News

Jauantre spent most of the day on her own

This one will come down to the wire

The Casartelli memorial

Ocana lost the yellow jersey here.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Life after Lance

McCormack has solid support

Fans

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.Slackers Unite!I have really enjoyed your coverage. It has made it possible for me to follow the Tour while at work. Any plans for similar coverage for the world’s?Jack HalesTampa, FloridaYes, Jack, we plan to offer Live Coverage and race reports from the world’s and, of course, daily

Perfect roads and the break worked well

Great Britain’s Court of Appeal has dealt a setback to Lance Armstrong’s ongoing suit against London’s Sunday Times newspaper over the publication of a story suggesting the American has used performance-enhancing drugs. In overturning a lower court decision, a three-judge appeals panel ruled Friday that the paper was entitled to argue that it was obligated to publish a story that triggered Armstrong's suit. In a story publish in June of 2004, the paper outlined allegations against Armstrong that he had used a variety of doping products, both before and after his 1996 cancer

Freedman goes for it...

I am glad to see Armstrong go. With him there are no heroes, only victims.A German fan on the Col du Galibier I got a good laugh out of this, even if I didn’t actually hear it in person. My buddy Kirk, who was over at the Tour de France with some pals riding the cols of the Alps and Pyrénées alongside the race, relayed the quote to me. But I think the sentiment was shared by many fans along the roads of the Tour, as well as by a majority of journalists I spoke with during the week I spent in France. As amazing as Lance Armstrong’s feats at the world’s biggest bike race have been, the same

..but Pic takes the day.

Trek and SRAM team up on relief effortOn December 26, 2004, a massive earthquake off the Northern coast ofSumatra created a Tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean. It hit thesurrounding countries with waves ranging from 8 to 20 meters.In the affected coastal regions, villages were destroyed and lives endedquickly and violently. Current estimates indicate over 200,000 dead, 100,000missing, and over a million homeless. The survivors now face the long struggleof rebuilding their lives, families and communities.Disaster relief of this scale is broken into 3 phases. Phase 1: First two

Interactive brand director Sports publisher seeks an Interactive Brand Director to manage its high-profile Web sites and interactive businesses. The successful candidate should have experience in creating interactive media concepts, managing multiple interactive projects, e-commerce, budget development and implementation specifically geared toward controlling costs and optimizing profitability within the brands. The candidate will be able to successfully explore and implement new technologies, markets, and other growth opportunities for Internet related businesses. The candidate will direct

At least Moncoutie won on Bastille Day.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Life after Lance

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Life after Lance

Comedy Central points out Armstrong has a domestic side, too.

Freire winning his third rainbow jersey last fall.

CPSC, VisionTech USA, Inc. Announce Recall of Bicycle Aero BarsWASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recallof the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalledproducts immediately unless otherwise instructed.Name of Product: VisionTech USA SuperMax, TriMax, TriMax Plusand Pro model Integrated Bicycle Aero BarsUnits: About 280Manufacturer: VisionTech USA, Inc., of Auburn, Wash.Hazard: The centerpiece of these bicycle aero bars can crackor break, causing the bicycle rider to lose

Vinokourov capped his '05 Tour with two stage wins. He wants more than that.

Lance Armstrong's triumphant farewell to cycling Sunday in Paris with his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory brought praise from across America, including a call from U.S. President George W. Bush. Bush telephoned Armstrong, a fellow Texan, shortly after the finish from his retreat in Camp David, Maryland, said White House spokeswoman Christie Parell. "Our country and the world are incredibly proud of you," Bush told Armstrong, adding that his victory was "a great triumph of the human spirit" and "a testament not only to your athletic talent but to your courage." Armstrong was

Off to the racesRacers (and writers) woke up with a tinge of a hang-over Monday following the big sigh of relief that comes at the end of the pressure-cooker that’s the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong and his Discovery Channel teammates were feted at a private bash inside the posh Ritz hotel Sunday night in Paris. Some 600 invited guests celebrated Armstrong’s unprecedented seventh Tour victory. Armstrong was scheduled to fly to the French Riviera on Monday to begin his life as a retired athlete. “Come Monday morning," Armstrong said on Saturday, "we’re going to wake up in Paris and the

KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES, CIRCUIT GLOBAL SPORTS MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMAJOR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTMinneapolis, July 18, 2005—Kelly Benefit Strategies, (www.kellybenefitstrategies.com),a group insurance broker and consultant specializing in healthcare anda division of Kelly & Associates Insurance Group, Inc. (KELLY), hassigned a multi-year partnership agreement with Circuit Global Sports Management(www.circuitsport.com) to bethe title sponsor of the KELLY Professional Cycling Team. This new U.S. professional cycling team will concentrate on gainingentry into such 2006 events as the

Stage 21 - Corbeil-Essonnes to Paris (Champs-Elysées) >144.5km

But his countryman was the guy getting all the attention when it was over

Stage 21 - Corbeil-Essonnes to Paris (Champs-Elysées) >144.5km

Two longtime rivals share a moment

Armstrong's last visit as a pro road racer to the Champs-Elysees

That's a Lotto guys all wearing the same kit (oh, give us a break; you know how many of these things we've written this year?)

Vino' pads the old racing résumé in Paris

Au revoir - until next year

A final farewell

Kabush heads to his second win in as many days

A final anthem in Paris

Dara Mark-Marino leads Shonny Vanlandingham in Sunday's STXC

Vino' attacks, and attacks, and then attacks some more - today, he said, it worked

Snowmass NORBA: Kabush, Marks-Marino grab STXC wins

Vive Le Tour!

Snowmass NORBA: Kabush, Marks-Marino grab STXC wins

Ohhhh-kay, back to business

Pruitt and her rig

Course: After looping around the Chevreuse valley south of Paris, the course heads into the city on the right bank of the Seine to reach the traditional Champs-Élysées finishing circuit after 92.5km. Eight laps of the 6.5km circuit complete the 2005 Tour just 400 meters after the final turn from the Place de la Concorde. History: This is the 30th anniversary of the Tour first finishing on the Champs-Élysées. It previously finished in the velodromes at Vincennes (1968-74) and the Parc des Princes (1904-67). The first Tour, in 1903, finished at Ville d’Avray in the Paris suburbs. Favorites:

The jersey winners

Joel Panozzo finally nails one

For a Tour de France finale that was supposed to be a fait accompli — with Lance Armstrong virtually guaranteed a seventh win and the stage supposedly promised to the sprinters — Sunday's stage 21 into the city of Paris hardly fit the bill. That the 144.5km stage began under gray skies and with cold rain should have been a sign that the race that brought the curtain down on 3593km of racing would have something special to offer. And it did. Foremost of the day's surprises was the winner on the Champs-Élysées, the most attacking rider of the peloton, the ever-popular Kazakhstan

Voeckler shows another sort of panache altogether

The mad scramble

Results, Stage 211. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 144.5km in 3:40:57 (39.239kph)2. Bradley Mc Gee (Aus), Francaise des Jeux3. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Fassa Bortolo4. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto5. Stuart O’Grady (Aus), Cofidis6. Allan Davis (Aus), Liberty Seguros7. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Credit Agricole8. Baden Cooke (Aus), Francaise des Jeux9. Bernhard Eisel (A), Francaise des Jeux10. Robert Förster (G), Gerolsteiner 11. Luke Roberts (Aus), CSC12. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Davitamon-Lotto13. Guido Trenti (USA), Quickstep14. Mauro Gerosa (I), Liquigas-Bianchi15. Inaki Isasi (Sp),

Welcome to Paris

Todd Wells

Stick a fork in it – the 2005 Tour de France is over. It’s been a long, yet wonderful three weeks in France (with a day in Germany and time enough for a quick coffee in Spain). Sometimes the pace of the Tour leaves little time for reflection. So as Lance Armstrong celebrates a magnificent seventh win, we offer VeloNews’s annual web awards for the best moments of the 92nd Tour de France. IT’S A HORSE RACE Best Reason Why You Better Win a Sprint: Robbie McEwen, after Davitamon-Lotto gave chase for more than 100km in stage 13, catching Chris Horner and Sylvain Chavanel about 150m from the line.

The Boss leads the way

Grabbing on to the Luna Train

The U.S.-based team Discovery Channel earned more than one half-millioneuros in the 2005 Tour de France, the most significant share being thewinner’s check for 400,000 euros given to overall victor, Lance Armstrong.Such prizes are traditionally divided among riders, with the overall winnerusually declining his share as a gesture of gratitude for the work histeammates turned in.At the other end of the spectrum, Spain’s Euskaltel team earned a scant9310 euros for its efforts over the three-week Tour.Current exchange rates - $1.20 per euro – mean that Discovery’s 545,640euros in prize money

And he had plenty of fans awaiting his arrival

In the Tour, the pay window can be found along the Champs-Elysees - and that's where Casey Gibson was staked out on Sunday as the jersey contenders came to collect what they'd earned during the past three weeks. Here's his final gallery for Le Tour 2005.

'Okay, how many of these damn' interviews do I have to give before I can split for the beach?'

Zabriskie resurfaces for the end of the TourDave Zabriskie reappeared at the Tour de France, showing up in preppyclothes to join his teammates on the leisurely, ceremonial, post-race ridedown the Champs-Élysées.He has mostly been hanging out in Spain in the few weeks since a mysterious spill in the team time trial forced him to relinquish the yellow jersey. He said he had four or five stitches, and only watched a little of the Tour on television.“I was really tired,” said Zabriskie, asked about his feelings after the crash. “It took awhile to decompress and come back up.”The Utah native still

Never say die - Horner was still trying for that stage win with a few kilometers remaining

Lance Armstrong roared to victory in Saturday's 55.5km time trial in the last real race of his remarkable 14-year career. And he did it with trademark panache, something that some journalists suggested he was lacking this year as he methodically picked apart the competition en route to an unprecedented seventh Tour crown. "Someone asked if you don't win a stage, they say you don't have panache," Armstrong said after beating Jan Ullrich by 23 seconds in the stage 20 time trial. "I came with the intention of doing one thing; that was to win the overall." Barring disaster, Armstrong

Did this cost Robbie the jersey? Well, do the math....

Leipheimer did less well, but looks set for that top-five finish he's been dreaming of

This is it: the final time trial of Lance Armstrong’s career. A time trial that offers him the chance to take his only stage win of this Tour, and his first victory of any sort in the 2005 season. If that is not motivation enough for the Discovery Channel team leader and six-time defending champion then there is the desire to impress some of the special guests, such as politician John Kerry and movie star Tom Hanks, who have already arrived at the Tour for Armstrong’s gala celebration banquet Sunday night in Paris. Armstrong goes into his last truly competitive event — Sunday’s road race

Karpets set the early top time

Future racers, or just today's young fans?

Stage Results1. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 1:11:462. Jan Ullrich (G), T-Mobile, 00:233. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 01:164. Bobby Julich (USA), CSC, 01:335. Ivan Basso (I), CSC, 01:546. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 02:027. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 02:068. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 02:259. Francisco Mancebo (Sp), Illes Balears, 02:5110. Vladimir Karpets (Rus), Illes Balears, 03:05 11. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Discovery Channel, 03:0912. Carlos Sastre (Sp), CSC, 03:1013. Christophe Moreau (F), Credit Agricole, 03:1114. Levi Leipheimer (USA),

A raging Ullrich bumped teammate Vino' down a notch

A fan cannot survive the Tour on mineral water, you know

Lance Armstrong knows exactly where he will be next July - sitting in front of his television watching his soon-to-be ex-rivals Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso battle it out for the yellow jersey. Armstrong, who won the 20th and penultimate stage of the Tour de France on Saturday, will retire after the end of Sunday’s 144km 21st stage when he will have guaranteed a seventh consecutive victory on the race. Last year, when he broke the record of the four other riders who, before him, had won the race five times, there had been a reason for sticking around. This year, he said, it was all about

Julich had a solid ride

It was a little humid in Snowmass

Australian Robbie McEwen will become one of the Tour de France's all-timegreats if he wins a fourth stage in Paris on Sunday. If McEwen wins the 144.5km 21st and final stage of the 3607km Tour onthe Champs Élysées, he will be only the 14th rider – andseventh sprinter – in the post-war era to win four or more stages on theone Tour. “He would be a hero,” said McEwen's Davitamon-Lotto team manager, HendrikRedant. “To win four stages in one Tour is amazing. There are not a lotof guys except those like Eddy Merckx. It will be really, really special.” Merckx, who won the Tour de France

Vino' showed his strength

The men blaze the start