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Freire winning his third rainbow jersey last fall.

In setting up what is sure to be one of the big battles of the 2006 Tour de France, Alexandre Vinokourov has inked a deal with the Spanish Liberty-Seguros team. In leaving Jan Ullrich's T-Mobile squad, Vinokourov said he joined Liberty with the expressed goal of winning the Tour within the next two years. The Kazakh-born Russian, fifth in last week's Tour after winning two stages, said he had realized in the third week of this year's Tour his career was going nowhere as long as he remained a part of Ullrich's support network. "I've given myself two years to win the

CPSC, VisionTech USA, Inc. Announce Recall of Bicycle Aero BarsWASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission,in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recallof the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalledproducts immediately unless otherwise instructed.Name of Product: VisionTech USA SuperMax, TriMax, TriMax Plusand Pro model Integrated Bicycle Aero BarsUnits: About 280Manufacturer: VisionTech USA, Inc., of Auburn, Wash.Hazard: The centerpiece of these bicycle aero bars can crackor break, causing the bicycle rider to lose

Vinokourov capped his '05 Tour with two stage wins. He wants more than that.

Two of the Australian cyclists seriously injured in a road accident in Germany last week have surprised doctors with their recovery, the clinic where they are being treated said on Monday. Alexis Rhodes and Louise Yaxley were hurt in the accident caused by an out-of-control teenage driver that killed their international team colleague Amy Gillett during training in eastern Germany for the Thuringen Rundfahrt last week. Rhodes, 20, and Yaxley, 23, are no longer in intensive care. “They are doing surprisingly well. They no longer need assistance to breathe and they are talking," said

Lance Armstrong's triumphant farewell to cycling Sunday in Paris with his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory brought praise from across America, including a call from U.S. President George W. Bush. Bush telephoned Armstrong, a fellow Texan, shortly after the finish from his retreat in Camp David, Maryland, said White House spokeswoman Christie Parell. "Our country and the world are incredibly proud of you," Bush told Armstrong, adding that his victory was "a great triumph of the human spirit" and "a testament not only to your athletic talent but to your courage." Armstrong was

Off to the racesRacers (and writers) woke up with a tinge of a hang-over Monday following the big sigh of relief that comes at the end of the pressure-cooker that’s the Tour de France. Lance Armstrong and his Discovery Channel teammates were feted at a private bash inside the posh Ritz hotel Sunday night in Paris. Some 600 invited guests celebrated Armstrong’s unprecedented seventh Tour victory. Armstrong was scheduled to fly to the French Riviera on Monday to begin his life as a retired athlete. “Come Monday morning," Armstrong said on Saturday, "we’re going to wake up in Paris and the

Following the Tour de France, the UCI has relased its latest ProTour rankings: 1. Danilo Di Luca (I), Liquigas-Bianchi, 184 Pts.2. Lance Armstrong (USA), Discovery Channel, 139 Pts.3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 136 Pts.4. Tom Boonen (B), QuickStep, 120 Pts.5. Alessandro Petacchi (I), Fassa Bortolo, 111 Pts.6. Jan Ullrich (G), T-Mobile, 98 Pts.7. Santiago Botero Echeverry (Col), Phonak, 95 Pts.8. Oscar Freire Gomez (Sp), Rabobank, 94 Pts.9. Paolo Savoldelli (I), Discovery Channel, 92 Pts.10. George Hincapie (USA), Discovery Channel, 89 Pts.11. Davide Rebellin (I), Gerolsteiner,

KELLY BENEFIT STRATEGIES, CIRCUIT GLOBAL SPORTS MANAGEMENT ANNOUNCEMAJOR PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTMinneapolis, July 18, 2005—Kelly Benefit Strategies, (www.kellybenefitstrategies.com),a group insurance broker and consultant specializing in healthcare anda division of Kelly & Associates Insurance Group, Inc. (KELLY), hassigned a multi-year partnership agreement with Circuit Global Sports Management(www.circuitsport.com) to bethe title sponsor of the KELLY Professional Cycling Team. This new U.S. professional cycling team will concentrate on gainingentry into such 2006 events as the

Course: After looping around the Chevreuse valley south of Paris, the course heads into the city on the right bank of the Seine to reach the traditional Champs-Élysées finishing circuit after 92.5km. Eight laps of the 6.5km circuit complete the 2005 Tour just 400 meters after the final turn from the Place de la Concorde. History: This is the 30th anniversary of the Tour first finishing on the Champs-Élysées. It previously finished in the velodromes at Vincennes (1968-74) and the Parc des Princes (1904-67). The first Tour, in 1903, finished at Ville d’Avray in the Paris suburbs. Favorites:

For a Tour de France finale that was supposed to be a fait accompli — with Lance Armstrong virtually guaranteed a seventh win and the stage supposedly promised to the sprinters — Sunday's stage 21 into the city of Paris hardly fit the bill. That the 144.5km stage began under gray skies and with cold rain should have been a sign that the race that brought the curtain down on 3593km of racing would have something special to offer. And it did. Foremost of the day's surprises was the winner on the Champs-Élysées, the most attacking rider of the peloton, the ever-popular Kazakhstan

Results, Stage 211. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), T-Mobile, 144.5km in 3:40:57 (39.239kph)2. Bradley Mc Gee (Aus), Francaise des Jeux3. Fabian Cancellara (Swi), Fassa Bortolo4. Robbie Mc Ewen (Aus), Davitamon-Lotto5. Stuart O’Grady (Aus), Cofidis6. Allan Davis (Aus), Liberty Seguros7. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Credit Agricole8. Baden Cooke (Aus), Francaise des Jeux9. Bernhard Eisel (A), Francaise des Jeux10. Robert Förster (G), Gerolsteiner 11. Luke Roberts (Aus), CSC12. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Davitamon-Lotto13. Guido Trenti (USA), Quickstep14. Mauro Gerosa (I), Liquigas-Bianchi15. Inaki Isasi (Sp),

Stick a fork in it – the 2005 Tour de France is over. It’s been a long, yet wonderful three weeks in France (with a day in Germany and time enough for a quick coffee in Spain). Sometimes the pace of the Tour leaves little time for reflection. So as Lance Armstrong celebrates a magnificent seventh win, we offer VeloNews’s annual web awards for the best moments of the 92nd Tour de France. IT’S A HORSE RACE Best Reason Why You Better Win a Sprint: Robbie McEwen, after Davitamon-Lotto gave chase for more than 100km in stage 13, catching Chris Horner and Sylvain Chavanel about 150m from the line.

The U.S.-based team Discovery Channel earned more than one half-millioneuros in the 2005 Tour de France, the most significant share being thewinner’s check for 400,000 euros given to overall victor, Lance Armstrong.Such prizes are traditionally divided among riders, with the overall winnerusually declining his share as a gesture of gratitude for the work histeammates turned in.At the other end of the spectrum, Spain’s Euskaltel team earned a scant9310 euros for its efforts over the three-week Tour.Current exchange rates - $1.20 per euro – mean that Discovery’s 545,640euros in prize money

In the Tour, the pay window can be found along the Champs-Elysees - and that's where Casey Gibson was staked out on Sunday as the jersey contenders came to collect what they'd earned during the past three weeks. Here's his final gallery for Le Tour 2005.

A weekend sweep, two first time winners, and another tough day for mountain cross, highlighted a full slate of racing at the Snowmass NORBA on Sunday in central Colorado. Canadian Geoff Kabush made it 2-for-2 in Snowmass, taking a convincing short track victory a day after winning the cross-country by more than a minute. Kabush (Maxxis) is now the series leader in both disciplines, and is well on his way to duplicating his two-title effort of a year ago. In the women’s STXC race, Dara Mark-Marino finally broke through with her first NORBA win. The former third-grade teacher has been

Zabriskie resurfaces for the end of the TourDave Zabriskie reappeared at the Tour de France, showing up in preppyclothes to join his teammates on the leisurely, ceremonial, post-race ridedown the Champs-Élysées.He has mostly been hanging out in Spain in the few weeks since a mysterious spill in the team time trial forced him to relinquish the yellow jersey. He said he had four or five stitches, and only watched a little of the Tour on television.“I was really tired,” said Zabriskie, asked about his feelings after the crash. “It took awhile to decompress and come back up.”The Utah native still

Stage 21 - Corbeil-Essonnes to Paris (Champs-Elysées) >144.5km

Stage 21 - Corbeil-Essonnes to Paris (Champs-Elysées) >144.5km

Armstrong's last visit as a pro road racer to the Champs-Elysees

Vino' pads the old racing résumé in Paris

A final farewell

A final anthem in Paris

Vino' attacks, and attacks, and then attacks some more - today, he said, it worked

Vive Le Tour!

Ohhhh-kay, back to business

The jersey winners

Voeckler shows another sort of panache altogether

Welcome to Paris

The Boss leads the way

And he had plenty of fans awaiting his arrival

'Okay, how many of these damn' interviews do I have to give before I can split for the beach?'

Never say die - Horner was still trying for that stage win with a few kilometers remaining

But his countryman was the guy getting all the attention when it was over

Two longtime rivals share a moment

That's a Lotto guys all wearing the same kit (oh, give us a break; you know how many of these things we've written this year?)

Au revoir - until next year

Kabush heads to his second win in as many days

Dara Mark-Marino leads Shonny Vanlandingham in Sunday's STXC

Snowmass NORBA: Kabush, Marks-Marino grab STXC wins

Snowmass NORBA: Kabush, Marks-Marino grab STXC wins

Pruitt and her rig

Joel Panozzo finally nails one