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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Jan. 14, 2009 – Bissell Pro Cycling is proud to announce that team member Jeremy Vennell now reigns as the New Zealand National Time Trial Champion. Vennell took the top spot at the Raboplus National Championships on January 9 in Te Awamutu, New Zealand.

GT Bicycles today announced exciting new additions to the 2009 GT mountain bike team. The team will continue to be gravity-focused, adding Eric Carter, Mick Hannah and Andrew Cho to the GT roster. These three exceptional riders will help support GT’s 30-year race heritage.

Dear Explainer,

PRESS RELEASE Brent Thomson, Godfather and Trail Master of Bootleg Canyon, suffered a heart attack last Saturday while riding the trails that he has famously cut into the mountains surrounding Boulder City, a stone's throw from Las Vegas, Nevada. While he is currently resting under doctors care in the hospital, Brent is scheduled for the second Quadruple bi-pass in his life. Sixteen years ago he had the same surgery performed due to an unusually high hereditary cholesterol build-up.

Back row l to r: Taylor Phinney, Guy East, Ben King, Bjorn Selander, Axel Merckx. Front row l to r: Ryohei Komori, Cody Campbell, Taylor Kuphaldt and Ryan Baumann

Bjorn Selander getting a Retul fit by Kevin Livingston, who operates the Pedal Hard training center out of the basement of Mellow Johnny's, Armstrong's bike shop.

The Sea Otter Classic, a four-day celebration of sport, will host one of the most important races on the U.S. mountain biking calendar this year. With the highest cash purse, and as one of very few UCI-sanctioned races in the U.S., the Sea Otter cross-country race will be essential to elite athletes looking for points to earn them participation at the Olympics.

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Statement from Michael Ball regarding Rock Racing: Rumors of Rock Racing’s untimely demise have been greatly exaggerated. The team is proceeding with a full racing schedule of domestic racing in 2009 and is actively pursuing any and all opportunities related to racing outside the United States. I am committed to my team and my riders are committed to making Rock Racing one of the most exciting teams in the pro peloton. Our key riders will all be returning and will be ready to compete against the world’s best. We thank our fans for their continued support of Rock Racing. ?

One of the most enamoring aspects of cycling is the community that shares the passion centered on the two-wheeled human-powered velocipede. The bike itself has a romantic attraction to it, and once drawn, cyclists become part of a culture rich in tradition, and a society clustered around the simplicity of its universal medium. The bicycle gives us visceral affirmations of our existence, bringing pleasure through contrast with our physical efforts and self-inflicted pain. Without the human element to give life to the machine, the bike is but a tool whose potential awaits.

The newly formed Trek-Livestrong under-23 team held a training camp this past weekend in Austin, Texas. Ian Dille sat down with Taylor Phinney, who at 18 is already one of the world’s best track cyclists and the team’s most recognizable name (other than its director, Axel Merckx). Below are Phinney’s musings on his plans for 2009, joining forces with Lance Armstrong and leaving the Garmin-Chipotle under-23 squad, and how riding the pursuit is akin to stabbing yourself in the legs. Check back in the next couple days for a full writeup on and photo gallery of the Trek-Livestrong team.

Italian track cyclist Annalisa Cucinotta tested positive for an anabolic steroid in December, the Gazzetta dello Sport said on Sunday. According to the sports newspaper, the 22-year-old failed the test after a World Cup event in Cali, Colombia on December 12. Cucinotta becomes the second Italian woman cyclist after ex-road world champion Marta Bastianelli to test for a stimulant. Bastianelli missed the Olympic Games in Beijing in August due to her offense.

Time is running out to bid on a one-of-a-kind piece of cycling memorabilia that will raise money for pro cyclists Ian MacGregor and Timmy Duggan's "Just Go Harder Foundation" that supports youth mentoring and participation. An official Garmin pro-issue jersey featuring the signatures of racers on the 2008 roster of Team Garmin-Chipotle presented by H30 is up for bid on eBay. In addition to Christian Vande Velde's fourth-place finish at the Tour de France, Garmin won the team time trial at the Giro d'Italia and Vande Velde donned the pink jersey.

A select group of the Amgen / Giant Elite Masters Racing team will be riding stages of the Amgen Tour of California in advance of the race to promote awareness and raise money for Amgen's Breakaway From Cancer. Breakaway From Cancer is a complimentary component to Amgen's sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of California to increase awareness of the important resources available to cancer patients, from prevention to education, and patient care to advocacy and support.

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