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It is Christmas evening here in Belgium and we are just about to sit down to dinner, but I thought I’d give you a quick report. On Christmas Eve, my girlfriend Heather arrived by train from London, after spending some time there with her family. It is great to have her here. Anyone who would want to travel through Belgium with her boyfriend while he is racing in the winter must be quite special, or nuts, but I think the former. We had a delicious five-course meal that had my stomach bulging at the seams, although I still managed to find some room for a few Belgian chocolates at the very end.

UCI president McQuaid: Globalizing the sport – Part 2

Pat's father Jim McQuaid (left) placing second to future Tour de France yellow jersey Shay Elliott (right) in the 1953 Irish national road championship.

A young Pat McQuaid being shown the ropes by his dad Jim.

French cheese...

... and Belgian chocolates.

Sand...

...and more sand

The beer tent is empty today, but tomorrow will be a different story.

After leaving the shores of placid Lake Geneva and driving a handful of kilometers south of Montreux, views of the Swiss Alps open up as you reach Aigle, a storybook town surrounded by the rolling Chablais vineyards. This small Swiss community, with its own turreted 13th century castle, cobbled streets and white-painted, tile-roofed houses, is home to the $20 million World Cycling Center, a curved, stainless-steel-sided building on a picturesque site next to the Rhône River Besides housing the 70-strong staff of the Union Cycliste Internationale, the WCC also accommodates a 200-meter wood

Typically after U.S. Cyclo-cross Nationals I don’t touch my bike for almost a month, but here I am in Belgium racing a Superprestige on Christmas Eve. Well, "racing" might be the wrong term to use because it felt more like chasing, but more on that later. Today, Kiwi, Kashi Leuchs join us for a few days of cross racing in Belgium. He spends most of his time these days in Annecy, France, so it’s an easy trip for him. Kashi doesn’t race much 'cross, but last year he did a Belgian race with Michel and wanted to give it another go this year. Once again Michel’s mom prepped some delicious

McQuaid at the helm.

McQuaid and his predecessor, the often-controversial Hein Verbruggen (L).

Do you have a Supporter's Club jacket for your favorite cross racer?

The Belgian feed zone.

Fans wait outside of Sven Nys' personal mobile home for a chance to see the World Champ.

Film maker Sam Smith checks in with Kona's Ryan Trebron and Erik Tonkin after the race.

When the European professional peloton rolls out in 2006, a few dozenfamiliar names will be missing. Here’s a rundown on the 16 best-known ridersthat hung up their cleats in 2005 with a combined 568 career wins: LANCE ARMSTRONG (USA), 34Teams: Discovery Channel (2005), U.S. Postal Service (1998-2004),Cofidis (1997), Motorola (1992-96)Major winsTour de France (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005)World Road Championship (1993)Clasica San Sebastian (1995)Flèche Wallonne (1996)GP des Nations (2000)Tour of Switzerland (2001)Dauphiné-Libéré (2002 and 2003)Tour of Luxembourg (1998)Midi Libre

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.What about Tafi?Editor:I noticed one rather glaring omission in John Wilcockson's "Last Look Back" column. Wilcockson set out to review the "top riders who retired in 2005." In doing so, however, he left out the great Andrea Tafi. Tafi retired in 2005, with his last race being the

Holiday greetings from Belgium! Well, I made it safely across the pondto begin my Belgian holiday cyclo-cross racing adventure. The plan is tocompete in seven Belgian cross races which kick off with the Superprestigein Diegem on Christmas Eve and end after a race in Saint Niklaas on January2nd. What the heck am I doing in Belgium to race cyclo-cross you might ask?Well, to by honest I’m not quite sure. All I know is this past summer Ihad an international travel voucher that needed to be redeemed. While decidingwhere to take my trip I met Michel Bajorek, a professional mechanic fromBelgium at

We rode some amazing Belgian country roads today. I wonder if Boonen has been here?

Michel Bajorek, mechanic for hire, and my Belgian tour guide.

Chocolate, Waffles and ‘Cross - Arrival at the Mecca of `cross

Dear Bob;I was involved in an accident on my bike. I swerved to avoid a crazycab driver and ran into a pedestrian and knocked her over. She was injuredin the collision, so I called an ambulance and waited with her to makesure she would be alright. I also gave her all of my contact information.Now she's hired an attorney who is threatening to sue me. It doesn’t seemfair that I can be sued for an accident caused by the cab driver. Can Ibe held responsible for this accident?A.B.,New YorkDear A.B.;Wow, you got the double whammy there—being run off the road, and nowyou’re being sued. Before I

Milan-San Remo, the first classic on the Italian calendar, is among Ivan Basso’s objectives for 2006, the CSC rider announced Wednesday in Busnago. "I decided to add Milan-San Remo to my program after learning of a modification to the course that suits my strengths," Basso said. The race is March 18. Basso also confirmed that he will start the Giro d’Italia, which begins May 8 in Seraing, Belgium. The Tour de France, however, remains his top priority. The Italian finished second to Lance Armstrong this year, nearly two minutes ahead of third-placed Jan Ullrich. Mendez undergoes surgery

Health Net-Maxxis adds RoulstonThe Health Net Pro Cycling Team presented by Maxxis has made one final, significant addition to its 2006 roster: New Zealander Hayden Roulston. The Kiwi joins compatriot Greg Henderson on North America’s top team after departing from Discovery Channel. "Hayden is a big addition to our squad," said Greg Raifman, chairman and CEO of Momentum Sports Group, which owns and operates the Health Net team. "He gives us another strong engine in our lead-out train, a strong rider for the one-day races and adds significant international experience as our team steps up to

Basso has an ambitious schedule for 2006

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.Spin controlDear VeloNews,I can understand NicolaSemboloni’s dismay at Armstrong’s recent retelling of the Simeoniincident. I recall hearing a very different story from even Armstrongon OLN during the tour. Am I wrong about that? Whatever thetruth may be, I can tell you for sure that it

Tom Boonen is never likely to win cycling's most coveted stage race jersey, but after yet another roller-coaster year for cycling the Belgian star could boast of having won the next best thing. For many, the world champion's rainbow jersey, which Boonen won in September, is more prestigious than the Tour de France's famous yellow jersey, which American Lance Armstrong won for a record seventh time before retiring in July. Adieu to ArmstrongArmstrong's talent on the world's biggest race will remain undoubted although for many his decision to retire could not have come any

It all started two seasons ago, when Mo Bruno Roy decided to try a cyclo-cross race or two. At the snowy Verge Series season finale that year, she found herself battling for the win in Merrimack, New Hampshire with Olympian Mary McConneloug. "Hey, you might be kinda good at this 'cross thing," we all told her. The next year, Mo got a little more serious. She hired a coach, trained more, planned a set race schedule, and came pretty damn close to winning a master's national championship in the deep mud of Portland, Oregon. She finished second after a tussle with another rider in the

Boonen wins the world championship

Making a Quantum leap?Dear Lennard,I have a circa 1996 Chorus 8-speed right index shifter (rear cogs). It is worn out and in a box. Do you know if it is possible to rebuild it as a ten-speed with the right parts?KhalilDear Khalil,No it is not. Eight-speed levers can only be upgraded to 9-speed, not to 10-speed. Also, the first year of 9-speed, with the current, more rounded shape to the knob atop the lever, could not be upgraded at all. After that, nine-speed levers could be upgraded to 10-speed.LennardTo click or not to clickDear Lennard, You recently received a letter regarding a freshly

While Greg LeMond was burning up the roads of Europe in the early 1980s, becoming world professional road champion and making the podium at the Tour de France, pro road racing was still in its infancy back home. LeMond’s successes were a clear inspiration to amateur racers in North America, but there were no pro teams for them to join and no pro races in which to compete. That situation only started to change in 1982 after an agreement was reached between the U.S. Cycling Federation (USCF) and the Professional Racing Organization of America (PRO) to sanction "open" pro-am road racing in the

Want to be a bike racer, kids? Fifteen aspiring junior racers will be awarded equipment, technical support and coaching for the 2006 season based on their essays written on the topic, "Why I Want to Be a Bicycle Racer." The contest is a collaboration among Specialized, Team Gerolsteiner’s Levi Leipheimer, NorCal Bike Sport and the city of Santa Rosa, California. All submissions are due by January 31, 2006; guidelines and rules can be found at www.norcalcycling.com. Winners will be selected by a panel of judges led by Leipheimer, a two-time top-10 Tour de France finisher and a resident of

Belgian Bart Wellens (Fidea), who kicked a spectator in last Sunday’s cyclo-cross in Overijse, Belgium, has been stripped of his victory in the race and faces a disciplinary hearing in 2006, according to the UCI. Wellens, who finished ahead of Lars Boom and Gerben de Knegt, originally had been disqualified on the day of the race, but after he spoke with the race jury, the decision was reversed and the win allowed to stand. On Monday, the Belgian cycling association demanded sanctions, criticizing the "soft" attitude of the race jury’s president and calling Wellens’s behavior

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.No reason to sueEditor,Of course Lance Armstrong will never bring a defamation suit against L’Equipe and the French national doping lab. The truth of the statement sued upon is an absolute defense to defamation. There is an abundance of scientific evidence that would point to

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 upon “Angles at Los Angeles Velodrome,” by Wil Kuan, which gave us – and several of our readers – an initial “what the….?” moment. Nice composition. Interesting perspective. Congratulations Wil! Drop us a note at Rosters@InsideInc.com to work out the

Ben Jacques-Maynes (Kodak-Sierra Nevada) and Barbara Howe (Velo Bella) won round five of the Central Coast Cyclo-cross Series on December 18 near Monterey, California. The course at Fort Ord should have been a fast one, with a long, runway-like paved section, a stretch of open field, a trip around a small pond, and some tight and off-camber turns. But torrential rain and high winds turned the circuit into a sea of mud and slime. In the men’s A race, Jacques-Maynes and his brother Andy (Cal Giant Inc.-Specialized) established a early break after one lap, joined by CCCX series leader Simon

SRAM has committed to a SRAM Neutral Race Support (NRS) program through 2007. The agreement puts five SRAM-decaled 2006 Volvo XC70s on the road, providing neutral mechanical support at more than 80 events nationwide. Program manager Butch Balzano expects to travel nearly 250,000 miles in the coming year and oversee as many as 15 technicians. "SRAM is excited about the road and is demonstrating that through their strong support of this program as well as producing some of the most exciting componentry we have seen in 10 or 15 years." The SRAM NRS appearance calendar will include the Sea

Angles at Los Angeles Velodrome

Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong says that allegations made about him taking drugs was part of a “witch hunt” orchestrated by the French. The 34-year-old added, however, he would not give either the French newspaper L'Equipe which published the claims he had tested positive for blood-booster EPO in 1999 nor the laboratory involved the satisfaction of suing them. "The paper has no proof whatsoever," Armstrong told Saturday's Het Nieuwsblad newspaper. "It is a witch hunt and a publicity exercise." However Armstrong - who retired from the saddle following his

Matt Kelly, the surprise winner of the junior cyclo-cross world championship in Poprad, Slovakia, in 1999, is back. Kelly is the newest addition to the Subaru-Gary Fisher pro mountain bike team, and will fill the spot formerly held by Trent Lowe for the 2006 season. The youngster from Wisconsin briefly rose to prominence after his world’s win, but, unlike many of his contemporaries, never parlayed that first big win into a solid career. Kelly’s return to the pro ranks ends a four-year hiatus from the sport, which began in 2001 when the Wisconsin native pulled out of the Tour of the Gila

Kelly's back, and in blue

I have just been going through my photos from last weekend's Liberty Mutual U.S. national cyclo-cross championships in Providence, Rhode Island, and I found a few I thought I'd share. Granted, I'm not a professional photographer, but here are a few shots that capture some of the feel of the race. Next week: Mr. Rogers' best and worst from 2005.

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.Respect and rulesVeloNews,As the Technical Coordinator for this year's U.S. Cyclo-Cross Nationalsand the one responsible for enforcing the staging procedures at the event,I feel compelled to respond to MarcVettori's characterization of Katie Compton's call-up spot a

British cyclist David Millar, who is serving a two-year drugs ban, has signed to race for the Saunier Duval team next year, the Spanish outfit said Thursday. Millar agreed to a deal that will begin in June 2006 and finish at the end of 2007. "David Millar has signed a contract linking him to the team until the end of 2007," Saunier Duval said in a statement released on th team’s website. "He will be back on the road next June. David Millar is a great rider, and in Saunier Duval we believe he deserves a second chance to display his talent." The 28-year-old is serving a two-year ban for

Winter wonderland: Roger Williams Park was blanketed in snow following Friday's vicious winter storm.

Six-time national champion Jesse Anthony (Clif Bar) put in a valiant effort in the U23 race, chasing back to within 10 seconds of Troy Wells after a first-lap puncture set him back.

Russell Kappius attends to his son Brady's frostbitten hands after the juniors race. Kappius finished sixth behind Selander.

After battling with defending champion Bjørn Selander (Alan Factory) for most of the juniors race, TIAA-CREF-Clif Bar rider Danny Summerhill soloed in for the title following a tangle that left Selander off the back.

Ryan Trebon had some supporters of his own in Rhode Island.

Former national champions Tim Johnson (Cyclocrossworld.com-Louis Garneau) and Jonathan Page (Liberty Mutual-Cervelo) shook hands before heading into battle.

Kona's Ryan Trebon looking cold at the start of the elite men's race. Trebon finished second, but called it a less-than-stellar day: I’m not really happy with my race.

Three-time national champ Jonathan Page had supporters, but a stomach flu saw him relinquish his title to Todd Wells. Page finished an admirable third before heading back to the local hospital for intravenous fluids.

No one negotiated the slippery off-camber sections better than Todd Wells.

Linda and Pete Wells were proud parents after their sons took back-to-back national titles on December 10.

Canadian national champ Lyne Bessette was the only woman to race the Liberty Cup. Bessette had a good start, but abandoned the race after 40 minutes.

Nice shirt, bro: Elite champ Todd Wells and brother Troy, the U23 champ, were the first riders called to the front of the Liberty Cup.

Coming into the Liberty Cup race, a fair amount of hype surrounded Alex Coelho (Redline), who nearly won the Colorado elite cyclo-cross state championship on December 3. Coelho won the junior 15-16 national title by almost three minutes.

The sun shone most brightly on Katie Compton (Redline), who ran away with the elite women's race.

Dear Bob,I've Googled, and I’ve searched the Kentucky Legislature site, butthe only Kentucky "laws" I can find dealing with bikes on the road areabout lights, reflectors, etc. I can't find anything about cars havingto pass bikes with 3 feet of clearance (which appears to be the "universalstandard"). I've looked through both the Kentucky Revised Statutes andthe Kentucky Administrative Rules, and there's nothing other than"Wear a helmet" and "use a reflector.”I’ve tried asking cops. A local cop didn't know of any bike-specificlaws. I talked with a state cop. He had no idea

At Wednesday’s presentation of the 2006 Vuelta a España in Madrid, the race director Victor Cordero said how he was "outraged" by 2005 winner Roberto Heras testing positive for EPO, while the Spanish state secretary for sports Jaime Lissavetzky spoke about taking a more "rigorous" approach to doping and having a "clean and ethical" race next year. But the fact that Heras did test positive shows that the UCI’s stepped-up anti-doping program is working. Doping in sport has been around for decades; it’s not a problem that can be suddenly eradicated. At least Cordero said he was planning a

Sastre, shown in the 2005 Vuelta, hopes to defend his podium finish

Mancebo, also seen in the '05 Vuelta, calls the '06 route 'spectacular'

Valverde's attendance depends on how he does in the 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.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