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Colorado’s Summit County has granted provisional approval for a six-day endurance mountain bike stage race in Breckenridge for 2009. The “Breck Epic,” is tentatively scheduled to run from July 5 to the 10th. Mike McCormack, former director of the Mountain States Cup, is spearheading the Breck Epic’s organization. McCormack said the last hurdle the race needs to clear is approval from the United States Forest Service.

A lot of similar questions come along when you’re out at the races. One question I hear frequently is some variation of the famous “How do you know when you’ve made it big?” I usually give a good P.C. answer and move along, because who really knows the answer to that question!? It’s something I’m too humble to try answering. But two weeks ago, it stunned me, even jolted me. It was right there in front of me. I came up over the horizon to the parking lot on a nice Sunday in Ohio and I had my own big orange parking cone with my last name on it! [nid:84490]

Canadian Wendy Simms currently sits atop the Women's UCI cyclocross rankings with 309 points, ahead of Dutchwoman Daphny Van de Brand, who holds 300 points. Simms (Kona) successfully defended her ’07 title at the Canadian national cyclocross championships on October 11 in Edmonton. The Victoria, Canada, resident then finished eighth at the UCI World Cup opener in Kalmthout, Belgium, on October 18. Simms was the top North American finisher, male or female, at that event.

Temptation was all around during the second stage for Belgian cycling great Eric Vanderaerden as the race passed by more than a few outback watering holes. But the man who has shed 20 kilos to return to competition held steadfast against the lure of a cleansing ale, especially while the cameras were upon him. Photographed passing by the pub in the Atherton Tableland Town of Herberton, the former winner of Paris-Roubaix had his eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead and his ultimate objective of finishing the Crocodile Trophy. [nid:84454]

Czech cyclist Ondrej Fojtik is one step closer to achieving his dream of winning the Crocodile Trophy after snatching the leaders jersey from the shoulders of teammate Tomas Trunschka during the second stage from Irvinebank to Koombooloomba Dam in tropical North Queensland.

Irvine, CA - Throughout all of 2007, the JETCycling program has had some great success in Southern California. With the backing of the USWCDP, Specialized, and Rock-n-Road Cyclery in Orange County, they have become one of the strongest junior cycling clubs in the area. Their focus has been to build the foundation of junior competitive road cycling, working with juniors between the ages 10 to 18. Their program takes hands on approach to coaching, backed with education and a pillar of ethics for our juniors.

Lance Armstrong wasn’t at Wednesday’s presentation of the route of the 2009 Tour de France, but he was on everyone’s tongue. Whether or not the Tour is part of Armstrong’s future is very much up in the air. Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel said the only thing certain about Armstrong’s schedule is that he’ll race at the Tour Down Under, the Tour of California and the Giro d’Italia.

Call the 2009 Tour de France a race of innovation and originality. Unwinding like a corkscrew from Monaco on July 4 to the finale into Paris three weeks later, the 21-stage race will be one hard to control and full of room for riders who dare to defy traditional tactics. Mont Ventoux is back, and so is the team time trial, but what makes the 2009 Tour route so interesting is that organizers were not afraid to throw convention to the wind.

Shimano and five renowned bicycle frame builders are offering five custom bicycles to be auctioned off to raise funds for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC). The Shimano Alfine Pink Ribbon Fundraiser continues through October 30, 2008. All of the proceeds go to the YSC. The bikes are from Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles, Rock Lobster Bicycles, Sycip Designs, Torelli Bicycle Company and Vicious Cycles. For more information on the auction, visit the auction Web site.

Dear VeloNews,
For years, I’ve been watching the Tour, the Giro and the Vuelta and can’t understand how people — especially announcers — continually refer to riders having an advantage when they have teammates setting tempo on a big climb.

While I understand that drafting is a big advantage out on the flats, surely that benefit is negated at the slower speeds on a climb.

Former Saunier Duval climber Leonardo Piepoli failed to turn up for his Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) doping hearing on Wednesday, the Italian news agency Ansa reported. Piepoli was due to face charges that he had taken the new generation of the blood booster EPO during the Tour de France in July.

The men favored to contest for the yellow jersey in the 2009 Tour de France applauded the route revealed in Paris on Wednesday, calling it “difficult, but interesting.” The 96th edition of the Tour de France will begin on July 4 in the Mediterranean Principality of Monaco, race director Christian Prudhomme announced at the Palais des Congrès of Paris on Wednesday.

Former Lampre rider Paolo Bossoni was handed a two-year suspension by the Italian National Anti-Doping Tribunal on Wednesday. The 32-year-old tested positive for blood-booster EPO on June 29 during the Settimana Tricolore race in Bergamo in a control conducted by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI). He was subsequently fired by Lampre. CONI's Antidoping Commission also revealed that Italian under-23 champion Giovanni Carini's B sample from a positive test given on June 28, during the Italian under-23 championships, has also come up as positive for EPO.

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At this time of year, many of us will be moving our training indoors to better deal with the elements and engage in some active recovery.

Temperatures finally hit the “crispy side” of things in Chicago and it actually felt like 'cross weather had finally arrived. Cyclocrossers came out fresh and ready to tackle the newly redesigned Carpenter Park course. Jeff Provisor, owner of Main Street Bicycles and race director added two fast paved sections with a u-turn and multiple twisty areas that kept racers with their thinking helmets on alert.

VeloNews.com will live stream Wednesday's presentation of the 2009 Tour de France route. The presentation will begin at 11:30 a.m. Paris time (5:30 a.m. EST). You can watch the stream here.

Tour de France organizers will finally end months of waiting on Wednesday by unveiling the route that they hope will provide another exciting, albeit cleaner, race for the famous yellow jersey. In the months since Spaniard Carlos Sastre claimed overall victory, seven riders - including KOM winner Bernhard Kohl and stage winners Ricardo Riccò, Leonardo Piepoli and Stefan Schumacher - have been exposed as drugs cheats. However a bigger question on the minds of some fans will be whether seven-time champion Lance Armstrong will take part.