Road

It was clear that Saturday afternoon’s under-23 men’s race at the cyclo-cross world’s in Pont-Château, France, was going to be dramatic and highly tactical when there was a crash on the first turn. This was not just another of those crashes caused by a traffic jam of riders when they are still grouped together. This crash happened right at the front when the first six riders tangled wheels and fell on a muddy, off-camber slope as they emerged from the long bend. Among the six fallers were the three top favorites: defending champion Enrico Franzoi of Italy; Belgian champion Wesley Van der

Former world cycling champion Mario Cipollini wants the Tour de France to grant him a final farewell appearance before the end of his career, Reuters reported Friday. Speaking during the presentation of his Domina Vacanze team on the shores of Lake Como, the 36-year-old Italian said he deserved a place on the Tour because of his 185 victories as a sprinter over the last 15 years. “I'm convinced I can still win stages in the Tour de France and I think I deserve a place in this year's race as a kind of lifetime achievement award," Cipollini said. “I don't know how much chance we've got ...

Dear Joe and Dirk,I'm a mountain-bike racer and have just started my off season. I'dlike to do some running and maybe do a couple running races. I know thatif I do race these I will probably push it to the max. Is it counterproductive for me to be doingrun races in what is normally my off season?I know that working to maximum during these events will do little forme in June, but I'd like to stay active and keep things interesting.ThanksFeeling competitive in JanuaryDear January,We actually encourage cyclists to do cross training activitiessuch as running, snow shoeing, hikes, etc. As long as

The international governing bodies of soccer and cycling remain the two most prominent and vocal holdouts when it comes to embracing new anti-doping rules the World Anti-Doping Agency suggested on Thursday.

Right from the gun, I gotta apologize because I missed last week’s column. I swear; it was the damn 2004 VeloNews Buyer’s Guide that made me (not) do it. You see, it falls upon my (and Lennard Zinn’s) shoulders to put this puppy out every year and, since last year’s edition was something of a success, the beast has gotten even bigger this time around. Of course, that means more pages to fill; more bikes and components to write about; more (hopefully) insightful features to generate. So getting back to last week’s excuse, I found myself with VeloNews photo editor Galen Nathanson

Dear Monique,I am a 47 year old woman. I have heard for years that weight liftingwas beneficial to keep our bones dense, as was running and any other weightbearing sport.What confuses me is that they say cycling is not and yet when I am doinga long sustained climb, it sure feels like I'm doing leg press's. Samewith a long hard flat ride. My legs begin to burn and it often feels likeweight lifting after awhile.When climbing on the mountain bike, I lift on the bar-ends and use themotion of my arms and upper body to help me get up the climb. Why is thisconsidered not weight bearing when my arms

Last year’s Tour de France prologue winner Bradley McGee has taken his first step in a year in which he hopes land double Olympic gold - and another shot at wearing the Tour de France yellow jersey. McGee, the de facto team leader of FDjeux.com, who won last year's Tour de France prologue in Paris, admits that winning Olympic gold is his biggest priority of the year. And that opens up the possibility of a duel with David Millar, the world time-trial champion who this year is aiming to add an Olympic gold to his rainbow jersey. Millar, the 27-year-old Scot, is considering making his first

Another race season is quickly approaching and I have spent this past week preparing for it with my T-Mobile teammates in Buellton, California. It is always interesting showing up for training camp, as there are some strong indicators of who has been working hard through the winter months and who might have put back a few too many Christmas cookies. Training camp is often the only time in a season that puts all of the team’s riders and staff in one place at one time. This gathering forced me to reflect on my first races as a member of T-Mobile and on how much the team has progressed since

Cofidis’s Philippe Gaumont has, during police interrogation, admitted taking the banned substance EPO and admitted that he had supplied EPO to another cyclist, the AFP reported. “Philippe Gaumont has admitted to doping,” said his lawyer Olivier Combe on Monday. “He also explained some unfortunate things that are happening in the (cycling) system." "I have admitted to taking illegal substances. What cyclist could say anything to the contrary?" the 30-year-old Gaumont told French police. Police have questioned several riders from the Cofidis team and have seized human growth hormones,

When you feel the cold blast of the Mistral on your face in this final week of January or skid on the ice that formed overnight on the roads above the French Riviera, it doesn’t seem like a new European road season is about to get underway. But this coming Sunday, the day that cyclo-crossers will be battling for their world title in Brittany, 15 pro teams will line up for the first of five days of racing on the Spanish island of Mallorca. “Mallorca is always hard,” said American Christian Vande Velde earlier this week at his Spanish base of Girona, prior to attending Tuesday’s media

Hi Lennard,I have an opportunity to buy a new frame (steel with carbon fiber rearstays) that has a 1-1/8-inch head tube for an integrated head set. A coupleof years ago I bought a 1-inch threadless carbon fiber fork -- with steelsteerer tube -- that I'd like to use rather than having to buy an 1-1/8-inchfork.I have three questions:1. Is there a product (headset or adapter) on the market that fits 1-inch forks to a 1-1/8-inch frame?2. Are there any shims that can be used with a 1-1/8-inch head setto fit 1-inch forks?3. Do you have any other suggestions or do I have to buy a 1-1/8-inch

Cofidis's Cedric Vasseur, questioned by police last week in the latestdoping affair to hit French cycling, claims drug cheating is no longersystematic.However, former Festina manager Bruno Roussel says it's time for theauthorities to wake up to reality.Cycling was discredited in the 1998 Tour de France when the Festinateam was expelled after police uncovered stocks of prohibited substances.The scandal effectively prompted the creation of the World Anti DopingAgency (WADA).Vasseur was taken into custody with team-mate Phillipe Gaumont - whowill be charged after he admitted using the banned

Despite earlier reports that Lance Armstrong will race in the Tour de Georgia, the five-time Tour de France champion won’t decide on his domestic racing program until later this week. “Armstrong will have a decision on his North American race calendar this week. Despite earlier news reports, no decision has been made regarding the Tour de Georgia,” said Bill Stapleton, chief executive officer of Tailwind Sports and Armstrong's agent. Stapleton was quoted on Armstrong’s official web page (www.LanceArmstrong.com). Armstrong has said he’d like to race and train more in the United States this

Alejandro Valverde has received a nice pay raise and will earn closeto 1 million euros per season in a new deal signed with the Comunidad Valenciana-Kelmeteam (formerly Kelme) and will lead the team until at least 2007.Valverde was Spain’s revelation last season, winning two stages andfinishing third in the Vuelta a España and taking silver at theworld road championships in Canada.Despite efforts by other teams to lure Valverde away from the troubledKelme team, the Valencia regional government stepped up to ensure the team’sfinancial future and secure Valverde’s services, the Spanish daily

It’s not quite the Champs-Élysées, but for the tens of thousands who turned out for the final stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under on Sunday it was a race finale to rival anything on the world stage. Not only did top sprinters Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen take the top-two finish spots for the day, one of Adelaide's favorite sons, Patrick Jonker, duly bowed out a winner after a distinguished 14-year career in the pro ranks. Jonker, 34, earmarked this year's event as his last as a professional cyclist, and in a fairytale ending he achieved a dream result.

After three months away from the team, we are all back together again – with a few new additions – to prepare for another season. We are in southern California, just outside of Santa Barbara. We have enjoyed solid sunshine throughout the week (at least until Saturday) and have been taking advantage of the quiet winding roads and surrounding hills to improve our fitness before heading back over to Europe for the start of the season. For the past three months Dede and I have enjoyed several months at home in Boulder. It has been nice being settled in one spot, together. The last few years we

Ben Day, Queensland’s time-trial champion, led home an all-Aussie trifecta in the penultimate stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under at Willunga on Saturday. While the Team Australia rider won in style, beating Tour de France sprinters Robbie McEwen (Lotto) and Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com)after attacking 3km from the finish, it will be South Australian Patrick Jonker who will be acclaimed the overall victor when the Tour ends on Sunday. Jonker, 34, riding in his swansong tour after a distinguished career, holds a nearly unassailable 1:34 lead over McEwen with Belgian Philippe Gilbert

French cyclist Cedric Vasseur, held by police for 48 hours while questioned on suspicion of doping, pleaded his innocence on Saturday. "I have nothing to do with what's going on. I have my line of conduct and I stick to it," the 33-year-old Cofidis rider, who wore the Tour de France yellow jersey for five days in 1997, told a media conference. "This affair is not a Cofidis problem, it's a problem for some individuals." Vasseur was arrested for questioning last Tuesday alongside teammate Philippe Gaumont after police raided Cofidis headquarters and the office of one of the team doctors.

Australian Patrick Jonker maintained his overall lead after Friday's 141km fourth stage of the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under as Lotto’s sprinter Robbie McEwen won his second bunch finish. Jonker finished in the main field in 28th, holding on to a 1:38 advantage in general classification over McEwen, who moved into second place overall. McEwen, who was disappointed to finish third in yesterday’s sprint into Victor Harbor, said today’s win makes up for that loss. “It’s still always going to be the one that got away but it’s good to be able to win today,” he said, adding that he hadn’t planned

Lefevre expects – and wants – Armstrong to win No. 6Quick Step-Davitamon boss Patrick Lefevre said he doesn’t see anyone capable of keeping Lance Armstrong from winning a record sixth Tour de France. “If he’s healthy this year, we’ll see Lance stronger in 2004 than last year,” Lefevre told VeloNews this week. “We saw him with the problems he overcame last year. He was fighting back like a great champion. I don’t know his situation, but with his divorce, his fall in the Dauphine, the way he fought back, I have no one to beat him this year. I want to beat him in 2005.” Lefevre said Quick

Cycling's world governing body announced on Friday that an Australian-pioneered test to detect illicit blood transfusions will be used for the first time this season. The Union Cycliste Internationale's move comes in the wake of a new doping scandal in France that has already led to the arrest of several current and former members of the Cofidis team, whose soigneur Bogdan Madejak is still being held by police in connection with distributing banned substances. In tapped telephone conversations French police also claim to have heard Madejak suggesting to Polish rider Marek Rutkiewicz that

FDJeux.com’s Philippe Gilbert was a brilliant winner of Thursday's third stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under, but South Australian Patrick Jonker (UniSA )has all but guaranteed he will finish his illustrious career on an high note. Jonker, 34, took over the leader's yellow jersey from David McPartland (Team Australia) and now leads the overall standings by 1:39 at the half-way mark of this six-day stage race. It’s a situation that Jonker, who has earmarked this event as his swansong, would have only dreamed about. And it came about Thursday because he had the legs to ensure he was in

Tour de Georgia officials announced Wednesday that the Dodge division ofDaimler-Chrysler has renewed its title sponsorship for the 2004 event,scheduled April 20 – April 25.Specific course details were not included in Wednesday’s announcement,but promoters promised to unveil the route and offer a list of participantsat a “media event” scheduled for February.“We are extremely pleased to renew Dodge as the title sponsor and tocontinue building the prestige and global scope of the Dodge Tour de Georgia,”said John Rice, Chairman of the Georgia Partnership for Economic Development,the non-profit

French police are calling Cofidis rider Philippe Gaumont a central playerin the growing doping investigation that’s threatening to overwhelm cyclingbefore the start of the 2004 racing season. According to a report in L’Equipe, Gaumont is said to be oneof the suppliers of EPO and other doping products that’s the center ofan investigation started last week when police questioned two former Cofidisriders -- Marek Rutkiewicz and Robert Sassone – as well as a Cofidis soigneur,Bogdan Madejak. Gaumont also reportedly admitted to taking EPO, accordingto L’Equipe. Gaumont and teammate Cedric Vasseur

Young New South Wales rider David McPartland (Team Australia) celebrated the signing of a new professional contract by winning the second stage of the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under in emphatic fashion Wednesday. And the victory, over Dutchman Alain Van Katwijk (Bankgiroloterij) and South Australian Patrick Jonker (UniSA), was enough to catapult the 23-year-old from Albury into the leader's yellow jersey. A last-minute replacement for top international Scott Sunderland, McPartland's best domestic performance before yesterday was winning the national under 23 category in the 2002 Australian

Tim Johnson will make his debut Friday in his new colors at the Saunier Duval team presentation in northern Spain. His bosses are already saying good things about the former Saturn rider. “Our co-sponsor, Prodir, has an interest in the American market and Johnson appeared to me as one of the best in the country,” team manager Joxean Fernandez told the Spanish cycling weekly Meta2Mil. “He has a big motor and he’s good in all terrain. I met him when he was racing at Saturn and he always impressed me with his strength.” Fernandez said Johnson will be racing at the 2004 Giro d’Italia, with the

Dear Lennard,Your maintenance book has been a great help to me in building my firsttwo bikes. I've noticed from your book that you've recommended changingthe chain approximately every 1500 miles. Of course, I read this afterI put 4k on my current drivetrain! I have a Campy record 10-speed groupwith 13-26 in the back. I use dry lube. It still shifts great and wearlooks very low. There hasn't been any skipping at all.Could you please clarify for me about this issue; Are you suggestingthat the same cassette be kept and the chain switched out every 1500 miles?I've read conflicting suggestions on

Robbie McEwen and arch rival Graeme Brown were involved in another controversial start to the Jacob's Creek Tour Down Under Tuesday. But unlike last year when Brown was disqualified for not holding his line, the chaotic finish saw McEwen win clearly from Dutch champion Rudi Kemna and NSW`s Mark Renshaw, with Brown fourth. However, there was utter confusion in the last lap when a breakaway group of 12 riders, led by Victorian David McKenzie (Navigators), caught the main field, and Brown accused McEwen's Lotto-Domo teammates of blocking his run. A fuming Brown labeled the event "an absolute

While his teammates are in Italy, Jose Antonio Pecharromán is hopingfor a “strong start” to his 2004 season at the Tour Down Under. The 25-year-oldwas picked up by Quick Step following his impressive 2003 season, withvictories in the Bicicleta Vasca and the Volta a Catalunya.“I am going to start the season strong, racing in the first competitionsof the season, to be competitive at the Tour of Valencia (Feb. 24-28),”Pecharromán told the Spanish daily MARCA. “Depending on howthings go, I could be on the Tour team, even though my principal goal ofthe season is the Vuelta a

German cycling great Jan Ullrich said Monday that he is optimistic that he can end Lance Armstrong's five-year reign as Tour de France champion. The 30-year-old 1997 Tour de France winner, on the island of Mallorca for team camp, said his T-Mobile team was the strongest squad he had ever lined up with as he seeks to shake off his bridesmaid's tag which has seen him fill the runners-up spot five times - three of them behind Armstrong. "This is the strongest team I've raced with," said the Olympic road race champion, who pushed Armstrong all the way last year losing by just over a

Reigning world time trial champion David Millar defended his Cofidis team despite some current and former members being caught up in the latest doping scandal to rock cycling. "We are not cheats," Millar told the English daily The Guardian on Monday. "I'm confident in the team and I hope Cofidis remain in cycling for a long time." Last week, French police began an investigation into team masseur Bogdan Madejak and former Cofidis racer Marek Rutkiewicz. Rutkiewicz is accused of smuggling growth hormones and other drugs into France, but said this week he is innocent of anything involving

Marek Rutkiewicz, the Polish rider who last week was reportedly caught by French police in possession of banned substances, has hit out at being made a scapegoat in an affair which he says has been blown out of proportion. As part of the investigation, Rutkiewicz’s former Cofidis team was under the spotlight last week as he was arrested along with Cofidis soigneur Bogdan Madejak. Madejak is accused of being part of a smuggling ring and has now been suspended by the team, who boast a string of top riders including world champions David Millar (time trial) and Igor Astarloa

Canberra cyclist Oenone Wood won the road race on Saturday at the BMC Software Australian Open Road Championships, two days after claiming victory in the individual time trial. The 23-year-old Wood barely outsprinted Victoria’s Katie Mactier after 10 laps of a 10km course in Buninyong. Sara Carrigan of Queensland crossed third. “It’s pretty amazing, and I don’t think it’s quite registered yet,” said Wood. “To win with such a quality field, I’m amazed.” The race began in wet, cold and windy conditions, and although the rain let up by the third lap, the wind and cold made it tough going. But

After what he admits were five dark years struggling to rediscover the winning formula that shot him to the 1998 Tour de France podium, Bobby Julich says he’s excited about the 2004 racing season. Julich said he’s rediscovered his passion for racing after joining Bjarne Riis at Team CSC in what he admits is his “last chance” to return to glory. “I was very close to retirement and I’m very happy to get this chance to ride with Bjarne,” Julich told VeloNews during the team’s training camp in Lucca, Italy. “I feel like I’ve gotten my last chance.” Since his meteoric rise to third place in

Kelme and Domina Vacanze will roll on as Division II teams for the 2004 season, according to the UCI, which on Friday released its official list of second-division teams for the upcoming season. Earlier this month, both teams failed to meet UCI requirements for continuing in cycling’s first division, which gave them automatic berths in many of the sport's top races. Also confirmed among the 18 teams in Division II is the Navigators Insurance team. Four other teams are on a pending list and have until January 28 to provide more documentation. Division II teams for the 2004 season:Acqua &

The Navigators cycling team is hustling to get its star sprinter squared away in time for Tuesday's start of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia. Race director Mike Turtur, noting that the Navigators only drew an invitation to race last month, said Russian speedster Vassili Davidenko has been encountering visa problems. "We're still hopeful,” Turtur told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “We've got him on a booking on the 16th out of New York, but I think time might be against us." Never fear, says Navigators business manager Ray Cipollini. “Yes, there has been a delay due

Well, the holidays are certainly over – here at VeloNews, we're hard back at it. I'm working on putting together our second Buyer's Guide, which means I'm up to my eyeballs in catalogs, price sheets and unreadable-image CDs. Our guide isn’t one of those all-inclusive publications, providing the brand and make of every single bicycle on the market – instead, it’s a selective compilation showcasing what we feel are the crown jewels and best values of 2004. So far, it's obvious that most of our pro-level road bikes incorporate carbon into their frames (if they’re not entirely built of carbon).

Polish rider Marek Rutkiewicz and Cofidis soigner Bogdan Madejak have been charged with illegally possessing and supplying toxic drugs. Police said Thursday that Madejak, the Polish soigner on the Cofidis staff, was held on remand while Rutkiewicz, who left Cofidis last year, was released on police bail. The 2001 world track champion Robert Sassone, who also left Cofidis last year, and Madejak's wife and pharmacist daughter were due to be brought before an investigating magistrate. The police investigation, which started eight months ago, centers on some elements of the Cofidis team. The

Dear Monique,What is the scoop on ZMA? I have been trying to find out about thisrelatively new supplement. Is it safe? Is it effective? Isn't ZMA essentiallya mixture of vitamin B6, zinc, and magnesium?DRDear Monique,In papers worldwide, there has been concern over THG and its relationshipto the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO). ZMA, a product relatedto BALCO and SNAC Systems is on the market. Is ZMA fuel safe and untaintedby illegal substances and anabolic precursors? Can you provide a breakdownof the product? Are there any benefits to taking the product? Thanks,KGDear DR and KG,ZMA

Marco Pantani celebrated his 34th birthday Tuesday without much hope of returning to cycling's elite level. The former Giro d'Italia and Tour de France is 15 kilos overweight and isn't expected to race this year, according to a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport. While Pantani won't officially say he's retired, his father, Ferdinando, says it's not likely 'The Pirate' will roam cycling's peloton this season. "Between 1 and 10 for him to comeback to cycling, I see it as a chance of 1," the paper quoted the racer's father. "Marco is a sensitive man and all this has been too much for

Funky disco drop-outDear Lennard;Last Saturday I installed a new Kelly rigid mountain bike fork on aGunnar Ruffian. Friends at the shop were a little miffed by the drop-outson the fork. Seems that they are, in a sense, forward/upward facing. Somephone calls yielded some vague information about problems with wheels runningdisc brakes coming loose from 'standard' forks. Can you comment on thisproblem? Can you tell me if you've seen Kelly's solution to the problem and,if so, what you think of the design?Judd Dear Judd;Well, you can just barely see that the dropouts face forward on thatKelly

Just days after the Cofidis team presentation, the French daily L'Equipe is reporting Tuesday that a current trainer and one its former team members, Marek Rutkiewicz, are suspected of operating a "vast" drug ring between Eastern Europe and the peloton. According to reports, police acted on a tip and stopped Rutkiewicz -- a 23-year-old Polish rider formerly with Cofidis and newly signed with French team RAGT Semences-MG Rover (formerly Jean Delatour) -- at Charles de Gaulle airport Monday night in Paris. Rutkiewicz was taken into custody after police allegedly found doping paraphernalia.

Britain's David Millar is relishing his appointment as the sole leader of France's number one cycling team Cofidis - and an upcoming season which he hopes to top with Olympic time trial gold. The new-look Cofidis team was unveiled here on Friday with some high-powered new additions intended to make the French outfit a serious rival for the likes of T-Mobile and Quick Step in the various one-day and stage races during the 2004 season. Australians Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole) and Matthew White (U.S. Postal) have joined the fold, and the team now boasts three reigning world champions –

Jan Ullrich did not travel with the T-Mobile team for their training camp beginning in Mallorca on Saturday after being struck down with a bout of flu. The German rider, 30, will rest in bed while his teammates brace themselves for a two-week training program on the island. "Perhaps it is good to get this illness out of the way so early in the season," Ullrich said. "Hopefully I can prepare myself thoroughly in the next few weeks without any hiccups." Ullrich joined the T-Mobile team this year from Bianchi and has his sights set on deposing American nemesis Lance Armstrong in this year's

Two-time Vuelta a España champion Alex Zülle, former world champion Oscar Carmenzind and two other pros were intentionally driven into a guard-rail by an angry motorist Thursday in Spain. Zülle, Carmenzind (both Phonak), compatriot Fabian Jeker (Saunier Duval) and Santos González (Phonak) were training near Alicante in southern Spain when an 84-year-old driver exchanged heated words with the pros and then forced them into a guard-rail with his vehicle, the EFE wire services reported. Jeker suffered a three-inch cut in his left thigh while Zülle was taken away in an ambulance, received five

Former world champion Mario Cipollini's Domina Vacanze team and the Spanish squad Kelme, which won the team title at the 2000 Tour de France, have been denied places on cycling's elite list for 2004, the Union Cycliste Internationale said on Friday. They were among six teams, including the U.S. Postal team of five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, that the governing body had asked for more information before Thursday. “On the basis of the complement of information given to the UCI since the 22nd of December 2003, and following the advice given by Ernst & Young, the PCC could

WARNING: WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ CONTAINS SEVERAL EXPLICIT REFERENCES TO MOTORCYCLES. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THE OF NOTION OF NON-HUMAN-POWERED TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES, PLEASE SKIP TO ANOTHER SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE NOW. Well, I just got back in from a bit of vacation time over the holidays [hope you had a good one]. Instead of the usual “hang-out-and-eat-and-drink-myself-silly” holiday, I chose to head south of the border with a pal of mine for a little two-wheeled adventure. As much as I’m a fan of the mountain bike, I had to concede that this trip required a bit more oomph in order to

This year, German classics man Steffen Wesemann turned from Australia to Arizona for his winter training home base and he's glad he did.“I never had such good training conditions before,” Wesemann said on the T-Mobile web page. “The climb to Mount Lemon is hard and the view from the top is amazing.”Wesemann has hit the roads of Australia for the past three years, but chose Arizona to “try something new,” for his lead-in to team camp on the Spanish island of Mallorca. The 2002 Paris-Roubaix runner-up put in 4000 kilometers and usually joined up with American pros “so we were never less than

The directors of the Webcor cycling team announced Thursday that they had signed sprinter Charles Dionne for 2004. "We are thrilled to have Charles aboard," said team director Frank Scioscia. "Dionne is unique in his ability to be a fast finisher in criteriums as well as a powerhouse in incredibly difficult road races like the San Francisco Grand Prix. He will be a significant part of the formula for creating a winning team." Dionne's breakout 2002 season included a solid win at the San Francisco Grand Prix by outsprinting a small breakaway group that included several seasoned European

After two forgettable seasons, 2001 Vuelta a España champion Angel Casero is hoping to rediscover his winning legs for the 2004 season. “I’ve had two difficult seasons. In 2002, I had problems with my knee and I couldn’t race the Tour and it impeded my preparation for the Vuelta, where I finished sixth. And last year the situation with the team was truly chaotic,” Casero told the Spanish daily AS. Casero is set to ride for Kelme, though there’s no signed contract yet. “I have a lot of motivation for this season. After such a hard year that I had, with the disappearance of Coast, the

Dear Lennard;I've seen many times when you recommend a pair of custom orthoticsto alleviate many common cycling issues. I plan on having a pair made formyself, but therein lies my question: when shopping around for a podiatrist(I've heard too many stories about people purchasing expensive orthotics,which then turned out to not be effective), what does an athlete need tospecifically ask or have done to maximize their monetary efficiency? I know that all custom orthotics will be different based on the individual'sneeds, but I'd like some advice from a man who's had effective orthoticsmade. Are

Tour de France prologue winner Bradley McGee said he’s planning on making an all-out assault on the 2004 Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under as a springboard to what he hopes is an Olympic medal. “I'm confident I'll have better form than I did this year so I can attack the race because my goal is for a strong early season,” said the FDJeux.com rider in an interview on the race web page. “The best way to ensure I'll be firing when I get back to Europe is to be in the race and competitive in South Australia.” Set to join McGee in the TDU (Jan. 20-25) are 2003 Tour de France stage winner and green

Reigning Giro d’Italia champion Gilberto Simoni kick-started his season– literally – over the weekend, competing in 7.5km cross-country skiingrace near his hometown of Trento, Italy.Simoni and Saeco teammate Leonardo Bertagnolli participated in the racewhich drew more than 5,000 skiers. For the 32-year-old two-time Giro champion,it marked the transition into formal preparations for the upcoming season.“As with tradition, I’ll start my preparation at home then join my teammatesin Terracina,” Simoni told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “Some of myteammates will race in Qatar, but I prefer to stay and

Italian national team cycling coach and former race star Franco Ballerini has been called before a judge in Florence to answer charges of taking doping products in 1998, the year he won Paris-Roubaix for the second time, the Ansa news agency reported Sunday. Ballerini will appear before a judge at Pistoia, just outside Florence on January 14, to answer charges of taking anabolic steroids. His summoning comes following an enquiry opened by a court at Brescia which implicated former national coach Antonio Fusi and nine riders including Ballerini on charges of “sporting fraud,” a crime which

Japanese rider Masahiko Mifune, just four days short of his 35th birthday, upset a star-studded field to win the $60,000 Hong Kong Cycle Classic on Sunday. Mifune of the World Wide Cycling team from the Netherlands, outsprinted Australia's Cameron Hughes and Slovakian ace, Milan Dovrscik to claim the top prize in the 80km individual circuit race. "This is one of my favorite circuits and I felt good at the finish. I had some luck at the finish and I think it was tactics that won the day for us," said the 34-year-old Belgium-based Japanese. Mifune sat back and made his move around 500 meters

Jan Ullrich spent his holidays on the Spanish island of Mallorca, training, we assume. The German star was spotted riding with several T-Mobile teammates and will return to the Mediterranean island later this month for more training. The Spanish daily AS reported the 1997 Tour de France champion will make his 2004 season debut at the Mallorca Trophy, Feb. 1-5. USPS ‘getting fixed’Lance Armstrong’s U.S. Postal Service team status for the 2004 season is still pending, but team director Johan Bruyneel said it’s just a matter of paperwork. “We had some delay with the paperwork, mainly because

Oleg Grichkine (Moscow City Sports Association) clinched overall victory in the Tour of South China Sea today as teammate Sergey Koudentsov won the closing stage-eight criterium in Macau. Grichkine won four of the tour’s eight stages to finish 17 seconds up on Kam Po Wong (Pocari Sweat Hong Kong) and 31 ahead of Peter Milostic (Bicisport Australia). Grichkine also claimed the points competition. Meanwhile, the U.S.-based Navigators cycling team announced that Grichkine would no longer race with the squad and would instead concentrate on his work with the Russian national team. “The

Spain’s national team coach, Paco Antequera, said he’s already named three riders who will be part of the five-man Olympic road-race team to compete in Athens in August. Antequera told the Spanish daily MARCA that world champion Igor Astarloa, runner-up Alejandro Valverde and two-time world champion Oscar Freire top the list. “Freire, Valverde and Astarloa, even though he doesn’t like the heat, are the focus of my plans,” Antequera said. “The three are winners, they ride well in the hills and are quick, which is what you need in these kinds of races. The other two places will be the time

Challenger Wong Kam Po (Pocari Sweat Hong Kong) gave it all he had in stage seven of the Tour of South China Sea, but there was no wresting the overall lead from Russian Oleg Grishkin (Moscow City Sports Association) Maros Kovac (Dukla Trencin) won the hilly stage on Coloane, Macao, but the real race was between Grishkin and Wong, first and second on GC. After a couple of early breaks were reeled in, Wong attacked with five laps to go, joined by Alexey Kolessov (Kazakhstan National Team) and Robert Nagy (Dukla Trencin). Grishkin’s team kept the move under control, commanding the front of

The Navigators have confirmed the team’s lineup for the 2004 Jacob’s Tour Down Under, set for January 20-25 in Adelaide, Australia. The eight-man team will include Siro Camponogara, Vassili Davidenko, Jeff Louder, David McKenzie, Kirk Obee, Ciaran Power, Burke Swindlehurst and Phil Zajicek. Henk Vogels, the team’s Aussie star on the comeback from his terrible crash last July, will not ride JCTDU but will join his teammates for a short training camp before the race. The riders will then participate in an official team camp and presentation in Italy in early February and stay in Europe to

Dear VeloNews.com readers. Wishing you a New Year filled with good health and happiness. I look forward to your questions for 2004. Monique Dear Monique,Had a quick question about the rising levels of mercury found in our fish sources. I’m famous for my diet of canned tuna. I can easily go through a can or two of BumbleBee white albacore tuna in water a day. From what I’ve read, this could easily put me at risk for mercury poisoning. What’s the latest on this issue? Thanks,CP. Dear CP,That is a very good question, as the American Heart Association advises us to eat two fish meals per

Dear Lennard,So there are two Giro TT helmets, right? (The round one that everyone has and the square one that Lance rides.) In the Vuelta I noticed that David Millar was wearing the square variant. What's the deal with this? Is one faster in certain conditions? Why David and Lance?– Geoff Dear Geoff,As far as I know, Lance’s helmet is not available for sale, whereas the other one is. Lance’s was designed specifically for him and works well with the hump in his back. Apparently, Millar has reason to believe that it is fast for him, too. When I was at the final time trial in the Tour in 2001,

The Moscow City Sports Association team showed that they are the class of the field on Tuesday in the Tour of South China Sea. During the sixth stage at Zhuhai, the team worked like a well-oiled machine to deliver Russian sprinter Oleg Grishkin to his fourth win in this tour. Kam Po Wong (Pocari Sweat Hong Kong) collected six bonus seconds by finishing second, and that may prove important in the final calculations, as he is the favorite in Wednesday’s stage on Coloane Island, which finishes up a steep climb. The stage began with a flurry of attacks. American Chris Baumann (Sierra

Russian sprinter Oleg Grishkin (Moscow City Sports Association) won the fifth stage of the Tour of South China Sea on Monday, taking the bunch sprint just ahead of Aussie Brett Aitken (Bicisport Australia). It was the third victory so far in the eighth annual race for Grishkin, who claimed stages one and four, and holds the overall lead just 13 seconds ahead of Kam Po Wong (Pocari Sweat Hong Kong) and a further second over Aitken. The tour has been a sprinter’s race since stage three, and while Grishkin didn’t look good in the hilly second stage, where he briefly surrendered the jersey to

World time trial champion David Millar says the 2004 Athens Olympics will overshadow the Tour de France in his season’s goals and is eyeing an appearance in track racing to bolster his chances. “I competed in the Sydney Olympics and it was a great lesson for me,” Millar said in a press conference this month. “The Athens Olympics are now one of my biggest objectives from here on. The Tour de France is my second objective for next year, and the World Championships will come third. “Sydney was a magnificent experience, and I learned a lot. I now know what to expect from the Olympics, and yes,

Joseba Beloki sounded like a lot of other riders at last week’s 2004 Vuelta a España presentation: The route looks great, but the Tour de France is the priority. “It’s likely I will race both the Vuelta and the Tour, but the Tour will always be the most important race for me,” the three-time Tour podium finisher told VeloNews. “The Vuelta course looks very challenging, and it’s one I like and I’d like to win, but there’s the Tour and perhaps even the Olympics, which every athlete dreams about.” Beloki was all smiles at the presentation ceremony, especially since his injuries have healed

The Navigators will be heading to Australia after the New Year to make its season debut in the Jacobs Creek Tour Down Under, Jan 20-25. The team will join 11 other squads in what’s the first major race of the 2004 season. Heading to Australia will be Siro Camponogara, Vassili Davidenko, Jeff Louder, David McKenzie, Kirk Obee, Ciaran Power, Burke Swindlehurst, and Phil Zajicek. They will hook up with their Aussie teammate Henk Vogels for a brief training camp prior to the race, the team reported. The official team camp and presentation will follow the JCTDU with a complete team gathering in

More than a dozen Americans will be racing in Europe this season, ranging from five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong to newbies like Tom Danielson, Tim Johnson and Patrick McCarty. U.S. Postal Service remains the engine behind the strong American presence in Europe, with eight riders representing the colors across the pond. But there’s growing diversity in the American expatriate community, with seven teams from Denmark, Italy, Spain, Holland and Switzerland boasting a Yankee rider, and the U.S.-based Navigators planning another springtime assault on the continent. Americans are

U.S. Postal Service and Fassa Bortolo are among a handful of teams that have yet to be registered in TT1, according to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The teams of American Lance Armstrong and Italian Alessandro Petacchi – along with Alessio, Domina Vacanze, Kelme and Milaneza – have until January 8 to supply more information, according to the Professional Cycling Council (PCC). A spokesman for the PCC told the news service AFP that the council was "very optimistic" that the teams – particularly Postal and Fassa – would resolve any lingering questions by the deadline. The

Mario Cipollini says he will pull out of the Giro d’Italia early to prepare for an assault on the 2004 Summer Games, according to the Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport . The Lion King said he will race in the Giro until the first serious mountain stages and then head to Australia to train for what he hopes will be a slot on the Italian track team to race in the individual pursuit. The 2002 road world champion has flirted with the track before, but this time seems determined to make a run for a gold medal. Overlooked for the 2003 road world championships team, Cipollini would

U.S. Postal Service sport director Johan Bruyneel said the team’s paramount goal for the 2004 season is putting Lance Armstrong into the yellow jersey on the Champs Elysees for a sixth time. “In theory, (winning the Tour) is the only thing that counts. If we can do that, that’s history,” Bruyneel told VeloNews during the presentation of the 2004 Vuelta a España in Madrid on Wednesday. “It’s going to be difficult. This year was more difficult than other years, and we’ve tried to learn a few things from last year. It was a combination of things, and Lance is not improving anymore, but that

Kelme-Costa Blanca and Angel Casero reached a verbal agreement Wednesday for the 2001 Vuelta a España champion to join the Spanish green team for a one-year contract. News broke during Wednesday’s 2004 Vuelta presentation in Madrid, and Casero seemed relieved to get the deal done after finding few options for a contract next season after the collapse of his former employer at Team Bianchi. “We got it done this morning, and I have a verbal agreement with (Kelme team manager Pepe) Quiles, and the only thing left is to sign the papers,” Casero said. “I’m happy, and I look forward to getting

Alejandro Valverde was all smiles in Madrid on Wednesday while he watched Wednesday´s unveiling of the 2004 Vuelta a España. With 11 of the 21 stages hitting medium to hard mountain passes, Valverde and every other mountain goat sitting inside the posh King Juan Carlos convention center couldn´t help but smile. "It´s a climber´s fiesta," said Valverde, third overall last year. "It suits me, but it also suits a lot of other riders, too." Riders like Oscar Sevilla, Roberto Heras, Iban Mayo and Joseba Beloki all sounded like stuck records: lots of mountains, good for us. That comes as a

Five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong said on Wednesday that he intends to race in two more Tours before bringing down the curtain on his career. "I will probably run two more Tours de France in 2004 and 2005," Armstrong told the National Press Club of Washington. "The team is in place, and our preparation out of season has gone well." Armstrong added that he knew where his biggest challenge will come from when he defends his title in 2004. "Jan Ullrich is my biggest rival and the most dangerous," said the 32-year-old. –Copyright 2003/AFP

Dear Monique,In lieu of recent, and reoccurring, substance infractions committed by many elite athletes after taking relatively "safe" nutritional supplements, how can one go about ensuring that the product one takes is free of banned additives? Thank you,RC Dear RC,That’s an important question for the upcoming racing season, especially for elite athletes who rely on many types of legal sports nutrition supplements to support their training and recovery. In general, quality assurance of dietary supplements continues to be a concern, with some companies following good manufacturing

What would be the inaugural edition of the Vuelta a España femenina is back in the starting gates and already has its date on the UCI calendar (April 29 to May 9), but the race could be sidelined for a second year if efforts to secure a television contract fail. Plans last year to offer a women's Vuelta were scuttled when a title sponsor couldn't be lined up to cover the costs of a major stage race. Negotiations to ensure television coverage on Spain's national channel are on ice and are again threatening the race, according to reports on the Spanish wires. The race is tentatively scheduled

Dear Lennard;I wrote you this question right after I saw the downtube shifter onLance's bike last July, but I'm guessing it got lost in the flood of TDFe-mails, so here it is again:During one of the mountain stages, I saw an old-school front derailleurdowntube shifter on Lance's bike, and then in a later stage, I saw oneon Ullrich's bike. What is up with that? Were they really front shifters,or for something different?TedDear Ted;Yes, they are front shifters to save the weight of the STI or Ergopowerlever and extra cable and housing.LennardDear Lennard;I was intrigued by your statement that

Who would have known that Christmas would come early this year? Well, for the nerdy technical staff of VeloNews, anyway. Flashback to this past Friday. It’s the annual Christmas party for the management and staff of Inside Communications (the publisher of VeloNews), and everyone is all tidied up and pretending to be on our best behavior. As I’m loitering around the buffet line, secretly trying to hone in on the calamari, I overhear our very own John Wilcockson mentioning something about “Tyler’s bike” to our editor, Kip Mikler. My attention switches from the succulent deep-fried squid to

Italian national team coach Franco Ballerini said performance in nextsummer's Tour de France will be the key element in his selection of riderswho will compete in the Summer Games in Athens in August.Ballerini, who led Mario Cipollini into the rainbow jersey in 2002,was quoted in Datasport during a bike festival in Milan on what his thinkingwill be next summer.“The Tour de France will help me define the hierarchy of the nationalteam that will race in Athens,” Ballerini said. “The Tour is always thebest indicator of form in perspective of an Olympic Games.”The comments are sure to rankle some

While the route of the 2004 Vuelta a España will be officially unveiled Wednesday in Madrid, route details are popping up everywhere in the Spanish media. The latest tease is that the course will skip the feared Angliru climb in northern Spain as well as the demanding Pyrénées and instead hit six summit finishes in central and southern Spain, including a climbing time trial up the grinding 35km climb up to the Sierra Nevada ski station in southern Spain. Details released in the Spanish daily AS reveal that a difficult mountain stage on the penultimate day will feature five climbs in the