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Hincapie checks the helmet to see everything is screwed on right before a ride.

George Hincapie and Michael Barry lead the Classics group on a climb towards the coast north of Santa Barbara.

Rubiera on the front of the second group, near the coast. With 28 riders, two groups is a must.

With the beautiful California coast in the background, Barry and Hincapie set the pace.

Hincapie and Barry working hard at the top of the big climb to the coast.

Hincapie is one of the group leaders, and sets the pace on the harder stretches.

Lance Armstrong is all bundled up for an early January training ride.

Armstrong, at thefront of the group, is looking fit for this early in the season.

Jason McCartney is riding at the front with Armstrong and enjoying every minute of it.

Michael Creed and Tom Danielson are working hard, preparing for the trip to Malaysia and the Tour de Langkawi at the end of January.

Max Van Heeswijk is getting ready for the early season classics.

When Benoit Joachim isn't riding, he spends his time taking pictures of his mates.

Jose Azevedo relaxes.

At the end of the ride, Vince Gee works on one of the 28 bikes he needs to wash and get ready for the next day.

Clean and ready to roll, the new team bikes show off the new team colors for '05.

Savoldelli earlier in the week.

Danielson: ‘Repeat will be difficult’Tom Danielson will be starting his season early with a return trip to the Tour de Langkawi (January 28-February 6), the race he won in 2003 that proved to be his springboard to the big-time for the Colorado climber. Now embarking on the 2005 season with Discovery Channel, Danielson said he’s traveling to Malaysia with the idea of building fitness for what will be an important season in Europe. “In 2003, the plan all along was to try and have a good ride in Genting. Nathan (O'Neill) was in incredible form throughout and through his and the team's support,

Levi Leipheimer is training this week in Mallorca, Spain, where he's lining up for his first of two seasons with Gerolsteiner. The German team was looking for another GC rider to complement Georg Totschnig, and Leipheimer was looking for new challenges after three seasons with Rabobank.Working on the upcoming VeloNews "Road Season Preview," European correspondent Andrew Hood came to Mallorca and spoke with Leipheimer this week as the American pro reflected on his years with Rabobank and what he's hoping for in 2005 and beyond. This is part two of the interview; to read part one, click here.

Danielson en route to winning Langkawi in 2003

McEwen takes the title

Leipheimer's aiming higher with Gerolsteiner

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 Arenberg? Aw, heckEditor:What, no Arenberg? Okay, then, "The Heck of the North.” Nice. Todd MindermannSeattle, Washington Teams, riders could help fix the ForestEditor:It is an absolute shame to have to miss this section of classic terrain. However, if all that is required is a bit

Team Group Health/Sound Velo, based out of Seattle, Washington, has been named USA Cycling’s 2004 Women’s Club of the Year. The Team won the award with a combination of top results, community involvement and contribution to the sport. Team Group Health accumulated over 212 top ten finishes with over 30 victories in 2004 alone including the NORBA 24 Hour Elite Women’s National Championship. In addition to the team’s impressive results, they have made significant contributions to the Northwest cycling scene over the years by attracting more women to the sport of bicycle racing and developing

As I reluctantly remove my expired 2004 Anna Kournikova calendar from the wall of my cubicle, I suppose it’s time to acknowledge that it is, in fact, a new year, and time to generate a new column for my legion of faithful readers (this means you, mom … thanks again for reading!). I couldn’t find another Kournikova calendar marked down during my usual “first week of January” calendar shopping, so for now I’ve got the VeloNews road racing calendar on the wall. It’s nice and all, but it’s just not the same. As for the past few weeks, I spent a rainy winter holiday in San Diego with my family,

Cipo' in South Africa, Liquigas gets goingItaly’s latest super-team is putting the finishing touches on its preparations for the 2005 season. Liquigas will have its official unveiling later this month and the team is revving up for its final training camps ahead of its first races of the season. Most of the team will be honing their strength at a training camp starting this weekend in Donoratico in Italy while 2002 world champion Mario Cipollini continues with his personal training program in South Africa. The team’s official presentation will be in Milan on January 25 before Cipollini,

Can cycling fans look forward to seeing Team Colavita-eBay on the American roads in 2005? Well, no – but the Colavita New England Cycling Team hopes the online auction house can help the squad add a title co-sponsor to its jersey. Bidding for the sponsorship starts at $5000, according to the team’s posting on eBay. “With proven results from Maine to California, our team will be ideal for your company's marketing in 2005,” it adds. Team member Thad LaVallee told the Boston Herald that any new corporate partner would get a lot of mileage for its money, with 15 cyclists racing across New

Levi Leipheimer is training this week in Mallorca, Spain, where he's lining up for his first of two seasons with Gerolsteiner. The German team was looking for another GC rider to complement Georg Totschnig, and Leipheimer was looking for new challenges after three seasons with Rabobank.Working on the upcoming VeloNews "Road Season Preview," European correspondent Andrew Hood came to Mallorca and spoke with Leipheimer this week as the American pro reflected on his years with Rabobank and what he's hoping for in 2005 and beyond. Part one of the interview is below; check back tomorrow for part

The announcement this week that the proposed 2005 Tour of Texas was being canceled through lack of sponsorship dollars emphasized how difficult it is to put on a major road race in this country. Cycling is not like most American sports, which are stadium-based and charge spectators to come and watch. A road race, particularly a multi-day event, has neither a fixed venue nor guaranteed revenue. Even sports such as triathlon, which also use public roads, have a formula: Charge the competitors an entry fee that can be as high as $400; get a field of a thousand or more triathletes; and use the

Teutenberg's ready to race for T-Mobile

Cipo' is training in South Africa in hopes of a good ride in 2005 with new team Liquigas

Leipheimer rode for Gerolsteiner in 2005 and 2006.

The Tour of Somerville is the oldest race in the United States

Dear Bob,I have a two- part question: first, in general, what is the legality of a group training ride? If I email my friends and say, “Let’s all meet at my place at 6 a.m. for a century ride, I’ll lead,” and someone joins me and gets hit by a car while on my ride, to what degree can I be held legally accountable? Second, what if my group includes a university cycling team with members under 18?C.A.Connecticut Dear C.A.,Your question is very complex. Some of the issues raised have only been addressed in the last year or so, and others vary widely from state to state, making any highly

French police on Thursday searched the offices of the weekly news magazine Le Point and the sports daily L’Equipe in connection with a doping affair that rocked French cycling team Cofidis last year. Journalists at the two publications said police led by investigating magistrates spent several hours in their offices. At Le Point, police seized two computers and ordered two journalists to report for questioning. At L’Equipe, journalists declined to reveal whether any equipment had been seized during the search. Sources close to the investigation said the searches were linked to an

The USA Cycling Development Foundation has announced the annual Centerof Excellence Awards, and dividing the $20,000 in cash awards areseveral familiar names, including the Arizona based Team Nova, theOrlando Road Club, Team Swift from Santa Rosa, California, Rad Racing out ofWashington State, Rocky Mountain Cycling Education Foundation, NorthernCalifornia High School Racing League and the Seattle based NorthwesternCycling Center. These outstanding local and regional athlete developmentprograms focus on junior and U23 riders with well-organized efforts thatconform to the Center of Excellence

Like the annual return of the swallows to Capistrano, this is the time of year that VeloNews staff get to pump-out another edition of our Buyer’s Guide. In its third year of production, the VeloNews Buyer’s Guide has grown from a “let’s see if it works” publication to a “keystone property,”or so our marketing staff likes to call it. To me, the tremendous amount of work we put into it is well worth it because of the Guide’s sheer usefulness and “drool factor.” You won’t see a larger collection of “to-die-for” bikes anywhere in 2005 than our Buyer’s Guide. This year we’ve enlisted the help of

Levi Leipheimer is getting to know his new Gerolsteiner teammates at the team’s annual training camp in Mallorca off the Spanish coast. After three seasons with Rabobank, the 31-year-old Californian said he’s excited about the new opportunities after joining the German team for what’s a two-year deal. VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood sat down with Leipheimer this week. Check back later this week for the complete interview. VeloNews: You’ve reached a point where you want to step up your goals? Levi Leipheimer: “Definitely, eighth in my first Tour, ninth in my second to confirm

An investigator leaves the offices of Le Point with a seized computer

Reporters at Le Point wait for police to complete search.

Investigating magistrate Katherine Cornier led the raid on Le Point.

Racing in the 10-12s in Orlando. (No matter what you think, some day, these guys will crush you!)

Leipheimer: Willing to take risks.

Navigators’ Nathan O'Neill won the Australian Professional National Time Trial Championship on Wednesday, clocking 47:41 over the course of the 40km route. Oenone Wood took the women’s 30km championship in 41:18. O’Neill, the most recent recruit to the U.S.-based Navigators team, Nathan, beat Rory Sutherland and Russell Van Hout to take his third title in four years. Indeed, Wednesday’s win marks O’Neill’s ninth national championship, seven of which were earned in the discipline against the clock. Wood started the 30km time trial at the Adelaide hills town of Echunga as the strong favorite

Citing serious safety concerns, organizers of Paris-Roubaix have removed one of the most revered sections of cobbles from the route of this year’s race. Noting that the condition of a large stretch of pavé through the Forest of Arenberg has degraded over the past year the Amaury Sport Organization has pulled the famous portion of cobbles from this year’s Queen of the Classics, scheduled for April 10. "Organizers have decided not to ride on the 2400 meters of the famous Arenberg trench for safety reasons," ASO noted in a statement. "The condition of the road has seriously deteriorated in

LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) - The inaugural United Texas Tour cycling race was postponed indefinitely Wednesday because organizers were reluctant to seek sponsorship money while massive aid is going to the tsunami relief effort. American officials had hoped the stage race in Lance Armstrong's home state would become a showcase event in a sport concentrated in Europe. "We are simply uncomfortable asking companies to fund the race when those dollars could be used for more immediate social concerns," said Eddie Owens, executive director of the United Texas Tour. Organizers had raised about half the

O'Neill gets another jersey

Wood was favored and did not disappoint

O'Neill had a comfortable margin

George Hincapie negotiates the infamous Arenberg Forest in 2001

With the cobbles of Arenberg, Paris-Roubaix will lose some of its 'charm,' says Bäckstedt

Olympic champion Paolo Bettini, Belgian classics star Tom Boonen and world time trial champion Michael Rogers will headline the Quick Step team in the 2005 season, but the Belgian team is investing heavily in young stars for future success. The 2005 roster was officially unveiled Monday in Belgium with a solid mix of youth and maturity to take over the mantle with the departure of retired stars Richard Virenque and Johan Museeuw. “With the maturity of our young stars and the recruitment of new talent, we will be as strong as we were last year,” said team manager Patrick Lefevere during the

2005 DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM LED BY LANCE ARMSTRONG MAKESWORLDWIDE DEBUTSilver Spring, Md. – Discovery Communications announced todaythe beginning of a new era in professional cycling with the worldwide unveilingof the 2005 Discovery Channel Pro Cycling Team led by six-time Tour deFrance Champion Lance Armstrong.  Following a nine-year sponsorshipagreement with the United States Postal Service, the only American professionalcycling team ever to win the Tour de France begins its new global partnershipwith Discovery Communications.“Today marks the beginning of a special

Phat Cycles, Inc. Pledges Percentage of Tsunami Model Cycle Sales ToWorld Vision Relief Efforts In Southeast Asia Seattle, WA – Phat Cycles, Inc., Fountain Valley, CA, a designerand distributor of stylized beach cruiser and chopper bicycles includingits 2004 Tsunami model, has partnered with World Vision to support itsrelief efforts in the countries affected by the recent tsunami tragedy.  Phat Cycles will donate $20 of the purchase price of each Tsunami modelbicycle sold through June 30, to World Vision. "Originally introduced in 2004, our Tsunami model bike was just

JANUARY 10, 2005 -- BRITISH COLUMBIA, Canada (BRAIN)--Some 80,000Adams Trail-a-Bike or Adams Slipstream bicycle attachments are being recalledby Norco Products. The product resembles a children's bicycle without afront wheel and has an elongated top tube that stretches to attach to theseat post of an adult bicycle, creating a tandem. The universal hitch assemblyhardware may come loose causing the unit to separate from the lead bicycle,which could lead to a serious injury or death to the rider of the bicycleattachment.Norco has received two hardware failure reports with one minor

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. (January, 2005)—USA Cycling announcedtoday the competition schedule for the 2005 Park City Cycling Festivalpresented by USA Cycling.Scheduled for June 20-July2, the opening week of the 13-day cyclingextravaganza features elite, U23 and junior events before yielding to themaster categories in week two.After a successful inaugural year that saw 1866 competitors and nearly2400 race entries, the 2005 festival has expanded to invite the nation’sbest men’s and women’s elite riders to Park city in an effort to unifyall levels of competitive cycling as they compete for

Oh my achin' backDear Lennard,My bones are getting stiff and achy, and I am looking for a way tosoften my every day/training bike, a Cannondale CAAD 5 with the stock all-carbonfork. The bike fits me like a glove and is very responsive.Would a carbon bar and stem combination damp the ride and add comfort,or are carbon bars just as stiff and noncompliant as alloy bars?Are any carbon bars "softer" than others? Have you ridden Specialized'sRoubaix? Is there a significant improvement in the ride? Isthere a real tradeoff in performance? My 59-year-old neck, arms andback thank you!Bill Dear Bill,I

Filippo Pozzato, Nick Nuyens, Rik Verbgrugghe, Michael Rogers, Tom Boonen, Paolo Bettini (front)

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Can I soften that ride?

German star Jan Ullrich lined up with his T-Mobile teammates this weekend to kick start the team’s 14-day training camp in Mallorca. The 1997 Tour de France champion already has 2,500km in his legs after spending the holidays in South Africa to prepare for the 2005 season. An assault on the 2005 Tour remains Ullrich’s top goal for the upcoming season and he said toppling six-time champion Lance Armstrong gives him extra motivation. Last year, Ullrich failed to finish on the podium for the first time in his Tour career. Despite recent reports that Armstrong is hinting at skipping the 2005

The Outdoor Life Network’s Phil Liggett will be joining former pros Jonathan Vaughters and Frankie Andreu, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, February 15, in Denver, Colorado, to help launch Vaughters' two 2005 development teams, Team TIAA-CREF and Team 5280. Liggett will be hosting a small group of sponsors, supporters and other attendees at a fundraising dinner at Denver’s legendary Adega restaurant. Proceeds from the evening will be donated to the American Red Cross Emergency for its emergency relief work for survivors of the devastating December 26 tsunami. Space is very limited with only 50 seats

The "Weekend 'Cross Wrap" is a service of VeloNews.com.Stories and results are provided by race promoters and are not producedby VeloNews or VeloNews.com. Promoters are welcome to submit race reportsthroughout the cyclo-cross season to Rosters@7Dogs.com.Reports may be edited for length and clarity. Muddy finale for SoCal seriesThe 13-race Southern California Cyclo-cross Cup concluded Sunday at Hart Park in Bakersfield, with more than 100 riders braving the treacherous and wet conditions. The fast, European-style course was turned into a slippery race of attrition with some riders even

Six-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said Monday that he will make up his mind whether he competes in this year's renewal at the end of April. Speaking at the unveiling of the new Discovery Channel cycling team in Silver Spring, Maryland, the 33-year-old Armstrong added that under the terms of hiscontract with his new sponsor he would have to take part in either this year's race or the one in 2006. "The deal was I was going to do the Tour in 2005 or 2006," said theTexan. Armstrong will race in the one-day Spring Classics in April before makingup his mind. "That would be a good

Hackettstown, NJ - Hilton Clarke (AUS), a new addition to the NavigatorsInsurance Cycling Team, scored his first victory of the 2005 racing season,yesterday in Melbourne, Australia.  Racing locally for the "McKnight'sRetravision/Fisher & Paykel" squad, Hilton took the win following aweek of top-10 finishes in the Jayco Bay Classic series.  The 5-dayseries is one of the most popular racing events in Australia and regularlyattracts many of the best racers as preparation for next week's Tour DownUnder.  Clarke was in 5th place in the General Classification cominginto the final

The team formerly known as the U.S. Postal Service entered a new era onMonday when Lance Armstrong and Company unveiled its new look and identityin Silver Spring, Maryland. In a flashy introduction ceremony at the AmericanFilm Institute’s Silver Theater, just outside of Washington D.C., and acrossthe street from its new corporate sponsor, the most successful pro cyclingoutfit in the U.S. was officially introduced as the Discovery Channel ProCycling Team. After taking the stage, one team veteran marveled at how far the teamhad come since its inception nine years ago. “Back at our first team

No questions here: Ullrich is aiming for the Tour

Phil Liggit

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Liggett to host TIAA-CREF/5280 dinner in Denver

Noble won the men's overall

Wong took the women's crown