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Gerolsteiner’s Danilo Hondo won the first stage of the Three Days of De Panne on Tuesday, taking a sprint win at the end of 196km race from Middelkerke to Zottegem, Belgium. Hondo charged to the line, beating Baden Cooke (fdjeux.com), U.S. Postal’s George Hincapie and Luca Paolini (Quick Step) and 20 others who had formed a strong breakaway group about 9km from the finish. With time bonuses considered, Hondo now enjoys a four-second lead over Cooke on GC, with Hincapie rounding out the top three at six seconds. American David Clinger (Domina Vacanze) also made the break and finished the day

Avoiding the grindDear Lennard,I'm having a problem with my 13-39 X 53/39 Campy Chorus (2003) set-up.When it is on the 39 ring and in the 26 or 29 cog, the space between thecog and the upper roller/jockey of the derailleur is so close that thechain is rubbed/grinded in between. I have tried turning the screw on thederailleur cage but to no avail. It appears that the chain is too longeven if I followed the somewhat confusing instruction of the Campy manual.Can you please share any other tip to determine proper chain length? I'vesearched the VeloNews archives for your feature on this asI

Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 30, 2004)--As part of its mission to make fitness a way of life, 24 Hour Fitness Team Sports is again offering the online group sales program for its National Governing Body (NGB) partner, USA Cycling. From April 1 through April 30, 2004, documented USA Cycling members will be able to purchase 24 Hour Fitness memberships and personal training online at significantly discounted rates. The pricing structure is tiered to allow the greatest flexibility for USA Cycling members. Family add-on opportunities are also available. Enrollment information is available

March 30th - Verona, Italy Third selection at the Biblo’ disco club in Desenzano: Tuesday evening (29 March) the beauty contest “Miss Mondiali” selected other three finalists, everybody from Verona. Actor Fabio Testi was a member of the jury. Some of the candidates came either from Veneto Region or from other regions. The winner is Giada Biasia, 21 years old from Verona. The second place went to Valeria Zanchi (23 years old, from Verona) and the third position to Silvia Bonandi (23 years old, from Rivoltella). Actually, now there are nine finalists for the final evening scheduled for 30th

HAVERHILL, MA-Mavic-adidas Cycling announces today the introductionof the brand new adidas Cycling web site, www.adidascycling.net. This fully interactive site allows individuals to view clothing, shoes,and accessories of the most recognized sports brand in the world. The site offers in-depth technical descriptions, news; features on adidassponsored athletes, such as Tim Johnson and the T-mobile squad, and upcomingevents."We are excited to step into the nineteen-nineties by putting adidasCycling on this so-called ‘information super highway’ chortled marketingdirector Christopher Zigmont

Hondo wins; Hincapie takes third.

March 29 - Beauties on the walk in the name of the sport: the second selection of the beauty contest Miss Mondiali, that took place last Saturday night at the Barcelona Club of Bussolengo, brought to the election of three new candidates to the role of rewarders of the next Cycling World Championships. 22-year-old Veronese Valentina Seruggeri received the highest number of votes (she has already participated in some important telecasts and was a finalist in the beauty contest Miss Italia). The other finalists that will partake in the 30 April’s final at the Hollywood of Bardolino, are

NORRISTOWN, PA (March 29, 2004) – The Pro Cycling Tour (PCT) announced today an agreement with Gita Sporting Goods, Ltd. naming Giordana Clothing as the Official Cycling Clothing Sponsor of the 2004 Pro Cycling Tour and its events in Philadelphia, New York City, Vail, and San Francisco. As the Official Cycling Clothing Supplier of the 2004 PCT, Giordana will produce all Pro Cycling Tour merchandise, and feature PCT and event merchandise in its catalogs. In addition, Giordana will receive prominent visibility and co-branded media opportunities at Pro Cycling Tour events. Speaking for Gita

Dear Joe and Dirk,Mine has to be a pretty common problem. With work, kids, a job, a mortgage… well you know the drill. When it gets down to it, I can really only ride maybe three days a week for two hours max. Some weeks it is only two days with one of the rides being on the trainer. With such minimal training time, should I spend a larger percentage of my time doing hard riding (intervals, etc) since I am less likely to over-train? How should you adjust the time spent in each zone when you have more than adequate recovery time?Thanks,Don Don,You are not uncommon and trying to get the

Usually when the time changes in the spring of each year, it is accompanied by an improvement in the weather, but here in Salamanca, we experienced a serious digression in the conditions over night as Europe moved into to daylight savings time. We awoke to dark skies and snow flurries. It was hard to believe we were in Spain or that it was the end of March. In keeping with the mood, Cathy Marsal wished me a “Merry Christmas” as we were warming up. It seems like the spring weather has been especially harsh this year in Europe. Michael sent me a text message from France, where he was racing

Over the past week, I have been in Northern Europe getting reacquainted with the cold weather. I have had a good schedule in the last months as I have only raced in the south of Spain and Portugal and have not had to suffer and endure the frigid temps in the rest of Europe. In Dwaars door Vlandaaren, a one-day race in Flanders; I was initiated to the cobbles, bergs, wind and cold. All in all, it was a pretty good experience and one I would go back and fight through again. This year we have a great team for the classics, as Max, Devolder, George and Eki’ are all riding well enough to win any

The team leaders of the Rabobank Cycling Team, Erik Breukink, Frans Maassen and Adri van Houwelingen, will call Oscar Freire Gomez, Michael Boogerd and Erik Dekker to arms on April 4th for the Tour of Flanders. As the latest winner of Milano-Sanremo, Oscar Freire Gomez will defend his leading position in the UCI World Cup. Freire, Boogerd and Dekker will be accompanied by Marc Wauters, Maarten den Bakker, Karsten Kroon and Steven de Jongh. A choice will be made between Robert Hunter and Roy Sentjens for the eighth position. Marc Wauters and Maarten den Bakker will be in the Rabobank Cycling

HAVERHILL, MA - Mavic-adidas Cycling announces today the initiation of a multi-year footwear and accessory relationship with Tim Johnson of the Saunier Duval-Prodir professional cycling team. Johnson, originally from Middleton, Massachusetts, will ride with adidas Cycling shoes and related accessories for racing and training and will participate in the development process as well. “We are thrilled to have Tim on board. We have a focus on emerging talent at adidas and no one represents the promise of young American talent more than Tim.” offered Christopher Zigmont, Marketing Director for

Team CSC just keeps rolling. After the Danish-based squad earned wins for Jörg Jaksche at the Mediterranean Tour and Paris-Nice, it was the turn this weekend of Jaksche’s fellow German Jens Voigt to dominate the Critérium International. Voigt, 32, won both of Sunday’s two stages to take the overall victory by 12 seconds over the emerging Spanish star José Ivan Gutierrez of Balears-Banesto. A still-improving Lance Armstrong finished third another two seconds back, with CSC’s rejuvenated Bobby Julich a further two seconds behind in fourth. In the closing 8.3km time trial, Voigt beat

The delicate operation of putting the roof over the Olympic velodrome in Athens has been completed two days ahead of schedule, a spokesman for the structure's Spanish designer, Santiago Calatrava, reported Sunday. The spokesman said the roof's success augured well for the controversial yet-to-be installed cover over the Olympic stadium, also designed by Calatrava. "This represents a good test," he said. The Olympic stadium roof will be installed using the same technique as its cycling cousin, which weighed 4000 tons and measured 106 by 154 meters. It was slid into place along 135 meters of

Chris Horner and Lyne Bessette successfully defended their respective leader's jersey on Sunday's final stage of the 20th-anniversary Redlands Bicycle Classic, with Horner taking his fourth win in five years and Bessette winning the women's race for the second time. On the closing Sunset Loop road race, Bessette was content to defend the race lead and seal the overall win, opening the door for an opportunistic and gutsy win by Victory Brewing's Nicole Demars. However, in the men's race, Horner took the opportunity to deliver one more blow to the reeling Health Net team, setting up his Webcor

... and finished it right, as well.

Voigt started his day right...

Voight repeats at C-I

Armstrong: 'still lacking... power'

Millar was just one second back

Horner has dominated throughout

Bessette has proven more than capable of taking on Jeanson

A dangerous break with lots of power...

... was watched closely by the two top teams.

When he has a clear shot, Dionne easily gets the win

Never give up. Demar's efforts pay off

The Vuelta Castilla y Léon is a three-day tour that started in Valladolid and traveled to Salamanca. The field was incredibly strong here, 160 riders, including several world and Olympic champions. The terrain is rather desolate in this region of Spain, as there are not too many trees, mountains or small towns in the countryside, so the high winds that nature provides have had a profound effect on the racing. T-Mobile started this race with five girls – Dotsie Cowden, Amber Neben, Kimberly Bruckner, Stacey Peters and me. After day one, we began calling ourselves the “Bad News Bears,” as

The Cours Aristide Briand in Charleville-Mezières is not as long or as wide as the Champs-Élysées in Paris, but French sprinter Jean-Patrick Nazon likes them both. He was won the most important sprints of his career on the two avenues, and he continued that run on Saturday in the opening stage of the two-day Critérium International. Last July, on a sultry summer’s day, Nazon took the final stage of the Tour de France thanks more to his bustling style than his erratic finishing speed. That gave this 6-foot, 163-pound rider a half-length verdict over his inherently faster Aussie rivals Baden

At Saturday’s criteriums at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, the Genesis Scuba squad showed why it will be a favorite at criteriums all year long, with Tina Pic and Laura Van Gilder going one-two in the women’s race, while in the men’s event, Jelly Belly-Aramark continued to build its case as an upper echelon team for the 2004 season, delivering Alex Candelario to one of the biggest wins of his career. The men’s race also saw some controversy at the finish, with Gord Fraser tangling with Charles Dionne, and Fraser getting relegated from his third-place finish. The men’s race saw non-stop

Beloki's season debut

Candelario looks happy, doesn't he?

Horner catches a ride on the Health Net train

Candelario

Tina Pic grabbed the right wheel

(A)nd I was, after all, a professional journalist; soI had an obligation to cover the story, for good or ill.Hunter S. Thompson"Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" Okay I’m coming clean here. Brace yourself. I use performance-enhancingdrugs. I’m not particularly proud of this. Still, it’s something I have todo, a hard choice forced upon me by circumstances. Cycling commentary isa hard dollar indeed, and a guy has to do what he can to get an edge andkeep it. I mean, look at the season, for Christ’s sake. Lance and Tylermay think they’ve got a long shift and a short weekend, but the seasonnever

Thanks for the Redlands coverageVeloNews:Many thanks to Velonews.com for its coverage of the Redlands Classic. The very large field attests to the importance of this race for domestic cycling. Nowhere else can I find even any mention of this race. Chris Horner's performance both here and in San Francisco last September speak volumes as to the quality of the top domestic riders. Keep up the good work! Jonathan WrightToledo, Ohio(where we are still waiting for spring) Manzano's revelations show we've been suckeredVeloNews:Former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano's recent revelations about drug use

Tour de France winner Stephen Roche has rejected suggestions by an Italian judge that he took performance-enhancing drugs during his career, according to the Irish Independent. "I have never taken performance-enhancing drugs, whether banned or unbanned, on or off the list, at any time,” said Roche. "In fact, I underwent hundreds of tests during my career and all were negative.” The issue of drug taking during Roche's career, during which he won the Tour, the Giro d’Italia and the world championship road race all in one season (1987), arose after the publication this week of an Italian

Organizers of the Tour de France on Friday ruled out the possibility of the scandalized Kelme team being handed a wild-card invitation to this year's race. The decision comes days after former Kelme professional Jesus Manzano blew the whistle on what he claims to be systematic doping within the Spanish team. Last month, Tour organizers announced the 21 teams for this year's race - at which American Lance Armstrong will be bidding for a record sixth victory - but left open the possibility of a 22nd team participating. Today, Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc said the option of having a 22nd

Spanish rider Joaquin Rodriguez (Saunier Duval) won the Setmana Catalana on Friday by just two seconds after finishing seventh on the 168km fifth and final stage, between Solsona and Parets del Valles. Angel Edo (Milaneza) won the stage ahead of Josep Jufre (Relax-Bodysol) and Martin Perdiguero (Saunier Duval), while Rodriguez finished with a bunch just behind, holding onto half of the four-second lead he gained after finishing second behind American Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) on the race's hardest climbing stage on Thursday. Leipheimer wound up 14th overall. The start of Friday's final

Charlotte, N.C., March 25 - Gita Sporting Goods, Ltd. announced today that Giordana apparel has again been chosen as the official technical apparel sponsor of the 2004 Dodge Tour De Georgia. Giordana will manufacture the four awards jerseys, the Leader, King of the Mountains, Sprint Leader and Best Young Rider. All four will also be available through bike shops and onsite at the finish area of each stage of the race. Speaking for Gita, Sandy Nicholls, Marketing Director, said: “We are extremely excited to see the Dodge Tour De Georgia return and be able to continue our involvement with it. A

(3/26/04) With excitement building rapidly for the April launch of its new super-light Six13 road models, Cannondale has responded with a new area of its web site devoted exclusively to the innovative new design. The new microsite can be accessed through Cannondale’s home page, www.cannondale.com, or directly at either www.cannondalesix13.com or www.legalizemycannondale.com. The site has in-depth information on the Six13’s unique design and construction process, which mates carbon fiber top, down and seat tubes with welded aluminum joint clusters and a welded aluminum rear triangle. The

Levi Leipheimer is upbeat after winning his first bike race since he took the French stage race, the Route du Sud, in June 2002. He’s psyched because the race he won on Thursday was the toughest, and the only true mountain stage, of this week’s Setmana Catalana. The five-hour stage took in two climbs (including the one to the finish) to the remote ski station of the Port del Comte, a Cat. 1 ascent that peaks out at 5709 feet elevation, deep in the Spanish Pyrenees. The significance of his win was obvious, particularly in the context of this year’s upcoming Tour de France. To win the stage,

For Chris Horner, Friday’s Panorama Point circuit race was simply another day of defending his yellow leader’s jersey at the Redlands Bicycle Classic. For Lyne Bessette, however, Friday’s race finally saw her overtake Geneviève Jeanson (RONA) and move into the women’s overall race lead. Horner and Bessette now lead the race, while Ivan Dominguez (Colavita Olive Oil) and Kristin Armstrong (T-Mobile) took big stage wins for their teams. Despite winning the prologue and the stage 1 Crestline road race, Jeanson has shown weaknesses all week long, most notably on Thursday’s stage to Oak Glen,

Friday’s foaming rant: Bread, water and circuses

Kelme riders lead a protest before Friday's final stage

Rodriguez hoists his prize

Edo gets the stage

Levi Leipheimer's glad to join the Rabobank winner's club

T-Mobile's Armstrong savors a stage win

Bessette puts the hammer down

Racer leader Jeanson felt flat

Health Net took another run at Horner with Pate off the front

The day went to Dominguez, and Horner remained in control

Dear Bob,I have an idea about a new device to be used by competitive cyclists. Ireally think it is a good product and no one else has thought of it (asfar as I know). Should I try to get a patent before I talk to prospectiveinvestors?Anonymous Dear Anon,Before you contemplate seeking out investors it is in your best interestto know a little bit more about the process for obtaining a patent, thecosts involved and the potential for disappointment. This being said, apatent can richly reward you for your inventiveness by granting you a temporarymonopoly. Prior to speaking with investors, you

Former world Madison champion Robert Sassone, who is being investigated after drugs were found at his home, has admitted making a "mistake" which would ruin his life. Sassone, 26, who also tested positive for a steroid derivative last year, printed an open letter in the French-language New Caledonians newspaper on Thursday saying he was paying heavily for his actions. "I didn't kill anyone, but this mistake, which I will explain to the judge, I'm paying for heavily and in cash. It will ruin my life because I dreamt of a career in cycling," said Sassone, a member of the Cofidis team until

Former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano on Thursday said that professional cycling is awash with growth hormones, the banned blood booster EPO and host of other products often not intended for human use. Manzano’s interviews are appearing in the Spanish newspaper AS in a bid to avenge his sacking by the Kelme team last year, said for many riders the practice was openly available. "It's like an open bar when it comes to growth hormones, and you get injected with EPO (Erythropoietin) almost every day," said the 25-year-old Spaniard in the second part of his interview with AS. Manzano backed up his

Rabobank’s Levi Leipheimer brushed off the effects of a crash earlier in the week to win the fourth stage of Setmana Catalana atop the Port del Compte on Thursday. Saunier Duval’s Joaquin Rodriguez, who finished alongside the American, took the overall lead after the 179.5km stage ride from Palau Solita I Plegamans which finished on the summit of the Category 1 Port del Compte. The stage started with attacks after the first kilometer. By the third kilometer, Gonzalo Bayarri (Phonak) tried his luck and managed to build a small gap on the field. He was soon joined by nine others, including

Saeco’s Mirko Celestino won the second stage of the five-stage Coppi-Bartali international as it finished in Faenza Thursday. Celestino, took a 12-man sprint at the end of the day’s 206km stage from Riccione in northern Italy. By beating Ruggero Marzoli and Giuliano Figueras to the line, Celestino also assumed the overall lead going into Friday’s 176km stage from Emilia to Scandiano. Astarloa injuredWorld road race champion Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) suffered head and neck injuries in an accident while out riding, according to Gazzetta dello sport. The 27-year-old Spaniard was training near

Unless you’ve been vacationing on the dark side of the moon for the past year, you’re probably aware the UCI has mandated the use of helmets for the pro peloton. While the majority of the 2003 pro road season saw riders with certified skid-lids worn during mass start stages and events, all bets were off for team and individual time trials. For the 2003 season the UCI simply let the time trialists slide when it came to wearing a protective helmet (the millimeter-thin aerodynamic fairings the riders wore don’t offer any protection). Welcome to 2004You may have noticed riders no longer

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Thursday that AdhamSbeih, a cyclist from Sacramento, Calif., was suspended for two years aftertesting positive for recombinant human Erythropoietin (rEPO).  Itis the first suspension of an athlete in the United States for an rEPOpositive.The suspension followed a hearing before a three-member panel of theAmerican Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitrationfor Sport (CAS), which concluded in part that “The methodology utilizedby the UCLA Lab for testing rEPO is scientifically sound and the resultsproduced by the tests

Webcor. Jittery Joe’s. Jelly Belly. For the second day in a row, those were the three teams represented on the men’s podium at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, as Chris Horner won for the third day in a row and extended his overall race lead. Meanwhile, the women’s race tightened up, as Lyne Bessette took the stage victory on Oak Glen and cut deeply into Geneviève Jeanson’s race lead. For the second day, Horner’s Webcor squad held in check the efforts of the big-budget Health Net-Maxxis team to put the pressure on Horner. As they did on Wednesday’s Crestline stage, Health Net banked on the

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske: I have an idea. Now what?

Illegal speed: Giro's Rev IV is now a relic of the past

Postal's Floyd Landis has legal head gear

Bessette makes her move

Moninger and Pate

Horner and Grajales team up...

...and Horner wins on his own - again.

Thorburn and Bessette eventually left Jeanson on her own

Moninger and Pate

Horner and Grajales team up...

...and Horner wins on his own - again.

Thorburn and Bessette eventually left Jeanson on her own

Isaac Galvez handed his Illes Balears-Banesto team a welcome stage victory on the third day of Setmana Catalana in Montcada I Reixac on Wednesday, pipping T-Mobile's Erik Zabel on the finish line. After two days of Swiss domination, with wins going to Fabian Cancellara and Beat Zberg, Galvez finally handed Spain a victory following the 159.5km stage from Castello d'Empuries. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Saunier Duval) took the overall race lead after finishing third. Galvez, meanwhile, had to wait for a photo finish decision before being told he had beat T-Mobile veteran Zabel, who