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As the 87th Giro d’Italia got under way, Saeco announced that it has signed Damiano Cunego for 2005-06 and given him a raise “reflecting the value of the rider and the results he has already obtained.” "Damiano Cunego has again his seriousness and maturity and has rightly valued the way we have helped him develop and improved in our team,” team manager Claudio Corti said. "The agreement will guarantee this development in the next few years and should give us both a successful and important future.” "Obviously I’m very happy,” Cunego said after signing his new contract. "I know I’ve made the

Brad McGee (FDJeux.com), winner of the prologue in last year’s Tour de France, added the Giro d’Italia prologue to his palmares in Genoa on Saturday. The 28-year-old Australian won the difficult 6.9km prologue through the streets of this city and donned the overall leader's maglia rosa, finishing10 seconds faster than Germany's Olaf Pollack (Gerolsteiner) and 20 seconds up on Yaroslav Popovych (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago). It wasn’t exactly a ride in the park for the young Aussie. McGee said he banged his left knee against the frame of his bike when he braked hard to avoid hitting spectators

The fast men had their day in the sun on Saturday during the prologue of the 87th Giro d’Italia as, one at a time, 169 riders from 19 teams fought for the right to wear the leader’s pink jersey going into Sunday’s first stage. Bradley McGee (FDJeux.com), who won the prologue in the 2003 Tour de France, had been widely favored in the short, technical 6.9km race. Other hopefuls included Tomas Vaitkus (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago), Magnus Backstedt (Alessio–Bianchi), Rubens Bertogliati (Lampre), Florent Brard (Chocolade Jacques), and the elder statesman of speed, Mario Cipollini (Domina

Well, here we go. This is the first big race I’ve done after Paris-Roubaix, and despite the fact that I’ve done the Giro d’Italia before, this time it’s all new to me. It’s just been a pretty strange time, these last few weeks, leading up to the Giro. Winning something like Paris-Roubaix really does a job on your life (see "Backstedt a big surprise at Paris-Roubaix"). For one thing, people are actually paying attention to me when I’m just doing little things like warming up for the prologue. That never really happened before. Today, media were constantly coming by to ask questions, others

Nicole Freedman, the 2000 U.S. national road champion and Sydney U.S. Olympic team member, filed an appeal Saturday against the UCI with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The appeal takes issue with the Team Basis rider’s latest UCI ranking, which in effect prevents Israel from sending anyone to the elite women's road race in the Athens Olympic Games this August. Freedman, who holds dual citizenship with Israel and the United States, says her UCI point total is off by three. According to UCI Olympic rules, since Israel is ranked outside of the top 21 nations in the world for

2004 Giro d'Italia Start List

McGee and his daughter celebrate his quick start to the Giro

Pretty in pink?

The Lion King in his latest getup, which helped him finish 11th on the day and drew the traditional fine from the UCI

But McGee was the man of the hour

McGee scores the first maglia rosa of the 2004 Giro

Two riders have been excluded from the Giro d'Italia two days before Saturday's start in Genoa after failing pre-race blood tests. Colombian Uberlino Mesa Estepa (Colombia-Selle Italia) and Slovenian Jure Golcer (Formaggi Pinzolo) were found with blood values above the limits allowed in tests carried out by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The UCI said on Thursday the two riders had been suspended for 15 days and would have to undergo further blood tests before being allowed to race again. –Reuters French judge orders Rumsas arrestedA French judge has issued international arrest

This story appears in the current issue of VeloNewsAFTER A COUPLE of rough-and-tumble years that included doping scandals, challenges from the Vuelta a España and snubs from Tour de France stars, the Giro d’Italia seems poised toreclaim its rightful position as one of cycling’s legendary events.Following an exciting 2003 edition that saw Gilberto Simoni return todominance over a strong field, the 87th Giro will cover a balanced 20-stage,3435km route that has only three summit finishes during its May 8-30 run,yet contains more climbing than last year’s race (61,000 feet versus 57,000).And with

GILBERTO SIMONI (I)SAECO: WINNER 2001, 2003The two-time Giro champion took his time finding his racing legs goinginto May. Typically firing on all cylinders by early April at the Tourof the Basque Country, “Gibi” was still pack fodder at the Tour of Aragon, just three weeks before the Giro’s start. Simoni blamed rain andcold weather for his sluggish start, but that’s all part of his plan. Afterstorming to victory in the Giro last year, Simoni suffered an equally dramaticmeltdown in the Tour de France, despite his confident declarations thathe would derail Lance Armstrong. “This year we are

So let me get this straight. Lance Armstrong is the world's greatest athlete, but cycling barely makes the top 20 in a ranking of the most demanding sports? Yes, according to a recent series on ESPN.com. In a tournament-style fan poll, Armstrong beat out Atlanta Falcons quarterback Mike Vick in the finals this week. Yet on the same site, an expert panel chose boxing as the toughest sport in the world, with cycling coming in a meager 20th, sandwiched between figure skating and volleyball. It's funny, but many people, before they launch into a defense of their own sport, seem to grudgingly (or

This story appears in the current issue of VeloNews MARIO CIPOLLINI AND ALESSANDRO PETACCHI are a study in contrasts. Cipollini is the flamboyant showman who brings kitschy glam to cycling,while Petacchi is the hardworking pupil, anxious to fulfill his potential.Super Mario is cycling’s extroverted showman, the man who showed up atthe start of a stage in the 1999 Tour de France dressed in a toga and waspulled around by his similarly clad teammates in a rigged-up chariot. “Veni,vidi, vici [I came, I saw, I conquered],” Cipollini boasted after scoringfour stage wins, then promptly abandoning

Important Recall Notice of SM-SH92 Cleats sold as after marketproduct for Shimano SPD-R Pedals Shimano has recently become aware of a potential problem with SM-SH92cleats (Shimano part# Y43Y98030). Please read below for details.Name of product: SM-SH92 (10° total float) cleats designedfor Shimano SPD-R road pedals. Potential Hazard: Unable to clip out ofthe pedal if the rear protrusion tab breaks on the SM-SH92 cleat from prolongeduse.Description: The affected cleat has an engraved marking with the model SM-SH92 that is visible from the backside of the shoe. The SM-SH92 cleats were sold

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com, appearing each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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 really sucks is not taking a standEditor:Patrick O’Grady’s column made me smile, even if it did bash my organization. Correction, though: Bush wouldn't do a campaign press conference here . . . we're a nonprofit. So, we're left to praise

Alessandro Petacchi and Mario Cipollini aren’t the first to spar in the Giro d’Italia. The first great Giro rivalry was between Constante Giradengo, a Giro winner in 1919 and 1923, and Alfredo Binda, Italy’s first cycling superstar.

Nutrition isn’t usually my department (love of brats and beer notwithstanding) but earlier this week the higher-ups down here at VN cube-land asked me to track down a few pros and find out what they eat during the races. The difference here is that the people I was talking to aren’t your usual cross-country specialists, but folks who prefer to drag their suffering out a little longer. Among the query respondents were reigning 24-hour solo national champion Chris Eatough, Iditarod Trail record holder Mike Curiak and 2002 La Ruta de los Conquistadores women’s winner Hillary Harrison. Now I

In Thursday night’s unseasonably chilly night air at Porto Antico, Genoa, 189 cyclists shivered through the official presentation of the 19-team lineup for the 87th Giro d’Italia. Waiting for their stage call, the Lampre team clipped in and out, bounced on their forks, and mused about this year’s Giro, observing that stages 3 and 7 would be key. Vladimir Miholievic (Alessio-Bianchi) agreed about stage 3, which finishes atop the Corno alle Scale in the Apennines. The final 3.2km of that 12km climb is on a 14-percent grade, and Miholievic noted, “It’s hard to have a big climb so early on,

87th Giro d'Italia: Back in the Pink

Simoni: Ready for No. 3?

Scote one for the young guy

Fausto Coppi

Mmm...mmmm... lunch time!

Harrison

Garzelli and Simoni: The two favorites are still friendly

FDJeux.com rolls up for the presentation

Hi Bob,When I come to a lighted intersection while riding my bicycle my presencedoes not “trigger” the light. What are my options under the law? Do I havethe right to break the law by running the light or do I have to get offthe bike and hit the pedestrian walk button?ScottPennsylvania Dear Scott,You are not alone in the problem of traffic sensors failing to recognizethe presence of your bicycle. This very same problem faces thousands ofcyclists across the country every day. Coincidentally, Pennsylvania, thePennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) issued a press releasejust four

Belgian rider Marc Streel (Landbouwkrediet) pulled a “DuDu” in Thursday’s 183km second stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, holding off an epic solo breakaway typical of teammate Jackie Durand to grab the stage and take the overall lead. Streel opened up a 12-minute lead in the stage before the peloton woke out of its slumber, but it was too late. Streel nursed a 1:37 gap coming into the finish ahead of sprinting Jean Patrick Nazon (Ag2r), second for second consecutive day. U.S. Postal’s Max Van Heeswijk came through fourth while overnight race leader Jimmy Casper (Cofidis) drops to second at

Ah, Georgia, still on my mind.I know in the age of the Internet that the Dodge Tour de Georgia is sooo last month, but besides being the highest profile race I’ve covered in my two years here at VeloNews, I’d have to say it was probably the best bike racing I’ve had a chance to see up close. I think what was most gratifying to see was the chance for domestic racers to show to Lance, Mario and the gang from CSC that North American racing is no joke. Domestic veterans like Eric Wohlberg (Sierra Nevada) and John Lieswyn (Health Net-Maxxis) were putting up a fight day after day against the man,

Turn, turn, turn!!!!

Bruyneel refuses to underestimate the competition

Mr. Rogers' neighborhood:Georgia, still on my mind

Jimmy Casper gave his Cofidis team a welcomed boost in Steenvoorde, France, on Wednesday as he won the first stage of the Four Days to Dunkirk on the team’s very first day back to competition following a month's absence over a drugs scandal. Casper edged out Ag2r's Jean-Patrick Nazon in the 181km ride in northern Dunkirk which claimed a notable victim in the 2003 winner of the race as Christophe Moreau retired after being dropped by the peloton in wet and windy conditions. The dreadful weather also saw former Paris-Roubaix champion Servais Knaven and Jan Koerts of the Netherlands taken to

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com, appearing each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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.Study, study, study... and boycott, tooVeloNews,Regarding Burton Hathaway's letter, "Dumb Jocks versus law studenton a bike," (see "Monday's mail bag") I applaud your efforts, but it won'ttake you far. Concentrate instead on your second-year

Absence makes the legs grow stronger?

No repeat for Moreau

Tyler Hamilton (Phonak), fresh off his final time trial and overallvictory at the Tour de Romandie (SWI 2.HC), says he’s “on target” for theTour de France.The victories were Hamilton’s first since winning a stage in last year’sTour. The 33-year-old New Englander successfully defended his overall titleand proved his new Phonak team is up to the task of supporting him in bigraces.“In the Basque Country tour, Bobby Julich just barely squeezed me intosecond place in a test of truth. Now I'm celebrating two big coups at once:the best time trial rider by far as well as a comfortable overall

Colorado Springs, Colo. (May 4, 2004)--USA Cycling announcedtoday the athletes that will represent the United States at the final roundof the UCI Track World Cup in Sydney, Australia May 14-16, 2004. The final selection was made following USA Cycling’s World Cup Qualifierin Frisco, Texas this past weekend.Athletes receiving a start based upon their victories in Frisco includeMike Tillman (Santa Monica, Calif.) in the men’s individual pursuit, JameCarney (Boulder, Colo.) in the men’s scratch race and Andy Lakatosh (Trexlertown,Pa.) in the men’s keirin.Completing the men’s squad based upon

Colorado Springs, CO – SRAM, RockShox and Avid® enter the season with arguably the strongest collection of officially sponsored athletes ever assembled. The 2004 contingent will be comprised of more than 25 Olympic, World, World Cup, National and NORBA Champions. Riders will race an expanded calendar in ’04 in addition to the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. SRAM, RockShox and Avid are proud to sponsor the following athletes and teams as they embark on another season of inspired competition. Be sure to look for this dominating force atop podiums worldwide. Cross-Country – Marathon Barbara

The Tour of Romandie went better than we had hoped or imagined it would. Together, we were able to drum up victories in stages 3 and 5, win the overall individual and team classifications. It was a really nice feeling. We have been working hard all spring and it was great to finally see all of the collective efforts of the team and staff pay off. My teammates rode like men on a mission throughout the race. Many of them were competing in their own backyards and were extra motivated to make the most of their home court advantage. With these guys setting the tone, the rest of us followed suit

Dear Lennard,My right leg is half-an-inch shorter than my left. The difference appearsto come from a shorter right tibia. I get saddles sores on the right side.Should I shim or raise my right cleat? If so, how? I ride Look A-5 pedaland Sidi Titan blue cleats. Thanks for any input you might have.Rick Dear Rick,With a shorter tibia, a cleat shim of the same thickness as your leg-lengthdiscrepancy should work out pretty well. But it is not always so simpleas that. I get so many questions about leg-length discrepancies that inthe Bike Fit section in my new “Zinn’sCycling Primer,” I have devoted

Tyler Tunes: One step at a time

Will they be kissing him in July?

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Leg length; Mixing and matching

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Leg length; Mixing and matching

That fourth stage was a bear!

Tim Johnson (Saunier Duval) said illness in March destroyed his chances of making the team selection for the Giro d’Italia (May 8-30). The 26-year-old American was hoping to earn a spot on the Saunier Duval line-up in his first season racing based in Europe, but he missed nearly a month of racing after becoming sick during a cold and wet introduction to Europe. “I was so sick, I missed a month and I just couldn’t race,” Johnson said during last week’s Vuelta a Castilla y León in northern Spain. “I’m feeling good now. I’m finally racing, getting in the action.” Johnson was among 24 riders

Scott Moninger (Health Net /Maxxis) and Amber Neben (T-Mobile) sealed their Tour of the Gila victories on Sunday after the race’s toughest stage, the Gila Monster Road Race. Moninger proved he was back to his old form after 106 miles, nearly 10,000 feet of climbing and relentless attacks from challengers, by winning the men’s event, while Neben kept close tabs on her nearest challengers - Christine Thorburn (Webcor Builders) and Brooke Ourada (Victory Brewing) – as teammate Kim Anderson went off to chase an early break, taking the final stage win for herself. Moninger seals the dealIt was

LTHR testDear Joe and Dirk,I have read how you suggest testing for Lactate Threshold Heart Rate for either running or biking, but I have not yet have the chance to fit such a test into my training. I did recently run a half marathon, at a relatively even pace, with a fast last 2.1 miles. I can calculate a reasonably accurate average heart rate for the last 20 minutes of this race. Will this average be a good measure of my LTHR? Does it matter if the last three-fourths of a mile was fairly hilly (at least by southeastern Michigan standards)?C. Thomas LuddenBloomfield Hills, MichiganDear Mr.

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com, appearing each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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. Dumb Jocks versus law student on a bikeDear Velo,In reference to the letter about the dumb-ass radio station in Atlanta, here are the clips: I have personally begun the process of filing a formal complaint with the FCC regarding their lack

Kim Anderson, Amber Neven and Brook Ourada round out the top-three

Health Net worked to protect Moninger's jersey

The day's early break would not survive the “Gila Monster”

Swenson won the Cima Pantani prize at the summit of Anderson Vista

Frattini and Moninger drive the lead group

Swenson tries to leave the lead group in the final miles of the stage

The teams of overall race leaders Amber Neben and Scott Moninger showed their depth Saturday as former Olympic silver medalist and world time trial champion Mari Holden (T-Mobile) and Healthnet/Maxxis strongman Mike Sayers dominated the finishes of the Silver City Downtown Criterium to win stage 4 of the Tour of the Gila. Held on a 1.08-mile course that included an elevation change of 110 feet per lap, Sayers went off the front with five laps to go, followed only by Arizona-based regional pro Jacob Rubelt (Landis Trek/VW), and kicked the final sprint to put a stamp on the men’s race.

Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) erased any doubt he was the strongest man at 58th Tour de Romandie after cruising to a dominant victory in Sunday’s 20.4km individual time trial to sew up the overall title. Hamilton widened his 19-second lead to a 1-minute, 43-second victory over second place Fabian Jeker (Saunier Duval) to successfully defend his title in the demanding Swiss race on a course much more difficult than last year’s. The dominant win further confirms Hamilton’s status as one of the top contenders for the 2004 Tour de France, which the 33-year-old said is already on his mind. “I came

Alejandro Valverde (CV-Kelme) just can't help himself. The 23-year-old Spanish sensation sped to his third victory of the week in Sunday's fifth stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon (SPA 2.3) in northern Spain, pipping Martin Perdiguero (Saunier Duval) in a bunch sprint. Angel Edo (Milaneza) came through to take third in the 155km stage from Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo. Koldo Gil (Liberty Seguros) finished safely in the main bunch to conserve his grip on the overall leader's jersey and deliver his team's first stage-race victory of the season. Illes Balears, which won the team time

Moninger had a chance to relax while Sayers went off the strut his stuff

Wherry, Jones and Lokkesmoe in control.

Sayers scores!

The women's cresting the hill on Cooper St.

Rubelt was the only one who could follow Sayers.

Holden drives what became the winning move.

Hamilton's reprise

... but Hamilton got them both.

Scholz set the early standard...

... topped by McGee...

Danielson: Ready for a Giro start?