News

The peloton

Milram's sprinters cranked out a surprising third-place finish

Discovery and Danielson rolled it in for fourth

T-Mobile finishes fifth

Astana scores sixth

Riis seems happy

And so does Sastre

Sastre scores the first leaders jersey of the Vuelta

CSC rode like a machine

Caisse d'Epargne drills it for second

Tom Danielson will line up Saturday as an outright protected team captain for the first time of his career, poised to improve on his seventh place finish in last year’s Vuelta a España. The 28-year-old says it’s all systems go for a three-week Vuelta laden with mountains and short on time trials, a recipe that could serve up Danielson with the chance to become just the second American to stand on the final Vuelta podium. Fresh off his first European victory at the Tour of Austria, Danielson will lead a strong and motivated Discovery Channel team keen to make up for disappointment from this

Danielson will be Disco's sole leader in this Vuelta

Danielson will be Disco's sole leader in this Vuelta

A big, fast course and huge crowds highlighted Friday's 4X

Kintner took the women's title with ease

Still another Swiss win in the cross-country

Unlike last year, when Heras was ultimately denied his win, Vuelta organizers want to know for certain who won the race by the time the peloton reaches Madrid.

Vandenbroucke at this year's Unibet presentation. He's since been fired.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEBikes 4 Kids Utah Event Just Around the Corner; 1,000 UnderprivilegedChildren to Receive BicyclesAgenda released for bike giveaway, rides and other event detailsSALT LAKE CITY - August 24, 2006 - Bikes 4 Kids Utah, a non-profitorganization, today announced details of its upcoming fundraiser for underprivilegedchildren in the Salt Lake Valley. Bikes 4 Kids Utah will provide new bicyclesfor 1,000 pre-qualified, underprivileged children from the Boys & GirlsClub of Murray, the Guadalupe School, Holy Cross Ministries, the HispanicRotary and Rose Park Elementary.Along with

The race goes on…BMC sponsors Astana professional road racing team.New team will have office in Switzerland and be led by Marc Biver.BMC, the leading innovative high-end bike manufacturer based in Grenchen/SO,has signed a contract to supply the Astana professional cycling team throughto 2009, seamlessly continuing their engagementin the international race circuit.The Astana cycling team, based in Neuchâtel is being assembledunder the leadership of Marc Biver and will be one of the strongest teamson the international race circuit.BMC is proud to provide the Astana team with the best

Avery has been getting a lot of attention in Rotorua

After a tumultuous season, will Vinokourov still be considered a favorite?

With a short 7.2km course, teams will have to get into their TTT rhythms quickly on Saturday evening.

Menchov will get the jersey back before the start on Saturday

Chengyuan built an early lead and kept it.

Chengyuan set a hard pace at the start and was joined by Liu

Gilbert sails to the stage win as Hincapie sprawls behind

Schumacher charges ahead for a time bonus and the overall win

Hincapie seems disinclined to hear Schumacher's explanation

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. Maybe it’s because these past few weeks of cycling news have been so depressing that we gravitated to Doug Manno’s “Colorado Color - Kenosha Pass.” No post-race dope test here, just a reminder of why we all ride. Nice work! Drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.com to work out the details and we’ll send you a copy of

Mountain-bike racer Jose Antonio Hermida has been ordered home by the Spanish cycling federation just four days before the elite men’s world cross-country championships race, after documents emerged linking his name to the ongoing Operación Puerto doping investigation. As a result of the order, Hermida left Rotorua, New Zealand, site of the 2006 World Mountain-Bike Championships, on Tuesday. According to a statement released by Hermida, the federation made the decision after concluding that a nickname found in documents related to the doping investigation referred to Hermida. The

Vogel led the first charge for Switzerland.

Colorado Color - Kenosha Pass

Kopp takes the stage

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.Classifying the resultsDear VeloNews,I see that Tyler Hamilton has won the Mt.Washington Hillclimb again.Perhaps, for the sake of truth in reporting, you should note that whileHamilton came in first in the Suspended Doper division, good old Ned Overend won in the Non-Suspended-Doper

Cycling could be thrown into tumult yet again as the UCI said it’s poised to release more names linked to the ongoing “Operación Puerto” doping investigation in Spain. Reacting from pressure from the top ProTour teams - which met last week in Brussels to demand the UCI release all names linked to inquiry ahead of this weekend’s start of the Vuelta a España - the UCI is expected to reveal even more names connected to controversial Spanish doctor Eufemiano Fuentes. The French sports daily L’Equipe reported that the new list could include as many as an additional 50 names from 14 squads, seven

Boonen takes a soggy sprint at the line

Kayle Leogrande leads . . .

Casey Gibson was at it again this weekend, this time on our side of the pond, shooting the USPRO criterium championship in Downers Grove, Illinois. Here's what he sent us.

. . . all the way to the podium

Hincapie rides the time trial

Clarke and Huff celebrate their respective victories

Cliff-Ryan shows she knows how to win on the big wheels, too

Leogrande can't believe he pulled it off

No, it's not an acid trip. It's an arty look at the start of the women's race

The elite men

Jason Allen out front

Adam Bergman drilling it

Tony Cruz takes the lead

Brad Huff on the road . . .

. . . and on the podium

Gord Fraser at the start

Tina Pic and Laura Van Gilder dicing

Theresa Cliff-Ryan on the podium

The arc en ciel, up front, where it should be.

Pic will look to defend her '05 win at Downers Grove.

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.An open letter from a Cat.4 regular guyDear VeloNews, fellow cyclists, my teammates and family,When I starting cycling three years ago, it was my ultimate goal toenjoy all that cycling had to offer. As of today, August 16th, 2006, Ihave achieved that goal.With the dedication and support

Pereiro concedes he'll get no 30-minute gifts this time around

Quinziato has time to celebrate

UCI president Pat McQuaid has had his fair share of fires to put out since taking over as the head of cycling’s international governing body last fall. Squabbles over the ProTour and the shadowy undertones of the “Operación Puerto” doping investigation in Spain, however, have paled in comparison to the high-profile damage to cycling wrought by the Floyd Landis doping scandal. With the international media taking a mostly negative view at cycling, McQuaid has done his level best to react in a positive, constructive way to lead the sport through its darkest hours. McQuaid is calling for a

Dear Readers,Last week we looked at the process in an anti-doping violation case [See Thestraight dope on the Landis case]. I received more e-mail about this column than any other I have submitted for publication. Much (nearly all) of the correspondence was appreciative of the legal analysis (As always, I am grateful for the excellent research and brain power of my assistant Rick Bernardi ). Because there was so much interest in this subject I decided that I cannot possibly answer all these inquiries before leaving for the Vuelta. Instead, I’ll throw a bit more gas on the fire, by taking a

McQuaid calls Landis case ‘tragedy for the sport’

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.Won't get fooled againEditor,Impressive. We now have three strong cycling teams have folded dueto doping scandals, costing dozens of riders, mechanics and other personneltheir livelihoods. Two of the teams were basically sponsored by Americancompanies - Liberty Seguros [Liberty

Leaders from the top ProTour teams huddled in Brussels on Wednesday and demanded swift action on a variety of issues, including the immediate suspension of the Phonak and Astana teams. In a communiqué released Wednesday evening by the AIGCP (International Association of Professional Cycling Groups), representatives from 17 ProTour teams insisted that the two controversial teams be kept out of further competition. “In light of the confusion and the disastrous image caused by the latest affaires, the ProTour teams unanimously demand that the UCI License Commission study the immediate

Floyd Landis’s father-in-law was found dead in his car after committing suicide, coroner's officials said Wednesday. The body of 57-year-old David Witt was discovered at a parking garage Tuesday afternoon, said Paul Parker, an investigator with the San Diego County Medical Examiner. He had a gunshot wound to the head, and the death was ruled a suicide, Parker said. "The Landises are devastated by the news of David's death," family spokesman Michael Henson told The Associated Press. "They loved him dearly, and they miss him." Witt was the stepfather of Landis's wife, Amber

The Swiss Cycling Federation confirmed Wednesday that it has opened an investigation into doping allegations against Jan Ullrich. Ullrich, who competes with a Swiss license, is accused of being supplied with performance-enhancing drugs by the Spanish doctor at the center of the Operación Puerto doping investigation in Spain. A former Olympic champion, Ullrich was barred from competing in this year's Tour de France after being implicated in the scandal. Ullrich is alleged to have been given EPO, steroids and human growth hormone by Madrid physician Eufemiano Fuentes, who is accused of

Sastre, finishing Stage 17 at this year's Tour de France. He's ready for another round.

Danielson - riding last year's Vuelta - will the Discovery crew at this year's race.

In Floyd we trust

Landis lost time on Stage 16, but he didn't lose hope.

Landis rode one of the most remarkable stages in Tour history. Was it too remarkable?

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 were drawn to JF Sokolowski’s “In Floyd we trust,” largely because it captured that transient moment when we all did. Nice work! 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."Go ahead and take a look at our latest gallery,decide

Following the announmentTuesday that the Phonak Cycling Team will cease operations at the endof the year, former team captain Floyd Landis posted an open letter tohis teammates, the staff, team owner Andy Rihs and manager John Lelangue.An Open Letter to the Phonak Professional Cycling TeamDear Andy, John, my teammates and staff:When I joined the Phonak Cycling team, it was our ultimate goal to winthe Tour de France. On Sunday, July 23rd, 2006, we achieved that goal.With the dedication and support of the entire team and staff, we overcameimpossible odds to make the 2006 Tour de France one of

Rihs celebrates in Paris with Floyd Landis in what turned out to be the calm before a fatal storm.

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.One reader’s over itEditor:Okay, I’m over it. I’ve written my letters to the editor. Explained to friends the reasons that I doubt he did it. Felt anger toward the sensationalist media; frustration and confusion, at his own defensive statements, annoyance at Oscar Pereiro’s newfound

Lelangue (left), Rihs and Landis in happier days

The Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team gained a new member on Saturday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway when Andrew "A.J." Smith, a brawny 24-year-old former national junior track champion, won the opportunity to ride as an honorary member of the team at next month’s USPRO time-trial championship in Greenville, South Carolina. Smith was a promising track rider in the late 1990s who grew disillusioned with the sport while training for the 2000 Olympic sprint trials. After missing out on the Olympic team selection, the Florida native gave up cycling and became a personal trainer with a focus

The boss and his newest employee

Bikes on the Brickyard

The Disco boys sign autographs