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Two sprints and two victories for Alessandro Petacchi. This might be the Vuelta a España, but for the top sprinters taking part in the 232km fourth stage, the 2005 Vuelta’s longest stage played out as a preview for the September 25 road world championships in Madrid. “I was better than yesterday, so that’s encouraging,” said Petacchi, who won a wide-open charge to the line ahead of Thor Hushovd (Crédit Agricole) and Erik Zabel (T-Mobile). “This win gives me confidence that I am in good shape.” Brad McGee (FDJeux) enjoyed a relatively easy, but hot day in the leader’s jersey as a four-man

My friends, I want you to take a quick gander at this map of Tuna Canyon, a steep, narrow rut just north of balmy Malibu, California. See that squiggly dark line labeled “Tuna Canyon Road” that spins out of the park entrance? Looks a little twisty, eh? Well, that one-lane patch of asphalt drops more than 2000 feet in two miles to the ocean. Shooting down that thing on a road bike would be akin to bombing a giant-slalom ski course on a toboggan. Here’s a little write up I found online about what driving Tuna Canyon Road is like. “Owing to its narrowness and difficult sharp turns, Tuna Canyon

In Argamasilla de Alba, Spain… Danielson’s cool with itTom Danielson said he’s holding up fine under the heat of the opening stages of the 60th Vuelta a España. The Discovery Channel rider came across the line safely in the main bunch to remain 11th overall at 1:17 back. “I’m feeling good,” Danielson said at the finish line as he grabbed a drink from one of the team soigneurs. “We’re riding as a team. We’ve had no problems at all.” Danielson said he hasn’t been adversely affected by the scorching temperatures that have cooked the peloton in the opening four days of the race. The

Press Release: Follow the Vuelta and win cool stuff!If you tune into VeloNews.com's Daily Live Coverage of the Vuelta aEspana, you have a chance to win an Illes Balears team-issue helmet everyday of Spain's national tour and you might win a lightweight carbon Kuips Abyss frame set, when the peloton reaches Madrid.We're happy to announce that DPMSports.com - the sponsor of VeloNews.com's LIVE COVERAGE of the the Vuelta is giving away an Illes Balears team issue helmet by Spiuk to each of the winners of our daily contest, a name drawn at random from those who submitted the

The last few days have been tough, not because it has been fast, but rather because of the intense heat. The peloton is sluggish and the racing not very animated as a result. Only when the finish line is near does the pace pick up, the peloton becomes nervous and the racing gets exciting. Otherwise, the major objective of nearly every team has been to keep riders hydrated and not to expend too much energy. It’s easy to dig a hole too deep to climb out of when the temperatures rise over 35 degrees Celsius (95F) in the shade, of which there is little. Today’s stage was a little frustrating

Deep in the Alps of northern Italy, the village of Livigno is draped in orange. Orange ribbons hang from businesses and residences, orange posters adorn shop windows — a local bike shop’s employees have even dyed their hair orange. The chosen color of the 2005 UCI mountain-bike world championships will be visible everywhere in Livigno from the team relay on Wednesday through the elite men’s cross-country on Sunday. A small village of just 5000 residents situated between Milan, Munich and Zürich, Livigno has enthusiastically embraced the world championships it was awarded back in 2002. The

Petacchi does it the hard way after his silver train stopped a little short of the station

Express elevator to Hell, going down!

Kabush wants a top-10 at world's

So far, so good: Danielson is comfortable with the Vuelta

How hot was it?

Hot enough to keep slathering on the sunscreen

Leading the way through the Spanish sunshine

And then they were three

Joachim and Pasamontes tried a late dash, to no avail

All together now

McGee pays a visit to the doc on an otherwise uneventful, if hot, day in the saddle

Does this place scream mountain-bike racing or what?

The village within a village

The cross-country profile

Going down . . .

The longest world's four-cross yet

Take me to the bridge

Vuelta Notebook: Danielson keeping cool; Petacchi looks toward Madrid; but not Valverde

The sprinters got their first shot in the 153km third stage of the Vuelta a España and Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) took full advantage. In another blistering hot day, the Milan-San Remo champion sent a message loud and clear to his would-be rivals for the upcoming world championships, taking a sprint victory ahead of three faces he’s expecting to see next month on the roads of Madrid. “To win ahead of three of best sprinters in the world is very satisfying,” Petacchi said moments after scoring his 13th career Vuelta victory. “No one could come around my sprint and no one could beat

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.A smokescreen for the uninformed?Editor:In 1999 you didn't need to worry about surprise out-of-competition tests for EPO, nor did you have to administer microdoses to stay under the radar. You brought your hematocrit up to your desired target level with twice- or thrice-weekly shots,

T-Mobile announced Monday that Italian rider Lorenzo Bernucci had agreed to join the German squad, signing a two-year deal. The 25-year-old Bernucci, who rode for Fassa Bortolo this season, hopes to build on his impressive debut in the 2005 Tour de France, where he won the sixth stage ahead of T-Mobile’s Alexandre Vinokourov, keeping the rubber side down in a rain-soaked final corner that saw a score of riders slipping, skidding and piling into the course barriers. "The switch to the T-Mobile team is an important step in my career," said Bernucci. "My win at the Tour de France showed what I

Johan Bruyneel is signing some of the young top prospects to fortify Discovery Channel as the team enters the post-Lance Armstrong era. Five new faces will be part of the Discovery Channel team for 2006, including Australian Trent Lowe, Russian classics specialist Vladimir Gusev, Egoi Martinez (Euskaltel), Belgian hope Jurgen Van Goolen (Quick Step) and Janez Brajkovic (Krka), a young Slovenian rider who made his Discovery Channel debut at the Tour of Benelux. “These are the young riders that we can help build the future of the team,” Bruyneel said Monday morning. “There’s not going to be

I thought yesterday was hot. Then came today. Between the two, I spent the hottest two days I have ever spent on the bike. Today at the top of one climb it was 45.5 degrees Celsius. That seems hot to me but when I found out that equates to about 113 Fahrenheit, I realized there was a reason why we all felt so horrible. Today we trudged through another day in southern Spain. We haven't broken any records, but we have suffered. On average we all drank about a gallon and a half and then upon arriving at the bus keep drinking like we've been in the Sahara for weeks. I thought that I

Cycling’s international governing body, the Union Cycliste Internationale said Monday it will investigate reports of positive drug tests at the 1999 Tour de France, but stopped short of specifically naming seven-time winner Lance Armstrong. The allegations, which surfaced last week in the French daily sports newspaper L'Equipe, said Armstrong used the performance-enhancing drug EPO to help win his first Tour de France in 1999. Armstrong has denied the allegations. The UCI said it regretted the breach of confidentiality in the disclosure of samples, but said it was pressing ahead with

Wow, so much to discuss this week. This column is coming to you from the pressroom of the world mountain-bike championships in Livigno, Italy, so I want to crank this puppy out and get to putting together a nice preview of the week ahead. The recent allegations surrounding Lance Armstrong and EPO at the 1999 Tour de France have obviously taken center stage, not just on our Web site but across the world. And once again, it’s hard to know whom or what to believe. Clearly the editorial staff at L’Equipe felt ready to take this story to press, risking its professional reputation to bring down

As I sit at home in Girona watching the Vuelta on television with our new baby Liam on my lap, I am content knowing that I am not out there dealing with the heat the boys are racing in the south. Today the temperatures were once again extreme as they raced through the arid center of Spain. Michael consumed 15 water bottles in the 153 kilometer stage and still felt dehydrated. He was in a breakaway at one point today with 10 or so other riders and said that every one of the guys in the break was too hot to put forth any effort. Essentially, their bodies are using so much energy just to

Petacchi pummels 'em at the end of a hot day in Spain

Stick a fork in him. Vande Velde was cooked slowly throughout the entirety of today's stage

No pressure for Danielson at the Vuelta

It was a hot time in the old town of Montoro

Pascual Rodríguez has a go

Aldag's kit is a little the worse for wear after a spill

Gutierrez took a digger, too

FDJeux works for race leader McGee

McGee enjoys another appearance with the podium girls

Hoste and Van Heeswijk sweat under the Spanish sun

Vuelta Notebook: Discovery's youth movement; Landis hopeful; Phonak realistic; heat unrelenting

Brad McGee (FDJeux) collapsed at the finish line Sunday, just like he did Saturday after coming up just three seconds short of victory, but this time the Aussie had something to smile about. McGee jetted into the Vuelta a España’s golden jersey, becoming the first Australian to wear the race leader’s jersey in all three grand tours. For the 29-year-old Aussie, the mark of distinction helps erase a season of disappointment and frustration. “I went so deep in the prologue I was vomiting for 30 minutes after the race,” said McGee, who finished second to Leonardo Bertagnolli (Cofidis) in the

George Hincapie (Discovery Channel) added another prize to his trophy cabinet on Sunday by sprinting to victory in the GP de Plouay, the 23rd race of the inaugural ProTour. The American outkicked Alexandre Usov (AG2R -Prevoyance) and Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner) to win the 212km race around Plouay. Hincapie almost celebrated prematurely, raising his arms as Usov bore down upon him. But he managed to hang on to edge the AG2R rider. The win came in what has been a stellar year for Hincapie. He finished second in Paris-Roubaix, then won Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne; collected two stages and

Saunier Duval wants more AmericansAttention domestic pros: Saunier Duval wants you. With the imminent departure of Chris Horner at the end of the 2005 season, Saunier Duval boss Mauro Gianetti told VeloNews the team wants to keep its presence in the American market. "We want two riders," Gianetti said. "It's good for the team to have strong Americans." Gianetti said he was disappointed Horner will leave the team at the end of the season to join Davitamon-Lotto for a two-year deal, but quickly added he understand Horner's decision. Gianetti said team has been pleased with Horner's

Today’s stage to Cordoba was the one I feared the most when I looked at the course profiles a week ago, after I found out I was going to be starting the race. I feared it not because of its difficulty, but because the last time we did this stage, in 2003, I suffered unbelievably from start to finish. Back then we were racing for Roberto Heras, and we had to keep him in the front of the peloton and out of the wind while also ensuring we had representation in the breakaways. The attacks began from the start and never relented until the line was crossed in Cordoba. Today, thankfully, the race

In a fitting bit of things coming full circle, Adam Craig (Giant), winner of the rain-soaked opening race of the 2005 NORBA cross-country series way back in March, closed out the series with a similarly damp victory in the Mt. Snow pro men’s short track, the final event of the season-long competition. And just as he did back in Texas almost seven months ago, Craig raced most of the day in Vermont with Geoff Kabush (Maxxis), the year’s most prolific winner on the cross-country circuit. Craig and Kabush made the decisive break in the short track, getting away on the fourth lap with Carl Decker

Bertagnolli wins

Hincapie adds another ProTour feather to his cap

McGee gets the jersey

Stage 3: Córdoba to Puertollano

It was a hot one in Andalusia

Bertagnolli solos away

Bettini gets a visit from the doctor

Boonen loads up on water

The lead slips away from Menchov

Craig wraps the season up the way he began

Vanlandingham makes the most of Hanusova's leadout

Pizarro loves the mud and made it work for her

Tall knobbies made the difference for Riffle

Denis Menchov (Rabobank) upset prologue specialists Rik Verbugghe (Quick Step) and Brad McGee (FDJeux) to win the 7km opening stage of the 60th Vuelta a España. Menchov, 27, raced Saturday on the short, but challenging course like he wanted to in July, when a sore throat derailed his chances for a strong Tour de France. “The Tour was frustrating because I sacrificed the entire season to be ready, then something beyond my control took me out of the race,” Menchov said moments after nipping Verbrugghe by one second.FullResults Mechov’s victory helped erase the Tour disappointment, when he

Danielson breaks on throughTom Danielson (Discovery Channel) delivered a very strong performance in Saturday's opening time trial of the 60th Vuelta a España, posting a fifth-place finish at 12 seconds off the wining time set by Denis Menchov. Danielson was more than pleased with his ride on the 7km course along the ramparts of the Alhambra palace high above sweltering Granada in southern Spain. For the 27-year-old, it was the first day of what he hopes will be a consistent Vuelta ride.FullResults "I felt good," Danielson said. "The war has just begun. This is just the first shot.

Thank God. The first day is over with and now we can go on with our lives. It has been a long last few days as we sat in the hotel and wonder what the next few weeks will hold. As I sit in my bed after the 7-kilometer TT, I feel as though I raced 300. All day warming up, cooling down, riding the course and then finally racing. I went through three sets of clothes today and rode for a total of three hours all in preparation for a race that took ten minutes, a small drop in the grand scheme a race that is over three weeks long and covers 3600 kilometers!? So why you ask do we even try?

In the last NORBA series race of her illustrious career, 2001 World Champion Alison Dunlap (Luna) pulled the best result of her 2005 season, winning the Mt. Snow cross country in non-Vermonty hot, dry, and dusty conditions. While Dunlap’s win marked a highpoint for her year, Geoff Kabush’s victory in the pro men’s race marked business as usual for the Team Maxxis leader. Kabush swept to his fifth NORBA win of the year and cemented the overall series title, while Dunlap’s Luna teammate Shonny Vanlandingham took second in the race and the overall title. Last year’s Mt Snow winner, Willow

Rabobank's recruit shows he's worth the paycheck

Heras rode a strong prologue and remains a favorite

Denied: Verbrugghe was oh-so-close

Vuelta Notebook: Danielson's on-track; Vande Velde feeling good

Danielson is primed to take on the Vuelta

Sastre did himself - and Spain - proud

Lance Armstrong vehemently denied fresh doping allegations and attacked lapses in anti-doping protocol that allowed a French newspaper to gain access to his stored urine samples from the 1999 Tour de France. Armstrong said something is wrong with an anti-doping system that allowed his six-year-old urine samples to be retested after they were supposed to be stored anonymously. "This thing stinks," he said. "It's not good for me. The unfortunate thing is that you're dealing with something you could be faced with the rest of your life. Protocol wasn't followed, and there was no

Roberto Heras, the defending Vuelta a España champion, is no Don Quixote. That fictional character, who jousted with windmills that he believed were giants, was a passionate romantic. Heras, on the other hand, is a cold practitioner of measured efforts, attacking at the right moment and then hanging on. That strategy has served him well in a record-tying three Vuelta victories. “The chance to win a record fourth Vuelta gives you extra motivation,” Heras said. “But you have to be professional and realize it’s more important simply to win.” The rather dour Heras is facing far more quixotic

Two weeks ago my fall schedule was changed. Originally scheduled to race the fall season classics, I am now sitting, sweating, in a hotel room in Granada waiting for the start of the Vuelta a España. I am motivated to be here, we're all in good shape and we have a team that can challenge for the overall classification and for stage wins. One thing that is different for us this year at the Vuelta is that we do not have a clear leader. In past years we have gone to the race with Roberto Heras and Floyd Landis. This year there is no clear leader on our team but we have three riders who

Johan Bruyneel staunchly defended Lance Armstrong against allegations that the seven-time Tour de France champion used EPO during his 1999 winning ride. In an interview published Friday in the Spanish daily La Vanguardia, Bruyneel characterized reports that samples of Armstrong’s urine taken in 1999 were tainted with the banned blood-booster EPO as a “witch hunt.” “No, it hasn’t been a surprise at all. All of this has been a witch hunt,” Bruyneel told the paper. “For some people, everything is okay to try to hurt Armstrong. They have tried a lot in the past few years and now they come out

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.Let the facts do the talkingDear Velo,I am writing this amidst what is likely to become one of the most provocativeand contested issues in the Lance saga, let alone in the cycling worldin the last few decades. But the core issue to me is not about Lance'semphatic denials,