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Messe Friedrichshafen is the name of the group of massive exposition halls in which Eurobike takes place. Each hall is about the size of an airplane hangar, and there are 14 of them, including a center courtyard and several side wings. It boggles the mind to see so many bicycles on display in one place. Each of the halls has a number and letter (e.g., A7) and each booth has a number. Finding individual booths can be hard, but fortunately most exhibitors are roughly grouped by the type of gear they are showing, country of origin or some other characteristic.

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Another French rider won at the Tour de l’Avenir, taking a bunch sprint in Sunday’s second stage. Jean-Lou Paiani (France B) was first across the line in the 138km stage from Dreux to Tourville-la-Campagne, outkicking European U-23 champion Kris Boeckmans (Belgium). Compatriot Julien Bérard, winner of Saturday’s opener, retained the overall leader’s jersey in the nine-day race across France.

Kathy Pruitt gave the United States its fourth and final medal at the 2009 Mountain Bike World Championships in Canberra, Australia.

Damiano Cunego (Lampre) won stage 8 of the Vuelta a España on Sunday, a mountainous, six-hour slog that ended atop the fog-shrouded categoría especial Alto de Aitana. Cunego shot out of an elite group of contenders to overhaul David Moncoutie (Cofidis) in the final kilometer of the 204.7km stage. The Frenchman hung on to take second with Robert Gesink (Rabobank) third. It was a big boost for Cunego, who has been criticized in Italy for his inability to live up to his promising Giro d’Italia victory in 2004.

Editor's note: For detailed reports on the gravity events, including exclusive interviews with the Americans and other racers, check out singletrack.com. British veteran Steve Peat finally overcame a second-place jinx to win the elite men's downhill event on the final day at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships at Stromlo Forest Park on Sunday in Canberra. Peat, 35, has four times been a runner-up but on Sunday finally experienced the thrill of donning the rainbow jersey as world champion.

Two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador, under contract with Astana until 2010, has received offers from Garmin, Caisse d'Epargne and Quick Step as well as a proposed contract extension from Astana, a source close to the rider said Saturday. The proposal from Caisse d'Epargne, which is home to several other Spanish riders including Alejandro Valverde, is the most attractive for Contador, the source told AFP. Jonathan Vaughters, CEO of the Garmin team’s management company, Slipstream Sports, has said that the team had only considered making an offer.

The French drew first blood in the opening stage of the Tour de l’Avenir, which clicked into gear Saturday with a 130km circuit course in Dreux. Julien Bérard (France B) won the stage ahead of compatriot Romain Sicard (France B) and grabbed the leader’s jersey. The two riders stayed clear in an all-day breakaway that pulled clear just seven kilometers into the stage. The main pack, with five of the six starting Americans, roared across the line at 1:29 back, led by Dutch rider Dennis van Winden.

Columbia-HTC's Ina-Yoko Teutenberg racked up her 23rd win of the year in Saturday's stage of the Ladies Tour of Holland. Teutenberg outpowered Netherlands rider Kirsten Wild in the bunch sprint that decided the 108 kilometer stage in Nieuwegein. Teutenberg has now taken 23 victories this season, whilst her latest win takes the tally for Columbia-HTC women's team this season to 45.

Russia's Irina Kalentieva earns the rainbow jersey in Australia after passing the race leader in the final 4k of cross-country race. The USA's Willow Koerber takes third, Heather Irmiger 10th and Canada's Catharine Pendrel sixth. Complete Results

Nino Schurter and Swiss teammate Florian Vogel work together to keep Julien Absalon in second place at the mountain bike World Championships in Canberra, Australia. Canada's Geoff Kabush and the USA's Todd Wells finish in top 10. Complete Results

Fabian Cancellara (Saxo Bank) proved he’s on track to add another gold medal to his growing collection with another superb time trial victory Saturday in the rain in Valencia. With the world championships on home roads less than three weeks away, the big Swiss time machine slogged through a rain-slickened course to claim his second win in a week at the Vuelta a España and regain the golden race leader’s jersey.

Editor's note: For detailed reports on the cross-country events, including exclusive interviews with the Americans and other racers, check out singletrack.com. Swiss Nino Schurter upstaged four-time world and reigning Olympic champion Julien Absalon of France to win the world cross-country championship. American Willow Koerber finished third in the women's event, behind Russian winner Irina Kalentieva and Lene Byberg of Norway.

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This week the Danish newspaper / Web site Ekstra Bladetran published an article in which physiologist Jakob Mørkeberg examined Lance Armstrong's Tour de France blood samples and said they might indicate a blood doping program.

29er frames, wheel and tire technology has evolved significantly over the last few years and are key in allowing top racers win big races on big wheels. There is now very little disadvantage — in terms of weight and tire technology — associated with 29ers.

Tyler Hamilton's attorney, Chris Manderson, issued the following statement on Friday, in response to a decision by the World Anti-Doping Agency to withdraw its appeal of the eight-year suspension of the former Rock Racing rider. - Editor

Using equipment readily available on the market — Garmin's 705 GPS unit and a PowerTap Disc hub — testers are able to compare what it takes to propel big- and small-wheeled mountain bikes.

Although his team didn’t walk away with a stars-and-stripes jersey for its efforts, Kelly Benefit Strategies director Jonas Carney feels his squad was collectively the strongest across August’s national criterium, time trial and road championships. It’s an biased opinion, to be sure, but results sheets don’t lie.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has withdrawn its appeal of the eight-year suspension of former Rock Racing rider Tyler Hamilton. Hamilton tested positive for testosterone or its precursors in February. He later acknowledged the positive test, declined to ask for further confirmation of the result and announced publicly that he had taken DHEA as self-medication for depression.

Astana’s Levi Leipheimer broke his wrist during this year’s Tour de France, and returned to his home in California to recover. He was soon back on the bike training — although it was often the time trial bike so he wouldn’t stress his wrist. Now, the man who took third at the 2007 Tour de France prepares to return to racing at the Tour of Missouri, which he last raced in 2007. VeloNews caught up with him to get his thoughts on the 2009 edition. VeloNews: 2008 Tour of Missouri winner Christian Vande Velde says you are the big favorite.