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The RXR uses Time’s patented RTM molding process. RTM allows the frame to be easily repaired by removing and replacing damaged tubes. This gives some piece of mind considering the RXR module costs $6000.

The seat tube sports an aero shape with a wheel cutout up through the entirety of the Translink seat mast. The RXR made its debut at the Tour de France and participated in the Olympic road race and the 2008 world championships.

Time’s new aero road bike, the RXR, has a frame that comes in under a kilo. The module, which includes a fork, Translink seatmast, headset and stem weighs 1.7 kilos.

Stinky, Kona’s 7-inch platform, comes with shorter chainstays, a 1.5-inch headtube and a new array of rocker links and oversized fasteners. Stinky comes with ISCG mounts and cable bosses that make it Hammerschmidt ready.

The Major Jake is the team issued Kona factory ’cross frame. It’s scandium and built for production with a Shimano Ultegra transmission. Kona equips it with Alpha Q’s CX20 fork, the same model the team uses.

The Kapu is built with Dedacciai SAT steel, bronze welded with chrome lugs. It has rack and fender mounts along with clearance for larger 25mm tires as a standard feature. Ultegra and FSA parts round-out the package.

Kona reports that in this day and age of carbon, its steel bikes are selling better than ever, so for 2009 it updates its lugged Kapu with a 1.125 head tube and fork steerer.

Kona only makes women’s specific triathlon bikes, because according to Kona’s Pat White, “who wants to see men in spandex?” The Lisa TR builds off an aero shaped 7005-aluminum tubeset.

Kona’s utility hauling bike the Ute is back and refined for its second season. The 2009 bike has a new U-style kickstand and improved rack and waterproof bag system.

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Taylor Phinney (Garmin-Chipotle) set a new track record in the men’s 4000-meter individual pursuit and won his third national title of the week on Friday at the 2008 U.S. elite track national championships at the ADT Event Center velorome in Carson City, California, on Friday.

A New York race promoter is planning a six-day UCI cat. 2.2 professional stage race across upstate New York, to be held August 8-13, 2009.

Greetings from seat 15B of Continental flight 34, Denver to Houston. It’s leg No. 1 of a two-flight journey that will deposit me in Chihuahua, Mexico, a few days ahead of next week’s seven-stage Vuelta a Chihuahua. I can’t tell you a whole lot about the race at this point, except that it has a lot of climbing (the north-central Mexican state of Chihuahua is roughly along the same latitude line as Colorado and the Rocky Mountains), Garmin-Chipotle is sending a team, and I think I’ll get to see Copper Canyon, a gap in the earth so grand it apparently dwarfs Arizona’s Grand Canyon.

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Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Chipotle) is putting his strong end-of-season form to good use at this week’s Circuit Franco-Belge. After finishing second to Tom Boonen (Quick Step) in Thursday’s opener, Farrar slipped into the race leader’s jersey in Friday’s 184km stage from Bray Dunes to Poperinge in west Belgium. Mark Renshaw (Credit Agricole) won the sprint with Farrar clawing his way to his second-straight second place, good enough to put him into the lead by two seconds ahead of Boonen.

USA Cycling and American Levi Leipheimer have clarified the events surrounding the Astana rider’s non-participation in the world road championship race held Sunday in Varese, Italy. Contradicting earlier reports, the national federation acknowledged Friday that Leipheimer had never intended to compete in the road race. “Instead, [Leipheimer’s] focus was solely on the time trial earlier in the week, an event in which he won an Olympic bronze medal in Beijing this summer, as well as both individual time trial stages at the Vuelta a España last month,” USA Cycling stated.

The New England duo of Maureen Bruno Roy and Matt Roy will announce their new team, MM Racing, with a launch party at Wheelworks in Belmont, MA Friday October 3rd from 7-10pm.

During last week’s press conference at Interbike in Las Vegas, in revealing details of his comeback to racing, Lance Armstrong blurted out that he was “looking forward to the Mont Ventoux” stage in the 2009 Tour de France.

Team CSC-Saxo Bank star Fränk Schleck has admitted he paid nearly 7000 euros to alleged blood-doping guru Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes in 2006, but denied he doped or ever met Fuentes. CSC-Saxo Bank boss Bjarne Riis suspended Schleck from racing Friday until Luxembourg authorities decide whether or not to move ahead with a disciplinary hearing that could result in a possible two-year racing ban.

Linda Willsey distinctly remembers the moment: She was on her bike, riding home from work, when the car door was flung open directly into her path. There was barely time to yell “No!” before she was sailing through the air, landing on her back, fracturing a vertebra and sustaining multiple contusions.

Jan Ullrich says he believes Lance Armstrong can win another Tour de France, but it won’t be against him. The 34-year-old German, who three times finished second to Armstrong, says the Texan is capable of scoring an eighth Tour title, but shot down rumors that he might be mounting his own comeback. “I think he could win the Tour again. He has a great life and great women, but that is not his calling. He has that in his sport,” Ullrich told the German news service DPA. “If he manages the challenge mentally, his body will also be up to it.”

Garmin-Chipotle and Metro VW Cycling earned national titles in the team pursuit, as at the U.S. elite track national championships at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, Thursday. Meanwhile Proman’s Cari Higgins narrowly edged Liz Reap-Carlson to take the national jersey in the women’s 500-meter time trial.

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Source Endurance Announces Research Division and Appoints Steve Zinkgraft as Research Director

Patrice Clerc is no longer director of Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), the company that owns and operates the Tour de France and several other major cycling events. Clerc's position has been taken over by Jean-Etienne Amaury, whose mother Marie-Odile, is the president of the Amaury publishing group — which owns ASO. The position change was announced Wednesday. ASO's director general, Gilbert Ysern, also is leaving, and will be replaced by Yann Le Moennier, who had been the marketing director. Christian Prudhomme, the Tour de France director, remains in his job.

REISTAD, FRISCHKORN ELECTED TO USPRO BOARD OF TRUSTEES Reistad Also Receives Seat on USA Cycling Board of Directors Following a special election to determine the two athlete representatives on the USPRO Board of Trustees, USA Cycling announced today that Nicholas Reistad (Athens, Ga.) and Will Frischkorn (Boulder, Colo.) have won the two open seats. Reistad was also elected to the USA Cycling Board of Directors as the Athlete Director representing USPRO. Forty-four athletes voted in the election, which represents more than 50% of the athletes eligible to vote.

Taylor Phinney opened the 2008 USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships in Carson, California, with a gold medal in the men's 1 kilometer time trial.

Italian cyclist Riccardo Riccò was on Thursday banned for two years by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) after he tested positive for EPO during the Tour de France. Riccò, 24, was suspended from riding by CONI in July after admitting to using the banned blood-booster. He was kicked off the Tour de France and sacked by his Saunier-Duval team after testing positive following the fourth stage time trial.

Switzerland’s BMC Bicycles and Cadence Performance and Multi-Sport Centers of Philadelphia and New York have joined the MAC Cyclocross Series as Official Partner of the 2008 MAC season, starting with opening weekend on September 20 and 21. 

The San Francisco peninsula-based team Third Pillar is looking for Cat 3 riders for next season. On top of a free Louis Garneau clothing kit, riders receive incentives like subsidized winter training camps and free race entries for all participants in a race if any team member reaches the podium. The team practices almost weekly in the off-season to apply professional level tactics to amateur racing. Third Pillar is limited to about 15 members, almost exclusively Cat 4 elites and masters. Despite its small size, it had 11 wins and 30 podium finishes last year.

C-3 Sollay.com, one of the Mid Atlanic’s strongest cyclocross teams, looks excitedly forward to the 2008 ‘cross season. The team is lead by returning elite riders Wes Schempf, 2006 Pennsylvania State Champion Andy Wulfkuhle, Beth Mason, Heidi VonTeitenberg, Diane Grim and Elizabeth Harlow. Junior sensation Sam O’Keefe, who took 4th at Nationals last year, will be working for a strong fall season. The team will also feature Elite Master’s riders Chris Nystrom, Jeff Cordisco, Michael Kolb and Kris Auer. Auer also serves as the team director.

Team CSC-Saxo Bank rider Frank Schleck was questioned by authorities from the Luxembourg anti-doping agency (ALAD) Wednesday evening over alleged links to Operación Puerto ring-leader Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. The center of the inquiry was an alleged 6,991.91 euro bank transfer from Schleck into Fuentes’ Swiss account in March 2006 that was discovered by prosecutors investigating the case in Bonn, Germany.

Lance Armstrong has rejected an offer from France’s anti-doping agency to retest urine samples from the 1999 Tour de France.

Raisin Hope, the charity foundation established by former professional rider Saul Raisin, is holding its second annual charity ride in Dalton, Georgia, on Saturday, October 4. Raisin, a Dalton native then racing for Credit Agricole, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a crash while racing the Circuit de la Sarthe in April 2006.

The arrival of Lance Armstrong shouldn’t force the departure of Alberto Contador, at least that’s what Astana team manager Johan Bruyneel says. Despite media reports to the contrary, Bruyneel insists there’s plenty of room for both stars on the team and Armstrong’s much-anticipated return to competition.

It’s case closed without charges for Spain’s infamous Operación Puerto doping scandal. Antonio Serrano — the Spanish judge in charge of the lengthy and controversial investigation into the alleged blood doping ring — officially ended legal action on the case this week, several Spanish media reported Wednesday. Serrano ruled that under existing Spanish law at the time of the police raids no laws were broken and signed off on papers to close the case without filing charges.

Organizers of the Cincinnati International Cyclocross Festival have announced that Olympian and multi-time mountain bike and cyclocross champion Georgia Gould will be competing at all three races of the Festival from October 10 through 12.  She will join Katie Compton in a renewal of their years-long duel for supremacy of the Elite Women’s division.   

Specialized Bicycle Components has backed the expansion program of the Northern California High School Mountain Bike Racing League, which has recently created a Southern California league and is now drawing up plans for state-oriented high school cycling leagues across the USA. Mike Sinyard, the founder and owner of Specialized, said, "Getting kids on bikes is a personal passion of mine and a goal of the Specialized Fund. High school mountain bike racing is a fun way for kids to accrue health benefits, learn self-discipline, and foster camaraderie. We are honored

Bicycle manufacturers, retailers, advocacy groups and industry guests were optimistic about the market and its future as they gathered in Las Vegas during Sept. 22-26, for the industry's leading business-to-business event, the 2008 Interbike Outdoor Demo and International Bicycle Expo.  

Following a record turnout last week, the BikeReg.com MABRAcross series continues this Saturday, October 4 with the 5th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Cyclocross Challenge at the Hagerstown (Maryland) Fairgrounds.  Promoted by Antietam Velo Club/Team Hagerstown-Washington County, the beneficiary of Saturday’s race is Breast Cancer Awareness of the Cumberland Valley (www.bcacv.org), which last year received $3,500 from the race.  This year, with additional assistance from sponsors Hagerstown Trust, Landmark Equipment, Clif Bar and DeFeet, the organizers are predicting a significant  increa

Italy's Alessandro Petacchi (LPR) is to defend his Paris-Tours title on October 12. The 102nd edition of the Pro Tour Paris-Tours classic will be held over 252km and feature 25 teams. The 34-year-old Petacchi, a sprinter who has won many stages in the Tour de France, tested positive in last year's Tour of Italy and his German team Milram later axed him. After serving a five-month ban, Petacchi won three stages of September's Tour of Britain with his new team. Teams for Paris-Tours: Germany: Gerolsteiner, Milram;

Santa Cruz Bicycles has signed on as the title sponsor for the 2008-2009 NCNCA Cup and will be offering up 3 Santa Cruz Stigmata frames to lucky winners at the series finale on Jan. 4th. Timbuk2 Designs has also graciously kicked in custom NCNCA Cup embroidered messenger bags for series winners in all categories.

Editor's Note: This is the first of a regular column on VeloNews.com written by Team Kona professional cyclocross racer Barry Wicks. Transitioning from my mountain bike to my cyclocross bike in the fall is an adventure in rehearsed humility. I know that buried deep within my delirious, travel-addled head sits the unique skill set required to pilot my cyclocross bike around a muddy race course at speed. Tracking down and filtering that memory is a process that can usually be sorted out during the first ’cross race of the year.

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The crowd roared as we, the handful of riders that was once over 200 riders large rode slowly around the course on the final lap of the six and a half hour race. Paolo Bettini sat on the front of the 30 man group, blowing kisses to the tifosi as they chanted his name, blew airhorns, rang bells and draped flags over the course. When it was known his teammate had won the title the noise from the Italian crowd intensified. At that moment we could no longer talk in the group, or hear anything coming over our radios, which had the volume cranked to the maximum.

France's national anti-doping agency (AFLD) has offered to test allegedly suspect samples taken from Lance Armstrong during the 1999 Tour de France. Armstrong, the seven-time Tour de France winner, announced last month that he intends to return to the sport following a three-year absence from the peloton.

After the first ten races of the 2008 USA Cycling Cyclocross Calendar, Jonathan Page (Planet Bike) and Natashia Elliott (EMD Serono/Stevens) lead the standings. Page was fourth at the category 1 CrossVegas race and then won both the Mad Cross / Jonathan Page Planet Bike Cup races in Wisconsin the following weekend. Likewise, Elliott was 15th at CrossVegas but won both the Mad Cross events. Men's Standings 1. Jonathan Page (Northfield, N.H.) 145 points

He’s been a fixture in the pro peloton for 15 years, having won six Tour de France points jerseys, three at the Vuelta and four editions of Milan-San Remo, but Erik Zabel is now ready to hang up his cleats. Zabel is winding down his career and will ride in hs final German event when he rides this Friday’s Sparkassen Münsterland Giro in Münster.

Former Tour de France director Jean-Marie Leblanc has questioned Lance Armstrong's motives for returning to race riding next year. Leblanc, Tour director for all of Armstrong's seven titles, says in the editorial in the Velo Star review that the Texan took everyone by surprise by announcing his intention to bid for an eighth Tour de France in 2009.

Trek Bicycles will sponsor a World Cup-level mountain bike team for 2009 built around cross-country racers Liam Killeen and brothers Lukas and Matthias Fluckiger. The squad will also have a gravity component, although that roster has not yet been announced. Australian Martin Whiteley, former boss of the successful Global and G-Cross/Honda downhill teams, will manage Trek’s new team, which will be based in Europe.

With the seasons changing, more and more racers are turning to cyclocross as a way to utilize their late-season fitness, stay in shape or just have some fun in the process. Managing editor Neal Rogers teamed up with national masters 35+ champion and online ’cross diarist Brandon Dwight to shoot some instructional videos. The videos are available on VeloNews.tv.

Editor's Note: Will Frischkorn is a professional rider on the Garmin-Chipotle team who occasionally shares his journals with VeloNews.com readers.

Belgian rider Maxime Monfort announced Monday that he will quit French team Cofidis at the end of this season to race for Columbia over the next two years. The 25-year-old was still under contract with Cofidis, and Columbia would have had to pay an indemnity to release him. Monfort becomes the fifth Belgian to have decided to leave Cofidis at season's end. Nick Nuyens is joining Rabobank, Staf Scheirlinckx the Silence team, and Kevin De Weert has signed for Quick Step. Rik Verbrugghe will retire as a rider and become sporting director at Quick Step in 2009.