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McEwen won last year's prelude criterium, but didn't add to his string of 11 TDU stage wins.

Hillsboro USGP

Twenty-three-year-old Darren Lapthorne claimed the biggest success of his career to win the 163km men's elite road race at the 2007 Australian Open Road Championships in Bunninyong, near Ballarat, Victoria, on Sunday. "It's the happiest day of my life," said Lapthorne who is studying a Bachelor of Business at RMIT in tandem with pursuing his cycling career. "It is an unbelievable moment for me and I'll never forget it." Lapthorne crossed the line well clear at the end of 16 laps in a time of 4hr16min18sec with his Drapac Porsche teammate and Barcelona Olympian, Robert McLachlan,

German prosecutors are slated to compare blood samples from former Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich who has been accused of doping and sporting fraud, the weekly magazine Focus reported. Investigators in Spain have agreed to send samples from bags of blood seized in apartments owned Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes, allegedly the head of the blood-doping and drug ring revealed by Spanish police in the so called Operacion Puerto investigation last May. German investigators plan to compare the results against a sample submitted by Ullrich in September. The tests could finally settle whether bags in

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme doesn’t go to many team presentations, but he found time in his schedule to travel to Mallorca this weekend to be there for the unveiling of a re-vamped T-Mobile squad. The Tour leader lauded the team’s dramatic house-cleaning following alleged links between Jan Ullrich and Operación Puerto. Prudhomme said T-Mobile’s latest efforts to reshape the team, with increased internal doping controls and a strong emphasis on clean racing, is just the tonic to help regain cycling’s credibility. VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood joined a

World No. 1 Sven Nys (Rabobank) won the 10th and penultimate round of the UCI’s World Cup of cyclo-cross in Nommay, France, on Sunday. Nys solidified his grip on the overall standings of the World Cup and the world points classifications with the win. Nys finished ahead of recently crowned Belgian champion Bart Wellens and Dutchman Gerben De Knegt. The race was dominated from the start by Rabobank teammates Nys, De Knegt and Dutchman Richard Groenendaal. The trio got an early gap, forcing Wellens to form a quick alliance with Frenchman John Gadret and Czech rider Petr Dlask. The chasers

The Tour director is making a point of showing support for T-Mobile's new direction

Prudhomme speaks with reporters

Embattled Tour de France champion Floyd Landis says he his riding withoutpain for the first time in four years, following his hip operation lastSeptember. Physician Brent Kay said that Landis, who suffered a fracture at theneck of his femur in acrash four years ago, has reclaimed top form for the first time sincethen. "He has regained full strength, power and range of motion and is completelypain free," Kay said. "His one-leg power tests now show that the new hipis actually stronger than the other side. "With normal length restored to his femur and the elimination of hischronic pain, Floyd

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you havea comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen incycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write toWebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name andhome town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writersare encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submittingauthors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positionsof VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, InsideCommunications,

Olympic and Commonwealth Games track star, Katie Mactier and Wesley Sulzberger claimed top honors in the women’s and U23 men’s races at the Australian Open Road Championships in Bunninyong, near Ballarat, Victoria on Saturday. The 31-year-old Mactier, the 2001 road champion, out gunned eleven rivals, including the reigning Olympic and reigning Commonwealth Games road Champions, to win the title in a time of 3hr10min35sec ahead of 2003 U23 Olympic Distance Triathlon World Champion, Nikki Egyed, 24, with Mactier's Victorian teammate Emma Rickards third. "When you come out and take a win

The ghost of Jan Ullrich has been fully exorcized and a reborn T-Mobile team is boldly riding into the 2007 season without the franchise rider that carried the team to greatness for a decade. The downfall of the 1997 Tour de France champion and the ensuing housecleaning that followed Ullrich’s expulsion ahead of the start of last year’s Tour was officially closed in Saturday’s team presentation of T-Mobile. Out is talk of the winning the Tour and in are choice words about teamwork and clean competition. With 13 new riders and five new staff members, T-Mobile manager Bob Stapleton introduced

Even bigger things are expected for T-Mobile this season as eight new riders and an all-female management staff carry the team’s ambitions into 2007. Following on the heels of last year’s success in its inaugural season at international competition, the women’s team expects for even more victories this year. Back are Kim Anderson, Judith Arndt and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg. Five up-and-coming racers join established stars Oenone Wood, Kate Bates and Chantal Beltman for the season. “If we can achieve what we did last year, we’ll be satisfied,” said Teutenberg. “We’ll always be at the front at all

Landis has ridden with hip pain since his 2003 fracture

Cipollini may be facing a big bill from the tax man.

American Bob Stapleton heads a new post-Ullrich T-Mobile squad that emphasizes teamwork

The new T-Mobile's mantra for '07

T-Mobile for '07 includes a well-established women's program and a re-vamped men's team.

Arndt, Teutenberg, Wood, Bates, Beltman... who wouldn't want to ride for this team?

Over the course of the week several staff and riders from the Spanish ProTourSaunier Duval-Prodir team have been in Mali, West Africa, to help inauguratethe ambitious “100years for a million trees” re-forestation project as a way of markingthe 100th anniversary of the program's title sponsor.We've received several written reports from VeloNews editorialdirector John Wilcockson. Paris-based photographer Glenn Myrent was alsothere to document the events of the week and has been kind enough to sharesome of his images with VeloNews.com. The week was highlighted by a racebetween seven of

In an unusual step, Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has been summoned  to appear before the French anti-doping agency (AFLD) on February 8, the organization's president Pierre Bordry told AFP on Friday.The 32-year-old American won the Tour de France last July, due in no small part to a remarkable effort on the 17th stage of the race.

The Malian riders used steel frames, 12-speed bikes and European race clothing for the Fatoma-Mopti road race.

Most of the local riders put on their souvenir Saunier Duval T-shirts over their cycling jerseys before lining up for the 60km race.

Mali’s Adama Toula and Saunier Duval’s second-year Spanish pro Arkaitx Duran crossed the line together as joint winners of the race.

Post-race interview for Toula, who competed in only two single-day and two stage races in 2006.

One of the locals was later treated for road rash by Saunier Duval team doctor Maria Sagasti.

From the air, a good view of the deforested terrain that will receive the million trees to be planted by Planète Urgence to mark Saunier Duval’s company centennial.

At Fatoma, Saunier Duval team manager Mauro Gianetti (right) and directeur sportif Joxean Fernandez Matxin met the village’s 102-year-old elder in his home.

One of the plantation sites at Daladougou, near Fatoma.

The Eucalyptus saplings to be planted arrived by donkey cart.

Schoolgirls from Fatoma helped with the inaugural plantings.

Three of the schoolboy volunteers take saplings to the holes dug earlier by farmers for the tree-planting operation.

Getting ready to plant the first trees.

Each hectare of trees will get water from hand-dug wells, some of which will be more than 100 feet deep to reach the water table.

Matxin gets help in planting one of the first saplings.

. At the end of the hot morning, the participants in the first ceremonial plantings trek back along a dried up riverbed.

Discovery Channel rider Tom Danielson, winner of stage 17 at last year’sVuelta a España, is putting his name behind a 12-race junior’s seriesorganized through Colorado’s American Cycling Association. Danielson iskicking off the series with a fundraiser to be held January 17, in Boulder,Colorado, emceed by former Coors Classic race director Michael Aisner andfeaturing former 7-Eleven pros Andy Hampsten and Ron Keifel aswell as 1984 Olympic gold medalists Alexi Grewal and Connie Carpenter and the seemingly ageless mountain-bike star, Ned Overend.It’s not the first time Danielson, twice a

With the holiday season officially over, cyclists are back to work or school and planning ahead for the coming race season. Perhaps you ate and drank your way through December’s seemingly endless string of parties and events, with both your training volume and frequency in a state of consistent decline. Because of these calorically challenging dilemmas, mid- January often greets many cyclists with an extra and unwanted layer of adipose fat. But no need to panic, there is plenty of time to get your diet and nutrition plan in order for the 2007 season. Weight, fat, and goal settingFirst take

USA Cycling on Thursday announced the five-rider roster of Americans slated to ride in the elite men’s category at the 2007 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships, on January 28 in Hooglede-Gits, Belgium. Three of those riders met automatic qualification criteria, while the remaining trio earned discretionary picks. Ryan Trebon (Kona), Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com) and Barry Wicks (Kona) met the requirements for automatic qualification having earned a top-50 spot on the UCI’s international cyclo-cross rankings. Trebon also captured the national title at last month’s national championship

Los Angeles, CA., January 11, 2007…Kirk Willett, a former professionalcyclist and well-known team director, has been appointed Team Directorof the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team. Willett will join HarmJansen on the frontlines, to handle team logistics, day-to-day operations,race strategy, and overall management of team personnel.A seasoned professional, Willett is recognized on the racing circuitfor his tactical skills, logistical expertise and his ability to quicklydiscern the advantage in the field, helping lead his teams to prominentwins.“Kirk is a natural competitor,” said Team Owner Sean

The International Professional Cycling Teams (IPCT) has reversed its month-old decision to exclude the Discovery team from its ranks. In December, the group voted to strip Discovery of its membership over the team’s signing of Italian Ivan Basso, who is implicated in the Operación Puerto inquiry, according to a source that attended the meeting in Brussels. Lat Thursday, with Discovery director Johann Bruyneel present, the group opted to reverse the December decision. “After a long discussion, the voting members of the group have opted not to exclude Tailwind Sports (Discovery Channel)

Everyone- including this New Year’s celebrant in the Ukraine-should ease up a bit after the holidays.

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside

2007 AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CURRICULUM RELEASED TO CALIFORNIAEDUCATORS FOR 4TH-6TH GRADE INSTRUCTIONEndorsed by Governor Schwarzenegger, Curriculum Contains LessonstoEncourage Students to Live Healthy Lifestyles and Practice BikeSafetyLOS ANGELES, January 9, 2007 – In preparation for the highlyanticipated return of the Amgen Tour of California professional cyclingroad race this February, a specially developed classroom curriculum hasbeen distributed to fourth- through sixth-grade instructors and studentsin the 12 California "host" cities selected for the 650-mile race. The

Veteran Erik Zabel said Wednesday that his old teammate Jan Ullrich and others should be permitted to ride at the ProTour level rather than wait for a flawed Operación Puerto case to move forward. Speaking at the Milram team presentation in Germany on Wednesday, Zabel said it was unfair for riders to languish in a legal purgatory, given the absence of hard evidence that they had doped. “As long as there is no formal evidence accusing any of them of doping, what is the purpose?” he said. “It appears that all that (investigators) have to work with are rumors, innuendo and assumptions. As long

Mopti, Mali - Two 20-year-old bike racers linked hands, one black, one white, as theyraised their arms in a symbolic gesture of victory and cooperation Tuesdayafternoon in the West African republic of Mali. Arkaitx Duran, a second-yearSpanish pro with Saunier Duval-Prodir, and Adama Toula, a farm worker fromSikasso in southern Mali, were the breakaway winners of the Fatoma-Moptiroad race that launched Saunier Duval’s ambitious environmental projectto plant a million trees in this sub-Saharan country in the company’s centennialyear.This was not a typical season opener. But it was one that made

[Watch Video]

Zabel - here winning the final stage of the 2006 Vuelta - has his eye on winning world's in Stuttgart

New Yorkers Raise Money by Raising Their Heart Rates - The Davis Phinney Foundation and The Michael J. Fox Foundationhost a high-energy spin event at the Copacabana -NEW YORK – The Davis Phinney Foundation, in conjunction withThe Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, is pleased to announce“Join the Parkinson’s Peloton,” a three-hour spinning session led by MasterSpin Instructor, Josh Taylor. The fundraiser will take place on January27, 2007 at the Copacabana night club (560 W 34th St) from 1-4 pm. Top-of-theline Star-Trac bikes are being generously donated by the event’s

Bamako, Mali — The Niger, the biggest river in West Africa, is more than 4000km long.For a third of its length the Niger cuts a giant swathe through the nationof Mali. On Tuesday, the kilometer-wide waterway served as the backdropto a very unusual bike race at the bustling river port of Mopti. Most ofthe starters would be from Mali, a country that is so impoverished thatits 11 million population includes only 60 or so cyclists with the meansto compete at a national level.Two dozen of them will be taking on seven Saunier Duval-Prodir teamprofessionals in a road race to launch the UCI ProTour

Any chances of a deal between T-Mobile and Alejandro Valverde may have been derailed Monday as Spanish news reports suggest that the Illes Balears rider, too, has been implicated in the Operación Puerto affair. A spokesman for T-Mobile on Monday denied suggestions by Valverde’s agent that the team was prepared to pay 3 million euros to buy out the rider’s contract with his Spanish team. Early on Tuesday, the Spanish newspaper ABC reported that documents seized from Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes showed a cryptic reference to “Valv,” followed by “Piti,” the name of the rider’s dog. Fuentes was once

Questions regarding Hincapie's broken steerer and slipping carbon seatposts.

Well so far it's been quite the eventful cyclo-cross season. Racing the UCI events, having the bikes stolen, the wonderful support I received from sponsors and friends, a new sponsor (sort of, more on that later) and something that I still can't believe actually happened, a dry, fast cyclo-cross nationals in Providence, Rhode Island! While racing in the mud can be a lot of fun, I’ve decided the dry fast courses are much better as I’ve become a bit delicate after living in Colorado. I really enjoyed not having to wash the chamois three times afterwards, and waking up the next morning

The UCI has filed a complaint with the European Commission alleging that organizers of cycling's three biggest races have conspired to sabotage the ProTour series. The move is the latest chapter in the long running dispute between the sport's ruling body, which launched the ProTour in 2004, and the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana. In a statement Tuesday the UCI asserted that the three tour organizers are acting as an illegal monopoly. "The UCI has today decided to prepare an official complaint which it will lodge with the European Commission, against the

Valverde fought valiantly to keep the leader's jersey at the '06 Vuelta.

Hincapie's day on the cobbles ended badly in 2006

Compton - now a three-time U.S. champ.

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery has been posted, along with a special year-end gallery, featuring contest winners from throughout 2006. Of course, a new gallery also means the naming of the winner of ourmost recent contest. Take the time to wander through that gallery and see if you agree or disagree with our choice of winners this week. Considering some of our past winners, you might notice our bias for “working bikes,” those rides people use for every day work and transportation. Reflecting that, we really appreciated the bike and the people in Jim Tannenhill’s “Water portage

Alejandro Valverde, currently under contract with the Illes Baléares-Caissed'Epargne, may be leaving the team to join a re-vamped T-Mobile squad. According to Monday’s edition of El Pais, the team is activelycourting the ProTourwinner as a replacement for Jan Ullrich, who the team fired this pastsummer. Ullrich was barred from the Tour de France after he and severalother riders were implicated in the Operación Puerto druginvestigation. The newspaper quoted Valverde’s agent as saying the T-Mobile team hasmade an offer significant enough to “put aside any reservations we mighthave about

I knew that this wasn’t going to be the usual bike-racing trip when the neatly dressed Arab businessman sitting next to me on the Royal Air Maroc flight from Paris-Orly to Casablanca Sunday night began chanting a prayer before we took off. He ended his salutation by blessing both me and his other neighbor, a young black West African. Perhaps the man’s prayers ensured a safe trip, even though we were an hour late touching down in the Moroccan city. It took another 20 minutes before the plane’s door opened and we stepped down into a cool, misty night, lit by a waning, watery moon. After

Water portage in China

Valverde at last year's Vuelta.

Inside Cycling with John Wilcockson: On the road to Mali

European countries held their national championship events for elite men’s cyclo-cross on Sunday. In the most closely watched contest of the weekend, Bart Wellens (Fidea) earned his third national championship, winning the prestigious Belgian title ahead of teammate Klaas Vantornout and Rabobank’s Sven Nys. Wellens win denied Nys the chance to earn a rare cyclo-cross hat trick, winning the Belgian, world and World Cup titles in a single season. Nys, who crashed early in the race on Sunday, has a solid lead in the World Cup series and is considered one of the favorites for the world

Wellens scored his third Belgian title on Sunday

Without any new offers since the end of his contract with Bouygues Telecom at the end of 2006, Walter Bénéteau has decided to retire. The 34-year-old Frenchman turned pro in 2000 when he joined the newly formed Bonjour team. He has raced his entire pro career for current Bouygues boss Jean-René Bernaudeau. Bénéteau has finished every Tour de France since turning pro and raced the Giro d'Italia-Tour double in 2005 and the Vuelta a España-Tour double last season. Dessel, defending champ Gerrans target Tour Down UnderCyril Dessel, who wore the yellow jersey for a day during the 2006 Tour

Franzoi, Rossi win Italian crownsEnrico Franzoi (Lampre-Fondital) won the Italian cyclo-cross championships on Saturday in Lucques. Marco Aurelio Fontana (Selle Italia-Guerciotti) took the runner-up spot just one second back with Marco Bianco (L'Arcobaleno Carraio) third at three seconds. Vania Rossi (Italiana Carburanti) won the women’s title ahead of Milena Calvani (Simec) and Francesca Cucciniello (Selle Italia-Guerciotti). Dlask takes Czech titlePetr Dlask (Fidea) won the Czech Republic cyclo-cross championship on Saturday in the town of Ceska Lipa. Zdenek Stybar took second at

Bénéteau in a break during Stage 9 of the 2006 Tour

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside

Applications for the Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series are now available to race promoters interested in supporting the junior-development efforts of USA Cycling. Entering its 15th year in 2007, the Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Race Series is a program designed by USA Cycling and endorsed by seven-time Tour de France winner and Olympic medalist Lance Armstrong that provides racing opportunities for junior and U23-aged athletes. Over the course of the last 15 years, the series has evolved into a nationally-recognized junior development program with 88 events on the calendar in 2006.

A website launched by a trio of Floyd Landis supporters aims to raise $2 million to defend the 2006 Tour de France champion against charges that he doped to win the race. Landis, who tested positive for a skewed testosterone-epitestosterone ratio after the 2006 Tour de France and is preparing for arbitration before the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, needs the money to cover legal fees and expenses, according to spokesman Michael Henson. "Despite their lack of adherence to individual rights and due process ... the sports bureaucracies pursuing Floyd are funded in large part by multimillion-dollar

Landis faces another struggle - raising money for his defense

Well, Euro’ `Cross Camp IV is in the books and now the riders are headedin a host of different directions. Some of our riders will be going offto their respective road and MTB seasons, while others will be travelinghome to the U.S. for final world's prep. Still others plan to remain in Belgiumthrough to world's. Nonetheless, for a great 12-day period, we were all together striving,seeking and, in some cases, finding. Finding what? That answer dependson each rider and his goals, but, as director, my objective is to continueto put U.S. riders on the world cyclo-cross map.In many

Twenty-one teams – including five ProTour squads – have signed up for the 12th edition of Malaysia's Tour de Langkawi, promoters announced Thursday. Organizers said the field will be the largest to contest the 10-day event in six years. The Ag2r, Bouygues Telecom, Crédit Agricole and Française des Jeux teams will line up with one of the ProTour’s newest members, Unibet.com, and 16 regional and continental teams for the 10-stage season opener that begins February 2. Joining the five ProTour squads will be five European continental, seven Pacific regional and four national teams. Hong

AEG, HEALTH NET ANNOUNCE CYCLING TEAM'S ADDITION TO 2007 AMGEN TOUROF CALIFORNIAFounding Partner Health Net Will Also Present Free-to-the-PublicLifestyle Festival at the Finish Line in Each Host CityLOS ANGELES, January 4, 2007 – The Health Net Pro Cycling TeamPresented by Maxxis will again be one of the professional cycling teamsracing in the Amgen Tour of California, it was announced by Health Netof California and AEG, presenters of the 8-day, 650-mile road race.Health Net also will return as one of the event’s "founding partners,"which will include sponsorship of the Amgen Tour of

Coach Proctor with rising American 'cross star Danny Summerhill

Americans Tim Johnson and Tom Danielson lead the field in the final stage of the 2003 Tour de Langkawi. Danielson took the overall title that year

The '07 route

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writers are encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submitting authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positions of VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, Inside

2007 Webcor/Alto Velo Racing Club Elite Men’s RosterThe Webcor/Alto Velo Elite men’s team has announced its line-up forthe new season where it plans to compete in Northern California/NevadaCycling Association events and select west coast National Race Calendarevents.The team will be supported by several sponsors including Webcor Builders,The Bike Connection, Giant, Keefe Team Realty, Dave O’Mara Mortgages, Bell,Voler, Mark Rodamaker Fitting, Kaneon, Powerbar, and Karl Elhert, DC.The team will be led by former Webcor professionals Ted Huang, DarioFalquier and Greg Drake. The team’s line up