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Tyler Hamilton's gold-medal performance

G-O-L-D!

Barry shows off her hardware.

Olivia Julich: Dad's biggest fan

Zijlaard-van Moorsel's machine.

Ullrich, considered an odds-on fav' for a medal, was disappointed

Big-time swim meet.

Today in Athens

The Greeks root on their own.

Olympic Tech: Bobby J and his funky chainrings

Stark gets time with Phelps...

Tyler, Bobby and Dede will be here on Thursday.

...others just wait.

Waterworld.

VN made the cut on the media center magazine rack.

A case of nerves: Hamilton finally relaxed after the finish

Canoe racing at the Olympics.

USA Cycling has scheduled its cyclo-cross national championships for the next four years, selecting New England for 2005-06 and Kansas City, Missouri, for 2007-08. The 2004 national championships are scheduled for December 10-12 in Portland, Oregon. Spin Arts will handle the championships in New England. Race director Tom Stevens organized the 1995 and 1998 national ’cross championships, and assisted with planning in 1983, 1988, 1991 and 1999-2001. Stevens is also the founder of the New England Cyclo-cross Championship Series, the premier regional cyclo-cross series in North America. "Our

Cruz expects to sign with Discovery

Mike “Bling-Bling” Jones

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.Arndt’s childish display hurts the sportEditor:After seeing the salute Judith Arndt decided to give the world Sunday, I felt a comment was needed. The Olympics occur only every four years the last time I checked, which makes election for them and representing your country a great honor.

Howdy, folks, and welcome back to another installment into the all-encompassing grab bag known as my weekly Web column. It’s been a busy time for me, as the “neighborhood” has twice in the past two weeks extended to California — two trips that reconfirmed my view of my native state as simultaneously the best and worst in our nation. (I think Robert Pielke put it best in the epilogue to his 1996 book “You Say You Want A Revolution” when he wrote: “California has been cursed and blessed with virtually every paradox imaginable. Physically, the state is an incomparable paradise as well as a

The podium

... and then there are other salutations

A leisurely start on a hot day

The women hit the road in Athens

But not before the Yanks had their morning java

Dede's fans were in town ... and they weren't getting arrested for painting the road like some riders' fans

Thorburn hustles despite the heat

This Armstrong chose to race in Athens ... and cracked the top 10

Bessette, sadly, was taken out in a crash and DNF'd

Cooke and Melchers missed out

But Carrigan didn't miss a trick

Casey Gibson was at it again in Athens on Sunday, enjoying the women's road race and its surprise ending. Below you'll find a sampling of what he saw.

Palmer-Komar had a go, but wilted in the heat

There are victory salutes ...

Officials used this shot to justify the penalty.

Then Van Moorsel and Brandli hit the deck after a touch of wheels

Van Moorsel and Arndt led the charge past Huguet

Arndt was relentless

Running men.

Laurels for the podium

Canadian pride.

The big man, Backstedt, had an early go

The calm before kickoff.

And then there were three

The media vantage point.

A wiseguy suggested that the course was designed to show off the monuments ... like the Acropolis

The photographers perch.

It certainly suited Paolo Bettini

Excitement piqued.

Defending Olympic champ Jan Ullrich crossed 19th

Athletes of the world.

Just in front of Ullrich was Tyler Hamilton, the top U.S. finisher

The U.S. men's hoops squad.

Bobby Julich had himself a go

The ATHOC president addresses the world.

As did Levi Leipheimer

Stoneface prior to his metamorphosis.

The Germans and Aussies chased everything with a pulse

It’s an oft overused expression, but in this case it really did apply. Getting the chance to watch the Opening Ceremonies from a seat inside the Olympic Stadium was truly a once in a lifetime deal. The pre-Athlete procession show was like Cirque du Soleil on steroids with a Greek history lesson thrown in for good measure. My vantage point was a lower-level seat on the opposite end of where the torch was eventually lit. Not the greatest spot to see all in the action in the middle of the giant “lake,” but a good place to catch the expressions on athletes faces as they made their way around the

Macgregor takes the title

The top three and their laurels

It was a hot one out there in Athens on Saturday, and not just for the riders – Casey Gibson found himself schlepping a few jillion pounds of camera equipment around the men's road race in 90-plus temps and using public transportation: "Way too hot and the first race I ever covered using the subway," Casey reports. After a day like that, what could we do but run everything he sent us?

The podium

old stuff

Bettini and Paulinho work their gap

The Greek flag goes up

Merckx gave it all he had, but had to settle for bronze

Playing with fire.

Germany chases

Bettini wins the gold

Racing past the Acropolis

My bosses may not approve, but I took a little me time on Thursday to check a few of the sights in Athens. And that meant a trip to the Acropolis. Set on a rocky hill, high above the city center, this is definitely one of the most amazing places you’ll ever come across. It’s dubbed the sacred rock in the brochure they hand out at the entryway, which also tells you that for centuries this was one of the most important religious centers in all of Athens. Parts of it date back to the Neolithic period, and it’s centerpiece, the Parthenon, was built in the middle half of the fifth century BC.

The Acropolis.

The Parthenon.

The city below.