Road

Christian Vande Velde flew Friday to Italy to join his Team CSC teammates for its January camp, but it almost wasn’t meant to be. Vande Velde came close to retiring last year after struggling through injuries in the first half of the 2005 season, but strong support from Team CSC boss Bjarne Riis helped the 29-year-old bounce back during last year’s Vuelta a España. “Last year was really hard on me,” Vande Velde told VeloNews. “I was really close to saying that’s it and going on to other things in life. When you’re racing with one arm tied behind your back, it’s a horrible feeling. If you

Tom Boonen just wants to have some peace and quiet. These days, for the reigning world champion, that will come once the racing season begins. The dynamic 25-year-old is the biggest story in cycling crazy Belgium, which hasn’t seen a rider with as much charisma and winning attitude in a generation. To feed the journalistic combine, Boonen gave more than 300 interviews since winning the world title last September. With so much media attention, Boonen can’t wait for the relative tranquility of bumping shoulders at 40mph down the finishing straight. “People say the busiest time of the year is

Alessandro Petacchi was the star attraction of Tuesday’s team presentation for new Italian-German squad, Milram. In a flash program, the Italian sprinter was the top name among a 30-strong lineup that also includes German ace Erik Zabel and Italian attacker Mirko Celestino. Petacchi left the door open to make a run at starting all three grand tours for the 2006 season, something he skipped last year in his ill-fated run at the world title which stalled on the streets of Madrid last September. “It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve started all three grand tours,” said Petacchi, who won stages

An organization representing professional riders has blasted doping watchdog Dick Pound for alleged defamatory comments about widespread cheating in cycling, threatening to take further action if he does not publicly retract his allegations. The Switzerland-based group, known by its French name, Cyclistes Professionnels Associes (CPA), has given the Montreal lawyer until January 20 to apologize for the comments, published last year in the Britain's Guardian newspaper, in which he accused riders, teams, organizers and officials of supporting a culture of "deliberate cheating" in the

Four-time Vuelta a España winner Roberto Heras will go before the Spanish cycling federation on Friday to proclaim his innocence despite tests that showed he used the banned blood booster EPO. Heras, who was confirmed as having used EPO on the final time trial of last September's race, faces a two-year ban from the sport. His Liberty Seguros team sacked Heras after the test results were made public. Federation secretary general Eugenio Bermudez said that no decision would be taken immediately after Friday's hearing. "It's a normal stage in the process during which the

Dear Monique,I have heard from several people over the years that you should not eat after a certain time before going to sleep, and I am wondering, what if any truth there is to this assertion. In other words, is eating before bed more likely to cause those calories to go “unburned?” Conversely, is exercising after eating more likely to result in calorie burning?Thanks,Steven Dear StevenTo keep it simple, if the calories that you consume at night after dinner are in excess of your energy needs for the day, then yes, those calories are likely to be stored as fat. These are calories that

The limits of that braze-onDear Lennard,I just purchased a new compact Campy Centaur crank and front derailleur.I had a local bike shop install these on my steel frame bike and with thederailleur lowered all the way to the bottom of the braze-on we still havea gap of more than 8mm between the outer cage and the large chainring.It seems to shift okay but is there any spacer or part made that willlower this down to the 2mm spec called for by Campy or will it be finethe way it is? I tried the old derailleur and it installed with the suggested2mm of spacing. So I assume there is something in the

Three-time world champion Oscar Freire isn’t boasting of winning another rainbow jersey or sweeping the spring classics. Instead, the oft-injured Spanish sprinter is simply hoping to enjoy an injury-free season in 2006. Dogged by pain and complications since a June surgery that forced him to miss the road world’s on his home roads of Madrid last September, Freire is optimistic he can leave behind what was a black season and trade it for one rich with victories. “2005 was a very difficult year for me,” Freire told reporters at last week’s team presentation. “I won’t be able to say how I am

German cyclist Danilo Hondo has been barred from the sport for two years for doping. The Court of Arbitration for Sport on Tuesday upheld an appeal by the UCI and the World Anti-Doping Agency against Hondo's original ban, which the organizations said was too light. Swiss Olympic, Switzerland's sports disciplinary body, banned Hondo for two years in June for twice testing positive for the stimulant carphedon during the Tour of Murcia in March 2005, during which he won two stages. But that ban would have allowed Hondo to start racing again in 2006 on probation. Now, he will remain

Davide Rebellin hopes to turn back the tide in 2006, put his largely forgettable 2005 campaign behind him and return to his winning ways of 2004. The 34-year-old believes it’s possible to return to form that saw him win the Amstel Gold Race, Fleche Wallone and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in one fabulous run nearly two years ago. “I will start racing in February in Portugal at the Tour of Algarve to arrive in good condition for Milan-San Remo,” Rebellin told TuttoBici. “I’ll try to do something to prevent it from coming down to a bunch sprint.” The Italian veteran, who won just one race in 2005,

Luis León Sanchez, the surprise winner of last year’s Tour Down Under, will defend his title later this month as the third-year pro kick-starts the season for Liberty Seguros. The tall and lean León Sanchez - whose physique reminds many observers of five-time Tour de France champion Miguel Indurain - said he had planned to start his season at the Tour of Malaysia, but the team decided it was better to return to Australia after León Sanchez lost his brother in a tragic "quad" accident last year. "Manolo Saiz and I thought it would be better to start my season as soon as possible," he said.

Refusing to throw in the towel after failing to win selection to the2005 Tour de France, Agritubel decided to keep slugging away in the professional peloton until the end of the 2007 season. And this year, the Continental team’s main goal remains unchanged: racing the Tour. "It is now or never," said Agritubel president Jose Fornes during the team’s presentation Friday in Poitiers, France. "If we are not invited this summer, it is clear that the future of the team would be seriously compromised." A promising indicator is an invitation from Amaury Sport Organization(ASO) to race Paris-Nice

The 2006 Rabobank team met the press on Thursday in Rotterdam, its framework primarily Dutch and young, but bolstered by some old hands. Dutch veterans Erik Dekker, 35, and Michael Boogerd, 33, are the elder statesmen of the team, which boasts several promising young riders, among them Thomas Dekker, 21; and Pieter Weening, Joost Posthuma and Theo Eltink, all 24. Back for 2006 are Oscar Freire, the former world champion who suffered a disappointing 2005 season with injuries to the back and recurring saddle sores. "I really hope that all these problems are now behind me," said Freire, 30.

Ivan Basso might be pegged as the man to replace Lance Armstrong in the peloton’s power structure, but it appears the Italian won't be taking a page out of the Texan’s playbook this year. Armstrong was known for his methodical, precise preparation for the Tour de France, with training camps that kept him away from the racing scene during a good part of the season. Armstrong typically would arrive to the Tour with only about 20-25 days of racing in his legs. It appears Basso likes bumping shoulders in the peloton just as much as intense training. According to Tutto Bici, Basso will be

Is it the model year?Dear Lennard,I have a 1999 Cannondale CAAD 5 equipped with Campy Record 9-speed.It has never shifted to my liking. I just read on Campagnolo's web sitethat there is a difference between 1999/2000 Record shifters and post-20009-speed record shifters and derailleurs. This has me totally confused.They say there is a way to tell the difference but I am not sure how todo it.What I do know is that last year out of total frustration I purchaseda new 9-speed shifter, cable set, 9-speed chain and new Record rear cassette(12-23). It now shifts better but still not

Alejandro Valverde, the rising star who’s pumping excitement back into Spanish racing, admits he dreams of winning the Tour de France. The Illes Balears captain said winning a stage at Courchevel ahead of Lance Armstrong last July was a "dream come true," but said his ultimate goal is to win the Tour outright. "I’m only 25 years old and I have a lot of time to try to win, but I don’t pretend to try to break Armstrong’s record, but to win one Tour," Valverde said in an interview with Marca. "If I can win two, even better." Valverde’s Tour debut last July was cut short with a knee injury,

The doctor gives advice on getting ink for endurance athletes

This morning I reached into my bag of supplies and pulled out my last two Clif Shots, which means this must be my last race in the cyclo-cross motherland. Today’s event took place in Saint Niklaas and once again, it was a memorable one. The course was pancake flat and extremely fast, very similar to the Hoofstade World Cup, minus the hellacious sand. And, like the World Cup, the fans were out in full force. Tens of thousands, young and old lined a majority of the course to see the Sven Nys show. Yes, there was music. Yes, there was beer. Yes, it was a party. I think I inhaled more

T-Mobile is confident Jan Ullrich can deliver another Tour de France victory in 2006. With longtime nemesis Lance Armstrong securely in the retirement home, Ullrich is the hand’s down favorite to win another Tour. T-Mobile team manager Olaf Ludwig is quietly confident Ullrich can win his second Tour and enters the upcoming season with newfound optimism. In an interview published on the team’s web page, Ludwig said the top rival will be Team CSC’s Ivan Basso. “Ivan Basso will be the man to beat. However, he has to handle being the Tour favorite fort he first time. That’s a huge pressure not

In a few weeks I will be back with the team, training in California. The off-season is nearly over, although it seems that it was only yesterday that I was pinning my numbers on at the Championships of Zurich in early October. My training has transitioned from hikes, runs and mountain-bike rides to strength work in the gym, endurance rides in the mountains, and now, to daily road rides, during which I work on my lactate threshold and test myself in anticipation for the new season. I return home from training feeling tired, my legs sore, and a good meal and an afternoon nap are a necessity.

On the first of day of 2006 we entered the tiny nation of Luxembourg for the second-to-last ’cross race of my Belgian lactic-acid donor program. The much larger and men’s only GP Sven Nys took place today in Belgium. We opted for the race in the neighboring country so Lyne could compete in the women’s event. She got second, so it was well worth the trip — although she didn’t win any beer this time! The days seem to go by so quickly here. The sun rises around 8 a.m. and sets around 4:30 p.m., but when it’s raining and the skies are gray, it seems like morning and evening just blend together.

Francisco Mancebo is packing his bags and heading to Switzerland, all part of a larger strategy to make a move for the Tour de France podium. The hard-working Mancebo will rent an apartment in Geneva to be closer to the headquarters of his new Ag2r team. Mancebo – who left Illes Balears to join the French team after finishing fourth in last year’s Tour -- hopes the move will accelerate his push toward the Tour podium. "It’s going to be a year of changes," Mancebo told the Spanish daily Marca. "I feel good with the change. After so many years I needed a motivation to continue training and do

Right now I’m in the car on my way back from the Hooglede World Cup and I still have mud caked to my legs and butt. Today was one of those days when you would give someone a hundred bucks for a long, hot shower just after finishing. Yes, it was another epic race in Belgium. It snowed last night, but today it warmed to a few degrees above freezing so the Belgian mud was very, very ripe. While loading up the car this morning I asked Michel, “How’s the weather out there?” He replied in a thick Belgian accent, “ It eez rain. It eez snow. It eez wind. It eez shit!” How’s that for a pep

Today was my last rest day and to be honest it was a little boring. I woke up, checked some e-mail, ate breakfast, went on a ride, showered, ate lunch, wrote my diary for VeloNews.com, got a massage, ate dinner and soon I will be off to bed. Even if only for one day, it was the life of a professional cyclist. I did help Michel clean our bikes this afternoon and it was interesting to note that he brushed diesel fuel on all the bikes as a degreaser before scrubbing them down with soap and water. Although it’s probably not the best thing for the environment or safe to use while roasting

It’s getting cold and white here! We woke up this morning to gray skies, a light dusting of snow and very chilly temperatures. Not to worry though because we planned to take the next couple days off in an effort to recover for the World Cup in Hooglede on New Year’s Eve. These rest days are a welcomed treat because I am definitely feeling some aches and pains as I try to keep pace with the Euro-crossers. After another lovely breakfast of muesli, yogurt, fresh fruit and hearty bread, Michel, Lyne and I got suited up in our cold weather gear for a little recovery ride through a local park.

I just returned from the Azencross in Loenhout and it was absolutely incredible. Plus, I actually finished without getting lapped! The course was a roller coaster of a ride that weaved in so many different directions that sometimes I forgot where I was going. There were bridges, whoop-dee-doos and so many spectators pressed against the course barriers that at times I felt like I was racing in a tunnel. If I wasn’t navigating a tricky corner, I was dodging plumes of cigarette smoke being blown in my face or empty beer cups strewn across the course. Once again, the Belgian fans did not

On the drive home last night from the Hoofstade World Cup a small storm front moved through that blanketed the ground with snow. I went to bed knowing that the next race was going to be a chilly one. Sure enough, today was my coldest day here, but it was nothing like the chill I felt when I nearly lost my fingers at this year’s U.S. Cyclo-cross Nationals. We didn’t have to leave Michel’s house too early this morning for today’s race in Veldegem because there was no women’s category so Lyne didn’t have a race. I forgot to mention yesterday that she had a great World Cup result that would have

Savings options? Dear Lennard, My question is regarding CO2 inflation cartridges. Is it okay to use CO2 cartridges that are labeled for use in BB guns and paint ball guns? I have been told that they contain a small amount of oil in them and because certain oils or lubricants can sometimes breakdown rubber that I should not use them. Is this true? These CO2 cartridges are sold at your local Wal-Mart or sporting goods store and are considerably cheaper. A box of 15 or 20 usually runs around 10 dollars as opposed to three or four dollars a cartridge at you local bike shop.

Today was the World Cup cross race in Hoofstade and it was a tough one. I was the last rider to get called to the line and one of first few to get lapped.

It is Christmas evening here in Belgium and we are just about to sit down to dinner, but I thought I’d give you a quick report. On Christmas Eve, my girlfriend Heather arrived by train from London, after spending some time there with her family. It is great to have her here. Anyone who would want to travel through Belgium with her boyfriend while he is racing in the winter must be quite special, or nuts, but I think the former. We had a delicious five-course meal that had my stomach bulging at the seams, although I still managed to find some room for a few Belgian chocolates at the very end.

Typically after U.S. Cyclo-cross Nationals I don’t touch my bike for almost a month, but here I am in Belgium racing a Superprestige on Christmas Eve. Well, "racing" might be the wrong term to use because it felt more like chasing, but more on that later. Today, Kiwi, Kashi Leuchs join us for a few days of cross racing in Belgium. He spends most of his time these days in Annecy, France, so it’s an easy trip for him. Kashi doesn’t race much 'cross, but last year he did a Belgian race with Michel and wanted to give it another go this year. Once again Michel’s mom prepped some delicious

Holiday greetings from Belgium! Well, I made it safely across the pondto begin my Belgian holiday cyclo-cross racing adventure. The plan is tocompete in seven Belgian cross races which kick off with the Superprestigein Diegem on Christmas Eve and end after a race in Saint Niklaas on January2nd. What the heck am I doing in Belgium to race cyclo-cross you might ask?Well, to by honest I’m not quite sure. All I know is this past summer Ihad an international travel voucher that needed to be redeemed. While decidingwhere to take my trip I met Michel Bajorek, a professional mechanic fromBelgium at

Tom Boonen is never likely to win cycling's most coveted stage race jersey, but after yet another roller-coaster year for cycling the Belgian star could boast of having won the next best thing. For many, the world champion's rainbow jersey, which Boonen won in September, is more prestigious than the Tour de France's famous yellow jersey, which American Lance Armstrong won for a record seventh time before retiring in July. Adieu to ArmstrongArmstrong's talent on the world's biggest race will remain undoubted although for many his decision to retire could not have come any

Belgian Bart Wellens (Fidea), who kicked a spectator in last Sunday’s cyclo-cross in Overijse, Belgium, has been stripped of his victory in the race and faces a disciplinary hearing in 2006, according to the UCI. Wellens, who finished ahead of Lars Boom and Gerben de Knegt, originally had been disqualified on the day of the race, but after he spoke with the race jury, the decision was reversed and the win allowed to stand. On Monday, the Belgian cycling association demanded sanctions, criticizing the "soft" attitude of the race jury’s president and calling Wellens’s behavior

Making a Quantum leap?Dear Lennard,I have a circa 1996 Chorus 8-speed right index shifter (rear cogs). It is worn out and in a box. Do you know if it is possible to rebuild it as a ten-speed with the right parts?KhalilDear Khalil,No it is not. Eight-speed levers can only be upgraded to 9-speed, not to 10-speed. Also, the first year of 9-speed, with the current, more rounded shape to the knob atop the lever, could not be upgraded at all. After that, nine-speed levers could be upgraded to 10-speed.LennardTo click or not to clickDear Lennard, You recently received a letter regarding a freshly

British cyclist David Millar, who is serving a two-year drugs ban, has signed to race for the Saunier Duval team next year, the Spanish outfit said Thursday. Millar agreed to a deal that will begin in June 2006 and finish at the end of 2007. "David Millar has signed a contract linking him to the team until the end of 2007," Saunier Duval said in a statement released on th team’s website. "He will be back on the road next June. David Millar is a great rider, and in Saunier Duval we believe he deserves a second chance to display his talent." The 28-year-old is serving a two-year ban for

At Wednesday’s presentation of the 2006 Vuelta a España in Madrid, the race director Victor Cordero said how he was "outraged" by 2005 winner Roberto Heras testing positive for EPO, while the Spanish state secretary for sports Jaime Lissavetzky spoke about taking a more "rigorous" approach to doping and having a "clean and ethical" race next year. But the fact that Heras did test positive shows that the UCI’s stepped-up anti-doping program is working. Doping in sport has been around for decades; it’s not a problem that can be suddenly eradicated. At least Cordero said he was planning a

The route of the 2006 Vuelta a España was unveiled Wednesday in Madrid with organizers calling for zero tolerance for doping following the recent Roberto Heras doping scandal. The presentation came only hours after it was reported that Liberty Seguros team president Manuel Pinera had decided to quit his post and would be selling his shares in Active Bay, which runs the team that employed Heras before the 2005 Vuelta champ was confirmed positive for EPO. Heras, who has protested his innocence and is appealing the decision that led to his sacking, has yet to be suspended for the expected two

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will go on trial for defamation after losing a preliminary hearing against Italian Filippo Simeoni. Armstrong called the Italian rider a "liar" in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde in 2003 after Simeoni had given evidence in 2002 to magistrates investigating disgraced Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari. On Wednesday judge Nicola Insiti rejected a claim by Armstrong's defense and ordered a hearing to be held on March 7, 2006. Ferrari, who is alleged to have helped dozens of top athletes to safely administer illegal

A bunch of press releases, new products, and (gasp) a product alert have all piled up on my desktop over the past week. It’s time to purge. We first brought you the news a week ago, but we’ve since learned some more about the three-year deal between Health Net and Cannondale. The company will provide the team with Cannondale-branded clothing plus shoes and casual clothing from Diadora, a brand for which Cannondale owns North American distribution rights. "With the exception of Rudy helmets we’re head to toe," said Scott Struve, Cannondale’s product marketing manager. The riders have a

I had a recent experience in the medical care of an elite cyclist that,for me, became something of a baptism-by-fire education in sports physiology.Reviewing the results of an extensive set of blood tests on an elitecyclist who had recently fallen ill, I found myself at a complete lossto explain a mysterious abnormality that appeared on the charts.Was this a benign variation found in some elite cyclists or the firstdiagnosis of a serious or life-threatening illness? My God, could it alsobe doping? I felt I owed it to the athlete to figure it out. The investigationthat followed was a Pandora’s

The Belgian Cycling Federation said Tuesday that it feared losing the rights to hold two world championships after a high court suspended a doping ruling against former champion Ludovic Capelle. The Belgian Council of State on Monday suspended an 18-month doping sentence against the 2001 Belgian champion on procedural grounds, allowing the cyclist to race again. ''We do everything possible to keep the sport clean and then we see a decision like this,'' federation chairman Laurent De Backer told VRT television. He said the UCI might consider taking next year's world

The 18-month doping ban imposed on Belgian rider Ludovic Capelle has been lifted by Belgium's highest legal body involved with administrative matters, Flemish television station VRT reported on Monday. Capelle was suspended in October after testing positive for the blood booster EPO (erythropoeitin) during a race in June, but it has now been ruled that the proper procedure had not been followed. No details were given. The former Belgian champion had been sacked by his Landbouwkrediet team, and manager Gerard Bulens told the Belga news agency on Monday: "We terminated Ludovic's

Belgian Bart Wellens soloed to victory in the sixth round of the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup Sunday in Igorre, Spain. Czech Petr Dlask and Italian Enrico Franzoi crossed second and third, respectively. It was a black day for world champion Sven Nys of Belgium, undefeated through the first five rounds. Nys had a good start but suffered mechanical problems on the muddy, sodden course, and had to be satisfied with eighth place. Wellens, by contrast, was delighted with his performance. "I always gave the best of myself, but Nys was too strong in the earlier races," he said. "I continued to

Britain’s Nicole Cooke will be sidelined for three weeks after breaking a collarbone at the UCI track World Cup in Manchester, England. Cooke, 22, crashed in points-race qualifications on Friday evening, and an examination confirmed two cracks of the left clavicle, without displacement or complication, according to team manager Doug Dailey. The young Briton should take two to three weeks to recover, but she could resume training at the beginning of January, Dailey said.

Just how bad was the snow, freezing rain, wind, sleet and more snow on Friday, the opening day of the 2005 Liberty Mutual U.S. national cyclo-cross championships?

New Zealand edged Great Britain to take victory in the men's team pursuit Saturday at the Union Cycliste Internationale Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester, England. Great Britain had led the Kiwis into the dying seconds before just missing out on the line. The team's bid had been hampered by illness, with both Mark Cavendish and Rob Hayles falling sick with viruses this week. Hayles blamed his virus and also an incident at his local supermarket when he "clothes-lined" a bag snatcher attempting to escape on a bicycle. "That's got to be worth at least a couple of seconds,"

Organizers of cycling's top three stage races pulled out of the UCI ProTour circuit Friday after talks with the sport's governing body collapsed. Organizers of the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España said in a statement issued Friday that the UCI's plans for the 2006 series imposed too many restrictions. Race operators and the UCI have been at odds over how races are organized and funded. Organizers said the ProTour limits their ability to select teams for their races and that extending a temporary accord reached for 2005 made ''no

UCI president Pat McQuaid told VeloNews Friday that he was "not surprised" by the position taken by the organizers of the three grand tours, saying their decision to split from the UCI ProTour and return to a system of team invitations and wild cards for their events was "like going back to the Dark Ages." He believes that the grand tours made a pre-emptive move in view of a meeting planned this coming Monday between the UCI and the ProTour team sponsors. Speaking on a cell phone while transferring planes at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, McQuaid said he had just heard of the grand

Sarah Hammer of Temecula, California, took gold in the women’s points race during the first day of competition at the Union Cycliste Internationale Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester, England. Hammer’s victory comes in her first World Cup since a one-year hiatus from cycling. Hammer, 22, lapped the field with China’s Yan Li to claim a majority of her points. Hammer will ride in the women’s pursuit in Saturday’s competition. Teammate Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pennsylvania) consistently finished in the top four during the points race sprints, placing her sixth overall. Michael Blatchford

Belgian Sven Nys (Rabobank) won the fifth round of the cyclo-cross World Cup Wednesday in Milan. The world champion soloed to victory ahead of compatriot Erwin Vervecken (Fidea), who finished second at 12 seconds back, and Italian Enrico Franzoi (Lampre-Caffita), who took third just two seconds later. The win kept Nys’s unbeaten streak going in this year’s series and marked his 25th career victory in World Cup competition. In women's competition, the Netherlands' Daphny Van Den Brand (Van Bemmelen-AA Drink) won handily over countrywoman Marianne Vos, who finished more than 30

For many of us, the next few weeks are likely to include many socialoccasions filled with an abundance of foods (many high in fat), an overflowof alcoholic beverages, and hectic schedules that often thwart the bestlaid plans for calorie burning workouts.  Keeping the holidays healthyand minimizing any havoc created by too much food and drink, is best approachedby a mindful approach that combines behavior strategies, nutritional awareness,and realistic goals around food and exercise.Goal SettingFirst, start by clearly defining your goals for this holiday season.Perhaps you are currently

Cycling legend Sean Kelly will receive the Mick Doyle Golden Memory Award December 10 during the Canon Hayes National Sports Awards in Aherlow, Ireland. The prize is named for the Irish rugby player and coach who died in a car accident in Northern Ireland in 2004. Kelly won 193 races during his 17-year career, including nine classics and seven consecutive triumphs at Paris-Nice. He just missed the podium at the Tour de France in 1985, finishing fourth, and won the green points jersey in 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1989. Elder Nazon to end pro careerDamien Nazon (Crédit Agricole) has decided to

I am glad to be back in the States for a couple of days, getting ready for cyclo-cross nationals, because I had a serious craving for some good quality Mexican food and was starting to get a little bored hanging out in Belgium by myself. This week will be a welcome break from racing in Europe. What lies before you is my version of a preview — my picks — for ‘cross nationals this weekend. You might not agree with me, but hey, what do you know anyway? Seriously, with a forecast for snow on Friday and temperatures of a high around 30-34 degrees, the only thing certain for this weekend is that

The legendary cobbles of the Forest of Arenberg could make their return to the traditional route of Paris-Roubaix, after a regional council voted to allocate 220,000 euros to aid in the repair of sections that have collapsed in recent years. Last January, the Amaury Sport Organization, the organizer of “The Hell of the North,” pulled the feared 2.4-kilometer stretch of cobbles from the race route because large portions were determined to be too dangerous, due to mining subsidence. At the time, Race director Jean-François Pescheux said that past coal mining operations in the area triggered a

One of cycling’s greatest-ever climbers, Charly Gaul of Luxembourg, died on Tuesday, two days short of his 73rd birthday. Gaul was hospitalized after a fall at his home in Itzig, 10km outside Luxembourg City, and died shortly before noon from a pulmonary embolism. He leaves a wife and a daughter. Gaul is best remembered for his exploits in the mountain stages of the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, particularly in adverse weather conditions. He won the Giro in 1956 and 1959 and the Tour in 1958. At the Tour, Gaul was handicapped by racing in the era of national teams because Luxembourg, a

Screeeeeetch!Dear Lennard,I have a brand new Santa Cruz Blur equipped with Avid Juicy 7 discs. After a few rides in dry weather where the brakes performed flawlessly and silently, I rode the bike in the rain. I almost had to abandon braking altogether and just drag my feet to stop as the squealing sound was so loud it was shaking out my fillings. Since then, even in dry weather, the brakes continue to squeal on and off, and frankly I am afraid to use them in the wet again. The brakes are properly installed and bled. Did I not break them in long enough (three rides of easy road riding with

My fall is filled with cyclo-cross. Along with writing about exciting ’cross technology, I race on a single-speed and give up five weekends every fall to help a local promoter put on his ’cross series here in Boulder, Colorado. The finals, which doubled as the American Cycling Association state championships, were raced this past Saturday at Xilinx Software’s Longmont campus — complete with drum line. The men’s race was one of the most exciting local events I have been to in recent memory. I was a spectator because a lapse in concentration a week and a half ago, while testing the hardness

Logstor, Denmark (Reuters) -- CSC's Ivan Basso is determined to fill the cycling spotlight left by Lance Armstrong's retirement by attempting to win both the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in 2006. Basso originally announced he would focus on the Tour de France after finishing second behind Armstrong this year. But he announced a surprise change of plan at his team's first training camp of the new season in northern Denmark."It's a risk going for two major races in the same season but I really want to try and win both the Giro and the Tour," Basso told Reuters. "It

World champion Sven Nys (Rabobank) won the fourth round of the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup on Sunday in Wetzikon, Switzerland — but the victory didn't come easily. The Belgian had to come from behind to take the win over Netherlander Richard Groenendaal and Belgian Bart Wellens, who crossed second and third, respectively. Nys flatted while answering an attack by Italian Enrico Franzoi and had to make up a deficit of more than two minutes on Groenendaal, who had taken the lead. Wellens and Groenendaal tried in vain to shed themselves of Nys, but the world No. 1 proved far superior to his

For a man whose chief cyclo-cross training in 2005 has involved more hours spent remodeling his house than racing, Todd Wells (GT-Hyundai) has been using his race days to their fullest. With a strong elite men’s field gathered in anticipation of next weekend’s U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships, Saturday’s W.E. Stedman Grand Prix in Wakefield, Rhode Island, round five of the 2005 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series, was a regional race with national implications. But Wells put paid to the rest of the field’s dreams, dominating the cold, wind-whipped course from start to

At the ripe age of 34, Gilberto Simoni will be riding in the distinctive yellow and red jersey of Saunier Duval for the 2006 season. The two-time Giro d’Italia winner has already mapped out his season’s top goals, which includes a start at the inaugural Tour of California as well as a run at a third maglia rosa. "The team has an interest to go (to California) and make a good preparation," Simoni told the Spanish daily Diario Vasco. "Later we’ll see which races I will start, but it’s sure I will go to the United States." Simoni said he’s excited about the new team and ready to take over the

Rudy Pevenage, the veteran Belgian director who helped steer Bjarne Riis and Jan Ullrich to back-to-back Tour de France victories in the 1990s, is back in the good graces of T-Mobile and will officially rejoin the team as one of four sport directors for the 2006 season. Pevenage had a falling out with former T-Mobile manager Walter Godefroot three years ago and left to lead Team Coast, which dissolved in the midst of the 2003 season. He continued to work with Ullrich upon his return to T-Mobile in 2004, but only as an advisor and wasn’t allowed to officially travel with team staff during

Spanish rider Francisco Mancebo wants nothing less than the podium at next year’s Tour de France with the recent news that his new Ag2r-Prévoyance team is assured of a spot in the UCI’s ProTour. The French team earned a four-year ProTour license earlier this week to take over the spot vacated by Fassa Bortolo. With starts assured in all the major races, Mancebo sounds confident as he prepares for the coming season. "Every year I’ve been able to inch a little higher and my goal this year will be to climb on the Tour podium," Mancebo told the Spanish daily AS. "On paper the race looks very

Liberty Seguros is trying to put its best foot forward following the devastating news last week that Roberto Heras tested positive for the banned blood booster EPO. While Heras can expect an all-but-certain racing ban and the humiliation of having his 2005 Vuelta a España victory stripped away, the Spanish team is scrambling to limit the damage as it looks ahead to next season. Team manager Manolo Saiz has taken his fair share of flack, with some calling for his scalp in an avalanche of recriminations. Heras tested positive for EPO on the penultimate stage en route to winning the 2005

Dear readers,I am always amazed how a single reader letter can sometimes generate a flood of follow-up mail. Over the last couple of weeks I have received a good deal of e-mail about the potential problems people encounter when they soak chains in Simple Green for an extended period. Many of those notes focused on SRAM chains, and some writers suggested that it was the steel used in those chains that was the root of the problem.Now that I have learned a lot more about it, I doubt it. I believe that SRAM chains were mentioned most often simply because people who soak their chains for long

The French team AG2R has been granted a four-year ProTour license for 2006. The team was denied a ProTour ticket last season, but has bolstered its roster since, signing Spaniard Francesco Mancebo and Christophe Moreau. "One of my qualities is never not to doubt," said director Vincent Lavenu. "Last year, we could not obtain a license, but we continued by building something solid. This is a formidable reward." The announcement means that French squads account for five of the 20 ProTour teams. Spain is next best represented, with four teams, followed by Italy with three. Teams of the 2006

Giro d’Italia organizers are still holding firm to their bid to conclude the 2006 edition with a split-stage. Days after the 2006 route was announced earlier this month, the UCI shot down organizers’ plans to hold a morning time trial and an afternoon road stage on the Giro’s final day, citing rules that ProTour events can’t have split stages. Organizers, however, insist their plan still has merit because the Giro isn’t likely to be part of the ProTour in 2006. "The rules only apply to the ProTour," Giro race director Angelo Zomegnan told Tutto Bici. "The ProTour rules don’t allow

The UCI has upheld positive dope tests against Vuelta a España winner Roberto Heras and vehemently rejected complaints about its testing procedure. In a statement released late Friday, the UCI expressed its "full satisfaction with the way the procedures relating to this case were carried out and reaffirms its unconditional confidence in the method used to trace EPO." Heras tested positive for erythropoeitin after the 2005 Vuelta's 20th-stage time trial. On Friday a Spanish laboratory detected EPO in his second B sample. The 31-year-old Spaniard, who faces a two-year ban, insisted he

Spanish cycling is reeling following the confirmation that Roberto Heras tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO in samples taken in the penultimate stage of the 2005 Vuelta a España. After the results of a counter-analysis conducted Monday by Spain’s Consejo Superior de Deportes were announced Friday, Heras – who will likely be stripped of his 2005 Vuelta crown and faces a two-year racing ban – charged that the test is flawed and promised a lengthy legal battle to clear his name. Heras is the most successful Spanish rider of his generation, winning the Vuelta a record four times

I got the galvanic corrosion and buzzin’ bottle boss bluesDear Lennard,I have a carbon frame road bike, and one of the water bottle bosseshas come loose. This makes for an irritating buzz, on any ride, and,I can't tighten the bolt sufficiently enough to stop the water bottle cagefrom bouncing a bit. Is there any type of epoxy, or other glue likesubstance that I can use to secure the boss?DaveHere’s an answer to your question from carbon guru Craig CalfeeMost carbon frames use aluminum Riv-nuts for water bottle bosses.The problem is that aluminum and carbon fiber don't get along well,

Chances of a clear resolution to the Roberto Heras doping case seemed lost after doubt and uncertainty over Heras’s counter-analysis was raised this week in Spain. On Wednesday, Heras and his legal team demanded that charges that he used the banned blood booster EPO en route to winning the 2005 Vuelta a España be dropped after follow-up tests were inconclusive. Anti-doping authorities stuck by their guns, however, insisting that further tests were required to fairly conclude if EPO can be identified in Heras’s urine sample taken on the penultimate stage of this year’s Vuelta. Officials

Levi Leipheimer, captain of the Gerolsteiner team, says he is one of "five or six cyclists" that can win the 2006 Tour De France. Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong retired after his victory last year and Leipheimer, sixth in this year's Tour, insists he is capable of following in his compatriot's footsteps. "I want to get on the podium at the Tour de France," said Leipheimer in a story from Agence France Presse. "I certainly think I am one of five or six riders capable of succeeding Lance Armstrong." Leipheimer, 31, showed his class by winning the 2005 Tour of

Four-time Vuelta a España winner Roberto Heras and his attorney cried foul on Wednesday after a Spanish laboratory said there had been a delay in the analysis of his B sample from the 2005 Vuelta's 20th-stage time trial. Heras, whose A sample tested positive for EPO after that penultimate stage, has maintained his innocence, arguing that there had been a mix-up in the laboratory and that he was confident of being cleared. During a press conference Wednesday, Heras told the Reuters news agency that the lab was "unable to reach a conclusion." "I expected a negative test, but what has

UCI president Pat McQuaid says the sports governing body is considering putting a double circuit in place to try to resolve the ongoing conflict concerning the ProTour. McQuaid's predecessor, Hein Verbruggen, introduced the ProTour in the autumn of 2004 to help modernize and better organize the often-hectic professional cycling calendar. But it met with resistance from race organizers — including the ASO (Amaury Sport Organization), whose portfolio of events includes the Tour de France — who believe the reforms were rushed in too quickly and without their input. McQuaid, who took over

Jan Ullrich and his T-Mobile teammates are hoping a military-style training camp in the Austrian Alps will deliver stronger results in the coming season. T-Mobile recently concluded a team meeting that included two-and-a-half days of team-building exercises in the snowy mountains. Team members hiked through heavy snow, built a rope bridge across a canyon and prepared meals together. "We went into a lot of these challenges, thinking we would never manage it," Ullrich said on T-Mobile’s web page. "But everybody weighed in, so that we devised the right strategy to achieve our goals. It was

German rider Danilo Hondo should find out in two weeks if an appeal against a one-year doping ban is successful, his lawyer said Tuesday after a lengthy hearing with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Hondo, who has a Swiss racing license, was handed a one-year ban by the Swiss Olympic association in June after he tested positive for carphedon, a banned stimulant, twice during the Tour of Murcia in Spain in April. The 31-year-old won two stages in that race, following up on his second-place finish behind Alessandro Petacchi in the prestigious, season-opening classic Milan-San Remo in

Now all Roberto Heras can do is wait. On Monday in Madrid, technicians conducted the counter-analysis on urine samples taken from the four-time Vuelta a España champion in the penultimate stage of this year’s race. The anti-doping test will confirm or clear Heras of charges he took the banned blood booster EPO en route to winning the 2005 title. On the advice of his lawyer, Heras waived his right to witness the procedure. In his place were two observers acting on his behalf: José María Buxeda, a member of his legal team, and Italian chemist Giuseppe Pierraccini, a specialist in the EPO test

Perhaps no doping test in Spanish racing history has as much at stake as Roberto Heras’s counter-analysis scheduled for Monday in Madrid. Many observers say the fate of the four-time Vuelta a España champion – who is facing allegations he used the banned blood-booster EPO en route to his 2005 victory – could have major impacts on the entire Spanish cycling community. Not only is Heras’s legacy and reputation at stake, but the credibility of cycling also hangs in the balance for many sport fans. If the follow-up tests on urine sample confirm the presence of EPO – and results are expected to

With bright sunshine and near-tropical heat, the Aloha spirit was alive and well Saturday in Santa Cruz, California, at round 5 of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross. Hosted by the Northern Californian Velo Bella team, the final round of the Surf City Cyclo-cross series wasn't exactly a day at the beach - unless you count the weather, which inflicted mid-80s temperatures on a field more accustomed to snow, mud and bitter cold than to sweat, salt and baking heat. Instead of slick ice, racers were met with technically challenging loose and dry conditions, steep climbs and