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For most Olympic athletes in Athens the heat is a hindrance, but when it comes to track racers, the balmier the better. The heat makes the boards of the 250-meter wooden track expand and tighten, and that makes conditions fast. That was certainly the case on the opening day of competition at the Olympic velodrome, where two Olympic records and one world record were eclipsed on a sizzling Friday afternoon in Greece. The new world’s best came in the women’s 500-meter time trial, with Aussie Anna Meares becoming the first woman to complete two laps in under 34 seconds. Her time of 33.952 also

Looking ahead to Sunday’s USPRO Criterium Championship in Downers Grove, Illinois, the phrase “the usual suspects” springs to mind, as the majority of the top domestic criterium racers will be on hand gunning for the race win and the stars-and-stripes champion’s jersey that’s up for grabs to the first American to cross the line. Several of the men have been there before, as the race will feature at least six former race winners and U.S. champions. That list of past winners includes 2002 winner Henk Vogels (Navigators Insurance), 2001 U.S. champion Kirk O’Bee (Navigators), 1999 winner Gord

NCCA Licensed riders and teams now have the opportunity to buy booth space at a special price for the upcoming VeloSwap in Denver, Chicago and San Francisco. VeloSwap is offering a 20% discount off individual or club booth registration to any current NCCA collegiate club or license holder. Collegiate members are also eligible for a 20% discount on vendor passes, which allow registered exhibitors early access to VeloSwap. With the hundreds of vendors and unbelievable deals on new and used equipment, there is no better time for collegiate riders to attend a VeloSwap, "The World¹s Largest

Track events kicked off in Athens on Friday, and VeloNews photographer Casey Gibson was there.

Meares celebrates gold and a new world mark

Meares realizes that she's won

Hoy

No gold for Tournant, but he keeps the world record

British fans were out in force

And Chris Hoy gave them plenty to celebrate

Hoy's teammate, Bradley Wiggins, set an Olympic mark in the qualifying round of the individual pursuit

Meares sets a new 500 standard

Aussie McGee will tackle Wiggins in the gold-medal ride

Nimke racing to bronze in the kilo'

Britain, desperately searching around Athens for an Olympic gold medal, gets their big chance with an assault on the men's kilometer time trial on the opening day of the track cycling on Friday. The British look strongly placed to break through as they did in Sydney four years ago with world champion Chris Hoy, Craig MacLean or, possibly, defending Olympic champion Jason Queally in strong contention for gold. Back in 2000 it was a similar scenario before Queally became an instant hero when he claimed the kilo ahead of German Stefan Nimke and Australian Shane Kelly. Hoy has the form on the

Fred Rodriguez (Aqua e Sapone) just missed victory in the third leg ofthe “Trittico Lombardo” in Thursday’s 199.8km Copa Bernocchi. The newlycrowned American champion was perhaps out to make a point after being overlookedfor a last-chance spot to fill Lance Armstrong’s vacancy in the SummerOlympic Games in Athens.Angelo Furlan (Alessio) won in a mass gallop to the line, winning in5 hours, 3 minutes, 36 seconds, finishing ahead of Rodriguez. Coming throughthird was Giosuè Bonomi (Saeco).Copa Bernocchi (ITA 1.3)1. Angelo Furlan (Ita), Alessio, 199.8km in 5:03:362. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Aqua e

Julich (r) making the rounds with his fellow medalists Demet and Hamilton on Thursday

In the days leading up to women’s Olympic time trial, Dutchwoman Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel admitted she thought she might not be able to start. The triple gold-medalist from Sydney crashed hard in Sunday’s road race and said she had pain all over her body. But with the end of her career looming, Zijlaard-van Moorsel couldn’t let that be her final cycling memory. On Wednesday she authored a more appropriate chapter, winning a gold medal on a sun-kissed 24km course in the coastal suburbs of Athens. Zijlaard-van Moorsel stopped the clock in 31:11.53, 24.09 seconds ahead of American Dede

Saeco gregario Leonardo Bertagnolli won Wednesday’s Copa Agostoni, thesecond leg of the “Trittico Lombardo” in northern Italy. Bertagnolli finishedahead of hard-luck Dario Frigo (Fassa Bortolo), trying to recapture hiswinning ways after missing most of the 2004 season.Copa Agostoni (ITA 1.2)1. Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita), Saeco, 196km in 4 hours, 39 minutes(42.262 kph)2. Dario Frigo (Ita), Fassa Bortolo at 0:043. Gonzalo Bayarri (Spa), Phonak Hearing Systems4. Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita), Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie5. Francisco Patxi Vila (Spa), Lampre all same timeFedrigo takes over

The cycling schedule doesn’t have a whole lot of gaps here at the Olympics. Three days of road racing, six of track and two of mountain biking keeps you running from beginning to end. But there were two down days after the weekend road races, which afforded me a chance to take in some non-cycling events. Tuesday night I managed to score a ticket to the swimming finals at the Aquatic Center in the main Olympic complex (Thank you USOC). I have to admit swimming has never much interested me. I can’t do it very well, and watching it isn’t exactly compelling drama. But at the Olympics all that

As the sun crept above the horizon, bringing dawn to a new day here in Athens, Tyler Hamilton awoke with a terrible case of nerves. The afternoon Olympic time trial that awaited him was his last shot to truly erase the disappointment of his failed Tour de France bid a month earlier. Hamilton had said all week he had a good feeling about the 48km race to be contested in the southern suburbs of Greece’s capital, but now it was time to deliver. Half a day later the nice guy of American cycling had seen his premonition come true, besting reigning Olympic TT champion Viatcheslav Ekimov on a

Wednesday turned out to be a remarkable day for U.S. riders at the Athens Olympics, as Americans took three of six medals available in the individual time trial.

Dear Readers,On this great day for U.S. Olympic Cycling I would like to congratulateTyler Hamilton, Dede Demet and Bobby Julich, who won the Gold, Silver andBronze Medals in their respective Individual Time Trial events in Athens. They all have great stories and are deserving medal winners.  I would also like to acknowledge the brave ride by Dede’s husband and fellowVeloNews contributor, Michael Barry who competed for Canada in lastSaturday’s Men’s Olympic Road Race where he finished a very respectful32nd.While everyone knows about Bettini, Paulinho and Merckx winning thegold, silver and

When Bobby Julich crossed the finish line just 26.45 seconds behind teammate Tyler Hamilton in Wednesday’s Olympic individual time trial, it wasn’t just a victory for a man and his country–technology also won in the streets of Athens. Helping to power Julich’s bike were two very unusual chainrings that could very well transform the way we propel our bicycles in the future. Julich was riding a pair of French made, out-of-round, “Osymetric” chainrings which Julich claims have helped him all season. Now before you say, “Biopace,” think again. In a phone interview with VeloNews from France

PHILADELPHIA, PA- August 18, 2004- Lance Armstrong and Pro CyclingTour Fans can get up to 10% off of America West Airlines already low faresto and from the T-MOBILE INTERNATIONAL, presented by BMC Software, setfor Sunday Sept 12th in downtown San Francisco.  Lance Armstrong,the six-time winner of the Tour de France, and his US Postal Service CyclingTeam are part of a powerful international field competing in the race.The offer, set up by the Pro Cycling Tour, can be accessed three differentways by using the Convention and Meetings Services (CAMS) Code AP3617:Go to americawest.com and

Barry shows off her hardware.

Zijlaard-van Moorsel's machine.

Big-time swim meet.

The Greeks root on their own.

Stark gets time with Phelps...

...others just wait.

A case of nerves: Hamilton finally relaxed after the finish

Julich: Morale played a big part

Hamilton and Julich during the anthem

Demet-Barry scored the day's first medal

Thorburn finished a strong 4th in the women's time trial

Ekimov adds a silver to his TT gold from 2000

Julich's bronze caps a great season for a man who recently thought about retirement

Tyler Hamilton's gold-medal performance

G-O-L-D!

Olivia Julich: Dad's biggest fan

Ullrich, considered an odds-on fav' for a medal, was disappointed

Today in Athens

Olympic Tech: Bobby J and his funky chainrings

Tyler, Bobby and Dede will be here on Thursday.

Waterworld.

VN made the cut on the media center magazine rack.

Canoe racing at the Olympics.

Scene from the aquatic center.

At night the project images on this thing kind of like Freemont Street in Vegas.

Following two off days for the cycling events here at the Olympics in Athens, the men’s and women’s time trials are up next at Vouliagmeni Olympic Center. The 25-rider women’s field will kick things off at 1 p.m. local time on Wednesday, followed by 40 men at 3 p.m. The 24km-course starts on Athinas Avenue in front of the Vouliagmeni city hall, then heads down the coastal road to the turnaround at the Agia Marina. Wind will be a major factor in the race, which lacks any serious climbs but has several tough false flats. “The wind was really whipping [on Monday] and even today it’s blowing

Iban Mayo, the Basque rider on Euskaltel-Euskadi, is doubtful for the Vuelta a España with a virus that has sapped the strength of the lithe climber. Team manager Miguel Madariaga said they are awaiting results of blood analyses taken this week. “Until I have the results I don't want to say anything for certain,” Madariaga told the Spanish daily MARCA. “With the analysis that we have now, he can't race, his hematocrit is no higher than 37, and that means he has a virus. I'm waiting for the doctor's report but there a 90 percent chance that I believe he won't be able to race the

Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel hopes to defend her Olympic time trial crowd on Wednesday despite a hard fall that knocked her out of Sunday’s road race and left her with bruises on shoulder, elbow and hip. The 34-year-old Dutchwoman, who won the road race, the individual time trial and the individual pursuit on the track at the Sydney Games four years ago, fell when she clipped Canadian Lyne Bessette’s rear wheel and brought Swiss Nicole Brandli crashing down on top of her. "I feel good, I slept good. I just hope that my legs are good," Zijlaard-van Moorsel said Tuesday of her recovery. "I

Dear Lennard,On one of the tech segments during the OLN coverage, they interviewed someone from CSC and he talked about a different type of chainring they were using for the time trials. But they didn't explain what the differences were. Did you hear anything about this?Leonard Dear Leonard,Those chainrings are called Harmonic, and they offer a larger gear ratio when the crank is horizontal than when it is vertical (the opposite of Biopace). I asked Bobby Julich about them, and he referred me to the company’s website. And lest you think they are a revival of the old Biopace design, Julich

USA Cycling has scheduled its cyclo-cross national championships for the next four years, selecting New England for 2005-06 and Kansas City, Missouri, for 2007-08. The 2004 national championships are scheduled for December 10-12 in Portland, Oregon. Spin Arts will handle the championships in New England. Race director Tom Stevens organized the 1995 and 1998 national ’cross championships, and assisted with planning in 1983, 1988, 1991 and 1999-2001. Stevens is also the founder of the New England Cyclo-cross Championship Series, the premier regional cyclo-cross series in North America. "Our

Cruz expects to sign with Discovery

Lance Armstrong reaffirmed his intention to race the Tour de France again, but wouldn’t be specific on exactly when during a raucous welcoming home ceremony for the six-time Tour winner in his Texas hometown of Austin over the weekend. While many of cycling’s top names were disputing the Olympic road race, Armstrong was being cheered by 60,000 fans and contemplating his future. “I’ll definitely be back to the Tour,” Armstrong told The Associated Press, shortly before participating in a parade in his honor in his adopted hometown. “I think I have another year or two in me. That’s not just a

Arndt irked at German federation, not CarriganJudith Arndt says her hand gesture as she crossed the finish line in Sunday's women's road race in Athens was not directed at Australian winner Sara Carrigan, but rather at the German cycling federation for excluding her partner, Petra Rossner, from the German Olympic cycling team. Asked by reporters if her finger gesture was aimed at Carrigan, the 28-year-old said: "It wasn't anything to do with Sara. We gave the gold away. Petra is the best sprinter in the world. I'm sad that she did not ride with me. I dedicate my medal to her." The

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.Arndt’s childish display hurts the sportEditor:After seeing the salute Judith Arndt decided to give the world Sunday, I felt a comment was needed. The Olympics occur only every four years the last time I checked, which makes election for them and representing your country a great honor.

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to another installment into the all-encompassing grab bag known as my weekly Web column. It’s been a busy time for me, as the “neighborhood” has twice in the past two weeks extended to California — two trips that reconfirmed my view of my native state as simultaneously the best and worst in our nation. (I think Robert Pielke put it best in the epilogue to his 1996 book “You Say You Want A Revolution” when he wrote: “California has been cursed and blessed with virtually every paradox imaginable. Physically, the state is an incomparable paradise as well as a

Mike “Bling-Bling” Jones

As the Olympics head into their second day here in Athens, doping has been the big story with the focus on Greece’s top two sprinters and their infamous moped accident. But now comes news that cycling has been dragged into the law-breaking fray — albeit on a much smaller scale. The tawdry tale came to light late Saturday when Greek police announced that they’d arrested Anthony Cooke, father of top British cyclist Nicole Cooke. Apparently the senior Cooke ran afoul with the law when he and a friend were nabbed during a clandestine graffiti operation on one of the streets of the road course.

The contrast couldn’t have been greater as the latest batch of cycling medalists faced the media shortly after the conclusion of the women’s Olympic road race on the downtown streets of Athens on Sunday. In the center seat of the raised podium sat Sara Carrigan, a starry gaze striped across her youthful face. Moments earlier the Aussie had grabbed gold, after pushing away from Judith Arndt on the last lap of the 118.8km race. Meanwhile, Arndt looked downright disgusted despite the silver medal swinging from her neck. The German was still seething over the Olympic-team exclusion of former

Och’ fined for water handup outside feed zoneU.S. Olympic road coach Jim Ochowicz was fined Sunday for giving a bottle of water to a rider outside the approved area during the men's road race on Saturday. Ochowicz was fined the equivalent of about $162 by the UCI. No rider was named or fined, officials said. Temperatures topped 100 degrees on parts of the course Saturday, so race officials allowed team cars to pass water and food to riders over an expanded stretch of the course. Temperatures were cooler for the women's road race Sunday along the same 8.2-mile course, but the more generous

Casey Gibson was at it again in Athens on Sunday, enjoying the women's road race and its surprise ending. Below you'll find a sampling of what he saw.

Team doctors working with Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel said that it is still uncertain whether the Dutch cycling star will ride the Olympic women's individual time trial after a sickening tumble in the road race in Athens on Sunday. The 34-year-old world and Olympic champion badly bruised her shoulder, elbow and hip when she crashed from her bike two laps from the finish in the road race won by Australian Sara Carrigan. Zijlaard-van Moorsel was badly shaken and was unable to rejoin the race after landing heavily in a crash just as the race was beginning to sort itself out. "She is

There are victory salutes ...

Then Van Moorsel and Brandli hit the deck after a touch of wheels

Van Moorsel and Arndt led the charge past Huguet

Arndt was relentless

The podium

... and then there are other salutations

A leisurely start on a hot day

The women hit the road in Athens

But not before the Yanks had their morning java

Dede's fans were in town ... and they weren't getting arrested for painting the road like some riders' fans

Thorburn hustles despite the heat