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A year ago this time I was predicting parity for the 2003 U.S. men’s road-racing scene. On paper, it looked like just about all the main U.S. teams had strengthened their rosters: Navigators had added Chris Wherry and Henk Vogels to a team that had a lot of success in 2002; Prime Alliance had signed a couple of Euro’ vets in Jonathan Vaughters and David Clinger; Schroeder Iron brought Chann McRae back to the U.S., to go along with Miguel Meza and young Aaron Olson; and Health Net looked on the fast track to respectability with the signings of Mike Sayers and Gord Fraser. Well, we know what

The United States Postal Service Pro Cycling Team presented by Berry Floor unveiled its 2004 squad Friday during its annual training camp in Solvang, California. The media day began with a half-hour press conference with defending five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, followed by a more casual, open-forum session with the remaining 24 members of the team. Absent was the team's directeur sportif, Johan Bruyneel, whose wife delivered a baby girl on Tuesday. Seated alone, a tanned and relaxed Armstrong sounded as determined as ever as he took questions from the 50-odd reporters,

More attentive Friday

Kirsipuu

Jonker: Poised to take it all?

Armstrong meets the press in California

Jonker's heading to retirement in style

This is not the Tour de France

The gravel caused a few tires to pop

Navigators Insurance Ciaran Power made the day's final break

Gaumont: Implicated, investigated, positive and still in the sport.

Down, but far from being out, is the theme this week; applicable notjust to Aussie Nathan O’Neill, who proved skeptics wrong last week witha dramatic Australian national time trial championship only six monthsafter a potentially life-threatening spinal injury, but to the mid-AprilHyundai Sea Otter Classic road stage race and to the Tourde Georgia, which goes into 2004 with a renewed commitment from its titlesponsor, Dodge.A smaller, tougher OtterOriginally a mountain bike event, the Sea Otter Classic — a UCI-sanctionedstage race won by O’Neill last year — had well-documented road course

Dear Bob,I build frames as a side business/hobby. I have a small logo that Iput on the frames that identifies my business and name. I noticed a ratherlarge frame manufacturer is now using an almost-identical logo onone of its new models. What does the law say about this?B.B.,New JerseyDear B.B.,Trademarks such as the one you place on your frames have been in existencesince people began to trade goods. The merchant class began “marking” theirwares as a way to advertise their goods, establish manufacturing originationand guarantee quality. Of course, rival producers and unscrupulous

French Sports Minister Jean-Francois Lamour has called a meeting with thecountry's cycling chiefs in Paris on Friday to discuss the recent doping scandal in the sport and how it will effect preparations for the Athens Olympics this summer.The Minister was speaking as the investigation into doping and drug trafficking within the French team Cofidis widened this week."I've taken the initiative to have a meeting Friday with the presidentof the French cycling federation, the national technical director (DTN),the national team doctor and the president of the professional cyclingleague to discuss

Leftwing lunaticsEditors!What's with the leftist lamenting the houses that have been built aroundthe location of "The Wall" and berating Lexus SUV owners? (see Tom Andersonletter "Thetime machine" in Tuesday's mail bag)He engages in class warfare and stereotyping, which of courseis okay as long as you are stereotyping wealthy whites. Otherwise, it'sracism. Let this jerk know that I have never had a Lexus SUV come closeto hitting me. Of my friends who have been hit by cars, nonewere hit by a Lexus SUV.More importantly, it is not the vehicle, you idiot, it is the driver!!How about saying the

British Olympic hopeful David Millar said on Wednesday he had nothing to worry about as police in France continued their doping investigation into the country's number one cycling team. Millar, the 27-year-old leader of Cofidis and world time trial champion, maintains that the arrests of several current and former members of his team on suspicion of using and distributing banned substances are simply "isolated" cases and in no way reflect the way the team is managed. Riders Cedric Vasseur and Philippe Gaumont were arrested by police on Tuesday (see “French drug probe: Vasseur and Gaumont

McPartland gets a big win

Three men try their luck

In pursuit at Kangaroo Creek

McEwen is now fourth on GC

Millar after winning a Vuelta stage in September

McEwen takes the win

You win pretty or you win ugly, either way, you're still in yellow.

Pantani down after crashing in Stage 18 of the 2003 Giro

Sassone after winning his world title in 2001

Vasseur in 2003

Marco has styleEditors;I agree with those defending Marco Pantani. He has still hadsome respectable results since the big "doping" label was placed on him,and yet, never proven. I read all those responses that bashed ilPirate and said "if not for the drugs," he wouldn't have won.Silly American brashness, popping off our big loud mouths withoutsubstance. In my opinion, Professional Cycling, specifically the Italian pieceof it, did a grave injustice to one of the best cyclists of a generation.So sad the Italians did it to one of their own, too. I say, go Marco!! Get back on the bike, train

Two riders from the Cofidis team were arrested at Orly airport in Paris on Tuesday on their return from a training camp as the investigation into doping and drug trafficking within the French team widened. Drugs squad officers detained Cedric Vasseur and Philippe Gaumont as they stepped off a flight from Alicante, Spain, and took them away for questioning. Meanwhile, the team's sponsor, the Cofidis group, which supplies personal loans by telephone, announced Tuesday it was launching legal action for defamation over the doping accusations. Vasseur, 33, won a stage in the 1997 Tour de

A winning combo? Jan Ullrich thinks so.

Why defend a pirate?Editors,I'm a bit surprised to see all the letters in defense of Marco (see "Friday'smail bag: Pantani's Posse responds"). Thismonkey business about a high hematocrit not making him culpable of dopingis unbelievable. It's ridiculous having a crit’ in the 50's after a three-weektour and not think the guy is taking something. Since he was put on notice, his results have shown it.Jean Gretz The incredible celebrity ego machineEditors,As I see it Marco Pantani was swallowed up by his own success. I haveseen it happen in my profession as a jockey's agent. Riders strive

Sunday's mail: Marco, Lance, Krispy Kremes, sponsors and the movies

All we are saying is give Marco a chanceEditor,This goes out to Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Schlitzler from Thursday'smail bag. I find their positions to be based more on emotion than anhonest evaluation of the facts.Last time I checked the "doper" won a couple of the hardest stages ofthe Tour in 2000 and passed his drug tests! Also, if one cares to notethe so-called "failed EPO test" of 1999 pertained only to a hematocritlevel above a prescribed limit. It did not show any traces of EPO or provethe use, whether systematic or one time, of EPO. If Pantani is a doperwhose "...winning form was only based

After being banned from the Internet for 14 1/2 days, I’ve admitted that I bet on baseball and have been reinstated by VeloNews.com. So, my first column of the new year is a little late, and I’ve got some catching up to do. Like many, I rang in 2004 by watching some or all of the following: the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, the FedEx Orange Bowl, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Nokia Sugar Bowl 2004 National Championship. No, this isn’t going to be another BCS-bashing column – it’s a little late for that, even for me. But watching those games each year is a reminder of the

D'OH!Editors,Tell Mr. Roger he should get his facts straight, especially where it concerns the best cycling movie ever made, before he starts reminiscing in his column (see "Mr.Rogers' Neighborhood: 'Breaking Away' with Bart Simpson"). NealRogers talks about the main character (Dave Stoller) in the movie “Breaking Away” being out on a training ride when he runs into the fabled (but fictional) “Team Cinzano.” Point of fact is that it was a race that he ran into them on, and he had been training hard for that race so he could see how he measured up against his heroes, that is until they

Dear Bob,I work on the floor of a large retail bicycle shop. I love my job,but have a problem with one of the managers. Since I began here, over ayear ago, he has been making sexual comments. I used to simply laugh athim, but recently, he tried to kiss me and I need this to stop.What should I do?Mashed in MinneapolisDear M in M,This is a sensitive area with most people having a canned responsesrunning the gambit from “ he should be strung up” to “political correctnessis ruining America.” My view is somewhere in the middle and depends onthe facts and circumstances. For instance, I believe this

Thursday's mail bag: Breaking Away; Bye bye Marco

Remember that scene in the classic 1979 film "Breaking Away" when the main character — Dave, the naïve young cyclist — was racing against the Italian Cinzano squad he so admired? Remember how, at first, Dave was thrilled to be riding with them, even challenging them, until one of the Italians put a frame pump through Dave's wheel and the young blond-headed kid ended up in a ditch while the darker-haired "pros" rode away laughing? Well anyone who knows that scene well and also watched "The Simpsons" on Sunday night probably recognized a quick parody of "Breaking Away" featuring Bart and the

Damn, this guy is pretty good

Cesar Grajales

Marco no more?

Is Germany's pursuit team back on track?

Editor's Note: This is the second of what we hope will becomea steady stream of letters this season from Navigators Insurance pro cyclistBurke Swindlehurst.Hey folks in VeloNews land.Well, the New Year truly is upon us and I'm hoping that all of you enjoyedthe Holiday season as much as I did. All that good (bad) food anddrink and of course, friends and family. I don't know about all of you,but I even took the time to take in a few flicks, despite being deathlyafraid of sitting in a theater with the possibly "infected" carriers ofthe epidemic flu for up to three hours and 40 minutes... yes, I

Pacific Cycle – the parent company of Schwinn, GT and Mongoose –announced Wednesday that the firm will be acquired by Montreal-based Dorel Industries, a global supplier of juvenile and home furnishing products. Dorel has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the Madison, Wisconsin-based Pacific Cycle. Dorel’s purchase of Pacific Cycle is expected to be completed by the end of the month. Chris Hornung, founder and CEO of Pacific Cycle, will remain at the head of Pacific and will run the company as a standalone Dorel division. “This acquisition provides numerous opportunities to

The board of the German Cycling Federation (BDR) has revoked the suspensions of Jens Lehmann andDaniel Becke, allowing the two star pursuiters to try for this year’s OlympicGames in Athens. The two were suspended in August of last year after they became embroiledin a team selection battle that ultimately resulted in the withdrawal ofthe once-powerful German team pursuit squad from the world championshipsin Stuttgart (see “Germanpursuit squad collapses before it hits track”). BDR president Sylvia Schenk, who had initially taken a hard line against the riders, asked the organization's board

Rutkiewicz in 2002

T-Bird's Roost: From blizzards to Oz

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Funky Disco Drop-out

It's now up to Lehmann (seen here in 2002)

A former Marine who was attacked by a mountain lion while mountain-bikeriding in a wilderness area in Southern California has been upgraded to fair condition, hospital officials said Sunday. "Her recovery is truly miraculous," said the victim's husband, JamesHjelle. Anne Hjelle, 30, was rescued Thursday from the mountain lion's jawsby her cycling companion, Debbie Nichols. The big cat had pounced on Hjelleand tried to drag her away, but Nichols grabbed her friend's leg and heldon as other cyclists threw rocks at the mountain lion until it let go. Authorities believe the same mountain lion

Alison will prevailEditors;I was appalled, at first, when I saw the  article detailing thepossibility of Alison perhaps losing the chance to go to Athens becauseof a mess up at USA cycling (see "Dunlapa long shot for Athens?") and weirder even still rules from theUCI. Then I thought about it a bit and realized Alison willbe at the Olympics. I'm sure of that, her strength of character and incredibledetermination will see her through, and if that slips a bit raw talentwill take some of the load. I am still upset the the people who shouldbe watching out for the athletes from a

What a season this has been for Bart.

The mountain biker killed by a mountain lion Thursday in in the Orange County foothills was a former employee of Carmichael Training Systems in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mark Reynolds, 35, worked for CTS from May 2001 through August 2002 before moving to California to work as an account executive with OMS Sports in Anaheim, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. In interviews with the Gazette and the Los Angeles Times, friends and co-workers described Reynolds as a committed athlete who raced both bicycles and motocross, and Chris Carmichael was no exception. Recalling spotting bike

Editor's note: Plenty of you wrote in with advice for Erik Voldengen, who craves a new bike and wondered how to maximize the Spouse Acceptance Factor, while others were only too eager to abuse Jordan Bishko, who was critical of an Think about a trade-inErik,I just thought I would let you know that Cannondale is once again offering its yearly trade-in program. Cannondale will give you a large discount on its new CAAD 7 (Optimo) frame. It will also come along with a very nice full carbon fork and integrated headset. You will only need a new stem and perhaps a few cables to make the swap. I

A rack of rainbows: Gane, Millar and Astarloa

O'Grady's ready to rock

Don't expect Mario to be celebrating this news...

Let the games begin (and not the good ones, either)Editor:The article about Alison Dunlap is just the start of a long hot summer before the Olympics. Every Olympic year deserving cyclists are not selected for the team. There is always going to be someone left out in the cold, and cold people usually employ lawyers to heat things up. Just wait – as the selection process gets closer there will be other stories to tell. On a similar note, it has been rumored for more than a year that the USA may not qualify a sprint "team" for the Olympics. Now that doesn't sound good for the country with the

A threat to drivers?

Like many Mac addicts out there, I sacrificed a few hours of my Tuesday morning to watch the live Web cast of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’s keynote address at the annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Each year, the biggest geeks in the industry come together for several days in a large showroom to meet with designers and engineers and drool over the latest technological advances. Fluorescent lights hum, camera flashes sparkle, and schwag is freely distributed while people discuss issues of speed and performance. Right — just like Interbike, only nerdier, if you can imagine that. But Jobs’s

So what is a good use of their time?!?!?Editors;I just want to know what is in the water in Colorado Springs. Maybesome of the cost of licensing should go to higher education for such "nuances." (see "Dunlapa long shot for Athens?") That line from USA Cycling's Matt Cramer- "To translate every nuance of the UCI rule book is not the best use ofour time..." says it all.What? To be continually embarrassed is a good use of their time!?! Whatin the world are you doing that is more important than the Olympics? Iknow as riders we have to look out for ourselves, but you'd think thatour "Director of

A look at the newly updated U.S. Postal Service team roster reveals a surprise: the as of yet unannounced addition of American Michael Creed to the squad. In a phone conversation from Tucson, Arizona, the Colorado Springs resident — who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Thursday with a 200km training ride — discussed his progression from the now-defunct Division 3 Prime Alliance squad to Postal with VeloNews. When informed of his appearance on the team’s Web site, the always-amusing rider was somewhat surprised, explaining that although his agent has been in discussions with the team, all the

Now that is brand loyalty

Plusher than ever in deepest, darkest Baja

Okay, we get it. You are officially a 'geek.'

Apple CEO Steve Jobs

Mike Creed, U.S. Postal's newest recruit

Casero after winning the Vuelta in 2001

Dunlap may not get the chance for Olympic gold in '04

American pro Christian Vande Velde confirmed Tuesday that he is close to reaching an agreement with Roberto Heras’s Liberty Seguros team. The U.S. Postal team rider told VeloNews that he has been negotiating with the Liberty squad since late last year and that the two parties are close to finalizing a deal, “although nothing has been signed at this point.” Vande Velde, who spends much of his season based in Gerona, Spain, said that he still has a year remaining on his current contract, “and some of those details need to be worked out,” before he can formally make the switch to the team now

Vande Velde

Ballerini in 2002

Geneviève Jeanson spent a good deal of time in the spotlight during 2003, and she wasn't always celebrating

Geneviève Jeanson was in the news a lot during 2003 - first, because she is one of Canada's biggest cycling stars, and second, because of the high hematocrit result she posted at the road world championships in Hamilton, which led to her withdrawal from the women's road race mere hours before its start. Although Jeanson tested negative in a subsequent doping control, the frenzy, particularly among the Quebec media, has taken a long time to die down. Jeanson has been sparing in her media contacts since, in part because of the Quebec College of Physicians' investigation of Maurice Duquette on

Tour of the Gila race director Jack Brennan has notified VeloNews that the Tour of the Gila will have a new title sponsor for the 2004 edition of the race. National Geographic Adventure magazine has signed on, replacing the Silver City Holiday Inn Express as title sponsor, with the motel remaining on board as a co-sponsor. Brennan explained that in a very unusual development, Mike Trumbull of the local Holiday Inn Express - the previous title sponsor - did the work to find the new one. Trumbull, who is chairman of the Silver City/Grant County Chamber of Commerce tourism committee, worked

Hi, Bob,I signed a contract with a cycling-related manufacturer to endorse their product. I believe in the product and have used it successfully for several years. At the end of the nine-page agreement there was a clause called Force Majeure. This clause contains language about fires, floods, wars, etc. What’s up with this, and how does it apply to the contract? Thanks in advance,B.D. Dear B.D.,I suspect the Force Majeure was included as simply as boilerplate. In law, the term “boilerplate” refers to standard language contained in a legal document that is identical to language used in