Road

Well, here we go. This is the first big race I’ve done after Paris-Roubaix, and despite the fact that I’ve done the Giro d’Italia before, this time it’s all new to me. It’s just been a pretty strange time, these last few weeks, leading up to the Giro. Winning something like Paris-Roubaix really does a job on your life (see "Backstedt a big surprise at Paris-Roubaix"). For one thing, people are actually paying attention to me when I’m just doing little things like warming up for the prologue. That never really happened before. Today, media were constantly coming by to ask questions, others

1. Gilberto Simoni (I), Saeco2. Leonardo Bertagnolli (I), Saeco3. Damiano Cunego (I), Saeco4. Paolo Fornaciari (I), Saeco5. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Saeco6. Alessandro Spezialetti (I), Saeco7. Gorazd Stangelj (Slo), Saeco8. Sylvester Szmyd (Pol), Saeco9. Andrea Tonti (I), Saeco11. Ruggero Marzoli (I), Acqua & Sapone 12. Andrea Ferrigato (I), Acqua & Sapone 13. Rinaldo Nocentini (I), Acqua & Sapone 14. Bo Hamburger (Dk), Acqua & Sapone 15. Crescenzo D'Amore (I), Acqua & Sapone 16. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Acqua & Sapone 17. Kyrylo Pospyeyev (Ukr), Acqua & Sapone 18. Ondrej Sosenka (Cz), Acqua & Sapone

This story appears in the current issue of VeloNewsAFTER A COUPLE of rough-and-tumble years that included doping scandals, challenges from the Vuelta a España and snubs from Tour de France stars, the Giro d’Italia seems poised toreclaim its rightful position as one of cycling’s legendary events.Following an exciting 2003 edition that saw Gilberto Simoni return todominance over a strong field, the 87th Giro will cover a balanced 20-stage,3435km route that has only three summit finishes during its May 8-30 run,yet contains more climbing than last year’s race (61,000 feet versus 57,000).And with

GILBERTO SIMONI (I)SAECO: WINNER 2001, 2003The two-time Giro champion took his time finding his racing legs goinginto May. Typically firing on all cylinders by early April at the Tourof the Basque Country, “Gibi” was still pack fodder at the Tour of Aragon, just three weeks before the Giro’s start. Simoni blamed rain andcold weather for his sluggish start, but that’s all part of his plan. Afterstorming to victory in the Giro last year, Simoni suffered an equally dramaticmeltdown in the Tour de France, despite his confident declarations thathe would derail Lance Armstrong. “This year we are

This story appears in the current issue of VeloNews MARIO CIPOLLINI AND ALESSANDRO PETACCHI are a study in contrasts. Cipollini is the flamboyant showman who brings kitschy glam to cycling,while Petacchi is the hardworking pupil, anxious to fulfill his potential.Super Mario is cycling’s extroverted showman, the man who showed up atthe start of a stage in the 1999 Tour de France dressed in a toga and waspulled around by his similarly clad teammates in a rigged-up chariot. “Veni,vidi, vici [I came, I saw, I conquered],” Cipollini boasted after scoringfour stage wins, then promptly abandoning

Alessandro Petacchi and Mario Cipollini aren’t the first to spar in the Giro d’Italia. The first great Giro rivalry was between Constante Giradengo, a Giro winner in 1919 and 1923, and Alfredo Binda, Italy’s first cycling superstar.

In Thursday night’s unseasonably chilly night air at Porto Antico, Genoa, 189 cyclists shivered through the official presentation of the 19-team lineup for the 87th Giro d’Italia. Waiting for their stage call, the Lampre team clipped in and out, bounced on their forks, and mused about this year’s Giro, observing that stages 3 and 7 would be key. Vladimir Miholievic (Alessio-Bianchi) agreed about stage 3, which finishes atop the Corno alle Scale in the Apennines. The final 3.2km of that 12km climb is on a 14-percent grade, and Miholievic noted, “It’s hard to have a big climb so early on,

Two riders have been excluded from the Giro d'Italia two days before Saturday's start in Genoa after failing pre-race blood tests. Colombian Uberlino Mesa Estepa (Colombia-Selle Italia) and Slovenian Jure Golcer (Formaggi Pinzolo) were found with blood values above the limits allowed in tests carried out by the Union Cycliste Internationale. The UCI said on Thursday the two riders had been suspended for 15 days and would have to undergo further blood tests before being allowed to race again. –Reuters French judge orders Rumsas arrestedA French judge has issued international arrest

Belgian rider Marc Streel (Landbouwkrediet) pulled a “DuDu” in Thursday’s 183km second stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk, holding off an epic solo breakaway typical of teammate Jackie Durand to grab the stage and take the overall lead. Streel opened up a 12-minute lead in the stage before the peloton woke out of its slumber, but it was too late. Streel nursed a 1:37 gap coming into the finish ahead of sprinting Jean Patrick Nazon (Ag2r), second for second consecutive day. U.S. Postal’s Max Van Heeswijk came through fourth while overnight race leader Jimmy Casper (Cofidis) drops to second at

Jimmy Casper gave his Cofidis team a welcomed boost in Steenvoorde, France, on Wednesday as he won the first stage of the Four Days to Dunkirk on the team’s very first day back to competition following a month's absence over a drugs scandal. Casper edged out Ag2r's Jean-Patrick Nazon in the 181km ride in northern Dunkirk which claimed a notable victim in the 2003 winner of the race as Christophe Moreau retired after being dropped by the peloton in wet and windy conditions. The dreadful weather also saw former Paris-Roubaix champion Servais Knaven and Jan Koerts of the Netherlands taken to

Dear Lennard,My right leg is half-an-inch shorter than my left. The difference appearsto come from a shorter right tibia. I get saddles sores on the right side.Should I shim or raise my right cleat? If so, how? I ride Look A-5 pedaland Sidi Titan blue cleats. Thanks for any input you might have.Rick Dear Rick,With a shorter tibia, a cleat shim of the same thickness as your leg-lengthdiscrepancy should work out pretty well. But it is not always so simpleas that. I get so many questions about leg-length discrepancies that inthe Bike Fit section in my new “Zinn’sCycling Primer,” I have devoted

Tyler Hamilton (Phonak), fresh off his final time trial and overallvictory at the Tour de Romandie (SWI 2.HC), says he’s “on target” for theTour de France.The victories were Hamilton’s first since winning a stage in last year’sTour. The 33-year-old New Englander successfully defended his overall titleand proved his new Phonak team is up to the task of supporting him in bigraces.“In the Basque Country tour, Bobby Julich just barely squeezed me intosecond place in a test of truth. Now I'm celebrating two big coups at once:the best time trial rider by far as well as a comfortable overall

LTHR testDear Joe and Dirk,I have read how you suggest testing for Lactate Threshold Heart Rate for either running or biking, but I have not yet have the chance to fit such a test into my training. I did recently run a half marathon, at a relatively even pace, with a fast last 2.1 miles. I can calculate a reasonably accurate average heart rate for the last 20 minutes of this race. Will this average be a good measure of my LTHR? Does it matter if the last three-fourths of a mile was fairly hilly (at least by southeastern Michigan standards)?C. Thomas LuddenBloomfield Hills, MichiganDear Mr.

Tim Johnson (Saunier Duval) said illness in March destroyed his chances of making the team selection for the Giro d’Italia (May 8-30). The 26-year-old American was hoping to earn a spot on the Saunier Duval line-up in his first season racing based in Europe, but he missed nearly a month of racing after becoming sick during a cold and wet introduction to Europe. “I was so sick, I missed a month and I just couldn’t race,” Johnson said during last week’s Vuelta a Castilla y León in northern Spain. “I’m feeling good now. I’m finally racing, getting in the action.” Johnson was among 24 riders

Scott Moninger (Health Net /Maxxis) and Amber Neben (T-Mobile) sealed their Tour of the Gila victories on Sunday after the race’s toughest stage, the Gila Monster Road Race. Moninger proved he was back to his old form after 106 miles, nearly 10,000 feet of climbing and relentless attacks from challengers, by winning the men’s event, while Neben kept close tabs on her nearest challengers - Christine Thorburn (Webcor Builders) and Brooke Ourada (Victory Brewing) – as teammate Kim Anderson went off to chase an early break, taking the final stage win for herself. Moninger seals the dealIt was

Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) erased any doubt he was the strongest man at 58th Tour de Romandie after cruising to a dominant victory in Sunday’s 20.4km individual time trial to sew up the overall title. Hamilton widened his 19-second lead to a 1-minute, 43-second victory over second place Fabian Jeker (Saunier Duval) to successfully defend his title in the demanding Swiss race on a course much more difficult than last year’s. The dominant win further confirms Hamilton’s status as one of the top contenders for the 2004 Tour de France, which the 33-year-old said is already on his mind. “I came

The teams of overall race leaders Amber Neben and Scott Moninger showed their depth Saturday as former Olympic silver medalist and world time trial champion Mari Holden (T-Mobile) and Healthnet/Maxxis strongman Mike Sayers dominated the finishes of the Silver City Downtown Criterium to win stage 4 of the Tour of the Gila. Held on a 1.08-mile course that included an elevation change of 110 feet per lap, Sayers went off the front with five laps to go, followed only by Arizona-based regional pro Jacob Rubelt (Landis Trek/VW), and kicked the final sprint to put a stamp on the men’s race.

Alejandro Valverde (CV-Kelme) just can't help himself. The 23-year-old Spanish sensation sped to his third victory of the week in Sunday's fifth stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon (SPA 2.3) in northern Spain, pipping Martin Perdiguero (Saunier Duval) in a bunch sprint. Angel Edo (Milaneza) came through to take third in the 155km stage from Ponferrada to Villafranca del Bierzo. Koldo Gil (Liberty Seguros) finished safely in the main bunch to conserve his grip on the overall leader's jersey and deliver his team's first stage-race victory of the season. Illes Balears, which won the team time

Scott Moninger (Health Net-Maxxis) won his second straight stage in the Tour of the Gila Friday, taking a bunch sprint by five bike lengths. Teammates Mike Sayers and Mike Jones took second and third. The win adds precious bonus time to Moninger’s GC lead over Drew Miller (Landis-Trek-VW), who finished safely in the field but 13 seconds down. Christine Thorburn (Webcor Builders) was awarded first place in the women’s race after Lynn Gaggioli (T-Mobile) – who was working to protect teammate Amber Neben’s GC lead by taking away any possible sprint time bonuses – was called by officials for

Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) withstood a double-barreled attack in Saturday’s short but challenging three-climb 127km fourth stage to ease into the overall lead of the 58th Tour de Romandie with Sunday’s decisive time trial on tap. Saunier Duval sent Fabian Jeker and Leonardo Piepoli on the march on the day’s third Category 1 climb at Crans Montana high in the Swiss Alps. Hamilton found a new faithful ally in Slovenian national champion Tadej Valjavec, who helped his captain mark the pair’s every move. Former mountain biker Dario Cioni (Fassa Bortolo) bridged out from a chase group in the 27km

Alejandro Valverde (CV-Kelme) is the quintessential todo terreno, capable of victories in any conditions. Just a day after winning a sprint, Valverde took yet another win, this time up a twisting steep mountain road in the barren mountains of northern Spain. The 23-year-old fought to his ninth victory of the season, enduring snow and fog up the steep climb to the Category 1 Alto de Morredero in the 133km fourth stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y León (SPA 2.3). Koldo Gil (Liberty Seguros) finished three seconds back, but slipped into the overall lead after overnight leader David Navas (Illes

Racers woke up in Leon to find snow falling before Saturday's two-climb fourth stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon. A little snow isn't the sort of thing to stop Europe's tough pros, even though a few were half-wishing that the stage would be canceled. Alejandro Valverde (CV-Kelme) was probably not among them, however – he won the 133.4km stage ahead of Koldo Gil (Liberty Seguros).VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood made the rounds before the start to snap a few pictures.

Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme has been through the wringer the past few weeks. First, the team has endured the indignity of fired racer Jesus Manzano's charges of organized doping practices within the team, in a paid interview in one of Spain’s largest sports dailies. Then the team was banned from the Tour de France, followed by the Giro d’Italia, which delivered the same bad news just yesterday. On the heels of all this, new title sponsor Comunidad Valenciana announced it is having second thoughts about spending 1.8 million euros to underwrite a team that only races in Spain. But Alejandro

Tom Danielson is racing in this week’s Tour de Romandie in Switzerland, his third major stage race in Europe since penning a two-year deal with the Italian team Fassa Bortolo. The 26-year-old Coloradan is quickly learning the ropes of European-style racing. His first race with Fassa Bortolo was GP Costa delgi Etruschi, an early season jaunt along the Italian coast. Hassles with his working papers prompted a quick trip back to Colorado in March before his first ‘real’ race at Setmana Catalana, a tough UCI-rated 2.1 race in northern Spain. Illness promoted Danielson to pull out of the even

Scott Moninger (Health Net-Maxxis) won the 92-mile Silver City to Mogollon stage of the Tour of the Gila Thursday, leading a strung-out peloton up the final 5.5-mile Category 1 finshing climb and finishing 20 seconds ahead defending winner Drew Miller (Landis-Trek-VW). With his effort, Moninger overtook time-trial winner Ryan Blickem (Aida's Bail Bonds) for the lead on the general classification. And although Blickem’s full-minute advantage after yesterday’s time trial was enough to keep him in the GC hunt after finishing 2:24 down on Thursday, it looks like the Tour of the Gila will live

The French Cofidis team on Friday announced an end to its self-imposed three-week exile from competition, saying its riders would return to racing in Wednesday's start of the Four Days of Dunkirk.. Cofidis' decision to suspend racing, prompted in part by a sacked rider's stinging doping revelations, cost world champion David Millar the chance to make his international track debut at the World Cup in Manchester. It also kept the team from taking part in the recent series of World Cup classics. "This exceptional break allowed the sponsor time to reflect on the team's future and its investment

Tyler Hamilton’s Phonak team led the way in Friday’s “queen stage” of the 58th Tour de Romandie, delivering Alexandre Moos to the stage victory and the race leader’s jersey while positioning Hamilton perfectly for overall victory. It might have looked easy, but Team CSC and Saunier Duval made the home team sweat in the decisive two-climb 145km stage from Romont to Morgins high in the Swiss Alps along the Swiss-French border. Team CSC put four riders into the final group of about 20 riders hitting the final Category 1 summit finish to Morgins while Saunier Duval’s Leonardo Piepoli was doing

The knives were out in what was expected to be an innocuous second stage of the 58th Tour de Romandie in Switzerland on Thursday With some serious mountain stages on the menu Friday and Saturday, Thursday’s 156km circuit stage into Romont served up a nice appetizer for what awaits this weekend. Stefano Garzelli (Vini Caldirola) confirmed he’s on rising form just in time for the Giro d’Italia with an impressive stage-win on the rising finish near the historic chateau at Romont. A winner two weeks ago at the Tour of Aragon in Spain, Garzelli led home a group of 27 riders fractured by Phonak’s

We’re still settling down from the madness that was this year’s Sea Otter. While you can read the blow-by-blow race coverage in VeloNews No. 8, I thought I’d follow up on one of the more interesting tech stories fluttering about the Laguna Seca raceway: The return of Scott U.S.A to the United States market. You may or may not remember when Scott – which began life as a ski pole manufacturer – became involved in cycling. The company started producing aero' handlebars based on Boone Lennon's design way back in 1986. Of course, the brand really hit the big time when Greg LeMond used a Scott

Race officials revealed the 2005 Tour de France will start with a 19kmindividual time trial with the Vendée region of western France hostingthe “grand depart.”The time trial and two road stages will be featured for the openingof the 92nd edition July 2-4, 2005, which will then push east toward Choletinto central France, Societe du Tour de France officials revealed Thursday.Challans will be the site of the “Grand depart,” but the first stagewill be a 19km ITT from nearby Fromentine to Noirmoutier en l’Ile. Becauseof its length, it will be called stage one rather than a prologue, raceofficials

The 18th annual 2004 National Geographic Adventure Tour of the Gila got underway Wednesday in Silver City, New Mexico, opening with the Tyrone Time Trial, a hilly 16-mile out-and-back course. Ryan Blickem (Aida’s Bail Bonds) of Albuquerque, New Mexico took the men’s event in 36:01, a full minute ahead of second place and former Gila winner Scott Moninger (Healthnet/Maxxis). In the women’s time trial, Amber Neben (T-Mobile), posted a time 18 seconds faster than her teammate Mari Holden, a former world champion time trialist and fresh of a three-day, four-stage training stint in the pro men’s

Dear Monique,I have heard a lot about the glycemic index. There seems to be no low glycemic index sports drink on the market. I know that Gatorade is high glycemic, and that fructose is low glycemic. Wouldn’t a fructose only sports drink be better (provided it had the right balance of electrolytes)? It would be low glycemic and work for diabetics, and not raise insulin or blood sugar levels like sucrose. Wouldn’t this be a better alternative than a high glycemic product? I have heard some negatives things about fructose in relation to tolerance. Also, how important is the 4- to 8-percent

Veteran sprinter Jan Svorada (Lampre) proved he still has it in the sprint, taking victory Wednesday in the opening road stage of the 58th Tour de Romandie against a field of young guns nipping at his heels. The 35-year-old Czech sprinter has racked up 70 wins since turning pro in 1991, including stage victories in all three grand tours. He won his second race as a pro at Romandie in 1992, but seemed happier in 2004. “I’ve arrived here in good condition and I really wanted to win a stage,” said Svorada, who barely held off a late-charge by Marco Zanotti (Vini Caldirola). “The team worked

The peloton ripped apart over a Category 2 climb midway through the opening stage of the five-day Vuelta a Castilla y León in northern Spain. Strong winds finished off the job as José Ivan Gutierrez (Illes Balears) drove home a seven-man group. Pre-race favorites Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme missed the move, which Liberty Seguros had leader Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano safely tucked into the seven-rider group that came through 29 seconds ahead of the chasing Alejandro Valverde (Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme). Joining Gutierrez in the lead break were Galdeano, teammate David Navas, Gorka Beloki (La

Dear Lennard,Aargh -- so much about getting UST tires on the rim (seelastweek's Technical Q&A), now what about some help with getting themoff!?!? I mounted my tires pretty easily, but I just bought some Stan's andneed to yank them off again to install the Stan's. And I can't for thelife of me get them off. Any help?Philip Dear Philip,The first thing you need to do is to deflate it completely. Starting opposite the valve, push one bead inward with your thumb sothat it drops into the rim valley all of the way around. That reduces thecircumference it encompasses when you push it over the

Over the last week I have been in Belgium, at a hotel just outside of Liège. This was our base for the Ardennes classics of the spring: Amstel, Fleche and Liège. The hotel here is a bit of a bike zoo at the moment with several teams of riders cooped up in rooms, bikes and trucks filling the parking lot and fans flowing in and out of the lobby looking for a photo with their hero or a free hat or water-bottle. This week marks the transition in the season from the flatter cobbled races to the hillier races. Some of the riders from Roubaix will push through until Amstel but few will go all the

Brad McGee – winner of the 2003 Tour de France opening prologue – sliced his way through a short, technical course in Geneva to win Tuesday’s opening prologue of the 58th Tour of Romandie. Fueled by his recent success on the track, McGee put his excellent time trial skills to good use on the narrow 3.4km course to claim the victory three seconds faster than Olaf Pollack (Gerolsteiner). Defending champion Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) didn’t take any unnecessary risks and finished fifth at eight seconds back. Hamilton’s Phonak team, motivated to win the race on home soil, put three riders into

Dario Frigo, plagued by a viral infection since Paris-Nice, won’t start next month’s Giro d’Italia. Instead, Fassa Bortolo has tapped the in-form Frank Vandenbroucke to take his place as team captain. Frigo became sick during Paris-Nice and has been unable to effectively train since then. Frigo -- kicked out of the 2001 Giro by his team after being found with banned substances during the San Remo raids -- scored victories last year at Paris-Nice and won a Giro stage, but has yet to win this year. Vandenbroucke, meanwhile, has been riding strong throughout the spring despite not scoring a

Final Overall Standings 1. Lance Armstrong (USA) U.S. Postal Service, at 1066.4km in 25:39:20 (41.566kph) 2. Jens Voigt (G) CSC, at 0:24 3. Chris Horner (USA) Webcor, at 1:01 4. Bobby Julich (USA) CSC, at 1:57 5. Viatcheslav Ekimov (Rus) U.S. Postal Service, at 2:59 6. Cesar Grajales Calle (Col) Jittery Joe's Coffee, at 3:07 7. Scott Moninger (USA) Health Net/Maxxis, at 3:44 8. Sergio Marinangeli (I) Domina Vacanze, at 4:06 9. Brian Vandborg (Dk) CSC, at 4:52 10. Eric Wohlberg (CAN) Sierra Nevada, at 5:25 Full Results

PHONAK HEARING SYSTEMS1. Tyler Hamilton (USA)2. Niki Aebersold (Swi)3. Oscar Camenzind (Swi)4. Martin Elmiger (Swi)5. Bert Grabsch (G)6. Gutierrez José Enrique (Sp)7. Oscar Pereiro Sio (Sp)8. Gregory Rast (Swi)T-MOBILE TEAM11. Steffen Wesemann (G)12. Mario Aerts (B)13. Giuseppe Guerini (I)14. Matthias Kessler (G)15. Klöden Andréas (G)16. Daniele Nardello (I)17. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz)18. Erik Zabel (G)LOTTO - DOMO21. Peter Van Petegem (B)22. Serge Baguet (B)23. Christophe Brandt (B)24. Thierry Marichal (B)25. Axel Merckx (B)27. Rik Verbrugghe (B)28. Piotr Wadecki (Pol)29. Glenn D'Hollander

Tyler Hamilton said Sunday that he is focusing all of his efforts on a strong showing at this year’s Tour de France, perhaps joining his former boss and teammate on the podium. The 33-year-old from Massachusetts, who left U.S. Postal just over two years ago having helped Lance Armstrong win the first three of five yellow jerseys, failed to repeat his success from last year when he won the Liège-Bastogne- Liège World Cup classic for the Danish CSC team. Hamilton on Sunday finished ninth on the season's fifth World Cup race, finishing 12 seconds behind winner Davide Rebellin who claimed his

There was plenty of racing in Europe beyond the Ardennes. Here’s a round-up of all of Sunday’s other action: Cunego takes another winRising Italian star Damiano Cunego (Saeco) took another big victory Sunday in the 65th Giro dello Appennino (ITA 1.2), an important one-day race coming just days following his breakthrough victory at the Giro di Trentino earlier this week. 65th Giro dello Appennino (ITA 1.2)1. Damiano Cunego (I), Saeco 5h13:372. Giuliano Figueras (I), Ceramiche Panaria3. Rinaldo Nocentini (I), Acqua & Sapone4. Luis Jimenez (Col), Formaggi Pinzolo5. Gilberto Simoni (I),

Davide Frattini (Team Monex) and Lynn Gaggioli (T-Mobile) wrapped up the overall titles at La Vuelta de Bisbee Sunday morning despite both final stages being won by gutsy solo breakaways. Burke Swindlehurst (Navigators) found a reserve of strength after having to contend for his top-three spot without team support and powered the infamous Tombstone Canyon climb for his solo win. In an almost 50-mile breakaway, two-year cycling veteran Michelle Beltran (Red 5 Racing), stormed up the final climb minutes ahead of the field to claim her stage win. The day opened with GC leaders holding known,

There’s now little doubt that Gerolsteiner’s Italian wonder man Davide Rebellin is the man of the week, the man of the month, maybe even the man of the year. That seven-year gap between World Cup victories after the two he scored in August 1997 was more like a blockage than a drought. Suddenly, last Sunday in the Netherlands, the dam broke and in eight days Rebellin has simply swept away his opposition in a torrent of victories: Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Gord Fraser of Health Net-Maxxis took the final stage of the Dodge Tour de Georgia Sunday, beating out Juan Jose Haedo (Colavita Olive Oil) and 2002 world champion Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) in a high-speed 65kph dash to the line. There were no significant changes to the general classification, sealing the final overall victory for U.S. Postal-Berry Floor's Lance Armstrong.

Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) said he’s feeling strong and will be motivated to defend his title in Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège race in Belgium. Since joining Phonak, the popular New Englander has been quietly building his form for July’s Tour de France. He narrowly missed victory in the final time trial at the Tour of the Basque Country in early April and worked himself into an early attack in Wednesday’s Flèche Wallone. “You maybe didn't see it on Wednesday, but I consider myself to be in good shape, maybe slightly below that of a year ago but not by much,” Hamilton told Belgian newspaper La

The sunshine that enveloped the green hills of the Ardennes Saturday evening augers well for the Italians who have arrived in force for Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Not only do they have the highest number of starters (44) and teams (six) for this World Cup race, but they have also delivered the race winner four times in the past seven years. Last year, of course, Tyler Hamilton broke their stranglehold with a brilliant solo victory ahead of two other non-Italians, Spaniard Iban Mayo of Euskaltel-Euskadi and Dutchman Michael Boogerd of Rabobank. Both Hamilton (race No. 1) and Boogerd (No.

Colombian climber Cesar Grajales of the Athens-based Jittery Joe’s team won one for the homeboys on Saturday, and our man Casey Gibson was on the scene as Grajales, race leader Lance Armstrong (U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor), second-placed Jens Voigt (CSC) and defending champion Chris Horner (Webcor Builders) fought for every steep yard along the climb to the highest point in Georgia. Check out Casey's photo gallery from stage 6:

Kate Sherwin (Team Kenda Tire) and Scott Blanchard (Eclipse Racing) won the first of two stages on Saturday during the 26th annual La Vuelta de Bisbee in Arizona. The morning’s stage also shook up the overall, with Lynn Gaggioli (T-Mobile) and Davide Frattini (Team Monex) taking over the lead on GC. Come the afternoon’s 8.3-mile Warren Time Trial, Gaggioli padded her overall lead by winning the stage, while Frattini surrendered a bit of time to defending LVDB champion Drew Miller (Landis-Trek-VW), who took the men’s win. The Sulphur Springs Road Race course rolled out of the old mining town

Colombian climber Cesar Grajales of the Athens, Georgia-based Jittery Joe’s team took the biggest victory of his career Saturday at the Dodge Tour de Georgia, escaping from a select group to solo away atop the hors categorie Brasstown Bald Mountain ascent.

Reigning world road champion Igor Astarloa has been released by the embattled Cofidis team because he wanted to compete in two one-day classics next week and the team has abandoned competition while conducting an investigation into allegations of organized doping by several former and current riders. "Igor Astarloa is now free to sign for another team," said Cofidis in a statement on Friday. The 28-year-old Spaniard, who had joined the team in January and was under contract until 2006, will now join the Italian team Lampre. Another of the team's reigning champions, Britain's David Millar,

The day after Lance Armstrong scored a rare double victory in a single day at the Dodge Tour de Georgia, the U.S. Postal Service announced that it will cease sponsoring the five-time Tour de France winner and his team at the end of the 2004 season. The postal service, which has sponsored the team for eight years in an effort to increase business overseas, has decided to go “in another direction” with its advertising, spokesman Gerry McKiernan told The Associated Press. The agency has been criticized for spending money on the sponsorship, particularly in light of three postal-rate increases

Our man Casey Gibson was on the job in Georgia today for what he called a "great, great stage." And as usual, he caught both stars and watercarriers in the performance of their duties. Here's a look at his stage-5 portfolio.

Burke Swindlehurst (Navigators) and Brooke Ourada (Victory Brewing) were fastest out of the gate on Friday as the 26th La Vuelta de Bisbee got under way in southern Arizona. The four-stage NRC event kicked off with the Mule Pass Individual Time Trial, a 2.8-mile grinder with 837 feet of elevation gain that wound through the center street in this small desert town and up the switchbacks of Tombstone Canyon. A head wind blasted the opening mile and a half, enhancing the difficulty of the climb. Swindlehurst covered the course in 10:01, just three seconds faster than Jacob Erker (Team

Jason McCartney shot out of a six-man breakaway with more than 32km remaining to win the epic 137.5-mile fifth stage of the Dodge Tour de Georgia on Friday. The Health Net-Maxxis rider made his move on the fourth of five classified climbs as the break's lead over a U.S. Postal-driven chase began to dwindle, from six minutes to four.

My T-Mobile teammates traveled home to America 10 days ago after a month of racing in Europe. They passed up on racing Flèche Wallonne in favor of a little rest, relaxation and build-up for the next set of races on the schedule. I was eager to race at Flèche, though I’d be without teammates – I had never competed in this classic race before and knew it would be a course that I would like. I got the opportunity to race with a mixed team, Basis–T-Mobile, a truly international squad with riders from Canada, the United States, Israel and France. They live in the Aude region of France between

The first major reform of professional cycling became a reality here Thursday when the sport's ruling body announced dates for the all-new Pro Tour circuit. As of next year 28 of Europe's most popular races - from the one-day Paris-Roubaix classic to the three-week Tour de France - will become part of a circuit that aims to solidify competition by obliging all major teams, licensed by the Union Cycliste Internationale, to take part. "Our aim is to begin a more realistic project," said Alain Rumpf, the president of the Professional Cycling Council who announced the news here ahead of

Drew Miller (Landis-Trek-VW) will be on hand to defend his title at the 26th La Vuelta de Bisbee this weekend, beginning with Friday’s Mule Pass Individual Time Trial. The 36-year-old Flagstaff racer says both he and his team are somewhat weaker than they’d like to be going into the four-stage National Race Calendar event – Miller is recovering from a bout of flu, while teammate Scott Price had a nasty crash at the Redlands Bicycle Classic. “My form and fitness were good earlier this spring,” Miller said. “Redlands started well, but I ended it with the flu. I've taken a couple steps back

On the same day that Jan Ullrich announced that he had opted out of Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège World Cup, Dodge Tour de Georgia crowd favorite Lance Armstrong fired a warning shot to his Tour de France rival when he won the stage 3 field sprint into Rome, finishing ahead of Ivan Dominguez (Colavita Olive Oil) and Ben Brooks (Jelly Belly).

It really hasn’t been all that long since an elite cyclist won two UCI-sanctioned races on the same day: seven weeks, to be precise. The rider was CSC’s Jens Voigt, and the event was the two-day, three stage French Critérium International. Voigt took the overall on March 28 by winning the 98.5km morning climbing stage in a three-up sprint, and followed up with a win in the final 8.3km time trial, besting U.S. Postal-Berry Floor’s Lance Armstrong by four seconds on the stage and 14 seconds overall.

Spanish climber Juan Miguel Mercardo (Quick Step) went on the attack in the third stage of the Giro di Trentino and was rewarded with a stage victory for his efforts. Mercado attacked the lead group at the Passo Uldarico climb and held on to win, 25 seconds ahead of Giuseppe Muraglia (Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave). The new father quickly dedicated the victory to his daughter. “It is a great satisfaction to have won today. During the last climb I made another attack and I arrived at the finish line alone,” Mercado said. “I want to dedicate this victory to my daughter, Aiñoa, who was born three

Only three of the one-day European classics have summit finishes: the Amstel Gold Race, the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. After winning the first two of these races in the past four days, Italy’s Davide Rebellin is uncannily confident that he can win the third of these hilly events this coming Sunday.

When Italian superstar “Super Mario” Cipollini failed to contest the opening sprint stage of the Dodge Tour de Georgia on Monday, the sport’s cognoscenti immediately questioned what might be amiss with 2002 world champion. Was it the criterium-style finishing circuits that slowed down his Domina Vacanze lead-out train? Was he out of sorts in the near 90-degree heat? Perhaps he had simply arrived in the U.S. out of shape, or maybe, some supposed, the realities of age had finally caught up with the 37-year-old sprinter.

Like an annual rite of spring, the Sea Otter is not only the first major outing of both domestic and international-caliber mountain and road teams, but it’s also one of the best opportunities to see next year’s product now. Here’s a quick look at an assortment of mountain bike related goodies spotted while we roamed the pits. Photo #1 The most significant question of the day for the pro racers competing in the super XC was tire selection. Choices ranged from traditional size 26x2.0 knobby and semi-slick tires to 700x32c cyclo-cross tires. On of the race’s favorites, Trek/VW’s Sue Haywood

The reigning French national women’s champion Sonia Huguet scored her first international victory at Wednesday’s Flèche Wallonne, but it was the fight for the 2004 UCI World Cup that held center stage at the hilly 97.5km event. And that brought added success to Australia’s Oenone Wood, who extended her overall lead by 20 points on Russia’s Zulfia Zabirova. So after five of the year’s nine World Cup races, Wood has 202 points to Zabirova’s 154, while Mirjam Melchers of the Netherlands remained in third with 115 despite finishing outside the points Wednesday. After Wood, 23, crossed the line

Just in case anyone thought Tuesday's victory was a fluke, Italian Damiano Cunego (Saeco) won Wednesday's demanding five-climb second stage to secure his hold on the leader's jersey in the Giro di Trentino. Cunego, the 1999 junior world champion, shot off alone to win the 171km second stage to win in 4 hours, 50 minutes, 23 seconds. The 22-year-old finished 34 seconds ahead of Saeco team captain and Trentino defending champion Gilberto Simoni. The four-stage Giro di Trentino continues Thursday with the 165km third stage from Roncone Breguzzo to Fiavè. Giro di Trentino (ITA 2.2), Stage 21.

Dear Lennard,The question is simple enough: What is the quickest/best way to change/fixa tubeless tire? While I love the ride characteristics and generally betterflat resistance of tubeless, fixing a flat--when it eventually does happen-orsimply swapping tires for another tread pattern is nothing short of anordeal. Skinned knuckles, broken tire levers (which you're not supposedto use anyway) and at least a half-hour's worth mano-a-rubber WWF styleaction seem to be the minimum commitment. On a recent ride, a friend who used a tubeless sealant nicked his sidewallon a sharp rock, adding a

Canadian veteran Gord Fraser (Health Net-Maxxis) took the opening stage of the 2004 Dodge Tour de Georgia Tuesday, beating sprint specialist Ivan Dominguez (Colavita Olive Oil) and last month’s Criterium International winner Jens Voigt (CSC) to the finish line in front of an enthusiastic downtown Macon crowd. Fraser’s lead-out man Greg Henderson finished fourth, with Landbouwkredit-Colnago’s Ukrainian sprinter Yuri Metlushenko in fifth.

Defending Dodge Tour de Georgia champion Chris Horner made a bold pre-race press conference statement Monday when he announced he would not be content with anything less than overall victory. “My form is very good,” said Horner, who is fresh off an overall win at the Sea Otter Classic to add to his stage race wins at Redlands, Pomona Valley and just about every other domestic stage race he has chosen over the past two years. “I’ve got the legs and I’m here to win. Anything less and I won’t be satisfied.” It’s not the first time Horner has predicted victory. Last September, on the eve of the

Former junior world champion Damiano Cunego (Saeco) delivered his first big victory as a pro in the opening stage of the four-day Giro di Trentino in northern Italy. The 22-year-old, who won the junior world title in 1999, attacked late in the 168km opening stage and held off Jure Golcer (Formaggi Pinzolo Fiave) to take the stage. Vaunted as one of the future grand tour hopes in Italy, Cunego is a keen climber eager to show his stuff in the next month’s Giro d’Italia. Two-time Giro champion Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) came to life under the Italian (not Tuscan) sun and finished sixth in the

Gilberto Simoni admitted he’s not on the same form as he was this time last year after stumbling through a lackluster string of performances in Spain. The defending Giro d’Italia champion said cold, rainy weather during the Tour of the Basque Country and the Tour of Aragon were not to his liking. He abandoned both races while arch-rival Stefano Garzelli (Vini Caldirola) took victory in Aragon on final-day time bonuses. "I know I’m not in the same form as I was last year and I know that Garzelli is definitely riding better than me at the moment,” Simoni said on the team’s web page. “However,

Pro racers from across the U.S. and Europe trickled in to the town of Macon,Georgia, over the weekend as organizers of the country’s richest stagerace, the Dodge Tour de Georgia, made final preparations to commence racingTuesday, April 20. In only its second year, the event received a huge boost with the Januaryannouncement that five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong wouldbring his U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor team to the event and use therace as preparation for a sixth consecutive Tour win. Shortly thereafter,2003 title-sponsor Dodge renewed its commitment for 2004, and a more

Joe and Dirk answer questions on rowing for cyclists and customizing a second peak

It had been seven years since Gerolsteiner’s Davide Rebellin had taken back-to-back World Cup victories at the Clasica San Sebastian and Championship of Zürich. And despite having won 30 races since then, he was desperate to regain the prestige that had been grabbed in recent years by his fellow Italians Paolo Bettini and Danilo Di Luca.

Alison Dunlap and Filip Meirhaeghe entered Sunday’s cross-country races with the same goal but entirely different strategies. Dunlap needed do little more than follow the wheels in front of her, knowing that as long as she stayed close her 1:03 lead in the overall standings was safe. Meirhaeghe, meanwhile, had some work to do. Trailing GC leader Seamus McGrath by 14 seconds, and with three other riders in front of him, the reigning world champion would need to go on the attack if he hoped to end up with the day’s biggest prize. In the end both plans worked, as Dunlap and Meirhaeghe left

Stefano Garzelli (Vini Caldirola) outfoxed – and outsprinted – Denis Menchov (Illes Balears) to snatch overall victory in the 49th Tour of Aragon in Spain. Garzelli finished third behind stage-winner Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) to earn a four-second time bonus to put him in a tie with Menchov, who held the lead since winning the opening stage Wednesday to the ski area at Valdelinares. Based on stage placements, however, Garzelli earned the tie-breaker and the overall title in an important victory as he prepares for next month’s Giro d’Italia. “The objective was to arrive in good

Reigning champion Alexandre Vinokourov leads a growing list of contenders for victory at Sunday's Amstel Gold Race, where the Dutch hosts will be hoping that Michael Boogerd's ship comes in. Along with compatriot and Rabobank teammate Erik Dekker, the 31-year-old Dutchman is the most popular rider in the country, but since his only win here in 1999 he has had to stop short of the top step on his other three visits to the podium. Dekker has also won the race, in 2001. Last year, “Boogie,” a stage winner on the 2002 Tour de France, had to shuffle with Lance Armstrong in the final kilometers

A day after losing a stage by inches in the Tour of Aragon, Spanish rider Oscar Laguna (Relax-Bodysol) got it right in Saturday’s 192km fourth stage from Huesca to La Muela. Laguna, who lost to compatriot Constantino Zaballa (Saunier Duval) in a photo-finish Friday into Sabiñanigo, nipped Colombian rider Ivan Parra (CV-Kelme) to take his team’s first win of the 2004 season. Laguna and Parra were the only survivors out of a seven-man break that split away early in Saturday’s relatively flat stage. The hard-working main bunch slowly picked off the break, but the two stayed away. Parra started

Chris Horner wasn’t shy when talking about his strategy for today’s 100-mile road race finale to the 2004 Sea Otter Stage Race: wait as long as possible to attack for the stage and overall win. Neither was he coy when discussing the reason for his simple plan: save his legs as much as possible for the Tour of Georgia, which starts on Tuesday. The beauty of Horner’s simple plan was that it actually worked, giving the 32-year-old Webcor rider the stage and overall victories in the three-stage event. With a few fruitless breaks punctuating the first three-quarters of the stage, and with the

With a stiff crosswind blowing across the Laguna Seca Raceway, the third event of the Sea Otter Classic mountain-bike stage race saw a former (Alison Dunlap) and current (Filip Meirhaeghe) world champion take short track wins on a cool Saturday afternoon. In the women’s race it was overall race leader Dunlap (Luna) breaking away from a lead group of four on the last lap, earning her second stage win in three days. Right on Dunlap’s wheel was Canadian Melanie McQuaid, who made the initial last-lap move that would eventually spring Dunlap to the win. “Melanie really split the field by