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Neptune

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme is frustrated by the slow speed of the Landis case.

Boonen bests Petacchi again

Healion held a lead of more than seven minutes - but it wasn't enough

There's a highway sign you don't see often in the other tours

He faced scorpions, snakes and hostile U.S. soldiers and his bicycle took a beating, but the 63-year-old Chechen now back home after cycling to and from Mecca says he is counting his blessings. Dzhanar-Aliyev Magomed-Ali returned to this war-torn Chechnya town on January 18. His pilgrimage, or hajj, to the Muslim holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, had little in common with the exploits of most Western adventurers. But his story reflects the dogged determination of many older people in this battle-scarred region of southern Russia, which has spent most of the last 12 years in armed conflict

Our latest reader-submitted PhotoGallery is now ready for your viewing pleasure. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of our most recent contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winners this week. This time around, we found Felipe Borja’s “Cycling in the Andes Imbabura-Ecuador” reminded us of the real joy of solitary cycling in some of the world’s most beautiful territory. Congratulations Felipe. Nice work. Please drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.comto work out the details and we’ll send you a

Christian Vande Velde rides into the 2007 season with renewed confidence he can pick up where he left off last year, which included a stop atop a winner’s podium for the first time in his European racing career. “It’s not easy to win in Europe. Now that I’ve done it, I know it’s possible again and it doesn’t seem so far-fetched,” Vande Velde said. “The confidence is going to play a big factor. Just knowing you can do it and knowing you’ve succeeded the year before, you’re just going to have more confidence overall.” The 30-year-old all-rounder won the Tour of Luxembourg, his first victory

Former world champion Tom Boonen won the second stage of the Tour of Qatar over 135km from Al Wakra to Doha on Monday, moving into the overall leader's gold jersey in the process. The Quick Step rider beat Milram's Alessandro Petacchi and Frenchman Jean-Patrick Nazon in a sprint finish to snatch the gold jersey from his Dutch teammate Steven de Jong, who held it after Quick Step's team time trial victory in Sunday's opening stage. The defending Tour of Qatar champion Boonen admitted he had been lucky to win after Pettachi's Milram team launched their leader's sprint

Beat the postage increase: Lock in your current subscription price!On May 6, the United States Postal Service is raising periodicals-classpostage rates by 11 percent. As a result, VeloNews subscriptionprices will have to go up. As a special offer to current subscribers weare offering the opportunity to 'lock-in' your current discounted pricingby extending or renewing your subscription today at our pre-May 6 prices.To take advantage of this limited-time-only offer, please visit oursubscription page. You'll need to enter your current address; our systemwill then present you with the

Cleaning up the front page of VeloNews.com, we noticed a wealth of stories on what turned into a memorable weekend for American riders at the 2007 World Cyclo-cross Championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium. Rather than let this stuff fall of the front page within a day and disappear, we thought we'd at least provide a single reference point for readers to review reports from two days of racing that gave Americans Jonathan Page, Katie Compton and Danny Summerhill silver medals in their respective events. Congratulations to all of you.Race ReportsVervecken wins; Page takes silver!Compton

Cycling in the Andes Imbabura-Ecuador

Vande Velde has a lot to look forward to in 2007.

Page relishes a great ride

Katie Compton gave the United States its second silver medal in two days at the World Cyclo-cross Championships today in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, as France’s Maryline Salvetat overcame a rough start to battle her way to victory in the women’s race on Sunday. Salvetat’s teammate Laurence Laboucher hung on for third, while pre-race favorite Hanka Kupfernagel (Germany) faded to fifth after crashing at the halfway point while in the lead.

Belgians narrowly averted what could have been viewed as a national tragedy at this year’s Cyclo-cross World Championships as defending champion Erwin Vervecken came from behind to win the elite men’s race on Sunday. In an event often swept by the Belgian squad, Vervecken was the only one of his countrymen who managed to step onto the podium in front of a huge home crowd in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, as the efforts of pre-race favorites Sven Nys and Bart Wellens were hampered by crashes and a series of difficulties throughout.

Belgium’s Quick Step-Innergetic team shrugged off this week's doping allegations to take top honors in the opening stage of the Tour of Qatar, a team time trial in Doha on Sunday. Dutchman Steven De Jongh crossed the line first after the six kilometer race against the clock to be the first to take charge of the leader's gold jersey. Quick Step, with former world champion Tom Boonen riding in Qatar, covered the circuit in a time of six minutes 33 seconds. Quick Step was followed in by Milram, four seconds adrift, with Liguigas another four seconds back in third. "It was very tough,"

It took him five years of struggle and sacrifice, but over the course of a single hour in slippery conditions at Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, American Jonathan Page confirmed his status as the greatest cyclo-cross racer the U.S. has ever produced. Page led the Elite Men’s race for much of the 2007 UCI World Cyclo-cross Championships, with only a small bobble on the last quarter lap opening the door for Belgian Erwin Vervecken to dash away for the win. Page rode home in second, the first time an American man has stood on the podium at the Elite ‘Cross Worlds. For a rider who has opted to live

An already remarkable world championship weekend ended on a spectacular high note for Americans as Jonathan Page rode a nearly flawless elite men's race on his way to a silver medal, adding to those already earned by junior Danny Summerhill and American woman Katie Compton. While Page's remarkable performance was a big part of the news Sunday, there was a lot going on behind the head-to-head battle between the American and eventual winner Erwin Vervecken. Photographer Graham Watson was there to capture it on film.

Even though she is a three-time U.S. national champion, it’s worth remembering that the 2006-07 ‘cross season is Katie Compton’s first full season in the sport. It’s especially worth remembering because on Sunday Compton did what no other American woman ever has, she earned a medal at a UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships. Compton’s stellar silver in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium marked a historical high point for U.S. women’s ‘cross on the same weekend Danny Summerhill achieved the same mark in the junior men’s race and Jonathan Page took second in the elite men’s race. All told, it’s been a

Salvetat knew she had a strong opponent in Compton.

An early favorite, Kupfernagel got off to a good start.

Big crowds turned out for Sunday's big race

Compton quickly worked her way through the crowd.

Kupfernagel's troubles started with a mid-race crash and she soon had company

Compton shed the Dutch duo of Van den Brand and Vos

Salvetat was overwhelmed by her win

American Rhonda Mazza finishes in 11th

Kerry Barnholt takes 15th

Tara Ross - the only Canadian in the race - finishes 29th

Not a bad finish, considering this is Compton's second international race.

Page rode a nearly flawless race and came close to taking home the rainbow jersey.

Oh happy day: Page makes a podium appearance at world's! Now how cool is that?

No Mistakes: Page powered through the sandy portion of the course that left many top contenders struggling.

Page: The best I ever felt'

When world's come to the spiritual home of cyclo-cross, you can expect a big turn-out, even at 25 euros a head.

Although it wasn't the usual sweep, Belgian fans had plenty to celebrate.

Holland's Gerben De Knegt jumped to an early lead

When De Knegt encountered trouble, countryman Richard Groenendall took over. Belgian fans were none too thrilled at the sight of that much orange in the front of the race.

Vervecken began working his way through the crowd

Cyclo-cross World's - A Graham Watson Gallery

Page moved up quickly

The American joined Italy's Enrico Franzoi and then took off on his own.

Like many others, Franzoi had trouble in the sandy part. Vervecken moved past the Italian and had only Page ahead.

World Cup champ Nys was a pre-race favorite, but three crashes meant Sunday was not his day.

Nys and Wellens chased for most of the race. Wellens took fourth, while Nys had to settle for 11th place.

Up front, Vervecken joins Page

American Barry Wicks was lapped by the leading pair.

As was Tristan Schouten.

Vervecken takes the day, with Page right on his heels.

Franzoi held on for third

A successful defense of the rainbow jersey

Page didn't seem to mind second place

The obligatory bite-the-medal pose.

Compton: 'It's pretty exciting.'

Compton, Salvetat and Leboucher

Vervecken keeps the jersey in Belgian hands, but it was close.

Franzoi hits the deck and Vervecken sets off in pursuit of Page.

Kerry Barnholt dashes through the sand

Compton, too, found it easier to run than fight the sand

Kupfernagel had a great start

... but had her troubles, too.

Van den Brand takes a push

Vos powers through

Salvetat knew Compton was coming on fast...

... and held her off for the win.

Belgians and Americans got off to a great start at the world cyclo-cross championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, Saturday, as host-country prospect Joeri Adams and U.S. rider Danny Summerhill sprinted to a tight finish in the junior men’s event. Summerhill battled back from a crash with two laps to go to earn second, as pre-race favorite Jiri Polnicky (Czech Republic) crossed the line one second later in third.

"Last year," said Lars Boom, "I was not happy with second." On Saturday, the young Dutchman made up for that disappointment by finally winning the under-23 title at the UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, in his final year as an espoir. Belgium's Niels Albert took the silver and Roman Villa of France the bronze, while defending champion Zdenek Stybar (Czech Republic) could manage no better than fourth.

Danny Summerhill’s explosive second place at Saturday’s 2007 UCI Cyclo-cross Junior World Championships in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium, may be best remembered not for the 17-year-old’s raw talent in the four-up sprint but rather for his composure with two laps to go. Sitting in the lead group of four on the penultimate lap, Summerhill washed out his front wheel on one of the course’s three slippery drop-offs. Coming completely off his bike, Summerhill hit his head and twisted his stem. But rather than panic, the two-time U.S. junior national champion showed poise, straightening his bars,

Everybody gets to see the winners as they cross the line, with arms raised — but what about the rest of the field? They're out there suffering too, right? Happily, Graham Watson captured today's cyclo-cross action from front to back, thoroughbreds to draft horses, and we present his collection from the under-23 race below.

American cyclist Floyd Landis has asked French anti-doping officials to delay proceedings against him, the Los Angeles Times reported Saturday. A spokesman for Landis told the newspaper that his defense team wants to complete his appeal of charges from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) before facing the French inquiry, rather than deal with both cases at once. WADA president Dick Pound said earlier this month that his agency had asked the French organization AFLD to suspend its hearing. While lacking the power to compel the French government group to comply, Pound was optimistic about the

Rob Jones did double duty for us on Saturday, serving as both scribe and shooter. Here's his visual take on the action in the under-23 race.

Joeri Adams took the sprint, but Summerhill made a big impression in Belgium, too.

The stairs proved decisive.

Summerhill and Sinkeldam joined the winning break