News

Oregonians Carl Decker and Barry Wicks know how to race in the mud.

The course in Tacoma features a brutally steep 80-meter run-up.

Compton won her first national title in Portland mud two years ago.

Not since “Breaking Away” (1979) has there been a true bike-racing film to hit the big screen — unless we include the animated “Les Triplettes de Belleville” (2003). The long wait maybe worthwhile because Variety magazine announced Wednesday that MGM has bought worldwide distribution rights to the Graeme Obree biopic “The Flying Scotsman.” It will debut at U.S. theatres on December 29. The new movie is based on the autobiography of Obree, the eccentric Scottish amateur cyclist who astounded the cycling world in 1993 by breaking Francesco Moser’s world hour record. Obree cooperated fully in

The board of trustees of Marian College, a small Catholic liberal arts school in Indianapolis, Indiana, recently approved plans to construct a state-of-the-art cycling training center for the school’s collegiate cycling team. The school will house the facility in a renovated 1500-square-foot maintenance building on campus. “The caliber of the athlete and the competitiveness of the Marian College cycling team are incredible,” said Dean Peterson, the first-year head coach of the Marian Knights. “We are fortunate to have one of the world’s top competition tracks in the Major Taylor Velodrome

Australian athlete Paul Crake has been left paralyzed after an accident during a cycling race in New Zealand, and may never regain the use of his legs, according to reports released early Friday. Crake, whose multiple credits include an Australian road cycling medal, mountain running champion and Empire State Building stair-climbing champion, was seriously injured when he was blown off his bike during the Tour of Southland race last Saturday. He has since undergone surgery at a specialist spinal unit but has been unable to move his legs and doctors say the paralysis may be

Miller as Obree

Bayley and Bos faced off at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Gettting ready to race . . . verrry, verrry slowwwwwlyyyy

The bike-building race, featuring Cinellis at the BTI tent

No Pedal Queens gathering would be complete without some sort of pink accessory. This one is a Trek

Rob Foshag (Cane Creek) leads the men’s field through the barriers

We'll do our own TourEditor,Hooray for Discovery for signing Basso (see "Bassofeels 'reborn' after signing with Discovery"). Tell all the otherEuropean teams they can sit on a pin. As for voluntary DNA testing, I saynever! Can you imagine all the different ways that can be screwedup?It's time for North America to develop it's own series of world classcycling events. I'm sure cyclists would rather race in a nation of lawsrather than one of hearsay and rumor.Keith WhelpleyLas Cruces, New MexicoJust say no... to DNA profilingEditor,While Basso is under suspicion for

As if life weren’t already tough enough for Interbike. First Eurobike announces plans to launch a new U.S. trade show in Portland, Oregon — and then the Pedal Queens beat the Germans to it with their own bike expo and demo in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Pedal Queens, a lively group of women inclined toward pink feather boas, focus on "creating a supportive, non-threatening environment for women to learn about and ride both road and mountain bikes," according to treasurer Jennifer Steketee. They took this mission to a whole new level with their inaugural Bike-a-GoGo on November 11 at Santa Fe

World Anti-Doping Agency president Dick Pound defended the French lab whose credibility is under scrutiny for its handling of Floyd Landis' samples during the Tour de France. Pound said Wednesday the case against the American cyclist should not be derailed by the theft of data from the lab by computer hackers and by a mistake in the labeling of his backup urine specimen. “For me, the real problem is the activities of several hackers who entered into the system without permission, possibly against the law,” Pound said in a conference call. “We have to wait for the result of the

Châtenay-Malabry lab director Jacques de Ceaurriz.

The Queens will see you now

The crowd wanders the expo area

Editors of VeloNews Shed Light on the 2006 Tour de France with New Book Boulder, CO USA November 9, 2006 - VeloPress is pleased to announce the release of The 2006 Tour de France: Triumph and Turmoil for Floyd Landis. John Wilcockson and the editors of VeloNews magazine clearly explain the 2006 Tour from the sting operations that fractured the peloton just hours before the prologue, to Landis's stunning crack on stage 16 and miraculous recovery, to the controversial aftermath of the doping scandals. Fans of cycling's greatest race can finally arrive at an informed opinion of the 2006

Press Release - VeloNews Sheds Light on the 2006 Tour de France with New Book

Riis wants to set a new standard for the rest of the peloton

Basso has a new ride

Landis - seen here at a press conference in August - has embarked on a campaign to clear his name.

Landis appeared on France 2 television this weekend

Riding to Convict Lake near Mammoth Lakes

The break in the women's race

The men's podium

King crosses the line

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now up for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of ourmost recent contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winner. We found Steve Schmunk’s “Riding to Convict Lake near Mammoth Lakes” to nicely underscore the commitment many of us feel to the sport… even on a wet and cold morning. Nice work, Steve. Drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.com to work out the details and we’ll send you a copy of Graham Watson's "Landscapes of Cycling."

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Discovery must insist that Basso provide DNAEditor:While I understand the objections and have my own reservations regarding mass collection of DNA samples, I do believe that there are situations wherein the individual's right to privacy are forfeited and requiring a DNA sample of an

Santiago Botero has been cleared of doping allegations by the Colombian cycling federation, allowing him to rejoin international competition after being sidelined since June. Botero's name surfaced in the Spanish doping investigation Operación Puerto, causing the Phonak team to leave the 2002 world time trial world champion off its Tour de France roster this summer. The Colombian federation said Saturday night that documents pertinent to Botero's case, provided by the UCI’s anti-doping commission, offered no evidence the cyclist had engaged in blood doping. The federation also said

Floyd Landis insisted Sunday he was drug-free when he won the Tour de France, and said that a French laboratory "made some mistakes" when its results showed he had elevated levels of testosterone. The American's positive doping test came less than a week after he won cycling's biggest race on July 23. Although the Châtenay-Malabry lab is accredited by the International Olympic Committee and the World Anti-Doping Agency, Landis believes it got his test results wrong. "Even the best people make mistakes," Landis said in an interview for French television. "I can't say that the

Nys en route to victory

Discovery moved quickly to sign Basso once he was cleared. Some say tooquickly.

Ullrich won't be wearing T-Mobile pink next year, but he's hoping for a ProTour kit of some kind.

The savior? Oleg Tinkov - seen here at last year's Russian economic forum in London - wants to give Ullrich a chance to ride.

Basso spent Saturday checking out his new gear

Reain reigns supreme in Vancouver

Bessette opened it up when it counted

Former USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia has filed a wrongful-termination suit against the governing body and its board chairman, Jim Ochowicz. In a complaint filed earlier this week in El Paso County District Courtin Colorado Springs, Bisceglia alleges that his dismissal in Aprilwas in violation of USA Cycling’s own rules and came as a resultof his efforts to investigate a conflict of interest involving direct paymentsto Ochowicz from professional teams and promoters. USA Cycling officials declined comment when contacted by VeloNews on Friday. "USA Cycling will not comment on the details

Lawyers in the Cofidis doping trial pleaded Friday for the sport not to turn its collective back on what one attorney called “cycling's lost generation.” The sport, said the lawyer representing one of the disgraced riders, risks being relegated to the position of “a drug-infested side show” if serious changes aren’t made soon. The attorney representing Philippe Gaumont, said his client had "been attacked for breaking the peloton’s ‘code of silence,’” aimed at covering up the sport's seedy side. “Allowing such a code to remain unchallenged,” said attorney Frederic Champagne, “will

Bisceglia when he was still in charge.

The Leaders: Smooth and fast.

A season stalled: Basso, seen here locking up the Giro in the 20th stage into Aprica, had hoped to win the Tour de France as well.

Boulder, CO, November 8, 2006 — Cycling’s Golden Age, the stunningphotographic celebration of cycling history, will make its California debutat VeloSwap San Francisco, the state’s largest consumer cycling and triathlonshow.  The event will host three California-based sports experts,with a heart rate training coach, a sport psychologist, and a cycling historian. VeloSwap San Francisco is Saturday, November 18 from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.at the San Francisco Concourse Exhibition Center and will host 200 vendorsand 5,000 attendees.Cycling'sGolden Age: Heroes of the Postwar Era,

Come to the Red Zinger/Coors® Classic DVD Release Party and Reunion!Michael Aisner and VeloGear Produce the Definitive Red Zinger/Coors®Classic 3  Disc DVD SetBoulder, CO, November 8, 2006 — VeloGear invites you to the RedZinger/Coors® Classic DVD release party and reunion to be held at UniversityBikes on Thursday, December 7 beginning at 6:00 p.m.Finally, the Red Zinger/Coors® Classic is available on DVD! VeloGearhas teamed with race producer Michael Aisner to present 9 hours of raretelevision coverage and documentary footage re-mastered in a 3 DVD set.Pre-order the DVD today at

Ivan Basso said he Thursday he feels "reborn" after signing a two-season contract with the Discovery Channel cycling team. The 28-year-old Giro d'Italia winner is expected to take the central spot in the team once occupied by seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. "It's the ideal team for me," Basso told the Gazzetta dello Sport website on Thursday. "I'm incredibly happy. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it's a new life for me - I feel reborn,” Basso said. “The squad are committed to supporting me in the double challenge of the Tour of Italy and the

The public prosecutor in Nanterre, France, on Thursday dropped a demand that Scottish cyclist David Millar face jail for his role in the Cofidis doping scandal from 2000 to 2003. Millar had possibly been facing between three months and a year in jail, suspended, if found guilty of possession of doping products. On Tuesday Millar admitted in court to having taken the blood-booster EPO and testosterone to improve his performances. "I took drugs because it was my job to get good results," Millar told the court on Tuesday. Prosecutor Jacques Hossaert has also recommended that the court not

Press Release - Coors Classic DVD release party slated

That's me! Mr. Smooth-and-slow

Flag, mullets and beer. They're not just for Belgians anymore.

Feeling the noise in the Clif Bar run up.

Even the kiddies know a good race when they see one.

He’s done it again! Gonzo filmmaker and cycling wild man Scott Coadyhas just finished Cobbles Baby! which chronicles his non stop, over thetop adventures at Paris-Roubaix, the bicycle race usually called The Hellof the North.  The world premiere of Cobbles Baby! will be November16-21 at six of the most amazing theaters in northern California includingthe Art Deco masterpiece Grand Lake Theatre.  For a complete listof times and theaters visit www.bigringfilms.com/upcomingscreenings.html.  Scott will attend each and every screening,talking and signing his DVDs like crazy

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Cycling isn’t tough on dopers? Puh-leezeEditor:Let me get this straight: David Millar takes EPO. Millar gets caught. Millar gets suspended for two years and kicked off his team (no ride, no pay). Millar comes back clean. Millar goes back on trial for taking EPO. Now, Millar could pay

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Thread patterns; Cog patterns and bits of Velcro

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Thread patterns; Cog patterns and bits of Velcro

Millar testified on Tuesday

Press Release - New Coady film debut to benefit Phinney Foundation and high school riders

Basso's relationship with CSC soured after his ejection from the Tour

British cyclist David Millar said intense pressure to perform led him to try EPO as he testified Tuesday in a doping trial of seven current or former riders with the Cofidis team. On the second day of the trial, Millar said he felt responsible for the team's performance because he was its leader at the time. “When I saw that when I was bad, the team was terrible, I had the responsibility to become a 'real professional,'” said Millar, referring to using performance-enhancing drugs. Millar described a trip to Italy in 2001 to stay with teammate Massimiliano Lelli. Millar said he

Todd Wells brought his GTs in the trunk of his Audi

Notice the left hand brake lever.

Talk about a crazy position, look at the drop from the seat to handle bars.

The Orbea iGorre has plenty of mud clearance; you can also see FSA’s red ceramic BB

Primus Mootry built Katie Compton two new bikes in three days.

The tread of Tufo’s Flexus tire flanked by red carbon specific fibrex cork pads.

Lyne Bessette’s Thorne

Thorne’s rear triangle provides plenty of clearance for the Dugast Rhino tire.

Georgia Gould’s Orbea iGorre

Shimano’s BR-R550 looks very clean, the Maxxis Raze tread is made of siped square and rectangular blocks.

Former Cofidis pro Philippe Gaumont heads to court on Tuesday

Gaumont takes a break during Tuesday's testimony

The defendants (l-r) Robert Sassone, David Millar, Mederic Clain and (bottom) Philippe Gaumont, Massimiliano Lelli and Marek Rutkiewicz.

The fabled Vomit Comet (left) with its cousin, the White Tornado

Fun with course design

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Loves that dirty girlTo Mr. O'Grady,What a brilliant way to sum up cyclo-cross (see "Friday'sFoaming Rant: A dirty girl"). Patrick you're my new foundhero! My cycling days seem to mirror that of Mr. O'Grady's, but insteadof going to watch, I'm now in charge of

British cyclist David Millar and nine others, including six current or former Cofidis riders, went on trial Monday for their alleged role in a doping scandal. The seven cyclists are charged with "acquiring and possessing banned substances." The other three defendants — a mechanic, a pharmacist and a former Cofidis soigneur — are accused of encouraging the riders to use drugs and supplying them with performance-enhancing drugs. The trial, in the Paris suburb of Nanterre, is expected to last a week. The defendants each face up to five years in prison and fines of 75,000 euros if

The world is divided into people who do things and people who get the credit. Try, if you can, to belong to the first class. There’s far less competition.— Dwight Morrow, 1873-1931, in a letter to his son I caught a glimpse of the Vomit Comet on Sunday while driving out of town, bound for the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross stop in Boulder. A few more dents, all the shortcuts in that Earl Scheib paint job looking like a Tijuana facelift, squatting a little lower on her springs. And why not? The old girl had 23 years of service and nearly 300,000 on the odometer when I finally caved and sold

Schneider en route to victory