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Just like most of the T-Mobile riders this week, Michael Rogers wasn’t sure what lay in store when he heard news that the German telecommunications giant was pulling the plug on its title sponsorship of the team. Despite some uncertainty, the Aussie GC rider believes the team’s future is safe as team manager Bob Stapleton scrambles to reorganize the squad in time for the start of the new season. “I did think [the team was dead]. T-Mobile chips in several million dollars a year and to find a sponsor of that caliber, in these conditions, is no easy thing,” Rogers said in an interview with the

Yehaw! That's Tim Johnson in there someplace

The outlook is ... muddy

The course: Now imagine it brown and splattered with mud and possibly snow

Bessette, Gould and Compton, still clean at the start of last year's muddy Portland USGP

Carl Decker and Barry Wicks after the 2004 Portland USGP race

Trebon went to New Jersey wearing the stars and stripes, but left wearing the white USGP leader's jersey.

Psyching up

... and he's off.

Grrrrrrrrrrr!

While news of Deutsche Telekom’s decision to withdraw its support fromits cycling program was disappointing, it was far from unexpected, saysT-Mobile rider Michael Barry. Barry told VeloNews that he and his teammates formally learnedof the decision just prior to the release of the news to the public thisweek, but had been prepared for the possibility since May, when time trialspecialist Sergei Honchar was suspended for violating the team’s own internaldoping policies. Honchar was subsequently fired “for violations of theteam code of conduct.” “When Honchar was suspended, the situation

The official route details won’t be revealed until Saturday, but more features of the 2008 Giro d’Italia are being discovered. Local officials in Sicily unveiled the profiles of the opening three stages of the 2008 Giro set to begin May 10 on the Italian island. The corsa rosa will begin with a 28.5km team time trial in Palermo and pass most of the city’s most interesting landmarks with the start in front of the Teatro Politeama and concluding near the Massimo theatre. The first road stage will roll from Cefalu to Agrigento, running from the north to the south of the island over a route

Twenty Americans will compete in the opening round of the 2007-08 UCI Track Cycling World Cup Classics, which runs from Friday through Sunday in Sydney, Australia. The U.S. national team and seven American pro track teams are among the 48 nations and 23 trade teams set to compete in the season’s first major international event, which factors into Olympic qualification. The U.S. national team includes Adam Duvendeck (Momentum), Brad Huff (Slipstream-Chipotle), Bobby Lea (Toyota-United), Giddeon Massie (T-Town Express), Dotsie Bausch (Colavita-Sutter Home-Cooking Light), Liz Reap (T-Town

Dear Readers,In my lastcolumn, I promised a report on the “WeAre All Traffic” rally in Portland. To recap a bit, in Bicycling& the Law, I wrote that "gaining the right to the road was thecycling cause of the late nineteenth century; securing that right willbe the cause of the early twenty-first century." To that end, I arguedthat "the time has come for a second civil rights movement for cyclists."Following a recent spate of collisions between drivers and cyclists inPortland (see “AFatal Bias?”), Joe “MetalCowboy” Kurmaskie called for a cyclist’s civil rights movement, andthe “WeAre All

The Health Net Pro Cycling Team Presented by Maxxis, winner of four consecutive NRC team titles, announced its 2008 roster this week, making it one of the domestic scene’s strongest teams for the coming season. “The guys we’ve re-signed for ’08 were instrumental to the success of the team in 2007,” said team director Mike Tamayo. “Building the squad around these guys will ensure the team is just as strong next season.” Anchoring the returning group is individual NRC title winner Rory Sutherland. In his first season racing in North America, the 25-year-old from Canberra, Australia, showed

Barry says he's remains confident going into '08.

Hamid Akhavan, the CEO of T-Mobile International, is probably glad that the name of his company won’t continue to be trashed by the German media, which has made dope-tainted cycling its principal target over the past 18 months. This 46-year-old Iranian, who has held the top position at T-Mobile for less than a year, was previously the German company’s chief technology officer, with degrees from the California and Massachusetts Institutes of Technology. Akhavan is carving out a name for himself in the world of wireless technology but, at least in the sports world, he will be remembered as the

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The Tour of Germany will go ahead as planned in 2008 despite the decision by Deutsche Telekom to end its sponsorship of the T-Mobile team after a succession of doping scandals. "The Tour of Germany will take place no matter what happens," said Kai Rapp, head of the organizing committee. "The most important thing for us is that television does not take cycling off air. The rest is secondary." The Tour of Germany is the biggest stage-based race organized in Germany, and is one of two that figure in the ProTour calendar. T-Mobile, the mobile phone division of German telecommunications giant

Andre Kashechkin’s suit challenging the authority of the UCI and WADA to conduct doping tests hit a hurdle Wednesday when the court in which he filed the case declared it had no jurisdiction in the matter. Kashechkin tested positive for homologous blood doping in August after submitting a sample in an out-of-competition test while on vacation with his family in the resort community of Belek, Turkey. His Astana team fired him later that month. Kashechkin has insisted on his innocence and filed suit seeking to bar the result on the grounds that the UCI, as a private organization, did not have

German tour holds steadyDespite the shock of the departure of T-Mobile as Germany’s top cycling sponsor, officials from the Deutschland Tour say the nation’s leading stage race will go ahead as planned. T-Mobile’s abrupt departure from cycling is continuing to ripple through Germany and the cycling community at large, but so far the damage seems to be limited to its role as team sponsor. T-Mobile also is a major sponsor of the 10-day German tour, but so far there hasn’t been any decisions made on whether it will continue to support the race. “The Tour of Germany will take place no matter

Glory days: With Riis and Ullrich, Telekom dominated the Tour in 1996 and '97.

Zabel and Ullrich in happier times.

Both Kashechkin and teammate Alexander Vinokourov tested positive for blood doping this summer, leading to a complete shake-up of the Astana team.

Much of what I do in life is collect information about bicycle technology, and earlier this month I went to the Milan bike show to do just that. But when my week-old MacBook Pro computer was stolen from me on November 7, I learned about some new technology that compromised my collections of bicycle information. I want to tell you what I learned with the intentionof saving somebody else the stress and hassle I went through.

The T-Mobile cycling program has lost its title sponsor, but the American director of the men's and women's teams said Tuesday that both will continue to operate with private support. Deutsche Telekom AG announced on Tuesday that it “has elected to end sponsorship of professional cycling with immediate effect.” The decision affects both men’s and women’s teams. The Bonn-based telecommunications group has been involved in cycling since 1991. The current contract had been scheduled to run until December 31, 2010. "We arrived at this decision to separate our brand from further

Following a review of this summer’s firing of Tour de France leader Michael Rasmussen, the financial services firm that sponsors the Rabobank cycling team has announced a series of management changes and established new medical requirements for riders. In response to the "Vogelzang report," the executive board of the Netherlands’ Rabobank Group has appointed one of the bank’s senior executives to oversee operations on the cycling team that bears its name. Harold Knebel, currently Rabobank’s director of private banking, is slated to take the position of general managing director of the

La Ruta finally cracked me with about five miles to go. Riding along yet another ass-rattling section of railroad track during the fourth and final stage, my rear wheel smacked the square corner of a concrete tie. Pfssssss! This marked the third flat tire of the day — the second in 50 meters. I had kept my good humor for four long days and 220 painful miles, over 40,000 feet of knee-busting climbs and across uncountable sections of mud. But standing there dripping wet on the edge of railroad tracks in the middle of the Costa Rican jungle, my calm waters boiled over. Birds scattered in

With the holiday spending frenzy approaching, it may be worth considering holding back a few bucks so you can help out a good cause… and score a bit of cycling history while you’re at it. Starting November 26 until Thursday, Dec. 6, three authentic, one-of-a-kindTeam CSC items will be up for bid on eBay, benefiting the VeloKhaya program,part of the Life Cycling Academy (LCA) of South Africa that has helpeddevelop cycling into a recreational and competitive sport in once-disadvantagedcommunities. The items up for bid are the CervéloR3 carbon bike that Carlos Sastre rode during the 2007 Tour

Ever since Bob Stapleton took over the reins at T-Mobile late last season, the German team’s nefarious doping past hung over the squad like a toxic cloud. The scandalous legacies of Operación Puerto, Bjarne Riis, Jan Ullrich and Patrik Sinkewitz dogged Stapleton as the American impresario tried to reshape the team under his mission of “clean and fair sport.” Those ghosts were finally exorcized Tuesday as the German telecom giant pulled the plug on its long-running cycling sponsorship. Despite the blow of losing T-Mobile’s estimated $12 million annual sponsorship, Stapleton vows to field a

Terrific meals... and a prime opportunity for thieves?

Stapleton actively recruited Hincapie earlier this year

Akhavan said it was a difficult decision

Stapleton vows to keep the teams operational.

At 46, Juarez is still strong enough for a top-five finish

Lycra? I don't need no stinkin' Lycra.

Even after Day 1, La Ruta has obviously taken its toll on the author.

Costa Rica's roads, both paved and dirt, pack in some serious vertical

Make no mistake, La Ruta is no walk in the park

From the drivetrain to the brakes, all parts of your bike will be ready for some serious repairs

The muck sticks to everything on your bike, especially the rubber.

Everybody walks at La Ruta. The question is how much walking will you do?

Sastre's bike could be yours... for the right price.

Stapleton, along with 'well-intentioned and patient investors' will carry the team through 2008.

Alberto Contador is out to prove his 2007 Tour de France victory was no fluke. The Spanish climber says he’s ready to get back to the business of training and preparing for the 2008 Tour after a busy off-season that’s included a seemingly endless stream of publicity appearances. “With so many commitments I’ve hardly had time to rest, but I’m ready to get back on the bike and begin again from zero,” he told MARCA during a break at an award’s ceremony in Spain. “I need to stop these and get back to work.” Besides scores of post-Tour criteriums, Contador’s hardly raced since his surprise Tour

U.S. national cyclocross champion Katie Compton (Spike Shooter) has been racing across the pond this fall, and successfully, too, taking a win and a runner-up finish in two World Cup races. She dropped us a note after Saturday’s race in Koksijde, Belgium; here’s what she had to say about how her race unfolded. — Editor The race definitely wasn't pretty on my part (I spent more time swimming in the sand than actually riding it), but somehow I managed to just not suck completely and pull out a podium. The course was fairly technical — there were five sand sections that were difficult to

His confidence buoyed by a successful comeback at the recent Herald Sun Tour in Australia, Stuart O'Grady already finds himself contemplating victory in two early season races - something he never expected to be thinking about three months ago. It turns out Matthew Wilson, the overall winner of Australia's oldest stage race, wasn't the only one who shocked himself, the Unibet pro claiming his biggest career victory to date and doing no harm to his chances of finding another ProTour gig. In his first since that fateful day on July 15 at the Tour de France, where a wipeout on a

The newest player in the road component market is apparently not being hesitant in its efforts to make a name for itself in racing circles. SRAM announced that it has signed a second ProTour-level cycling sponsorship after having reached an agreement to supply the reorganized Astana team with components. In a release issued Monday, the Chicago-based component company pointed to the light weight of its RED group as the reason Astana director Johan Bruyneel showed interest in the deal.

Contador says the '07 Tour win was no fluke.

Chasing a podium spot

On the world champ's wheel

But it would be Daphny van den Brand's day

The podium

O'Grady used the recent Herald Sun Tour to carefully test his form.

Zimberoff and Bruyneel

Cuban Contrast

2007 Midwest collegiate racing Madison WI

Synchronized Dismounts

Justin Robinson at BASP, Golden Gate Park 11/25/07

Belgian Bar End

nodding off between races - resting up for UCI - Dam Cross race

Under crystal blue skies with dry but chilly weather, the Bay State Cyclocrosswelcomed New England cyclocrossers to Sterling, Massachusetts, and a doseof wintry weather that many have been awaiting all season. MenOn the first lap, a trio of Massachusetts-based riders pulled awayand spent the next 55 minutes cheerfully hammering on each other, likea lovably dysfunctional family during the holidays. Jeremy Powers (Cyclocrossworld.com),Jesse Anthony (Jamis) and Tim Johnson (Leer-Cannondale-Cyclocrossworld)appeared equally matched. From the swoopy turns - each with varying combinations of

The threesome of Johnson, Anthony and Powers fought it out for most of the day.

Powers makes his move.

Milkowski times her move.

Fast and Furious 2

at least it dosen't hurt to smile at South Seatac

Cesar and Brandon On The Face

Sastre eyes Tour, Vuelta double; Michaelsen new DS Team CSC’s Carlos Sastre isn’t about to fiddle with a formula that works. The veteran Spanish climber confirmed once again he’ll race both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España with eyes toward podiums in both grand tours in 2008. “I still haven’t finalized my schedule, but what’s sure is that I will race both the Tour and Vuelta again next year,” Sastre said during an awards ceremony in Spain. “As always, I will arrive in the best condition possible and try to do the best I can.” Sastre has proven to be Mr. Reliability in grand

Despite a shaky start, two crashes and constant pressure from a top field, Sven Nys still took the win in the fourth round of the UCI World Cup of cyclocross on Saturday in Koksijde, Belgium. Holland's Daphny van den Brand took the win in the women's race, finishing seven seconds ahead of American Katie Compton (Spike-Shooter). In the men's race, the current World Cup leader and reigning champion, Nys scored his third successive win at Koksijde, riding away from the competition on the last of 10 laps of a tough, sandy and hilly 2.775km course. Nys, who often dominates ‘cross

German cyclist Patrik Sinkewitz, who was recently handed a one-year suspension for a failed drugs test, admitted on Saturday that he used doping products in the build up to the 2000 World Championships. The 27-year-old, sacked by Team T-Mobile in July after abnormal levels of testosterone were found in his blood, says he doped while preparing for the 2000 world’s in Plouay, France. Sinkewitz was part of the German Under-23 team, but pulled out of competing a few days before the championships and he says officials in the team knew he doped. Sinkewitz, who has previously revealed details of

Nys won at Koksijde for the third time in a row and the fourth time of his career.

Claire's first turns without trainers

stopping to pose for a picture

Kona - Pre race ride

Wells and Kabush - Squawker Cross

Normally, I compose a journal article after only one, maybe two, hours of weekend cyclocross racing and generally have more than enough interesting material to write about. But, last week I logged in more than 20 hours of chamois time, and depleted two tubes of Chamois Butter, during La Ruta de los Conquistadores in Costa Rica. There are so many things to write about, I feel like I could publish a book. A few months ago my girlfriend, Heather, a wedding and event planner, got the opportunity to help a colleague with a wedding in Costa Rica over Thanksgiving and asked me if I wanted to tag

VeloPress Revises Best-selling Training Diaries for Cyclists andTriathletesNew Training Logs Feature More Space for Every Training DetailBoulder, CO, USA - November 239, 2007 - Cyclists and triathletescan begin logging next season's training today with the newest generationof training diary from VeloPress. Updated with feedback from coaches andathletes, The Cyclist's Training Diary and The Triathlete's Training Diarymake it easier than ever to gain insights into performance. The VeloPress training diaries are the best way for cyclists and triathletesto consolidate training data,

Saul Raisin has announced the end of his quest to return to professional cycling, following a decision by doctors not to approve his return to the peloton.

Mike Janelle, a long-time presence on Colorado’s mountain-bike racing sceneand three-time Race Across America champ in the team category, diedabruptly of an apparent heart attack Friday morning. Janelle was 40 yearsold. A professional mountain-bike racer since 1996 and elite road cyclistsince 1988, Janelle raced for Colorado’s Tokyo Joe’s professional squad,and was a staple on the Mountain States Cup, National Mountain Bike Seriesand local Vail racing series. He was also a ski instructor at Beaver Creekresort.Janelle focused primarily on endurance mountain-bike events, and representedthe