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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.Fly on the wall?Editor,I'd sure like to get DaveProuty and GerardBisceglia in a room together for a little shop talk. Jerry Laceand Ms. Lisa are not invited.Andy BohlmannColorado Springs, ColoradoWhy whine? Just turn to OLNDear Editor,Not that I am some crazy fishing fan, or disagree

The Massachusetts House and Senate have formed a conference committee to write a final version of the fiscal 2006 supplemental budget bill. The Major Taylor Association is advocating an item that is in the House version but not the Senate version — $205,000 for the Major Taylor memorial in Worcester, which would be the city’s first public monument honoring an African-American, highlighting Massachusetts' exemplary role in allowing the talent of the 1899 world cycling champion to flourish in spite of racism. Introduced by Rep. John Binienda and Rep. James Leary, the item is part of House

Hushovd takes it at the line

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 ourlast contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winner. To us, Michael W. Miller’s “Cyclocross Nationals Dec.9 2005” just proves how wonderfully goofy our sport is, especially the ‘crossers, who are at their best when the weather is at its worst. We love ‘cross and we really appreciate that photo. Congratulations Michael! Drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.com to work out the

Attention Sea Otter Classic Fans: Introducing the VeloNews-Sea Otter Photo Gallery Submit your photos taken at the 2006 Sea Otter Classic before April16th and enter to win prizes and have your photos published on VeloNews.com. Based around the Laguna Seca Recreation Area just inland of Monterey,California, the Sea Otter Classic is a cycling festival like noother. Every year for four days, tens of thousands of bike enthusiastsconverge on the green rolling hills like a massing two-wheeled army. Tattooedmen on burly downhill bikes wait patiently behind little girls on pinkbikes with training

Gerard Bisceglia's four-year tenure as chief executive officer of USA Cycling came to an abrupt end on Tuesday. Bisceglia said USA Cycling board president Jim Ochowicz dismissed him, but did not give him a reason. "I have no idea [why]," Bisceglia said. "No cause given." Ochowicz could not be reached by telephone. But later Tuesday, USA Cycling posted an announcement on its website that said Bisceglia had resigned and quoted Ochowicz as saying that he was responsible "for moving USA Cycling in a positive direction over the past four years." The announcement said the USA Cycling board of

Renowned sprinter Robbie McEwen (Aus) of Davitamon-Lotto, Floyd Landis (USA) of Phonak Hearing Systems, and defending champion Tom Danielson (USA) of Discovery Channel headline the field of professional cyclists competing at the 2006 Ford Tour de Georgia. Event organizers Medalist Sports announced today the eight-man rosters for each of the 15 teams, including six ProTour teams, two U.S.-based Professional Continental teams and seven Continental teams from the America Tour . "The Ford Tour de Georgia continues to attract the best professional cyclists in the world. This year race fans will

The Sea Otter Classic, the world's largest bicycling festival, welcomes an international field of pro gravity racers to compete in downhill, dual slalom and mountain cross. This multi-sport, four-day "Celebration of Cycling" begins on April 6 at Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey, California. The festival draws the top Olympic, pro and amateur athletes from over 30 countries for intense competition in front of audiences of 50,000+. Sea Otter's MTB Gravity OmniumPro downhill finals: Sunday, April 9, 10 a.m.The downhill (DH) course at the Sea Otter Classic is emerging from the

VeloNews Photo Gallery: A new winner, a new gallery and a special new contest

PRESS RELEASE: VeloNews extends Sea Otter Photo Contest

PRESS RELEASE: VeloNews extends Sea Otter Photo Contest

PRESS RELEASE: VeloNews extends Sea Otter Photo Contest

Forster triumphs in a crash-scarred finale

Bisceglia says he was sacked; USA Cycling says he resigned

Valverde nips Freire in a photo finish

The Bassmasters version of a podium wave

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.Jens is the manEditor:To preface, I am a huge Jens Voigt fan. His positive attitudeabout his career and his life inspire me. As well as his determinationon the bike, and his humility in "knowing his role" while helping teammateswin races, even when he isn't winning them himself. For

For the 2006 season the Trek Volkswagen Racing Team will have a stable of three bikes to choose from for all their racing endeavors. Below is a breakdown of the bikes has seen at the team’s training camp in Solvang, California. Please note that due to personal preference with some components, each bike will differ slightly between the team riders. The Trek VW team bikes are expertly tuned and set up by team mechanic Zack Vestal and assistant mechanic Dave Meadows. Jeremiah Bishop’s Elite 9.9New for 2006, each rider on the Trek VW team will have an Elite 9.9 at their disposal for short track

How many people can find the silver lining in having cancer? Not many people are as impressive as 8-year-old Joshua Alfaro. When asked about his battle with leukemia, which is a blood cancer, Joshua is very matter-of-fact and composed. "There are some good parts and some scary parts, but in the end it all balances out," says Joshua. With jaw-dropping confidence, he even points out his "favorite parts of having cancer." He adds that if he hadn't had cancer he wouldn't have ever met so many nice people (like his favorite nurse), he wouldn't have learned to make bracelets at Camp

Bait the hook well: this fish will bite. — William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing If you didn't see Tom Boonen stomping the pommes frites out of cycling's finest during the Tour of Flanders on TV Sunday, it may be because ESPN2 was busy in Manning, South Carolina, watching Preston Clark crush the Bassmasters four-day catch record during the Santee Cooper Showdown. Clark landed 115 pounds, 15 ounces of fish during the event, eclipsing Dean Rojas's piddling mark of 108 pounds, 12 ounces, set in 2001 on Florida's Lake Tohopekaliga. And ESPN2 was there to bring us all the

Heras

Monday's Mailbag: Photos and a tragic loss

Bishop's rig

Haywood's Top Fuel

Posner's Fuel Ex 9.5

The Dual Control lever

The XTR pedal

The rear derailleur

The newest player in the high-end-wheel game

Hincapie crosses third

The podium

Boonen takes over the ProTour lead

Boonen repeats

Melchers-Van Poppel celebrates

Auger and Marichal in the escape

Bettini and Hincapie up front

Klier on the Grammont

Marichal leads

Marichal and Schmidt

Pozzato and Quick Step

Bruges

Ichtegem

Boonen attacks

The world champ and Hoste

Boonen comes around Hoste for the win

Brentjens

Absalon conceded that Brentjens was the stronger man.

McConneloug finishes fifth

This year is about a lot more than just ProTour points

Product review - A new idea from Steve Hed

Boonen's had plenty of practice doing the winner's pose this season.

Dahle remains the one to beat in the cross-country world

The 2006 World Cup mountain-bike race season gets underway this weekend on the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Located just off the coast of Venezuela, Curaçao is known primarily for tourism (it is a regular cruise ship stop), oil (a large refinery dominates the main town of Willemstad) and, for this weekend, mountain biking. The World Cup circus has descended on the island, with 114 men and 52 women scheduled to enter the cross-country race Saturday. All of the world’s top riders have made the trip, led by world champions Gunn-Rita Dahle (Multivan-Merida) and Julien Absalon (Bianchi), and

Flanders in 2005: Will the cycling gods grant a repeat?

Defending World Cup champion Christoph Sauser has moved to Specialized

One of the more interesting local restaurants

The rainbow curse is something that doesn’t exist, says Boonen. Who can argue with that?

Hoste en route to winning the stage and the overall

There is a chance Petacchi will switch roles with Zabel at Flanders

Team photo

Eisel takes the win and the lead

105 wheels

Ultegra wheels

Dura-Ace carbon

Hoste proves fastest in a three-up sprint

The 105 pedal

The compact crank

LX

XT

Passing the Torch

Neben's bold move pays off

Haedo got a second chance and made the most of it

Armstrong and Neben make nice early on

Neben goes it alone

Armstrong found herself outgunned

O'Neill, in contrast, was well protected

The Health Net-Maxxis chain gang

TIAA-CREF on the chase

Toyota working it for Haedo

The final jerseys