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If you happened to be one of the many race fans who took in either of late-April’s big domestic races — the First Charter Criterium in Shelby, North Carolina, or the Twilight Criterium a day later in Athens, Georgia — you might have come away asking yourself, "Who the heck is NetZero?" Entering the weekend, most people had regarded this Los Angeles-based team as little more than pack fodder in the rough-and-tumble domestic racing scene. This territory belonged to teams like Mercury-Viatel and Saturn, the Navigators and Prime Alliance. Certainly the new NetZero pro team, made up of

Back off, buddy

Napa World Cup winner José Antonio Hermida might not be a household name in mountain-bike racing, but standing next to the under-23 world champion on the first World Cup podium of the 2001 season last month was someone even more unfamiliar to fans. So you could hardly blame Hermida when he goofed on the guy’s name. While talking with reporters, Hermida said, "I put an attack on the uphill and I [caught] Thomas." The 26-year-old German sitting immediately to the right of Hermida interrupted: "Marc." "Oh, Marc," apologized Hermida. "No problem. Don’t feel sorry for me today," answered Marc

Most cyclists have experienced a few aches and pains along the way. Most of the time, it just comes with the territory and a little bit of rest is all you need. Sometimes, though, the aches and pains can grow into something more serious: overuse injuries. Overuse injuries are prolonged rubs, grinds and tears of soft tissue that cause pain and limit riding. As the name implies, they occur over time and are caused by irregular or excessive forces applied to a soft tissue such as cartilage or tendons. Overuse injuries may also occur as a result of an improperly rested acute injury. Common

Once a soccer player, Moeman now lives for cycling.

It’s a country roughly the size of Maryland, and with a population of less than 10 million. But when it comes to cycling, Belgium is one of the most tradition- and talent-rich powerhouses in the world. It can boast more elite men’s world road champions than France or Italy, and the little tri-lingual nation hosts a huge number of major UCI races, including classics such as the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flèche Wallonne, Ghent-Wevelgem and Het Volk. In addition to the great names of the past — Merckx, Van Looy, Van Steenbergen, De Vlaeminck, Van Impe — Belgium continues to churn

The Moermans host as many as eight riders at a time.

24-hour nationals tries again for Winter Park The 2001 24 Hours of Adrenalin NORBA National Solo and Team Championship. The name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but what that longwinded tag is trying to say is that, for the second straight year, NORBA will sanction a 24-hour off-road national championship event. This year’s event will be held August 4-5, at Winter Park, Colorado. Last year’s championship was also scheduled for Winter Park, but that event was derailed when local U.S. Forest Service officials refused to grant Winter Park Resort the permits needed to run the event. In the

Athens was the fifth AMBC race this year.

With a rest day tomorrow, Quaranta gets an extra day to savor a stage win

He's chill like that. Gabrielle Colombo takes a break on the road.

Hannah takes out Minnaar in the final.

Bootes looked fast here, but ended up fourth.

Donovan on her way to another win at Big Bear.

Who me worry? Even yesterday, Simoni had numerous reasons to smile about the Giro.

On the road, Frigo closed to within seven seconds of Simoni.

It was all Aussies at the top of the men's downhill podium.

Despite his rainbow jeresy, Rockwell could do no better than 16th.

Streb heads for the win.

Goive couldn't match her teenage teammate.

Hesjedal outlasts McGrath, while Green comes across third.

Hesjedal on the attck in the early going.

Dunlap exults as she crossed the line.

Florit was out fron for much of the race, but couldn't hold on at the end.

Simoni (in pink), Frigo, and the tifosi were the big players in today's stage.

Here's what we're all missing by not seeing this race in person. You gotta click to see this full size!

Wonder Grrl: Geneviève Jeanson

Her manager told her to go on the third climb. She listened -- and that's the last the peloton saw of her.

The World Cup math worked against Bessette (r) when Melcher (front) covered her move.

Montreal's podium (l to r): Ljungskog, Jeanson, Bessette.

The 23-year-old Perez (right) after the win: 'I’d trade two teeth for a day like today.'

Frigo (left) led the chase once Simoni jumped away, and kept his time loss to 45 seconds. The jersey, for now, is Simoni's.

Molday leads a four-rider breakaway near the top of the first climb.

Grigson explains another win.

Molday on his own on the second lap.

Dunlap got the hole shot but ended up second.

Team Saturn continues to hold down all the top spots in the National Racing Calendar standings, with Trent Klasna and Kimberly Bruckner leading the individual standings. Both the Saturn men’s and women’s squads lead the team standings as well following the U.S. national championships and the Tour of Somerville. Men 1. Trent Klasna, Saturn, 739 pts 2. Scott Moninger, Mercury-Viatel, 490 3. Eric Wohlberg (Can), Saturn, 385 4. Chris Horner, Mercury-Viatel, 339 5. Baden Cooke (Aus), Mercury-Viatel, 287 6. Levi Leipheimer, U.S. Postal Service, 240 7. Eddy Gragus, Jelly Belly, 221 8. Danny

Laurent Chotard was fired from the U.S.-based Mercury-Viatel squad today, May 31, after it was announced that the French neo-pro tested positve for EPO at the Tour of Romandie. The sample was taken during that race, held March 8-13. "We fully support any action taken by the French Cycling Federation and by the UCI and commend their efforts to improve our sport. Chotard's actions were of his own initiative and without the knowledge of any staff or team member and his removal from the team was immediate," Mercury team director John Wordin told VeloNews.

National TT champion Trent Klasna

Dario Frigo (left) holds the lead by one second -- a thin margin to pin his team's hopes with Friday's big climbs.

Lotto Adecco's Lef Verbrugghe rode clear on two solo breaks, and it was on the second when the rain storm hit the peloton.

IBanesto's Lastras scoring his biggest win of the season

With eight teams in the break, the odds were good that it would stick.

From the Giro, Skippy will ride each stage of the Tours of Austria, Switzerland, and France.

Following ther rules, Cipo' kept his regulation uniform

'I gave it everything I had, because if I had been caught I would not have been able to try it again,' Zanette said.

The break rode away with 130km to go -- but Zanette jumped clear in the closing kilometers.

Cipo' strikes a familiar pose

McManus

Caucchioli makes his move

Whew! Frigo holds on.

A long day in the saddle. Stage 7 covered 239km.

Bruckner wrapped up her second title of the weekend.

Andy Hampsten and Davis Phinney, who played major roles in leading modern U.S. professional cyclists racing in Europe during the mid-1980s, will be inducted May 27 into the U.S. Bicycling Hall. The 15th annual awards banquet will be held at the Somerville Elks Club in nearby Bridgewater, N.J. Both athletes plan to attend the ceremony, as do other athlete inductees: Ned Overend and Victor Vincente of America. Phinney won more than 300 races, including two stages of the Tour de France, over his career from 1976 to 1993. He also won a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Hampsten,

Graham Watson

Hampsten, shown here on the Gavia, a decade after his historic ride up the pass.

Phinney, at his long-time home in Colorado.

Cheetahs sometimes prosper

Kevin Livingston is riding his first Giro.

Frigo takes over

Pantani couldn't stay with the leaders on the final climb

Familiar sight Hondo wins again.

Verbrugghe fought his way back after a crash

Verbrugghe still has the Maglia Rosa

Marga Fullana showed again why she's world champion

Italian Ellis Rastelli (Liquigas-PATA) sneaking in along the barrier for the win.

Pantani's efforts on the climb with just 15km to go helped re-shuffle the overall standings.

Fulllana made it look easy

It took more than 10 years, but Green gave Canada a men's World Cup win

Verbrugghe took the pink jersey in record-breaking style

Hruska was one of four ONCE's to finish in the top-10

The official 2001 poster for the 84th running of the Giro d'Italia