News

The View

Friends: Beth Estes (l) and Karen Hornbostel

Wells sand-surfing

Parbo enjoys his first U.S. outing

The women's podium

Press Release- Roll and Danielson in San Antonio

Saiz is back in business

Will the 2006 winner - whoever he might be - show up in '07?

McQuaid has grown increasingly frustrated by authorities' handling of Operación Puerto.

World cycling chief Pat McQuaid has launched a broadside at the handling of a doping investigation which has left the UCI virtually unable to sanction riders suspected of cheating. A police investigation in Spain last May, dubbed Operación Puerto, allegedly uncovered a drug and blood doping network being run by a Madrid-based sports doctor, Eufemiano Fuentes, which implicated 58 professional riders, some of them top names in the peloton. Yet three months after an apparently explosive scandal, cycling's world ruling body may well be forced to allow most of those implicated to return to

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. On missing KarenEditors,After reading LennardZinn's article on his friend Karen, I just felt I had to write.Until today I had never heard of Karen Hornbostel. I didn't knowabout her cycling career, job or her battle with cancer, but afterreading Lennard's piece, I just had

Oh, Colorado's calling meFrom her hillsides and her riversAnd her mesas and her trees.When blizzards snap the power linesAnd all the toilets freezeIn December in the Colorado Rockies.— "Colorado," by Christopher Guest, Sean Kelly and Tony Hendra, from "Lemmings" Nothing says "Colorado" quite like riding your cyclo-cross bike in bibs and short-sleeve jersey on Wednesday, then huddling sweat-suited in the snowy darkness on Thursday. Colorado Springs got its first real winter storm in years yesterday, a heavy, wet dumper of a blizzard that closed roads, highways and schools, snapped tree

Pereiro cautions that Landis is still the official winner.

Karen, we're going to miss you.

Brrrr . . . .

Prudhomme announcing the 2007 Tour route

Livingstone has high hopes for the Tour start in London

Veterans Park

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEVeloSwap Denver to Feature Four Author AppearancesAttendees can get new bike components and learn about bike maintenance,bike fit, and trainingBoulder, CO, October 26, 2006 — VeloSwap is pleased to announce four author events at this weekend's Denver VeloSwap.Four VeloPress authors will answer questions and autograph books on bikemaintenance and repair, bike fitting, and training. The Denver VeloSwapis the largest bike swap in the country, drawing over 10,000 swappers and400 vendors.Lennard Zinn, VeloNews magazine Technical Editor and master framebuilder, will present

The route for 2007

Prudhomme unveils the 2007 route and demands a clean race.

London mayor Ken Livingstone and Prudhomme say the '07 Tour will offer a unique set of features and challenges.

Karen (right) with her good friend Beth Wrenn-Estes

Karen with friends who bought her a scooter when bike riding became too difficult for her

Bob,I have a question regarding riding at night. I'm a Minnesota commuter and commute using a generally accepted excellent setup – a Niterider 15 watt headlight with a Niterider blinking taillight. But Minnesota statutes 169.222 subsection 6 says:(a) No person shall operate a bicycle at nighttime unless the bicycle or its operator is equipped with a lamp which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector of a type approved by the Department of Public Safety which is visible from all distances from 100 feet to 600 feet to the

Some rant-readers aren’t too SwiftEditor:I wondered all weekend if anyone would get Patrick O'Grady's last rant. I knew there would be a few who would play the role of the outraged Englishman, but I thought at least one person would check the link. I'll just blame the lack of recognition on crumbling schools and Lilliputian library budgets. Maybe you had to be raised in an Irish household to get this one. A pint of the black for my man O'Grady. Courtney ConnellyTucson, Arizona You want fries with your Mick-baby sandwich?Editor:Am I the only one who noticed the link to

One-time Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich on Wednesday denied that he is being investigated in Spain as part of the Spanish doping probe dubbed Operación Puerto. Ullrich was fired by his T-Mobile team this year after being barred from competing in the Tour de France after Spanish investigators offered evidence which suggested he was involved in doping. The 32-year-old is said to have been given the blood-boosting drug EPO, human growth hormone, steroids and blood transfusions by Madrid-based physician Eufemio Fuentes, the apparent head of a doping ring, but denies knowing him. "Jan

The directors of ProTour cycling teams meeting in Paris this week are calling for the use of DNA evidence to identify doping cheats involved in the Operación Puerto scandal. The directors want all cyclists implicated in the Spanish affair to agree to take DNA tests that would categorically prove whether or not their blood samples were held in the laboratory owned by Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. "All the teams will ask their riders to agree before January 1, 2007, to the UCI (International Cycling Union) using DNA testing if necessary, particularly in the Puerto affair," a spokesperson for the

The Council of Europe nominated French sports minister Jean-Francois Lamour for president of the World Anti-Doping Agency on Wednesday. The 46-nation body endorsed Lamour, a two-time Olympic fencing champion, to succeed Dick Pound, whose term as WADA's president expires next year. Lamour is regarded as one of Europe's most outspoken officials on doping. Lamour, a gold medalist at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and four years later in Seoul, became Sports Minister in 2002. The council confirmed Danish sports minister Brian Mikkelsen as a candidate to WADA's executive

Bicycle Pedals Recalled by Time Sport International Due to Fall HazardNEWS from CPSCU.S. Consumer Product Safety CommissionOffice of Information and Public AffairsWashington, DC 20207 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEOctober 25, 2006Release #07-014 Firm's Recall Hotline: (800) 240-8051CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908 Bicycle Pedals Recalled by Time Sport International Due to FallHazard WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recallof the following consumer product.

Pereiro might not be declared the winner of the 2006 Tour, even if Landis is bumped from the top spot.

Every home needs is own cyclocross course viewing tower, right?

Me, Italian Davide Frattini, Tim Johnson and Geoff Kabush

Future crossers wrestling for position in the sand pit.

Cycle-Ops Fluid 2 trainers conveniently located next to the keg.

How do I open this thing?

Press Release: Time announces pedal recall

The UCI called on the World Anti-Doping Agency on Tuesday to intervene in a dispute with Spanish authorities over the probe into the Operacion Puerto doping scandal. A Spanish judge told the UCI on October 3 that documents from the investigation could not be used for disciplinary action by sporting authorities until he concludes his work. "The UCI believes that WADA, which has often invoked its prominent position in relations between political authorities and sports bodies, must now assume its responsibilities," the federation said in a statement. The UCI said it was counting on the

Hesjedal at this year's Volta a Cataluyna - before Phonak unraveled

Obye

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.O'Grady's terrible proposalEditor,I think rules and laws are meant to set a precedence for future behaviorsand actions which may guide us and our activities to within what is reasonableto save us from ourselves from reverting back to the animals we are withoutconsciousness or

At the helm: Just where will Christian Prudhomme be leading the Tour next July?

Barnholt

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEVeloSwap Denver to Feature Lennard Zinn Bike Maintenance Clinic VeloSwap attendees can get new bike parts and then learn installationtechniques from a master bike technician Boulder, CO, October 22, 2006 — VeloNews magazine TechnicalEditor and master framebuilder Lennard Zinn will present a one hour clinicon bike maintenance at the VeloSwapDenver Special Events Stage on Saturday, October 28 at 11:00 a.m.VeloSwap attendees can upgrade their bikes with new components availableat VeloSwap, the world's largest consumer bike swap, and then learn installation,repair, and

The podium

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.Tour of Missouri is great newsEditor:Finally, there is some good news in American cycling with the announcement of the Tour of Missouri! The American cycling has had a gloomy 2006 with the drug scandals. Having a fourth major state tour is the exact type of racing that we need to develop

Gully in Tabor in 2001

The future of home of some bike racing stars?

Finn Gullickson out motorpacing.

Son Leo having fun!

Finn: like father, like son.

Will Basso be at next year's Giro?

Thanks to a little cocaine, Freewheeling Franklin and Phineas set a world record for the 40km TT (two stoners, single bike). For the complete cartoon, click here

Mmmm ... beer

Hamilton, seen here before the 2004 Olympic road race in Athens, may have a team for '07.

The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the Prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this. — Albert Einstein Like many of you, I’ve been following this summer’s Keystone Kops marathon, aided and abetted by regular, hefty doses of my drugs of choice (caffeine and alcohol in various flavors). I used to enjoy nicotine, too, but managed to shake that habit

Remembering Jon Jonathan Dechau was a friend of mine. Like many, I was shocked tohear of hispassing. I hadn’t talked to him a couple of years and it was a shockfor me to come across it on all the cycling websites. It was almost surreal.Jon and I had both started out racing in New England and had gotten toknow each other. I got to thinking about Jon again after recent developments.Years ago Jon and I were both chasing the dream. We were bothracing the better part of the NRC schedule that year and seeing each otherat all the events. In that same year the Olympic trials were held in

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,in cooperation with the manufacturers named below, has announced a voluntaryrecall of the following consmer product. Consumers should stop using recalledproducts immediately unless otherwise instructed.Name of Product: ARC Lithium Ion Bicycle Light BatteriesUnits: About 1,700Light Manufacturer/Battery Reseller: Light & Motion, of Monterey,Calif.Battery Manufacturer: GP Batteries International Ltd., of SingaporeBattery Importer: Gold Peak Industries (North America), Inc.of San Diego, Calif.Hazard: The battery can overheat,

Press Release: Light & Motion announces battery recall

Ullrich, here winning a time trial at this year's Tour of Switzerland, won't be getting a Swiss license in 2007.

A new book which claims to further lift the lid on some of the dirtier secrets of Lance Armstrong's successful cycling career will go on sale in France on Thursday. The seven-time Tour de France champion is now retired, but a second book by Pierre Ballester and David Walsh - authors of the controversial "L.A. Confidentiel" two and a half years ago - claims to shed new light on their allegations that Armstrong's feats came through the use of doping products. Extracts of "L.A. Officiel," which like the first book has been written only in French, will appear in Thursday's edition

CLIF BAR’s Development Cyclo-Cross Team Starts Global Cooling, Starts Season Boulder, Colorado October, 2006—When the members of the TIAACREF/CLIF BAR Cyclo-Cross Team rolled to the start line in Gloucester, MA for the opening round of the 2006 Crank Brothers US Gran Prix of Cyclo-Cross Series, they not only began the third season for the national-level development program, but also set off on a pioneering environmental sustainability mission. The American Cycling Association’s Junior and Under-23 cyclo-cross development program took inspiration from CLIF BAR’s exemplary sustainability

The following is a statement issued by Lance Armstrong on Thursday, October 18, 2006, regardingthe pending publication of "L.A. Officiel," by authors Pierre Ballesterand David Walsh.Predictably, I will be the subject tomorrow of another baselessattack by another French book. The authors, David Walsh and Pierre Ballester,now issue a sequel to an earlier French book that was likewise foundedupon a demonstrably false string of sensational, untrue and fabricatedallegations.  This latest attack will be no different than the first- a sensationalized attempt to cash in on my name and sully my

Basso is likely to ride again, but it won't be for Riis.

Tour of Missouri Brings World-Class Professional Cycling to the StateST. LOUIS, Mo. (October 17, 2006) ---- Missouri Governor MattBlunt and Lt. Governor Peter Kinder announced today that the state willplay host to the inaugural Tour of Missouri professional cycling race,September 11 – 16, 2007. In its initial year, the Tour of Missouri will be anointed oneof the nation’s top three stage races behind the prestigious Tour of Georgiaand Tour of California races, providing an historic landmark for the sportwith three major domestic stage races on American soil. "Missouri is known as the

Mayo won this year's Dauphine stage from Briancon to La Toussuire, but was dissatisfied with most of his season.

Johnson seizes the lead early

McCormack descends

Smith heads for gold in Cow Town

Timmerman bunny-hops his way to victory in Syracuse

Is Basso ready to kiss CSC goodbye?

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 Jeff Fillerup’s “Six a.m. warm-up” to beautifully represent those quiet, contemplative moments before the day’s competition kicks in. Nice work, Jeff. 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." And while you’re at it,

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.Lab’s techniques severely flawedEditor:After having finally reviewed the PowerPoint presentation given by Floyd Landis’s attorney, I am shocked by the audacity of the "accredited" laboratory to call his results positive. The results seem only to indicate that the laboratory cannot perform

Six a.m. warm-up

Valverde capped of a stellar season on Saturday.

Bessette and Nash duke it out

Bruno Roy and Dickey tussle

Saul Raisin continues to defy expectations in remarkable recovery from a life-threatening crash in April that sent him into a coma and put his future as a professional bike racer in doubt. Raisin returned to Europe last week to spend a month in Monaco and to pose for photographs the 2007 team photograph, a sure sign that the Crédit Agricole rider is making solid progress toward a possible comeback perhaps as early as next season. Raisin, 23, can’t guarantee he’ll race in the European peloton again, but he’s going to try. VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood recently caught up with