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The Mail Bag 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.In (four-man) pursuit of excellence?Dear Editor,I recently read that the United States is again not sending a teampursuit squad to a world track meet. I'm wondering why? The Australianand GB endurance models seem to be winning medals as well as developingtalented road riders. What are

Friday's mailbag: Why no team pursuit? Mr. Spellcheck; Predicting natz

The 2004 Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-Cross Championship Series wraps up this weekend with The Fitness Concepts Capital Classic in Reston, Virginia. Absent from the 2003 edition of the Mid-Atlantic series, the event is a great addition to the 2004 series. Held in a natural bowl-like section of Lake Fairfax Park, the course includes several elevation changes and a well-balanced mix of technical areas and power sections. The six previous editions of the Reston event have all been held on diverse, challenging courses – yet all held within the same section of park. Rumor has it that EMI racing and

Click here to get more information on the HEALTHNET CAMP Click here to get more information on the JELLYBELLY-POOLGEL CAMP

Hamilton vows vindication after sackingAfter being fired by the Swiss Phonak team, Olympic medalist Tyler Hamilton has promised once again that he will eventually be cleared of blood doping charges. “I know I will be vindicated,” Hamilton told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “My hope is to get this past me as soon as possible. We're just waiting to have this hearing, which at the moment they haven't even set a date.” Hamilton, who tested positive for blood doping at the Vuelta a España in September, plans to contest the results at a January hearing in Colorado. He

The Mail Bag 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.What about Landis?Editor:I have read previously that Floyd Landis had an "out" in his contract if Phonak did not get into the UCI ProTour. Have you any further information regarding Landis's status? Rumors of what team he might join? Chances that he will go back to the Postal/Discovery

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced Wednesday that the organizers of the three grand tours have agreed to include their events in the 2005 ProTour calendar. The 19 teams confirmed as licensees in the ProTour “guarantee their participation in these events,” and the organizers have agreed to accept their participation, the UCI said in a press release. However, in a letter to UCI president Hein Verbruggen, dated November 29 and published in Wednesday’s edition of the French newspaper L’Equipe, the organizers of the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and Giro d’Italia – ASO, RCS and

The Swiss-based Phonak team has lost an appeal to the Union Cycliste Internationale to race as part of the 2005 ProTour, despite its decision last week to fire American Tyler Hamilton in an effort to satisfy the governing body. The team’s hope of becoming part of cycling’s top tier was hampered after Hamilton and two other of the squad's star riders failed doping tests this year. Two weeks ago, the team’s title sponsor – a Swiss hearing aid manufacturer - hinted that it may pull out of the sport if the team were unable to compete in the UCI's new major race series. UCI officials told the

Beloki to Liberty, agent saysJoseba Beloki will sign a one-year contract soon with Liberty Seguros, run by his former mentor Manolo Saiz, AFP has learned. Pablo Arregui, the agent for the Basque cyclist, told AFP that the deal has not been completed, but added that negotiations were nearing their end. “Joseba will join Manolo Saiz,” Arregui said. Beloki, who has made the Tour de France podium three times – he was third in 2000 and 2001, and second in 2002 – crashed heavily in the 2003 Tour and has never returned to top form in stints with Brioches la Boulangere and Saunier Duval. Illes

The State of New Mexico and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) have signed an agreement to cooperate in the construction of new mountain bike trails. The agreement, signed Sept. 14, is the first of its kind between IMBA and a state parks system. "This is another example of how government can work with organizations to encourage responsible use of public lands for our residents and our visitors," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said. The governor added that more than 39 million Americans participated in mountain biking last year, and the state's unique landscape and

What happened to Clement red glue?Dear Lennard,I have been riding tubulars my whole life, and I have always liked the Clement red glue. Now I cannot find it anymore. Do you know of a source? Also, I have been using the Tufo tubulars with good luck. I just don’t understand how they measure the number of threads per inch in the casing. They claim 420, yet Vittoria says their 290tpi is the highest density on the market. Any observations?Mark Dear Mark,I, too, loved that glue and have missed it. When Clement went bankrupt and was acquired by Pirelli, I think that the Clement red glue might have

Hamilton keeps his gold medal

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity. Brown Wins Colorado 'Cross SeriesBoulder, Co (November 28, 2004 — Travis Brown won the Boulder Racing Cyclo-Cross Series Sunday, closing out the season with five straight wins for a season total of eight wins. Colorado offered three cyclo-cross series to Front Range competitors this season: The

MONTROSE, Colorado - NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol and his college-age son emerged from the wreckage of a corporate jet after it crashed during takeoff and burst into flames, killing two crew members. Rescuers were still searching for Ebersol's younger son, whose seat was missing from the smoldering ruins. The 18-seat charter jet with six people on board crashed Sunday morning at Montrose Regional Airport in southwest Colorado, not far from the Telluride Ski Area. A heavy snowstorm had lightened up before the plane prepared to depart for South Bend, Ind., where Ebersol's son Charles is a

The Mail Bag 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.Uuuuuurpppp....Dear VeloNews,Ugh...talk about making your stomach lurch (see "Friday's foaming rant: Gobble, gobble, gobble"). No, not O'Grady's writing...well, sort of...just the thought of eating 53 hotdogs in a year is enough to make my stomach turn, let alone 12 minutes.Then the

DENDERMONDE, Belgium (AP) - The lead prosecutor in the trial of Frank Vandenbroucke has asked for a sentence of community service in the dopingcase that originally stemmed from a police raid on the Belgian cycling star’s home two years ago. Police discovered endurance-enhancing EPO, muscle-boosting Clenbuterol and morphine during the 2002 search and Vandenbroucke was subsequently suspended for six months. Vandenbroucke's lawyer, Luc Deleu, said the cyclist had already served his ban and there was no need for further sanctions against his client. "We have already been sanctioned. We

Tilford: Experience counts.

Vandenbroucke (R) and manager Paul De Geyter (L) leave the correctional court of Dendermonde on Monday.

One man, one gear, four wins

For the first time in the 14-year history of the VeloNews awards a pair of Canadians, cross-country racer Roland Green and road pro Lyne Bessette, have walked away with North American Cyclist of the Year honors. In Green's case it was the first time a non-American or a mountain biker has ever won the award. Bessette was just the second Canadian women to be tabbed, following Linda Jackson, who won it twice (1997, '98). Green earned the honor by putting together a brilliant season that included three overall series titles (NORBA cross country and short track, plus the World Cup

Sven Nys has added another to his growing list of Superprestige cyclo-cross victories, handily taking the win at the series’ stop in Gieten in the Netherlands on Sunday. Nys’s win – his 25th career victory in a series that ranks second only to the UCI World Cup – adds to an already formidable lead in the overall standings. Among the day’s most pleasant surprises was the return to form of reigning world champion, Bart Wellens, who has been struggling throughout the early part of the season. Wellens, also last year’s World Cup winner, finished second Sunday, suggesting that that the

Green on his way to winning at world's.

Bessette was a multiple winner on the road and in 'cross.

Nys is on a roll

Will Wellens make the rest of the series a contest?

Erwin Vervecken won the fourth round of the cyclo-cross World Cup on Saturday in Koksijde, outsprinting compatriots Sven Nys and Ben Berden. It was the 32-year-old Belgian’s first victory of the season, and the fourth time he has won in Koksijde. Belgian racers dominated on the sandy circuit, led by a six-rider group that included Vervecken, Nys, Berden, Tom Vannoppen, Sven Vanthourenhout and world champion Bart Wellens. Wellens fell victim to a puncture, while Vanthourenhout simply fell off the pace. Unwilling to trust his chances in a sprint finish, Nys tried to make a break in the

Belgians ruled the sandy circuit

Nys tried to escape in the sand, but it wasn't working

WADA reaccredits Seoul lab for steroid analysisThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced today in Montreal that it has granted full reaccreditation to the anti-doping laboratory in Seoul, South Korea. In April 2004, the laboratory was suspended from carrying out steroid analysis for a period of six months, following unsatisfactory performances and non-compliance with WADA’s International Standards for Laboratories. Since then, the laboratory, in cooperation with the South Korean government, has taken corrective actions. New material has been purchased and additional staff has been

The Mail Bag 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.Doing the math, part 2Editor:I'd like to respond to Steve Rempel's letter (see Wednesday’s mailbag: "Doing the Math"). I think he's got a good point about Tyler's Olympic doping test possibly falling into the margin of error. But is there a statistician out there who can factor in

(K)nowing Nicely-Nicely Jones, I am prepared to wager all the money I can possibly raise that he can outeat anything that walks on two legs. In fact, I will take a chance on Nicely-Nicely against anything on four legs, except maybe an elephant, and at that he may give the elephant a photo finish.–Damon Runyon in his short story A Piece of Pie,describing an eating contest on Broadway Bicycle racing? Fuhgeddaboudit. It’s so last century. I have seen the future of sport, and it is professional competitive eating. While sprawled in the living room rocker, recovering from my annual

On September 24, the United States Antidoping Agency announced the two-year suspension of 27-year-old Joey D'Antoni. The track racer from Raleigh, North Carolina, tested positive for recombinant human Erythropoietin (rHuEPO), a synthetic hormone that increases the body's ability to produce red blood cells. D'Antoni is the third U.S. cyclist to test positive for the banned hormone. Former U.S. national time trial champion Adham Sbeih tested positive in August of 2003. More recently, up-and-coming rider Adam Bergman joined the blacklist. Sbeih argued he never took EPO. "I've never even seen

Dear Bob,If an Ironman triathlete used her story to inspire and collect donationsfor a charity, and paid the charity 75 percent and kept 25 percent fortraining and racing expenses, would she be a non-profit organization herself,a business, or would it be just plain illegal. In this example, the athletewould advertise, speak on behalf of the charity, etc.M.H.MontanaDear MH,Let's assume Tracy Trigal, as an independent agent, and without anyother formalities, sets herself up along the lines you suggest, givingthe money to the Rhinitis Foundation, a legitimate charity dedicated tocuring the

D'Antoni in 2002

Citing a “lack of motivation, two-time World Cup winner Michele Bartoli (CSC) announced his decision to retire from cycling Wednesday. I've had a lot of bumps and bruises throughout my career," Bartoli said during a press conference in Milan. Bartoli's decision was not a big surprise to those who have watched him suffer through an unspectacular season this year. The 35-year-old Tuscan didn't score a single win this season, a long way from the successive World Cup titles he earned in 1997 and 1998. Sitting next CSC director Bjarne Riis, Bartoli also said recent physical problems had

The Mail Bag 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.Glad you spoke out!There you go Tyler!Defend yourself (see “Hamiltonissues statement in his defense”)!I find it hard to accept that someone with your level of sportsmanshipwould try to cheat.  I was hoping that you would issue a statement. If just for the fans that are supporting you

With Thanksgiving upon us, it’s time to take a moment and reflect upon all that we have to be thankful for. Or so “they” tell us. I think it’s good practice to try not and take anything for granted all throughout the year, but if “they” want to designate a four-day weekend to spend counting our blessings, I’m more than happy to add the vacation to the list. First of all, I’m thankful to have finished VeloNews issue 20 last night, our 17th annual awards issue. I think it’s one of our more fun issues of the year, both to work on and to peruse, through the eyes of our readers. There are

Bartoli at Paris-Nice

Katrina Grove

Katrina Grove

Sayers, the mountain biker, racing for Maxxis at the NORBA Nationals in Mammoth, California.

Lance's 'Tour de France' chopper

Lance and Sheryl on 'Overhaulin''

The infamous 'Jamo' losing his knee warmer but winning the Washington state championship

Wednesday's EuroFile: Bartoli retires; Flynn out in Oz

Look Cycle, a member of the pro peloton since 1983 and always an innovator, has introduced a host of high-end products for the new season. In keeping with the company’s design tradition, the French manufacturer’s new pedals, frames and forks are extremely light and purposeful to meet the demands of pros who depend on their equipment to make a living. Look’s carbon fiber technology is particularly advanced. The company was among the first to deliver carbon steerer tubes on forks, and has now produced a fork entirely in carbon fiber, including the dropouts. Look has also introduced a new

The powerful Italian Lampre-Caffita team will debut at Australia's Tour Down Under in January, race organizers said on Tuesday. The merger of the Saeco and Lampre teams will pull together a strong teamwith 16 Saeco riders, seven Lampre riders and a further three cycling starsfrom Italy. Saeco and Lampre competed as separate entities in the inaugural Tour DownUnder in 1999 setting the foundation for the event’s strong relationship with Italian cycling. The Saeco team has returned to Australia to compete in the event five times. With two-times Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni set to

Rake, trail and the difference between the twoDear Lennard,In your November9 Technical Q&A you said that a 44/45mm rake would steer less quicklyand be more stable than a 47mm rake. Is that a typo? I thought shorterrake would tighten up the wheelbase and make the head tube angle feel steeper--yieldingquicker handling and a more "twitchy" feeling bicycle.Jeremiah Dear Jeremiah,Sorry, but the statement is correct and your interpretation about forkrake’s effect is wrong. Indeed, a steeper head angle does make the bikehandle more quickly (reduces fork trail), yes. However, a reduced forkrake

Felt designated official bike of ADT Event CenterNovember 23, 2004, Lake Forest, CA - Felt Racing, LLC and AEG,owners and operators of the ADT Event Center, located within The Home DepotCenter in Carson, California are pleased to announce that Felt will bethe official bicycle of the new world-class  facility for the next2 years.  The ADT Event Center is the country’s only indoor velodromeand has already hosted major cycling events this year including the 2004Junior U.S. National Track Championships and the 2004 UCI Junior WorldTrack Championships. The facility is also the site of

New from VeloNews's veteran European correspondent! This timely annualrecounts every aspect of the 91st Tour de France.Lance Armstrong began this year’s Tour denying accusations of drug useand speculation as to whether he could finish as the first six-time winnerin Tour history. Rain, cobbles, and crashes reshaped the field of competitionin the first week while the U.S. Postal team methodically proved the abilityof each rider assembled for Armstrong’s landmark victory with a decidedshow of unity and athleticism.The slopes of the Pyrénées and Alps gave rise to the aspirationsof cycling’s next

Statement from U.S. Gold Medalist Tyler Hamilton Regarding Doping ChargeTuesday November 23, 11:40 am ETWASHINGTON, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statementfrom U.S. gold medalist Tyler Hamilton regarding doping charge:As an athlete I realize that sometimes you may have to lose a few racesto gain the knowledge on what it takes to win. Relating to my doping charge,I will say that, up to this point, I have been losing the "pr" war -- partiallybecause I naively thought that if I stated whole-heartedly that I havenever and would never engage in blood doping or any form of cheating

Look president Dominique Bergin

Look's new 585 frame incorporates the company's 'forged carbon' technology in the bottom bracket shell.

Look's new Kéo pedal features an injected carbon body and a large support surface. The titanium axle version weighs 190 grams per pair.

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Dirty cogs, loose spindles and those darn splines again

Cunego hopes to continue his winning ways in '05, but the team kit will be different

Annual Training Plan ChallengeDear Joe and Dirk,I have a some teammates that are really into cyclo-cross racing. Theywill finish their last 'cross race the first week of December. The firstroad race will be in mid-February! Of course this will not be a "A" race for them. It won't be for me either.These guys typically do not race much in July, August and September sothey can transition and prepare for 'cross. How do you set up the AnnualTraining Plan when the last "A" race is on December 5th and their first Arace for road will be mid April? Do you skip the base periods or shortenall of them

The UCI has deferred a final decision on the question of granting a ProTour license to the Swiss-based Phonak team until November 30. Cycling’s international governing body said Monday that the ProTour applications of three teams – Phonak, the French Ag2R squad and the Belgian MrBookmaker.com team – were reviewed by the UCI licensing commission, but that a definitive action in either case would have to wait until November 30. The commission had initially rejected the Phonak application, citing concerns about the team, its structure and management, following news that three of its top riders

The Mail Bag 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. Don’t just question Tyler, question the testDear Editors:Either I've missed it or no one has brought up the validity of thescience behind the blood test employed in these cases. How was thistest developed? Who funded the research? Was the scientist hiredto develop the test? Is he

The '05 Tour won't be the same without Armstrong

Happier Times: Beloki at the 2002 Vuelta

Will Phonak have cause to celebrate next week?

Spanish shampoo may trigger positiveThe Canadian federal health service, Health Canada, has issued a warning to consumers advising them not to use Blue Cap Shampoo and Blue Cap Spray because the shampoo contains betamethasone, a topical corticosteroid (steroid). The spray may contain a similar substance. Neither chemical is noted on the product labels and Blue Cap products have not been approved for sale in Canada or the United States. Betamethasone may only be obtained by prescription. Use of betamethasone should be monitored by a physician. Corticosteroids, such as betamethasone,

Belgian Sven Nys continued his winning ways as he won the fifth round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series in Gavere, Belgium, on Sunday. Nys successfully attacked an elite group of world-class ‘crossers in the closing meters of Sunday’s race to take his ninth win of the year – his second in the series – and to further solidify his hold on the overall lead in the Superprestige. The win is also the 24th Superprestige victory of Nys’s career. Belgian Erwin Vervecken made an early attack, charging off of the front row not long after the start. His Fidea teammate, defending world champion

In cyclo-cross, the combination of a flat course and wet ground means only one thing: a hard muddy slog. With its sapping mud pits, Sunday’s final round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross, run on the shores of the Raritan River in Highland Park, New Jersey, may have provided the best course preview for December’s national championships in Portland, Oregon. And if that’s the case, race winners Ann Knapp (Kona) and Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai) will lick their chops if the Portland race serves its expected helping of leg-breaking slop. While the Highland Park course offered little

Nys is still riding strong

Is Wellens finally hitting his stride?

Page

Wells ruled the day

Trebon takes the series

Knapp was solid all season

As was the case last year, the RotaryClub of Marblehead, Massachusetts, is auctioning of a signed TylerHamilton jersey as part of the organization’s annual fundraiser.Hamilton, a member of the Swiss-based Phonak team, is originally fromMarblehead and donated a jersey to the organization last year as well.Relying on an eBay auction and exposure from VeloNews, the Marblehead Rotary earned more than $2500from last year’s jersey auction.To bid, justclick here and help the Marblehead Rotary.

Ben Berden (Saey-Descacht) won the Hooglede cyclo-cross on Saturday in Belgium, outracing Enrico Franzoi (Saeco) and Erwin Vervecken (Fidea). A lead group of seven formed quickly after the start of the race, including Berden, Franzoi, Vervecken, MrBookmaker.com teammates Mario De Clercq and Davy Commeyne, Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step), and American Jonathan Page (Cervelo-Hot Tubes-Adidas-Mavic). At midrace, Page could not match the pace of the others and began to fall back; he would eventually finish seventh. Four laps before the finish, De Clercq and Comeyne also had to let the others

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity.NEW JERSEY: Trebon, Knapp rule Beacon Cyclo-crossIf there were any doubts about just how good Ryan Trebon (Kona) is when he’s on form, they were banished Saturday at the Beacon Cyclocross in Bridgeton, New Jersey. Trebon flattened the field in the fifth race of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of

Round five of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross, run Saturday in Bridgeton, New Jersey, could be used in coming years by Kona as a how-to video in the finer points of winning a difficult ’cross race. Kona riders Ann Knapp and Ryan Trebon swept to wins on the fast, twisting and sandy Bridgeton course, though each rider took a different route to their ultimate destinations on the top step of the podium. There can be no doubt that Trebon has been riding a sweet patch of form for the past month. The lanky mountain biker won the fourth USGP race in Gloucester, Massachusetts, at the

Marblehead Rotary auctions Hamilton jersey

Berden has three wins going into Sunday's Superprestige round