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Yes, that's exactly what it looks like

Just ask Finot of Arabia

O'Grady was enjoying his photo op, too

Later, the smile would get turned upside down

Zabel had his troubles, too

As did Boonen, who found himself chasing

Ghyllebert gets his day in the sun

And Horner gets a bottle

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.Masters can help grow sport through schoolsEditor:I would like to offer my input on the subject of improving participation in the sport of cycling. I am a teacher at A. C. Flora High School. I am also a U.S. Cycling Federation racer and have been one for 25 years. During my 16 years of

Giro winner Paolo Savoldelli and Pavel Padrnos chat as they put away the miles

The 14th annual John Earley Memorial Valley of the Sun Stage Race kicks off next month in and around Phoenix, Arizona. The February 17-19 race, hosted by the White Mountain Road Club, boasts more than $15,000 in cash and prizes, a kids competition and a Special Olympics bike race. Last year’s event drew some 850 competitors; Kristin Armstrong (T-Mobile) took the elite women’s race while Ryan Blickem (Health Maxx) claimed the men’s victory. Stage 1 is the Buckeye Time Trial presented by Trillium, a 12-mile race at Sun Valley Parkway, west of Phoenix. "Buckeye is proud to be hosting the

Jason McCartney also preps for the Tour of California, looking to build on his first season with Discovery

Our man Casey Gibson has been tagging around with the Discovery Channel boys as they conduct a training camp in and around Solvang - including almost-daily climbs of Figueroa Mountain - in advance of the upcoming Tour of California. Like any veteran road-tripper, Casey takes a lot of snaps; here's a peek at his latest portfolio.

Discovery heads for home after a cool ride in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley

Ullrich - seen here training in Spain this month - is still the favoirte for the 06 Tour

VeloNews Photo Contest: A new winner and a new gallery

Boonen pips Zabel at the line

Michael Barry and George Hincapie are working hard, leading the riders preparing for the Tour of California

Tom Danielson checks with Johann during a ride

Viatcheslav Ekimov is working out alone, recovering from his terrible accident in the fall

Beltran and Azevedo put in the miles getting ready for the stage races later in the year

Danielson is working hard, getting ready for a breakout year

With 28 bikes to wash each day, even head mechanic Julien Devries pitches in

Newcomer Trent Lowe takes a turn at the front with Tom Danielson

Jose Rubiera climbs on toward the top of Figueroa Mountain

Training rides are always the same; pairs of riders rolling along lonely agricultural roads near Solvang

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. Icky as it is, we especially liked Steve Zdawczynski’s “’cross til you drool,” a shot that seems to convey all of the … er… uhh… beauty of our favorite cycling discipline. Congratulations Steve! 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

Assistant DS Sean Yates leads the boys in a training ride; not bad for a guy in his mid-40s

The trio of Van den Brand, Kupfernagel and Vos quickly gapped the rest of the field.

Knapp takes ninth...

... and Bessette rounds out the top-10.

Van den Brand looked strong... until she flatted

Vos merely had to sit on the defending champion's wheel

The podium

Vervecken wins, Wellens celebrates

Wellens seemed the strongest, but would up playing a defensive role

Not such a good day for Nys

The final escape

Page makes the top 10

The podium

Wells soldiers on despite a gash to the face

Van Poppel took advantage of his long stride.

Selander stayed up front throughout

Stybar

Stybar nips Boom at the line

The lead trio

Stybar on the front

Albert and Boom

"I call 'em as I see 'em, and if I don't see 'em, I make 'em up." — George Carlin as sportscaster Biff Barf One of the bad things about traditional publishing is that once you’ve put something out there, whether it’s a story, a photo or a cartoon, well … you’re stuck with it, for good or ill. But with the Internet, all things are possible. Make a factual error? Fix it. Don’t like being seen in a photo with, say, Jack Abramoff? Make it go away. Got a couple different takes on a cartoon? Give the folks a look at all of them. Tom Toles of The Washington Post may not be the

With the world cyclo-cross championships this weekend in Zeddam, The Netherlands, I can’t help but pull for Canadian Lyne Bessette to bring home a medal. While the elite North American men may not have strong chances to podium this year, Bessette does. After dominating the North American circuit in October and November, Bessette has shown she can ride with the world’s best, taking third behind Daphny Van Den Brand at the January 15 World Cup in France and seventh last weekend at the World Cup final at Hoogerheide, The Netherlands, 1:14 behind repeat winner Van Den Brand. In a quick e-mail

At T-Mobile, Rogers knows he may not get too much podium time for the immediate future.

The first idea ...

... and the last one

Bessette: North America's best shot at an elite 'cross-world's medal this year?

Eric Wallace, sporting a Canadian national jersey at last year's MTB worlds

The mystery team

Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany - Here we go again with Bode Miller. Just as the brash World Cup champion skier decided to skip this weekend‘s events to rest up for the Turin Games and get away from media scrutiny, Miller suggested in an interview with Rolling Stone that Barry Bonds and Lance Armstrong took performance-enhancing drugs. Bonds‘ agent, Jeff Borris, declined to respond to Miller‘s comments. Telephone and email messages left with Armstrong representatives were not immediately returned Thursday. Miller, who competed in 136 straight World Cup races and last missed a race in

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.Don’t dilute the sport for fad fansEditor:Being an avid cyclist and motorsports fan/participant, I found the recent comparisons between the two interesting. When comparing NASCAR to cycling when it comes to spectator attraction, it is important to understand that NASCAR is successful

Lithuanian cyclist Raimondas Rumsas, who finished third in the 2002 Tour de France, was given a four-month suspended prison sentence by a court in the French Alpine village of Bonneville on Thursday. Rumsas and his wife Edita were both convicted on charges of importing prohibited doping substances in connection with a case that began on the final day of the 2002 Tour. Both Rumsas and his wife were given the same suspended sentences and fined 3000 euros ($3675), while Polish doctor Krzysztof Ficek was handed a 12-month suspended sentence for prescribing the drugs. During the trial on

The Rumsases leave the Bonneville court house in November

Rumsas already knew of the arrest as he stood on the podium in 2002

The Rumsases leave the Bonneville court house in November

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.Millar as role model? A bit early, no?Editor:David Millar's comment that he wants to "become an icon for clean cycling as well as an example to young people" is preposterous. Everyone deserves a second chance (and Millar has served his time), but it's a bit premature for him to

Lance Armstrong and Discovery team director John Bruyneel reaffirmed the team’s commitment to fighting for victory at the spring classics, the Giro and the Tour at the Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team’s presentation Tuesday morning in Beverly Hills, California. "The Tour de France is still the focus; I am not prepared to not win it," Bruyneel said. "But there are definitely other races. The Giro is an important race, as are the spring classics. There is a new race this year, the Tour of California. There are definitely going to be other races that are important, but for the Tour we have a

Are these bearings serviceable? Nope.

The final leg of the 2005 Tour of Britain used a one-mile circuit in Central London that took in Trafalgar Square, Nothumberland Avenue, Victoria Embankment and Parliament Square

Armstrong may be in civvies, but he still has a role with the team

Danielson will be one of Discovery's go-to guys in the Tour of California

Retired? Not hardly. Armstrong will advise the team, work with Discovery Channel and continue his fight against cancer

Discovery 2006

Off-season cyclists, spin fanatics, and exercise bicyclists can keep their New Year's resolutions and get in stronger shape for the spring with a new book from VeloPress - "Workouts in a Binder for Indoor Cycling" by Dirk Friel and Wes Hobson. Spending time on the trainer can get a little stale. "Workouts in a Binder for Indoor Cycling" will rescue indoor rides. Riders can choose from 60 workouts. Each one tackles a different training objective with enough variety to keep indoor sessions fun and productive. Athletes can follow one of six training plans in the book or pepper workouts

PRESS RELEASE: 'Workouts in a Binder for Indoor Cycling' rescues indoor rides

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.Remember the Wheat Thins series?Editor:The concept of cycling events on short, spectator-friendly courses in major cities is hardly new - anyone remember the Wheat Thins Mayors Cup Series? It had major corporate sponsorship (Nabisco) in big-city downtowns, short, fast circuits, and lots

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Syntace USA, has announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. Name of Product: F99 (Force 99) Bicycle Handlebar Stems Units: About 2,300 Distributor: Syntace USA, of Olney, Ill. Hazard: The recalled bicycle stems can crack or break under normal conditions, causing the rider to fall and suffer serious injury. Incidents/Injuries: No incidents or injuries have been reported. Description: The recalled bicycle

Barredo on the attack

It was a tight finish between McEwen and Davis.

Gerrans job was just to stay out of trouble