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Coming on the heels of the unveiling of the 2004 NORBA National Series schedule, USA Cycling revealed next year’s American Mountain Bike Challenge slate on Thursday. The 33-stop, 2004 AMBC series kicks off in North Miami, Florida on January 18, with the Oleta Fat Tire Festival, and then runs throughout the year, culminating with the Florida State Championship Series on November 21, also in North Miami. During the ten months in between, the AMBC series will be contested in 18 states, and welcomes 12 new events to the calendar. In addition to the senior, master, and professional races, some

Jean Marie Leblanc announces the 2004 Tour route under the watchful eye of a very interested party.

Nathan Rennie

Cédric Gracia

The official details of the 2004 Tour de France won’t be announced untilThursday morning in Paris, but through a little detective work, some intuitionand a few wild guesses here’s what next year's route could looklike, stage by stage.Saturday, July 3: Liège Prologue Time Trial (6km)The prologue and the following two stages in Belgium were announcedsome time ago. This is a perfectly flat individual time trial startingand finishing on the famed Boulevard de la Sauvinière, where April’sLiège-Bastogne-Liège used to finish until the early 1990s.Should be a perfect

Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich will be among the big names gathering inParis on Thursday for the unveiling of the 2004 Tour de France.Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc will officially reveal the 2004 routein a flashy ceremony in the Palais des Congres in Paris. While it likelywon’t pack the pomp and circumstance of last year’s ceremony when nearlyall the surviving winners came to mark the Tour’s centenary, the annualunveiling ceremony is always a big show.There’s been plenty of speculation about where the course will go, butuntil Thursday’s ceremony it’s all just guess work. What’s known for

Dear Monique,I have a question about nutrient uptakes. I have vitamin/mineral fortifiedcereals in the morning with breakfast. I also take supplements, usuallyafter dinner. Would it be better to take the supplement with my breakfast?I suppose the high concentration of nutrients would allow them to takenup faster. Or maybe spreading them out over multiple meals allow the bodyto extract them more efficiently or selectively.Thanks.RSDear RS;Thanks for your question. Many of us consume fortified foods in ourdiet or choose to take a multivitamin mineral supplement for extra nutrientinsurance that

Ever get back from a vacation and only weeks later remember you still have undeveloped photos? In the digital age, there's less of an excuse but, nonetheless I still had a few left-over shots banging about my hard drive from the Interbike show. The following shots are some of random highs and lows of the 2003 Interbike trade show. Enjoy! Andrew--

This is the final report card for the Hamilton Road World Championships.In my first report card, back in the spring, I assigned an overall gradeof B-Minus, and two weeks before the start of the event, the grade improvedto a B. Now, it is time for the final grade. As previously, grades areassigned for key aspects of the event and organization, followed by theoverall grade.Course: A+ (previously an A+)While the fields of competitors did not break up as much as expected,the course cannot be faulted. Teams rode defensively, with few riders willingto stick their neck out at the front of the race.

Belgian cycling great Johan Museeuw has announced plans to retire from the sport next spring, ending a 16-year career that has seen the “Lion of Flanders” win Paris-Roubaix three times. Museeuw inked an agreement this week to stay with his Quick Step–Davitamon team, but only through the first part of the 2004 season, when the 37-year-old will retire from the sport. According to a press release issued by Quick Step on Wednesday, Museeuw reached his decision at a meeting organised by the team in Brussels this week. Museeuw’s career will end with the GP Escaut – Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen,

A whole lot of news from the mountain biking world this week, but beforeI get into that, just wanted to say a big thanks to the folks who put onthe 24 Hours of Moab last weekend in Utah. After bailing on plans to hitthe event a year ago, I finally got out there and competed in my first24-hour race. It was quite the eye opener for lots of reasons (first nightride excluding late-night beer runs), but the biggest was probably thesimple fact that — to me — this is what mountain biking is really all about. Instead of the typical gathering of five-day-a-week training, AthleteOctane gulping,

These two 'gentlemen' were seen 'patrolling' the Seattle Bike Supply Booth. I wish the shot could show exactly how short their shorts were. Believe me, these are two escorts you would never want to show up to your hotel room...

Defeet was showing this cool 'bib' that provided wind protection over the rider's chest area, but could easily removed mid-ride when it warmed up.

Spanish manufacturer showed off this working prototype of a hydraulic disc brake road bike. Using Formula calipers and a mechanically activated master cylinder, enormous braking power could be generated. Galfer rotors and hydraulic lines also shown.

Here's a closer look at the system. Not the cleanest appearance, but until Shimano develops a hydraulic Dura-Ace caliper and master cylinder, this will have to work. This could very well be the future of road stoppers-that is if the UCI allows it.

Galfer also showed off its massive 255mm downhill/tandem rotor. Next to it is a standard 160mm rotor for comparison. Galfer owns the patent to the wavy rotor design.

Greg Herbold gets 'dolled-up' for a night on the town with the SRAM girls. Another male escort you wouldn't want knocking on your door.

The guys from Independent Fabrication were seen assembling their prototype full suspender only hours before the show door opened.

Even not-so-prototype bikes were seen being built at the very last minute.

The guys at Manitou held an inter-office contest to see who could grow the most embarrassing moustache. This guy won.

Model/racer Niki Gudex was seen shaking hands with Intense's Jeff Steber over an agreement that will have her racing pro cross-country in her native Australia for the 2004 season. Check out her website at www.nikigudex.com

Museeuw in his element - Paris-Roubaix, 2002

Just a few weeks ago, ONCE and Banesto both seemed doomed to the history books and commentators were bemoaning the fate of Spanish cycling. There was talk of hundreds of professional racers, masseurs, sport directors and other personnel hitting the streets without a job. Following Monday’s news that Banesto will carry on with Balearic Islands, things are looking rather bright once again. ONCE seems poised to continue with the Italian tool-maker Stayer (though there’s been no official announcement) and Saunier Duval is stepping up from co-sponsor of the Vini Caldirola team to build its own

Dear Lennard;I have used your book "Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance"quite a bit and love it. I just bought a road frame and am building a bikefrom scratch. Your book has lots of useful information, but I probablyneed more instruction on building up a bike (what order to do things in,etc.). Is there anything you can recommend?--JohnDear John;I can certainly recommend my "Mountain Bike Performance Handbook" ifyou are starting out with tapping and facing the bottom bracket and reamingand facing the head tube. You can buy that book from me directly, sinceVeloPress/VeloGear does not stock

We have just posted the on-line version of this year's edition of CiclismoItaliano, a celebration of the rich history of Italian cycling presented by our friends at the Italian Trade Commission.You will need AdobeAcrobat Reader to enjoy the on-line version of "Ciclismo Italiano."

Upon completing a second consecutive season atop the individual NRC standings, American Chris Horner remains unsure just which team he’ll be riding for next year. With Team Sports manager Tom Schuler still searching for a replacement sponsor for Saturn — rumors persist that Schuler’s close to signing a deal — Horner is playing the wait-and-see game into November. “I don’t have anything finalized yet,” Horner said in a phone interview last week. “I’m sure I’ll have a job next year, it’s just a matter of where.” After an awesome display of strength at September’s T-Mobile International,

Ciclismo Italiano is now on line

Phil Zajicek flirts with the devil

Horner's waiting for someone to show him the money

Gord 'Pops' Fraser and son, Angus Ian Fraser

American Levi Leipheimer has signed a one-year contract to continue with the Dutch Rabobank team for the 2004 season. Leipheimer, who turns 30 on Friday, said he signed the contract extension before the end of the 2003 Vuelta a España, where he finished 58th overall. Leipheimer penned a two-year deal with Rabobank after his breakthrough third-place podium finish in the 2001 Vuelta, becoming the first American to finish on the Vuelta’s final podium. In 2002, he won a stage and the overall title at the Route du Sud and finished an impressive eighth-place in his Tour de France

One of the most successful professional cycling programs of the past two decades avoided disaster Monday when Banesto team officials signed a new three-year sponsorship deal with the government of Spain's Balearic Islands.Spanish radio reported Monday afternoon that team manager Jose Miguel Echavarri has formalized a three-year deal with the Balearic Islands regional government. Banesto, the Spanish bank that supported the team through the Miguel Indurain glory years, will remain on as a co-sponsor for at least the first year.The official name of the team is still not known, but the name

A new technical edict from cycling’s international governing body has sent professional cyclo-cross racers scrambling for new equipment… and maybe grasping for an explanation. According to a technical updated posted to USA Cycling’s website, professional cyclo-cross racers will no longer be able to run disc brakes in UCI sanctioned events. According to the report, the ban will take effect on November 1, 2003, forcing riders and sponsors to quickly re-equip bikes. In some cases, that replacement doesn’t come easily. According to Chris Peck, Cannondale’s director of research and development,

Lance Armstrong completed a weeklong ride across the United States to Washington, D.C., on Saturday to raise awareness about fighting cancer. The 32-year-old American, who overcame testicular cancer to win five consecutive Tours, was part of the Tour of Hope, a 3,200-mile trek from Los Angeles to the nation's capital. The journey by 26 riders was a call to lawmakers to stay committed to supporting research into cancer cures. "The Tour of Hope is about getting the word out that we can beat this disease, but it has to be a team effort," Armstrong said. "My treatments were made possible by

British cyclist Charles Wegelius, who rides for the Italian second division team De Nardi failed a blood test in Bergamo, Italy, Saturday, ruling him out of the Tour of Lombardy, the final leg of the 10-race World Cup. The De Nardi team's manager said however that Wegelius would undergo “every test possible” on Monday to prove he has not been doping. Wegelius was ruled out of Saturday's race, and for competition for the next two weeks, after a pre-race blood test showed his haematocrit level to be above the permitted threshold of 50 percent. The 25-year-old, who was born in Finland, will

Just like last year, Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) won Saturday’s Giro di Lombardia, the final major European race of the 2003 racing season. Just like last year, Bartoli was left off the Italian road world’s team and came into the “Race of the Falling Leaves” with something to prove. Unlike last year, this time he won the hilly Lombardia with a forceful solo attack with less than 20km to go. Cofidis rider Angelo Lopeboselli was the only rider who stood up to the challenge, but the cagey Bartoli held off the young gun to sprint to victory. Saturday’s 97th running of Lombardia started with

When Marc Gullickson decided to fly back east for the opening round of the 2003 Verge New England Cyclo-cross Series in New Gloucester, Maine, the Redline racer really didn’t know what to expect. With the world road championships only a week prior, surely top New England ‘crossers like Tim Johnson and Mark McCormack (Saturn) would rest after their efforts in Hamilton. But Gullickson, the defending New England series champion, ended up with a tougher fight on his hands than he might have imagined, as McCormack and five-time Canadian ‘cross champ Peter Wedge (Kona) both made surprise

Patrik Sinkewitz attacks

Juan Antonio Flecha

Bellotti was one of the early animators

world champion Igor Astarloa

Gully fights off a tough crowd in Maine

McCormack has been dealing with a cold and his wife's morning sickness

Mary McConneloug has nearly two minutes' worth of cushion at the finish

Dear Monique;My question revolves around the hydrationarticle you wrote on October 1st. I typically drink lots of water-all day long. I would say on a typical day a gallon or so is the average.I usually don’t mix in any electrolytes like Gatorade, or anything else.My question arises from this: A good friend went to the doctor recentlythinking he might be diabetic because he would get very lethargic throughoutthe day (and during workouts).The doctor told him he was drinking too much straight water anddiluting his system. Is this possible? We live in Florida, so we consistentlytrain in 90+

Dear Doc;I am a 35-year-old Category 2 road racer who just got over a bout with West Nile fever. I was diagnosed thorough the IgM titer and from the week long symptoms of fever, head ache, body aches and dehydration. I was unlucky to get sick but lucky to get over it without any major events besides missing four days of work and feeling totally wasted for a few days after the fever was gone. I am riding the bike again after a 10 day hiatus. I have lost all my strength and power. But have conserved the aerobic fitness. My heart rates are 10-15 beat higher than before when riding. Resting

After Chris Horner’s ride in Hamilton, I don’t think anyone can question whether a U.S. domestic pro can compete with the big boys at world’s. Could you imagine the shockwaves that would have rippled through the pressroom and the crowd if one of his late attacks had stuck? Would have ranked as one of the great upsets ever. It’s a shame Tom Danielson was sidelined with injury for Hamilton. After seeing what Horner did, there’s no doubt Danielson could have been a player in the race as well. And what a perfect symmetry there would have been had he somehow managed to snag the rainbow jersey:

The 2003 European road racing season wraps up Saturday with the 97thGiro di Lombardia in northern Italy.Also the final leg of the 10-round World Cup series, the “Race of the Falling Leaves” is traditionally the season’s last major race. Series leader Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) has an untouchable advantage and will win his second consecutive overall title.The 250km course follows tradition, starting in Como, hitting such steep climbs as the Madonna del Ghisallo, the Colle del Gallo and the Colle Aperto before the finish in Bergamo.Returning champion Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) will be

Rebellin, Bartoli and Oscar Camenzind at last year's World Cup finale.

There’s a brewing storm over speculation that four elite men competitors from last weekend’s road world championships in Canada might have failed anti-doping tests. According to reports in the European press, urine samples from two Spanish, one Belgian and one Italian rider have been shipped to the UCI’s anti-doping lab in Switzerland for tests to detect the presence of EPO, a banned performance-enhancing product. The French sports daily L’Equipe reported that pre-race random blood screenings Friday and Saturday revealed “abnormal parameters” and urine samples were later taken for

I only get nervous for a few races each season and the world championship road races had my heart racing all weekend - although, I am not sure if I was more nervous for Michael’s race or for mine. The races in Hamilton provided a few surprises this past weekend. After previewing the course on Thursday and chatting with many of the men and women about the difficulty of the hills, the expectation was that the races would be much more selective than they were. We encountered two climbs per 12-kilometer lap. The first was 1.5 kilometers and the second was 2 kilometers in length. This did not

Ever since Canada won its bid for the world championships three years ago at the Plouay world’s, I have had the race in Hamilton in the back of my mind. To race the world’s on Canadian soil is more than a dream come true, and to race it an hour from where I grew up is more than I had ever imagined. The last weeks, since the Vuelta, I had been training with George Hincapie in South Carolina. For the most part I was taking it easy and trying to recover from the Vuelta and sleeping and relaxing as much as possible. I had no idea how I would be after the Vuelta as it was the first time I had

Italian rider Mirko Celestino (Saeco) was fastest in the bunch to claim the 88th Milan-Turin race in Italy on Wednesday. Celestino, the Milan-Turin winner of 2001, edged compatriot Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and Spanish rider Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Domina Vacanze), who came across third. The 199-kilometer race was the first of three races that make up the “Trittico Rosa,” which continues Thursday with the Tour of Piedmont and concludes Saturday with the Giro di Lombardia.88th Milan-Turin (UCI 1.1), Oct. 15, Italy, 199km1. Mirko Celestino, Saeco 4 hours, 56 minutes, 52 seconds

1. Hydrapak Air Scoop RaceSilly as it sounds, many racers don't wear hydration packs simply because they cover up valuable sponsorship territory across their backs. Hydrapak's new Air Scoop Team pack solves the problem with a removable and interchangeable Lycra cover which can be printed with your sponsors logos or simply your favorite stylings. The bladder offers 70 fl. oz. of capacity, while the pack offers 125 cu. In. of capacity. Together the $60 pack weighs a scant 1 pound. 2. Pearl Izumi Viper shoePart of Pearl's new high-end Red Label collection, the revamped Viper off-road shoe

USA Cycling released a statement Wednesday afternoon announcing that Eric Moore, NORBA’s director of field operations, resigned from USA Cycling effective immediately. Moore, who joined NORBA in 1994, spent the majority of his career working on, developing and helping to shape NORBA’s National Championship Series. "I want to thank Eric for his many years of dedication to the sport of cycling, especially in his work on behalf of NORBA and the NCS," said USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia. "We wish Eric all the best as he moves on to new challenges."

Five components that caught Andrew's attention

Five components that caught Andrew's attention

Five components that caught Andrew's attention

Five components that caught Andrew's attention

Five components that caught Andrew's attention

“So, what’s the coolest thing you’ve seen?” is pretty much the standard greeting at the Interbike trade show. With bike industry types from all over the world wandering the aisles of the Sands Convention Center opinions and answers can vary on that question. For me, I figure I’d start with five bikes I would love to see hanging in my garage some time soon. Kestrel limited-edition Tiki KM40The KM40 is distinctive in its smooth lines and lack of a seat tube, but its monocoque construction makes it cost-prohibitive to make a lot of sizes, so only two were ever offered, namely 52 and 56cm. The

Understanding that Interbike is a big show and there are a lot of cool new products here, culling it down to a handful of items is not only daunting, it is so subjective that you could argue until the cows come home about which items really are the best. Nonetheless, I’ll give it a shot, focusing on a few items that cool items that solve some problems you may have experienced… well and a few flashy items as well. Titec Knock Scoper seatpostAnyone with a full suspension bike that has an interrupted seat tube knows the frustration of not being able to lower their saddle as much as they might

Oscar Sevilla will leave his longtime team Kelme and ride next season alongside Tyler Hamilton on the Swiss team Phonak, according to reports Wednesday in the Spanish press. Sevilla will reportedly sign a one-year, 800,000 Euro contract, with his major goals as top helper for Hamilton and podium contender for the Tour de France and team captain for the Vuelta a España. It’s bad news for Kelme, which insisted the team had a verbal agreement before the start of the 2003 Vuelta with the popular Spanish rider who missed this year’s Tour due to lingering problems with a cyst. “He has to give us an

On the final day of the Interbike trade show, we let a few of our editors loose with their digital cameras to grab a look at some of their favorite eye candy.

There was good news coming from Australia as Navigators reported that Henk Vogels took his first ride since his near-fatal crash June 29. Vogels was seriously injured in a high-speed crash in the third stage of the Fitchburg Longsjo Classic. The team was relieved to report that the 30-year-old Australian was able to ride for 30km in a very light gear, with the objective of increasing range of motion and circulation. Vogels told team director Ed Beamon, “it really hurt and it’s good to be back on the bike.” No word yet on if or when Vogels will be able to race again, but the team reported:

Kestrel magic with Tiki scheme

Sure it's a recumbent, but it's a carbon recumbent!

The Bianchi Luna - it's just so beautiful

A few components that caught my fancy

A few components that caught my fancy

A few components that caught my fancy

Elvis lives

Tuesday's EuroFile: Sevilla jumps to Phonak; Mergers, trades and an unhappy Bettini

It's pedal powered ...

... but the interior smells like beer.