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Blood samples taken at the Beijing Olympics are to be reanalyzed for a new variant of the banned blood booster EPO using a new detection system developed for the Tour de France, the IOC announced Wednesday. The retroactive controls are designed to seek out the presence of the new generation of EPO known as CERA (Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator).

Luxembourg’s anti-doping officials have expanded their inquiry into Frank Schleck, who admitted last week he transferred nearly 7000 euros in March 2006 into an account belonging to Eufemiano Fuentes, the alleged ringleader of the Operación Puerto doping ring. Schleck, who was provisionally suspended by his Team CSC-Saxo Bank team, met with Luxembourg officials last week, but his explanations weren’t enough to end the matter there.

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The pressure of five rated climbs — and one harrowing descent — made for a decisive stage 2 at Mexico’s Vuelta Chihuahua on Tuesday.

Finishing on top at the conclusion of the 188.7km mostly uphill grind from Parral to Guachochi was Colombian Gregario Ladino (Tecos-Trek), who late in the race soloed away from breakaway companion — and defending Chihuahua champion — Francisco Mancebo (Fercase-Rota dos Moveis). Ladino crossed the line in 4:59:27, with Mancebo trailing in eight seconds later and Tecos-Trek’ Juan Magallanes completing the podium, at 0:22.

COMMUNIQUE DE PRESSE PRESS RELEASE Date: 7 octobre / 7 October 2008 Analysis of Tour de France samples by the AFLD: three abnormal results The French Anti-Doping Agency (Agence Française de Lutte contre le Dopage – AFLD) has informed the International Cycling Union (UCI) of the results of first analyses of repeat tests conducted on samples taken during this year's Tour de France to detect any use of EPO (CERA in particular).

Double Tour de France stage winner Stefan Schumacher is facing a two-year ban and a fine after confirmation of a positive test for EPO (erythrpoietin), the German cycling federation (BDR) said Tuesday. Schumacher was the second rider on Monday to have been exposed as a drugs cheat, following the news that Italian Leonardo Piepoli, who won the race's 10th stage in the Pyrenees, also tested positive for the banned blood booster. The BDR said they would be looking to ban Schumacher, the winner of the Tour's two time trials, for two years.

Ritchey has partnered with Paul Lew to create the SuperLogic sub-1100-gram/pr. wheelset with boron/carbon aero clincher rims rated to 145 psi and selling for $4330! The tire bead pops up and onto a seat to lock it on; Ritchey has tested it up to 175psi without problems. The rim is distinctive with its thick edges so different from the thin edges of a hook-bead rim. The SuperLogic tubular wheelset is under a kilogram per pair and sells for $2900.

Hed’s forged track hub is an extremely high-quality single-speed hub. The stainless axle ends are interchangeable for 120mm or 130mm spacing.

The Hed Black Dog aero bar sells for $900 and weighs a mere 660 grams. Its “Lazy S” curved extensions allow the rider to drop lower on a descent with less back strain due to a more relaxed grip. Two hand positions on the extensions and flip-up pads are all designed with gaining time on climbs in mind.

The eeBrake has an elegant quick-release arm that lifts to open the brake. The superlight curved front spring is all that is needed to return it. The pads slide in easier and without a cotter pin, allowing easy pad change when switching from carbon rims to aluminum rims. A pair of calipers weighs as little as a single caliper of a many high-end brakes (195 grams/pair with pads).

Craig Edwards, former owner of Sweet Wings, now has his superlight eeBrake in production. It pivots about an eccentric center bolt to which the caliper clamps with a pinch bolt. Lowering the pads to reach the rim is done half with the rotation of the eccentric center bolt, and half with the half-length brake pad slots, resulting in less loss of leverage with longer reach. Short pivot distances, wider pivots, and non-layering of brake arms means higher stiffness and no arm-twisting.

Now you, too, can own a Parlee ... well, at least the 7-gram Parlee front derailleur clamp and use it on your own bike (with any 1-3/8” seat tube and braze-on front derailleur). A quarter the weight of an aluminum clamp, yet it’s purported to be as tough.

The Lezyne mini floor pump has a flip-out stand to stand on when pumping. An option is a pressure gauge in-line with the hose.

Lezyne’s miniature floor pump folds up into an extremely compact package. You have to bend over pretty far to use it, but it beats the heck out of a standard mini pump for getting air into the tires without damage to the valves, thanks to a hose rather than a chuck integrated into the pump. I don’t know whom else it appeals to, but it looks like the solution to me for traveling with a coupled travel bike in a small S&S bike case, which requires deflation of the tires but is too small to fit a floor pump.

The Specialized Myka FSR is an entry-level women’s full suspension bike. The $1650 Comp model with RockShox Tora Le Femme 100mm fork has a steeper seat angle, lower spring rates, and lighter construction to accommodate a woman’s lower center of gravity and lighter weight. 10 percent of the retail price goes to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to fight breast cancer. Specialized designates as Komen Foundation products some women’s bikes, shoes, helmets, and saddles and gives 10 percent of retail price on any of these to the foundation; the company will donate $250,000-$500,000 in 2009 through this program.

Look’s foray into full suspension to complement its 986 carbon hardtail, the 996 frame has an all-carbon front end and features a DW Link articulating the swingarm at the bottom bracket. The frame sells for $2,500.

Yakima’s Fork Lift roof rack trays require no additional crossbars; they mount directly to the factory rack’s crossbars. The clamp’s tool-free installation feature is easy to use; it opens wide to click into any of three settings in order for it to fit on crossbars of different sizes and shapes. A single-knob adjuster of the locking skewer speeds installation of the fork onto the mount. Each unit (that holds one bike) sells for $139.

The Effetto Mariposa Giustaforza torque wrench now comes in colors, and with a case with receptacles for its bits. Effetto Mariposa also offers cases of bits alone.

1. Cantitoe Road introduced its new seatpost designed by Salsa founder Ross Shafer and Cantitoe Road owner Tom Petrie. Elastomers surrounding the Kent Eriksen saddle clamp allow the saddle to move a bit in all directions, providing more comfort. Different elastomers of varying durometer are available to tune the ride to your preference. I rode prototypes of this seatpost over the summer and found it to indeed increase saddle comfort.

Despite not winning a race in 2008, French veteran Christophe Moreau will retire with Agritubel at the end of the 2009 season. The French team announced on its web page that the 37-year-old will conclude his 14-year cycling career with the team next year. Moreau is the last active rider of the infamous Festina team that was kicked out of the 1998 Tour de France after evidence of widespread doping was revealed within the squad. Moreau served a six-month racing ban and resumed competition in 1999.

It looks like 2009 will be the season of the comeback, and at least in Italy there won’t be a return to competition more watched than that of Ivan Basso. After months of avoiding the spotlight, Basso is taking his first tentative steps toward his full re-entry into the cycling world with a press conference next week in Italy ahead of the Giro di Lombardia. Basso won’t be racing in Europe’s last major race of the season, but it will be a chance for his new Liquigas team to break the ice with the media on Oct. 17.

After a heavy late-season schedule that included the Olympic Games, the Vuelta a España and the world time trial championship, Astana’s Levi Leipheimer is finally back in the U.S., enjoying his off-season at the Santa Rosa, California, home he shares with his wife, former pro racer Odessa Gunn. When VeloNews reached him on October 1, Leipheimer was just back from a mountain bike ride through Santa Rosa’s Annadel Park, the largest State Park located within a city limit in California.

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Spaniard Javier Benitez burst from the bunch in the final 100 meters to take the stage 1 sprint at the Vuelta Chihuahua on Monday. The Benfica rider stopped the clock in 3:19:30, with Steffen Radochla (Elk Haus-Simplon) and Juan Magallanes (Tecos-Trek) completing the podium at the end of the 147.8km ride from Chihuahua to Camargo. Benitez won by more than a bike length.