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Santi Perez (Phonak), runner-up in the 2004 Vuelta a España, may have tested positive for blood doping, according to the Spanish daily MARCA. The daily suggests that the result may have come from the A sample in an out-of-competition test, adding that it is not yet certain whether the alleged blood doping involved the transfusion of Perez’ own blood or the blood of another. MARCA also suggested that there might have been a procedural problem with the examination of the B sample, saying that neither Perez nor a representative of his team was present. This might explain the delay in any

Davy Commeyne (MrBookmaker.com) soloed to victory in the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne cyclo-cross on Saturday in Dottenijs, Belgium. Teammate Mario De Clercq won the sprint for second place over Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step-Davitamon) Commeyne escaped three laps before the finish, leaving behind a group of 10. De Clercq and Vanthourenhout kept Commeyne in sight, but could not keep up and wound up battling for the runner-up spot. Sven Nijs (Rabobank) had another spot of bad luck, taking a big fall in midrace. Luckily, he only suffered a few scrapes. Sunday brings the next round of

Fortunately for New England sports fans, they have last week’s Red Sox World Series win to look back on with a smile, because out-of-towners dominated today’s third round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In front of a huge, partisan New England crowd, Canadian Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) claimed his biggest ‘cross won to date, while Seattle’s Anna Knapp (Kona) took a win in one of the few ’cross events where victory had eluded her.

Josh Bezecny and Nick Ranno gave the University of Colorado a one-two finish in the Division I men’s cross country on Saturday at the National Collegiate Cycling Association’s Mountain Bike National Championships in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. Bezecny built a minute lead over Friday’s short-track winner, Matt Shriver (Fort Lewis College), on the technical 6.5-mile course and held on to take the win, with Ranno eventually overtaking Shriver for second. “I felt really comfortable on the first single-track section,” said Bezecny. “I got a gap and just kept going.” Meanwhile, Nina Baum

Gore's Tool jacket

Perez at the Vuelta

Commeyne went away three laps from the finish and soloed in for the win

Knapp was smooth through the sand

Kapow! Kabush

Cipollini riding for Liquigas in 2005 Italy's former world champion Mario Cipollini ended speculation that he is to retire on Friday by announcing that he would ride next season for the Liquigas Sport team. The 37-year-old sprinter, who holds the record for the most number of Giro d'Italia stage wins with 42, has been plagued by injury over the past two years. He pulled out of the Giro this year after crashing and then quit the Tour de France because of a thigh injury. However, the 2002 world road race champion said he would line up for the first World Cup race next year, Milan-San Remo.

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.Predicting a ‘craptacular 2005 Tour’Editor:May I be the first to write in and predict a craptacular 2005 Tour? Three mountain stages in as many weeks; who cares if Lance wins seven of the damn things? Whatever it is, it will be boring as hell and nobody’s going to want to watch. I

BOSTON – New England’s best cyclocross racers are expected to come loaded for bear as they play host to Rounds 3 and 4 of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross this weekend at historic Stage Fort Park in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The two-day event on Oct. 30-31 will inevitably shake up the national standings and pay out more than $12,000 in prizes. With a tightly packed leader board in the elite men’s category, Marc Gullickson (Redline) will have to fend off strong challenges from Maine native Adam Craig (Maxxis Giant) and Massachusetts’ favorite son, Mark McCormack (Clif

Cane Creek has a long history in bicycle suspension, starting with its role in manufacturing the original Rock Shox forks. The company went on to develop some of the lightest air shocks available, perfecting a novel Delrin seal technology and speed-sensitive valving that lives on in CC’s current Cloud Nine and AD air-sprung and air-damped shocks. But the big news this year is Cane Creek’s partnership with Swedish suspension-maker Öhlins Racing AB, a company that dominates the field in high-end motorsports suspension. Starting with its first 250cc motocross victory in 1978, (only two years

I could tell you secrets like the government tells liesAh, but no one listens anymore.–Anaïs Mitchell, “Before the Eyes of the Storytelling Girls,"from "Hymns for the Exiled" “Keep the politics out of our bike racing!” the letter-writers screech, as if such a thing were possible. Anyone whose participation in the sport extends beyond pinning on a number knows all too well that bicycle racing is about as apolitical as the United Nations General Assembly on an August afternoon with the air conditioning on the fritz and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the agenda. My own cycling club, Dogs

Perhaps the race announcer put it best when he said, “All Colorado, all the time,” during the men’s Division I short-track race at the National Collegiate Cycling Association’s Mountain Bike National Championships in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. Fort Lewis College and the University of Colorado at Boulder took seven of the top 10 spots during a damp day at the popular East Coast ski resort, with Fort Lewis’s Matt Shriver surging to a commanding lead halfway through the half-minute race as his teammates controlled the chase. “We just wanted to swarm the front,” said Fort Lewis coach Dave

Cipo' had an undistinguished and painful '04

Tom Reeder (left) and Joe Ward, with the new Cane Creek Double Barrel shock, developed with Öhlins

Öhlins suspension on Eric Bostrom's Ducati Austin/Parts Unlimited Ducati 999. Note the enormous gas reservoirs to control damping. The blue rods measure performance characteristics for later analysis.

A close-up of the Öhlins shock on Bostrom's bike. The threaded gold rod in front of the shock is a ride-height adjuster, which can help shift more or less weight to the front wheel as conditions require.

Cane Creek's Double Barrel Coil/Oil shock

Cane Creek's Double Barrel shock's twin tube design has separate adjusters for compression and rebound damping

Another view of the Double Barrel

Whom would you rather have running your club?

Lance Armstrong's rivals have been given a glimmer of hope for victory after Tour de France organizers unveiled a slimmed-down race for 2005 here on Thursday. In a bid to open the race and widen the possibilities for other contenders, Tour chiefs have cut down on the mountain finishes and individual time trials for next year's race. Organizers have yet to decide whether the race should include 21 or 22 teams of nine riders each. This year Armstrong defied expectations of a slowdown by claiming five stage wins on the race before claiming a record sixth yellow jersey. However, there remains

Zabriskie leaving Postal for CSCSaying “it’s time for a change,” Dave Zabriskie will be leaving U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor for a two-year deal with Team CSC-Riis Cycling. “I always hear that change is good and I know there is no better team for me,” said Zabriskie. “I like Riis' unique approach to the sport and the willingness of the guys on the team to race hard. I want to thank Johan and everyone that has helped me along over the years. I'm excited for the change, but will miss the Postal family.” Zabriskie’s 2004 palmares include the U.S. national time trial title, the 11th stage of

Today’s report will be a short one, describing a few final items from this year’s Interbike trade show that you might not hear about any other way. Spiuk-KuipsKuips is a Basque Country bicycle brand being imported into the USA by DPM Sports. Joanne Somarriba, multiple winner of the women’s Tour de France and the 2003 world time trial champion, races on Kuips road bikes; Spain’s professional cyclo-cross champ rides a Kuips, too. The pictured frame is the top cyclo-cross model. The company has a full line of accessories and clothing under the Spiuk name. Altogether, it is an extensive and

There’s no Mont Ventoux on the route of next year’s Tour de France so Lance Armstrong — who has often said that he wants to win on the Ventoux before he retires — perhaps will not defend his title in 2005 and wait for 2006. Then again, Armstrong’s spokesman at the official race presentation in Paris on Thursday, Discovery Channel team director Johan Bruyneel, said, “If he does a three-week race, it will be the Tour.” And one can’t see Armstrong being motivated by a season that comprises just one-day classics mixed in with a few one-week stage races. If the Texan does start the Tour next

Fewer time trials and summit finishes give Armstrong's rivals hope

Kuips' top-of-the-line cyclo-cross model

The nifty Dugast tubulars on Frischy's Athens bike

Getting a handle on suspension

Studly Nokian tires

Weighing in with a new scale is Feedback Sports

Ausbuher

If Armstrong does a three-week tour in 2005, says Johan Bruyneel, 'it will be the Tour.”

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.Why the 50 percent cutoff?Editor:I fail to understand why the UCI and other governing bodies chose an arbitrary hematocrit of 50 percent as the cutoff for male cyclists.All the research I have done seems to indicate a "normal" hematocrit range of around 45-62 percent. This "normal" range

Now Mayo might flyWhile he doesn’t have any official offers on the table, the rumor mill is churning in Spain that star rider Iban Mayo could leave his longtime home at Euskaltel-Euskadi. Earlier this week, Liberty Seguros team boss Manolo Saiz said he was “very interested” in signing Mayo, just days after Illes Balears won the bidding war to snag hot property Alejandro Valverde in a three-year contract. Euskatel-Euskadi team manager Miguel Madariaga shot down rumors that Mayo is on the offering block: “Iban has a contract until 2006 and he has a buy out clause. We had just spoken about the

Political pollsters take a stab at predicting the outcome of the presidential election, so we’re doing the same with the Tour de France. The official details of the 2005 Tour won’t be announced until Thursday morning in Paris, but through a little detective work, some intuition and a few wild guesses, here’s what the course could look like. With a longish time trial at the start instead of the usual short prologue, there will be only one other time trial, the day before the finish. The highlights look like being a short incursion into Germany on stages 7 and 8; the Galibier ascent on stage

108th CONGRESS2d Session  S. 2195 To amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify the definition ofanabolic steroids and to provide for research and education activitiesrelating to steroids and steroid precursors. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATESMarch 11, 2004Mr. BIDEN (for himself, Mr. HATCH, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. STEVENS,Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. ALLEN, and Ms. MURKOWSKI)introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to theCommittee on the Judiciary  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A

The rumor mill says Mayo may be leaving Euskaltel

Fans will be hearing from Lance Armstrong long after he retires and they’ll get a peek of what’s on Armstrong’s horizon later this year. The six-time Tour de France champion has penned a deal to host a weekly yet-to-be-titled radio show on satellite radio provider SIRIUS set to debut later this year. Armstrong will be one of handful of top athletes hosting their own program which will include a mix of music, interviews and call-ins from listeners. “SIRIUS has already gathered an amazing group of sports heroes … and I’m honored to be included among them,” Armstrong said. “Each week, I’ll

It was big news last fall when American Tim Johnson was presented withthe opportunity to ride for the Division I Saunier Duval team in Spain.But a year later, with a tough season behind him, Johnson is heading home for good. Having passed on the second year of his contract, Johnson will instead join up with the small U.S.-based Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari team and race a largely domestic schedule for 2005. Johnson is quick to note that his is “not a step down,” adding that he decided that he wanted to enjoy himself again and “that just wasn’thappening where I was this year.” In addition to a

Ridley bikes is not only a newcomer to the U.S. but to the professional peloton as well. Ridley’s parent company was founded in 1990 by the precocious Jochim Aerts, who was all of 18 at the time; that first business was set up to build custom frames for other, more established companies. Aerts did not launch his own brand, Ridley, until 1997 (he took the name from an English actor he liked — the name, not the actor). Since then, however, Ridley has become a frequently seen name in the professional peloton, with a buzz about its performance that eventually caught the ear of Sinclair Imports,

Armstrong will do lots of mike time in his new gig

Homeward bound: Johnson plans on a domestic schedule for 2005

Lance Donnell of Sinclair Imports, with the Ridley Superdamocles

The Ridley Damocles is a carbon fiber monocoque design with dramatically shaped tubes

The X-Night is Ridley's top cyclo-cross bike, a full carbon frame complete with top-pull cable routing to keep all systems go in the muck

The Crosswind is a much more economical 'crosser, welded from lightweight taperwall aluminum tubing

The Excalibur carbon monocoque frame will sell for about $2000

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.Fond memories of DedeEditor:I just caught the last report from Dede Demet-Barry. I'm so glad you did all the racing and writing for all those years. Not to mention the training, and all the schooling. I really enjoyed the times we talked or even rode together back when you lived in

As U.S. Postal Service rides into the sunset and Discovery Channel prepares to take over the title sponsorship, the team released its 2005 roster of 25 riders set to ride in new uniforms next season. Team officials said more names could be added, but so far there are 25 riders headlined by six-time Tour de France winner Armstrong. Back next year are seven of the eight riders who helped lead Armstrong to the record win, including veteran Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov who once again has decided to hold off on retirement. The sole exception is American Floyd Landis who is moving to

What began as an off-season surf odyssey nearly ended in tragedy when thugs attacked Chris Wherry and Walker Ferguson on a remote beach in Mexico during the first week of October. The duo left Boulder, Colorado, September 20 in Ferguson’s customized Toyota van, heading towards warm weather and Pacific-side swells on mainland Mexico. Nearly two weeks into the trip, however, things went awry. “We left Boulder and drove south,” Wherry said. “It had just snowed and all the high peaks had snow on them. The leaves were changing and it was an insane backdrop.” The pair spent an evening visiting

Illes Balears seals deal with ValverdeThe protracted negotiations between Illes Balears and Valenciana-Kelme over the fate of Alejandro Valverde were completed over the weekend, and the 24-year-old Spanish star will ride next year with the team that carried Miguel Indurain to five Tour de France victories. Illes Balears secured the services of the hottest name in Spanish cycling after Valverde let it be known that he wouldn’t want to continue with the troubled Valenciana-Kelme after the team was overlooked for the Pro Tour set to begin in 2005. The Spanish media was reporting Sunday that

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.CALIFORNIA: Pontoni rules Candlestick Point 'crossFormer world champ Daniele Pontoni hammered the field on Sunday during round two of the Bay Area Super Prestige Cyclo-cross Series at San Francisco’s Candlestick Point Recreation Area. Pontoni marked Justin Robinson, David Wyandt, John Funke and

Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step-Davitamon) won the second heat of the Superprestige cyclo-cross series on Sunday in Hamme-Zogge, Belgium, outsprinting Tom Vannoppen (MrBookmaker.com) and Sven Nys (Rabobank) during the sprint to the finish. Nys, the series leader, had a bad start, hitting one of the iron barricades with his shoulder. It seemed to slow him somewhat initially, but soon he was back to his old self, bunny-hopping the barricades. Only Vanthourenhout and a very strong Vannoppen could keep up with Nys. The last three laps they stayed together, and it was Vanthourenhout taking a

Valverde will be wearing Illes Balears colors in 2005

Nys and Vanthourenhout dice it in Superprestige No. 2

Despite an injured shoulder, Nys hopped the barricades

Vannoppen gave it his best, but sprinting against Vanthourenhout is no day at the beach

Pontoni shows the way to the finish line

New Pantani book, movie in worksJust eight months following Marco Pantani’s tragic death in a hotel room in Rimini, Italy, there’s a flurry of new media projects in Italy. A new book details Pantani’s final days of and there’s even a made-for-TV movie in production in Italy. Pantani’s former manager, Manula Ronchi, has written a new book that investigates the painful final days for the Italian hero entitled, “A Man on the Run: The True Story of Marco Pantani.” Written in collaboration with Italian cycling journalist Gianfranco Josti, the book uses Pantani’s extension notes taken in the

Doping charges against a top French cyclist involved in the Cofidis inquiry have been dropped, legal sources said Friday. Cedric Vasseur, once a member of the U.S. Postal team, was one of eight Cofidis riders to be investigated by magistrates in the doping affair which rocked the team in January. The 33-year-old, a former wearer of the Tour de France yellow jersey, has been suspended since April when it was revealed that traces of cocaine had been found in a hair sample. A counter-analysis later proved negative and Vasseur also claimed some of the evidence in his witness statement had

We are just putting the finishing touches on VeloNews magazine coverage of the 2004 Interbike Expo, and I found myself thinking about all the companies and product we didn’t see while out in Las Vegas. Here we are providing plenty of ink to the Treks and Specializeds of the bicycle world, but what about the little guy who couldn’t or wouldn’t cough-up the dough (let alone take a week of vacation from their “real” job) to set-up a booth at the Sands Convention Center? Certainly there are hundreds of creative minds out there producing quality products that just didn’t make it to Las

After a long period of hit-or-miss availability in the United States, Guerciotti bikes returned to Interbike this year with a new importer, Torelli, and a new commitment to widespread distribution and support. Paolo Guerciotti’s bikes gained fame among American riders in the 1980s as part of a wave of high-end Italian imports that raised the expectations for what a great road bike could be. Guerciotti’s cyclo-cross models were especially sought after, thoroughbreds in a field of balky, unwieldy CX beasts. Today, the Guerciotti family — Paolo, his son Alessandro and daughter Micaela — still

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.Puma had a round pedal before SampsonEditor:So Eric Sampson is taking credit for inventing the round pedal (See "Tech Report: What we didn't see in 'Vegas")? Hmmm. Facts say otherwise. Puma had a round pedal years before the Sampson Stratics - which wasn't really 'round' anyway. Don't

The Outdoor Life Network (OLN) is planning a weekly series featuring the best in the sport of road cycling. Completing the survey will assist the network in developing the most exciting and compelling show possible. We want to hear from you! Please click on the link below to take part in the survey and enter your name in a drawing for a Victorinox watch to be drawn at the close of the survey. TAKE THE OLN SURVEY ---------Official Rules No Purchase Necessary Eligibility: Drawing is offered only in the United States to legal United States residents at least 21 years old. Employees of

It is quickly becoming the offseason of contraction in the world of mountain-bike racing. First came news that the German-based T-Mobile formation had folded up its tent, and now VeloNews has learned that the RLX Ralph Lauren team will not be back in 2005. The team’s status had been up in the air for some time, but after making two trips back to company headquarters in New York in hopes of securing another year of support, team manager Dave Wiens got word Friday morning that the up-scale clothing maker was opting out. “I think they really wrestled with it,” said Wiens about a sponsorship

Beke in 2003

Tech Report: What we didn't see in 'Vegas

2004 Texas State road, Madison and Pursuit champion, Steen Rose on one of Don Walker’s handcrafted track beauties

Micaela, Paolo and Alessandro Guerciotti, with Bill and Carol McGann of Torelli Imports.

The Guerciotti EM2 is the same bike used by the Guerciotti/Selle Italia team. It's built with Dedacciai EM2 tubing and comes with a Sintema carbon fork.

The Guerciotti Cartesio carbon monocoque.

The Guerciotti Hero, built with Dedacciai Energy aluminum tubing, is one of the company's most affordable framesets, with a suggested retail of about $1100, complete with carbon fork.

Vasseur in 2003

RLX is done and JHK is looking for another team.

Wiens is done racing and probably managing, too.

This week, we're following up on a question from J.R. from New Hampshire,who asked about team contracts:"How is it that racers can negotiate deals for the following seasonwhen they are under contract with a team for the current season. When arider is thinking about jumping to another team it can't make for the bestteam chemistry. In professional leagues there rules against this, aren'tthere?"Lastweek, we looked at general American law. Unfortunately, general lawdoesn't mean much when you face league restrictions, such as this examplefrom the National Hockey League:TamperingAny action by an