodir) and Chris Wherry (Health Net-Maxxis) escaped on the last of 10 trips over the infamous Manayunk Wall,

Fassa Bortolo dominated the five-stage Tour of Luxembourg, but it’s Laszlo Bodrogi (Credit Agricole) who’s sneaking away with the trophy Sunday. Fassa Bortolo won three stages in four days, but Bodrogi was just fast enough in the deciding time trial to secure the overall victory by just 0.13 seconds. The deciding stage was Saturday's 10.8km time trial when Fassa’s young gun Fabian Cancellara won, but couldn't quite make up enough time to Bodrogi. Despite winning the stage, the difference remained less than a half-second in the overall. An early breakaway Sunday ruined

Armstrong appears to be on track

Landis is showing good form

Leipheimer earns second

George in yellow.

Kashechkin

Chausson is back

Minnaar rode the fastest, despite the conditions.

Yeahhhhh.... that'll show 'em,

For Teutenberg, her first Philly win was déjà vu all over again

Pate takes a gamble....

A hot day in Philly

Rodriguez wasn't in the right break Sunday...

... and neither was Julich.

Three men off the front.

... as Horner and Wherry give chase.

Horner was strongest on the climb...

Horner was aggressive throughout

This race is a big draw in Philly

Wherry gives it a shot.

VeloNews Photo Contest: A new gallery

It’s the stuff of legend, the subject of a recent documentary and the race all North American racers dream of. On Sunday, June 5, the single most important day of racing on the American calendar takes place in Philadelphia — the 156-mile USPRO Championship — and by day’s end, one rider will be crowned U.S. national champion. An open national championship with nearly $150,000 in prize money, the event known as “Philly” is open to riders from Europe and beyond, meaning that there could be two winners on Sunday - the first man across the line, and the first American and subsequent national

During training before the fourth round of the World Cup cross-country in Willingen, Germany, riders were calling the course boring, not a mountain-bike course. It also was considered the hardest course seen on the circuit this year, due to its steep, long and loose gravel climbs. Come race day on Saturday, it certainly lived up to its reputation for difficulty, and while it was not very technical, the course ended up providing some exciting racing. The pro men’s and women’s races both were decided by less than a minute, with Gunn-Rita Dahle (Multivan Merida) taking her third win of the

Three days after he became the first American to earn a world pro road championship medal, the silver, at Goodwood, England, in September 1982, Greg LeMond began the Tour de l’Avenir (Tour of the Future) as the hot favorite. Then 21, LeMond was hungry to win a big European race, not least because he was about to renegotiate his contract with Cyrille Guimard’s Renault-Gitane team. LeMond had already established himself as a budding stage-race rider by winning Colorado’s 1981 Coors Classic in his rookie year, then following up with a string of excellent finishes in early 1982 (second at the

Armstrong hunting victory to take into TourLance Armstrong has admitted that his bid for a seventh consecutive yellow jersey on his final Tour de France in July could come unstuck by his recent lack of racing and victories. This week, Armstrong will race the Dauphiné Libéré, which with the June 11-19 Tour of Switzerland is a crucial warm-up before the three-week Tour. In either race, contenders for victory in July usually find out exactly where their form lies. Armstrong, however, has not had the sort of pre-Tour season he would have hoped for. He left Paris-Nice early in March due to

Can Fast Freddie win a fourth USPRO title?

Dahle said she had to dig for this win

Sauser took his first World Cup of this season

Lampre-Caffita sees the future and it includes Damiano Cunego, but not Gilberto Simoni. According to a report in L’Equipe, the Italian team will extend Cunego’s contract for three more years while Simoni be allowed to leave the team despite finishing second in last month’s Giro d’Italia. Simoni and Cunego have often clashed on Lampre and the former incarnation of the team, Saeco. Simoni, who was already rumored to be in negotiations with Domina Vacanze for the upcoming season, criticized the work of his team during the Giro, above all Cunego, who he said let him down. Cunego responded to

Lance Armstrong makes his penultimate start as a professional bike racer at the 57th Dauphiné Libéré June 5-12 in what will be his final warm-up before the 2005 Tour de France. Armstrong’s European return and a climbing stage up Mont Ventoux highlight the 2005 Dauphiné, which should be one of the most exciting races of the season. The 33-year-old hasn’t raced in Europe since the Tour of Flanders in April and will be among the favorites for the eight-day race, which includes a spectacular course across the French Alps. In addition to the legendary Ventoux, there are two time trials (prologue

Lapierre Ultimate Cycles (member of Accell Group, leading European bike group), has officially opened a branch office in North America, and plans on distributing a complete line of road and mountain bikes starting in October 2005 at Interbike. After an investigative trip to the States in April for the Sea Otter Classic, Gilles Lapierre, Managing Director, officially appointed Brett Lindstrom as Sales and Marketing Manager for the US Market. Headquarters will be located in Boulder, Colorado, a geographic hub for the U.S. cycling community. Brett comes to Lapierre with extensive knowledge in

T-Mobile’s reaction to Paolo Savoldelli’s victory in the 2005 Giro d’Italia was characteristic. Mario Kummer, Rudy Pevenage’s successor in the team car, proved to be a poor loser. “Savoldelli did 10 races for us in two years,” Kummer said. “We paid him his salary throughout his injuries, and when his contract was up, he didn’t even consider our new offer.” Analysis It was bad timing for the airing of dirty laundry – it would have been far more graceful to congratulate Savoldelli on his magnificent comeback and save the rest for later. And Kummer’s remarks also revealed a skewed vision of

Round four of the cross-country World Cup takes place tomorrow in Willingen, Germany, followed on Sunday by the second stop on the downhill/4-cross circuit. Willingen is a new host to the World Cup; however, the ski village at the foot of the Ettelsberg is home to the BIKE-Festival, now in its eighth year. The festival attracts some 3000 participants for the marathon event, and boasts that it is one of Europe's biggest bike expos. So far, reviews of the courses have been mixed. The downhill and 4-cross runs are drawing rave reviews for their big-air jumps, although there is a concern

Coming off a broken hip in March at Tirreno Adriatico, American Chris Horner (Saunier Duval), the top rider in USA Cycling’s National Racing Calendar rankings the past three years, returned to racing on Tuesday in Lancaster, where he finished sixth. He again took sixth in Trenton Thursday, showing his Spanish team directors that he’s on the mend and eager to make his first trip to the Tour de France. A win, or a strong showing, in Philadelphia on Sunday could go a long way to make that happen. We caught up with Horner to pose the questions everyone’s been asking about the Tour and the USPRO

Paolo Savoldelli, Erik Zabel and Santiago Botero - of the three, only Zabel remains with T-Mobile

World champ Dahle would have liked more single-track

Saul Raisin is back on the bike and preparing for the upcoming Tour de Suisse (June 11-19). The 22-year-old Crédit Agricole rider said he’s been training normally for two weeks following an incident in the opening stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk in early May. A motorcycle knocked him off his bike during the stage, injuring his hip and collarbone. “I am training and riding again. I have been riding on the road for two weeks now and my first race back will be the Tour of Swiss,” Raisin told VeloNews. “I have no set goals but just to finish and help my team as much as possible. It is good

Hi Bob, My bike was stolen from my property and the insurance company has asked for the original purchase receipt. The bike was a gift from an ex-girlfriend and I don’t have contact with her and therefore cannot produce a receipt. Am I out of luck? Ron D. Dear Ron, I am assuming you have made a proper claim with your insurance carrier and that you have standard homeowner’s coverage. You are not required to produce the original receipt in order to recover for your loss. You should go to a shop that sells the make and model of bicycle that was stolen and ask if they can provide a

For immediate release: June 2, 2005World Champion Katie Mactier Joins T- Mobile TeamJune 2, 2005. San Luis Obispo, CA.- T-Mobile Professional Cycling today announced that Katie Mactier, the 2005 World Pursuit Champion and OlympicSilver Medalist has joined their top ranked international women's team.“Katie is a tremendous athlete. Her speed, power, and tactical skillsmake her an excellent addition to our team” said Andrzej Bek, DirectorSportif for T-Mobile Professional Cycling.Mactier, an accomplished road and track cyclist, won the World Championshipin the Pursuit earlier this year in Los

Sports publisher seeks an experienced , detail-oriented managing editor for VeloNews, the Journal of Competitive Cycling. Responsibilities include working with editors, designers and freelancers to coordinate assignments, copy and art under tight deadlines. Must have strong editing, writing /re-writing, budgeting and proofing skills, and experience in scheduling and staff management. 2+ years experience in a similar position at an accelerated frequency magazine and/or newspaper required. Knowledge of competitive cycling essential. Résumé and cover letter: Attn Human Resources, Inside

There’s a saying that’s come en vogue these days that’s applicable across many horizons in life: When it’s on, it’s on. And for the domestic Health Net-Maxxis team, the Wachovia Cycling Series has been on. The team followed up its win by Greg Henderson in Lancaster Tuesday with another sprint win Thursday evening in Trenton, New Jersey, this time coming from cagey veteran Gord Fraser. Add in Ivan Dominguez’s win at the CSC Invitational in Arlington, Virginia, on May 29, and the powerhouse team has taken three sprint wins in three consecutive races with three different riders. Looking at the

Another near miss for Rodriguez

Julich and McCormack slip off the front

Lotto in pursuit

Fraser celebrates another Health Net win.

Jelly Belly puts in an effort for Candelario and McCook

Horner concedes that Health Net is hard to beat in a sprint.

Van Den Broeck

Dutchman Marc Lotz has been sacked by his QuickStep team for taking blood-boosting drug EPO, the ProTour cycling outfit said on Wednesday. The 31-year-old Lotz admitted in a judicial inquiry that he had taken EPO recently. Later on Wednesday, police announced that an unnamed Dutchman was being held for questioning for suspected sale of doping products, including to Lotz. Agence France Presse Zabriskie on track for Tour?Dave Zabriskie’s impressive Giro d’Italia performance could get him a ticket to the Tour de France. The 26-year-old Utahan won a time trial and finished third in another as

Press Release: Discovery ChannelDiscovery Channel Celebrates Its Pro Cycling Team With 'Watch With TheWorld' Programming Event, THE SCIENCE OF LANCE ARMSTRONGIn-Depth Global Special Takes Viewers into the Power and Physiologyof Armstrong's Physique and Training; Premieres June 27 in 160 Countriesand 35 LanguagesSILVER SPRING, Md., June 1  -- Gearing up for the July 2start of the Tour de France and Lance Armstrong's historic final attemptto win a seventh title, Discovery Channel presents an exclusive hour-longspecial, THE SCIENCE OF LANCE ARMSTRONG, to premiere in

Former Phonak rider Tyler Hamilton has filed an appeal to world sport's top tribunal to overturn a two-year ban for blood doping, the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on Wednesday. Hamilton, who won an Olympic gold medal in Athens just weeks earlier, tested positive for homologous blood transfusions – the injection of red blood cells from another person - during the Vuelta a España last September. Following a lengthy hearing in March, the U.S. anti-doping agency handed down a two-year suspension on April 18. Hamilton’s suspension expires in April of 2007,

Michael J. Ross, M.D., team physician for Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari andrace doctor for the U.S. Pro Tour, will give a presentation on the scienceof cycling at Cadence Performance Cycling on June 4,7:30 p.m.Dr. Ross will talk to cyclists about how to tailor workouts to theirown unique physiology and then answer questions after the presentation.Ross will also sign copies of his new book, Maximum Performance for Cyclists,on sale at Cadence for $18.95. Maximum Performance for Cyclists guidesreaders through the steps of individualizing workouts, making sound nutritionalchoices, and planning for

LONDON (AP) The World Anti-Doping Agency has told its accredited laboratories to modify testing procedures for the banned steroid nandrolone. In the last several months, WADA said it has come across ``very rare cases'' of so-called ``unstable urine,'' which could produce a positive finding for nandrolone. WADA has asked its labs to conduct ``stability tests'' if there is a positive nandrolone finding. If these tests reveal unstable urine, the positive result will be annulled. In a statement, WADA defined unstable urine as a chemical reaction that ``may occur in a

Spanish police have arrested 70 people, breaking up a drugs network that made and trafficked anabolic steroids for sports use. According to the Interior Ministry, six drug manufacturing laboratories were raided in north-eastern Catalonia province where police discovered 30 million products, including the stimulants EPO, clenbuterol and nandrolone following an undercover investigation dubbed "Operation Mammoth." Although the products are designed to increase muscle mass they can have potentially lethal side effects. The products were destined for sale to gyms, sports and fitness clubs at

Lance Armstrong will be back in the peloton Sunday for the start of the Dauphiné Libéré, his final tune-up before a run at a seventh Tour de France crown. As the Tour nears, Armstrong took a look at his likely teammates. The Texan will be tackling his final Tour without the help of veteran teammate Viatcheslav Ekimov, who injured his back in a training spill with Armstrong last month. Assured places for the July 3 start of the Tour are George Hincapie, the only rider to be a part of all six of Armstrong’s previous Tour victories, Spanish riders Manuel Beltran and Chechu Rubiera and

Park City, Utah, and USA Cycling are hosting the second annual ParkCity Cycling Festival '05, June 21through July 2. The complete programfor the event is included as a special section in the latest edition ofVeloNews. We are also pleased to offer it in itsentirety in PDF form here on VeloNews.com

Lancaster, Pennsylvania- Heading into June, the big wins just keep coming for the Health Net Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis. Coming off Ivan Dominguez’s win at the CSC Invitational in Arlington, Virginia, on May 29, Health Net came in to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on May 31 for the 91-mile opening round of the three-race Wachovia Cycling Series as the undisputed top team in the U.S. And the team lived up to its reputation, putting four men into the race-winning 14-rider breakaway and setting up New Zealander Greg Henderson for a bunch sprint victory, beating American national champion

Armstrong's final Tour tune-up begins Saturday

Henderson

Despite his troubles, Rodriguez was still there for the final sprint

Horner was motivated

The final stage of the Giro d'Italia is traditionally a parade into Milan, followed by a series of fast circuit racing leading up to a massive field sprint and this year held true to tradition. The riders lined up in Albese Con Cassano, a small town on the edge of Como decorated in pink to start and then paraded towards Milan, with a stop for gelato and cookies along the way. T he mood was relaxed and the Discovery team staff served champagne to all the other team cars in the caravan during the race. Everything was going smooth until Sean Yates got a flat tire in the first Discovery

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.Simoni can’t face up to his own failuresEditor:Perhaps like most others in recent years, I anticipated this Giro only its completion would bring us that much closer to the start of the Tour. I had some hope that Simoni might do something special and that the “underdog” might get past some

MILAN, Italy- (AFP) - Paolo Savoldelli's face looked anything but that of an angel as he struggled to hold on to his pink jersey on the penultimate day of the Giro d'Italia on Saturday. But the 32-year-old Italian, who won the race for the second time in Milan on Sunday, is not known as the 'falcon' for nothing. As Gilberto Simoni led a threatening three-pronged attack in the company of Danilo Di Luca and Jose Rujano on the tough Finestre climb on the race's 19th stage, Savoldelli was left trailing and had lost the race lead - at least at that point on the road. Once

Somerville, New Jersey - A trio of trackies came out on top in the62nd running of the Tour of Somerville on Memorial Day, with Snow Valley-SealOn’s Kyle Wamsley netting the team its first NRC win. It was a win that Snow Valley had been looking for since the beginningof the season, when the standout elite development squad from Marylandmade the jump to the professional ranks.“It’s outstanding,” said Wamsley of taking some pressure off the squad.