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A furious finish

Once again the bunch breaks up

This is no place for a flat

Cruising on a Thursday afternoon

Galdos and Eeckhout on the march

Veneberg and Fischer were active, too

But Zabel and Milram were not interested in any successful breaks

Neither was Phonak, which bunched at the front of the pursuit

The golden jersey even lent a hand in the pursuit

But Cancellara, riding next to Boonen, told Eisel the leader was not bulletproof

As as it turned out, he wasn't

Horner in the bunch, inching up on GC

Press ReleaseFrom: Boulder Offroad Alliance (BOA) Contact: John.daily@Colorado.eduSubject: The Boulder Night of Mountain Biking Champions, A Gala Fundraising Dinner for BOATime and Place: 7:00 PM, Friday, February 3, 2005, Historic Boulderado HotelTickets: $65 Supporter, $100 Sponsor, $150 Big Wheel; Available at Performance and Sports Garage in Boulder, Blue Sky in LongmontMaster of Ceremonies: Dave Towle, America’s Favorite Race Annoucer (Tour of Georgia, Tour of California, Boulder area races) Special Guests: Julie Furtado, former world cross country mountain bike champion; Paul

But Boonen nipped him once again

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.Kids, schools and cyclingEditor:I recently read Tom Sunday's letter (see Monday’s Mailbag: "Masters can help grow sport through schools") regarding his view that cycling could expand more in the U.S. if it was introduced into more schools. I quite agree and thought you might be

Another Belgian and his French pal seem to be enjoying the racing

Ullrich heads to Africa

Ken Whelpdale Daimo Shanks and Chip Howat (l tor) and are ready to turn you into pro' mechanics

Whelpdale keeps a tidy shop - with a bit of memorabilia to keep the place interesting

Those rings are everywhere

Specialized is supplying the team

Park Tool's Calvin Jones shows the proper technique for mounting a tubular

Boonen shows Zabel his heels for the third straight day

Giving it the gas

Omloop on the attack

Horner sprang to life on today's stage, too

CSC was having none of that

Neither was Quick Step

Tenth-placed Eisel and Boonen roll along

Zabel was in the hunt once again

Dear Readers;In my most recent column, S.S., a Tennessee attorney, asked about hisinsurance company's refusal to compensate him for the loss of his bicyclewhen he drove into his garage while his Wilier was attached to his roofrack (see "Isit my garage or my car that's at fault?"). I've received a numberof interesting responses from readers, and I thought it would be helpfulto share them with everybody, so in this column, we'll be taking anotherlook at the situation.As you may recall, the insurance company refused to compensate S.S.for the loss of his bicycle, because,

The world champ is off to a strong start

The wind helped split the pack into thirds

Yes, that's exactly what it looks like

Just ask Finot of Arabia

O'Grady was enjoying his photo op, too

Later, the smile would get turned upside down

Zabel had his troubles, too

As did Boonen, who found himself chasing

Ghyllebert gets his day in the sun

And Horner gets a bottle

Training rides are always the same; pairs of riders rolling along lonely agricultural roads near Solvang

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. Icky as it is, we especially liked Steve Zdawczynski’s “’cross til you drool,” a shot that seems to convey all of the … er… uhh… beauty of our favorite cycling discipline. Congratulations 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

Assistant DS Sean Yates leads the boys in a training ride; not bad for a guy in his mid-40s

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.Masters can help grow sport through schoolsEditor:I would like to offer my input on the subject of improving participation in the sport of cycling. I am a teacher at A. C. Flora High School. I am also a U.S. Cycling Federation racer and have been one for 25 years. During my 16 years of

Giro winner Paolo Savoldelli and Pavel Padrnos chat as they put away the miles

The 14th annual John Earley Memorial Valley of the Sun Stage Race kicks off next month in and around Phoenix, Arizona. The February 17-19 race, hosted by the White Mountain Road Club, boasts more than $15,000 in cash and prizes, a kids competition and a Special Olympics bike race. Last year’s event drew some 850 competitors; Kristin Armstrong (T-Mobile) took the elite women’s race while Ryan Blickem (Health Maxx) claimed the men’s victory. Stage 1 is the Buckeye Time Trial presented by Trillium, a 12-mile race at Sun Valley Parkway, west of Phoenix. "Buckeye is proud to be hosting the

Jason McCartney also preps for the Tour of California, looking to build on his first season with Discovery

Our man Casey Gibson has been tagging around with the Discovery Channel boys as they conduct a training camp in and around Solvang - including almost-daily climbs of Figueroa Mountain - in advance of the upcoming Tour of California. Like any veteran road-tripper, Casey takes a lot of snaps; here's a peek at his latest portfolio.

Discovery heads for home after a cool ride in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley

Ullrich - seen here training in Spain this month - is still the favoirte for the 06 Tour

VeloNews Photo Contest: A new winner and a new gallery

Boonen pips Zabel at the line

Michael Barry and George Hincapie are working hard, leading the riders preparing for the Tour of California

Tom Danielson checks with Johann during a ride

Viatcheslav Ekimov is working out alone, recovering from his terrible accident in the fall

Beltran and Azevedo put in the miles getting ready for the stage races later in the year

Danielson is working hard, getting ready for a breakout year

With 28 bikes to wash each day, even head mechanic Julien Devries pitches in

Newcomer Trent Lowe takes a turn at the front with Tom Danielson

Jose Rubiera climbs on toward the top of Figueroa Mountain

Page makes the top 10

The trio of Van den Brand, Kupfernagel and Vos quickly gapped the rest of the field.

Knapp takes ninth...

... and Bessette rounds out the top-10.

Van den Brand looked strong... until she flatted

Vos merely had to sit on the defending champion's wheel

The podium

Vervecken wins, Wellens celebrates

Wellens seemed the strongest, but would up playing a defensive role

Not such a good day for Nys

The final escape

Stybar on the front

Albert and Boom

The podium

Wells soldiers on despite a gash to the face

Van Poppel took advantage of his long stride.

Selander stayed up front throughout