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After an exciting season of outstanding heated competition, the stage is set for today’s finale of the USA CRITS 2008 Championship Series. Expect extremely aggressive fields of professional and elite male and female cyclists to speed along the one-of-a-kind course at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Firmly in their sights will be the prospect of a prestigious victory, lap-leader cash awards, team bragging rights, and a healthy prize purse to motivate racers to step up their performances.

When the world road championships last came to Varese, Italy, in 1951, an estimated 1.5 million fans thronged the hilly course north of the city and Swiss rider Ferdi Kubler pulled off a stunning victory. The tifosi came to see their national heroes Fausto Coppi and Gino Bartali, but a fever prevented Coppi from starting and Bartali had to play the team game when three of his teammates got into the winning eight-man break.

Lance Armstrong announced at Interbike that he will race the Amgen Tour of California in February with Astana. The news comes on the heels of Wednesday that he was in fact racing with Astana next season. Wednesday night Armstrong raced CrossVegas, where he finished 22nd, right before former teammate Tony Cruz.

A scheduled Lance Armstrong press conference at the Interbike cycling trade show in Las Vegas turned tense Thursday morning when three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond questioned his plan to disclose his blood and urine values during Armstrong’s 2009 comeback season. Armstrong announced Wednesday in New York City that he is working closely with Don Catlin, who formerly ran UCLA’s World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory. In an attempt at full transparency, Catlin will post Armstrong’s biomarkers online for the sports community to see.

Campagnolo Celebrates Its 75th Anniversary with a Lavish History Book, Campagnolo: 75 Years of Cycling Passion Campagnolo Book to be Launched at Interbike Alongside the Reborn 11-Speed Super Record Gruppo

Belgian Beer and Bike Racing in Belgium: Come to Joe Parkin's Book Launch Party at Interbike! Boulder, CO, USA - September 22, 2008 - Joe Parkin, one of the first Americans to race in Europe, will autograph copies of his just published memoir, A Dog in a Hat: An American Bike Racer's Story of Mud, Drugs, Blood, Betrayal, and Beauty in Belgium at Interbike. Meet Joe, get an autographed copy of the book, and enjoy a Belgian beer. A Dog in a Hat is available now in bookstores, bike shops, and online. Joe Parkin Book Signing: A Dog in a Hat Thursday, September 25th, 5-6 p.m.

Universal Sports Presents Live Coverage of UCI Road World Championships Tune in September 24 - 28 on Universal Sports Network and UniversalSports.com Universal Sports will present live coverage of the UCI Road World Championships September 24 - 28 from Varese, Italy. Fans can tune in via UniversalSports.com and Universal Sports TV to watch a total of 827 cyclists from 58 countries competing at the highly anticipated Championships.

In front of an enthusiastic crowd of thousands, 2006 U.S. national cyclocross champions Ryan Trebon (Kona) and Katie Compton (Spike) won the CrossVegas UCI cyclocross race Wednesday night, held under lights in conjunction with the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas. After surging ahead of a persistent Tim Johnson (Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com) with just under two laps remaining, Trebon finished alone in front of a field that included riders such as Jonathan Page (Planet Bike), Florian Vogel and Thomas Frischknect (Swiss Power), and surprise competitor Lance Armstrong (LiveStrong).

The 2009 USA Cycling mountain bike calendar boasts higher cash prizes and a more logical travel schedule, the organization said Thursday. The third annual USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Calendar includes 34 events; the calendar is intended to boost top tier events that have not traditionally been part of a national series. The 19-event cross-country calendar kicks off with the Fontana United States Cup in Fontana, California, on March 20 and ends seven months later on the last weekend in October with the Piney Hills Classic in Ruston, Louisiana.

New York City's Ken Harris (CRCA / Jonathan Adler Racing) set a new world masters hour record for the age 40-44 group at the Valley Preferred Cycling Center velodrome in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday evening, Harris added about 400 meters to the old record of 45.189 set by Dr. Neal Stansbury in September 2003 at Manchester, England. The new record is 45.587 kilometers. A UCI official was on site to certify the record. Harris is one of the leaders of a New York-based Adler team, and president of the Century Road Club Association, the largest racing club in the United States.

German workhorse Bert Grabsch won Germany’s first world time-trial title since 2001 on Thursday as Canadian Svein Tuft delivered the surprise ride of the day to claim the silver medal. American David Zabriskie powered to bronze in Varese, Italy, claiming his second world championship time trial medal in three years, while Levi Leipheimer didn’t quite have the day he expected and finished just off the podium in fourth.

Ivan Basso’s racing ban ends on October 24 and he’s not wasting much time getting back in the saddle. Just two days after his ban ends for his admitted role in the Operación Puerto blood doping scandal, Basso is expected to race at the Japan Cup on October 26. His new Liquigas team will likely announce it later this week and schedule a press conference with Basso ahead of the Giro di Lombardia in mid-October.

NorCal League Heading South
The organizers of the NorCal High School Mountain Bike League, America’s largest interscholastic bike racing league at the high school level, have taken their successful model south. On August 4, the NorCal league helped launch the Southern California Interscholastic Cycling League.

Mountain bike world champion, Christoph Sauser tried his hand in CrossVegas aboard a Specialized S-Works Tricross. His bike is equipped with SRAM Red, linear pull brakes and ultra-exclusive FMB file tread tires.

Lance Armstrong showed up to race with Trek’s XO bike. His was equipped with Shimano Dura-Ace sporting a 39/53 chainring combo. Bontrager’s Race XXX Lite carbon tubular climbing wheels sported Tufo tires and SRAM’s new Shorty 6 cantilevers handled the braking.

Carl Decker raced Giant’s brand new TCX. The new Aluxx alloy frame has drastically shaped tubes and a new fork with a tapered 1.125 to 1.5 steerer tube. Shimano Dura-Ace, XT V-brakes and WH-7801 carbon tubulars with custom Dugast-Michelin tires rounded out the package.

Thomas Frischknecht put the new Scott Addict CX to the test at the front of the race. His bike is built with a full run of Ritchey parts including cockpit, cranks and wheels. SRAM supplied him with its Force group. Dugast’s 34mm Typhoon wrapped his WCS carbon wheels.

Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com superstar Tim Johnson was out on his CAAD9 signature bike, the TJX. His ride is equipped with SRAM Red, including the new Red BB30 crank, Mavic Cosmic Carbon Ultimates and Dugast Pipistrello tires.

Maxxis rider Geoff Kabush started the evening’s fireworks show by throwing down one of the night's first serious attacks. He rode a titanium Litespeed with a Dura-Ace drivetrain Reynolds DV46 clinchers and Maxxis tires.

Race winner Ryan Trebon of Kona rode a Kona Major Jake. The frame is scandium and equipped with a Shimano Dura-Ace and FSA double ring drivetrain, FSA carbon wheels and Challenge Grifo XS tires.

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Bit bins. Effetto Mariposa’s Giusta Forza miniature torque wrench now can be ordered with a case containing all of the bits for it. Or just the bits can be purchased separately, in their own little case.

A whole lot of hangers. Wheels Mfg. makes derailleur hangers for just about any frame.