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Oval Concepts expands its selection of high-end aero bars with its new super lightweight clip-on. The A910’s light weight is achieved with simple 26.0 forged aluminum clamps, carbon extensions with one-bend, and new oval-shaped armrest plates made of carbon. The new Oval pads provide 20 percent more surface area compared to the original rectangular pads, which remarkably improves comfort. Carbon pad holders absorb road shock and even allow angular adjustments. Replacement pads are available in 5 (standard), 8, and 10mm thickness. Extensions are upgradeable: choose from straight, double or

AUSTIN, TEXAS - A former personal assistant of Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong who has been sued by the cyclist fired back Wednesday, accusing the cyclist of fraud, breach of contract and causing him severe emotional distress. Mike Anderson, 33, on Wednesday filed his counterclaim to a lawsuit Armstrong filed last month in Travis County District Court. In the original lawsuit, Armstrong said Anderson wanted $500,000 and other benefits under a claimed employment contract. Anderson said Armstrong's lawsuit ruined his reputation as a bike mechanic and publicly humiliated him. He is

Fuji Bicycles Joins the Tsunami Relief EffortDonates 50 Mountain Bikes to Health Care WorkersPhiladelphia, PA (January 6, 2004) – Fuji Bicycles joins theworldwide tsunami relief efforts by donating mountain bikes to the emergencyand disaster relief workers in Southeast Asia. Recognizing both the immediateand long-term requirements of this relief effort, Fuji will donate 50 bikeseach year for the next three years. Fuji hopes these bikes will help nursesand health care service providers reach the more remote and disaster-riddenareas in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and the other countries whose

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS TO HOST 2005-2007 COLLEGIATE ROAD NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPSJanuary 6, 2005 (Colorado Springs, Colo.) – USA Cycling has namedLawrence, Kan. as the site for the 2005-2007 Collegiate Road National Championships.Hosted by the University of Kansas and the Lawrence Sports Corporationand managed by KLM Marketing Solutions, this year’s event is scheduledfor May 13-15.The event was originally intended for New Haven, Conn., but when thepromoter ran into some unforeseen issues, the ’05 Nationals were left withouta host. The KU Cycling Club and KLM Marketing Solutions admirably

Tech Report: Hone-ing in on Shimano; High-fiber braking

Tech Report: Hone-ing in on Shimano; High-fiber braking

Subway team gears up for 2005McKenzie Bridge, Oregon, USA (January 4, 2005) – The Subwayteam returns this year as a US Continental Team with a mix of young talentand veteran racers. The team will kick off its season with a camp in Merced,California, February 25 - March 7, which will be open to additional guestsfrom March 1-7. The camp will also overlap the first NRC race of the yearMcLane Pacific, which will serve as the team’s first official race outing.Although managed by Express Racing and associated with the Express RacingClub, the team will shorten its moniker to Subway from last year’s

JP throwing down in the Baal GVA Series race

The California Road Club (CRC), a San Francisco-based cycling team, has donated $1300 to Barb Howe, 28, of Larkspur, California, to help fund her trip to Belgium and Germany to compete in the UCI cyclo-cross world championships. Barb, in only her second year of racing cyclo-cross, has risen to the top level, and was chosen by USA Cycling to represent the United States at the annual world championship. "Barb works at A Bicycle Odyssey in Sausalito, which has sponsored the California Road Club since our inception," said Bud Napolio, CRC spokesman. "We are pleased to help Barb with her

Jobie Dajka

Tony Guffanti and Bud Napolio of CRC present Barb Howe with a check for $1300

Generalissimo Riis

Ivan Basso may have made the podium at the Tour, but here he's just another grunt

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.We suspect biasDear Editor,Now there's a man who knows when he's taken a special picture!!! (see"ACasey Gibson Photo Gallery: A look back at 2004") Please tell Casey that his favorite picture of 2004 is also my favoriteand will always be for the remainder of my life. Best regards to all

DAVID O'LOUGHLIN RINGS OUT THE OLD AND BRINGS IN THE NEWHackettstown, NJ - Navigators Insurance Cycling Team's new 2005recruit, David O'Loughlin of Ireland, finished up his 2004-racing seasonwith a victory in the An Ras Turcai, held in County Galloway, Ireland lastweek.  The 150 participants cruised leisurely for the first 3 of 6laps on the 10-kilometer circuit, before the racing began in earnest. With 1-lap remaining, David and Kurt Bogarts (Carrick Wheelers RC) leftMark Scanlon (ag2r-Prevoyance), the legendary Sean Kelly, and 146 othersin arrears as the duo picked up the

Monday's Mailbag: Happy grandma; Happy riders; Skeptical reader

John Lelangue - seen here before the prologue of the 2004 Tour de France - has been named as the new general manager of the Phonak team

Sunday's EuroFile: Vanthourenhout wins in Aigle; Astarloa joins Barloworld

Nijs continues to lead the World Cup standings

Sunday's EuroFile: Vanthourenhout wins in Aigle; Astarloa joins Barloworld

LONDON (AP)- The Associated Press list of the top 10 international sportsstories of 2004, based on a worldwide poll of AP subscribers outside the UnitedStates (first-place votes in parentheses):1. Greece wins the 2004 European Championship, 444 points (10).2. Athens Olympics go off successfully despite security and organizationworries, 310 (21).3. Lance Armstrong wins sixth straight Tour de France, 259 (4).4. Michael Schumacher wins record 13 Formula One races for fifth straighttitle, 257 (0).5. Doping cases rock Athens Olympics, 189 (6).6. Swimmer Michael Phelps wins six Olympic golds and

Mike Creed leads the peloton through the hairpin turn at the top of the Sunset Loop during the Redlands Classic. A developer's plans will forever change this classic stage of Redlands, eliminating this part of the course.

Race leader Mark McCormack and Aaron Olson turn the park into a blur during the Tour of Connecticut.

On an especially hot day in the Alps during the Tour de France, riders sought relief from the heat... or tried to ignore it by turning their attention elsewhere.

In one of the most thrilling and frightening stages of this year's Tour, Armstrong and Basso negotiate their way through thousands of hysterical Basque fans.

Lance Armstrong in the prologue of the Tour de France, where he established himself as the greatest Tour rider of all time.

It used to be that the most accurate measure of how busy Casey Gibson’s year had been was the odometer on his battered old pick-up truck. Times change, the Toyota has long since heaved its last sigh and instead of rolling the numbers on his dashboard, Casey is now racking up frequent flier miles. One thing that remains, though, is the man’s keen eye and appreciation for the sport. As the year winds to a close, we asked Gibson to sort through his files and pick a few of his favorite shots from 2004. Having covered everything from Redlands to the Tour to the Olympics, he had quite a bit to

Trent Klasna descends through a turn at the Sea Otter Classic. Trent retired at the end of the year, taking his cheerful attitude and thrilling riding style with him.

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge has defended the use of what he called "big brother" methods in the fight to catch doped athletes. "We have 'big brother' everywhere in the fight against doping," Rogge told the German daily Suddeutsche Zeitung. "I don't have a problem with it, it's about punishing cheaters. If someone wants to sue for their right to privacy - then please, go ahead." Rogge said the tactics were necessary because athletes can cover signs of using banned substances during competitions. "We can test better now than six months ago, we can find EPO. Still

My favorite picture of the year. Bobby Julich shares his Olympic medal with his daughter Olivia. A wonderful reward for a guy that persevered through many hardships over the years.

The toughest guy in cycling, Viatchislav Ekimov, leads the Postal Service in the team time trial in abysmal conditions at the Tour de France.

Kevin Bouchard Hall takes a corner in the Redlands Criterium. Bouchard Hall was the best young rider at Georgia and impressed all this year.

Greg Henderson of New Zealand, Rob Hayles of Great Britain, and Stuart O'Grady of Australia battle for points in the Olympic madison. The rider's skill and maximum effort made it the most exciting track race I have ever seen.

Love him or hate him, Chris Horner was the best rider in the US this year, and he had the most remarkable one day ride at the Tour of Connecticut, where he pulled at the front or rode alone for over 100 miles.

Horner flies through a corner in the Tour of Connecticut criterium.

Tina Pic takes a corner in the Redlands Criterium. Great form in the corners and unbeatable speed in the sprints.

Sarah Ulmer displays her perfect form in the banking of the OlympicVelodrome in Athens. She set an Olympic and World Record every time she took to the track, and brought back memories of Rebecca Twigg.

The 'Big Blue Train' of the U.S. Postal Service came to the Tour of Georgia in April, and left everyone else fighting for second place.

Dear Bob,The three highest roads in New England all run on public land. However,the roads are operated by private entities that do not allow bicycles:1. Mount Washington Auto Road, Glen, New Hampshire2. Mount Mansfield Auto Toll Road, Stowe, Vermont3. Mount Equinox Skyline Drive, Manchester, VermontTwo of them (Mount Mansfield and Mount Equinox) do allow motorcycles.Might there be any basis to challenge this?SW,MassachusettsDear SW,First of all, thank you for your help in digging up some importantfacts that made an answer possible. After starting my research, I discoveredthat there was no

Mt. Washington: Why not all the time?

Wicks at the World Cup

DeClercq in what may be his final Belgian 'cross

2005 Sea Otter Classic – “A Celebration of Cycling!”On-Line Registration Available at SEAOTTERCLASSIC.COMMONTEREY, Calif. — The Sea Otter Classic is the most celebratedcycling festival in North America. Known throughout the cycling world as the grand season opener, the 15th annual Sea Otter Classic will be held April 14-17, 2005 at the Laguna Seca Recreation Area, Monterey, California, USA.Nearly 10,000 professional and amateur athletes and over 50,000 spectatorswill attend the four-day festival. The outdoor cycling tradeshow will host over 250 vendors showcasing the latest trends and

Your ballDear Velo,I enjoyed (I guess that's the correct word) the interview with Mr.Pound and appreciate the passion with which he approaches his charge(see "VeloNewsInterview: WADA's Dick Pound"). I'd like to also note that I disagree with Dr. Salmon (Letters,Dec. 27th) on the suitability of DNA testing for Tyler Hamilton'sblood doping case. Red blood cells are devoid of both nuclei andmitochondria and, consequently, DNA. The introduced foreign material islargely in the form of red blood cells and as a consequence there is likelyto be very little foreign DNA to be found, even when searched

Nijs consolidates his World Cup lead

Classic conditions made this special for Nijs

Vervecken has shown good form all season

Saeco's Enrico Franzoi takes third

World champion Bart Wellens

The ever-present Richard Groenendaal

Captain America: Jonathan Page

Barry Wicks

Ryan Trebon

Even by his lofty standards, Lance Armstrong's return to the mountaintop in 2004 was pretty special. The question now facing Armstrong and his legion of fans is whether he'll return to challenge the Pyrenees and the French Alps again in 2005. Already recognized as one of the truly inspiring athletes of his generation, Armstrong took his cycling legacy a step further when he won a record-breaking sixth consecutive Tour de France in July. And for his accomplishment, he was honored Monday as The Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year for the third straight year. Armstrong joined

Wicks finished in the money

JP was tired, but happy

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.Two thumbs upDear Velo,You ask, at the end of the Dick Pound interview (see "VeloNewsInterview: WADA's Dick Pound") for "thoughts? Comments? Opinions?"Well, here's mine. Two thumbs up for focusing on doping, and also for publishingsuch a long interview in it's entirety.I agree completely

Vervecken takes it

Sven Nijs still leads the series

Sven Vanthourenhout

Groenendaal

Maarten Nijland

Ben Berden

Davy Commeyne

Jonathan Page didn't finish Sunday

Interview by Charles Pelkey Photos by Chris Milliman As the year’s first issue of VeloNews reaches your mailboxes and newsstands around the country, you may notice something of a break with tradition. Indeed, the first cover of 2005 should have gone to Jonathan Page for winning his third straight U.S. cyclo-cross championship in Portland this month. Instead, we start the year with an issue dedicated to a topic that has dragged the sport of cycling through mud much deeper than anything Page encountered at ’cross nationals. Anyone who follows cycling has become accustomed to scandal, but with

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.A breath of fresh airDear Velo,I read Megan's letter with great interest (see "Jonesin' for a ride"in Wednesday'sMailbag), because I had to deal with the same thing years ago, untilour employer finally eliminated all smoking from the premises. I would suggesthooking up the American Lung

VeloNews Interview: WADA's Dick Pound

VeloNews Interview: WADA's Dick Pound

VeloNews Interview: WADA's Dick Pound

VeloNews Interview: WADA's Dick Pound

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.CONGRATULATIONS!!! And, uhhhhhh, here's your billDear VeloNews,Here is something for the Hot/Not Hot column in the magazine: Hot - Velo Bella racers at U.S. Cross Nats - Two Velo Bella racersbeing named to the U.S. Women's team for cyclo-cross world'sNot - Having to pay your own way:

It’s not an overstatement to say that Rebecca Much is something of a hot commodity these days. In October, Much earned a silver medal in the time trial at the 2004 World Championships in Bardolino, Italy. In December, she finished up her racing season with an under-23 victory at the U.S. National Cyclocross Championships in Portland. And with the ink just drying on a new contract to race for the T-Mobile women’s professional cycling team next year, Much seems poised for even greater success in cycling. No bad for 18, eh? Much dabbed in triathlons while still in high school in Chicago but