Road

Dear Monique;I have a question about any potential negative health effects fromRed Bull. Particularly, does it contain ephedra or ephedra sulfates? Myweb research has yielded different answers to this. Some sites claim itdoes, while others insist it does not. A response to an e-mail I sent toRed Bull via their website claimed there was no ephedra in Red Bull, butso many websites (perhaps not credible ones), and many athletes I know,claim it does.I have been drinking Red Bull for about a year, only after very hardefforts or racing, and two months ago was diagnosed with a mild heart

Spanish climber Roberto Heras finalized his move to the Liberty-Seguras team on Wednesday when he signed a three-year contract. Heras' departure from Armstrong's U.S. Postal team was confirmed last week by the American team. Heras had a year of his contract left to run and Liberty had to pay a 1.6 million euro buy-out clause. Press reports in Spain say Heras will earn at least 1.2 million euros per season at Liberty, where he will be the number one rider after Joseba Beloki quit to join French team La Boulangere. Postal, meanwhile, has signed up Portugal's Jose Azevedo to replace Heras,

Solano Bicycle Classic president Scott Reynolds announced Tuesday that the 2004 edition of the race has been canceled. “Although we were encouraged by the support we had seen in the last several weeks, we have simply run out of time to plan for races early next April,” Reynolds said, following a meeting of the SBC board at his office. “The seven board members in attendance tonight were unanimous that the finances in particular were too uncertain at this point to move forward as we had planned.” Reynolds estimated that SBC was short about $35,000 in confirmed sponsorships out of a required

We had our first T-Mobile gathering for the 2004 season at the OlympicTraining Center in Colorado Springs last week. We met for four days, theobjectives were to spend time dialing in our positions on our new bikes,meet with the physiologists and nutritionists who are part of our PerformanceEnhancement Team, undergo some testing, outline our team goals, get toknow one another a little better and have a little fun partaking in some"team bonding" exercises. Actually, I came to camp thinking that Starbucks was a new sponsor of the team, as I had recently received a box of coffee, a coffee card

Jan Raas has quit as director of Rabobank and will be replaced by fellow Dutchman Theo de Rooij, the team announced on Tuesday. Raas had been at the helm of the Dutch team since 1996, but fell out with their sponsor as to what direction the team should take at their recent annual meeting. Rabobank will remain as the team’s title sponsor until at least 2005, with the Dutch bank expected to decide whether or not to extend that deal some time next year.Copyright AFP2003

Dear Readers;It's fall and, as is usually the case, some folks' hearts turn to cyclo-cross.I often get questions about brake selection on 'cross bikes, so I am offeringtwo recent examples.LennardDear VeloNews;Let me start by saying thanks to your magazine for making me a fanof cyclo-cross. I primarily ride the road with an occasional trip ontothe dirt on my mountain bike but have never owned or ridden a cross bike,my question is; why do cross racers prefer cantilever brakes over V-brakes?Mountain bikes changed over to V-brakes and/or disc brakes years ago forbetter brake performance, I don't

José Maria Jimenez, who died suddenly of a heart attack over the weekend, was buried Monday in his birthplace in El Barraco, near Avila in central Spain. The luminaries of Spanish cycling attended the ceremony, including his former Banesto teammates Miguel Indurain, Abraham Olano, Eusebio Unzue and Jose Miguel Echavarri. "Chava", as he was universally known, died of a heart attack on Saturday night at a Madrid clinic where he was being treated for the depression from which he had been suffering for the last two years. "The best thing we can do is to remember the good times he gave us all,"

Jose-Maria Jimenez, once touted as a successor to five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain, has died of a suspected heart attack at the age of 32. Jimenez, a nine-time Vuelta a España stage winner, suffered the attack in Madrid's San Miguel psychiatric hospital where he was a patient on Saturday, medical sources reported. The popular Jimenez, who was known for his exuberant personality, retired from professional cycling in 2002 suffering from severe depression. He had since fought valiantly against the debilitating affliction, but was in recent months hospitalized on several

Michael Rogers, the winner of several top end races this year and a key element in Richard Virenque's winning a sixth polka-dot jersey on the Tour de France, has been named the 2003 Australian Cyclist of the Year. Rogers, 23, is considered Australia's main future hope for overall victory in the Tour de France and showed his potential this year when he finished 42nd overall. The Canberra rider, who rides for the Italian Quick Step team, has been a revelation this year, getting his season off to a great start by winning the Route du Sud, the Tour of Germany and the Tour of Belgium - in all

Germany's Jan Ullrich has fired a warning shot to Lance Armstrong, saying that he intends to stake his claim for Tour de France glory over the next three years before he gets off the saddle for good. "I know how many years I can still challenge for the Tour de France crown," said Ullrich, who nearly derailed Armstrong's victory bid this year while riding for Bianchi, and since has moved to T-Mobile. "I can do it for the next three years. I am convinced that is my time." Ullrich, 30, won the world's biggest race in 1997 and has already come runner-up five times: in 1996, behind teammate

Lance Armstrong's U.S. Postal team has signed Portuguese cyclist José Azevedo to help in the Texan's quest to win a sixth straight Tour de France next year. Azevedo, 30, joins U.S. Postal on the week that the American outfit waved goodbye to Spaniard Roberto Heras, who has moved to the new Liberty squad. Heras played a significant role in Armstrong's phenomenal Tour successes. U.S. Postal's latest recruit is looking forward to his new job. "Lance Armstrong's going to be trying for his sixth consecutive victory in the Tour, and they've hired me to help him achieve that objective," Azevedo

The Sierra Nevada Cycling team has added Canadian Eric Wohlberg and New Zealander Glen Mitchell to its 2004 roster, team director Kurt Stockton reported Thursday from an introductory “meet-and-greet” team camp in Chico, California. While Mitchell and Wohlberg signed just recently, the team’s acquisition earlier this fall of 2001 NRC winner Trent Klasna had already bolstered it’s lineup considerably. With the addition of Mitchell, 32, and Klasna’s former Saturn teammate Wohlberg, 38, to a squad consisting primarily of younger, less experienced riders, Sierra Nevada has moved into the realm

The U.S. Postal team has confirmed that Vuelta a España champion Roberto Heras is set to leave the squad to join up with Manolo Saiz’s Liberty Seguros team. Heras played a key role in Lance Armstrong's last two successfulattempts at winning the Tour de France and his departure couldbe a blow to the American’s bid to earn another Tour win in 2004. The Postal team confirmed that the 29-year-old Heras reportedly will sign with former ONCE team manager Saiz, who has recently taken over the newly-formed Liberty Seguros squad. Saiz has been aggressively recruiting in recent weeks and has failed

It looks like winter has been playing hooky around these parts, which is just fine with me. I have actually had a chance to do some real mountain biking for the past two 55-degree, sunshine-filled days. You’ll get no complaints from me about there not being enough snow here in Colorado. I say let’s keep the riding season rollin’. Don’t get me wrong – not all of our recent riding has been in the relatively toasty 50-degree range. There have been a few days in the mid-30s, and light-snow days in the teens, too. These chilly days have given me the chance to break out a few samples of the latest

More compact issuesDear Lennard;In response to your Q&Aabout compact cranks - I know that Stronglight makes chainrings ina 130mm bolt pattern that will fit Shimano cranks in sizes down to 38T.Do you know of any companies that make rings in the 34-36T range in a 130mmsize? As much as I would like to save money and just buy new rings, swappingout my inner ring from a 39 to a 38 isn't enough to justify a change. IfI want an inner ring smaller than 38, is my only option to change the wholecrankset? I'm already at 12-27 in the back.BarryDear Barry;You cannot fit any smaller than a 38T on a

British cyclist Charles Wegelius, who failed a blood test during the Tour of Lombardy last October, has been cleared of doping by the UCI, his De Nardi team announced Tuesday. The 25-year-old rider, ranked 857th in the world, was excluded from the final leg of the 10-race World Cup, after a pre-race blood test showed his hematocrit level to be above the permitted threshold of 50 percent. A subsequent urine sample, which tested negative for the banned blood-boosting drug EPO (Erythropoietin), cleared the Finnish-born rider of doping. "The security commission and sporting conditions of the

Dear Doc;Mine isn't the usual write-the-doc-for-advice question. I am mostlyjust curious as to how dehydration affects one's hematocrit. Do red cellsalso lose fluid such that the net impact on hematocrit is minimal?This question is prompted by LanceArmstrong's severe dehydration in the first individual time trial ofthis year's Tour de France. Given the potential reduction in serum volumeassociated with such severe dehydration (6.5 kg), would Lance's hematocrithave exceeded the allowed limit in a post-race test, assuming a normalhematocrit with proper hydration? Was Lance subjected to a

In Issue 20 of VeloNews we provided information regarding thenutritional concerns of Master athletes. Both male and female enduranceathletes should take the proper steps in preventing osteoporosis, includingobtaining adequate calcium and vitamin D in their diet. An adequate intakeof these nutrients combined with weight bearing exercise is essential inthe prevention of osteoporosis. It is important that your calcium needsare met on a regular basis. From ages 30 to 50, men should obtain 800 to1000mg if calcium from their diet, or supplement as necessary. Calciumneeds increase with age, to 1200

Dear Lennard;I am considering changing my Dura Ace triple back to a double. I noticedthat FSA now makes a Carbon Pro Compact Crank with a 34/50. It would seemthat this combination would give me gearing that would benefit me duringthe "mountain" centuries that I enjoy. Any thoughts on the pros and cons of having a 34/50 crankset?PaulDear Paul;I just got one of these FSA cranksets myself to try out and ordereda Pinarello one as well. I have been intrigued by them ever since FaustoPinarello, who originated the modern incarnation of these size rings, ravedto me a couple of years ago about riding

There’s a ton of product to talk about, but first things first:58 years ago, on the 25th of November 1945, was the first day ofwork for a young Ernesto Colnago at the Gloria factory in Milan. Now that’san anniversary worth celebrating. On a more personal note: have spent a bit of time off the bike due toa bit of hardware removal surgery from my once-busted leg, but receiveda fine incentive last Friday to get off my butt and hit Boulder’s final‘cross race of the season. With any semblance of fitness long-gone, thelast thing I was looking to do was go head-to-head with the legion of

Daniel Baal, the man widely tipped as the next Tour de France chief, has quit as deputy director of the world's biggest cycling race, organizers Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) announced Monday. Baal, an outspoken anti-doping campaigner and regarded as the likely candidate to take over from director Jean-Marie Leblanc, had already planned to quit as ASO director of cycling at the end of January. The ASO group said that French television journalist Christian Prudhomme, 43, will join the team from January 1 and will be second in command to Leblanc. Prudhomme has worked in sports television

Saiz hopes to hook ValverdeFormer ONCE chief Manolo Saiz, now running the new Spanish team Liberty Seguros, wants to lure Alejandro Valverde away from his troubled Kelme team. The 23-year-old Valverde, runner-up in this year’s world road-race championships in Canada, recently told the French daily L’Equipe that while he hopes to continue with Kelme, he will leave the team if it cannot solve its money problems. And Saiz is ready to welcome him with open arms. "[Valverde] is an extremely interesting prospect," Saiz told L'Equipe. "I'm ready to begin negotiations with Kelme to get him." Kelme

Dear Monique;What advice can you offer readers who are interested not gaining weight and are concerned about overindulging during the holiday season? This can be a challenging time of year with more social events, decreased training, and just general holiday stress.Thanks,CRDear CR;The holiday season can be a challenging time for any endurance athlete,even with a regular commitment to your training schedule (albeit, a somewhatpared-down training schedule). Many useful holiday food tips really centeron your behaviors and habits, and simply require forethought, commitment,and planning. Of

Dear Doc;I have been wondering about how donating blood can affect an athlete'sperformance. Obviously, in the short term after a blood donation, performancewill be hindered, since there is less blood to carry the oxygen around.But what about long-term effects?How long after a blood donation does one's body typically recover? Isthere any type of "super-compensation" that may occur from continued trainingafter a donation? In other words, will continually putting a high demandon my cardiovascular system after donating cause my body to regeneratemore red blood cells than I had before the

Dear Lennard;What is your formula for measuring crank arm length? I have a 73cminseam with a size 39 foot. I have been on 170's for two years and havebeen able to progress with all training except hills. I was becoming frustratedbecause I'm only 130 pounds and should be able to fly up them. I've trieddifferent styles of climbing, etc. My husband and I decided the lack ofa 25 was not the issue; I just could not get on top of the gears I wasusing. I read your column and we had a 165mm from my son's bike and decidedto try.I feel I'm getting on top of the gear, a good feeling because I feelI have

Just stopped by the offices of Maverick American to say hi to the guys and ran into resident marketing guru, Steven Elmes. To be totally honest, I was officially on the Maverick premises to visit with our resident mad engineer/tester Mark Rhomberg who inhabits a small corner of the spacious 5000 square foot facility (complete with 1 acre backyard dirt jumping area) . On my way through the Maverick assembly area I ran into Elmes and his beautiful assortment of freshly painted Maverick frames. As he briefly showed me a few of the latest paint schemes Maverick is offering (my favorite was the

Just 48 hours from the August 28 opening of this year’s Eurobike trade show, Shimano lawyers filed an injunction against the SRAM corporation forbidding the manufacturer from exhibiting and distributing its new trigger-shifter line in Germany. Caught by surprise, SRAM scrambled to amend its ’04 catalogs and pull all of its trigger-shifter technology from its display at the trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. For almost three long months SRAM waited with bated breath to see if the German court would interpret its trigger shifter as being an infringement on Shimano’s RapidFire Plus

Joseba Beloki, has signed with the French La Boulangere team, his agent announced on Thursday. "Joseba has signed for two years, his brother Gorka has also signed a two year contract, and on Friday we'll see whether they'll be joined by a third cyclist, Mikel Pradera," Pablo Arregui told AFP. Beloki, a former ONCE rider, is considered one of the few cyclists capable of challenging five-time Tour winner Lance Armstrong in the mountains. He was forced to pull out of this year's race after a dramatic crash while Armstrong was on his heels. The 30-year-old's switch brings to an end his

Former ONCE star Joseba Beloki's plans for next year are still up in theair, after an intense round of negotiations with the new Stayer team collapsedTuesday.The Spanish sports daily Marca reported Wednesday that Belokiand his attorneys failed to reach final agreement with the new Spanish/Italianroad team after ten days of discussions. The 30-year-old Spaniard and hislawyer Pablo Arregui closed off negotiations with the team and left Italydisappointed after failing to gain assurances on many of his financialand staffing demands.The team was reportedly unable to make salary guarantees that

Dear Monique;I read your response to the letter about consuming carbs before training,and I have to say I'm still confused.I train before work. I get up, get dressed, and immediately on the bike,usually for 1-1.5 hours. So, should I slam down an orange juice and bananabefore I go, or just go on an empty stomach, and drink sports drink whileI'm training?ThanksSTDear ST;Basically when you wake-up in the early morning, your liver glycogenstores are low as these stores breakdown overnight and maintain your bloodglucose levels.Most endurance athletes can tolerate some carbohydrate in the 30 to60

Dear Lennard;I wonder if you could share your opinion on the compatibility of carbonfiber handlebars with some of the current four-bolt designed handlebarstems that have a split faceplate.Without naming brands, I've been getting feedback from a representativeof one of the handlebar companies that the four-bolt/split-faceplate designcould create an unsafe (his word was "scary") connection with carbon fiberhandlebars and might even cause breakage. The problem is, this opinionis just that - an opinion - and I’m not hearing this same concernfrom anyone else.Because a handlebar breakage could be

Like many of you, I’ve spent a good chunk of my cycling season parked infront of my TV watching OLN’s impressive road and mountain bike racingcoverage. And with that coverage I’ve received an equally significant shareof marketing bombardment from our cycling-friendly friends at Subaru NorthAmerica. You know the pitch, somewhere between 15 and 20 times an hour,you get a healthy does of Lance telling you he (and the latest Subaru model)are, “Driven By What’s Inside.” Now, I’m not sure about you, but I fail to make a firm connection betweenthe motivational “drive” it takes a cyclist to win five

The second day of the Vergegear.com Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-Cross Championship Seriesdouble-header moved to Marysville, Pennsylvania for the Harrisburg City Islanders’ Rockville Bridge ‘Cross Classic. For the second day in a row, the Gearworks/Spin Arts duo of Marianne Stover and Anna Milkowski overpowered the Elite Women’s field to claim their second one-two finish of the weekend. As she did in the previous day’s Saturn Classic, Stover established a sizeable gap on the first lap and hammered on to extend that lead out to approximately one minute over teammate Milkowski. Hanging tough in

The route of the 87th Giro d’Italia was announced Saturday, with organizers promising a more demanding opening week and a shorter, tougher finish than in this year’s edition. A nearly all-Italian event comprising a prologue and 20 stages, with one start and finish in Croatia, the 2004 Giro will cover 3435 kilometers, with 12 flat stages, four rolling and three in the high mountains. Organizers concede that Italy’s grand tour will be “slightly biased towards climbers,” with only a single time trial; there were two races against the clock in both 2003 and ‘02. The longer stages will come

Italy's Gilberto Simoni, winner of the Giro d'Italia in 2001 and 2003, has challenged five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong to a Giro-Tour duel in 2004. Armstrong always focuses his season on the Tour in July. He has never ridden the Giro, which is raced in May. But at the official presentation of the 2004 Giro route on Saturday, Simoni called on the American to ride both races. "If Armstrong rode both the Giro d'Italia and then the Tour de France, we'd see how good he really is, for better or worse," Simoni said. "He has said he wants to ride the Giro at least once during his

Belgian Frank Vandenbroucke, who recently left the Quick Step team, on Friday signed a one-year deal with the Italian Fassa Bortolo squad, according to his manager, Paul De Geyter. "After his departure from Quick Step, Vandenbroucke had several choices but his preference always was for the Italian team,” said De Geyter, adding that team owner Giancarlo Ferretti hopes to see the Belgian tackle the classics and the Tour de France. Fassa Bortolo is the third Italian team for Vandenbroucke, following stints with Mapei and Lampre. The Belgian, who is recovering from a broken collarbone, faces

A funny thing happened last week - my house almost burned down. Well, to be perfectly honest, the Jamestown fire that started last Wednesday morning burned to within about five miles of my house in the Boulder foothills. Other than worrying about losing everything I own, and possibly getting burned alive in the box canyon that encloses my place, the experience was quite enlightening. I say “enlightening” because the unpleasant situation afforded me less than an hour to evaluate all my stuff and decide what to cram into the back of my little Volkswagen. Sure, grab the important documents

Dear Monique:I recently read an article by a physiologist that indicated that consuming food in the hour before a workout was detrimental to performance. The author claimed that the insulin released in the blood as a result of eating would tend to make an athlete sluggish and discouraged. She also indicated it would cause a lower fat burn. Ultimately she recommends eating no earlier than two hours before a workout. Although I cannot speak to the science, it seems counterintuitive to me, especially for an endurance athlete. What do you think?SS Dear SS:Many endurance athletes strive to keep

Can roof rack separate carbon fork and dropout?Dear Lennard,The fork dropout on my 1-inch Kestrel EMS Pro carbon fork with steel steerer (actually it's a Cannondale Slice fork made by Kestrel that came on my CAAD4) de-bonded on me. I didn't notice it until I was checking the tightness of the bike on the Yakima roof rack with the fork mount (full-length wheel tray and rear wheel stripped down). Do you think using a roof rack with the fork-mount set-up causes undo stress on the fork's dropout bonding? I notice that bikes mounted this way shake while driving down the road. I replaced the fork

Can roof rack separate carbon fork and dropout?Dear Lennard,The fork dropout on my 1-inch Kestrel EMS Pro carbon fork with steel steerer (actually it's a Cannondale Slice fork made by Kestrel that came on my CAAD4) de-bonded on me. I didn't notice it until I was checking the tightness of the bike on the Yakima roof rack with the fork mount (full-length wheel tray and rear wheel stripped down). Do you think using a roof rack with the fork-mount set-up causes undo stress on the fork's dropout bonding? I notice that bikes mounted this way shake while driving down the road. I replaced the fork

The Pittsburgh-based Fort-GPOA squad pulled off a double triumph Sunday in round five of the Vergegear.com Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-Cross Championship Series, winning both elite categories in the Beacon Cross in Bridgeton, New Jersey. In the women’s race, Betsy Schauer took early command and never looked back, though Megan Render (Snow Valley) never gave up and kept charging all the way to the line. Caitlyn Tuel (Sobe/Cannondale) rode solidly to claim third and Sami Fournier (Velo Bella) took fourth. Bonnie Stoeckl (Evolution Racing) finished fifth. In the men’s contest, Fort-GPOA teammates Ryan

Alison Dunlap (Luna) and Ryan Trebon (Easton-Kona) were the best of the best on Saturday at the Central Massachusetts Cyclo-Cross to End Homelessness in Worcester. The course in the UCI Cat. 2 race was dry and very fast, with riders in the elite men’s and women’s races turning laps of about five minutes. In the women’s race, the first lap saw a group of six riders coalesce, including Dunlap, Anne Knapp (Kona), Carmen D’Aluisio and Gina Hall (Clif Bar), Mary McConneloug (Seven Cycles), and Rhonda Mazza (Vanilla Bicycles-Sellwood Cycle). Constant pressure from D’Aluisio and Hall eventually

In the closing lap of Sunday’s Clif Bar/ECV Cyclo-cross race in Gloucester, Mass., round two of the Verge New England ‘Cross series, Ryan Trebon came up a couple corners and a few squirts of tubular glue short of turning in one of the most impressive set of upset wins in American cyclo-cross memory. Having won Saturday’s UCI race in Worcester, Massachusetts, Trebon (Kona East) again made the decisive break in Gloucester, storming off the front with Todd Wells (Mongoose-Hyundai) in what seemed likely to end up as a two-man sprint for the win.

Joseba Beloki, who dramatically crashed out of this year's Tour de France, is still uncertain as to whether he will join team manager Manolo Saiz at his new team. Saiz announced the name of his new team sponsor on Thursday: Liberty - a company which is part of multinational financial and insurance giant Liberty Mutual. The five-year sponsorship deal means that Saiz - one of the most experienced team managers on the international circuit - can build a team capable of challenging for major honors over the coming years. However former Festina rider Beloki - who has twice reached the podium at

Insurance company Liberty Seguros will succeed ONCE, as sponsor of one of Spain's leading cycling teams, director Manolo Saiz said on Wednesday. The sponsor, a division of the American insurance giant Liberty Mutual, has agreed to a five-year deal to finance the Spanish team. "Our aim is to keep the backbone of riders that made up the team to date," Saiz told reporters on Wednesday. He explained that leading riders such as Igor Gonzalez de Galdeano, Isidro Nozal and Marcos Serrano had already signed up for the new team. The news of the deal is a major boost to the sport in Spain and

Dear Monique;What is whey protein and when is it used?ThanksRGDear RG;Whey protein is a popular supplement for athletes who participate in strength or resistance training and is sold as a supplement for muscle building. Cow’s milk protein consists of 20 percent whey and 80 percent casein. When cheese is produced, the liquid whey is separated from the curd or casein. Dietary protein supplements of whey are usually whey protein concentrate, which is up to 89 percent protein. Another form is whey protein isolate which contains over 90 percent protein, and which contains very little fat or

Okay, okay, I spoke too soon. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned how clever I believed myself to be by running SpinSkins tire liners in the season kick-off cyclo-cross race here in Boulder. You see, Goathead thorn season is in full swing around these parts, and many of my less fortunate competitors fell victim to their penetrating bite. Me? I was able to finish the race thanks to the lightweight Kevlar tire liners I had installed the night before under my Michelin ‘cross tires. How clever I thought I was. Fast forward to the first annual VeloCross cyclo-cross race held in and around

Dear Lennard,I have two bikes. Each bike has the same saddle and handlebar.I set up both bikes with the same measurement from saddle tip to bottombracket. Each bike has the same measurement from saddle tip to the centerof the stem/handlebar. On one bike the stem blocks the view of the fronthub. On the other the front hub falls in front of the stem. I measuredand their is a 1cm difference from bb to front hub between the bikes.Should I be concerned that I can see the front hub? Should I usea longer stem? Will this effect my handling?--Jeff Dear Jeff,Don’t sweat it. If you are happy with your

Troubled star Marco Pantani could ride for Manolo Saiz’s new Stayer team next season, according to a report in the Spanish daily AS. Manuela Ronchi, Pantani’s manager and contact who helped line up Stayer to take over for departing lead sponsor ONCE, said there’s an “open door” for the Pirate to ride on next season. There’s even talk of Pantani becoming a sport director for the new team, but Ronchi insisted Pantani’s racing days aren’t over yet. “Knowing Marco, before he wants to become a sport director, he’d like to race for a team that’s not counting on the Tour organizers to make it into

Team CSC manager Bjarne Riis said he believes Ivan Basso has what it takes to win the Tour de France. In an interview in Monday’s La Gazzetta dello Sport, Riis said the 26-year-old is poised for greatness. “Basso will be our man for the Tour. That will be his principal goal,” said the 1996 Tour winner. Basso isn’t expected to start the Giro d’Italia and instead will focus on preparing for the Tour. With Tour stage-winner Tyler Hamilton heading to Phonak next season, Riis was anxious to find a rider with similar qualities to step in as team leader. Riis believes he’s found it in Basso. “He’s

American Tim Johnson on Sunday completed a fairytale ending to the VicRoads Herald Sun Tour when he came from behind to overwhelm leader Luke Roberts and claim the $10,000 winner's check. Trailing by 39 seconds before the tour's final stage on the torturous Australian Open course at Buninyong, Johnson, 26, surged from the peloton to join breakaway riders Scott Moninger and Scott Guyton with four of the eight laps remaining of the 10.2km circuit. The trio then defied the bunch to bring them back, although South Australian Roberts made a couple of fruitless attempts to bridge the gap. At

Former national cyclo-cross champion Marc Gullickson took advantage of a sparsely attended field at Soldier Hollow, Utah, taking top honors at yet another UCI event Saturday. While the majority of the country’s top racers were contesting a pair of UCI evens on the East Coast over the weekend, Gullickson found competition in Alan Obye (Balance Bar/Devo), who got out to an early lead before Gullickson took control, eventually finishing 39 seconds ahead. Obye held on to second place ahead of Bart Gillespie (Team Biogen). The women’s field saw only three starters, with Sally Warner (Team

Defending champion Sergio Barbero (Lampre) won a desperately close three-way battle in the final lap to capture his third Japan Cup cycling road race title in Utsunomiya, Japan, on Sunday. The Italian, who also won the 151.3-kilometer (94.6 mile) race here in 1999, took charge with fellow Italian Guido Trentin and Patrik Sinkewitz of Germany in the final lap of the 14.1km course north of Tokyo. Trentin, from the French Cofidis team, spurted to the lead in the last 500 meters, but Barbero went into overdrive to snatch a narrow victory for his second title of the season in four hours, three

The U.S. string of UCI-ranked cyclo-cross races swung back to the East Coast on Saturday with the Wooden Wheels Granogue ‘cross near Wilmington, Delaware. Despite a heavy morning frost that left the grassy track slick for the day’s opening races, weather conditions proved kind to elite racers, with the afternoon sun drying the course to a hard, fast surface. Held at Granogue Estate, on one of the several DuPont family estates that dot the rolling hills outside of Wilmington, the race’s tough power climbs, steep, barriered run-up, and numerous off-camber sections ensured that racers with

Lance Armstrong hinted Thursday he’ll skip June’s Dauphine Libéré race in his preparations for a run at a record sixth Tour de France victory. The week-long French race has been the Texan’s final dress rehearsal every June en route to five consecutive Tour titles, except in 2001 when he raced and won the Tour de Suisse. “I’m a little superstitious about the Dauphine,” Armstrong told the AP. “(Miguel) Indurain rode a fantastic Dauphine race there in 1996 and then lost the Tour to Bjarne Riis.” Armstrong said he will start “training for real” in December, in Austin, Texas, then join his U.S.

Five-time defending champion Lance Armstrong and his U.S. Postal directeur sportif Johan Bruyneel will need some very detailed maps and a big chunk of time to reconnoiter the route of next year’s Tour de France, which was announced in Paris on Thursday. New stages, new climbs, and two long individual time trials in the final five days will make this 97th Tour one of the most complicated and suspenseful in race history(see "2004 Tour: Armstrong says L'Alpe d'Huez TT pivotal"). The uphill time trial at L’Alpe d’Huez four days before the finish has attracted most of the media attention — and

The route for the 2004 Tour de France was unveiled during a 90-minutepresentation in Paris on Thursday, and judging by the remarks of five-timedefending champion Lance Armstrong, the showcase stage is getting the responsethat race organizers were hoping for. That showcase stage, according tobuzz in Paris, will be a 15km uphill time trial to L’Alpe d’Huez, the 16thstage of the 3395-kilometer race, July 3-25. “It’s a pivotal day, and probably the day that will decide the Tour,”Armstrong said of the Alpe d’Huez TT. “I suspect I’ll spend a lot of timeat Alpe d’Huez this next year.” It will be

The unveiling of next year's Tour de France route in Paris on Thursday had team managers and riders alike quietly bubbling with excitement with the suspense likely to be maintained all the way to Paris. The revamped Tour route means the likes of five-time defending champion Lance Armstrong and his closest challenger, Germany's Jan Ullrich, will be kept on their toes right up until the penultimate stage. The 2004 Tour starts in Liege (Belgium) and rides anti-clockwise around France for 3391km - with a potentially decisive individual time trial coming five days before the finish on the Champs

Ever get back from a vacation and only weeks later remember you still have undeveloped photos? In the digital age, there's less of an excuse but, nonetheless I still had a few left-over shots banging about my hard drive from the Interbike show. The following shots are some of random highs and lows of the 2003 Interbike trade show. Enjoy! Andrew--

The official details of the 2004 Tour de France won’t be announced untilThursday morning in Paris, but through a little detective work, some intuitionand a few wild guesses here’s what next year's route could looklike, stage by stage.Saturday, July 3: Liège Prologue Time Trial (6km)The prologue and the following two stages in Belgium were announcedsome time ago. This is a perfectly flat individual time trial startingand finishing on the famed Boulevard de la Sauvinière, where April’sLiège-Bastogne-Liège used to finish until the early 1990s.Should be a perfect

Dear Monique,I have a question about nutrient uptakes. I have vitamin/mineral fortifiedcereals in the morning with breakfast. I also take supplements, usuallyafter dinner. Would it be better to take the supplement with my breakfast?I suppose the high concentration of nutrients would allow them to takenup faster. Or maybe spreading them out over multiple meals allow the bodyto extract them more efficiently or selectively.Thanks.RSDear RS;Thanks for your question. Many of us consume fortified foods in ourdiet or choose to take a multivitamin mineral supplement for extra nutrientinsurance that

Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich will be among the big names gathering inParis on Thursday for the unveiling of the 2004 Tour de France.Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc will officially reveal the 2004 routein a flashy ceremony in the Palais des Congres in Paris. While it likelywon’t pack the pomp and circumstance of last year’s ceremony when nearlyall the surviving winners came to mark the Tour’s centenary, the annualunveiling ceremony is always a big show.There’s been plenty of speculation about where the course will go, butuntil Thursday’s ceremony it’s all just guess work. What’s known for

This is the final report card for the Hamilton Road World Championships.In my first report card, back in the spring, I assigned an overall gradeof B-Minus, and two weeks before the start of the event, the grade improvedto a B. Now, it is time for the final grade. As previously, grades areassigned for key aspects of the event and organization, followed by theoverall grade.Course: A+ (previously an A+)While the fields of competitors did not break up as much as expected,the course cannot be faulted. Teams rode defensively, with few riders willingto stick their neck out at the front of the race.

Belgian cycling great Johan Museeuw has announced plans to retire from the sport next spring, ending a 16-year career that has seen the “Lion of Flanders” win Paris-Roubaix three times. Museeuw inked an agreement this week to stay with his Quick Step–Davitamon team, but only through the first part of the 2004 season, when the 37-year-old will retire from the sport. According to a press release issued by Quick Step on Wednesday, Museeuw reached his decision at a meeting organised by the team in Brussels this week. Museeuw’s career will end with the GP Escaut – Scheldeprijs Vlaanderen,

Dear Lennard;I have used your book "Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance"quite a bit and love it. I just bought a road frame and am building a bikefrom scratch. Your book has lots of useful information, but I probablyneed more instruction on building up a bike (what order to do things in,etc.). Is there anything you can recommend?--JohnDear John;I can certainly recommend my "Mountain Bike Performance Handbook" ifyou are starting out with tapping and facing the bottom bracket and reamingand facing the head tube. You can buy that book from me directly, sinceVeloPress/VeloGear does not stock

Just a few weeks ago, ONCE and Banesto both seemed doomed to the history books and commentators were bemoaning the fate of Spanish cycling. There was talk of hundreds of professional racers, masseurs, sport directors and other personnel hitting the streets without a job. Following Monday’s news that Banesto will carry on with Balearic Islands, things are looking rather bright once again. ONCE seems poised to continue with the Italian tool-maker Stayer (though there’s been no official announcement) and Saunier Duval is stepping up from co-sponsor of the Vini Caldirola team to build its own

A new technical edict from cycling’s international governing body has sent professional cyclo-cross racers scrambling for new equipment… and maybe grasping for an explanation. According to a technical updated posted to USA Cycling’s website, professional cyclo-cross racers will no longer be able to run disc brakes in UCI sanctioned events. According to the report, the ban will take effect on November 1, 2003, forcing riders and sponsors to quickly re-equip bikes. In some cases, that replacement doesn’t come easily. According to Chris Peck, Cannondale’s director of research and development,

American Levi Leipheimer has signed a one-year contract to continue with the Dutch Rabobank team for the 2004 season. Leipheimer, who turns 30 on Friday, said he signed the contract extension before the end of the 2003 Vuelta a España, where he finished 58th overall. Leipheimer penned a two-year deal with Rabobank after his breakthrough third-place podium finish in the 2001 Vuelta, becoming the first American to finish on the Vuelta’s final podium. In 2002, he won a stage and the overall title at the Route du Sud and finished an impressive eighth-place in his Tour de France

One of the most successful professional cycling programs of the past two decades avoided disaster Monday when Banesto team officials signed a new three-year sponsorship deal with the government of Spain's Balearic Islands.Spanish radio reported Monday afternoon that team manager Jose Miguel Echavarri has formalized a three-year deal with the Balearic Islands regional government. Banesto, the Spanish bank that supported the team through the Miguel Indurain glory years, will remain on as a co-sponsor for at least the first year.The official name of the team is still not known, but the name

Just like last year, Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) won Saturday’s Giro di Lombardia, the final major European race of the 2003 racing season. Just like last year, Bartoli was left off the Italian road world’s team and came into the “Race of the Falling Leaves” with something to prove. Unlike last year, this time he won the hilly Lombardia with a forceful solo attack with less than 20km to go. Cofidis rider Angelo Lopeboselli was the only rider who stood up to the challenge, but the cagey Bartoli held off the young gun to sprint to victory. Saturday’s 97th running of Lombardia started with

When Marc Gullickson decided to fly back east for the opening round of the 2003 Verge New England Cyclo-cross Series in New Gloucester, Maine, the Redline racer really didn’t know what to expect. With the world road championships only a week prior, surely top New England ‘crossers like Tim Johnson and Mark McCormack (Saturn) would rest after their efforts in Hamilton. But Gullickson, the defending New England series champion, ended up with a tougher fight on his hands than he might have imagined, as McCormack and five-time Canadian ‘cross champ Peter Wedge (Kona) both made surprise

British cyclist Charles Wegelius, who rides for the Italian second division team De Nardi failed a blood test in Bergamo, Italy, Saturday, ruling him out of the Tour of Lombardy, the final leg of the 10-race World Cup. The De Nardi team's manager said however that Wegelius would undergo “every test possible” on Monday to prove he has not been doping. Wegelius was ruled out of Saturday's race, and for competition for the next two weeks, after a pre-race blood test showed his haematocrit level to be above the permitted threshold of 50 percent. The 25-year-old, who was born in Finland, will

The 2003 European road racing season wraps up Saturday with the 97thGiro di Lombardia in northern Italy.Also the final leg of the 10-round World Cup series, the “Race of the Falling Leaves” is traditionally the season’s last major race. Series leader Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) has an untouchable advantage and will win his second consecutive overall title.The 250km course follows tradition, starting in Como, hitting such steep climbs as the Madonna del Ghisallo, the Colle del Gallo and the Colle Aperto before the finish in Bergamo.Returning champion Michele Bartoli (Fassa Bortolo) will be

Dear Monique;My question revolves around the hydrationarticle you wrote on October 1st. I typically drink lots of water-all day long. I would say on a typical day a gallon or so is the average.I usually don’t mix in any electrolytes like Gatorade, or anything else.My question arises from this: A good friend went to the doctor recentlythinking he might be diabetic because he would get very lethargic throughoutthe day (and during workouts).The doctor told him he was drinking too much straight water anddiluting his system. Is this possible? We live in Florida, so we consistentlytrain in 90+

Dear Doc;I am a 35-year-old Category 2 road racer who just got over a bout with West Nile fever. I was diagnosed thorough the IgM titer and from the week long symptoms of fever, head ache, body aches and dehydration. I was unlucky to get sick but lucky to get over it without any major events besides missing four days of work and feeling totally wasted for a few days after the fever was gone. I am riding the bike again after a 10 day hiatus. I have lost all my strength and power. But have conserved the aerobic fitness. My heart rates are 10-15 beat higher than before when riding. Resting

There’s a brewing storm over speculation that four elite men competitors from last weekend’s road world championships in Canada might have failed anti-doping tests. According to reports in the European press, urine samples from two Spanish, one Belgian and one Italian rider have been shipped to the UCI’s anti-doping lab in Switzerland for tests to detect the presence of EPO, a banned performance-enhancing product. The French sports daily L’Equipe reported that pre-race random blood screenings Friday and Saturday revealed “abnormal parameters” and urine samples were later taken for

Ever since Canada won its bid for the world championships three years ago at the Plouay world’s, I have had the race in Hamilton in the back of my mind. To race the world’s on Canadian soil is more than a dream come true, and to race it an hour from where I grew up is more than I had ever imagined. The last weeks, since the Vuelta, I had been training with George Hincapie in South Carolina. For the most part I was taking it easy and trying to recover from the Vuelta and sleeping and relaxing as much as possible. I had no idea how I would be after the Vuelta as it was the first time I had

1. Hydrapak Air Scoop RaceSilly as it sounds, many racers don't wear hydration packs simply because they cover up valuable sponsorship territory across their backs. Hydrapak's new Air Scoop Team pack solves the problem with a removable and interchangeable Lycra cover which can be printed with your sponsors logos or simply your favorite stylings. The bladder offers 70 fl. oz. of capacity, while the pack offers 125 cu. In. of capacity. Together the $60 pack weighs a scant 1 pound. 2. Pearl Izumi Viper shoePart of Pearl's new high-end Red Label collection, the revamped Viper off-road shoe

Italian rider Mirko Celestino (Saeco) was fastest in the bunch to claim the 88th Milan-Turin race in Italy on Wednesday. Celestino, the Milan-Turin winner of 2001, edged compatriot Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) and Spanish rider Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Domina Vacanze), who came across third. The 199-kilometer race was the first of three races that make up the “Trittico Rosa,” which continues Thursday with the Tour of Piedmont and concludes Saturday with the Giro di Lombardia.88th Milan-Turin (UCI 1.1), Oct. 15, Italy, 199km1. Mirko Celestino, Saeco 4 hours, 56 minutes, 52 seconds

I only get nervous for a few races each season and the world championship road races had my heart racing all weekend - although, I am not sure if I was more nervous for Michael’s race or for mine. The races in Hamilton provided a few surprises this past weekend. After previewing the course on Thursday and chatting with many of the men and women about the difficulty of the hills, the expectation was that the races would be much more selective than they were. We encountered two climbs per 12-kilometer lap. The first was 1.5 kilometers and the second was 2 kilometers in length. This did not