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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.Here’s something for your listDear Velo,Hot:Katie Compton storming to her second national title from far back in the pack.Not:The decision to disrespect the current national champion, and deny her a call up.I wonder if next year a two-time national champion will get the same shabby

I had a recent experience in the medical care of an elite cyclist that,for me, became something of a baptism-by-fire education in sports physiology.Reviewing the results of an extensive set of blood tests on an elitecyclist who had recently fallen ill, I found myself at a complete lossto explain a mysterious abnormality that appeared on the charts.Was this a benign variation found in some elite cyclists or the firstdiagnosis of a serious or life-threatening illness? My God, could it alsobe doping? I felt I owed it to the athlete to figure it out. The investigationthat followed was a Pandora’s

Manuel Piñera, president and majority stock holder of the firm that manages the Liberty Seguros cycling team, has resigned in apparent reaction to the Roberto Heras doping scandal. "I'm leaving because there are things I do not agree with and that I cannot change even though I am president of the team," Piñera told Spain’s sports daily AS on Tuesday. Piñera is currently the largest shareholder in Active Bay, the management company that runs the Liberty squad, but in addition to his resignation, he said he plans to sell his shares to team directors Manolo Saiz and Pablo Anton. Piñera

The Navigators Insurance Cycling team is bigger than ever as it prepares for the 2006 season. New on the 17-man squad are Uzbekistan’s Sergey Lagutin, the 2003 under-23 world road champion and reigning Uzbek national road and time trial champion; former Ukrainian national champion Valeriy Kobzarenko; Australians Glen Chadwick and Ben Brooks; and two Americans, former Navigators rider T. Burke Swindlehurst and Bernard Van Ulden, third in the time trial at the 2005 U.S. national championships. Returning riders include sprinter Vassili Davidenko, 2005 Irish national champ David O’Loughlin,

The route of the 2006 Vuelta a España was unveiled Wednesday in Madrid with organizers calling for zero tolerance for doping following the recent Roberto Heras doping scandal. The presentation came only hours after it was reported that Liberty Seguros team president Manuel Pinera had decided to quit his post and would be selling his shares in Active Bay, which runs the team that employed Heras before the 2005 Vuelta champ was confirmed positive for EPO. Heras, who has protested his innocence and is appealing the decision that led to his sacking, has yet to be suspended for the expected two

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong will go on trial for defamation after losing a preliminary hearing against Italian Filippo Simeoni. Armstrong called the Italian rider a "liar" in an interview with French newspaper Le Monde in 2003 after Simeoni had given evidence in 2002 to magistrates investigating disgraced Italian sports doctor Michele Ferrari. On Wednesday judge Nicola Insiti rejected a claim by Armstrong's defense and ordered a hearing to be held on March 7, 2006. Ferrari, who is alleged to have helped dozens of top athletes to safely administer illegal

A bunch of press releases, new products, and (gasp) a product alert have all piled up on my desktop over the past week. It’s time to purge. We first brought you the news a week ago, but we’ve since learned some more about the three-year deal between Health Net and Cannondale. The company will provide the team with Cannondale-branded clothing plus shoes and casual clothing from Diadora, a brand for which Cannondale owns North American distribution rights. "With the exception of Rudy helmets we’re head to toe," said Scott Struve, Cannondale’s product marketing manager. The riders have a

Ask the Doctor: A brighter shade of.... yellow?

Tech Shorts: Cannondale and Health Net; SRM and FSA; Scott plans new design; Serotta suggests stem check

The Belgian Cycling Federation said Tuesday that it feared losing the rights to hold two world championships after a high court suspended a doping ruling against former champion Ludovic Capelle. The Belgian Council of State on Monday suspended an 18-month doping sentence against the 2001 Belgian champion on procedural grounds, allowing the cyclist to race again. ''We do everything possible to keep the sport clean and then we see a decision like this,'' federation chairman Laurent De Backer told VRT television. He said the UCI might consider taking next year's world

Five riders have received automatic nominations to USA Cycling’s 2006 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships squad, the governing body announced Tuesday. Daniel Summerhill (TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar) of Englewood, Colorado, earned his automatic bid by winning the junior men’s national championship at the Liberty Mutual U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships December 9-11 in Providence, Rhode Island. Troy Wells (TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar) of Durango, Colorado, and Jesse Anthony (Clif Bar) of Beverly, Massachusetts, earned automatic selections in the under-23 category. Wells rode to a national title on

Summerhill, shown winning at nationals in Rhode Island, is among the automatic nominations to the 2006 'cross-world's team

Our latest reader-submitted Photo Gallery is now up for your viewing pleasure. 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 winner. After looking through a remarkable selection of entries, we settled Michael Oryl’s “Crossing Loveland Pass In The Snow,” not because it was the most technically perfect photo submitted that week, but because it just reflected the lengths to which many of us will go to “enjoy” this beautiful sport of ours. Somebody get

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.It's all about the kidsDear Editor,Good for Lance, in the closing remarks of his interviewwith John Wilcockson, promoting bicycle racing for juniors.He knows what stimulated his interest in competitive sports, what weneed more of, and what is good for kids. Everywhere I turn in the

The 18-month doping ban imposed on Belgian rider Ludovic Capelle has been lifted by Belgium's highest legal body involved with administrative matters, Flemish television station VRT reported on Monday. Capelle was suspended in October after testing positive for the blood booster EPO (erythropoeitin) during a race in June, but it has now been ruled that the proper procedure had not been followed. No details were given. The former Belgian champion had been sacked by his Landbouwkrediet team, and manager Gerard Bulens told the Belga news agency on Monday: "We terminated Ludovic's

VeloNews Photo Contest: A new Gallery

Capelle in 2004

Britain’s Nicole Cooke will be sidelined for three weeks after breaking a collarbone at the UCI track World Cup in Manchester, England. Cooke, 22, crashed in points-race qualifications on Friday evening, and an examination confirmed two cracks of the left clavicle, without displacement or complication, according to team manager Doug Dailey. The young Briton should take two to three weeks to recover, but she could resume training at the beginning of January, Dailey said.

Belgian Bart Wellens soloed to victory in the sixth round of the UCI cyclo-cross World Cup Sunday in Igorre, Spain. Czech Petr Dlask and Italian Enrico Franzoi crossed second and third, respectively. It was a black day for world champion Sven Nys of Belgium, undefeated through the first five rounds. Nys had a good start but suffered mechanical problems on the muddy, sodden course, and had to be satisfied with eighth place. Wellens, by contrast, was delighted with his performance. "I always gave the best of myself, but Nys was too strong in the earlier races," he said. "I continued to

You just can't keep Katie Compton in the back of the bus. The reigning national elite women’s cyclo-cross champion - who started in 41st position after being denied a call-up at Sunday's race during the Liberty Mutual U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships due to her lack of UCI points - tore straight through the field on the first lap, seized the lead and never let it go.

Compton shot from 41st to No. 1 in less time than it took to write this caption

Knapp fought valiantly, but wound up with silver

Bruno Roy drives into third

What is this, a casting call for the next 'Captain America' remake?

Just how bad was the snow, freezing rain, wind, sleet and more snow on Friday, the opening day of the 2005 Liberty Mutual U.S. national cyclo-cross championships?

There was no shortage of themes to come out of the second day of the 2005 Liberty Mutual U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. On a day when, among others, collegiate men, under-23 men, junior men 17-18 and elite men all raced for stars-and-stripes jerseys, there was a handful of constants overlapping the day’s most prestigious races.

New Zealand edged Great Britain to take victory in the men's team pursuit Saturday at the Union Cycliste Internationale Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester, England. Great Britain had led the Kiwis into the dying seconds before just missing out on the line. The team's bid had been hampered by illness, with both Mark Cavendish and Rob Hayles falling sick with viruses this week. Hayles blamed his virus and also an incident at his local supermarket when he "clothes-lined" a bag snatcher attempting to escape on a bicycle. "That's got to be worth at least a couple of seconds,"

Slush, snow and speed. Chris Milliman was knee-deep in cyclo-cross nats on Saturday, and here's what he saw.

The ferocious weather froze racers to the bone and forced the postponement of two events

Todd Wells wins the elites

Troy Wells takes the under-23 race

Summerhill celebrates his junior title

Illness erased Page's edge

Jesse Anthony saw his unbeaten streak snapped

Brent Bookwalter took the collegiate race and laid down a serious challenge in the under-23 contest

Speaking of 'under-23' . . . .

Um, yes, the weather was inhospitable

Just ask this guy (and his laundry)

The course

'Treefarm' on the march

When Lance Armstrong strolled into the private air terminal at his hometown airport in Austin for this interview he was dressed down for the gig he was attending that night, starring his fiancée, Sheryl Crow. A small duffle bag over his shoulder, Armstrong wore designer jeans deliberately spotted with white paint, a black Nike-brand T-shirt bearing the gray silhouette of an eagle, thick-soled black punk-style ankle boots, and a sharp, black baseball cap advertising the “SIX Lounge, Austin, Texas.” In the couple of hours before he climbed into an executive jet, Armstrong spoke to VeloNews at

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.I ride because I rideEditor,I just finished riding the rollers for the evening. I had the `95 world’sin Colombia in the VCR, the volume turned down and the Ipod turned up.I had to, because if I hear Phil misidentify Oliverio Rincon as FernandoEscartin one more time I'm going to

Organizers of cycling's top three stage races pulled out of the UCI ProTour circuit Friday after talks with the sport's governing body collapsed. Organizers of the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España said in a statement issued Friday that the UCI's plans for the 2006 series imposed too many restrictions. Race operators and the UCI have been at odds over how races are organized and funded. Organizers said the ProTour limits their ability to select teams for their races and that extending a temporary accord reached for 2005 made ''no

Break out the cowbells, wool socks and long underwear, the second weekend of December has arrived, meaning the most important cyclo-cross race of the North American calendar is about to take place. Held in the natural amphitheater of the Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island, the 2005 Liberty Mutual U.S. national cyclo-cross championships is expected to host some of the most tightly contested battles for the stars-and-stripes jerseys in recent memory.

UCI president Pat McQuaid told VeloNews Friday that he was "not surprised" by the position taken by the organizers of the three grand tours, saying their decision to split from the UCI ProTour and return to a system of team invitations and wild cards for their events was "like going back to the Dark Ages." He believes that the grand tours made a pre-emptive move in view of a meeting planned this coming Monday between the UCI and the ProTour team sponsors. Speaking on a cell phone while transferring planes at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, McQuaid said he had just heard of the grand

"So why should this weekend be any different? Snow." That was Chris Milliman, in an e-mail promising photos from this weekend's Liberty Mutual U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. He's seen his fair share of the white stuff while covering 'cross races this fall, and from the look of the shots he sent our way today, he's not seen the last of it yet. The weather was bad enough that two categories – men 30-34 and collegiate men – had to be postponed until Saturday. So take a good, long look at the gallery posted below – and then go throw another

Sarah Hammer of Temecula, California, took gold in the women’s points race during the first day of competition at the Union Cycliste Internationale Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester, England. Hammer’s victory comes in her first World Cup since a one-year hiatus from cycling. Hammer, 22, lapped the field with China’s Yan Li to claim a majority of her points. Hammer will ride in the women’s pursuit in Saturday’s competition. Teammate Becky Quinn (Quakertown, Pennsylvania) consistently finished in the top four during the points race sprints, placing her sixth overall. Michael Blatchford

The only guy to do that.

Buddies. Bruyneel has played a critical role in Armstrong's success.

Armstrong had issues with Simeoni

Armstrong didn't like this one.

Can Page do it again?

Compton will start at the front this year - and this time, everyone will be watching her

Wells has been going for quality, not quantity

Johnson is renowned for his toughness in bad weather

And then, there are the Kona boys

Welcome to the national slip-and-slide championships

Got your studded snows on?

Dale Knapp has a look of disbelief on his face en route to winning the 40-44 race

But snow is old news to Kansas boy Steve Tilford, victory in the 45-49

What goes up . . .

. . . must come down

VeloNews and Inside Triathlon name new sales staffDecember 8, 2005Boulder, CO -- VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazinesannounce important changes to the advertising sales staff at these leadinginternational cycling and triathlon titles:*Promoted to group advertising director for VeloNews and InsideTriathlon is Nick Ramey, a three-year sales veteran of both titles,and most recently advertising director for Inside Triathlon. A competitivecyclist and multisport athlete (Xterra is his favorite event), Ramey leda renaissance in advertising page sales at Inside Triathlon in 2005,setting new

On the heels of a thrilling 2005 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross Series, that included record fields racing in sweltering Californian heat and a freezing East Coast blizzard, the schedule for the 2006 mixes up locations and dates, adding some variety to the series in it s third year. "Coming off a highly successful second edition of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross, we are pleased to announce an exciting schedule for 2006.," said Paul Salvucci, U.S. Gran Prix Director of Operations. "The combination of continued growth in the sport, highly motivated promoters,

Belgian Sven Nys (Rabobank) won the fifth round of the cyclo-cross World Cup Wednesday in Milan. The world champion soloed to victory ahead of compatriot Erwin Vervecken (Fidea), who finished second at 12 seconds back, and Italian Enrico Franzoi (Lampre-Caffita), who took third just two seconds later. The win kept Nys’s unbeaten streak going in this year’s series and marked his 25th career victory in World Cup competition. In women's competition, the Netherlands' Daphny Van Den Brand (Van Bemmelen-AA Drink) won handily over countrywoman Marianne Vos, who finished more than 30

This week in Austin, the 2006 Discovery Channel team is enjoying its first get-together of the winter. Missing from the roster, of course, is the name of Lance Armstrong, who hung up his cleats after winning a record seventh consecutive Tour de France last July. A couple of weeks prior to the training camp, VeloNews met with Armstrong in Austin to record his parting shots on his 13 years as a professional cyclist. The interview appears in the December 5 issue of VeloNews, which contains a special section looking back on Armstrong’s career. Included in the issue is a look at all of the

Armstrong collects his final Tour

Armstrong wins the world's in 1993

The 2003 Tour was a tough one; it included the famous cyclo-cross around the fallen Joseba Beloki

Stage 15 of the 2003 Tour was a tough day at the office; Armstrong won that stage

A different sort of ride, post-retirement: Armstrong mountain biking with President Bush in August

A different sort of spotlight: at the Grammys with Sheryl Crow

Is he hurting or not? Armstrong strove to be a tough read

For many of us, the next few weeks are likely to include many socialoccasions filled with an abundance of foods (many high in fat), an overflowof alcoholic beverages, and hectic schedules that often thwart the bestlaid plans for calorie burning workouts.  Keeping the holidays healthyand minimizing any havoc created by too much food and drink, is best approachedby a mindful approach that combines behavior strategies, nutritional awareness,and realistic goals around food and exercise.Goal SettingFirst, start by clearly defining your goals for this holiday season.Perhaps you are currently

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.Go for it Ivan!Dear EditorI want to voice my support for Ivan Basso in hisquest for the Giro/Tour double. I think it is refreshing to see thatsomeone still has the guts to go for the big prize. Sure, winning the Tourwould be great for Basso, and by going for the win in Italy he is

USA Cycling has selected its team for the UCI Track Cycling World Cup December 9-11 at the Manchester Velodrome in Manchester, England. The riders are Michael Blatchford (Veloworx), Cypress, California; Kevin Belz (CKR Racing), Irving, Texas; Giddeon Massie (Cody) Colorado Springs, Colorado; Christian Stahl (CKR Racing), Bethany, Connecticut; Sarah Hammer Temecula, California; Becky Quinn, Quakertown, Pennsylvania; and Jennie Reed (Gregg's Trek-VW Racing), Kirkland, Washington. Selection procedures for the track talent pool can be found at the USA Cycling website For more about the

Cycling legend Sean Kelly will receive the Mick Doyle Golden Memory Award December 10 during the Canon Hayes National Sports Awards in Aherlow, Ireland. The prize is named for the Irish rugby player and coach who died in a car accident in Northern Ireland in 2004. Kelly won 193 races during his 17-year career, including nine classics and seven consecutive triumphs at Paris-Nice. He just missed the podium at the Tour de France in 1985, finishing fourth, and won the green points jersey in 1982, 1983, 1985 and 1989. Elder Nazon to end pro careerDamien Nazon (Crédit Agricole) has decided to

I am glad to be back in the States for a couple of days, getting ready for cyclo-cross nationals, because I had a serious craving for some good quality Mexican food and was starting to get a little bored hanging out in Belgium by myself. This week will be a welcome break from racing in Europe. What lies before you is my version of a preview — my picks — for ‘cross nationals this weekend. You might not agree with me, but hey, what do you know anyway? Seriously, with a forecast for snow on Friday and temperatures of a high around 30-34 degrees, the only thing certain for this weekend is that

With 1700 athletes converging on Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island, for the Liberty Mutual U.S. National Cyclo-cross Championships, promoters needed to find companies capable of giving every athlete critical pre-race support. Clif Bar has been selected to create the warm-up area and cool-down zone available for every athlete, positioned close to the start-finish area. Mavic and its famous Tour de France 'Service Course' will be on hand to provide mechanical support. And Polar Beverages will operate the water station. "These are the national championships. We appreciate