News

Lance's 'Tour de France' chopper

Lance and Sheryl on 'Overhaulin''

Felt designated official bike of ADT Event CenterNovember 23, 2004, Lake Forest, CA - Felt Racing, LLC and AEG,owners and operators of the ADT Event Center, located within The Home DepotCenter in Carson, California are pleased to announce that Felt will bethe official bicycle of the new world-class  facility for the next2 years.  The ADT Event Center is the country’s only indoor velodromeand has already hosted major cycling events this year including the 2004Junior U.S. National Track Championships and the 2004 UCI Junior WorldTrack Championships. The facility is also the site of

New from VeloNews's veteran European correspondent! This timely annualrecounts every aspect of the 91st Tour de France.Lance Armstrong began this year’s Tour denying accusations of drug useand speculation as to whether he could finish as the first six-time winnerin Tour history. Rain, cobbles, and crashes reshaped the field of competitionin the first week while the U.S. Postal team methodically proved the abilityof each rider assembled for Armstrong’s landmark victory with a decidedshow of unity and athleticism.The slopes of the Pyrénées and Alps gave rise to the aspirationsof cycling’s next

Statement from U.S. Gold Medalist Tyler Hamilton Regarding Doping ChargeTuesday November 23, 11:40 am ETWASHINGTON, Nov. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statementfrom U.S. gold medalist Tyler Hamilton regarding doping charge:As an athlete I realize that sometimes you may have to lose a few racesto gain the knowledge on what it takes to win. Relating to my doping charge,I will say that, up to this point, I have been losing the "pr" war -- partiallybecause I naively thought that if I stated whole-heartedly that I havenever and would never engage in blood doping or any form of cheating

Look president Dominique Bergin

Look's new 585 frame incorporates the company's 'forged carbon' technology in the bottom bracket shell.

Look's new Kéo pedal features an injected carbon body and a large support surface. The titanium axle version weighs 190 grams per pair.

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Dirty cogs, loose spindles and those darn splines again

Cunego hopes to continue his winning ways in '05, but the team kit will be different

The Mail Bag 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 just question Tyler, question the testDear Editors:Either I've missed it or no one has brought up the validity of thescience behind the blood test employed in these cases. How was thistest developed? Who funded the research? Was the scientist hiredto develop the test? Is he

The '05 Tour won't be the same without Armstrong

Happier Times: Beloki at the 2002 Vuelta

Will Phonak have cause to celebrate next week?

Spanish shampoo may trigger positiveThe Canadian federal health service, Health Canada, has issued a warning to consumers advising them not to use Blue Cap Shampoo and Blue Cap Spray because the shampoo contains betamethasone, a topical corticosteroid (steroid). The spray may contain a similar substance. Neither chemical is noted on the product labels and Blue Cap products have not been approved for sale in Canada or the United States. Betamethasone may only be obtained by prescription. Use of betamethasone should be monitored by a physician. Corticosteroids, such as betamethasone,

Nys is still riding strong

Is Wellens finally hitting his stride?

Page

Wells ruled the day

Trebon takes the series

Knapp was solid all season

Berden has three wins going into Sunday's Superprestige round

New daddy Page fell off the pace at midrace

Trebon was 'just rollin''

Knapp ran to victory

As was the case last year, the RotaryClub of Marblehead, Massachusetts, is auctioning of a signed TylerHamilton jersey as part of the organization’s annual fundraiser.Hamilton, a member of the Swiss-based Phonak team, is originally fromMarblehead and donated a jersey to the organization last year as well.Relying on an eBay auction and exposure from VeloNews, the Marblehead Rotary earned more than $2500from last year’s jersey auction.To bid, justclick here and help the Marblehead Rotary.

Marblehead Rotary auctions Hamilton jersey

“Who you gonna believe – me, or your lying eyes?”–Richard Pryor in Live on the Sunset Strip,explaining to his wife that he was not doingwhat she had seen him doing with another woman Plenty of you have noticed and commented upon the “Believe Tyler” ad that has been displayed elsewhere on the VeloNews.com website. Some have derided the concept as absurd or inappropriate, others have defended it as a valiant expression of support for an embattled hero, and at least one guy inquired about running his own ad for a website he called “Don’t Believe Tyler.” We’re still waiting for the check on that

The Mail Bag 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.Let the process play itself outEditor:Perhaps it's just me, but lost in all the gnashing of teeth and recriminations regarding Tyler Hamilton's guilt or innocence is the fact that the original infallible Olympic testing lab decided that Tyler's "A" specimen was "negative" – may I repeat,

Aussie Olympic chief supports independent doping panelAustralia's Olympic chief John Coates has voiced support for the creation of a new independent body to examine drug cases and prevent a repeat of cycling's chaotic buildup to this year's Athens Olympics. A report, authored by top lawyer Robert Anderson into allegations of drug use in Australian cycling and released Thursday, proposed a body independent of the government-funded Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS). Coates said a new drugs body was long overdue, adding that the Australian Olympic

Doubling in size from its first year in 2003, the 2004 San Francisco VeloSwap bicycle swap and show filled 75,000 square feet of the Cow Palace on November 13. Patrick Barrett of the Broken Spoke in San Carlos, California, says "Thank you for producing VeloSwap. This was my first time participating and it far exceeded my expectations. I own a small bike shop and was able to bring most of my bikes and a lot of old clothing, shoes and stuff that had been gathering dust at the shop. We ended up having the best day in our 10-year history. We'll definitely be there every year from now

Friday's foaming rant: Believe O'Grady

Rob Vandermark, President, Seven Cycles.

Seven's Elium mixes carbon tubes with either steel or titanium tubes and lugs. The Elium Race shown here boasts extra rigidity for criteriums and road racing.

Seven built an especially light bike for Mary McConneloug to take to the Olympics. The same featherlight tubeset is now available to all in the Olympic Sola.

"Cycling in the News" is a regular service of VeloNews.com. Readers,reporters and friends are encouraged to send links to current stories aboutcompetitive cyclists and cycling that appear in the mainstream media. Ifyou come across a news item that you believe may be of interest to otherVeloNews readers, we would be grateful if you choose to send it to Rosters@InsideInc.com.BikeBiz.com - Great Britain - November 18, 2004The cycling proficiency test is dead; long live the National StandardThe new National Standard for cycle training in England has been operationalfor some months but it got its

Olympic cycling bronze medalist Axel Merckx has picked up Belgium's annual sportsperson of the year award, it was announced Thursday. The 32-year-old professional rider, the son of legend Eddy Merckx - considered the greatest cycling champion of all time - succeeded motocross rider Stefan Everts who won last year's title. Axel Merckx has displayed great talent in the sport, but is often compared to his famous father - nicknamed "the Cannibal" for his voracious appetite for victory – who won five Tours de France and most of the sport’s other prestigious titles, including the world

'05 season on menu at Georgia luncheonThe Georgia Partnership for Economic Development will host a luncheon and panel discussion about the upcoming 2005 cycling season, including the Dodge Tour de Georgia, from noon to 2 p.m. Friday in Atlanta. The gathering will be at Technology Square, 85 Fifth Street, in room 132. Race announcer and cycling commentator Dave Towle will moderate the panel discussion. Joining Towle on the panel will be Jeff Corbett, director of HealthNet-Maxxis; Micah Rice, director of Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari; Nathan O’Neill, five-time Australian time trial champion, who

Merckx won the bronze medal for the road race in Athens

The Mail Bag 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.Ill-gotten gains?Editor:On the topic of Dave Fuentes' suspension, it's interesting to read that the arbitration panel essentially counted his entire spring and summer of racing as part of his suspension term. That's really unfortunate. I guess this means riders in the future should dope

Will Kabush still be celebrating on Sunday?

Not if Gully can help it.

The Australian Olympic Committee said Tuesday it has appealed to international sport's highest arbitration body to open the way for Australian cyclist Michael Rogers to claim a bronze medal from the Athens Games. The AOC has joined Russian committee in seeking the disqualification of American cyclist Tyler Hamilton from the Olympic individual time trial. Gold medalist Hamilton was suspended by his Phonak team in September, soon after he won an individual time trial at the Vuelta a España. Results from two failed blood tests suggested he had been guilty of an illicit blood transfusion.

A three-member review panel of the U.S. Arbitration Association and the Court of Arbitration for Sport has unanimously ruled Dave Fuentes committed a doping violation when he tested positive for oxymetholone metabolites at the Redlands Classic on March 25. The 31-year-old from Berkeley, California, who had 12 wins in 2003, disputed the test results, but the panel found sufficient evidence to recommend a two-yearsuspension from the sport. The panel also recommended that Fuentes's suspension begin the day of the infraction, meaning that he may compete again on March 25, 2006. In addition,

November 15, 2004 (Berkeley, CA) – An October 30 dinner and silent auction for the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League at Delancey Street in San Francisco drew a crowd of 140 and raised more than $20,000 to support training for the twelve high school teams throughout Northern California who participate in the League. The NorCal League is the brainchild of Berkeley High School math teacher and former amateur road racer Matt Fritzinger, who founded a racing team and organizes the annual coaches’ conference, winter riding camps, and the spring race series as well as a weeklong summer riding

Giant-Pearl Izumi team rider Adam Craig showed up to camp

The TCR Advanced you can buy in the United States.

The TCR Giant won't sell here...

... because this seatpost requires a perfect cut.

Time Sport's founder and president, Roland Cattin

The lightest version of Time's new RXS pedal has a titanium spindle, with a claimed weight of only 195 grams per pair.

Paolo Bettini's Time VXR. Bettini has since upgraded to the lighter VXRS frameset, and he will have a new time trial ride for 2005.

Will the CAS force a medal shuffle?

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Splines, cleats and big guys on bikes

Andreas Rihs, Chairman of Phonak Holding SA, may pull the plug on the cycling program.

The Mail Bag 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.Hincapie’s a gentleman and team playerEditor:Regarding the letter from Earl Aneas dissing George for apparently not signing an autograph for his wife (see Friday’s mailbag: “Don’t look to Hincapie at all”): I live in South Carolina near where George resides when he's stateside and had

The five cities looking to host the 2012 Summer Games submitted bids to the International Olympic Committee on Monday, with Paris the front-runner to win next year's vote. London, Madrid, New York and Moscow also turned in documents, each book totaling more than 550 pages. The IOC will evaluate such credentials as venues, security, transportation, hotels and financing. “The bid document in itself is not enough to get you across the line, but it will make your bid better," said London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe, the Olympic 1500-meter champion in 1980 and 1984. “This is what I would

The Swiss cycling team Phonak said Monday that its very survival was at stake following an initial decision by the UCI to leave it out of the 2005 ProTour. Phonak, which has had three top riders fail doping tests this year, vowed to fight for its place on the final list at a hearing with the UCI's licensing commission on November 22. "The participation in the ProTour is of existential significance to the team's future and vitally important to Swiss cycling in general," the team said in a statement. "Participation in the most important races has to be guaranteed and is the principal

Just complete an online survey about what features you look for in training monitoring equipment. It's quick. (20 minutes tops) It's easy. (All we're looking for are opinions) And if you complete it before November 22, 2004, you could win $100 cash! By participating, you will help companies create quality products that help people train more effectively. And win yourself some sweet spending money in the process. To get started on the survey, simply copy the following PIN number, click on the link below, and paste the PIN number in the designated window. PIN number: training789 Link:

Nys continues a great season

Mind Games: McConneloug often fights her biggest battles in her head

McCormack fights his way into the lead

The Swiss team Phonak is not among a list of 19 teams receiving a “favorable sanction” to participate in the UCI's 2005 Pro Tour, sources have told Agence France Presse. Phonak was the only one of 20 teams presented to the UCI to be overlooked by the organization's licenses commission. The UCI is expected to announce which teams will be granted Pro Tour licenses early in December. The news follows three doping positives involving Phonak riders: American Tyler Hamilton, 2004 Olympic gold medalist in the individual time trial; Spain’s Santiago Perez, runner-up in the 2004 Vuelta a España; and

When Germany’s Nina Kraft, 35, swept to her overwhelming 17-minute victory over Switzerland’s Natascha Badmann at the 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii October 16, photographers noticed a curious thing when Kraft crossed the line. She had her head down and never looked up. She looked almost embarrassed, which many took for shyness. When Badmann crossed the line in second place, her joy was palpable and open. “Nina needs to take lessons from Natascha about giving good finish line,” said one veteran triathlon journalist at the time. With Tuesday’s revelation that Kraft

VeloNews Q&A: Specialized's new team, Gerolsteiner's new ride

Mike Sinyard

Gary Fisher and Clark Natwick challenging Golden Gate Park’s log barricades in this December 1975 event, just a week before the first U.S. cyclo-cross championships in Berkeley

The start line, ‘70’s style, in Golden Gate Park. Five-time national champ Laurence Malone is on the far left .

Jim Gentes (left) and Dan Nall bunny-hop barriers in Golden Gate Park

Laurence Malone, U.S. cyclo-cross champ from 1975 to 1979. He electrified the world's crowd at Hanover in 1977 using this same tactic

Kraft powers along on the bike en route to her 2004 Ironman World Championship WIN

The Mail Bag 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 writer praises letter writersEditor:It’s encouraging to know that people out there feel the way that I do (see Wednesday’s mailbag). First, Ian Sharp makes a great point about doping and lifetime bans. Only drastic punishments will leave athletes thinking about their mistakes and

Sunday’s return to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for round three of the Bay Area Super Prestige Series will be a homecoming for two Northern California cyclo-cross stars from the days when California ruled the ’cross roost. Former junior national champs Jim Gentes and Clark Natwick, who were archrivals in the mid-1970s, will find that the area near the park’s Polo Fields which will host Sunday’s round has changed little since their racing heyday, with its cypress tree forests, sandy paths, and trails covered by pine needles. San Jose’s Gentes won the national junior title during the

Looking out my office window at a cold rainy, day, with the promiseof snow falling on Colorado’s Front Range once the temperature drops thisevening, it’s all too clear that winter has arrived. Forget the near-perfect70-degree weather we had over the weekend, or the fact that winter doesn’t“officially” start until December 21st. From where I come from, snow andtemperatures in the low-20s means wintertime.It’s funny, as I was driving into work today, looking out at gray daythat appeared exactly as myfavorite Internet weather service had predicted, I couldn’t help butlaugh thinking of all the

I often receive emails from readers with a comments or follow-up questions regarding this column. Although I can’t always respond, the input is helpful and valuable. In fact, some of the important questions can come from the most unexpected places, let me offer a message from B.R. in Michigan as an example: Bob,I read your most recent “Legally Speaking” column on VeloNews.com, and I had a quick follow-up question. From the article and my own understanding, there is no right to travel. Is there a right to have adequately maintained roadways, however? I ask because here in Michigan, there

Remembering KyleTo my friends at Velo,Although I greatly appreciate the opportunity to write something aboutmy friend Kyle Bielenberg, I must tell you it was one of the hardest thingsI have ever done.I spent nearly a full hour last night trying to write something thatmade sense. I would type a few lines, phrases, then delete all ofit and start over, never satisfied with the outcome. I feel wholly incapableof putting a man’s life into a few short paragraphs. My usual rantingsat drunkcyclist literally roll off my fingertips in a rapid-fire crescendoof keystrokes and laughter. This exercise

San Francisco, CA Saturday Nov. 13th at the Cow Palace. Seattle—RacerMate, Inc., of Seattle, Washington, manufacturer of the CompuTrainer electronic bicycle training system, will stage 8-rider indoor bike races at VeloSwap in San Francisco, November 13th. This years event will feature a “Founding Fathers” race consisting of the Bay Area pioneers of mountain biking including: Gary Fisher, Mike Sinyard, Joe Breeze, Scot Nicol, Jacquie Phelan, and James McLean. They will race from 2-3 p.m. on a virtual simulation of the original Repack Downhill Race founded in 1976 in Marin