Road

The Swiss-based Phonak team has lost an appeal to the Union Cycliste Internationale to race as part of the 2005 ProTour, despite its decision last week to fire American Tyler Hamilton in an effort to satisfy the governing body. The team’s hope of becoming part of cycling’s top tier was hampered after Hamilton and two other of the squad's star riders failed doping tests this year. Two weeks ago, the team’s title sponsor – a Swiss hearing aid manufacturer - hinted that it may pull out of the sport if the team were unable to compete in the UCI's new major race series. UCI officials told the

Citing a “lack of motivation, two-time World Cup winner Michele Bartoli (CSC) announced his decision to retire from cycling Wednesday. I've had a lot of bumps and bruises throughout my career," Bartoli said during a press conference in Milan. Bartoli's decision was not a big surprise to those who have watched him suffer through an unspectacular season this year. The 35-year-old Tuscan didn't score a single win this season, a long way from the successive World Cup titles he earned in 1997 and 1998. Sitting next CSC director Bjarne Riis, Bartoli also said recent physical problems had

Look Cycle, a member of the pro peloton since 1983 and always an innovator, has introduced a host of high-end products for the new season. In keeping with the company’s design tradition, the French manufacturer’s new pedals, frames and forks are extremely light and purposeful to meet the demands of pros who depend on their equipment to make a living. Look’s carbon fiber technology is particularly advanced. The company was among the first to deliver carbon steerer tubes on forks, and has now produced a fork entirely in carbon fiber, including the dropouts. Look has also introduced a new

Rake, trail and the difference between the twoDear Lennard,In your November9 Technical Q&A you said that a 44/45mm rake would steer less quicklyand be more stable than a 47mm rake. Is that a typo? I thought shorterrake would tighten up the wheelbase and make the head tube angle feel steeper--yieldingquicker handling and a more "twitchy" feeling bicycle.Jeremiah Dear Jeremiah,Sorry, but the statement is correct and your interpretation about forkrake’s effect is wrong. Indeed, a steeper head angle does make the bikehandle more quickly (reduces fork trail), yes. However, a reduced forkrake

The powerful Italian Lampre-Caffita team will debut at Australia's Tour Down Under in January, race organizers said on Tuesday. The merger of the Saeco and Lampre teams will pull together a strong teamwith 16 Saeco riders, seven Lampre riders and a further three cycling starsfrom Italy. Saeco and Lampre competed as separate entities in the inaugural Tour DownUnder in 1999 setting the foundation for the event’s strong relationship with Italian cycling. The Saeco team has returned to Australia to compete in the event five times. With two-times Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni set to

The UCI has deferred a final decision on the question of granting a ProTour license to the Swiss-based Phonak team until November 30. Cycling’s international governing body said Monday that the ProTour applications of three teams – Phonak, the French Ag2R squad and the Belgian MrBookmaker.com team – were reviewed by the UCI licensing commission, but that a definitive action in either case would have to wait until November 30. The commission had initially rejected the Phonak application, citing concerns about the team, its structure and management, following news that three of its top riders

Annual Training Plan ChallengeDear Joe and Dirk,I have a some teammates that are really into cyclo-cross racing. Theywill finish their last 'cross race the first week of December. The firstroad race will be in mid-February! Of course this will not be a "A" race for them. It won't be for me either.These guys typically do not race much in July, August and September sothey can transition and prepare for 'cross. How do you set up the AnnualTraining Plan when the last "A" race is on December 5th and their first Arace for road will be mid April? Do you skip the base periods or shortenall of them

Rob Vandermark has always had a knack for turning the impossible into the desirable. As the head designer for Merlin Metalworks, back when Merlin was a struggling independent, he figured out how to create externally butted, seamless titanium tubing. The result was the Merlin Extralight, which for many years reigned as a benchmark in the road bike stratosphere. He also created the Merlin Newsboy, a bona fide mountain bike disguised as the most stylish of cruisers. Easy to do, you say, if you have all the money in the world to work with. So at the opposite end of the price scale, he delivered

I just returned to a very chilly Boulder, Colorado, after spending a few days in the warm sun of Santa Barbara, California, where Giant Bicycles arranged to show off its 2005 product line. While the majority of major manufacturers already paraded their 2005 wares this past summer, Giant was forced to wait until the Interbike tradeshow because its new Maestro suspension mountain bikes weren’t quite ready until then. Indeed, even the bikes that Giant brought to Interbike’s Outdoor Demo were not 100-percent ready, so I was eager to try out the actual production road and mountain models that

Time Sport International, founded in 1986, is a comparatively young company, but it has been at the forefront of the pro racing scene ever since the debut of its revolutionary TBT pedal in late 1987. The TBT was the first modern clipless pedal to allow rotational float, a common feature on high-end pedals today but one that was unheard of at the time. Despite the system’s unusual approach, the TBT was an immediate success, garnering victories in the men’s and women’s Tour de France in 1988 with Pedro Delgado and Jeannie Longo. Shortly thereafter, Time developed a clipless mountain-bike

Losing my gripDear Lennard,I am having a problem with the removal of the drive-side bottom bracketcup. It is a Shimano UN 72 and it has been removed so many times that thesplines are now gone. The bottom bracket itself works fine and I can leaveit in, but eventually it will need to be replaced. The splines are so rounded off that when pressure is applied in an attemptto remove the cup, the bottom bracket tool spins and further chews up thesplines. I am turning the tool clockwise for removal.Jeff Dear Jeff,The first thing to try would be to get your hands on a Tacx BB cupremover, since it

Belgian Sven Nys won the third round of the cyclo-cross World Cup on Sunday in Pijnakker, Netherlands. Hometown favorite Richard Groenendaal, who crashed once, crossed second at 23 seconds back, followed by Belgian Sven Vanthourenhout at 0:49. Nys finally broke the Czech stranglehold on this season’s World Cup, following victories by Zdenek Mlynar in Wortegem-Petegem (Belgium) and Kamil Ausbuher in Tabor, Czech. Groenendaal had a perfect start, riding ahead of a chase group that included Nys, Mlynar and Italian Enrico Franzoi. But Nys eventually leapt away from the bunch, and when

After two years with Mario Cipollini’s Domina Vacanze team, Specialized Bicycles announced that it was switching its sponsorship to Germany’s Gerolsteiner squad for 2005, in part because the team has added American Levi Leipheimer to its roster. Specialized also announced an expansion of its domestic sponsorship role next year, adding its support to the men’s side of USA Cycling’s under-23 development program. Specialized will supply bikes and equipment for road, mountain, cyclo-cross and track to the U-23 team. We chatted with Mike Sinyard, Specialized’s president and founder, about his

The Crank Brothers Cobalt crank was one of the big hits of this year’s Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, largely due to its unexpected and unconventional design. Eschewing carbon, the Cobalt is a composite of a different kind: an aluminum base bonded to a stainless steel cover. Like all Crank Brothers products, the Cobalt combines a striking industrial aesthetic with hardcore cycling functionality. Andrew Herrick, who serves as Crank’s marketing guy (though not officially; the company does not use job titles) gave us the lowdown on how this unusual product was created. VeloNews: When did

Questions of rakeDear Lennard,I have a 1994 Trek 5200 54 cm. I want to raise up my handlebarheight for comfort reasons. I figure I need to raise it 2 cm.I thought about the Serotta head tube extender. It's titanium, pressedin and adds 2 cm. I would have to buy a new fork. The literaturefor that model year states a 47mm fork rake.I think I could accomplish two things - more comfort and better ride- with the right fork. From a safety standpoint, is this a good idea?If so which fork? Since less rake equals more trai that would make it morestable with same head angle, right? Would a 44 mm rake

Retired racing legend Johan Museeuw said he won’t challenge a two-year racing ban handed down by the Belgian cycling federation, according to reports on the Belgian wires. Museeuw, who left competitive cycling in April, was banned along with Belgian racers Jo Planckaert and Chris Peers after being implicated in a police investigation last fall involving the distribution of banned substances involving a Belgian veterinarian. Despite clearing doping tests, authorities felt they had enough on the classics legend to issue the controversial racing ban. Museeuw had already retired by the time

Former Tour de France winner and five-time runner-up Jan Ullrich has hit out at the race's organizers for reducing the number of time trials in the three-week epic race. The 30-year-old T-Mobile rider, who won the Tour in 1997 and finished second five times, is a time trial specialist who in previous years would have looked to the discipline to put time on his rivals. Next year, however, the Tour will feature one less time trial than usual when it begins with a 19km time trial instead of the usual short prologue. After a team time trial on the fourth stage, the next opportunity for Ullrich

Lance Armstrong is unsure if he will ride in next summer's Tour de France because he'd like to compete in other races. Armstrong, who won a record sixth straight Tour de France this year, said in Saturday's edition ofL'Equipe it is “time to move onto other things.” He has previously been somewhat evasive about whether he will return in 2005, but these were his strongest comments yet about his plans. “Honestly, I don't know if I will be at the start of the next Tour,” he told the sports newspaper. “There are a lot of other things I would like to do in cycling before retiring. So I tell

The flawed process that forced Olympic officials to throw out a case againstcyclist Tyler Hamilton shows the system needs to be improved, the WorldAnti-Doping Agency said Thursday.Hamilton had a preliminary positive test for blood doping at the AthensGames, but the IOC dropped its probe because the cyclist's backup specimenmistakenly was frozen and there weren't enough red blood cells left toanalyze. That meant Hamilton was able to keep his gold medal.The American, who insists he is innocent and has vowed to clear hisname, still faces a two-year ban because of a failed blood doping testat the

Division 2 Spanish team Cafés Baqué faces an uncertain future after losing title sponsor Orbitel. The Colombian telecom company told team officials it would no longer underwrite the team for the 2005 season. Erkaitz Elcoroiribe, team manager of Cafés Baqué, said the team will search for a new co-sponsor to step up. “What’s really sad about this situation is the marvelous team of riders, mechanics, massage therapists and other who could lose their job,” Elcoroiribe told the Spanish daily MARCA. The team has brought several riders into the pro ranks and was headlined by Colombian climber

Andy Ording, President of Zipp Speed Weaponry, is determined to maintain his company’s lead in lightweight composite technology, and he’s also committed to making his products in the United States. With the miniscule margins most bike companies have to work with, that’s not an easy task, especially considering that most of Ording’s competitors source their products in China, where labor and materials costs are but a fraction of Zipp’s. Moreover, in Ording’s quest to create the lightest, most advanced wheels and components possible, he does not shy away from expensive solutions. The new

Tour wouldn’t mind if Armstrong stayed awayTour de France officials evidently aren’t losing any sleep over the prospect that six-time winner Lance Armstrong might not race in the 2005 edition. Just a week after the 92nd edition of the Tour was unveiled in Paris, race officials said in an interview in L’Equipe that they’re not concerned if Armstrong doesn’t race next year. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Armstrong races another grand tour next year and return in 2006 to try the Tour again,” said Christian Prudhomme, director general of the Amaury Sport Organisation which produces the Tour. “To

While a record number of you turned out to vote on Tuesday, it’s only the VeloNews editorial staff that for better or for worse has a say in our upcoming 2004 Awards issue. While the crew is hard at work arguing over who might be named the Masters Road Racer of the Year, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the award that matters most to me: the Technical Development of the Year. A number of candidates have crossed my mind, but unfortunately the one idea that sticks out most prominently is not a component, frame or wheelset. Instead, the most notable impact has been made by a technology

The Netherlands’ 1978 world cycling road race champion Gerrie Knetemann died of a heart attack on Tuesday aged 53, the Dutch Cycling Federation (KNWU) announced. According to the federation he died while out riding a bike with three friends at his birthplace of Bergen in the north west of the Netherlands. Knetemann's career spanned 15 years (1974-89) which saw him win 10 stages in the Tour de France and he was regarded as one of the finest classics riders in the world, winning the Amstel Gold Race twice and the Paris Nice once. Knetemann, who leaves a wife and two children, recorded 130

Everything in the life of Gerrie Knetemann appeared to be going wonderfully. Just a month ago, he was coaching the Dutch national team at the world championships in Verona. The highlight for the 53-year-old cycling legend was the excellent performance of his teenage daughter, Roxanne Knetemann, who finished sixth in the junior women’s time trial and fifth in the road race (in which her teammates placed first and third) Then on Tuesday afternoon this week, just as Americans were going to the polls, Knetemann, a big man who always wore glasses, was out riding his mountain bike with three

If proof were needed that the dollars you spend on racing sponsorship come right back to your bottom line, Trek Bicycle Corporation’s investment in the U.S. Postal Team and Lance Armstrong would be the only spreadsheet you’d need to see. Although the company’s longstanding domestic team programs made Trek a top brand among cycling fans many years ago, it was Postal power that put Trek on the map for a much wider base of casual riders. Today, Trek is a familiar name in millions of households worldwide, and the Trek brand has become the most valuable franchise in cycling. Of course, Lance

Vuelta a España runner-up Santiago Perez declared his innocenceof blood doping on Sunday, just weeks after his American Phonak teammateTyler Hamilton apparently failed a similar test. "The news I have been given is that they have detected irregularitiesin my blood as a consequence of a transfusion from another person," Perezsaid. "All I can say is that I have not undergone any type of blood transfusion. I am not sure what they are talking about. I am sure that the truth will come out very soon and it will show that none of what they are accusing me of is true." Perez's positive for blood

Ever since its days as a stop on the Super Cup circuit, the Gloucester, Massachusetts, cyclo-cross race has been lovingly referred to as “New England Nationals.” The implication, that every rider worth his or her salt makes an annual October pilgrimage to the seaside Gloucester course, seemed borne out by the inclusion of back-to-back Gloucester races in this year’s Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross.

Santi Perez (Phonak), runner-up in the 2004 Vuelta a España, may have tested positive for blood doping, according to the Spanish daily MARCA. The daily suggests that the result may have come from the A sample in an out-of-competition test, adding that it is not yet certain whether the alleged blood doping involved the transfusion of Perez’ own blood or the blood of another. MARCA also suggested that there might have been a procedural problem with the examination of the B sample, saying that neither Perez nor a representative of his team was present. This might explain the delay in any

Interbike may have ended for the rest of the bicycle industry three weeks ago, but for us here at VeloNews, the annual trade show wasn’t over until Tuesday, when we wrapped up 13 pages of coverage. We visited nearly a hundred companies at this year’s show, and it was very difficult to decide what to include in the magazine. Still, somehow, we managed. Even so, we had to trim a few items right at the very end, and so we’re telling you about them here. Don’t think of these reports from me, Lennard Zinn and Chris Milliman as “leftovers,” but rather as “first looks.” Gore Bike WearIt was 92

Fortunately for New England sports fans, they have last week’s Red Sox World Series win to look back on with a smile, because out-of-towners dominated today’s third round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In front of a huge, partisan New England crowd, Canadian Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) claimed his biggest ‘cross won to date, while Seattle’s Anna Knapp (Kona) took a win in one of the few ’cross events where victory had eluded her.

Cipollini riding for Liquigas in 2005 Italy's former world champion Mario Cipollini ended speculation that he is to retire on Friday by announcing that he would ride next season for the Liquigas Sport team. The 37-year-old sprinter, who holds the record for the most number of Giro d'Italia stage wins with 42, has been plagued by injury over the past two years. He pulled out of the Giro this year after crashing and then quit the Tour de France because of a thigh injury. However, the 2002 world road race champion said he would line up for the first World Cup race next year, Milan-San Remo.

Cane Creek has a long history in bicycle suspension, starting with its role in manufacturing the original Rock Shox forks. The company went on to develop some of the lightest air shocks available, perfecting a novel Delrin seal technology and speed-sensitive valving that lives on in CC’s current Cloud Nine and AD air-sprung and air-damped shocks. But the big news this year is Cane Creek’s partnership with Swedish suspension-maker Öhlins Racing AB, a company that dominates the field in high-end motorsports suspension. Starting with its first 250cc motocross victory in 1978, (only two years

Today’s report will be a short one, describing a few final items from this year’s Interbike trade show that you might not hear about any other way. Spiuk-KuipsKuips is a Basque Country bicycle brand being imported into the USA by DPM Sports. Joanne Somarriba, multiple winner of the women’s Tour de France and the 2003 world time trial champion, races on Kuips road bikes; Spain’s professional cyclo-cross champ rides a Kuips, too. The pictured frame is the top cyclo-cross model. The company has a full line of accessories and clothing under the Spiuk name. Altogether, it is an extensive and

Lance Armstrong's rivals have been given a glimmer of hope for victory after Tour de France organizers unveiled a slimmed-down race for 2005 here on Thursday. In a bid to open the race and widen the possibilities for other contenders, Tour chiefs have cut down on the mountain finishes and individual time trials for next year's race. Organizers have yet to decide whether the race should include 21 or 22 teams of nine riders each. This year Armstrong defied expectations of a slowdown by claiming five stage wins on the race before claiming a record sixth yellow jersey. However, there remains

Zabriskie leaving Postal for CSCSaying “it’s time for a change,” Dave Zabriskie will be leaving U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor for a two-year deal with Team CSC-Riis Cycling. “I always hear that change is good and I know there is no better team for me,” said Zabriskie. “I like Riis' unique approach to the sport and the willingness of the guys on the team to race hard. I want to thank Johan and everyone that has helped me along over the years. I'm excited for the change, but will miss the Postal family.” Zabriskie’s 2004 palmares include the U.S. national time trial title, the 11th stage of

There’s no Mont Ventoux on the route of next year’s Tour de France so Lance Armstrong — who has often said that he wants to win on the Ventoux before he retires — perhaps will not defend his title in 2005 and wait for 2006. Then again, Armstrong’s spokesman at the official race presentation in Paris on Thursday, Discovery Channel team director Johan Bruyneel, said, “If he does a three-week race, it will be the Tour.” And one can’t see Armstrong being motivated by a season that comprises just one-day classics mixed in with a few one-week stage races. If the Texan does start the Tour next

Now Mayo might flyWhile he doesn’t have any official offers on the table, the rumor mill is churning in Spain that star rider Iban Mayo could leave his longtime home at Euskaltel-Euskadi. Earlier this week, Liberty Seguros team boss Manolo Saiz said he was “very interested” in signing Mayo, just days after Illes Balears won the bidding war to snag hot property Alejandro Valverde in a three-year contract. Euskatel-Euskadi team manager Miguel Madariaga shot down rumors that Mayo is on the offering block: “Iban has a contract until 2006 and he has a buy out clause. We had just spoken about the

Political pollsters take a stab at predicting the outcome of the presidential election, so we’re doing the same with the Tour de France. The official details of the 2005 Tour won’t be announced until Thursday morning in Paris, but through a little detective work, some intuition and a few wild guesses, here’s what the course could look like. With a longish time trial at the start instead of the usual short prologue, there will be only one other time trial, the day before the finish. The highlights look like being a short incursion into Germany on stages 7 and 8; the Galibier ascent on stage

Fans will be hearing from Lance Armstrong long after he retires and they’ll get a peek of what’s on Armstrong’s horizon later this year. The six-time Tour de France champion has penned a deal to host a weekly yet-to-be-titled radio show on satellite radio provider SIRIUS set to debut later this year. Armstrong will be one of handful of top athletes hosting their own program which will include a mix of music, interviews and call-ins from listeners. “SIRIUS has already gathered an amazing group of sports heroes … and I’m honored to be included among them,” Armstrong said. “Each week, I’ll

It was big news last fall when American Tim Johnson was presented withthe opportunity to ride for the Division I Saunier Duval team in Spain.But a year later, with a tough season behind him, Johnson is heading home for good. Having passed on the second year of his contract, Johnson will instead join up with the small U.S.-based Jittery Joe’s-Kalahari team and race a largely domestic schedule for 2005. Johnson is quick to note that his is “not a step down,” adding that he decided that he wanted to enjoy himself again and “that just wasn’thappening where I was this year.” In addition to a

As U.S. Postal Service rides into the sunset and Discovery Channel prepares to take over the title sponsorship, the team released its 2005 roster of 25 riders set to ride in new uniforms next season. Team officials said more names could be added, but so far there are 25 riders headlined by six-time Tour de France winner Armstrong. Back next year are seven of the eight riders who helped lead Armstrong to the record win, including veteran Russian Viatcheslav Ekimov who once again has decided to hold off on retirement. The sole exception is American Floyd Landis who is moving to

Illes Balears seals deal with ValverdeThe protracted negotiations between Illes Balears and Valenciana-Kelme over the fate of Alejandro Valverde were completed over the weekend, and the 24-year-old Spanish star will ride next year with the team that carried Miguel Indurain to five Tour de France victories. Illes Balears secured the services of the hottest name in Spanish cycling after Valverde let it be known that he wouldn’t want to continue with the troubled Valenciana-Kelme after the team was overlooked for the Pro Tour set to begin in 2005. The Spanish media was reporting Sunday that

New Pantani book, movie in worksJust eight months following Marco Pantani’s tragic death in a hotel room in Rimini, Italy, there’s a flurry of new media projects in Italy. A new book details Pantani’s final days of and there’s even a made-for-TV movie in production in Italy. Pantani’s former manager, Manula Ronchi, has written a new book that investigates the painful final days for the Italian hero entitled, “A Man on the Run: The True Story of Marco Pantani.” Written in collaboration with Italian cycling journalist Gianfranco Josti, the book uses Pantani’s extension notes taken in the

We are just putting the finishing touches on VeloNews magazine coverage of the 2004 Interbike Expo, and I found myself thinking about all the companies and product we didn’t see while out in Las Vegas. Here we are providing plenty of ink to the Treks and Specializeds of the bicycle world, but what about the little guy who couldn’t or wouldn’t cough-up the dough (let alone take a week of vacation from their “real” job) to set-up a booth at the Sands Convention Center? Certainly there are hundreds of creative minds out there producing quality products that just didn’t make it to Las

After a long period of hit-or-miss availability in the United States, Guerciotti bikes returned to Interbike this year with a new importer, Torelli, and a new commitment to widespread distribution and support. Paolo Guerciotti’s bikes gained fame among American riders in the 1980s as part of a wave of high-end Italian imports that raised the expectations for what a great road bike could be. Guerciotti’s cyclo-cross models were especially sought after, thoroughbreds in a field of balky, unwieldy CX beasts. Today, the Guerciotti family — Paolo, his son Alessandro and daughter Micaela — still

According to reports in Italy, Mario Cipollini is close to a deal to join Cofidis. The 2002 world champion is considering the offer to join the French team following two lackluster seasons with Domina Vacanze, according to a report in Tuttosport. There seems to be plenty of problems at Domina Vacanze, which will ride on next season as part of the Pro Tour after joining forces with De Nardi, but team management has accused the team sponsor of not paying wages since mid-summer. Cipollini, meanwhile, might like a change of colors. Since winning the rainbow jersey at the end of the 2002 season,

Another major European race is pulling the plug ahead of the 2005 Pro Tour. The French newspaper Dauphiné Libéré reported that the Classique des Alpes won’t be held next season ahead of complaints from teams, according to officials at ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation). The race debuted in 1991 and was held a few days before the start of the Criterium du Dauphiné Libéré and held on a mountainous course between Chambéry and Aix-les-Bains in the French Alps. Race officials said the event might continue as an amateur race. Classique des Alpes winners1991: Charly Mottet (Fra)1992: Gilles Delion

No wonder Mario Cipollini and his Domina Vacanze teammates have beenunhappy this season. According to information released by the team earlierthis month, the title sponsor hasn't paid its riders since June. According to team officials, the team’s title sponsor – Domina Vacanzeheaded up by real estate magnate Ernest Preatoni – hasn’t met or has refusedto pay its obligations, in part due to co-sponsors who have soured overthe poor form of 2002 world champion Cipollini. Team manager Vincenzo Santoni – which owns the holding company for theItalian team called Blu Sea Services – insists he’s

As I sit down to write about Interbike for VeloNews, it seems a shame not to show you some of the things that there probably will not be room for in the print magazine. So here we go…. SDGSDG has forged ahead with its I-Beam saddle, which eschews the normal saddle rails for a longitudinal beam molded into the saddle shell. SDG also is offering new super-light carbon-fiber seat posts that grip the beam. Since a saddle is normally a suspension item, like a hammock suspended between two rails, it seems that a saddle with a single, unyielding center rail might be a little hard on the crotch. But

Damiano Cunego has plenty of reason to celebrate the 2004 season. The 23-year-old sensation barnstormed to victory in Saturday’s Giro di Lombardia to wrap what’s been a successful campaign highlighted by his overall victory at the Giro d’Italia. Many are already calling the Saeco rider Italy’s next breakout star to replace the fading Gilberto Simoni, Michele Bartoli and Stefano Garzelli. “Let’s avoid such incredible comparisons but here’s no doubt it’s been a great year for me. After winning in the spring I won the Giro in May and that was amazing, winning a World Cup race is incredible,”

Damiano Cunego ended his dream season much like he started it: attacking with panache and winning. The 23-year-old Saeco rider barnstormed through the 2004 Italian racing calendar, racking up 12 wins in one-day races, short stage races and the granddaddy of Italian racing, the overall title at the Giro d’Italia. And Cunego had one more surprise to cap his breakout year. Following disappointment in the road world championships two weeks ago in his hometown, Cunego couldn’t be beat in the Giro di Lombardia on Saturday. Cunego outsprinted Michael Boogerd (Rabobank) and compatriot Ivan Basso

Finale to decide World Cup battleSaturday’s Giro di Lombardia marks the final stop in the 10-round World Cup series with the fight for the overall title coming down to a showdown between Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) and Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner). Bettini is nursing a 13-point lead over Rebellin going into the difficult Italian classic. A new course design has added some muscle to the climbs, making for what should be an exciting showdown in northern Italy. “My strategy is to stay glued to Rebellin’s wheel,” Bettini said. “The course is more difficult than it’s been in the past, but the

Climbing sensation Cesar Grajales is the latest addition to the Navigators Insurance cycling team's 2005 roster. Grajales made his mark as a world-class climbing specialist when he attacked Lance Armstrong, Jens Voigt, and Chris Horner to win the Dodge Tour de Georgia's stage 6 at the top of Brasstown Bald Mountain this past April. The Colombian highlander joins Aussie stars Nathan O'Neill and sprinter Hilton Clarke as three of the Navigators squad's new recruits. The full roster that will include many returning players and a few new names will be announced shortly. “The Navigators

I am still settling back in from last week’s non-stop insanity - otherwise known as the 2004 Interbike International Bicycle Expo in Las Vegas. Sleep deprived, fighting a cold, I am only today regaining an ability to see in full color. But enough whining… I thought I would share a few notes I gathered while attending all five days Interbike. After two days at Outdoor Demo and three days in the Sands Convention Center, I knew what the standard question would be: “So what was cool this year?” I would usually find myself responding with something like, “well, it’s not like it used to be in

Australian sprinter Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros) has been getting close to a big one for the past several weeks, taking fifth at the recent world championships and fourth at last weekend’s Paris-Tours. On Thursday, he finally put all the pieces together, earning a breakthrough victory in the Giro di Piemonte in northern Italy. With fine support from his team – fresh off its victory in Wednesday’s Milano-Torino with Marcos Serrano -- Davis held off Italian duo Alberto Ongarato and Francesco Chicchi (both Fassa Bortolo) in a sprint for the finish line. The second race of the autumn

Serrano upsets Italians at Milano-TorinoMilano-Torino is an Italian race if there ever was one, with Mirko Celestino and Michele Bartoli racking up the last three victories. But Liberty Seguros rider Marcos Serrano pipped the local favorites Wednesday in the 199km semi-classic from Milan to Turin across northern Italy, edging Eddy Mazzoleni and Francesco Casagrande to become just the third Spanish winner of the Italian classic that dates back to 1876. Riders were jumpy right from the start, with aging tiger Andrea Tafi (Alessio-Bianchi) going an early solo move at 70km. The former classics

Verbruggen, UCI confident in Hamilton caseUCI president Hein Verbruggen said he is confident doping charges leveled against Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton will stand up against challenges in court. UCI officials are largely keeping mum on the Hamilton case, fully expecting the high-profile case to be challenged to the Court of Arbitration in Sport. Disciplinary hearings against Hamilton could begin as soon as this month. Verbruggen defended the use of a new testing method that can detect the presence of banned blood transfusions, which debuted at the Summer Olympic Games in

Paolo Bettini hasn’t won a World Cup race all season long, but he’s poised to claim his third consecutive globe in this weekend’s Giro di Lombardia in Italy. The Olympic champion finished sixth in Sunday’s Paris-Tours, enough to slip 13 points ahead of arch-rival Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and tighten the grip on what will be the final World Cup competition as the series will be eliminated in next year’s Pro Tour. Bettini now holds a lead with 340 points after Rebellin could only finish 13th in the bunch sprint Sunday on Avenue Grammont and slipped to second at 327. The Quick Step rider

Flying Dutchman Erik Dekker measured his efforts just right to pull off a stunning victory in Sunday’s Paris-Tours. The 34-year-old Rabobank veteran was off the front all day as part of a five-man breakaway across the Loire Valley in France. When his fellow escapees dissolved under pressure from the fast-charging peloton, Dekker hitched a ride with a counter-attack late in the 252.5km race. Dekker sprinted hard with 500 yards to go to hold off the peloton and notch his first major victory since his injury-plagued 2002 season. “In the end, everybody was chasing me thinking I was tired,

Ex-Armstrong teammate to be questioned in bonus spat The ongoing dispute between a Texas insurance company and Lance Armstrong involving an unpaid $5 million Tour de France bonus is taking another twist. According to a report in the New Zealand Herald, officials from SCA Promotions Inc. will travel to New Zealand this month to interview ex-Motorola rider Stephen Swart about doping allegations revealed in a book published this summer. SCA has refused to pay following the publication of an unauthorized biography in France, “LA Confidential: The Secrets of Lance Armstrong,” which alleges the

Olympic champion Paolo Bettini will be out to prove a point this Sunday when he bids to overhaul his World Cup rival Davide Rebellin at Paris-Tours. Rebellin, the Gerolsteiner rider who recently gained Argentine citizenship in a futile attempt to compete at last week's world road championships, leads Bettini by six points in the standings with only two races left in the series. Bettini, the two-time World Cup winner and defending champion, did not have to go to such unpatriotic measures having already been picked for the Italy team by national team director Franco Ballerini.

Days of life under bright fluorescent lighting, breathing air-conditioned air and listening to the thump, thump, thump of “tunes” emerging from the BMX section of the showroom floor is enough to put even the cheeriest bike geek in a foul mood. And, were the Interbike International Bicycle Expo anything else, say, a convention of ladder salesmen or mobile home dealers, we’d have lost it by now. But the great thing about the country’s largest bicycle industry trade show at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas is that it’s all about bikes and that part can make the lights, the air and the

The Belgian cycling association handed out two-year bans on Friday to three riders caught up in Jose Landuyt affair, the vet who admitted selling performance-enhancing drugs. They include Johan Museeuw, one of the most renowned one-day performers in the sport until his retirement earlier this year. The others are Chris Peers and Jo Planckaert. All three were also fined 10,000 Swiss francs ($8000). The riders were each given four-year bans, but two years were subsequently suspended from the sentence. Museeuw appeared in August before the Belgian association after being questioned by police

With the 2004 road season just about in the books, the moves that will shape the U.S. scene in 2005 are well underway. There have been plenty of rumors flying around, but a couple of moves became official this week. First, the Colavita squad has announced the signing of Italian Davide Frattini for next year. The 2001 Baby Giro winner, Frattini came over to the States this season and spent the year with Team Monex, with the overall title at the Vuelta de Bisbee his biggest result. Colavita also noted that the team will bring back Mark McCormack, Sebastian Alexandre, Gustavo Artacho, Juan

The World Championships is usually my final race of each season, but in Verona last weekend, I pinned my numbers and lined up on the start line for the final race of my career. To be a part of the World Championships in Verona was very special for me, as the cycling fans in the heart of Europe, and especially in the North of Italy are passionate. The road racecourse, which winded through the streets of the city of Love, was spectacular. It passed through the center of the city, by the arena, close to the house of Juliette, where she was courted by Romeo, and winded up the Torrecelli

Zabel out for seasonErik Zabel won’t be lining up to defend his title in Sunday’s Paris-Tours World Cup stop. The German ace broke his heel after falling off a ladder in his home in Unna, Germany. “That puts an end to my season. It is annoying. I was in good form and well-prepared for the Paris-Tours World Cup race,” said the 34-year-old Zabel. T-Mobile team doctors said no surgery is necessary, but it means an early end to Zabel’s season. “Basically the injury is a bone splinter on his heel,” explained team physician Andreas Schmid from the University Clinic in Freiberg. “The injury will

The doors of the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas opened up Tuesday morning to the usual swarm of retailers looking for stock, manufacturers looking for customers and bike racers looking for contracts. (We won’t mention the usual gang looking for swag.) Two steps into the hall, many were surprised to spot Tyler Hamilton already cruising the aisles, greeting sponsors, working the crowd and signing autographs. The American Olympic gold medalist decided that even after his positive blood test at the Vuelta a España that he would be attending the trade show. "People say you're crazy to go

Chris Horner’s wish to return to the European peloton came true sooner than expected. Moments after crossing the finish line in Verona’s world championships, Horner told VeloNews he was hoping to sign a contract with the Spanish team Saunier Duval as soon as that night. He even joked he wanted to stay in Europe and race in the season’s final two World Cups. “I’d love [them to] slap me on some colors and go ahead and do Paris-Tours and Lombardia,” Horner said. Well, it appears that’s just what’s going to happen. The deal is signed and Horner is set to debut with Saunier Duval at Paris-Tours

Day two of the 2004 Interbike Exposition kicked-off with hundreds of enthusiastic retailers packing shuttle busses and heading 35 miles out of Las Vegas for another day of road, mountain and ‘cross bike test rides in the Nevada desert. With attendance numbers nearing and possibly surpassing last year’s numbers at the increasingly popular Outdoor Demo, manufacturers were kept busy setting up rides on Bootleg Canyon’s miles of tricky singletrack and twisty paved roads. Here’s a look at what made news today. Giant NewsOne thing is standard at Interbike, no matter what the year. It’s the

The first of two days of the Interbike Outdoor Demo kicked off on Monday, October 4 without a hitch. This was the second year at the Bootleg Canyon venue above Boulder City, NV and overlooking Lake Mead. The trail system is extensive and challenging and keeps growing, unlike the previous location, which was threatened by development and would continue shrinking until it disappeared. This year, in addition to cross-country trails, downhill trails, a BMX loop, and various large man-made jumps of different sizes, there is a cyclo-cross trail with obstacles to mimic a European ‘cross course

Rest and RecoveryDear Joe and Dirk,Help me understand "recovery days." I know what all the training manuals,including yours, say, and my body sure seems to need them. My problem is,I never hear about pros having them. Every time I read about a pro's trainingschedule, it involves riding three to six hours a day, and none of it soundseasy. I asked a member of Sierra Nevada, our local pro team, about recoverydays and he looked at me like I was insane. Or, read Bob Roll's descriptionof training with Lance for a week in "Bobke 2" -- no recovery days there,I'll tell you. So are the pros just

How satisfying it must feel to be Oscar Freire when the days grow shorter and the leaves begin to turn. There’s something extra gratifying about winning the last big event of the year, when instead of just getting back to work in the following weeks, you can enjoy the success in the quiet off-season. Winning the world championships is cycling’s version of a walk-off homer, the buzzer beating swish. And no one in today’s pro ranks does it better than Freire, a Spaniard who put his name alongside cycling legends Alfredo Binda, Rik Van Steenbergen and Eddy Merckx by winning his third world road

Rafaá Chtioui dropped like a rock off the final passage over the Torricelli climb to electrify an already attack-riddled junior men's road race Saturday and make history. The tall, gangly Tunisian didn’t win. That honor went to calculating Czech rider Roman Kreuziger, but Chtioui took second and became the first African rider to win a world road championship medal. “All of Tunisia is smiling with me now,” said the happy 6-foot-3 18-year-old from a suburb of Tunis. “It’s the first time a Tunisia has won anything in cycling and it’s the first time an African has won a medal. I am very

Nursing a five-second lead with 3km to go, the real question for Judith Arndt wasn’t whether she was going to win the elite women’s world championship race in Verona, Italy, but which finger she was going to raise coming across the line. Few forget Arndt’s finish-line gesture at the Athens Olympics, when she flipped the bird as she came across the line second because she was angry German teammate Petra Rosner was left off the team. With Rosner now quietly retired, the 28-year-old Arndt attacked on the final descent off the Torricelle climb midway through the final 14.75km lap of the

Apparently we Americans have a rhotic “r.” No, not an E-rotic “r,” a rhotic “r,” meaning we have a hard pronunciation of the letter “r.” British and other English dialects do not have this cat-like growl. Maybe we are more animalistic in this linguistic isolation. I would say we are more barbaric. Barrrrbarick. I’ll tell you one thing, I feel barbaric scrapping for a piece of bread in this biketalk fixed-gear haven. Portland is the only place where fashion is determined by retro bike hats and messenger gear, a quasi-ethereal ideal world for us vane legged fanatics. In a way the bicycle

After three days of time trial competition in Bardolino, Italy, road racing at the 2004 world championships got underway on a foggy Friday morning in the city of Verona. The first to don the rainbow stripes in Verona was Marianne Vos of the Netherlands, the winner of the 73.75km junior women’s road race. On a course similar to the one used in 1999, when road world’s were last held here, Vos won on a solo breakaway after escaping 8km from the finish near an ancient Roman arena in Verona’s Piazza Brà. After several attempts by others to get away on the Torricelle climb, the main obstacle in

Team officials announced Friday that Italian Saeco and Lampre squads will join forces in 2005 to ensure a position in the troubled UCI ProTour. Officials from both sides met Thursday in Bologna to finalize the plans. Lampre president Emanuele Galsbusera and Saeco president Sergio Zappella have agreed to fuse the teams ahead of the proposed ProTour. The planned renovation of cycling's international calendar is undergoing a difficult birth. A scheduled press conference Friday was postponed until Saturday as UCI officials and representatives from the renegarde grand tours tried to hammer out a

After producing two solo wins in two races on the opening day of the road racing portion of the world road and time trial championships in Verona, Italy, on Friday, it’s clear that the course, with its punchy climb up the Torricelle, can be selective. In Friday afternoon’s race, the little known Belarussian Kanstantsin Siutsou became the latest gold medalist after winning with flair in the under-23 men’s road race. Siutsou, impressive in the manner in which he stood up to the powerhouse squads including Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Russia and Spain among others, outlasted everyone to

The Professional Cycling Council (CCP), one of the most influential decision-making bodies in the sport, announced Friday that the impending ProTour series would now include 20 and not 18 teams. The CCP's decision here at the world cycling road race championships follows a request by the International Association of Professional Cycling Teams (AIGCP) to increase the number of teams to 20 in 2005 instead of 2006, as was initially planned. It means the likes of Saeco, which announced its merger with Lampre on Friday, will be virtually assured of a place and other teams can aspire to join