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Jullien Absalon's gold medal rig

Who said the carbon trend is getting out of hand? You’re telling me you don’t need a carbon (or white carbon) razor?!?!?!

The past two months haven’t been easy for Phil Zajicek. On August 18, threeweeks after the easygoing 25-year-old Tucson, Arizona, resident took thebiggest stage race win in the 12-year history of the Navigators Insurancecycling team when he won the overall at the UCI 2.3 Tour of Qinghai Lake,Zajicek received word that he had failed a drug test after stage 6, onJuly 22, while wearing the leader’s jersey. No, Zajicek didn’t test positive for the red-blood cell boosting Erythropoietin(EPO). It wasn’t Human Growth Hormone (HGH), anabolic steroids or a diureticmasking agent, either. Zajicek

In this week’s column we explore Part 1 of a two-part answer to a reader’s question about professional sports contracts. While the analysis is a bit in-depth, should make for good and informative reading now that a lot of you are on break.Dear Bob,How is it that racers can negotiate deals for the following seasonwhen they are under contract with a team for the current season. When arider is thinking about jumping to another team it can't make for the bestteam chemistry.In professional leagues there rules against this, aren't there?J.R.New HampshireDear J.R,Yes, there are rules against it in

Wearing the leader's jersey at the Tour of Qinghai Lake

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.How about amnesty followed by lifetime bans?Editor:While it may never be possible to eliminate the use of performance-enhancing illegal substances in sports in general, and cycling in particular, perhaps we need a clean start. Anyone who confesses that he or she has used banned

Stung by criticism of its action, a high school district has reversed a decision to disqualify cross country runners for wearing Lance Armstrong LiveStrong wristbands. The decision was reversed because “adequate prior notice had not been given to the participants,” Bruce Biehl, Kellam High School's principal and chairman of Beach District cross country, said in a statement released Tuesday. More than 20 runners were declared ineligible in a meet last Wednesday for wearing the popular LiveStrong bands, sold for $1 apiece. Proceeds go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation, which provides

Johnson negotiates the deeper sandpit

Schwartz skirts the edge of the sand to avoid a traffic jam in mid-pit

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.Tell us, TylerEditor:It’s easy — Tyler Hamilton should simply say that he has never had a blood transfusion, using these words: “I did not have a transfusion of blood. I did not and do not cheat. Not by yesterday’s rules, today’s rules or tomorrow’s rules!” We all cheer the American

Verbruggen

Craig, Hall victorious in Tacoma 'cross

Even in white, everyone stayed clean in these conditions

Zdenek Mlynar

Mlynar went down, too, but managed to chase back

Page

Dekker holds them off

Bettini had a lot at stake.

Dekker was in the early break, too

The chase is on.

Cofidis in pursuit

Adam Craig gets away

Kabush

Kabush leads on the run-up

Decker and Wicks

Pontoni on the run-up

Kabush takes the early lead

The sun broke through right after the elite men's race

The men's podium

Both men have made the podium quite often this season

Knapp fights her way up through the mud

(Lehigh Valley, PA) — The Northwestern Mortgage Corporation announced today that it will be the Title Sponsor of an Elite track endurance team for the 2005 season. The team will consist of six elite men/women riders and six developmental/junior, men/women riders. The team will have 12 riders total that will be focused on track endurance and some NRC races for 2005. The Northwestern Mortgage Cycling Team will be under the direction of two time Olympiad Jame Carney, who currently rides for Northwestern Mortgage Corp. Jame Carney will serve as coach and rider for the team. The team will be

Tell the world what you think

Interbike: Well worth the effort

Gravy

Get them out on the road!

Light and beautiful

Interbike: Well worth the effort

Interbike: Well worth the effort

“That last shot turned out like crap,” the shop owner from Ohio said. “Can we take another one?” Towering over the shop owner and his mechanic, Magnus Bäckstedt rested his arms over the shoulders of the two men and smiled. “Thank you! And congratulations on Paris-Roubaix!” “Thank you,” Bäckstedt said and waved. “You know, I’m just not used to this,” he said, ducking out of a booth at the Interbike Trade Show in Las Vegas. “It’s great, but I’m not even too sure how I’m supposed to respond when they tell me what a great rider I am.” Bäckstedt said he has been somewhat overwhelmed by this,

Bäckstedt was surprised at the reception he's received in the U.S.

Bringing kids into the sport is one of Bäckstedt's big interests

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

Five years away from the trade show and Bagny hasn't missed a beat

Interbike: Another day in the dirt

Interbike: Another day in the dirt

'See anything cool yet?' Yes, as a matter of fact, we did.

The brothers Crank

The brothers' crank

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

Interbike: Celeb's; bikes; retro' Ti?

The 'Eli'

Tomac and friend

The Cake

Mechanics test their skills

Seattle— RacerMate, Inc., of Seattle, Washington, manufacturer of the CompuTrainer electronic bicycle training system, will stage 4-rider indoor bike races at each of the 2004 VeloSwaps scheduled for Denver, October 23, Chicago, October 30, and San Francisco, November 13. 10km/6.4-mile races will be held throughout the day to showcase RacerMate's new MultiRider Software which allows up to 8 riders to race together using a single PC computer. Cyclists, celebrities and journalists are invited to participate in the CompuTrainer Indoor Time Trials VeloSwap Challenge to get an understanding of

Doug Bradbury

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.Hey, how ‘bout that Horner!!!?Editors,I just wanted to make your readers aware that Chris Horner got eighthplace in this year’s World Championship Road Race (see "Three'sa charm: Freire earns his third rainbow jersey"). I am tired ofthis guy getting results with all odds against him and

As Freire wins, Horner's big grin shines through from the back

Le Mevel got the attacks started

Spain in charge

Favored for a medal, Bettini's day did not go as planned.

Baldwin was in the break

Tina Mayolo didn't make the final selection Saturday

Arndt takes a risk