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German cyclist Erik Zabel, fresh from admitting he took EPO (erythropoietin) in 1996, announced on Tuesday that he will not compete in the road race at next year's Beijing Olympic Games. Zabel, 36, met with the president of the German Olympic committee (DOSB), Thomas Bach, and DOSB general secretary Michael Vesper in Frankfurt on Tuesday before announcing his decision. The six-time winner of the Tour de France green jersey confessed he took the banned blood-booster EPO in 1996 - one of seven former Telekom cyclists, including 1996 Tour winner Bjarne Riis, who have admitted to using

Godefroot vehemently denies involvement in the Telekom doping program.

The newest Madone from Trek

A new approach to bottom bracket shell design

The new Madone fork crown and oversized bottom steerer section

Bonding on the last of the five main molded parts forming a Madone frame

VeloNews Photo Contest: A new winner and a new gallery

Landis' appearance drew a lot of attention

At 51, Overend shows no interest in slowing down

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now ready for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of our most recent contest. We get a lot of bike-commuting pictures – especially for a racing mag’ – and we’ve even picked a few as winners. None has captured the imagination as has Fred Hall’s “Commuter Parking – Train Station, Malmo, Sweden.” Wow… not a car in sight. How civilized can you get? Nice work Fred! Please drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.comto work out the details and we’ll send you a copy of our new Coors Classic DVD.

Jonathan Vaughters says the future of Slipstream-Chipotle is secure for the 2008-09 seasons. While Vaughters and Slipstream Sports chairman Doug Ellis currently shop for a title sponsor, the team has guaranteed funding to continue with their ambitious goal of pushing the U.S. squad into the Tour de France and the ProTour league within two years. “We have cash in hand to continue through 2008-09 no matter what,” Vaughters said. “Whether we find a big sponsor or not, we’re around next year and the next.” Unlike most cycling teams, which require a major title sponsor to pony up a large

David de la Fuente made the most of his Tour in '06.

Di Luca had a relaxed ride into Milan

At last, the prize

The engineer and his train

The champ finishes

Eisel takes a soggy win

And just think — the weather only got worse

Lagutin up front

The men's podium

O'Neill had to defend from the front

The women's break . . .

. . . and the narrow victory

Teutenberg won the women's race

The peloton in the park

Still in the spot-light.

Landis toes the line for the first time in many months

Petacchi wins his fifth stage of the 2007 Giro

Toyota United's Stevic hoped to pull off the win, but a miscue cost him the V

Luperini takes the win

O'Neill remains in yellow going into Sunday's finale

Goldstein, a former Israeli soldier and kickboxing champ, took a pummeling

Abbott rides to second in her first international race

The men's break

Health Net masses at the front of the bunch

Olympic chief Jacques Rogge said Saturday that former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich could be stripped of his Olympic gold and silver medals from the Games in 2000. Ullrich won the men's Olympic road race in Sydney, where riders from his Telekom team also took the silver and bronze medals, and also claimed silver in the time trial. However, the German is among several top cyclists on whom suspicion has fallen in the wake of a series of doping confessions and revelations from former doctors, trainers and cyclists with links to the Telekom cycling team. Although Ullrich, now retired,

Lill was clearly the strongest

Savoldelli rides to victory in Verona.

The women's break

Mazzoleni slots in for a 1-2 Astana finish

Gomez guts it out to the win

Zabriskie makes the podium in third

Gomez congratulates a 'very, very tough' Goldstein

Di Luca rode a respectable race to defend his maglia rosa

Navigators powers the break through the feed zone

And to the victor (well, come Sunday, anyway) go the spoils

The race's namesake looms in the background

Schleck rode the ITT of his life

Bahati saw his chance and jumped at it

CSC was running its train toward the finish, hoping to set up Haedo

Riis's confession might be good for the soul, but how does it affect the bottom line? Only his American sponsor knows for sure.

O'Neill wins, as expected

Jacques-Maynes prefers a flatter course

Zajieck: Little drag, big power

Goldstein rips it

Harper slots into second

Mactier rides into third, sans sunglasses

Two decades of American presence in the European peloton are under threat by cycling’s credibility crisis in the face of a non-stop barrage of doping scandals. For the first time since 7-Eleven paved the way with its pioneering start in the 1985 Giro d’Italia, there is a very real possibility there will not be a U.S.-sponsored team in the ProTour European peloton next season. Why? Because U.S. corporations seem less willing to take a multi-million risk on cycling’s bad-boy doping image. Two major American teams are scrambling to find sponsors for the 2008 season, and both are finding a

Mayo's win capped off an aggressive ride.

Safely tucked in the peloton, Di Luca rode one stage closer to an overall Giro title.

This early dig had just a little too much horsepower for some people's taste.

Liquigas had one job... protect the guy in pink.

Losada and Mayo form a temporary alliance.

Petrov chases the two escapees.

Just keep the gap small... and try to stay dry.

Mactier's teammates doing the domestique thing

Louder navigates the twisty backside descent

The yellow jersey gets personally involved in the pursuit

Top three on the stage

Jacques-Maynes retains the leader's jersey

Sanders sails solo

Even with his lead-out train derailed, Petacchi nails it.

Mactier finds herself isolated and forced to chase

Tyler Farrar, pictured here with his girlfriend, Stephanie, in their adopted hometown in Ghent, is back racing at the Tour of Belgium this week.

Gentlemen, start your engines

Horrilo leads the escape

Milram's pursuit gets a little TV time

A long day at the office for Ale-Jet

Chadwick takes a close one