News

Saturday June 10 marks the official weekend opening of the New England Velodrome & Cycling Park. After four years in the making, riders finally have the chance to train and race on the weekends. Sunday the 11th will feature our first ever Family Ride Time when everyone is allowed to ride their own bikes (with brakes and gears) on the track. Ride leisurely our 1/5 of a mile track with family and friends. It is a fun and safe way to experience riding on the track.

An Australian Olympic cyclist was thrown dazed to the ground when a motorist collided with his elite training pack, scattering dozens of riders over a busy Sydney road and sparking a police call Friday for witnesses. The alleged road rage incident left 20 riders with minor injuries, including Beijing hopeful Ben Kersten. Kersten, whose bike was mangled, was left lying dazed on the road after the driver collided with the 50 cyclists, including former Olympians, on a weekly dawn ride.

We've got a brand new batch of reader submitted photos to offset your productivity. It's nice to see so many of our readers out there on the racing scene. Keep up the great work! If you've got photos you want to share, send 'em our way!

Amy Cycling The Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

Masters Race, Charleston, SC

Fear The Stash

team astana leads the race past hearst castle in the tour de california - february 21, 2008

Casey Gibson at work on Brasstown Bald

2008 Cat's Hill Criterium, Pro-1-2

U of Vermont leads in to the DH

Bob,
I just got done reading your April 24th column on the Arizona Shootout Bike Ride . Let me say right off, that the Pima County Sheriff's deputy's actions were completely wrong. It's just dangerous, reckless, and plain dumb to drive a car directly at a group of approaching cyclists. But I guess that I'm in the minority of avid cyclists who feel that most of the problems experienced by cyclists are caused by cyclists.

GENR8, an evidence-based performance nutrition company, announced the certification of all versions of its first performance nutrition product, Vitargo®S2™, as being free of banned substances. The certifying organization orchestrating the analyses on each of the Vitargo S2 products, Banned Substances Control Group (http://www.bscg.org/GENR8.php), uses a laboratory certified by CAP (The College of American Pathologists) and CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments), and is a World Anti-Doping Association (WADA) experienced laboratory.

While attending this year's Sea Otter Marketplace Expo in Monterey, California, Trips for Kids (TFK) made a profit selling surplus merchandise from the Re-Cyclery Bike Thrift Shop and met up with the bicycle industry to raise awareness of TFK programs. "Because Sea Otter attracts a lot of racers, families and out-of-town visitors, it's a wonderful opportunity to shine the spotlight on our local programs and our national expansion," said Marilyn Price, founder and director of Trips for Kids. "I talked to several attendees who are interested in starting a TFK chapter!"

The world’s best men and women professional cyclists are preparing to wage a three-race battle on the streets of southeastern Pennsylvania next month in the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling. Don’t want to miss any of the action? Then you need to be a VIP for an up-close and personal vantage point of the sport’s international elite.

Trophy Bikes in Philadelphia has long been a proponent of folder bikes--but they also like high performance bicycles. So when the chance came to show that folding bikes can deliver high performance, they took it.

Starting at 1 p.m. on June 3rd, 25 of the world’s premier professional cycling teams will wage a 12-lap, 85-mile battle on the winding roads of Pennsylvania’s third largest city. At stake in this Allentown showdown is victory in the Lehigh Valley Classic, opening leg of the Commerce Bank Triple Crown of Cycling.

Seven-time Tour de France winner and anti-cancer advocate Lance Armstrong said Thursday he has discussed banning smoking in public places across the United States with the three White House contenders. "I've asked all the presidential candidates whether America should be smoke-free," he told a Senate committee hearing on how to tackle cancer. "The consensus is that it's better left to the cities and states," he said, agreeing that state- or community-level bans were "the way to go." "Second-hand smoking is something I'm very passionate about," he told the committee.

spring racing 2008

There are just two weeks to go before the start of the first ever TOUR OF ARKANSAS. Currently, the Professional 1 / 2 event is filling up fast withjust 29 open spots remaining. To date, the Tour of Arkansas has attracted entries from nine countries: Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Argentina, Mexico, Norway, Colombia, Spain and the USA. Within the US, the event has attracted riders from 26 states. This inaugural Tour of Arkansas looks like being a huge success and well on its way to being one of the great American Stage Races in the coming years.

Judith Arndt soared into the World Cup lead on Sunday after clinching second place in the Tour de Berne round of the series. “It’s a surprise, but a nice surprise.” Arndt said afterwards. “To be honest, I didn’t even know that I could get the leader’s jersey today. My goal is more to win individual races this season than the series overall, but now I’ve got it, though, I will work hard to try to keep it.” Berne was won by Sweden’s Susanne Ljungskog after attacking from a group of 18 riders in the finale. Arndt led in the remainder of the leading break for second.

May 10 marks opening for shop that offers sales, service, and a mission to promote cycling for transportation, fitness, and a way of life. Seven-time Tour de France winner and Austin hero Lance Armstrong is adding another project to his busy schedule—a bike shop in the heart of downtown Austin. The historic brick warehouse at 400 Nueces (adjacent to the soon-to-be-opened cross town bike path) is intended to catalyze Austin’s urban revival and encourage people to look at cycling as a means of both transportation and fitness.

Cycling's national governing body will remain based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Steve Johnson, CEO of USA Cycling, announced Wednesday. USA Cycling is one of six national governing bodies forced to seek new quarters by the U.S. Olympic Committee’s plans to raze an aging building at the Olympic Training Center, built on the site of the former Ent Air Force Base in central Colorado Springs.

The Mailbag is a regular department on VeloNews.com. Write to webletters@insideinc.com. Please include your full name, hometown and state or nation. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month. The letters published should not be viewed as reflecting the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company.

Tour Of St Louis TT 2008

Lighter: The Saint rear hub drops 100-grams. Standard size Center Lock rotor interface: Greater compatibility and a lighter hub shell. Wider bearing separation: Increases overall hub stiffness for better suspension control. Superior Sealing: Newly designed labyrinth seal increases sealing by 400-percent. Angular contact bearings: Loads from any direction are more efficiently addressed with angular contact bearings than cartridge bearings and are easily serviceable. Micro-Ratchet freehub design: Quick engagement, added durability.

20mm thru-axle design with standard size Center Lock rotor interface: Standard size Center Lock provides easy rotor interchangeability and a lighter weight hub shell.
Angular contact bearings: Loads from any direction are more efficiently addressed with angular contact bearings than cartridge bearings and are easily serviceable. Superior Sealing: Newly designed labyrinth and lip seals increase sealing by 400-percent.

Hollowtech II Design: Saint uses the same Duralumin material featured in XTR and Dura-Ace cranks for a crank and spider that are over twice as stiff as Deore XT.
Options: Available in single and double chainring configurations for 68, 73, and 83mm bottom bracket widths.
Wide Range Double Gearing: The dual chainring crank is Shimano’s first purpose built wide range mountain bike double.
Single Specific Chainrings: The single ring crank has options for 34, 36, 38, 40, or 42T rings built specifically for single application.
Longer BB Adapter Cups: New longer bottom bracket adapters improve compatibility with aftermarket chain guides.
Durable Bashguard: The resin honeycomb design bashguard protects chainrings from most damage that is encountered along the trail.

Wide-Range Specific Compact Cage: Double specific mountain bike derailleur.
Ample Tire and Frame Clearance: The new design allows for super wide tires, steep chainstay angles, and less chain drag due to a compact, re-profiled cage.

Short Stroke and Instant Release: Shorter lever stroke.
Two-Way Release: Shifts in both directions for rider preference.
Variable Positioning: Shift unit can be mounted inboard or outboard of the brake lever with multi-position mount.

Dual Diameter Hydraulic Caliper: Asymmetric four-piston design.
Shimano High Power Hose: Stiffer hydraulic hose.
Greater Oil Volume: Extra oil volume manages caliper temperatures better and reduces fade. Improved internal oil flow eases bleeding and provides more balanced piston actuation.
Shimano Mineral Oil: Mineral oil is less caustic than traditional DOT fluids.

Super Wide Links: The Saint version Shadow RD boasts super wide links creating rigid structure that resists twisting and wear that leads to play in the bushings.
Integrated Skid Plate: An integrated skid plate protects the derailleur.
Increased Spring Tension: The top-normal derailleur spring has increased tension (10-percent stronger than the XT / XTR Shadow version). The pulley cage spring is has also been revised to better control the movement of the cage which is available in both SS and GS lengths.
Mode Converter: A mode converter allows the derailleur to track different type of cassettes. The DH mode is a close ratio mode to track up to a 23- or 28-tooth low gear while the AM mode is optimized for a wider ratio cassette with a 32- or 34-tooth low gear.
Lighter: 100 grams lighter using Shadow design.

Short Stroke and Instant Release: Shorter lever stroke.
Two-Way Release: Shifts in both directions for rider preference.
Variable Positioning: Shift unit can be mounted inboard or outboard of the brake lever with multi-position mount.

Dual Diameter Hydraulic Caliper: Asymmetric four-piston design.
Shimano High Power Hose: Stiffer hydraulic hose.
Greater Oil Volume: Extra oil volume manages caliper temperatures better and reduces fade. Improved internal oil flow eases bleeding and provides more balanced piston actuation.
Shimano Mineral Oil: Mineral oil is less caustic than traditional DOT fluids.

FDM Tuesday Night Crits, Richardson, TX

Bike Worship. Lake City, FL

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the latest edition of The Prologue, the weekly summary of news from the world of competitive cycling by your friends at VeloNews.com.