Road

A sampling of sights from the first days of the 2003 Tour de Langkawi.

The finish stretch for the second day of the 2003 Tour de Langkawi looked to be perfect for a clean, hard-fought sprint. The road was wide and the final straightaway long. But after what overall race leader Nathan O’Neill called “a bunch of guys racing like it was the last crusade,” two major crashes wreaked havoc on stage 2 Saturday in Malaysia. In the aftermath, Saturn’s Charles Dionne was one of at least a half dozen riders who ended up in the hospital, suffering from a severe laceration on his left thigh and several broken fingers according to a hospital official. Up front Mendonca

Italian Alberto Loddo (Lampre) won Friday's mass field sprint to take the opening stage of the Tour of Qatar, a 90km circuit in Doha. Under sunny skies, Loddo beat out Frenchman Damien Nazon (Brioches La Boulangere) and Italian Massimo Strazzer (Phonak) and claimed the race leader's gold jersey. Loddo counted heavily on his Lampre teammates to bring back the main breakaway duo of the day, consisting of Christophe Kern (Brioches La Boulangere) and Michael Blaudzun (CSC), whose lead reached a maximum of 1:25. In the overall standings, Loddo leads Strazzer by three seconds, and Nazon by

Following a year on the mainland, the Tour de Langkawi has returned to its traditional starting place, the island of Langkawi. The 10-day stage race commences Friday with a 9.5km time trial. Langkawi is one of 104 islands that sit 30km off Malaysia’s northwestern coast near the country’s border with Thailand. The area, strategically situated where the Indian Ocean narrows into the Straits of Melaka, was once a haven for pirates. Today Langkawi, which measures 478-square kilometers, is the only island in the chain with any real settlement. The interior is laden with high jungle-clad hills,

In his first race as a member of the American Saturn squad, Australian Nathan O’Neill showed his new employer what a good hire they’d made. O’Neill was the only rider to post a sub-12-minute time, winning the opening stage of the 2003 Tour de Langkawi on Langkawi Island in Malaysia Friday. O’Neill clocked an 11:53 around the rolling 9.5km time trial course, 23 seconds faster than second-place finisher Roland Green (Canadian National). Third place went to fellow Saturn rider Tom Danielson, with Canadian teammate Eric Wohlberg one place back in fourth. All told four Canadians placed in the top

Dear Monique;I am a competitive masters road cyclist and I am 40. I was wondering what you would consider an acceptable winter weight gain over my racing weight of 165 lb. Also, do you feel that the Tanita body composition scale is an acceptable means of monitoring changes in body composition?Thanks, BR Question 2

Dear Lennard Zinn;We've been looking around for a good road bike for my girlfriend andone thing we've noticed is that the Shimano STI shifters do not fit herparticularly well. She has relatively small hands and the levers are justtoo far away from the bar for her to comfortably brake. I believe thatShimano addressed this issue in the mountain bike brake set up, but dothey or anyone else address it in the road arena? --MikeDear Mike;There is no alternative, short brake lever from Campagnolo or Shimanowith an integrated shift lever like ErgoPower or STI in it. You can addressit with the

Ag2R's Mikel Astarloza relied on the sprinting prowess of his teammate Jaan Kirsipuu to hold off a final stage challenge from Stuart O'Grady, and a host of other Australians, hoping to keep the Spaniard from claiming the overall title at the Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under. Meanwhile, Ceramiche-Panaria powerhouse Graeme Brown should have had little reason to complain after surviving a week of frustration to finally win a stage in this year’s race.

Gianpaolo Caruso catapulted himself into a thrilling four-way battle for overall victory in the Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under by winning Saturday’s 147km fifth stage. Caruso, 22 and the 2001 Under 23 World Championship silver medalist, won the tough Wilunga circuit race in scorching 44C degree heat outsprinting a 10-man lead breakaway. In his second season with the Spanish ONCE team, Caruso beat Germany’s Stefan Weseman (Telekom) and Italian Paolo Lanfranchi (Panaria) for his first victory as a professional. He is now tied for third overall at 4 seconds behind new race leader, Spain’s

Fabio Sacchi says he is enjoying the scorching heat of South Australia that baked the Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under peloton with temperatures reaching 110 degrees Friday. But when asked about the heat Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen is putting upon his overall lead in the six-stage race that ends on Sunday, the Saeco leader becomes a bit wary. After the 144km fourth stage from Unley to Goolwa on Friday, Sacchi’s overall lead on McEwen dropped from 10 seconds to eight. Racing into a head wind, Australia’s Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com) won the leg in a sprint from Graeme Brown (Panaria), Stuart

With Robbie McEwen and Graeme Brown battling the final sprint in the third stage of the Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under on Thursday, surprisingly much of the day’s attention was turned to a war of words between race leader Fabio Sacchi (Saeco) and Aussie Stuart O’Grady. Sacchi blasted the Credit Agricole star for questioning the abilities of the visiting Italian team. Sacchi, who continued to hold the race leader’s jersey after the third stage from Glenelg to Hahndorf, was upset over comments made by O’Grady in his daily newspaper column. Published in the local Adelaide newspaper The

Dear Monique;Thanks for taking the time to write your column. I have a couple ofquestions for which I can not seem to find an answer.For rides less than 1 hour, I sometimes have a gel before the ride anddrink a bottle of Endurox during the ride, is this excessive?For rides longer than 1 hour (typically 1.5 to 2 hours) I have a gelbefore the ride, a gel an hour into the ride, and a bottle of Endurox anda bottle of water- is this excessive?I have been thinking that I am putting too much into my system- butI always feel pretty good. After the long rides, I will eat a normal breakfastor lunch. Am

Saeco’s Fabio Sacchi has learned one thing about racing in Australia: forget trusting anyone, even your mates. Sacchi took the race lead by winning yesterday's second stage through the Barossa Valley to Kapunda. The result continues the Milan rider's success in the event, which includes two spells in the yellow leader's jersey and a stage win from the 2001 and 2002 races. Asked what his past appearances in the race had taught him, he said he came away with just one clear lesson. “I learned not to trust anyone, including your friends,” Sacchi noted. By Sunday, when the 735km race ends in

All the efforts by Australian sprinter Graeme Brown to shed his label as a dirty sprinter were forgotten Tuesday when he was relegated from first place in stage one of the Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under. After crossing the line first in the 50km criterium in East End Adelaide, Brown, 23, was found guilty of not holding his line in the sprint and dangerous riding. The decision followed a 15-minute deliberation by race commisssaires following a protest by Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) who was third to finish. McEwen’s complaint was lodged to chief race commissaire John McDonnell of New Zealand

Dear Lennard Zinn;My question has to do with Campy Record 10-speed rear derailleur and cog compatibility. My current setup has 53x39 chainrings, a 12x25 cogset with a short (standard) cage rear derailleur, and I recently switched to a Wipperman 10-speed chain. For mountain riding, I would like to substitute a cogset with a larger inside cog - say, 26 to 29 teeth - rather than switching to a triple chainring setup. How high can I go before I have to use a medium or long cage derailleur? Also, for cost considerations, is there any problem using a Chorus 10-speed cogset if the rest of the

With the Holidays behind us it's officially Buyer's Guide season around here and we're working fast-and-furious to produce the most interesting guide you've ever flipped through. Whether you're in the market for a new bike or not, we've planned plenty of engaging copy to pique your interest in the latest product trends in bicycles, wheels, forks, stems, handlebars and a few other critical categories. But unlike any other bike-related Buyer's Guide that has been produced, ours isn't designed to denigrate your intelligence with features such as: "How to buy your

To the casual observer, road racing looks like an individual sport. Racers and educated spectators, however, know this is not the case at all. The sport is really like a complex chess game on wheels, in which attacks, blocks, and sacrifices are constant, right up to the finish line. This is most obvious when watching a top professional team, such as the U.S. Postal squad, during the Tour de France. However, by following some basic guidelines, even an amateur club team can employ team strategy and tactics for one-day road races and criteriums. KNOW YOUR ROLESIn laying out the team’s strategy

That sweet position on your road bike should be as comfortable as your favorite pair of slippers — and once you find it, you won’t want to give it up. But discovering the perfect position in the first place often requires many tiny adjustments in the height and reach of your handlebar to get it right. In the current issue of VeloNews, technical writer Lennard Zinn helps you work through the steps necessary to find that perfect position. As mentioned in the article, Alan Hills of Hills-Scientific.com in Boulder, Colorado, has shared a handy program he designed to choose the stems for his

Transplanted from California less than a year ago (there, it's official, everyone in Colorado can now hate me) the guys here at the office say the winter has been unusually mild. My early morning frozen water bottles and icy trails might disagree, but hey, at least we're out there and not relegated to the trainer (like I was told I would be before moving out here). Weather aside, the racing/product seasons are right around the corner and we're gearing-up for some pretty hectic travel schedules. For racing coverage, Jason's off to Malaysia, Charles is heading over 'cross

Dear Monique Ryan; Without doing a complete metabolic work-up on me, I know your answer will be based upon assumptions and estimates. For my activity level, weight, age, etc. I should consume 3000 calories a day simply to maintain my weight. I want to lose weight for the racing season, so I am cutting 500 calories per day, leaving me at 2500. If I go out and hammer on a group training ride, and burn 2000 calories, does that mean my caloric need for the day is 4,500 (the 2500 I usually eat, plus 2000 to replace those burned)? I know I can eat a bit more on heavy days, but I’m really trying

Dear readers;I get a lot of questions about cranks – crank lengths, non-standardcranks, compatibility, etc., so I thought I’d just combine a number ofthem here.  --LennardDear Lennard;I would like to read your comments or opinions on a product calledPowerCranks (see at Powercranks.com). I would like to buy a pair to improvemy technique. Thanks for your help. --HeltonDear Helton;PowerCranks are cranks with a clutch bearing at the bottom-bracketconnection in order to only engage the bottom bracket in the forward direction.You can only keep them turning if you pull up and around the entire

A question that I receive often through my "Tech Q&A" column on thissite is how one should remove a seatpost that is stuck in a frame. Ratherthan answer each one, I can simply reprint the section from Chapter 10of "Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance" that touches on thatvery subject.Removing a seatpost that has frustrated all normal methods of removingit is a difficult job requiring lots of attention and skill because ofthe risk involved. This may be a job best done by a shop, because if youmake a mistake you run the risk of destroying your frame. If you’re not100-percent confident

Dear Monique;I had a question about glucosamine. I am trying to determine if I can save a little money by taking a smaller daily dose. Currently I take 1500 mg each of glucosamine and chondroitin, as instructed on the label. Thank you.-- KGDear KG;Glucosamine and chondroitin are two dietary supplements offered as alternatives to standard medical treatment of osteoarthritis, which affects 12 to 15 percent of all adults in the U.S. Researchers estimate that 90 percent of people over the age of 40 exhibit some evidence of this condition in the weight bearing joints. Sixteen million individuals

Well, things are certainly back up-to-speed here at the magazine after the holidays. I hope you had a good one. You'll be glad to know that even though we're all a little teary-eyed over Jeremy "Showtime" McGrath's sudden retirement, we're still focused on getting another issue out the door. It's NORBA's 20th anniversary and in the spirit of celebrating, we're working on a pretty interesting feature piece highlighting the highs (and some lows) of the governing body of mountain biking.Personally, I'm working on a few techy pieces that highlight just how far technology has come in the past 20

Dear Lennard ZinnI'm 50 and have arthritis in my left hip. I've been riding a pretty laid-back road bike for years (A LeMond with a 72.5 seat angle, seat all the way back)I do Yoga regularly, and that has helped, but my hips ache when I ride. I’m wondering if sitting further back might be "working" my hips more. The second part is that I have another frame I could have built up, but it's radically different: 73.5 seat, 40.5 stays. The front end is almost the same as the LeMond. Both bikes are steel, the other frame is 753. I'm 6'2" and weigh240. Some people have said the shorter bike would

Dear Joe and Dirk:I have been reading some European studies on stationary trainers and how the inertia of the trainer affects the muscle fibers. The studies say thatlow inertia trainers cause the rider to use all fast twitch muscle fibers and high inertia trainers with large flywheels use slow twitch muscle fibersthe ones predominantly used in road racing and triathlon.I have spoken to some triathlon and cycling coaches and they all agreed. Do you guys have any information on this subject?Thank you,ChuckDear ChuckNeither of us has ever seen such research and tend to doubt that there is such a

Cyclists and triathletes are often advised to consider the glycemic index when consuming carbohydrates before, during, after exercise. Low glycemic foods are recommended before exercise, though research does not strongly support this recommendation.Moderate to high glycemic carbohydrate food and drinks are considered appropriate during endurance training, though cyclists and triathletes with diabetes may sometimes amend this recommendation to maintain optimal blood glucose levels. While these recommendations need to be verified with further investigation, the actual glycemic index of most

Dear Lennard Zinn; My right foot (third and fourth toes especially) goes to sleep after only a short time on the bike (10-15 minutes).  I've had the problem for quite a while, but just got new shoes (with plenty of toe room) and it's back - these shoes are stiffer than my others too.  If I stand or unclip for a few seconds it helps, but comes right back.  I use the same MTB shoes for road and MTB riding (recreational) - the problem is worse on the road.  What can I do to help?  --JeffAnswer: It sounds like perhaps you need custom orthotics. I have a similar problem, which in my case was

Dear Mr. Friel;As a serious, mostly self-coached junior racer I have a couple questionswith regards to planning my season. This past year was my first season racing(as well as my first experience cycling seriously at all) and I found shortlythat I had some amount of potential, winning the senior sport classes inlocal mountain bike races, and doing well in group rides. Encouraged by thismodest success, I began putting in substantial miles of training on the road.I ended up riding an average of 500 miles a week (25+hrs) for a little overthree months of the summer, all at very low intensity,

Intense training is a big calorie burner. In fact, many cyclists and triathletes, particularly those training for stage races and Ironman-distance events, work hard to fit in enough calories for optimal daily recovery. Yet despite their high energy output, it is not unusual for endurance athletes to experiment with weight-loss programs to determine their best race weight. Often, these intense efforts have demonstrated that becoming too lean diminishesstrength and power. Yet a middle-of-the-pack or even top competitor may stillbe tempted to shed a few pounds in order to enhance

Dear Lennard Zinn;Everyone knows you don't have to work as hard if you're drafting off the person in front of you. How does your work effort change if someone is drafting behind you?Here is why I ask: I always thought that if you were riding by yourself, then you had to work harder than if somebody was drafting behind you because as you move through the air, it flows past your bike and body and creates turbulence as it swirls around in the void of space behind you. This almost creates a suction behind you pulling you back against your forward progress (if my logic is correct).

One of the more frequent questions I get on my “Tech Q&A" column is why Campagnolo changed its 10-speed chain and eliminated the PermaLink and, therefore, the tool to install it, now requiring the purchase of a different chain tool. In late July, I visited Campagnolo in Vicenza, Italy, and I got the answer to this question directly from Mario Meggiolan, the engineer who designed the new chain tool as well as the carbon Hyperon wheel. Campagnolo first supplied the PermaLink with 10-speed chains because that was the best way it could see at the time to make such a narrow chain strong enough.

The U.S. distributor of Look Cycling products, Veltec Sports, has issued a voluntary recall of the French manufacturer’s “Carbostem” handlebar stems. According to a Veltec release issued Friday, there have been no accidents or injuries involving any of the stems, but Look has reported that the stems, constructed of carbon fiber and aluminum, are subject to failure as a result of fatigue. Obviously, if that were to occur, a rider could lose control and crash. Therefore, Veltec is overseeing a full recall of the small number of stems distributed in the U.S. Veltec’s vice president of

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selected questions each Wednesday in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.Readers are welcome to send questions directly to Ryan.HMB and bloatingDear Monique;Have you heard of HMB supplements causing bloating in women? I am 44, weigh 115 and am 5-foot-2. How much would you recommend I take, if at all? Thank you, I appreciate your time -- KDear K;HMB is short for

Watch your head, because the component war continues to wage at full-fury. First, with Shimano's intentional/accidental shot over the bow with its posterboy Armstrong showing up all big and beautiful in the latest Sports Illustrated sporting next-gen Dura-Ace. And now with Campagnolo granting VeloNews the first detailed images of its much-rumored electronic gruppo. Our visit to Campagnolo world headquarters in Vicenza, Italy last week (look for a full report in two weeks) certainly helped smooth-out the tight-lipped policy that Campagnolo has so far held about any official comment about

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a former U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers' technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com.Question:The question about the MTB carbon steerer tube and the recent column about carbon forks begs the question – what do you think about

With the racing off-season in full bloom, the past two weeks provided a short window of opportunity to sneak out of the office. But unlike a leisurely jaunt to ride the back roads of Tucson or a few days railing Fruita singletrack, we needed to get some work done (so said the boss). With a week's notice, I was told I needed to, "Pack my bags and grab as many notebooks as I could," because we were off to Italy for a manufacturer meet-and-greet. Part social call, part product fact-finding tour, this trip provided the opportunity to introduce myself to a good segment of the Italian manufacturers

If Dr. Irwin Goldstein’s warnings about cycling-caused impotency or those Specialized saddle ads of a few years ago weren’t enough, now we learn from our evening news and newspapers and news magazines that the pounding experienced on a mountain bike now poses risks to your manhood as well. So, what do we do? Of course, after the Goldstein scare we were offered a flood of bike saddles designed to cure the problem. Are we now going to have bike designers claiming their suspension systems will not only improve your comfort and bike handling, but will also enhance your personal life? But isn’t

After years of being the bridesmaid, Ann Grande (Kona-Kenwood) finally won her long sought-after national cyclo-cross championships on Sunday, overcoming the elements and a deep field at the nationals at the Domaine Chandon winery in Napa, California. An hour later, Jonathan Page (Richard Sachs), 26, put in a dominating race to score what could be the first of many elite national titles and ensure himself of a trip to Monopoli, Italy, as part of the U.S. team for the world championships.

The epic Pacific storm that camped out on the Northern California coast made a soupy mess out of the first day of the national cyclo-cross championships at the Domaine Chandon winery in Yountville, California, on Saturday, producing a sloppy, but compelling day of racing. The day was capped by the repeat win in the under-23 championship by Giant’s Adam Craig, who beat out Kona-Kenwood’s Barry Wicks and a surprising Ryan Trebon (Krystals) of North Carolina. Eight inches of rain fell on Domaine Chandon, just north of Napa, on Friday, forcing organizers to re-route the course around some of the

Since we started the Feed Zone Q&A, there have been several questions regarding the management of Type-2 diabetes as it relates to cycling. Nutrition advice to a person with diabetes must always be personalized based on that individual’s body composition, weight goals, medication regimen, and blood glucose control. Therefore, the answers to the questions below can only be interpreted as educational and not specific prescriptive advice. It may also be very beneficial for anyone with Type-2 diabetes to work with their own sports nutritionist/dietitian to determine their own optimal strategies

Joe Friel is author of the successful "Training Bible" series of books, a regular columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and the founder of www.ultrafit.com. Dirk Friel races professionally and coaches along with Joe at Ultrafit Associates.The Friels also offer answers to a selection of questions each Wednesday on VeloNews.com. Readers can send questions to Joe and Dirk Friel in care of VeloNews.com at WebLetters@7Dogs.com. (Be sure to include "Friel" in the subject line.) Dear Joe and Dirk Friel;I am 31 years old and from Copenhagen Denmark. I have been racing for two seasons

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a former U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers' technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com. Question:I have a question on the durability of the RockShox World Cup carbon steer tube. I am very comfortable on my MTB with a low front end but it is causing problems on steep descents. I am

A can of beer always helps to make problems seem less important, butsometimes, it can actually fix bike problems! Aluminum beveragecans are 0.1mm thick and are easy to cut with a knife or a pair of scissors,rendering them quite useful for making minor spacing adjustments on a bike. Slipping seatpostA seatpost that gradually slips downward as you ride can be causedby an ovalized seat tube, a sizing difference between the seatpost andseat tube or a tolerance buildup over a number of parts; the latter isparticularly rampant with suspension seatposts in oversized seat tubes.What can you do? A

The Verge Mid-Atlantic Championship Cyclo-Cross Series ended with a double race weekend that saw riders contending with 10 inches of snow on two totally different types of courses. With several series titles coming down to the wire, it became apparent that the best bike handlers were going to have the edge heading into the weekend. The combination of snow, mud and unseasonably cold weather changed two notoriously fast courses, Phelps School 'Cross and First State Velo Sport 'Cross, into treacherous, ice skating rinks. Conditions changed from hard-packed snow and ice to mud as each day went

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selected questions each Wednesday in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.Readers are welcome to send questions directly to Ryan. Question - Dear Monique- I usually ride early in the morning, a half-hour after I wake up. Weekdays are rarely more than 90 minutes, while weekend rides range from 2 to 5 hours. Obviously I cannot schedule a meal 2 hours before I train. Usually I gulp down

Joe Friel is author of the successful "Training Bible" series of books, a regular columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and the founder of www.ultrafit.com. Dirk Friel races professionally and coaches along with Joe at Ultrafit Associates.The Friels also offer answers to a selection of questions each Wednesday on VeloNews.com. Readers can send questions to Joe and Dirk Friel in care of VeloNews.com at WebLetters@7Dogs.com. (Be sure to include "Friel" in the subject line.)Dear Joe and Dirk;I love your column. I am not a racer, just a guy who commutes to work every day and rides

With valuable UCI points on offer and only two weeks remaining before the U.S. national cyclo-cross championships, one of the strongest fields of the year lined up at the inaugural UCI Category 3 Saturn Stumptown ’Cross Classic in Portland on December 1. Mongoose-Hyundai’s Marc Gullickson and Clif Bar’s Gina Hall showed their form is on target to make them favorites in two week’s time in Napa, and they each took advantage of solid teamwork to earn the victories. The Saturn Stumptown ’Cross Classic utilized an exciting new Euro-style course at the Jackson Middle School in southwest Portland.

Unless you’re from Southern California, Florida or some similar sun-drenchedlocale, winter can turn your local trail into an inhospitable place forriding. But if you find the hum of indoor rollers an even less invitingoption than standing up to Old Man Winter, you’re in luck. The key, ofcourse, is staying warm and dry, and modern clothing technology has createdsome formidable barriers to the cold and wet of winter. Keeping your core warm is critical to survival, and maintaining toastyextremities will keep frostbite away. Thanks to advances in winter shoedesign, frozen feet are less likely

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, aformer U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes andbike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers'technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riderscan use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com.Carbon road forks:I get so many questions about carbon forks that I have decided to focus this column entirely on questions related to

Cold, blustery wind met the riders for the Stedman Co. Grand Prix ofCyclo-Cross, round five of the Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series. Race promoters used every inch of the South Kingstown, RI venue to create a course some felt was the best yet in the 2002 Verge Series. The excitement of the racing certainly was at a high level, as Johannes Huseby of Independent Fabrication emerged from a strong group of six to take the win by mere inches over British U23 Champion Sean Snodden (Je James). Many considered Huseby's 2001 Verge Series victory at this same venue to be a breakthrough

The Mongoose-Hyundai duo of Marc Gullickson and Todd Wells brought their show to the Northwest over the weekend and walked away with another victory at the REI Metro Cup UCI cyclo-cross race in Tacoma, Washington, on Saturday. Gullickson and Wells went one-two against a full line-up of West Coast cyclo-cross stars, including Jackson Stewart (Clif Bar), Jonny Sundt (K2), Justin Robinson (Spokesman-Bullion Stil), Dale Knapp (Kona-Kenwood) and Andy (Clif Bar) and Ben Jacques-Maynes (Spokesman-Bullion Stil). The field also featured 2000 national champion Tim Johnson (Saturn) and Trek-VW’s Travis

The gods have been with the organizers of the Giro d’Italia for the past six years, which have produced six winners from the home nation. That trend could well continue in 2003 because it’s unlikely that Italy’s favorite three riders, Gilberto Simoni (the 2001 winner), Stefano Garzelli (winner in 2000) and Francesco Casagrande (second in 2000) will vaporize as they did in 2002. You will remember that Garzelli won two stages and led the race commandingly this year before being expelled for an inopportune, and still unexplained, positive drug test involving Probenecid –- the easily detected

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlonmagazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting companybased in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selected questions eachWednesday in her regular on-line question-and-answer column. Readers are welcome to send questions directly to Ryan.Holiday challengesDear Monique;I plan to stay on track with my training for the upcoming race season. However, I would like to enjoy the upcoming holiday season without overindulging or, on the other hand, coming across like a food Nazi at parties. Do you have

What has 10 arms and is azure blue, brimstone red and safety yellow? Yeah, I don't know either, but I do know we're up to our collars in winter riding jackets around here. Thanks to a nasty little winter squall that raced into town this weekend, Lennard and I have been riding our brains out in the frosty coldness that is late November. Here in Boulder, Sunday cracked a high of just about freezing, which is ideal conditions for the jackets we've rounded-up for this particular test. From relatively affordable, to downright ludicrous in price, it's interesting to see what an extra $100 (or

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, aformer U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes andbike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers'technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riderscan use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com.Question:I've been thinking about putting a 650mm wheel on the front of my bike.Will it help with acceleration as well as by dropping the front

The Mongoose streak continued this weekend as Todd Wells and Marc Gullickson took top spots in U.S.’s two top UCI-sanctioned cyclo-cross series at opposite ends of the country over the weekend. Wells scored a win at the second round of the Redline Cup o’ Cross at Utah’s Soldier Hollow, site of the 2002 Winter Olympic Nordic skiing events, Saturday. Wells topped an elite field that included his teammate Gullickson, who promptly hopped a flight, flew to the east Coast and took on Sunday’s fourth round of New England's Verge series in Connecticut. Soldier Hollow victorySaturday’s race in Utah

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a formerU.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bikemaintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers'technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riderscan use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can sendbrief technical questions directly toZinn. Zinn’s column appears regularly on VeloNews.com.Question:It would seem like the ultimate night riding light would be an L.E.D.light for light weight and efficiency. Has there been anyone working

Ever wonder how manufacturers choose the colors and graphics for their upcoming products? While some take a decidedly low-key approach ("My girlfriend's eyes are azure blue, so let's go with that"), others are meticulous in their selection process. When GT was still GT, the company was rumored to have spent almost a quarter million dollars researching the "perfect" looks for its 2001 product line. Part of that process including using involved focus groups and scientific analysis in which participants were hooked-up to diagnostic equipment to monitor specific emotions as subjects were

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a former U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers' technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn’s column appears regularly on VeloNews.com.Question -- Recently you wrote about a chain lube thatvirtually stopped chain wear. I can't remember the name of the lube.--Dave Answer --

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews andInsideTriathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, aconsulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selectedquestions each week in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.Readers are welcome to send questions to Ryan.To dilute or not to diluteDear Monique;When I train I use electrolyte drinks, like Gatorade. Because theyare too sweet for my taste and too tough for my stomach, I dilute them.But I read that these drinks should be used only in a special concentrationand not be diluted,

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews andInside Triathlon magazines and is founder of Personal NutritionDesigns, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will tryto answer selected questions each week in her regular on-line question-and-answercolumn.Readers are welcome to send questions to Ryan.Dear Web Readers;Thank you for your response to the nutrition Web Q and A. The responsehas been very high, and I am sorry if I am not able to get to everyone’squestions. Two topics that have come up very frequently are the issue ofmuscle cramping and weight loss. Instead of

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a formerU.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bikemaintenance. This is Zinn's VeloNews.com column devoted to addressing readers'technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riderscan use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can sendbrief technical questions directly toZinn. Zinn’s column with a representative selection of reader questionappears each Tuesday.Question -- Recently you wrote about a chain lube thatvirtually stopped chain wear.  I can't remember the

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews and InsideTriathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selected questions each week in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.Readers are welcome to send questions to Ryan at WebLetters@7dogs.com.How often can I raise a glass?Dear Monique:In terms of athletic performance, how does alcohol affect the body? I like one or two glasses of beer or wine a night. I am concerned it may inhibit the liver from clearing toxins. -- AFDear AF:Alcohol can

Marc Gullickson (Mongoose-Hyundai) won his third straight Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series race of the year at the Cycle-Smart Amherst International Cyclo-Cross, Amherst, Massachusetts. As in his last Verge Series win two weeks ago in Gloucester his teammate Todd Wells had a lot to do with the final result. The elite men's race started out looking much like the Clif Bar domination of the women's elite race, fast starters Andy Jaques-Maynes and Jackson Stewart in the red Clif Bar skinsuits took turns leading and forcing the pace for much of the first two laps. Meanwhile,

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist forVeloNews andInsideTriathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selected questions each week in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.Readers are welcome to send questions to Ryan atWebLetters@7dogs.com.Is uni-sex nutrition advice really a help?Dear Monique;It seems that most nutrition plans I’ve seen are geared to the male athlete or are supposedly “generic” to both sexes. The problem is that they are geared to a heavier carbohydrate intake than is

Sunday - Redline Cup-Round 1 It didn’t take long for Todd Wells to dismantle the field at the first round of the Redline Cup in Tacoma, Washington, on Sunday. The Mongoose rider and 2002 national cyclo-cross champion broke clear of the field on the first lap with Andy Jacques-Maynes (Clif Bar), then dropped Jacques-Maynes a half lap latter and rolled to a 26-second win in the UCI-sanctioned event. "Todd is way too strong," said Jacques-Maynes, who finished second. "He’s obviously the strongest guy out here. It’s really a race for second. I was feeling great and had a great day yesterday (at

Shimano’s next-generation XTR website lets you see the functional capabilities of this revolutionary component group in cyber-space.  Simply click on drive train, shifting or braking for systems demonstrations and the company’s philosophy on developing these cutting edge mountain biking tools. “What impresses me most about how the new website came together is it’s about as close as you can come to actually riding the product.  It’s like a virtual test ride.” Says Devin Walton, Product Manager for Shimano American Corporation. This futuristic cyber bike ride lets you see action diagrams of

John Parker, legendary founder of Yeti Bicycles, dropped us a line to inform us that his world-class cadre of old Yeti race bikes and prototypes have begun showing up on e-bay. Highlights includeJulie Furtado's 1990 Durango World Championship-winning Yeti C-26 (with an opening bid of $7500), complete with all original equipment including a prototype Manitou fork, Yeti quill stem and Onza Ti bar ends. Other bikes to be auctioned at a later time- include those built for John "The Eagle" Tomac, Myles Rockwell, Paul Tracy and Carolyn Curl. For more visit www.yetifan.com or click straight on

What a week Italian Michele Bartoli has had. A week after being left off the victorious "Squadra Azzurri" at the world championships, rather than slip into "polemica" Bartoli let his legs do the talking. He won Milan-Turin on Wednesday and culminated his revenge tour with a dramatic victory in Saturday's Giro di Lombardia. Bartoli held off compatriot Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and Swiss rider Oscar Carmenzind (Phonak) in an exciting sprint to win the finale of the 10-round World Cup series. The victory was Bartoli's second World Cup victory this season (he won Amstel Gold in April) and

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews and InsideTriathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selectedquestions each week in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.Readers are welcome to send questions to Ryan at WebLetters@7dogs.com.Feeding during a 24-hour raceDear Monique;I have a 24-hour mountain bike race coming up soon. Do you have a simpleplan of hydration and nutrition I could follow? Recommendations of typesof foods would be greatly appreciated. -- TMDear TM;I will

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Italian newspapers were not in short supply of superlatives Monday after sprinter Mario Cipollini won the men's world championship road race title for the first time in his career. Cipollini, 35, exploded clear of the pack in a mass sprint finish to win the 159-mile race in Zolder, Belgium by two bike lengths on Sunday to become the first Italian since Gianni Bugno in 1992 to win the coveted rainbow jersey. Nicknamed the 'Lion King', Cipollini won with an average speed of 46.538kph, the fastest ever in a world championship, and saw him beat joint favorites Australian Robbie McEwen and

European cycling fans never cease to amaze me. It is a total circus around here. Jiri Manus, the U.S. National team director, traveled to Zolder as soon as it was named the home of 2002 World Championships. He staked out the best hotel location for the U.S. contingent, and he did a very good job of it. Our hotels are located right on the course. We can look out our hotel window, watch the race go by, and then rush back to our TV and continue watching it live on EuroSport. I love EuroSport! The road race circuit is the same for all categories; 13.3 kilometers. The entire circuit is

Craziness That’s what I was thinking on the final lap of the world championship road race when it started to rain and riders where falling down all around me. Rain is common in Belgium in October and we had been fortunate our first few days here, as the sun was shining. I arrived Zolder Thursday morning and rode the course with my American teammates. This is the flattest course I have ever raced on at a world championship and this would make the race wide open, as nearly anyone would have a chance depending on how the tactics would play out and what kind of challenges the weather may

What a year. On Sunday in Zolder, Belgium, Mario Cipollini capped an incredible, sometimes turbulent season by taking the world champion's crown that he has coveted ever since the Zolder course was announced. Cipollini was carried along by a unified Italian squad that delivered him to the line with the precision usually reserved for a well-oiled professional trade team. And at the finish, Cipollini easily beat out Australian Robbie McEwen and German Erik Zabel for the rainbow jersey, and left his two rivals fighting for the scraps. The Zolder course had "sprinter" written all over it, with

Marc Gullickson (Mongoose-Hyundai) won his second straight Verge New England championship cyclo-cross series race of the year at the ECV Cyclo-cross in Gloucester, MA. Unlike last week when "Gully" attacked on the opening lap and rode alone for the rest of the race, this was a tactical win where U.S. National Champion Todd Wells was instrumental in setting up his teammate's victory.

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