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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

Boom takes the win

Summerhill killin' it in the sandbox

Payday

Albert gave it his best, but conceded that Boom was stronger

Boom on a descent

On the run

Albert, Boom and Villa take the U-23 podium . . .

. . . while Japan's Tetsuya Fujioka takes a header

Jamey Driscoll, top Yank at 36th, and the only North American that the relentless Boom didn't lap

Chance Noble had a good start, but found himself feeling a bit burned out and finished 39th

Daniel Neyens works the sandbox en route to 46th place

Charles Marzot finished one spot behind Neyens

Boom and Albert hit the stairs together

And then it was just Boom, off on his own

Villa rode to third on the day

The fans were loving every minute of it

Driscoll works the staircase

As does Marzot