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There was plenty of racing action throughout Europe, headlined by LanceArmstrong's second-place finish in the Criterium International,March 30-31. Spanish rider Alberto Martinez (Euskaltel) beat thethree-time Tour champ by just one second."I felt good in the race," Armstrong said Sunday.  "Yesterday'sstage was not too difficult, therefore it was hard to judge my form, butthis morning's stage was a tough one and I was happy with what I felt. The time trial was a bit of a disappointment, as it's tough to lose byhalf a second, but if you asked me before if I thought I would be

Who had the best run in March?Well, after three events of VeloNews's virtual season series,the Bro Tour, Saturn's Lyne Bessette and Prime Alliance's Chris Hornerlead the stage race rankings.No surprise there, as Horner swept the three California stage races,Redlands, Sea Otter and Solano. Sea Otter winner Bessette, meanwhile, isin a tight race with teammate Judith Arndt, who won both Redlands and Solano.The Bro Tour is three race series in one: road race, criterium and stagerace. Based on carefully selected races, the Bro series is VeloNews's unofficialtracker for the domestic

Editor's note: Michael Scherer is an American who has beenliving and racing in Oostede, Belgium, for the past month. Originally from Casper, Wyoming, Scherer spent last season riding for Prime Alliance while living in Boulder, Colorado. He moved to Belgium this year to take the next step and "to prove that I have what it takes to be a bike racer." Schererwill be sending back regular updates throughout the season.Why I'm hereAmerican racing is great, but in Europe we will get to race muchfaster races, more often with a lot less travel in between. Hopefully,we will see the benefits.

The Criterium International is called the "Mini Tour de France," so it's only natural the Tour de France champion should do well here. Lance Armstrong came within a second of scoring the overall title Sunday, but Spanish rider Alberto Martinez edged the Texan in the individual time trial of this two-day, three-stage race. Martinez, a 26-year-old on the Euskaltel-Euskadi team, finished with the same time as the three-time Tour de France champion in the morning climbing stage and barely nipped Armstrong in the 8.5-km time trial in the afternoon to claim the overall victory. A pro with

We're pretty sure that by now you've heard that USA Cycling is searchingfor a new chief executive officer to replace Lisa Voight beginning in mid-June.In a posting on USACycling's Web site, the organization says the successful candidatewill face a wide range of tasks, including: working with the USAC boardto continue American successes in elite international competition whilesimultaneously growing the sport here at home; increasing the numbers ofboth members and sponsors; and “building the athlete-development pipeline”from grass-roots juniors to elite international competition.OK,

Your top two.

Armstrong says he's feeling fit.

Voight won the time trial.

Moncoutié won the morning stage.

VeloNews.com welcomes your letters. If you run across something inthe pages of VeloNews magazine or see something on VeloNews.comthat causes you to want to write us, drop us a line at WebLetters@7Dogs.com.Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail to thisaddress, you are consenting to the publication of your letter.A question of balanceEditor;I would like to respond to the remarks made by Gianna Roberge of Saturnin the Thursday piece about the Solano Bicycle Classic Women's race (See"Who else?Horner and Bessette atop podium at Solano.")Gianna claims that my actions in

Forced to take 15 days off the bike following his spill Tuesday in Setmana Catalana, Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) says he will certainly be at the May 11 start of the Giro d'Italia, but he's not sure how fit he'll be. "The big races for April are now a question mark. I don't like it but there's nothing I can do about it," Simoni told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday. "All I can do is wait. I will try to pedal the bike on Monday, but if there's pain, I will stop right away. I just want to see how it feels. It's not worth risking further injury." The Giro

It wasn't a classic setup for a sprint, but Jean Patrick Nazon won one for his La Francaise des Jeux teammates in the opening stage of the Criterium International on Saturday in northern France. Rider after rider tried to escape the clutches of the peloton in the finale of the 192-km stage starting and ending in Charleville-Mezieres, but hard work by FDJ kept it together long enough for Nazon to win the mass sprint. In a dress rehearsal for the kickoff of next weekend's Ardennes Classics, Nazon won his first race of the season in 4 hours, 52 minutes, 26 seconds (39.39 kph) on a cool,

“Down is to hell.” — Hattie, in “Nobody’s Fool,” by Richard Russo Before I hit the road for the 2002 Sea Otter Classic, my annual respitefrom the ravages of winter in Custer County, Colorado, the boys at VeloNews gave me a jingle. They were a man short of total coverage, and asked whether I’d bang out a quick 500-worder on the Otter’s mountain-cross competition, the latest and greatest entrant in the gravity grand prix.(See "Lopes,Chausson repeat in Sea Otter mountain cross") “Have some fun with it,” they urged. Well, with all respect to the Otter, the athletes and VeloNews,I suspect the

The 2002 Solano Bicycle Classic ended with a criterium stage Saturday, and once again, Prime Alliance celebrated as Chris Horner took the overall winner’s spot on the podium, as his teammate Jonas Carney took the stage. "I did the California triple," a pleased Horner declared, referring to his March victories at Redlands, Sea Otter, and now Solano. Also celebrating a California triple were the Saturn women, who, with Judith Arndt and Lyne Bessette, collectively monopolized the women’s overall. While Saturn's Ina Teutenberg took the day by winning the final stage. From the go, Horner was up

Going down, down, down...

Berges escapes

Carney takes the win.

Arndt and Tuetenberg.

Carney moving to the front.

The spoils of victory.

Tuetenberg sports the latest in aero' wear.

The kids get in on the action, too.

Juan Miguel Mercado wrapped up the 39th Setmana Catalana, finishing with the lead group in a cold and miserable final stage, giving the young Spanish rider his first major win of the 2002 season. The 23-year-old Mercado was the revelation of Spanish cycling last year, winning the Vuelta a Burgos in August followed up by an impressive win at the Lagos de Covadonga in the 2001 Vuelta a España. The iBanesto.com rider didn't win a stage at Setmana Catalana, but earned enough time in the long climbing stage from Castello de Empuries to Pal on the third day to secure the victory. "Mercado is no

A number of top riders, including Kazakh title contenders Andrei Kivilev and Alexandre Vinokourov, have pulled out of this weekend's Criterium international race. Kivilev, who came in fourth overall in last year's Tour de France, is suffering from a virus according to his Cofidis team while Paris-Nice winner Vinokourov, who rides for Telekom, has an achilles problem. Also out are Swiss pair Oscar Camenzind (Phonak) and Alex Zulle (Team Coast). Camenzind reportedly has a cold while Zulle is suffering from a sore knee after a fall in training. Spaniard Abraham Olano (ONCE) has also

To say that Chris Horner is on a roll this spring is something of anunderstatement. A week after winning the Redlands Classic, he and his PrimeAlliance team stormed through the road events at Sea Otter. Now, Hornerseems in complete command of the Solano Classic. VeloNews’s NealRogers caught up with Horner both before the start and after the finishof Thursday’s road race at Solano.Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 8:30 a.m.VN: You’re off to an amazing start, winning the overall at Redlandsand the Sea Otter. What’s the secret to your early season success?Horner: [smiling]Totally relaxed…VN: Yeah? You

Lance Armstrong heads the lineup at the Criterium International, theso-called "mini-Tour de France" because the race features a flat stage,a climbing stage and an individual time trial, all the features of a majorstage-race.After a virus postponed his season debut until Milan-San Remo last weekend,it will be Armstrong's second appearance this season. Held this year near the French-Luxembourg border, Criterium International's climbing section the through the French Ardennes will be good preparation for the upcoming Classics. Saturday opens with a 192-km rolling stage starting and

There was no change in the overall leaders Friday as the time trial stage of the Solano Bicycle Classic was contested in the midst of an isolated agricultural area near of Fairfield, California. In the women’s field, Saturn’s Lyne Bessette held on to her overall lead by posting a time of 30:39 over the relatively flat 12.2 mile out and back course, which was good for second on the day, six seconds behind teammate and national time trial champion Kimberly Bruckner. Saturn’s Judith Arndt came in third, 10 seconds behind Bruckner, completing the Saturn sweep over the stage and securing their

Wohlberg

Tina Mayolo-Pic got a boost from the wind and then got to fight it back to the finish.

A slipped seatpost slowed Horner\'s progress.

World\'s number one, Judith Arndt

Wohlberg managed a strong start

Defending Giro d'Italia champion, Gilberto Simoni will be out of competition for at least two weeks, because of injuries sustained in a crash at Setmana Catalana, his team reported Thursday. Results of a medical exam earlier in the week suggest that the Saeco rider apparently suffered a small fracture in his leg as a result of the crash that forced his withdrawal from the early season stage race. “After carefully studying the scan (of the injury) we've discovered a micro fracture of the inside of the end of the thigh bone of the right knee," according to Simoni’s doctor Flavio

Acqua & Sapone's Miguel Perdiguero edged-out Telekom's Erik Zabel in a mass sprint and kept the Telekom ace from getting his hat-trick at the 39th Setmana Catalana. Zabel, the winner of the first two stages, couldn't get past Perdiguero while iBanesto.com’s Juan Miguel Mercado finished safely just a few seconds behind the lead group to retain his overall lead with just one stage to go. Perdiguero was satisfied with the victory in Setmana Catalana's penultimate stage after enduring some bad luck earlier in the season, with falls at the Vuelta a Valencia and Tirreno-Adriatico. "I've been

A member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame who spent nearly 30 years on the lam from a drug-smuggling rap has pleaded guilty to federal charges of trafficking cocaine and failure to appear. Richard Gordon Bannister, 61, - better known to mountain-bike historians as Neil Murdoch, renowned for adding knobby tires and low gears to old coaster-brake bikes during the 1970s in Crested Butte, Colorado – entered his plea March 13 in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to The Taos News, Bannister was charged in 1973 with smuggling 26 pounds of cocaine after U.S. Customs agents seized

The Solano Bicycle Classic began Thursday, with the opening stage road race ending on a familiar note: last weekend’s Sea Otter overall winners Chris Horner (Prime Alliance) and Lyne Bessette (Saturn) atop the podium. On a winding course through green foothills that can only be described as gorgeous, top domestic teams fought through gusting cross winds to decide the opening stage of this Northern California NRC event. In the men’s 91-mile race—that began and ended with two long climbs—a missed turn by the lead group at mile 67became a point of controversy, as race officials scrambled to

Fraser and Sayers were convinced their teammates' break would stick

In fourth place, Palmer-Komar (left) earned the top non-Saturn spot on the results sheet.

Joe Friel is author of the successful "Training Bible" series ofbooks, a regular columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlonand the founder of www.ultrafit.com.Friel also offers answers to a selection of questions in this weekly column here on VeloNews.com. Readers can send questions to Friel in care of VeloNews.com at WebLetters@7Dogs.com.(Be sure to include "Friel" in the subject line.) Qustion: I have never lifted weights before, but I'm following your book—The Cyclist’s Training Bible. Since time is my biggest limiter, I'm lifting two days a week. I can workout five days a week. On

When all was said and done, only Mario Cipollini was faster than reigning U.S. champion Fred Rodriguez in the hotly contested 93rd Milan-San Remo on March 23. It was a dazzling result for the multi-lingual American now in his second season with Domo-Farm Frites. VeloNews's Andrew Hood spoke with Rodriguez from his home in Girona, Spain, on Monday about the race and his expectations for the 2002 season. Here are some excerpts from that conversation: How did you celebrate your ride at Milan-San Remo? "We drove back to Spain, not very exciting. My wife and Floyd Landis's wife came

Italy's Giuseppe Guerini gave Telekom its third stage victory in the Setmana Catalana, beating new overall leader Juan Miguel Mercado in a two-sprint to the line in a long climbing stage up the category-one climb to Col de Pal. Nearly three years ago, Guerini won the dramatic stage at Alpe d'Huez in the 1999 Tour de France when he collided with a fan on the course but recovered to take win. Nothing got in Guerini's way Wednesday except heavy fog and cool temperatures in the 157-km stage between Castello de Empuries to Pal. "I finally get to win again. I have forgotten what it's like to win.

Defending Giro d'Italia champion Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) didn'tstart Wednesday's stage of the 39th Setmana Catalana following his spillin the morning stage of Tuesday's two-part stage. Simoni crashed hard onhis right knee in the first sector and his knee didn't respond well toanti-inflammatories overnight.Saeco officials said it was better that Simoni not start than risk furtherinjury to the knee … With Simoni out, the SetmanaCatalana is with one less star in a race that many top riders choseto avoid, something that grates Vuelta a Espana director Enrique

Reigning World Cup and world mountain bike champion Roland Greenwas named Canadian Male Athlete of the Year on March 26th at the 29th AnnualCanadian Sports Awards sponsored by the Spirit of Sport Foundation. The 27-year-old native of Victoria, British Columbia, received the awardafter completing a year that included winning the World Mountain Bike Championship and the overall World Cup.The formal gala in Toronto featured a “who’s who” of Canada’s top athletes.The other nominees for Male Athlete of the Year included Olympians JeremyWotherspoon and Jasey-Jay Anderson. The Canadian Sports Awards

Training Bible Studies with Joe Friel

A conversation with Fred Rodriguez

Rodriguez likes the outfit and wants to keep it for another year.

Guerini held off Mercado up the Col de Pal.

Mercado holds the jersey

Spain´s Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) took the overall lead of the 39th Setmana Catalana in Spain on Tuesday after winning the afternoon stage of the two-stage second day, a 10.3-km time trial. Erik Zabel (Telekom) won the 106-km morning stage from Lloret de Mar to Empuribrava in a sprint to make it two in a row for the German at Setmana Catalana. Zabel later lost the lead to Dominguez, the overall winner here in 1997. Americans Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) and Tyler Hamilton (CSC-Tiscali), both riding into form for more important goals later in the season, didn´t push for the stage-win in

According to German television reports, Jan Ullrich’s knee injuryis more serious than originally thought. Ullrich didn’t start at Milan-San Remo after over-training caused pain in his knee. Team Telekom officialshad hoped Ullrich would be able to return to competition in April, butGerman TV reports that the 1997 Tour de France champion still has not trainedseriously on the bicycle and has been limited to working out in a swimmingpool. Mapei pushed to victory in the morning team time trial at the opening day of the five-day Coppi-Bartali in Italy on Tuesday. The five-man team, powered by none

Juan Carlos Dominguez

Simoni remounted and was able to finish the stage

Brian Lopes and Anne-Caroline Chausson reprised their 2001 triumphs on March 24 as mountain-cross paid a return visit to the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. Chausson went three for three at Laguna Seca, adding a win in the four-up gravity grand prix to her downhill and dual-slalom victories. Fastest in qualifying on Friday, and never challenged in the early rounds on Sunday, the Volvo-Cannondale star suddenly found herself chasing Katrina Miller (Jamis) in the final after Miller stole the hole shot and dove down the course first. But the Frenchwoman poured it on and rocketed

Still basking in the afterglow of his dramatic victory at the93rd Milan-San Remo on Saturday, Mario Cipollini now says he willcertainly compete in the world championships in Zolder, Belgium in October."The worlds will be my Milan-San Remo of the autumn," Cipollini toldLa Gazzetta dello Sport. "It's a course well-suited for a sprinterand I will prepare 100 percent for it."Now that Super Mario is overall leader of the 2002 World Cup, Cipollinisaid he will race at Tour of Flanders (April 7) and possibly Paris-Roubaix(April 14). He said he will also race Ghent-Wevelgem, a race he's won

Rabobank's Erik Dekker, who broke his femur during last week's Milan-SanRemo Classic, took the number one spot in the world cycling rankings for the first time in his career Monday.The 31-year-old Rabobank rider pushes Germany's Erik Zabel out of thespot he has held since last year into second thanks to his win in the Tirreno-Adriatico race last Wednesday.Dekker, who turned professional ten years ago, is the current World Cup leader, but could lose ground as he will miss all the spring classicsnotably the Amstel Gold Race which he won last year and the Tour of Flanders,where he

Erik Zabel doesn´t cry over spilt milk for very long. Two days after a disappointing Milan-San Remo, the Telekom sprinter drove home a victory in the opening stage of the Setmana Catalana. Zabel -- who couldn´t win his fifth "La Classicissima" on Saturday when bad luck derailed his chances -- beat a handful of Spanish riders in the 152-km stage. Angel Vicioso, David Etxebarria, Angel Edo and David Fernández were close, but they´re not Mario Cipollini. UCI's "vampiros" swooped down at the start of the race, testing 48 riders from Itera, Milaneza, La Pecol, Relax, Fassa Bortolo and Credit

Chausson chases down Miller.

In the offseason they shared an apartment in Spain. On Saturday Cedric Gracia and Anne-Caroline Chausson shared the spotlight, too, as the pair of French Volvo-Cannondale riders each earned wins at the Sea Otter Classic dual slalom. For Chausson it was a repeat of her 2001 victory at the race in Monterey, California. And like last year, the reigning dual world champion had little trouble marching through the 16-rider field. After advancing to the round of four, Chausson took down Marla Streb (Luna Chix) in the semis, before besting Katrina Miller (Jamis) in the final. "It’s a good start to

A pair of North Shore residents ruled the third day of the Sea Otter Classic mountain-bike stage race Saturday, as Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Alison Sydor (Trek-Volkswagen) picked up short track wins. Hesjedal’s victory came after hooking up with a three-rider break that formed four laps into the 7-lap race. Right there with the young Canadian were overall leader Bart Brentjens (Giant) and Roland Green (Trek-Volkswagen). Once together the trio steadily pulled away from the pack, with only Seamus McGrath (Haro-Lee Dungarees) and Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized) able to stay in

Saturn’s Lyne Bessette won the women’s road overall at the Sea Otter Classic in style Saturday, taking the final stage, along with the points jersey, in a two-up sprint against Rona superstar Genevieve Jeanson. Entering the circuit race with a one-minute, 20-second lead over teammate Kimberly Bruckner, and a comfortable 2:15 over Friday’s road race winner Susan Palmer-Komar (Talgo America), Bessette was poised for the overall victory; however the Saturn women were still without a stage win. With the assurance of a powerful team her defending her leader’s jersey, Bessette took matters into

It’s not the world’s most challenging course, but with strong fields in both the men’s and women’s divisions, Nathan Rennie and Anne-Caroline Chausson could take satisfaction in their Sea Otter downhill wins on Sunday in Monterey, California. A year after a surprising Sea Otter defeat, Chausson was back to her old self, bettering her closest competitor by more than six seconds on the short, twisty course. In fact Chausson’s time (1:31.20) was so good that it would have put her ahead of 27 of the 60 men’s finishers. "I’m in better shape this year than I was this time last year," said

There’s a reason they call them world champions, and Alison Dunlap and Roland Green showed why Sunday, each taking the overall wins in the Sea Otter Classic mountain-bike stage race in Monterey, California. In his first major mountain bike race since winning gold in Vail, Green (Trek-Volkswagen) earned his GC title by putting 46 seconds into Dutchman Bart Brentjens (Giant) and winning stage 4’s 36-mile cross country. Brentjens, the 2001 Sea Otter champ, would settle for second on the day and in the overall, after surrendering the 7-second advantage he had begun the day with. The pace of the

Chausson won her second-straight Sea Otter slalom.

Gracia made it a VC sweep.

King is examined after his crash.

King's loaded onto an ambulance.

Hesjedal leads the short track.

Brentjens remains the overall leader.

The final six in the women's race.

Besssette

Rings around Genevieve. Everywhere Jeanson looked there would be a Saturn jersey.

Chausson wins again.

Rennie earned his second Sea Otter win.

What happens when you land on your face.

Green leads early.

Alexander leads the ladies, with Dunlap right on her wheel.