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It won’t be official until Friday afternoon, but no one at the world track championships was trying to hide the fact that the inaugural Tour of California will get rolling in February 2006. Big sponsors’ banners touting the event were draped all over the ADT Event Center velodrome, and a news release noting the looming announcement of a “significant international cycling initiative” was passed out to the press on Thursday, the first day of the 2005 championships being held in Carson, California. Attendees at Friday’s 3:30 p.m. announcement will include UCI president Hein Verbruggen, USA

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. Letter on Simpson was ‘sanctimonious bilge’Editor:I feel sure you have received many letters critical of Mr. Wilcockson's piece "Death on the Ventoux" that were suitable for publication. Shame on you for choosing to publish the mean-spirited, sanctimonious bilge attributed to Tim

Morgan Hill, Calif. - Specialized Bicycles will bring Liam Killeen and Sid Taberlay, the British and Australian national mountain bike champions, to compete at the Specialized Morgan Hill Grand Prix, Sunday April 10, for a day's racing that is expected to attract over 1,000 spectators for events studded with top national and international racing cyclists. Amateur races are also scheduled. In a move to accommodate requests from pro mountain bikers looking for a pre-Sea Otter Classic leg-sharpener, this week organizers extended the race categories to include the Morgan Hill Fat Boy Crit, a

Inside Communications (parent company of VeloNews, Ski Racing and Inside Triathlon) seeks experienced, hands-on controller to run financial operations for complex multi-title operation. Ideal candidate will have monthly financial statement preparation, cash-flow & cash management, audit, budget, AP/AR, and management experience in a time-sensitive, deadline-oriented atmosphere. Publishing industry experience preferred but not required. Reports directly to company president. Resume and cover letter to Attn Human Resources, Inside Communications, Inc., 1830 N. 55th Street, Boulder CO

Horsepower: With two world kilo champs and BMX champion in the mix, the Brits came out charging.

Chris Hoy anchors the British Team Sprint to first place.

UCI President Hein Verbruggen is in attendance

USACycling president Jim Ochowicz

Pearce was disappointed with what might be his last world's

Pearce will do the Madison with Marty Nothstein

Tsylinskaya wins the women's 500 tt.

American Becky Conzelman finishes 13th.

Riding with Michi - By William Cass

The win. Bäckstedt's victory in the velodrome of Roubaix

At last year's Tour de France

While everyone’s attention was focused on the finish-line scrum in Saturday’s Milan-San Remo, many missed an interesting back story at the “classicissima” that will underscore the 2005 season. Coming off the Capo Mele, there was 38-year-old Andrea Tafi sticking his nose in the wind. Giving it the gas with 2km to go was 1997 world champion and French mullet man Laurent Brochard, who turns 38 later this month. Lion King Mario Cipollini, who turned 38 on Tuesday, was happy just to finish in the main bunch while Der Kaiser Erik Zabel, a mere youngster at 34, seemed to be losing his spark. And

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.Rest in Peace Tom SimpsonEditors, What an excellent story with which to start the day (see “Inside Cycling with John Wilcockson: Death on the Ventoux”).). It was a touching and sad cautionary tale. I was only 4 1/2 when Tom Simpson died, yet I have read much about him over the last few

The International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) is seeking a self-motivated, full-time advocacy staff member with experience in grassroots organizing. I appreciate any referrals you may have.JOB RESPONSIBILITIES* Organize campaigns to preserve mountain bike access* Volunteer recruitment and leadership development* Expand and enhance IMBA coalition partnerships* Develop and organize local affiliate programs* Expand and enhance public land management agency partnerships* Design and develop advocacy campaign materials, program manuals and public education resources* Organize and provide

Armstrong last appeared at Paris-Nice

Pearce last year in Athens

Rebellin celebrates a glorious win at Liege in 2004

Rebellin at a chilly Paris-Nice earlier this year

Tina Mayolo-Pic wins as Laura Van Gilder cheers

Erinne Willock in the leader's jersey

Heavy Traffic: Milan-San Remo organizers would like to see a smaller crowd fight it out on the Via Roma.

Pantani's attack on the Cipressa in 1999 didn't get far.

Simpson was gone before anyone could offer help.

Simpson's monument remains a pilgrimage for many.

O'Loughlin gets some payback in IrelandReport by Tommy CampbellAfter the crafty Carrick Wheelers rider Rory Wyley, outfoxed NavigatorsCiaran Power earlier in the week in Limerick and slipped up the road ina small group, Power's team-mate O'Loughlin showed up on Wyley's home sod,and exacted a little revenge yesterday (Sunday) in Sean Kelly's hamletof Carrick-on-Suir. Famed Irish sports reporter Tommy Campbell describesthe outcome:National Road Race Champion and professional with the New Jersey basedNavigators Insurance team in America, David O'Loughlin was a surprise

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.Pros should remember that others work hard, tooEditor:Keith Williams is dead-on about the pros bugging out early (see Friday’s Mailbag: “What kind of pro passes on a podium shot?”). Assuming the promoters put on a safe, well-run event that lived up to what they promised, it really is in

Many of the stories I’ve told in the first 10 weeks of this new column have concerned people and events that few Americans had known about. The story I’m going to tackle this week is one about which most cycling fans think they know all they want to know: The death of Tom Simpson on Mont Ventoux at the 1967 Tour de France. “Oh, yeah,” I can hear some of you saying. “That drug cheat.” I’m not going to detail everything that led to Simpson’s collapse just before the summit of the mountain in southeast France. Whole books have been dedicated to the purpose. But in these 1500-or-so words I want

Kim Baldwin takes a corner

Leadout man Gord Fraser celebrates the stage win with Ivan Dominguez

Advantage Endeavour masses at the front

Fraser chases down a break

Lara Kroepsch at the front

Vande Velde's View: Once upon a time in AMERica

Fraser outkicks Dionne and the rest of the bunch

Willock en route to victory

Health Net in pursuit of Wohlberg

Moninger and Fraser

A Symmetry rider enjoys the deluge: I think he was screaming, but I'm not sure, says photog Casey Gibson

Did we mention it was raining?

Petacchi gets the one he's been wanting for some time now

Petacchi celebrates his biggest win to date

Petacchi collects his first epic one-day classic

Bettini and Kashechkin had a go

Casagrande and Zaballa have a go

Casper leads an escape

Petacchi and his podium-mates

Freire had good legs - until the final 500 meters

Rodriguez was still feeling the effects of his Paris-Nice crash

Vicioso took his best shot

Fassa on the hunt

Rebellin on the attack

Genèvieve Jeanson, trying to outride the storm

No, that's not Ireland above John Lieswyn, but soggy SoCal

Christine Thorburn counting down in the start tent

Umbrellas were plentiful at the start

With his usual intensity, Eric Wohlberg takes a corner tight

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.Belgians right to oppose witch huntEditor:Finally, a voice of reason from inside cycling. I applaud the letter Belgian sports officials wrote to De Standaard pointing out that the fight against doping is become a moral crusade, or witch hunt (see “Belgians attack anti-doping rules”). I

CARSON, CA (March 18, 2005) - Inside Communications' VeloNews, the world's largest competitive cycling publication, has been named as an official sponsor of the 2005 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the ADT Event Center. As North America's journal of record, VeloNews covers all disciplines in the sport of cycling, including track, road racing, mountain biking and endurance events, both nationally and internationally. The ADT Event Center velodrome at The Home Depot Center in Carson is making final preparations to host this year's premier track-cycling event - the

Unlike Zabel, Freire saved his celebration for after the finish

Gord Fraser working the 3.8-mile climb

A group of Belgian sports officials, including the Olympic team leader, launched an attack Wednesday on World Anti-Doping Agency rules, arguing they were hypocritical, excessive and unfairly targeted athletes. ‘= Besides Olympic team leader Robert Van de Walle, the 11 officials also included Wilfried Meert, organizer of the Van Damme athletics meet, former judo coach Jean-Marie Dedecker and doctor Yvan Demol of the QuickStep cycling team. In an open letter published by De Standaard newspaper yesterday, they wrote "the fight against doping has turned into a moral crusade, a sort of witch

Walters gets a taste of Belgium Nokere-Koerse (1.1)The 60th edition of the Belgian semi-classic Nokere-Koerse was heldWednesday on 193Km of Belgian roads that included 11 ascents of the famedNokereberg.Navigators' Kirk O'Bee escaped in an early breakaway with 17 otherson the initial large opening lap.  The gap never climbed above 45-seconds,and the group was reeled back in on the 3rd of 10 finishing circuits. A 5-man group was able to escape and gained an advantage of over 4:00 duringthe 4-6th laps, but their advantage wasn't enough to keep the main pelotonat bay.  With a strong

Armstrong at Tuesday's awards ceremony

Bjarne Riis is not one of the easiest interviews for a cycling hack. Often times the 1996 Tour de France winner will reply with a “baagh,” a shrug of his shoulders and a concise, six-syllable answer. That’s followed by an awkward silence while the interviewer scrambles to think of another question to ask the interviewee. But when you catch Riis in a good mood, which has happened a lot lately with Team CSC’s early season success, he gives thoughtful answers to thoughtful questions. Riis, after all, actually has some interesting things to say. The 41-year-old Dane is a man on a mission,

VeloNews renews Insight Race Across America program dealBoulder, CO -- America's only bicycle race with its own networkTV show -- the 3,047-mile Insight Race Across America (RAAM) -- has renewedits agreement with VeloNews to produce its 2005 and 2006 event program.The program will be featured as a special tabloid-sized section insidethe magazine, while over-prints will be distributed in Tailwinds and UltraCyclingmagazines. Total distribution is 100,000 copies, making the program amongthe most efficient ad buys of the year for VeloNews.Now in its 24th year, RAAM is among the oldest

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.Now there's an ideaDear VeloNews,Regarding theNew York Post's article about Armstrong being a traitor: Isthis the same idiot who came up with the concept of naming french fries"freedom" fries?Give me a break. Maybe now they will petition OLN to cut the TourDe France from

Bettini celebrates his last - and the last - UCI World Cup

President Chen opens the show. Hey, what's a little sovereignty dispute with China when you can ride bikes instead?

The one-piece seat tube/seat mast for the T-Mobile bikes cuts weight, but won't make it into Giant's general production bikes this year.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Argon 18's bike fit system uses a full-size bike with articulated joints

Millennium 4Ever is a comfortable aluminum bar with a stylish white carbon stem clamp

The new X.0 features a carbon-reinforced cage.

The Aero RPT bonds an aluminum front end to a carbon rear