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Editor's note: Michael Scherer is an American who has beenliving and racing in Oostede, Belgium, for the past month. Originally from Casper, Wyoming, Scherer spent last season riding for Prime Alliance while living in Boulder, Colorado. He moved to Belgium this year to take the next step and "to prove that I have what it takes to be a bike racer." Schererwill be sending back regular updates throughout the season.Why I'm hereAmerican racing is great, but in Europe we will get to race muchfaster races, more often with a lot less travel in between. Hopefully,we will see the benefits.

We're pretty sure that by now you've heard that USA Cycling is searchingfor a new chief executive officer to replace Lisa Voight beginning in mid-June.In a posting on USACycling's Web site, the organization says the successful candidatewill face a wide range of tasks, including: working with the USAC boardto continue American successes in elite international competition whilesimultaneously growing the sport here at home; increasing the numbers ofboth members and sponsors; and “building the athlete-development pipeline”from grass-roots juniors to elite international competition.OK,

Your top two.

Armstrong says he's feeling fit.

Voight won the time trial.

Moncoutié won the morning stage.

Tuetenberg sports the latest in aero' wear.

The kids get in on the action, too.

VeloNews.com welcomes your letters. If you run across something inthe pages of VeloNews magazine or see something on VeloNews.comthat causes you to want to write us, drop us a line at WebLetters@7Dogs.com.Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail to thisaddress, you are consenting to the publication of your letter.A question of balanceEditor;I would like to respond to the remarks made by Gianna Roberge of Saturnin the Thursday piece about the Solano Bicycle Classic Women's race (See"Who else?Horner and Bessette atop podium at Solano.")Gianna claims that my actions in

Forced to take 15 days off the bike following his spill Tuesday in Setmana Catalana, Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) says he will certainly be at the May 11 start of the Giro d'Italia, but he's not sure how fit he'll be. "The big races for April are now a question mark. I don't like it but there's nothing I can do about it," Simoni told La Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday. "All I can do is wait. I will try to pedal the bike on Monday, but if there's pain, I will stop right away. I just want to see how it feels. It's not worth risking further injury." The Giro

“Down is to hell.” — Hattie, in “Nobody’s Fool,” by Richard Russo Before I hit the road for the 2002 Sea Otter Classic, my annual respitefrom the ravages of winter in Custer County, Colorado, the boys at VeloNews gave me a jingle. They were a man short of total coverage, and asked whether I’d bang out a quick 500-worder on the Otter’s mountain-cross competition, the latest and greatest entrant in the gravity grand prix.(See "Lopes,Chausson repeat in Sea Otter mountain cross") “Have some fun with it,” they urged. Well, with all respect to the Otter, the athletes and VeloNews,I suspect the

Going down, down, down...

Berges escapes

Carney takes the win.

Arndt and Tuetenberg.

Carney moving to the front.

The spoils of victory.

Lance Armstrong heads the lineup at the Criterium International, theso-called "mini-Tour de France" because the race features a flat stage,a climbing stage and an individual time trial, all the features of a majorstage-race.After a virus postponed his season debut until Milan-San Remo last weekend,it will be Armstrong's second appearance this season. Held this year near the French-Luxembourg border, Criterium International's climbing section the through the French Ardennes will be good preparation for the upcoming Classics. Saturday opens with a 192-km rolling stage starting and

Wohlberg

Tina Mayolo-Pic got a boost from the wind and then got to fight it back to the finish.

A slipped seatpost slowed Horner\'s progress.

World\'s number one, Judith Arndt

Wohlberg managed a strong start

A number of top riders, including Kazakh title contenders Andrei Kivilev and Alexandre Vinokourov, have pulled out of this weekend's Criterium international race. Kivilev, who came in fourth overall in last year's Tour de France, is suffering from a virus according to his Cofidis team while Paris-Nice winner Vinokourov, who rides for Telekom, has an achilles problem. Also out are Swiss pair Oscar Camenzind (Phonak) and Alex Zulle (Team Coast). Camenzind reportedly has a cold while Zulle is suffering from a sore knee after a fall in training. Spaniard Abraham Olano (ONCE) has also

To say that Chris Horner is on a roll this spring is something of anunderstatement. A week after winning the Redlands Classic, he and his PrimeAlliance team stormed through the road events at Sea Otter. Now, Hornerseems in complete command of the Solano Classic. VeloNews’s NealRogers caught up with Horner both before the start and after the finishof Thursday’s road race at Solano.Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 8:30 a.m.VN: You’re off to an amazing start, winning the overall at Redlandsand the Sea Otter. What’s the secret to your early season success?Horner: [smiling]Totally relaxed…VN: Yeah? You

Defending Giro d'Italia champion, Gilberto Simoni will be out of competition for at least two weeks, because of injuries sustained in a crash at Setmana Catalana, his team reported Thursday. Results of a medical exam earlier in the week suggest that the Saeco rider apparently suffered a small fracture in his leg as a result of the crash that forced his withdrawal from the early season stage race. “After carefully studying the scan (of the injury) we've discovered a micro fracture of the inside of the end of the thigh bone of the right knee," according to Simoni’s doctor Flavio

A member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame who spent nearly 30 years on the lam from a drug-smuggling rap has pleaded guilty to federal charges of trafficking cocaine and failure to appear. Richard Gordon Bannister, 61, - better known to mountain-bike historians as Neil Murdoch, renowned for adding knobby tires and low gears to old coaster-brake bikes during the 1970s in Crested Butte, Colorado – entered his plea March 13 in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to The Taos News, Bannister was charged in 1973 with smuggling 26 pounds of cocaine after U.S. Customs agents seized

Fraser and Sayers were convinced their teammates' break would stick

In fourth place, Palmer-Komar (left) earned the top non-Saturn spot on the results sheet.

Defending Giro d'Italia champion Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) didn'tstart Wednesday's stage of the 39th Setmana Catalana following his spillin the morning stage of Tuesday's two-part stage. Simoni crashed hard onhis right knee in the first sector and his knee didn't respond well toanti-inflammatories overnight.Saeco officials said it was better that Simoni not start than risk furtherinjury to the knee … With Simoni out, the SetmanaCatalana is with one less star in a race that many top riders choseto avoid, something that grates Vuelta a Espana director Enrique

Reigning World Cup and world mountain bike champion Roland Greenwas named Canadian Male Athlete of the Year on March 26th at the 29th AnnualCanadian Sports Awards sponsored by the Spirit of Sport Foundation. The 27-year-old native of Victoria, British Columbia, received the awardafter completing a year that included winning the World Mountain Bike Championship and the overall World Cup.The formal gala in Toronto featured a “who’s who” of Canada’s top athletes.The other nominees for Male Athlete of the Year included Olympians JeremyWotherspoon and Jasey-Jay Anderson. The Canadian Sports Awards

Training Bible Studies with Joe Friel

A conversation with Fred Rodriguez

Rodriguez likes the outfit and wants to keep it for another year.

Guerini held off Mercado up the Col de Pal.

Mercado holds the jersey

When all was said and done, only Mario Cipollini was faster than reigning U.S. champion Fred Rodriguez in the hotly contested 93rd Milan-San Remo on March 23. It was a dazzling result for the multi-lingual American now in his second season with Domo-Farm Frites. VeloNews's Andrew Hood spoke with Rodriguez from his home in Girona, Spain, on Monday about the race and his expectations for the 2002 season. Here are some excerpts from that conversation: How did you celebrate your ride at Milan-San Remo? "We drove back to Spain, not very exciting. My wife and Floyd Landis's wife came

According to German television reports, Jan Ullrich’s knee injuryis more serious than originally thought. Ullrich didn’t start at Milan-San Remo after over-training caused pain in his knee. Team Telekom officialshad hoped Ullrich would be able to return to competition in April, butGerman TV reports that the 1997 Tour de France champion still has not trainedseriously on the bicycle and has been limited to working out in a swimmingpool. Mapei pushed to victory in the morning team time trial at the opening day of the five-day Coppi-Bartali in Italy on Tuesday. The five-man team, powered by none

Juan Carlos Dominguez

Simoni remounted and was able to finish the stage

Still basking in the afterglow of his dramatic victory at the93rd Milan-San Remo on Saturday, Mario Cipollini now says he willcertainly compete in the world championships in Zolder, Belgium in October."The worlds will be my Milan-San Remo of the autumn," Cipollini toldLa Gazzetta dello Sport. "It's a course well-suited for a sprinterand I will prepare 100 percent for it."Now that Super Mario is overall leader of the 2002 World Cup, Cipollinisaid he will race at Tour of Flanders (April 7) and possibly Paris-Roubaix(April 14). He said he will also race Ghent-Wevelgem, a race he's won

Rabobank's Erik Dekker, who broke his femur during last week's Milan-SanRemo Classic, took the number one spot in the world cycling rankings for the first time in his career Monday.The 31-year-old Rabobank rider pushes Germany's Erik Zabel out of thespot he has held since last year into second thanks to his win in the Tirreno-Adriatico race last Wednesday.Dekker, who turned professional ten years ago, is the current World Cup leader, but could lose ground as he will miss all the spring classicsnotably the Amstel Gold Race which he won last year and the Tour of Flanders,where he

Chausson chases down Miller.

The final six in the women's race.

Besssette

Rings around Genevieve. Everywhere Jeanson looked there would be a Saturn jersey.

Chausson wins again.

Rennie earned his second Sea Otter win.

What happens when you land on your face.

Green leads early.

Alexander leads the ladies, with Dunlap right on her wheel.

The lead group in the men's race.

Chausson won her second-straight Sea Otter slalom.

Gracia made it a VC sweep.

King is examined after his crash.

King's loaded onto an ambulance.

Hesjedal leads the short track.

Brentjens remains the overall leader.

Mari Holden, Sue Palmer-Komar and Kimberly Bruckner

Jeanson gambled and lost.

Cipollini beats out U.S. champ Rodriguez

Rodriguez, Cipollini and Zberg

On the road to San Remo

McCormack

O'Bee

And the winner is....

In pursuit: Barry put in a heroic effort to protect Zabriskie's hold on the lead.

Alexander won the time trial.

Herr San-Remo, aka Erik Zabel, says he's ready for the race he's won four times since 1997. Zabel, 31, told La Gazzetta dello Sport he thinks he can win again despite winning just the opening stage at Tirreno-Adriatico. "I've already ridden 5000 kilometers this season and I feel strong. I felt strong in the climbs at Tirreno, and although I didn't win a stage [after the first day], I just lost to Bettini and Cipollini in sprints, but I was close." Zabel is one of 200 riders from 25 teams lining up for the 93rd Milan-San Remo. Zabel called Milan-San Remo the "the world’s of the

Saturday's World Cup opener Milan-San Remo promises to be one of the most competitive in years. A baker's dozen of cycling's biggest Classics riders are roaring into the traditional kick off to the European racing season. Topping the list of favorites is Mario Cipollini, hot off his impressive victory in the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Tuscan has new colors (check that zebra-striped kit), a new bike (Specialized) and a new lease on life (Acqua e Sapone). Cipo is desperate for a victory at Milan-San Remo. Erik Zabel has owned Milan-San Remo,

Jeanson prepares to take on the TT.

Zabriskie on the downtown streets of Monterey.

New colors, same old Gord

Berger timed her move just right

Seems like old times. Tilford has a knack for these things.