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You simply can’t get away from it. Obviously, bicycles for commuting purposes rule the earth when compared to their internal combustion engine bastard off-shoots, but who would have imagined running into a pack of dedicated mountain bike racers in the middle of nowhere? With the racing season on winter hiatus, and activity here at VeloNews a bit slower than in the heavy season, I felt it the perfect time to grab a bit of vacation time a couple of weeks ago and head south across the Mexican border aboard my motorcycle (yeah, yeah... I said motorcycle. Deal with it). My original route

He’s a New England kid with the initials JP, he’s been racing cyclo-cross in Belgium all fall and he will definitely be a factor in this weekend’s U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships. While two-time defending elite national champion Jonathan Page meets all of the above qualifications, so does Jeremy Powers. Powers, 21, will line up in Portland as one of the favorites for Saturday’s Under-23 national title, but since he’s spent the vast majority of the 2004 ‘cross season in Europe, he could be one of the most overlooked ‘cross specialists in the U.S.

Lance Armstrong said Wednesday he will wait until May to decide whether to go for a seventh successive victory in the Tour de France next year. Armstrong won a record sixth Tour title in July, surpassing a host of Tour legends such as Belgian Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain of Spain, who was the only rider before Armstrong to claim five straight Tour de France victories. However since setting the outright race record, and with family life and his personal relationship with rock star girlfriend Sheryl Crow becoming more important, rumours have been rife that Armstrong may ditch the Tour to

The Mail Bag 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.All dressed up and no where to go (down)Editors,Wow, what sad news that Big Bear is banning downhill bikes (see"Gravityracing (and riding) to be banned at Big Bear").While there are other places for DHers to ride, this means the nearestNORBA NCS DH race from the Bay Area is 800 miles

Downward bound

Tech Report: Maintaining perspective

Tech Report: Maintaining perspective

Tech Report: Maintaining perspective

Answer Kashmir winter boot

Answer Kashimir boots beg for fresh powder

Jeremy Powers: International Man of Mystery

Joe and Dirk,You recently mentioned that it is a benefit to sleep at a higher altitude and train at a lower altitude, but what about the opposite?Riding in Colorado I often find myself at much higher elevations than my home and I had operated on the assumption that training at a higher altitude would help me out when I am back at a lower elevation. Do you care to set me straight on this matter?Mike Dear Mike,Training at a high altitude (8500 feet or higher) may have beneficial effects on your aerobic system. This is of great benefit within your base training especially. But training at a

Need a long-valve tubie? Try VittoriaDear Lennard,I have been looking around and have been unable to find a long-stem tubular tire. Almost all the tire websites don't even mention the stem length. I thought for sure with the popularity of deep carbon rims there would be at least one company that offered a model with a long valve stem. Thanks for any help.Brian Dear Brian,My tire-aficionado friend Tom Petrie assures me that at least Vittoria offers tubular tires with 51mm long valves with a removable valve core as well as 42mm-length valves without a removable valve core. Vittoria also offers

One of America’s most renowned mountain-bike racing venues has pulled the plug on downhilling. Snow Summit Resort in Big Bear Lake, California will no longer allow downhill bikes on its chairlifts during the summer riding season, and this means no more downhill racing either. According to Dick Kun, president of the resort, the change in policy stemmed primarily from the amount of liability exposure his resort was facing by allowing downhillers to ride on the mountain two hours drive from Los Angeles. “Even with the insurance that NORBA and Team Big Bear carried it wasn’t enough to protect

And away goes trouble, down the drain

Reston, Virginia - The racers who showed up for the final Verge Mid-Atlantic Series cyclo-cross race, the Fitness Concepts Capital ‘Cross Classic in Lake Fairfax park, Reston, Virginia were winners before the race even started. With just a handful of elite men and women on the start line, virtually everyone who finished was guaranteed a chunk of the prize list. With that in mind, the only thing left to race for was bragging rights, a handful of UCI points and to get in a good workout before next week’s cyclocross nationals. Unless, of course, you were Ryan Leech or Betsy Schauer of the

Dendermonde, Belgium (AP) Belgian Frank Vandenbroucke wassentenced to 200 hours of community service on Monday after police foundillegal performance-enhancing substances during a raid on his home two yearsago. Police discovered endurance-enhancing EPO, muscle-boosting Clenbuterol andmorphine during the 2002 search, and Vandenbroucke was suspended for sixmonths. Vandenbroucke admitted to police during an interview that he had used the drugs. Vandenbroucke's lawyer, Luc Deleu, had argued that the suspension waspunishment enough for the cyclist and that there was no need for

The Mail Bag 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.There’s hope for a U.S. pursuit squadEditor:I recently read a letter from one of your readers noting that the U.S. once again will not have a team pursuit team in the upcoming World Cup (see Friday’s mailbag: “In (four-man) pursuit of excellence?”). I am writing to inform you that we

Leech wraps up the men's title

Schauer has an eye on collegiate title, too

Gould got an early jump but was reeled back

Storm on the attack that led to his win on Sunday

Vandenbroucke speaks with friends during an earlier court appearance in Dendermonde

Baden Koch, future Paris-Roubaix star

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. Frischknecht, Hall Collect Wins at Bianchi ‘CrossSan Mateo -The first half of California’s UCI cyclo-cross doubleheader thisweekend belonged to Gina Hall and Thomas Frischknecht with Hall runningaway from the Women’s field to score a solo victory while the three-timeSwiss Olympian sat with a

Weekend 'CrossWrap: Hall and Frischknecht tops in San Mateo

Hall is in top form

IN THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS OF BLAIR COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIAALTOONA BICYCLE CLUB,  :        Plaintiff   : No.  2004 GN 1006        :       v.     : CIVIL ACTION - LAW      : :KIRK V. LEIDY and SHAWN M. LEIDY,  :husband and wife, trading and doing   : JURY TRIAL DEMANDEDbusiness as PHOTO SPECIALISTS,  :     Defendants   : COMPLAINT AND NOW, comes the Plaintiff, ALTOONA BICYCLE CLUB, by and throughits attorney, Stephen D. Wicks, and files this Complaint against the Defendants,KIRK V. LEIDY and SHAWN M. LEIDY, husband and wife, trading and doing businessas PHOTO SPECIALISTS, alleging the

What do famous cyclists do when they hang up their cleats? A few become team directors, some start touring or coaching businesses, while others take up marketing or even race promotion. In the case of Marion Clignet, who won three world pursuit and two points race championships in a career that spanned three decades, she’s moving in more than one of these directions. Clignet, 41, ended her illustrious career this summer after failing to make the French team for the Athens Olympics (she took silver medals in 1996 and 2000). All her world and Olympic medals were earned for France, but Clignet

As racing goes, cyclo-cross is straightforward – the objective is crossing the line first. But when you get to the final race of a season-long series, as in Saturday’s WE Stedman Grand Prix of Cyclo-Cross in South Kingston, Rhode Island, sub-plots and alternative motivations can come into play. When the day was done, Mark McCormack (Clif Bar-Colavita Olive Oil) and Mary McConneloug had won their respective races and Verge New England series titles, respectively. But more was afoot than met the eye. McCormack entered the final event of the seven-race Verge New England series with a lock on

McCormack lights it up

McCormack was working on following the wheels

Powers found himself playing McCormack's game

McConneloug was racing herself, building power for nationals

"Cycling in the News" is a regular service of VeloNews.com. Readers,reporters and friends are encouraged to send links to current stories aboutcompetitive cyclists and cycling that appear in the mainstream media. Ifyou come across a news item that you believe may be of interest to otherVeloNews readers, we would be grateful if you choose to send it to Rosters@InsideInc.com.Denver Post - December 3, 2004Hamilton supports PhonakBoulder rider says it was his idea to leave team to appease InternationalCycling UnionTyler Hamilton went on a long training ride Thursday around his Boulderhills home.

Dear Bob,A few years ago I bought a racing bike in Seattle after not having bought one in the United States for over twenty years. As a lefthander, I had in the past always asked the bike shop to “reverse the brakes,” so the left brake lever works the front brake. I was told it was against the law in Seattle to do this. I have since bought a new bike in North Carolina. The bike shop said there was no such law. Who is right?D.D.North Carolina Dear D.D.Um, well . . . .they both are! In the United States, federal laws are contained in a set of volumes called the United States Code (USC), which

The Mail Bag 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.In (four-man) pursuit of excellence?Dear Editor,I recently read that the United States is again not sending a teampursuit squad to a world track meet. I'm wondering why? The Australianand GB endurance models seem to be winning medals as well as developingtalented road riders. What are

Friday's mailbag: Why no team pursuit? Mr. Spellcheck; Predicting natz

The 2004 Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclo-Cross Championship Series wraps up this weekend with The Fitness Concepts Capital Classic in Reston, Virginia. Absent from the 2003 edition of the Mid-Atlantic series, the event is a great addition to the 2004 series. Held in a natural bowl-like section of Lake Fairfax Park, the course includes several elevation changes and a well-balanced mix of technical areas and power sections. The six previous editions of the Reston event have all been held on diverse, challenging courses – yet all held within the same section of park. Rumor has it that EMI racing and

Click here to get more information on the HEALTHNET CAMP Click here to get more information on the JELLYBELLY-POOLGEL CAMP

Hamilton vows vindication after sackingAfter being fired by the Swiss Phonak team, Olympic medalist Tyler Hamilton has promised once again that he will eventually be cleared of blood doping charges. “I know I will be vindicated,” Hamilton told The Associated Press in a telephone interview on Tuesday. “My hope is to get this past me as soon as possible. We're just waiting to have this hearing, which at the moment they haven't even set a date.” Hamilton, who tested positive for blood doping at the Vuelta a España in September, plans to contest the results at a January hearing in Colorado. He

The Mail Bag 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 Landis?Editor:I have read previously that Floyd Landis had an "out" in his contract if Phonak did not get into the UCI ProTour. Have you any further information regarding Landis's status? Rumors of what team he might join? Chances that he will go back to the Postal/Discovery

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced Wednesday that the organizers of the three grand tours have agreed to include their events in the 2005 ProTour calendar. The 19 teams confirmed as licensees in the ProTour “guarantee their participation in these events,” and the organizers have agreed to accept their participation, the UCI said in a press release. However, in a letter to UCI president Hein Verbruggen, dated November 29 and published in Wednesday’s edition of the French newspaper L’Equipe, the organizers of the Tour de France, Vuelta a España, and Giro d’Italia – ASO, RCS and

The Swiss-based Phonak team has lost an appeal to the Union Cycliste Internationale to race as part of the 2005 ProTour, despite its decision last week to fire American Tyler Hamilton in an effort to satisfy the governing body. The team’s hope of becoming part of cycling’s top tier was hampered after Hamilton and two other of the squad's star riders failed doping tests this year. Two weeks ago, the team’s title sponsor – a Swiss hearing aid manufacturer - hinted that it may pull out of the sport if the team were unable to compete in the UCI's new major race series. UCI officials told the

Beloki to Liberty, agent saysJoseba Beloki will sign a one-year contract soon with Liberty Seguros, run by his former mentor Manolo Saiz, AFP has learned. Pablo Arregui, the agent for the Basque cyclist, told AFP that the deal has not been completed, but added that negotiations were nearing their end. “Joseba will join Manolo Saiz,” Arregui said. Beloki, who has made the Tour de France podium three times – he was third in 2000 and 2001, and second in 2002 – crashed heavily in the 2003 Tour and has never returned to top form in stints with Brioches la Boulangere and Saunier Duval. Illes

The State of New Mexico and the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) have signed an agreement to cooperate in the construction of new mountain bike trails. The agreement, signed Sept. 14, is the first of its kind between IMBA and a state parks system. "This is another example of how government can work with organizations to encourage responsible use of public lands for our residents and our visitors," New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said. The governor added that more than 39 million Americans participated in mountain biking last year, and the state's unique landscape and

What happened to Clement red glue?Dear Lennard,I have been riding tubulars my whole life, and I have always liked the Clement red glue. Now I cannot find it anymore. Do you know of a source? Also, I have been using the Tufo tubulars with good luck. I just don’t understand how they measure the number of threads per inch in the casing. They claim 420, yet Vittoria says their 290tpi is the highest density on the market. Any observations?Mark Dear Mark,I, too, loved that glue and have missed it. When Clement went bankrupt and was acquired by Pirelli, I think that the Clement red glue might have

Hamilton keeps his gold medal

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. Brown Wins Colorado 'Cross SeriesBoulder, Co (November 28, 2004 — Travis Brown won the Boulder Racing Cyclo-Cross Series Sunday, closing out the season with five straight wins for a season total of eight wins. Colorado offered three cyclo-cross series to Front Range competitors this season: The

MONTROSE, Colorado - NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol and his college-age son emerged from the wreckage of a corporate jet after it crashed during takeoff and burst into flames, killing two crew members. Rescuers were still searching for Ebersol's younger son, whose seat was missing from the smoldering ruins. The 18-seat charter jet with six people on board crashed Sunday morning at Montrose Regional Airport in southwest Colorado, not far from the Telluride Ski Area. A heavy snowstorm had lightened up before the plane prepared to depart for South Bend, Ind., where Ebersol's son Charles is a

The Mail Bag 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.Uuuuuurpppp....Dear VeloNews,Ugh...talk about making your stomach lurch (see "Friday's foaming rant: Gobble, gobble, gobble"). No, not O'Grady's writing...well, sort of...just the thought of eating 53 hotdogs in a year is enough to make my stomach turn, let alone 12 minutes.Then the

DENDERMONDE, Belgium (AP) - The lead prosecutor in the trial of Frank Vandenbroucke has asked for a sentence of community service in the dopingcase that originally stemmed from a police raid on the Belgian cycling star’s home two years ago. Police discovered endurance-enhancing EPO, muscle-boosting Clenbuterol and morphine during the 2002 search and Vandenbroucke was subsequently suspended for six months. Vandenbroucke's lawyer, Luc Deleu, said the cyclist had already served his ban and there was no need for further sanctions against his client. "We have already been sanctioned. We

Tilford: Experience counts.

Vandenbroucke (R) and manager Paul De Geyter (L) leave the correctional court of Dendermonde on Monday.

One man, one gear, four wins

For the first time in the 14-year history of the VeloNews awards a pair of Canadians, cross-country racer Roland Green and road pro Lyne Bessette, have walked away with North American Cyclist of the Year honors. In Green's case it was the first time a non-American or a mountain biker has ever won the award. Bessette was just the second Canadian women to be tabbed, following Linda Jackson, who won it twice (1997, '98). Green earned the honor by putting together a brilliant season that included three overall series titles (NORBA cross country and short track, plus the World Cup

Sven Nys has added another to his growing list of Superprestige cyclo-cross victories, handily taking the win at the series’ stop in Gieten in the Netherlands on Sunday. Nys’s win – his 25th career victory in a series that ranks second only to the UCI World Cup – adds to an already formidable lead in the overall standings. Among the day’s most pleasant surprises was the return to form of reigning world champion, Bart Wellens, who has been struggling throughout the early part of the season. Wellens, also last year’s World Cup winner, finished second Sunday, suggesting that that the

Green on his way to winning at world's.

Bessette was a multiple winner on the road and in 'cross.

Nys is on a roll

Will Wellens make the rest of the series a contest?

Erwin Vervecken won the fourth round of the cyclo-cross World Cup on Saturday in Koksijde, outsprinting compatriots Sven Nys and Ben Berden. It was the 32-year-old Belgian’s first victory of the season, and the fourth time he has won in Koksijde. Belgian racers dominated on the sandy circuit, led by a six-rider group that included Vervecken, Nys, Berden, Tom Vannoppen, Sven Vanthourenhout and world champion Bart Wellens. Wellens fell victim to a puncture, while Vanthourenhout simply fell off the pace. Unwilling to trust his chances in a sprint finish, Nys tried to make a break in the

Belgians ruled the sandy circuit

Nys tried to escape in the sand, but it wasn't working

WADA reaccredits Seoul lab for steroid analysisThe World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced today in Montreal that it has granted full reaccreditation to the anti-doping laboratory in Seoul, South Korea. In April 2004, the laboratory was suspended from carrying out steroid analysis for a period of six months, following unsatisfactory performances and non-compliance with WADA’s International Standards for Laboratories. Since then, the laboratory, in cooperation with the South Korean government, has taken corrective actions. New material has been purchased and additional staff has been

The Mail Bag 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.Doing the math, part 2Editor:I'd like to respond to Steve Rempel's letter (see Wednesday’s mailbag: "Doing the Math"). I think he's got a good point about Tyler's Olympic doping test possibly falling into the margin of error. But is there a statistician out there who can factor in

(K)nowing Nicely-Nicely Jones, I am prepared to wager all the money I can possibly raise that he can outeat anything that walks on two legs. In fact, I will take a chance on Nicely-Nicely against anything on four legs, except maybe an elephant, and at that he may give the elephant a photo finish.–Damon Runyon in his short story A Piece of Pie,describing an eating contest on Broadway Bicycle racing? Fuhgeddaboudit. It’s so last century. I have seen the future of sport, and it is professional competitive eating. While sprawled in the living room rocker, recovering from my annual

On September 24, the United States Antidoping Agency announced the two-year suspension of 27-year-old Joey D'Antoni. The track racer from Raleigh, North Carolina, tested positive for recombinant human Erythropoietin (rHuEPO), a synthetic hormone that increases the body's ability to produce red blood cells. D'Antoni is the third U.S. cyclist to test positive for the banned hormone. Former U.S. national time trial champion Adham Sbeih tested positive in August of 2003. More recently, up-and-coming rider Adam Bergman joined the blacklist. Sbeih argued he never took EPO. "I've never even seen

Dear Bob,If an Ironman triathlete used her story to inspire and collect donationsfor a charity, and paid the charity 75 percent and kept 25 percent fortraining and racing expenses, would she be a non-profit organization herself,a business, or would it be just plain illegal. In this example, the athletewould advertise, speak on behalf of the charity, etc.M.H.MontanaDear MH,Let's assume Tracy Trigal, as an independent agent, and without anyother formalities, sets herself up along the lines you suggest, givingthe money to the Rhinitis Foundation, a legitimate charity dedicated tocuring the

D'Antoni in 2002

Citing a “lack of motivation, two-time World Cup winner Michele Bartoli (CSC) announced his decision to retire from cycling Wednesday. I've had a lot of bumps and bruises throughout my career," Bartoli said during a press conference in Milan. Bartoli's decision was not a big surprise to those who have watched him suffer through an unspectacular season this year. The 35-year-old Tuscan didn't score a single win this season, a long way from the successive World Cup titles he earned in 1997 and 1998. Sitting next CSC director Bjarne Riis, Bartoli also said recent physical problems had

The Mail Bag 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.Glad you spoke out!There you go Tyler!Defend yourself (see “Hamiltonissues statement in his defense”)!I find it hard to accept that someone with your level of sportsmanshipwould try to cheat.  I was hoping that you would issue a statement. If just for the fans that are supporting you

With Thanksgiving upon us, it’s time to take a moment and reflect upon all that we have to be thankful for. Or so “they” tell us. I think it’s good practice to try not and take anything for granted all throughout the year, but if “they” want to designate a four-day weekend to spend counting our blessings, I’m more than happy to add the vacation to the list. First of all, I’m thankful to have finished VeloNews issue 20 last night, our 17th annual awards issue. I think it’s one of our more fun issues of the year, both to work on and to peruse, through the eyes of our readers. There are

Bartoli at Paris-Nice

Katrina Grove