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If anyone knows the Madrid world’s road race course, it’s Giovanni Lombardi. The 36-year-old veteran Italian lives in Madrid’s trendy Cheuca neighborhood, just around the corner from the finish line in front of Real Madrid’s Bernabeu soccer stadium. The Team CSC rider was waiting for the Madrid’s world’s for what was expected to be his final race as a professional. He was intending to race in support of the Italian national team, ride straight through the finish line to his apartment, hang up his bike and officially call it quits. Those best-laid plans were dashed after he recently signed

Australian all rounder Bradley McGee has been forced out of the national team for the world cycling road race championships which begin here Wednesday due to a back injury. The 29-year-old McGee, due to compete in the 273km road race on Sunday, has been replaced by Brett Lancaster. Lancaster, 26, was a member of the Australian team which claimed Olympic pursuit gold in a world record time at Athens last year. His road credentials are impressive also, having worn the Giro d’Italia’s pink jersey for winning the race prologue earlier this summer. Simon Gerrans' late call-up to the

Hey, be careful of those split tails!I just discovered a reason not to face your bike rearward on a roofrack, especially if you have a split-tail saddle. And another reason tofile the Nader hooks off of a road fork besides just the convenience ofgetting the wheel in and out! I was driving into my driveway with a bike on my roof as I have doneproblem-free for 15 years here. It’s a long gravel driveway lined withbig trees, and while leafy branches droop down, I keep the large branchescut back so no big ones cross the driveway less than 10 feet up. Both ofmy garages are full of bikes, so cars

It’s not often the world championships are held in a bustling city of 5 million inhabitants, but that’s just the setting for the 2005 world road cycling championships which open Tuesday evening with an official celebration. Whether the Madrileños will be cursing the numerous traffic closures in the heart of this very Spanish capital remains to be seen, but a very urban flavor will be one of the hallmarks of the 2005 road world’s. Racing kicks off Wednesday with the women’s and U-23 time trials and concludes Sunday with the elite men’s road race. In between there should be plenty of

There’s an air of open rebellion as a behind-the-scenes power struggle threatens to overshadow action on the road at the eve of the 2005 world road cycling championships. A nasty catfight at the highest levels of the UCI is spilling out of the boardroom and onto the front pages just as athletes file into this thriving Spanish capital for what’s sure to be a unique and exciting venue for the battle for the rainbow jersey. The open hostilities hit rock bottom Monday when the UCI executive committee angrily notified its members to change travel plans, directing them to Geneva instead of its

After returning home from assignment, I always find myself with a camera full of oddball Kodak moments documenting mischief, shenanigans and even a bit of racing. Usually, these images are a tad too fuzzy or just downright bizarre to be included with a race report, and they end up as unused electronic blips polluting the bowels of my hard drive. Such was the case after the 2005 national mountain bike championships, held September 15-18 at Mammoth Mountain, California. It seemed that after seven months of continued racing, the fat tire crowd was more than willing to silly themselves up.

The Vuelta finale in Madrid was an exciting climax to the three-week race, as there were thousands of fans on the final circuit, located in the north part of the city. The riders raced over this week’s 2005 World Championships road racecourse and Petacchi won in his usual style by dominating the sprint finish. Is that a foreshadowing of Sunday’s professional road race? The finish of a grand tour sometimes seems a bit anti-climatic for the riders, as after three weeks of being together pushing themselves to the limits day after day, the riders cross the line and quickly rush to shower, pack

There is no such thing as a sure thing in cycling, but for more than a decade Costa Rica’s La Ruta de los Conquistadores mountain bike race has been pretty close. In each of the event’s 12 renditions the men’s victor in the three-day trek from the Pacific Ocean across the mountainous Central American country to the Atlantic has been won by one of the local boys. But this year, with the race’s 13th running set to commence in the ocean side town of Punta Leona on November 11, that could all change. Among the non-Ticos signed up this year are former world junior cross-country champion Walker

Riding for Italy, Lombardi will nonetheless be on home turf in Madrid

Marla Streb looks tough with that huge newly earned single speed world champion’s tattoo.

Here birdy! Trek-Volkswagen’s Jeremiah Bishop almost became a nine-digit man this weekend.

The usual cross-country fans showed up.

Rich Houseman charged hard in the mountain cross.

Big Neddy’s still got it. Overend podiumed in the men’s cross-country.

Clearing out the passages

Alison and Shonny displayed tan lines before the cross-country.

Maxxis honch Eric Wallace wowed the audience with an oratory on proper mutton-chop grooming.

“Jungle Jay” Henry gave props to marathon winner Travis Brown.

Alison Dunlap choked back tears at the short track starting line.

Dara Marks-Marino masters oral hygiene.

After smoking it in the DH, Cody Warren was mobbed by his clan.

The fastest guns of the annual industry cup race

“Brilliant theory Copernicus! Carl Decker lectures on the finer points of shammy butter.

Is that Willow Koerber? Subaru-GF manager John Rourke does a Dee Snyder impression

The splendor of La Ruta

Tinker takes on the locals

No shortage of obstacles

An aid station at La Ruta

It's a different kind of mountain bike race

Bridge crossing on day 3

There's lots -- and lots -- of climbing

The race is one of Costa Rica's biggest sporting events.

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - A hard lesson; A raffle; Is an hour an hour?

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - A hard lesson; A raffle; Is an hour an hour?

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - A hard lesson; A raffle; Is an hour an hour?

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.One-man show in evidence at Barclays GPEditor:I can confirm letter writer Noah Byrd's observation that to the majority of the American public and, I say, even to the industry, that cycling is a one-man show. I went to the inaugural San Francisco Grand Prix bicycle race (and to all

Cyclocrossworld.com Joins Team at Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of CyclocrossCyclocrossworld.com, the world’s leading supplier of cyclocross specialtyequipment, has joined the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross teamfor the 2005 season. Established in 1999 by Stu Thorne, Cyclocrossworld.comhas grown into the go-to source for ‘cross racers looking to outfit themselvesand their bikes for the fall season.“Cyclocross World is glad to be a part of the USGP this season,” saidThorne, from Cyclocrossworld.com world headquarters in Wenham, MA. “Weshifted our sponsorship priorities this year

Interactive brand directorSports publisher seeks an Interactive Brand Director to manage itshigh-profile Web sites and interactive businesses. The successful candidateshould have experience in creating interactive media concepts, managingmultiple interactive projects, e-commerce, budget development and implementationspecifically geared toward controlling costs and optimizing profitabilitywithin the brands. The candidate will be able to successfully explore andimplement new technologies, markets, and other growth opportunities forInternet related businesses. The candidate will direct and

Cycling's governing body, on Monday, denied that its president supplied a French sports newspaper with documents used to accuse Lance Armstrong of doping at the 1999 Tour de France. The Union Cycliste Internationale also said Monday that World Anti-Doping Agency chief Dick Pound was blocking its investigation by withholding information. UCI said Pound must be held accountable and “conduct of this type will not be tolerated.” Pound said last week he received a letter from UCI president Hein Verbruggen saying he had provided L’Equipe with forms indicating Armstrong had tested positive for

Tom Danielson celebrated his eighth-place Vuelta a España finish on Monday night the best way he could think of: eating pizza. For the past three weeks, the 27-year-old has been on team-issued steak dinners each night while racing his way through the 21-stage Vuelta. The race ended Sunday in Madrid with Danielson in eighth overall, the third-best Vuelta finish by an American in the Spanish grand tour (Levi Leipheimer was third in 2001 and Lance Armstrong was fourth in 1998). Danielson said he can’t stop smiling since making it through his first grand tour of his budding career. VeloNews

It's supposed to be all about who will become world champion but another race, for the presidency of the International Cycling Union (UCI), could overshadow all competition in the Spanish capital this week. UCI president Hein Verbruggen is stepping down after 14 years in charge having introduced numerous reforms, including the recent and still unsettled Pro Tour series. However the race to replace the 64-year-old Dutchman - who will continue his role at the International Olympic Committee as chief coordinator for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing - on September 23 has turned messy. To begin

It’s Monday morning and I am on the early flight to Barcelona from Madrid with all the businessmen. I am listening to my IPod on shuffle and Creedence Clearwater’s, “A traveling band” just came on. Kinda ironic, huh? I just did a lap of Spain, 15 different hotels, almost 4000 kilometers, good start, good finish, with three crashes in between. The eyes are a little red from last night and I can't wait to sleep in my own bed and eat out of my own fridge. It’s not the racing that gets under your skin or the eating. It’s a combination of all of these little things put together that really

Roberto Heras could finally smile after safely crossing the finish line in Sunday’s 21st stage of the 2005 Vuelta a España. While the race had all but been decided in last weekend’s epic climbing stage, it wasn’t official until he made it through Sunday’s 136.5km finale, finishing 32nd behind stage winner Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo). With that, he rode into the history books by winning a record fourth Vuelta crown. "I don’t know what I will do next year. Right now I want to enjoy this win at the Vuelta, the race that’s given me so much," said the triumphant Heras. Heras’s easiest

The lead changed hands yet again in the Tour of Poland on Sunday as Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen (Fassa Bortolo) won the seventh and penultimate stage. Kirchen edged Danilo Di Luca (Liquigas-Bianchi) and Thomas Lövkvist (Française Des Jeux) to win the stage, a 61km leg from Jelenia Gora to Karpacz. Results1. Kim Kirchen (Lux), Fassa Bortolo, 61km in 1:39:002. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas-Bianchi), at 0:023. Thomas Lövkvist (Swe), Française Des Jeux, at 0:044. Jesus Hernandez (Sp), Liberty Seguros, at 0:075. Rubens Bertogliati (Swi), Saunier Duval, at 0:09Overall1. Kim Kirchen (Lux), Fassa

Rabobank has suspended Rory Sutherland, who is a member of the Australian team competing at next week's world road cycling championships in Madrid, over a failed drug test. In a statement Sunday Rabobank announced that Sutherland had tested positive for a banned substance in a control taken during last month's Tour of Germany. "The rider has asked for a B test, and while we don't know what the results of the second test are neither Sutherland or the team will be saying anymore," Rabobank insisted. The Dutch team's statement added that the substance concerned had nothing to

While the Tour de France boasts a seven-time winner and the Giro d’Italia has a handful of five-time winners (Binda, Coppi and Merckx), no one had won more than three Vueltas until this year. On Sunday, Roberto Heras made history when he became the first to win a fourth Vuelta crown after finishing safely in the bunch in the final sprint. Despite crashing in the second week and finding himself up against a stubborn Denis Menchov, the 31-year-old Spanish rider took his fourth victory with one dramatic attack in last Sunday’s stage up the brutal Pajares climb in northern Spain. To add a nice

The second day at the 63rd International Cycle Exhibition in the Nuova Fiera Milano proved substantially more hectic. In the past the show has been limited to industry insiders for the first two days; this year, only one day was afforded. When the doors opened this morning there was an air of urgency in everyone’s step. For the consumers, it was simple excitement, but for the vendors it was anticipation of a hard day’s work ahead. Highlights Saturday included visits to Shimano and Campagnolo. FSA had Ivan Basso on hand for a marathon autograph session promoting its compact cranks. Components

Roberto Heras JetStreams to TT improvementAlong with his always present climbing skills and Manolo Saiz’ powerfulteam tactics, Roberto Heras has also displayed a new found proficiencyin his time trialing.In addition to more time spent on his TT bike, Roberto has benefitedfrom a new Manolo Saiz designed, BH produced TT frame with an Oval Conceptsdesigned fork and aero bar using Oval’s revolutionary JetStream aerodynamicstechnology. Oval JetStream technology is quite noticeable with its twinaero shaped blades and specially shaped vents. The JetStream aero bar hasbeen co-designed and built at

It was mission accomplished Sunday for Tom Danielson, who shut the book on a solid Vuelta a España performance by finishing eighth overall. That’s the third-best performance by an American in the Spanish grand tour (Levi Leipheimer was third in 2001 and Lance Armstrong fourth in 1998) and bodes well for the 27-year-old’s future. His goal was to simply finish the Vuelta strongly, but once a spot in the top 10 became likely, Danielson changed his focus to defending his place in the GC. He overcame a bad stomach in stage 13 and endured two difficult climbing stages last weekend with the

Michael Friedman (Northwestern Mortgage-Fuji) won the Univest Grand Prix criterium on Sunday from a group of three riders. While the criterium doesn’t hold a UCI ranking like Saturday’s 160km road race, it is still a hard-fought event. The race in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, was added last year, transforming the Univest Grand Prix from a one-day classic to a two-day omnium. The 80km criterium is run on a narrow rectangular course with a small hill before the final turn. Friedman, the 2001 under-23 national champion, escaped with Chad Hartley (TIAA-CREF), who finished second, and David Clinger

Mammoth Mountain, California. - The final day of competition at the 2005 national mountain bike championships saw professional riders contest the short-track cross-country and the downhill events. Finishing atop the podium in the STXC were Shonny Vanlandingham (Luna) and Adam Craig (Giant), while Cody Warren (Haro) and Melissa Buhl (KHS) claimed their victories in the downhill.

Petacchi wins the finale in Madrid, beating - you guessed it - Erik Zabel

The podium, from left: Menchov, Heras and Sastre

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

Milan Style: EICMA show offers plenty to admire

An ugly finish with a striking backdrop: Madrid's Kio towers

That's four wins - three of them in a row

Heras and Menchov shake after a hard-fought rivalry

Ruben Plaza (Comunidad Valenciana) narrowly edged a surprisingly strong Roberto Heras to take the 20th stage of the Vuelta a España, a 38.9km individual time trial from Guadalajara to Alcalá de Henares. Plaza beat Liberty Seguros's Heras by a mere 0.9 seconds to win the stage, but Heras is now virtually assured the overall victory in the race, making him the only rider to win the Vuelta four times. Carlos Sastre (CSC) finished in third for the day and ensuring that he has the same spot on the final podium in Madrid tomorrow. One-time race leader Denis Menchov finished in fourth place on

Milan’s 63rd International Cycle Exhibition kicked off Friday, celebrating Italy’s passion for the road bike and doing so in the massive and very new Nuova Fiera Milano. The new venue put all of the EICMA show’s attendees on the same level: We were all lost and most standing in slack-jawed amazement at the building designed by the famous Massimiliano Fuksass. Its 21,032 square meters of floor space increases the amount of room afforded the show by a whopping 25 percent. The convention center lies just outside of Milan’s city center. It can be reached by a convenient 25-minute subway ride.

USA Cycling names road team for world championshipsJulich, Armstrong, Farrar Headline RosterColorado Springs, Colo. (September 17, 2005)-USA Cycling announced todaythe riders that will represent the United States at the 2005 UCI Road WorldChampionships in Madrid, Spain September 21-25.A total of 21 riders in three categories - elite and U23 men and elitewomen - will compete for the title of world champion in road race and timetrial events.Headlining the list of elite men is 2004 Olympic time trial bronze medalistBobby Julich (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) who will be gunning for a rainbowjersey in

Pieter Weening (Rabobank) took the lead in the Tour of Poland after winning the sixth stage on Saturday. Weening won the 153km race from Piechowice to Karpacz in front of Kim Kirchen (Fassa Bortolo) and Thomas Dekker, who moved into second and third overall.

Melito Heredia waited as long as he could before making the winning move at the Univest Grand Prix on Saturday in Souderton, Pennsylvania. With seven laps to go on a grueling 5km circuit, he could wait no more. Heredia, racing for GS Gotham-Toga attacked a breakaway group of 11 riders and rode the rest of the way by himself. "I was thinking about that moment when I was going to attack," Heredia, said after the race. "I know it was early, but it doesn’t matter if it was 10 laps to go. I was just waiting for that moment when my body felt ready." The Univest Grand Prix begins with a 57-mile

Recently crowned world four-cross champion Jill Kintner (Yeti) and 2004 world titlist Eric Carter (Mongoose-Hyundai) both put together near-flawless performances to win the 2005 national mountain-cross championships on Saturday at Mammoth Mountain, California. The swooping course used the towering walls of Mammoth’s snowboard half-pipe, a steep pitch with long straightaways and a loose, gravelly surface. Speeds were high, and scores of riders hit the deck in its slippery corners. One of the first favorites to go down was Cody Warren (Haro), the top American finisher in the 2005 NORBA

This morning Tom and Stijn pre-rode the time trial course, as most of the guys do when they are trying to ride a good time trial, and when they got back to the hotel the verdict was that it was going to be very fast due to a very strong tail-crosswind and indeed it was. It was nice going to bed last night knowing we were going into the last major effort of the 2005 Vuelta. Time trials are usually quite chill days for the riders not seriously contending the race overall or a stage win, so Benjamin and I had time to have a relaxing breakfast this morning, and then were able to read and keep