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French cycling star Richard Virenque will be focusing on only one thing during the next few days on the Tour de France - winning a record-equaling sixth 'King of the Mountains' polka dot jersey. And the 33-year-old Quick Step rider, who has successfully reintegrated into the peloton after his career was in tatters in the wake of the Festina doping scandal, says he could stick around long enough to set his own Tour de France benchmark. "I'm preparing myself mentally for the Pyrénées and hopefully by the time we reach the mountains again my legs will stand up to the test," said Virenque on

The Lithuanian cycling federation has recommended a six-month ban for former Lampre rider Raimondas Rumsas, who tested positive for EPO during the Giro d’Italia in May, the federation said Tuesday. The federation also proposed to fine the 31-year-old Lithuanian year 2000 Swiss francs (1300 Euros). The Lithuanian federation has not taken a final decision on Rumsas, and has instead consulted the International Cycling Federation (UCI) and sent it Rumsas' explanations for the postive test. If the UCI rejects the Lithuanian federation's proposal, Rumsas's domestic federation will be obliged to

Just back from Bend, Oregon, land of breweries, brushfires and bicycle racing, and after my first outing I’d have to say that the Cascade Classic is a fantastic event. Race promoter Brad Ross ran a race with stunning courses and full community support, and the consensus from racers I spoke with was that Cascade is one of the more under-rated stage races in the U.S. “I’m going to tell all the girls from other teams to come next year,” said women’s overall winner Lyne Bessette (Saturn), who raced at Cascade for the first time, easily beating the 50-rider field. And while Bessette did trounce

Rest Day at the Tour: Bruyneel confident; Hamilton still day-to-day

Jan Ullrich thinks four-times Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is in a weaker position at the halfway stage than in previous years and may be vulnerable to attack in the Pyrenees. The German, winner of the Tour in 1997, said there was a chance he could win his first stage of cycling's premier race in five years in the mountains of southwest France. "If I'm on good form and I'm feeling good on the day, then it might be possible," he told reporters at his team's hotel in Lignan-sur-Orb during the first rest day of the Tour on Wednesday. "The Pyrenees this year are tougher than the

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While the concept of a rest day in a three-week stage race is very welcome, it is equally dangerous for riders. The body is more than happy to accept the rest, but breaking the routine of racing can cause trouble. Rest Day RoutinesRacing on the day after a rest day can be like starting a car on a cold winter morning. You might be able to get the engine to turn over, but it takes a while for it to run smoothly. For riders, the danger is that they will feel sluggish or heavy on the first stage following the rest day. In order to prevent this situation, it is important for everyone to spend

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Overall Standings after 10 stages1. Lance Armstrong (USA), U.S. Postal Service, 45:46:222. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), Telekom, at 00:213. Iban Mayo (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 01:024. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), iBanesto.com, at 01:375. Tyler Hamilton (USA), CSC, at 01:526. Jan Ullrich (G), Bianchi, at 02:107. Ivan Basso (I), Fassa Bortolo, at 02:258. Roberto Heras (Sp), U.S. Postal Service, at 02:289. Haimar Zubeldia (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 03:2510. Denis Menchov (Rus), iBanesto.com, at 03:4511. Roberto Laiseka (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 04:0312. Christophe Moreau (F), Credit Agricole, at

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Lance Armstrong enters the second half of the 2003 Tour de France witha real fight on his hands. The four-time champion endured attacks in threepunishing days in the Alps but still emerged with the yellow jersey onhis back.Armstrong enjoyed a quiet rest day on Wednesday, riding for about twohours with his U.S. Postal Service teammates late Wednesday morning nearthe team's hotel in Montpellier. He later lunched with his family and enjoyeda relaxing day away from the race and the media.VeloNews caught up with U.S. Postal's director Johan Bruyneelafter the team's training ride. Here are excerpts

One talented, highly motivated, and thoroughly tough SOB

Sitting in the outside terrace of bar called Le Nat, we raised ourglasses of beer and toasted what is a rare feat in Tour de France trip– 36 hours free of relative trouble. Le Nat is in the town of Beziers, in southwest France, just 33km away from the start of Thursday’s stage 12 in Narbonne to Toulouse.As we drank, we shook our heads in disbelief at our good fortune. Thatis, until we realized that Le Nat is not exactly what we thoughtit was. Let’s just say the bar was open, and it was not yet dark, but itwas preparing to provide its clients with other services than just drinks!Our

This is unexpected: Halfway through the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong has yet to put a stranglehold on cycling's showcase race. After 11 days of racing, with 10 to go, the talk among some riders as they headed into Wednesday's well-earned rest day was that the four-time champion is not the dominant force he once was as he goes for a record-equaling fifth successive win. Unusually, the 31-year-old Texan did not shine in the Alps and their monstrous climbs - although he rode well enough to take the overall lead. Another four days loom in the Pyrenees. To win, Armstrong needs to be strong

Jacob's good day

Dinner at the Anderson's

'Princess Emma,' the Low Rider

Antonio and Alexi Cruz

The longest finish straight, just under 2 kilometers

Mountain biking has made it to billboard status in Whistler.

Beloki: Painfully reminiscent...

TV and a photo bike covering the break

... of Ocaña in 1971

Soigniers tell stories while waiting 20 minutes for the field to finish

Lance Armstrong and Baden Cooke await the start

Landis cooling off at finish

Demonstrators stop the tour mid stage

Demonstrators stop the tour mid stage

Team CSC's Jakob Piil won Tuesday's hot and steamy stage 10 from Gap to Marseille as the Tour de France left the Alps behind and headed toward the Mediterranean Sea. Once more, Lance Armstrong retained his hold on the yellow jersey, this time staying on dry pavement a day after his already famous "short-cut" on Monday's stage to Gap. It was stinking hot again Tuesday in what's been one of the hottest Tours in recent memory. It was too hot for a sick Stefano Garzelli (Vini Caldirola), the 2003 Giro d'Italia runner-up, who didn't take the start, leaving 171 riders in the 90th Tour as the race

To see how Stage 10 of the Tour unfolded live, just go to our Live Update window and follow the action all the way to the finish.

1. Jakob Piil (Dk), CSC, 219.5km in 5:09:332. Fabio Sacchi (I), Saeco, at 00:003. Bram De Groot (Nl), Rabobank, at 00:494. Damien Nazon (F), Brioches La Boulangere, at 02:075. Rene Haselbacher (A), Gerolsteiner, at 02:076. Philippe Gaumont (F), Cofidis, at 02:077. Serge Baguet (B), Lotto-Domo, at 02:078. Vicente Garcia Acosta (Sp), iBanesto.com, at 02:079. Gutierrez José Enrique (Sp), Kelme-Costa Blanca, at 05:0610. Baden Cooke (Aus), FDJeux.com, at 21:2311. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Lotto-Domo, at 21:2312. Erik Zabel (G), Telekom, at 21:2313. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Caldirola, at 21:2314. Fabrizio

Stage 10 Gallery from Reuters

A gasp of horror reverberated through the Tour de France entourage Monday when second-placed Joseba Beloki crashed at top speed on the descent to the finish of stage 9. It was immediately obvious that it was a serious fall, one from which the 29-year-old Spaniard would not get up. Beloki was transported Tuesday by air ambulance to his hometown of Vittoria for surgery at a private hospital, but long months will pass before he is rehabilitated from the broken femur in his right thigh, the complex fracture of his right elbow and his snapped right wrist. For Beloki though, the bitterest pill to

Piil wins

Postal at the helm

Stage 10 Tech Talk: The Tour never stops

Despite the near total desertion of the Fassa Bortolo squad from the Tour de France, the Italian team still leads the overall list of prize money awarded at the half-way point of the race. Largely on the strength of four stage wins by Alessandro Petacchi, Fassa Bortolo has earned a total of 39,681 Euros thus far in the 2003 Tour.Prize money awarded, as of Stage 101. Fassa Bortolo 39,681 euros2. Quick Step 39,1493. Crédit Agricole 30,8234. fdjeux.com 29,4255. Telekom 27,8086. U.S. Postal - 26,0027. Euskaltel - 21,7368. AG2R - 19,4819. Jean Delatour - 17,24810. ONCE - 13,56511. La Boulangere -

Stage 10 Tech Talk: The Tour never stops

After three long and hot days in the Alps, the peloton was more than happy to let a nine-man breakaway build a massive lead and contest the tenth stage of the 2003 Tour de France. Behind them, the U.S. Postal Service and Euskaltel teams set a controlled tempo on the front of the main field. Even when the pace is not blistering, riding tempo at the front of the Tour de France takes a lot of energy. Staying aerobic is the key to riding tempo on the front of the peloton, and riders who know the task falls in their job descriptions train specifically to handle the demands. The goal is to

The course winds along the Marseille Harbor

Stage 10 Tech Talk: The Tour never stops

IMAX camera mounted on helicopter

If I've learned one thing these past couple of days here at my first visit to the Tour de France is that the race slows for no one. The riders, the Tour support staff and even the attending press are pushed to near-redline limits for three weeks straight. As one day blurs into the next with set-up, competition and subsequent tear-down, the Tour waits for no one–number plate or not. So with four hours of sleep under my belt, I hit the road with John Wilcockson (who's covered the Tour more than 30 times) in our trusty Passat. We were off to the team hotel of CSC so that I could spend the

Young fans on the course today

This is the story about a fella nicknamed “Tracker John.” It’s also a about luck and how the two went hand-in-hand today before the 10th stage of the centennial Tour de France. Tracker John may be getting on, but with 35 Tours under his belt he is as wily as the most cunning of foxes. When he gets one sniff of a scent, he’ll follow the trail to its end. He did this morning, after we stopped on the way to the stage start at the point of yesterday’s stage 9 descent where Joseba Beloki crashed out of the Tour and Armstrong ran off course. Beloki, who sustained a fractured right femur, elbow

Cultural dancers in horse outfits

Gracia heads to the win.

The Alps … what an experience they were. And the people. I have never ever ridden through so many crowds. Whatever happens, it is an experience I will never forget. With them behind us now, I’ll have a bit of time to reflect back on the experience; well, that is until the Pyrénées come under our wheel and the road goes painfully up again. Today’s stage was hard, hot and hurt as the result sheet shows (I was 78th at 15:38, along with 13 others). This time I couldn’t finish with the leaders, as I did on stage seven where I was fourth, or even as I did in stage eight where I hit the last climb

Stage 9 Tech Talk: Hot tar, sticky brakes and Lance's daily driver

On the Col d'Izoard

Bumped into 1987 Tour de France winner Stephen Roche the other day. Literally. But as anyone who has followed the Tour will tell you, as the race gets bigger and bigger and more congested along the way, bumping into people is what you do. Forget meeting them. Doing so with Roche was a good thing. Our subsequent chat brought back a lot of fond memories. We spoke of his great races and tigerísh spirit to racing. We spoke of 1987, the year of his triple crown — victory in the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and the world professional road championship (at Villach, Austria). We spoke and spoke

Stage 9 Tech Talk: Hot tar, sticky brakes and Lance's daily driver

Jaksche was a big factor all day.

More than anything, I wish the biggest story of the day was AlexanderVinokorouv’s victorious attack in the closing kilometers of Stage 9. Instead,our attention was once again drawn to the dangers of racing bicycles, thistime illustrated by Joseba Beloki’s brutal crash on the final descent ofthe day.No one really knows what happened first, whether his rear tire blewor slipped in melted asphalt, but the result was quick and painful. Belokifought to stay upright, his wheels dug into the soft pavement, and he wasthrown violently to the ground. Early reports indicate the impact brokethe upper

Up the Côte de la Rochette - moments before Beloki's crash

Armstrong is forced off the road as Beloki crashed

Armstrong knows better than anyone that this race is far from over

Vino' now in second overall

Riding with Richard