All Content

GOOD TO GO - The Lotto squad got the bikes it wanted this year.

ROBBIE'S RIDE - Putting the finishing touches on McEwen’s new Ultimate.

HIGH EXPECTATIONS - Leipheimer says he doesn’t feel the pressure, but he’ll be Rabobank’s go-to guy in July.

PAYBACK - By working hard for the team in the spring, Leipheimer expects the favor to be returned in July.

The 2002 Tour de France

The weekend before the Tour de France is the traditional time on theracing schedule for the Europeans to hold their respective national championshipraces. It’s the last major racing before the Tour, which kicks off thiscoming Saturday in Luxembourg. The races are typically held this weekendso the winners can show off their new colors at cycling’s biggest race,at least for those from teams that will be racing at the Grande Boucle.Here are the winners in the men’s road races from Europe's top cycling powers: FRANCENicolas Vogondy won out of a five-up sprint to earn his first majorvictory

Annabella Stropparo has won the third round of the cross-country WorldCup at Mont Ste Anne ahead of Barbara Blatter and Alison Dunlap. Dunlap's third is enough to propel her into the overall leader's jersey. Stropparo was overcome with emotion as she granted interviews. She wascrying and laughing and just plain full of joy. "I've waited such a longtime for this. I kept worrying that something would go wrong in the lastlap. That made it very hard. When I got through the last major climb itwas very enjoyable. I was so happy on the last half of the final lap. Itried to be very smooth and not

In the peloton since 1995 Sponsor: American postal serviceBudget: $5.6 millionManager: Mark GorskiDirecteur sportif: Johan BruyneelAssistants: Dirk Demol, Frankie Andreu RidersARMSTRONG Lance (USA)   September 18, 1971EKIMOVOV Viatcheslav (Rus)HERAS Roberto  (Sp)   February 21, 1974HINCAPIE George  (USA)   June 29, 1973JOACHIM Benoît  (Lux)   January 14, 1976LANDIS Floyd  (USA)   October 14, 1975PADRNOS Pavel  (Cz)   December 17, 1970PEÑA Victor Hugo  (Col)   July 10, 1974RUBIERA José Luis  (Sp)    January 21, 1973 Primed and readyU.S. Postal was built slowly but surely with input from the

In the peloton since 1991 Sponsor: State-owned telecommunications companyBudget: $4.3 millionManager: Walter GodefrootDirecteur sportif: Rudy PevenageAssistants: Frans Van Looy, Mario Kummer RidersALDAG Rolf   (G)  August 25, 1968FAGNINI Gian Matteo (I)  October 11, 1970GUERINI Giuseppe  (I)  February 14, 1970HONDO Danilo  (G)  January 4, 1974JULICH Bobby  (USA)  November 18, 1969LIVINGSTON Kevin  (USA)  May 24, 1973BOLTS Udo (G)WESEMANN Steffen  (G)  March 11, 1971ZABEL Erik   (G)  July 7, 1970A seventh green jersey?Walter Godefroot hopes each year for a new victory from Jan Ullrich.But

In the peloton since 1996 Sponsor: Dutch banking groupBudget: $3.7 millionManager: Jan RaasDirecteur sportif: Théo de RooyAssistants: Adri Van Houwelingen, Joop Zoetemelk RidersBOOGERD Michael  (Nl),  May 28, 1972DE GROOT Bram   (Nl),  December 18, 1974DEKKER Erik   (Nl),  August 21, 1970ENGELS Addy   (Nl),  June 16, 1977KROON Karsten   (Nl),  January 29, 1976LEIPHEIMER Levi   (USA),   October 24, 1973NIERMANN Grischa  (G),  November 3, 1975WAUTERS Marc   (B),  February 23, 1969ZBERG Beat    (Swi),  May 10, 1971Levi in the mixWhile this Dutch squad is building toward the future with a

In the peloton since 1993Sponsors: Mapei: chemical building products; Quick Step: laminatedflooringBudget: $6.9 millionManager: Alvaro CrespiDirecteurs sportifs: Roberto Damiani, Fabrizio Fabbri, SergeParsani, Eric Vanderaerden, Jésus Suarez-Cueva, Matxin FernandezRidersBODROGI Laszlo  (Hun),  December 11, 1976DE WAELE Fabien FREIRE Oscar  (Sp),  February 15, 1976HORRILLO Pedro  (Sp),  September 27, 1974HUNTER Robert  (SA),  April 22, 1977MARTINEZ Miguel  (F),  January 17, 1976STEELS Tom  (B),  September 2, 1971TAFI Andrea   (I),  May 7, 1966TRAMPUSCH Gerhard (A),  August 11, 1978A better

In the peloton since 1990 Sponsor: Spanish banking corporationBudget: $4.9 millionManager: José Miguel EchavarriDirecteurs sportifs: Eusebio Unzue, José Luis Jaimerena,Alfonso Galilea RidersBARANOWSKI Dariusz  (Pol), June 22, 1972BRUSEGHIN Marzio (I)GARCIA ACOSTA J. Vincente  (Sp), August 4, 1972GUTIERREZ José Ivan (Sp), November 27, 1978LATASA David (Sp)MANCEBO Francisco  (Sp), March 9, 1976MENCHOV Denis  (Rus), January 25, 1978OSA Unaï  (Sp), June 12, 1975PASCUAL RODRIGUEZ Javier (Sp), November 14, 1971Hungry climbersIt has been difficult for Spain to discover a champion to fill theshoes

In the peloton since 1984 Sponsors: Lotto: Belgian national lottery; Adecco:temp agencyBudget: $3.3 millionManager: Christophe SercuDirecteurs sportifs: Jos Braeckeveldt, Claude Criquiélion,Walter Planckaert, Hugo De Dier RidersAERTS Mario   (B), December 31, 1974BAGUET Serge   (B), August 18, 1969BRANDT Christophe  (B), May 6, 1977DE CLERCQ Hans   (B), March 3, 1969MCEWEN Robbie   (Aus), June 24, 1972MIKHAïLOV Guennadi  (Rus), February 8, 1974VAN DE WOUVER Kurt  (B), September 24, 1971VERBRUGGHE Rik   (B), July 23, 1974VIERHOUTEN Aart   (Nl), March 19, 1970 Seeking stage winsAfter an

The sun came out and the war of attrition started. Racers dropped indroves as the heat and dust claimed many. It even became a strategy forsome racers to simply outlast the others. The racers only gained some reliefin the finish area where the wind could cool them a bit. Only the toughmade it through.The toughest today was Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized). He rode a magnificentrace finishing with a 2 minute and 13 second gap over Christophe Dupouey(Giant Global) in second. Merihaeghe was jubilant. "Already in the firstlap I felt that I was strong, but so were Dupouey and Sauser. Sauser

The 43rd Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic came to an end on Sunday with Chris Horner (Prime Alliance) and Lyne Bessette (Quebec Selection Team) wrapping up the overall race titles while team Saturn swept the final day with Kim Davidge winning the women's race and Ivan Dominguez taking the men's. Bessette headed into the criterium with an overall lead of 5:21, having already taken care of her weekend's work with wins in the time trial, circuit race and criterium. That left it for teammate Clara Hughes to make the decisive move of the day on Sunday afternoon, with temperatures in Fitchburg topping 90

The black, red and gold striped German National Champion’s jersey was exchanged between two Saturn riders June 30th, as Judith Arndt won while defending champion Petra Rossner finished second. Arndt, who rode for the German National team last year before signing with Saturn, has had an impressive season, already taking overall wins at Redlands, Solano, Tour de L’Aude, Tour de Snowy, and most recently, the HP Women’s Challenge. Sunday’s 60-mile race was determined in the final 10 kilometers, when Arndt attacked 200 meters from the top, on the steepest pitch at the mountain sprint. Trixi

Vogondy

U.S. Postal Service

U.S. Postal Service

Vinokourov will shoot for the general classification in Ullrich’s absence.

Will Wauters wear yellow again in 2002?

One of the strongest teams in the peloton, Mapei has never won the Tour.

iBanesto.com

Lotto-Adecco

Stroparo

Dunlap takes over as World Cup leader

Meirhaeghe

Hughes and Davidge broke clear

Bessette took the overall

Prime Alliance protected Horner all day

Dominguez took the win for Saturn

Ceremonial Start: 12:20 p.m. Boulevard de la Foire.Flying Start: 12:45 p.m. N. 12 Luxembourg Exit

Flying Start: 12:42 p.m. on No. 4

Flying Start: 1:00 p.m. on N.3 Rozérieulles exit.

Start: First team starts at 2:15 p.m., then the remaining 20 teams start at 5-minute intervals.

Flying Start: 12:38 p.m., N.31, Soissons exit.

Flying Start: 12:29 p.m., D.921, intersection D.921 and La Ruche.

He’s stronger, smarter, leaner and more confident than at any pointin his career. Now in his fourth season of full-time European racing, FredRodriguez, 28, knows what it takes to win a stage at the Tour de France.His Domo-Farm Frites squad is expecting its best Tour results from GC ridersRichard Virenque and Axel Merckx. But given the right breaks, the two-timeU.S. pro champion also has a great chance of success — particularly sincehis second-place finishes this spring at Milan-San Remo and Ghent-Wevelgem. "I think the team will now have more confidence that I’m capable, ifI get a good

Where does it come from, this legendary fear of Mont Ventoux? It’s a mountainthat has been climbed only 12 times in the Tour — two time trials, fourfinishes at the summit and six times mid-stage — yet it is more dreadedthan, say, the Tourmalet, which has featured in the Tour 67 times.While L’Alpe d’Huez, a cycling crucible, provides a spectacle, the Ventouxdelivers tragedy. It brought the great Eddy Merckx to his knees for thefirst time in his exceptional career in 1970 when he was forced to takeoxygen after winning a stage at the summit. In 1955, it forced Rick VanGenechten and others to

When you watch him slicing his way through the field on another solo attackto a mountaintop finish, it’s easy to forget that there’s much more toLance Armstrong’s stunning Tour victories than a lone rider battling arugged climb. Granted, if he didn’t have his genes or genius, he wouldn’thave the potential to pull off those remarkable feats. But behind the manis a whole team of consultants, colleagues and friends who help Armstrongexcel in every sphere of matters Tour de France. In some ways, he has put together a high-profile company that has asingle mission: to win the Tour de France. That

Flying Start 1:02 p.m. on D335, Bagnoles-de-l'Orne exit

Flying Start: 12:20 p.m. on D.30, intersection of D.30 - La Motte

First Starter at: 10:30 a.m. then 2-minute intervals.

Flying Start: 2:05 p.m. on D.932

Flying Start: 12:18 p.m. - Mazerès-Lezons, D. 37, av. du Général-de-Gaulle

Flying Start: 10:56 a.m. on D.939, Lannemezan exit

Flying Start: 11:21 a.m. on N.9, entry to Soumont.

Flying Start: 1:15 p.m., Les Chaubets exit.

Flying Start: 10:25 a.m. on D.938 (Gabriellini)

Flying Start: 11:45 a.m. on N.91

Flying Start: 1:02 p.m. on N.90

Flying Start 12:27 p.m. on D.19 exit to Cluses

First rider: 10:45 a.m., then 2-minute intervals for the first until the final 20 riders, who start at 3-minute intervals.

Flying Start: 1:30 p.m. on D.35

Steve Peat (Troy Lee-Orange) and Anne Caroline Chausson (Volvo-Cannondale) won the third round of the downhill World Cup at Mont Ste Anne, Quebec in decisive fashion on Saturday. In the overall standings, Chausson has taken the leader’s jersey from Sabrina Jonnier, while Chris Kovarik’s lead over Peat has shrunk to 23 points. After some truly exciting racing, third seeded Steve Peat was the victor in the men’s race with an outstanding time of 5:09.67, almost 4 seconds faster than Cedric Gracia (Volvo-Cannondale). He was extremely happy with his win. As Gracia approached the finish and it

The blueprint of Lance Armstrong’s preparation for the Tour de France hasn’tchanged much for the last four years. The day-to-day training scheduleand the racing calendar get slightly modified to accommodate course changesand the demands on Lance’s time. But for the last three years, his preparatorywork has been on-target and Lance has arrived at the Tour in peak condition.All indications are that his preparation work will again deliver him tothe 2002 prologue on top form. The absence of Jan Ullrich caused a bit of shift in the way we are thinkingabout the Tour this year. Ullrich is an

On Saturday, Chris Horner and his Prime Alliance team took the race over at the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, while in the women’s race, Lyne Bessette (Quebec Selection Team) put in a dominant solo performance to all but lock up her fourth straight Fitchburg title. Bessette entered the 69-mile road race with a 12-second lead over Saturn’s Kim Bruckner. By the end, her advantage would be counted in minutes, not seconds. Bessette got to work on the second of six laps on the 11-mile main circuit, on wooded, up-and-down roads around Princeton, Massachusetts and the Wachusett Mountain ski area. On

Anne-Caroline Chausson took her second World Cup victory of the day,and Eric Carter was the surprise men's winner at the Mont Sainte-Anne WorldCup four-Cross, held Saturday evening.  Chausson and Brian Lopes bothextended their leads in the overall standings.From the start, the course drops from the ramp into a large left handberm. The strategy for the majority of the winners was to be the firstinto this turn. It also meant several crashes as riders jockeyed to bethat first person. From here there was the first of several double jumps,more berms and then a huge double jump where the better

Luxembourg - Luxembourg

Luxembourg - Luxembourg

Luxembourg - Saarbrücken

Luxembourg - Saarbrücken

Metz - Reims

Metz - Reims

Soissons - Rouen

Soissons - Rouen

Forges-les-Eaux - Alençon

Forges-les-Eaux - Alençon

Weisel (left) is an old friend and supporter.

There are a lot of folks involved in getting Armstrong set up right on this bike.

Bagnoles-de-l'Orne - Avranches

Bagnoles-de-l'Orne - Avranches

St. Martin-de-Landelles - Plouay

St. Martin-de-Landelles - Plouay

St. Martin-de-Landelles - Plouay