Road

Aussie Anna Meares outfought American Jennie Reed to take the gold medal in the sprint on Friday at the fourth and final round of the UCI World Cup Series, being staged at Sydney's Dunc Gray Velodrome through Sunday. The Athens Olympic time trial champion, who qualified fourth fastest, claimed the victory without conceding a single race, winning every match along the way. In the semi-finals Meares defeated Tamilla Abassova of Russia, the 2005 world championship silver medalist, to set up her gold-medal showdown with Reed. In their first match, Meares attacked from the front and Reed was

In what’s sure to be one of the most-watched comebacks in recent racing history, David Millar is expected to roll down the start ramp for the opening prologue of the 2006 Tour de France on July 1, just days after his two-year racing ban ends. Some think the former world time trial champion - who admitted to French police in June, 2004, he took the banned blood booster EPO en route to some of his biggest victories – should never race again. Others, however, believe Millar can return to the elite of the sport as a clean rider. Millar has promised as much in a pair of emotional testaments at

José Iván Gutiérrez (Illes Balears) surged into the overall lead at the Vuelta a Murcia on Friday after ripping through an impressive early season win in the 21.3km individual time trial. Gutiérrez – a four-time Spanish national time trial champion and world championship silver medalist last year in Madrid – showed off the best time-trial position of any Spanish rider going, taking more than 1 minute out of teammate Alejandro Valverde during Stage 3. Also showing good early season form was Alexandre Vinokourov, making his presence felt for the first time this season with a strong

Alejandro Valverde, the Spanish sensation who’s getting cartloads of hype back home, admits he’s starting to feel the pressure still four months away from the start of the Tour de France. Valverde, who nipped Lance Armstrong in a climbing stage up Courchevel before abandoning his Tour debut last year, said he hopes he can live up to expectations among Spanish fans and media. “I am starting to note the pressure, and to tell the truth, I am a little scared, but I am working so that everything turns out okay.” Valverde told the Spanish sports daily Marca. Valverde has been unofficially

It was early March and the questions were already beginning: When was Alejandro Valverde going to win his first race of the season? The Spanish sensation usually roars out of the gate, as he did two years ago when he won a stage just hours after getting off a plane at the Mallorca Challenge in February. This year, Valverde is taking aim at bigger fish, but the 25-year-old couldn’t help himself when he smelled the finish line in the bumpy 172.4km second stage of the Vuelta a Murcia. Following the wheel of compatriot Santos González (3 Molinas) over the Cat. 1 climb some 16km from the finish

After Ben Jacques-Mayne’s weeklong real-world test during last week’s Amgen Tour of California, SRAM’s new professional 10-speed road group comes one step closer to going public. While the group has been making waves since last fall’s EuroBike trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany, SRAM did a good job of keeping its name — Force — under wraps. Now, with the name out there, the group once again steals the spotlight on its way to the retail market. The svelte shifters, newly designed carbon cranks and carbon-infused rear derailleur are the pro group’s highlights. The intentions to produce

Lance Armstrong will not face any penalty stemming from allegations that he used EPO in the 1999 Tour de France, according to the UCI. The UCI has told The Daily Telegraph that it did not dispute the test results published last year in the French newspaper L'Equipe "The UCI does not deny the validity of the six forms printed in L'Equipe," said UCI president Pat McQuaid. "The six tests which were printed in L'Equipe were among the 15 given out by (Dr. Mario) Zorzoli." Zorzoli, the UCI’s chief medical officer, stepped down this week after admitting to giving the L'Equipe

Fresh off a podium finish at the Tour of California, defending champion Bobby Julich (CSC) heads an international field for Paris-Nice, March 5-12. Team CSC will come with a stacked squad that also includes fellow California podium-finisher David Zabriskie, compatriot Christian Vande Velde, Jens Voigt, Frank Schleck, Michael Blaudzun, Andrea Peron and Vuelta a España podium-man Carlos Sastre. Other North Americans on the preliminary start list released Wednesday by race organizers include Floyd Landis (Phonak), fresh off his overall victory in the Tour of California; Chris Horner

Spanish roads must remind Heinrich Haussler of his native Australia, because the young Gerolsteiner rider took another impressive victory in the attack-heavy opener of the Tour of Murcia on Wednesday. Haussler, whose father is German and mother is Australian, was raised Down Under until he left for Germany at 14 to chase his dream of becoming a professional racer. That dream turned into reality when Gerolsteiner signed him to a two-year deal last year and he quickly repaid the favor, winning a stage in last year’s Vuelta a España. Haussler, who turned 22 last weekend, easily outkicked Ariel

Pressure washDear Lennard,Just wondering about a brief explanation on the “dos and don’ts” associatedwith bike cleaning and pressure washers. There seems to me to be two schoolsof thoughts around this and that pressure washers are a "no-no" that canruin components -specifically bearings, yet we see a lot of pro teams mechanicscleaning their teams bikes using stands and pressure washers? What areyour recommendations using pressure washers and some simple rules?DaveCanada (land of road salt and sand!)Dear Dave,My recommendation, in general, is to stay away from power washers.Of course, there

Following SRAM’s European OEM camp in the hills above Malaga, Spain, photos of the new 2007 X.9 derailleur and shifters were leaked to European websites. In an effort to squelch rumors and hearsay, SRAM confirmed the redesign, releasing minimal information and photos of the components in question. SRAM’s official release follows: Here's some buzz that just leaked out. A well-positioned photographer snapped some sneak peeks of some of our new X.9 gear! Complete details will be released at Sea Otter. SRAM recently held a private test session in the remote hills of Malaga, Spain, where

Continental teams Ceramica Panaria-Navigare and Selle Italia-Serramenti Diquigiovanni each nabbed wild-card bids to ride alongside 20 ProTour teams for the upcoming Giro d’Italia, race organizers announced this week. Panaria made a splash two years ago when Italian up-and-comer Emanuele Sella, then a 23-year-old neo-pro, won a stage early in the 2004 Giro. Last year, Selle Italia was a major force, scoring stage-wins with Jose Rujano and Ivan Parra as well as a surprising third-place podium overall for Rujano. The two continental teams will battle against the established favorites, with

Final overall 1. Floyd Landis (USA), Phonak, 22:46:46 2. David Zabriskie (USA), CSC, 0:29 3. Bobby Julich (USA), CSC, 0:34 4. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, 0:45 5. Nathan O'Neill (Aus), Health Net Maxxis, 1:08 6. Levi Leipheimer (USA), Gerolsteiner, 1:10 7. Cadel Evans (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto, 1:29 8. Thomas Danielson (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, 1:49 9. Christian Vande Velde (USA), CSC, 1:55 10. Jason McCartney (USA), Discovery Channel Pro Cycling, 1:58

The inaugural Amgen Tour of California is one for the books, and for two riders, it couldn’t have ended better. Saturday’s field-sprint winner, T-Mobile’s Olaf Pollack, narrowly edged out another tour double-stage winner, J.J. Haedo of Toyota-United, to win the final stage Sunday, a 76.5-mile circuit race in Redondo Beach. Pollack's teammate Andre Greipel rounded out the podium.

Ten-time German national champion, Ina Teutenberg, 31, (T-Mobile) claimed opening honors for the 2006 UCI Women's Road Cycling World Cup Series with a sprint victory on the 119km (eight lap) course in Geelong, Australia, on Sunday. Teutenberg proved too powerful over the final 200 meters holding off Japan's Miho Oki (Nobili Rubinetterie) and 2006 Australian road champion, Kate Bates (Team Nürnberger) who collected the minor placings. "Winning the first world cup it doesn't go any better," said Teutenberg after the race. " The team can relax now a little bit until we go back to

Belgian Nick Nuyens (Quick Step) soloed to victory in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne on Sunday, crossing seconds ahead of Leif Hoste and Tom Boonen. The 25-year-old Nuyens made a key move 3km from the finish of the 194km race, attacking a nine-man break as the others marked his teammate, world champion Boonen, who seemed very much in form, often creating the selection in key sections of the course. "The team did formidable work all day. Having numerical superiority in the lead group, we controlled the finale very well," said Nuyens. "Everyone was watching Tom. I benefited from this and got

It's been a remarkable week in California, as the premiere edition of the Amgen Tour of California was blessed with fine spring weather, more than a million fans and strong support throughout the Golden State. Casey Gibson has followed the race throughout and was there to document activities before, during and after Sunday's final stage.

Belgian Philippe Gilbert won the 61st edition of the Omloop Het Volk on Saturday over 202km between Gent and Lokeren in Belgium. The Française des Jeux rider beat compatriot Bert De Waele of Landbouwkrediet in the opening classic of the season in Belgium, with the Netherlands' Leon Van Bon of Davitamon taking third place. "This is the best victory of my young career," said an overjoyed Gilbert. "It's incredible. This morning I didn't feel 100 percent. I was a little bit ill these last few days but I was very motivated."

The Amgen Tour of California visited the home campus of its name sponsor Saturday as Phonak's Floyd Landis edged yet another day closer to locking up the overall title. While the peloton made it to Amgen world headquarters for a visit, it was another sponsor of cycling that was able to celebrate a win, as T-Mobile's Olaf Pollack sped across the line ahead of Italian Riccardo Ricco (Saunier Duval-Prodir) and American Fred Rodriguez (Davitamon-Lotto) astride his Giant road bike... just a few kilometers from that company's corporate HQ. Sponsorship hopes aside, our man Casey Gibson

In a blur of pink, T-Mobile’s Olaf Pollack streaked across the finish line at the Amgen corporate campus in Thousand Oaks, upsetting a hard-charging field to win stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California on Saturday. It was the first victory of the season for Pollack’s German T-Mobile squad, and a nice present for T-Mobile's bike sponsor, Giant, whose USA headquarters lies just two miles from the finish line.

Belgian Tom Boonen (Quick Step) is widely considered the man to beat in Saturday’s 61st running of Het Volk. The world champion, who says he is not yet at 100 percent, picks compatriot Peter van Petegem (Davitamon-Lotto) as his main rival for the 201km Belgian season-opener. Should the race come down to a sprint, Boonen will have to be wary of Van Petegem’s Aussie teammate, speedster Robbie McEwen. And Boonen’s teammate Nick Nuyen, who won Het Volk last year, could benefit from all the attention certain to be paid to his team leader. This year's race will feature 14 ProTour teams and

Stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California was a busy one. Gerolsteiner's Levi Leipheimer and Discovery's George Hincapie both took their best shots at Floyd Landis, but the race leader and his Phonak team just rolled with the punches. And while their efforts paid off in lesser coin, with Leipheimer wearing the climber's jersey and Hincapie winning his second stage, it was Landis who pulled on the golden leader's jersey once again at day's end. Ace shooter Casey Gibson was there to capture the action; here's what he saw.

It hasn’t been easy for Floyd Landis and his Phonak team to defend his lead in the Amgen Tour of California for the past two days, but with the week’s major climbs now completed he’s almost ready to be crowned the historic first winner of America’s richest-ever race. Like Landis, Discovery Channel’s George Hincapie has used the new event to open his season in confident form, adding the stage victory in Santa Barbara Friday three days after he scored a similar success in San José.

The world’s No. 1-ranked rider, Oenone Wood, (Team Nürnberger) has won Australia’s Geelong Tour for the third straight year finishing the four stage three day race five seconds clear of second placed Melissa Holt of New Zealand with Russian Svetlana Bubnenkova taking third. Wood went into Thursday's final stage, a 114km ride out and back from Lara, with a ten second margin over Holt and her defense of the lead was made slightly easier by the withdrawal of Austrian Christiane Soeder who had been ranked second at nine seconds but did not line up for the final stage. "I don't think it

"Everywhere you look is another great scenic," says photographer Casey Gibson, who is covering the Amgen Tour of California. And today was no exception, as the peloton rolled from Monterey down the California coast and inland to San Luis Obispo. Enjoy.

Perfect weather, postcard scenery and a long day in the saddle marked the Amgen Tour of California’s fourth stage, from Monterey to San Luis Obispo, on Thursday. After 131 miles — 140 miles, to be exact, after a 9-mile neutralized parade section through Monterey — Toyota-United’s Argentinean sprinter Juan Jose Haedo, winner of stage 1 in Santa Rosa, proved he’s the man to beat in fast finishes at this tour, crossing the line ahead of Davitamon-Lotto’s Fred Rodriguez.

The world's No. 1 ranked rider, Oenone Wood, (Team Nurnberger) has taken over the lead in Australia's Geelong Tour after Wednesday's incident-packed third stage at Barwon Heads on Victoria's Surfcoast. Wood, the defending Tour champion, went into the 76km stage - five laps of a scenic coastal circuit - trailing overnight leader, Austrian Christiane Soeder (Univega) by three seconds but with sprint bonuses on offer through four intermediate sprints and for the stage finish, Wood used her speed to snatch the leader's purple jersey from her overseas rival. Wood won the

Five minutes after he crossed the line in a blur, warmed down, pulled up to his Phonak team soigneur for a jacket, and signed some autographs for a couple of fans, Floyd Landis was ready to talk. He was anxious to find out how he had done in the crucial 27km time trial stage of the Amgen Tour of California. "Did I get it?" he asked his team helper. "We’ll find out in a minute," he was told, knowing he had already beaten stage favorite Dave Zabriskie of CSC by half a minute and that Discovery Channel’s race leader George Hincapie was about to finish.

Austrian Christiane Soeder (Univega) claimed opening honors in stage one of the Geelong Tour Tuesday, an 8km time trial at bayside Portarlington. Soeder, who in a former sporting career claimed the German title in 800m and 1500m running and has medaled twice at the World Duathlon Championships, posted a time of 11:07.510c to defeat Russian Svetlana Bubnenkova by five seconds with New Zealand's Melissa Holt third in 11:12.820. Soeder, a qualified doctor, has been in Australia during the summer to take advantage of the good weather and training conditions in her bid to be in top form this

The overall lead changed hands at the Tour of California on Tuesday as George Hincapie and his Discovery Channel teammates took command of the95-mile stage to San Jose, at precisely the point most would have predicted. Designated as the make-or-break mark in the stage, the steep climb up Sierra Road rose 1800 feet in just 3.8 miles for an average pitch of 10 percent, with a couple of points along the way hitting 16 percent. As always, photographer Casey Gibson was there to record the action from start to finish. Yesterday's Gallery

George Hincapie of the Discovery Channel team lit up the Amgen Tour of California stage race on Tuesday with an electrifying sprint win in downtown San Jose. Hincapie’s win came with a 10-second time bonus, which leapfrogged him past race leader Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner) and into the golden race leader’s jersey.

Sunshine and blue skies marked Sunday's finale to the 14th annual John Earley Memorial Valley of the Sun Stage Race, the Landis Cyclery Downtown Capital Criterium in Phoenix. Attacks and breaks were the order of the day in both men’s and women’s races, run on a 1.6km, figure-eight course at Wesley Bolen Plaza, but nothing stuck. In the 70-minute men’s crit, Neil Shirley (Jittery Joe’s) proved best of the bunch, taking the win ahead of Emile Abraham (AEG-Toshiba-JetNet) and Wes Hartman (Targetraining). The 40-minute women’s crit went to Laura Downey (America’s Dairyland), who outkicked

The Tour of California hit the roads north of San Francisco on Monday, heading out of Sausalito to cover a scemic route up the coast and into Santa Rosa, in Sonoma County. Toyota-United's four-time Argentinean champion, Juan Jose Haedo savored his new team's first-ever victory. By winning Sunday's prologue time trial, local star Levi Leipheimer made certain that he would be dressed perfectly as he rode into his home town. Photographer Casey Gibson was there from start to finish.

It didn’t take long for the upstart Toyota-United team to make an impact on the American road-racing scene. Just a couple of weeks after announcing its team name and roster, Toyota-United’s four-time Argentinean champion, Juan Jose Haedo, scored the biggest win of his career in Monday’s opening road stage at the Amgen Tour of California, an 81.5-mile jaunt north from Sausalito to Santa Rosa.

Stage two of the 14th annual John Earley Memorial Valley of the Sun Stage Race was a day for the sprinters to shine. The Trek Road Race near Casa Grande, run on a rolling 16-mile loop with 470 feet of climbing per lap, saw Geri Mewett (Hincapie Sports) take the victory in the men’s 89-mile race. Curtis Gunn (Team Successful Living) and Neil Shirley (Jittery Joe's) were second and third in the same time. Time-trial winner Tom Zirbel (Priority Health) finished in the bunch and held onto his overall lead. In the 57-mile women’s race, Erin Mirabella (Bicycle Johns) outkicked Miranda Duff

The big names of American road racing made their message loud and clear at Sunday’s opening day of the Amgen Tour of California. Led by Gerolsteiner’s Levi Leipheimer — one of a handful of homegrown stage racers being touted as hopefuls to take the torch from the recently retired Lance Armstrong — American riders swept the top-five of the 1.9-mile prologue in scenic San Francisco.

Mendefera, Eritrea (AFP) - Nearly 100 brightly dressed riders set out this weekend on the first stage of the sixth annual Tour of Eritrea, the cycling mad east African nation's premier sporting event. In a competition known as much for athletic prowess as oppressive heat and obstacles like rock-throwing baboons and malingering camels along a blistering course, the riders left the capital on Saturday on the nine-day race. Professionals and amateurs, Eritreans and foreigners are competing in this year's tour as they have in the five previous ones, all legacies of the Italian colonial

The idea is not new. In fact, there was a Tour of California held as long ago as 1971. And in the three decades since then, various proposals have come and gone. One of them, which had the State of California’s backing, even got as far as an organizer being hired and a course being approved. But the race announced by the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) last March 25 finally had all the elements required to put this second Tour of California on the road. Clearly, if an event is going to succeed there has to be a need for it. That need is just as pressing today as it was in 1971, when

The 14th annual John Earley Memorial Valley of the Sun Stage Race got under way outside Phoenix on Friday, though the sun failed to make an appearance. Despite windy, chilly and dry conditions, 930 riders turned out for the opening Buckeye Time Trial, a 12-mile race at Sun Valley Parkway, west of Phoenix. Tom Zirbel (Priority Health Cycling) took the opener in 29:25. Curtis Gunn (Team Successful Living) was second at 33 seconds slower with defending champion Ryan Blickem (Targetraining) third at 39 seconds. In the women's race, Andrea Ratkovic (B1 Rocks) took top honors with a fast

Belgian Gert Steegmans (Davitamon) won his second stage of the Tour de l'Algarve on Saturday and donned the leader’s yellow jersey. Steegmans outsprinted Germans Robert Förster (Gerolsteiner) and Thomas Ziegler (T-Mobile) to claim the fourth stage, a 174.5km leg between Lagoa and Portimao. The fifth and final stage will be a 183.4km run between Vila Real Santo Antonio and Alto de Malhao à Loulé. Stage1. Gert Steegmans (B), Davitamon, 174.5km in 4:39:26 (37,469 km/h)2. Robert Förster (G), Gerolsteiner, same time3. Thomas Ziegler (G), T-Mobile, s.t.4. Markus Zberg (Swi), Gerolsteiner,

The 16 teams that will be racing the inaugural Amgen Tour of California were presented Friday during a fund-raising gala in Sausalito. The evening featured dinner, dancing, a fashion show and a silent auction, with the proceeds to benefit Trips for Kids, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition and Bikes for Kids. Photographer Casey Gibson was on hand to capture the moment.

A colorful, rolling postcard for the State of California begins Sundayin San Francisco, ending a week later, on February 26, in Redondo Beach.Along the route — which will also highlight Marin County, Big Sur, SanLuis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Thousand Oaks — a who’s-who list of topAmerican cyclists will begin their racing seasons fighting to win the inauguralAmgen Tour of California, an event that has quickly emerged as the topUCI stage race in North America. Sixteen teams comprising 128 riders from more than 25 countries willtackle the 600-mile tour. Among the athletes scheduled to compete

Uruguayan Alvaro Tardaguila has accepted a two-year suspension after a positive doping test, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency said Thursday. Tardaguila tested positive for EPO and an anabolic agent, USADA said. The suspension is retroactive to Oct. 17, 2005. USADA handled the case because he tested positive at an event in the United States, the Downer Avenue leg of Superweek in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he rode for UPMC. Tardaguila was disqualified from that event, where he finished third, and from all subsequent races. He retains his victory in the Tour of Uruguay, which he won in March 2005

Liberty Seguros unveiled its lineup for the season Friday — without disgraced three-time Vuelta a España champion Roberto Heras, but with new team leader Alexandre Vinokourov. The Kazakh moved to the Spanish outfit from Germany's T-Mobile for the 2006 season after having spent several years overshadowed by perennial Tour de France contender Jan Ullrich. "Vinokourov arrives at Liberty with the ambition to lead the dream of the whole team, to climb the top step of the podium in Paris, and we are working towards that goal from day one," said Liberty manager Manolo Saiz. "Last season is

The UCI ProTour Council (UPTC) has refused to authorize the Trophy of the Grand Tours proposed by the organizers of the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España. In a press release issued Thursday, the council said the proposal by tour organizers ASO, RCS and Unipublic "does not respect the principles of road-cycling reform as introduced by the UCI," takes a counter-productive financial approach and demonstrates "a lack of responsibility towards cycling as a whole." The UCI insists that the three grand-tour organizers operate within the framework of the ProTour as they did in 2005:

Spain’s Carlos Garcia Quesada (Unibet.com), won the Ruta del Sol on Thursday. The fifth and final stage, a 172.6km leg between Olvera and Seville, went to Tom Boonen (Quick Step), who finally took his revenge on Alessandro Petacchi (Milram), who had beaten the world champion in their last two matchups. Roger Hammond (Discovery Channel) was third. In the final overall, Garcia Quesada took the win over countryman Rodrigo Garcia (Kaiku) with his brother, Adolfo Garcia Quesada (Andalucia-Paul Versan) placing third and collecting the King of the Mountains prize. Petacchi took the points jersey

Editor’s note: When America’s biggest bike race, the eight-day Amgen Tour of California, starts this weekend in San Francisco, some of the world’s leading riders will be starting their 2006 seasons at the head of major ProTour teams. In the current issue of VeloNews, you can read detailed profiles of two of these men: Discovery Channel’s George Hincapie and Team CSC’s Dave Zabriskie. Here on velonews.com, we are featuring three of the other major contenders. We began Tuesday with an in-depth interview with Phonak team leader Floyd Landis; Wednesday's's installment featured

Editor’s note: When America’s biggest bike race, the eight-day Amgen Tour of California, starts this weekend in San Francisco, some of the world’s leading riders will be starting their 2006 seasons at the head of major ProTour teams. In the current issue of VeloNews, you can read detailed profiles of two of these men: Discovery Channel’s George Hincapie and Team CSC’s Dave Zabriskie. Here on velonews.com, we are featuring three of the other major contenders. We began yesterday with an in-depth interview with Phonak team leader Floyd Landis; today's installment features Gerolsteiner leader

Italian Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) once again showed world champion Tom Boonen his heels en route to winning the fourth stage of the Ruta del Sol on Wednesday. Boonen (Quick Step) held on for second ahead of Aussie Graeme Brown (Rabobank) in the 162.1km stage between Ecija and Ronda. Spain’s Carlos Garcia Quesada (Unibet), remains the overall leader ahead of Rodrigo Garcia (Kaiku), who was briefly slowed by a crash involving several riders, and García Quesada's brother, Adolfo (Andalucia-Paul Versan). Thursday's finale, a 172.6km run between Olvera and Seville, seems likely to

Belgian cyclist Frank Vandebroucke on Wednesday won an appeal to the Belgian supreme court in Brussels, overturning a judgment that he pay a 250.000-euro fine for possession of doping products, according to his lawyers. Last June, an appeals court in Ghent had ordered the fine, saying that Vandenbroucke "was to be judged as a drug addict, not as a doped sportsman." It was a first for a high-level athlete facing doping charges in Belgium. On Wednesday, the higher court overturned the judgment, finding the lower court’s reasoning "insufficient," said Me Luc Deleu, one of Vandebroucke’s

The organizers of the Amgen Tour of California on Wednesday announced the initial roster for the race, which begins Sunday in San Francisco. Sixteen teams comprising 128 riders from more than 25 countries will tackle the inaugural tour, which concludes February 26 in Redondo Beach. Among the athletes scheduled to compete are two winners of the Giro d’Italia — Gilberto Simoni (Prodir-Saunier Duval), 2001 and 2003, and Paolo Savoldelli (Discovery Channel), 2002. Also taking the start will be three of the top-10 finishers in last year’s Tour de France — Levi Leipheimer (Gerolsteiner), sixth;

Dear Monique,I had heard recently that sports drinks are bad for our teeth and cancause dental erosion. Obviously we need to use sports drinks when we trainand race. Is this a valid concern and what can we do about it?JBDear JB,Thanks very much for your question. Obviously it is best for your dentalhealth to limit sugar in your daily diet. However, when it comes to trainingand racing, easily digested and readily absorbed sports drinks with severalcarbohydrate sources are essential to replace fluid and fuel during longerworkouts.The link between consumption of sports drinks and dental health

The much-anticipated battle of the sprinters finally materialized in stage 3 of the Ruta del Sol on Tuesday as Alessandro Petacchi (Milram) pipped world champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) in the final dash to the line. Petacchi took the 174.1km stage from Cabra to Cordoue in just under four hours, with Boonen second and Graeme Brown third in the same time. Spaniard Carlos Garcia Quesada (Unibet) retained the overall lead. Stage1. Alessandro Petacchi (I), Milram), 174.1km in 3:52:582. Tom Boonen (B), Quick Step, s.t.3. Graeme Brown (Aus), Rabobank, s.t.4. Baden Cooke (Aus), Unibet, s.t.5.

After straying from the usual question-and-answer format a couple of times recently, I have been encouraged to continue to mix things up a bit, so I’ll do it again today. This column does involve a technical question, one I have pondered considerably of late, so I thought I would share it with you, since I may not be the only one considering it. One of my favorite things to do in the summertime is to go on long road rides in the mountains. However, we all eventually get the message — sometimes subtly, sometimes not — that perhaps we are not as young as we think we are, especially when it

Editor’s note: When America’s biggest bike race, the eight-day Amgen Tour of California, starts this weekend in San Francisco, some of the world’s leading riders will be starting their 2006 seasons at the head of major ProTour teams. In the current issue of VeloNews, you can read detailed profiles of two of these men: Discovery Channel’s George Hincapie and Team CSC’s Dave Zabriskie. Here on velonews.com, we will feature three of the other major contenders, starting with this in-depth interview with Phonak team leader Floyd Landis. Floyd Landis, the American leader of Swiss team Phonak, is

Spanish rider Manuel Lloret (Comunitat Valenciana) grabbed the first win of his career in the second stage of Spain's Ruta del Sol on Monday. Lloret won in a long breakaway, slipping away from Santos González Capilla (3 Molinos Resort) to win the 157km stage from La Guardia to Jaénin 3:48:19, while the main bunch came through more than six minutes slower. Despite the margin, the breakaway was no threat to the contenders for the overall. Carlos García Quesada (Unibet.com) collected the leader's jersey from brother Adolfo García Quesada (Andalucía-Paul Versan), who slipped to third

French veteran Cyril Dessel (Ag2r) collected the overall victory in the 33rd Tour Méditerranéen after finishing safely in the main bunch in Sunday's 111km finale, which started and finished in San Remo, Italy. Italian Elia Rigotti (Milram) snagged the final win in a stage that hit much of the route of the Milan-San Remo classic, crossing ahead of Daniele Bennati (Lampre-Caffita) and teammate Erik Zabel. A breakaway was reeled in on the Poggio, one of the classic climbs of Milan-San Remo, bringing together a big group for the final sprint. Dessel was the first Frenchman to win the Tour Med

High speeds, paving bricks and torrential rain were not the right combination for Sunday’s final stage of the 11th Tour de Langkawi. The final-stage criterium was called early after multiple crashes and rider caution split the 102-strong peloton on the ninth of 18 laps of a 3.1km circuit in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The stage winner’s first prize went to Spaniard Angel Vallejo of Relax-Gam, who was on a solo break when “rain stopped play,” while South African David George took overall victory in the 10-day race by 1:52 over Italian Francesco Bellotti of Credit Agricole.

As expected, South African David George easily maintained his leadership of the 11th Tour de Langkawi on Saturday, with just one day remaining in the 10-day race. He cruised to 19th place on the completely flat 16.2km course, 77 seconds slower than the stage winner, Ukrainian Sergiy Matveyev of Panaria-Navigare.

Olympic champion Paolo Bettini says the upcoming Tour de France will be more interesting without the dominating presence of seven-time champion Lance Armstrong. With Armstrong retired, Bettini said the race will have suspense it didn’t during Armstrong’s unprecedented seven-year run. "That Lance won't be there is good for the spectacle," Bettini told the Spanish daily Marca. "Before you could only aspire for second place, but now there will be at least 10 riders that go for it, riders who can win. The race will have less control, there will be unthinkable battles that weren’t imaginable a

With the overall leaders already focused on Saturday’s crucial time-trial stage that will decided the podium in this year’s Tour de Langkawi, the sprinters were expected to fight out the shortest road stage on Friday. Instead, the rain came tumbling down on a hot, muggy afternoon and French opportunist Sébastien Hinault gave Crédit Agricole its second stage win of the 10-day race.

Once again, the sprinters’ teams didn’t make it at Malaysia’s Tour de Langkawi. After being 11 seconds short of catching an eight-man break on Wednesday, they fell short by seven seconds on Thursday’s 188.2km stage 7 from Muar to Kota Tinggi won by Italian journeyman Elio Aggiano of team LPR. South Africa’s David George retained the yellow jersey with three days remaining in the 10-day race.

Roberto Heras says he will appeal the two-year racing ban Spanish racing officials handed down Wednesday, saying he will fight to defend his name and honor against charges he used the banned blood booster EPO. Heras's legal team are considering challenging the ruling both in the Court of Arbitration in Sport as well as Spanish civil court, claiming there were inconsistencies in the testing procedure that could have triggered a false positive. "It's not difficult to imagine my discomfort with this federation resolution and the truly indefensible position that I am in," Heras said in a

No one had an easy day on Wednesday’s stage 6 at Le Tour de Langkawi, which resulted in a tight win for one of eight breakaway riders, Laurent Mangel of AG2R. The 24-year-old Frenchman from Burgundy attacked the break in the final kilometer and just hung on to beat the fast-closing Aussie neo-pro Gene Bates of Team LPR, with a second Frenchman, Yohann Le Boulanger of Bouygues TÈlÈcom, in third.

Wide-open Paris-Nice routeHoping to live up to its name as the "Race to the Sun," Paris-Nice organizers revealed a 2006 route that skirts the snowy Massif Central and avoids summit finishes in an attempt to avoid course closures that have plagued recent editions. Instead - with seven stages and an opening prologue - the 2006 edition will drive down the Rhone Valley in search of good weather. Organizers from the Societe du Tour de France have also removed a long time trial to ensure what they hope will be a fight right to the finish. Following recent tradition, the course will open with a

Those dang stripped threadsDear Lennard,What if anything can be done when the threads of a bottom bracket shellon an aluminum insert are stripped? I have not seen the bike firsthandbut I am trying to help someone out. They say that there is not enoughmaterial to cut new threads in. I assume that a tap has been runthrough already with no success. Is there any hope? I don't knowwhich side is stripped but if it is the non-drive side I can assume itis less critical. Is there a bottom bracket that will work better in thiscase?This is an old Look carbon time trial frame.JasonDear Jason,You

Colombian rookie José Serpa, 26, was racing as an amateur two weeks ago. Now, just five days into his career as a professional with the Selle Italia-Diquigiovanni team, he has won two stages of the Tour de Langkawi — including Tuesday’s prestigious ascent to Genting Highlands. Serpa’s two stage wins have impressed the whole race entourage, including Ed Beamon, Navigators Insurance team manager, who told VeloNews that “Serpa would surely be the race favorite had he not missed the break on the first day.”

The veil of secrecy surrounding the new domestic United Pro Cycling road team was lifted Tuesday morning with the announcement of the team’s title sponsor, Toyota Motor Sales USA, as well as its team roster, equipment sponsors and unique brand of marketing and revenue initiatives. Coming off a team training camp in Thousand Oaks, California, team owner Sean Tucker was expected to introduce the new squad at a press conference at ESPN Zone in New York City’s Times Square. City sports commissioner Ken Podziba was also expected to be on hand, to welcome the team. An appearance on ESPN2’s “Cold

Traditionally, the infamous ascent to Genting Highlands in Malaysia — the “Alpe d’Huez of Asia” — is the decision-maker at the Tour de Langkawi, now in its 11th year. For the first time this year, the giant climb is coming in the middle of the 10-day race, rather than toward the end.

Isaac Galvez (Illes Balears) won for the second day in a row in the Mallorca Challenge a day after Oscar Freire (Rabobank) returned to action following an eight-month break from racing. Freire lined up in Sunday’s start for what was his first day in the saddle since undergoing surgery last June to remove a painful cyst that forced him out of last year’s Tour de France and the world championships in Madrid A cautious Freire skipped Monday’s second leg of the Spanish race while Galvez’ teammates did excellent work to hold off Olympic champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) in the 159km race. For

American Saul Raisin (Crédit Agricole) won the third stage of the Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia on Sunday. In a sprint finish South Africa's David George took second and teammate Darren Lill finished third. Raisin won the 150.6-kilometer (93.4-mile) stage in four hours three minutes and 55 seconds. Richeze, Maximiliano (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) leads the overall standings.Results - Stage 3
1. Raisin, Saul (USA), Credit Agricole 4h03:55
2. George, David (RSA), South Africa
3. Lill, Darren (RSA), South Africa, at 17

Ceramica Panaria-Navigare finished one-two in stage 2 of the Tour de Langkawi as the race leader delivered a teammate to the line for the victory. Argentinian sprinter Ruben Bongiorno won the 164.7km stage from Tanjung Malim to Sitiawan after a leadout from countryman Maximiliano Richeze, the winner of Friday’s first stage, who took second and successfully defended his yellow jersey. Steffen Radochla (Wiesenhof) took third.

A court in the east German town of Greiz on Friday fined a teenage female motorist for a crash that left Australian cyclist Amy Gillett dead and five of her teammates injured. The 19-year-old woman was fined 1440 euros and had her driving license revoked for eight months for causing the crash in July. Gillett was training with the Australian women's cycling team when the car hit her group. The rider from Ballarat, Victoria, who was 29 when she died, had taken up competitive cycling in 2000, having rowed for Australia at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Gillett was married to world champion

World champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) won the Tour of Qatar on Friday after capturing the fifth and final stage, a 151km run between Al Thakira and Doha. The Belgian rider, who also won the first three stages, sprinted to the final victory ahead of Germany's Erik Zabel (Milram), and Italy's Fabrizio Guidi (Phonak). The 25-year-old Boonen was deprived of a clean sweep this week only after Austria's Bernhard Eisel (Française des Jeux) took Thursday's fourth stage. Boonen credited the weather with an assist in what appeared to be an easy victory. "Because of the wind, which

Argentinian neopro Maximiliano Richeze (Ceramica Panaria-Navigare) won the first stage of the Tour de Langkawi on Friday. The 23-year-old Argentinian edged Erki Putstep (Ag2r), Takeshi Miyazawa (Japan) and Steffen Radochla (Wiesenhof) in a sprint finish, claiming his first professional victory in his first race as a pro.

Gilbert Simoni was the man of the hour at Saunier Duval's posh team presentation last week in Milan. The veteran Italian already feels comfortable in his new kit, swapping his longtime home at Saeco-Lampre for Saunier Duval-Prodir for 2006. A two-time winner of the Giro d'Italia, Simoni said the change of air has already given a boost of new motivation. "The switch to another team has helped me rediscover my love of racing," Simoni said. "This is a team that will attack the race in Spanish style. It's very important to take control of the race and set the tempo." Simoni will make

Austria's Bernhard Eisel finally ended the winning streak of world champion Tom Boonen when he sprinted to victory in the fourth stage of the Tour of Qatar on Thursday. The Francaise des Jeux rider nicked Germany's Erik Zabel (Milram) and Belgian Boonen (Quick Step) at the line after the 145km run from Al Zubarah to Doha, scoring his first win of the season. Boonen, winner of the first three stages, has been unbeaten since he won his world title in September. He holds the overall race lead going into Friday's 151km final stage between Al Thakira and here with a seven-second

Jan Ullrich flew to South Africa this week to escape a cold snap that's gripping most of Europe. The 1997 Tour de France champion was scheduled to train in Tuscany, but flew to Cape Town to avoid the frigid temperatures in Italy. "Currently, winter has Italy in its grip. The snowfall and the freezing cold make it impossible to train efficiently. The risk of catching a cold is much too high," Ullrich said on the T-Mobile's web page, adding he can "do a more focused and intense training under the South African sun." Ullrich, who's recently been gaining Tour-favorite endorsements

In keeping with my plan of varying things a little from the straight Q&A, I thought I’d use this week’s column to tell you about my recent visit to the USA Cycling (USAC) Bill Woodul Race Mechanics Clinic last month. Held at the Olympic Training Center (OTC) in Colorado Springs from January 12-15, the clinic offers a unique opportunity for shop mechanics wishing to be trained as race mechanics by some of the best in the country. It may also serve to open doors for participants to travel to international races and development camps in support of U.S. National Team riders. The setting under

World champion Tom Boonen (Quick Step) maintained his perfect start to the Tour of Qatar with victory in Wednesday's 160km third stage. The 25-year-old Belgian once again beat Germany's Erik Zabel (Milram) and Matti Breschel (CSC) of Denmark to add to his wins in the first two stages. Once again the stage was marked by blustery winds and an early break, as Bart Van Heule (Chocolade Jacques-T Interim), René Weissinger (Skil-Shimano) and Geert Omloop (Unibet) took off at 12km. Twenty-four kilometers later, they were joined by a counterattacking bunch of six: Chris Horner