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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.Cycling needs more character and fewer excusesEditor:I could not agree more with Patrick Buono’s thoughts on the state of cycling (see Monday’s mailbag, “This ain’t freakin’ rocket science!”). Richard Virenque tearfully protests his innocence, then admits to doping, and ever since we

Mountain bike groups coast-to-coast will soon receive an unprecedentedboost for their volunteer trailwork projects, as a result of a financialand gear grant from Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), announced todayby the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA).For the second consecutive year, IMBA and REI will award outdoor stewardshiptoolkits to select mountain bike clubs nationally for the purpose of buildingand maintaining trails. This year's $45,000 REI grant nearly doubles theamount of last year's award, and increases the number of toolkits from50 to 100. Each toolkit contains

Nina Kraft, winner of the 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii, has tested positive for EPO. On Wednesday, the 35-year-old Kraft acknowledged the result of a test on an A-sample taken immediately following her October 16 victory in Kona. Kraft’s confirmation came even before the completion of tests on her B-sample. Kraft faces a two-year suspension from the sport of triathlon. “I screwed up,” noted Kraft, according to reports in the German media, after being informed Tuesday by the DTU, the German national triathlon federation, that her A-sample, a urine test collected by

The American Cyclo-cross Foundation, which debuted in 1999 with the mission of helping unfunded U.S. racers travel to the world cyclo-cross championships, has mailed its last check. ACF board member Patrick O’Grady, a contributing editor to VeloNews, said the final check was sent November 10 to U.S. ’cross guru Geoff Proctor, who will once again be running a pre-world’s cyclo-cross camp in Europe from December 23 through January 4. “Geoff said he knew of a couple potential U.S. team members who wouldn’t be able to attend both his camp and world’s if they didn’t get a little financial aid,

Threshold Sports, LLC, producers of the Pro Cycling Tour, has releasedthe official dates for the first of its 2005 race calendar.  Theseevents and dates are:Wachovia Cycling Series-Lancaster - May 31Wachovia Cycling Series-Trenton - June 2Wachovia Cycling Series-Philadelphia - June 5New York City Cycling Championship - July 31San Francisco Grand Prix - Sept 4Robin Morton, PCT Technical Director, reports that the Wachovia Cycling Series and the San Francisco Grand Prix have been upgraded on the UCI Continental Calendar. The men’s events in San Francisco and Philadelphia have been given

The Crank Brothers Cobalt crank was one of the big hits of this year’s Interbike trade show in Las Vegas, largely due to its unexpected and unconventional design. Eschewing carbon, the Cobalt is a composite of a different kind: an aluminum base bonded to a stainless steel cover. Like all Crank Brothers products, the Cobalt combines a striking industrial aesthetic with hardcore cycling functionality. Andrew Herrick, who serves as Crank’s marketing guy (though not officially; the company does not use job titles) gave us the lowdown on how this unusual product was created. VeloNews: When did

USA Cycling board president Jim Ochowicz’s failure to properly disclose details of a financial relationship with a sponsor of the national governing body does not constitute a conflict of interest, USAC’s board of directors has decided. While concluding that Ochowicz’s paid consulting services with Zürich World Cup promoter Upsolut do not constitute a conflict, the panel has also noted that he had violated the letter of USA Cycling rules by not formally requesting the board’s approval. In an August letter (posted below), John Tarbert, then board vice president, acknowledged that Ochowicz

Questions of rakeDear Lennard,I have a 1994 Trek 5200 54 cm. I want to raise up my handlebarheight for comfort reasons. I figure I need to raise it 2 cm.I thought about the Serotta head tube extender. It's titanium, pressedin and adds 2 cm. I would have to buy a new fork. The literaturefor that model year states a 47mm fork rake.I think I could accomplish two things - more comfort and better ride- with the right fork. From a safety standpoint, is this a good idea?If so which fork? Since less rake equals more trai that would make it morestable with same head angle, right? Would a 44 mm rake

Retired racing legend Johan Museeuw said he won’t challenge a two-year racing ban handed down by the Belgian cycling federation, according to reports on the Belgian wires. Museeuw, who left competitive cycling in April, was banned along with Belgian racers Jo Planckaert and Chris Peers after being implicated in a police investigation last fall involving the distribution of banned substances involving a Belgian veterinarian. Despite clearing doping tests, authorities felt they had enough on the classics legend to issue the controversial racing ban. Museeuw had already retired by the time

Andrew Herrick

VeloNews Q&A: Crank Brothers’ unexpected crank

Frank Hermansen, Carl Winefordner and Herrick with the Crank Bros' newest creation

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Rake, chainrings and tubular tape

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.MISSOURI The fourth round of the Mid-America Cross Cup had a familarfeel with Shadd Smith (HRRC/Maclaren Racing) edging LBC/Highgear rider,Tony Wilhelm Sunday afternoon at Riverside Park in Kansas City, MO. The2-mile circuit featured a varied mix of terrain including a sand pit, plentyof muddy

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 are other fish to fryEditors,I think it would be great for Lance and cycling in general if he skippedthe Tour de France and rode some other races (see “Armstronghints he'll skip '05 Tour”). Look at what he has done in the AmstelGold race in the past few years. It would be great to

Former Tour de France winner and five-time runner-up Jan Ullrich has hit out at the race's organizers for reducing the number of time trials in the three-week epic race. The 30-year-old T-Mobile rider, who won the Tour in 1997 and finished second five times, is a time trial specialist who in previous years would have looked to the discipline to put time on his rivals. Next year, however, the Tour will feature one less time trial than usual when it begins with a 19km time trial instead of the usual short prologue. After a team time trial on the fourth stage, the next opportunity for Ullrich

France’s Jon Gadret surprised a field of strong Flemish ‘cross men to take a last-lap victory in Vosserm, Belgium, on Sunday. Gadret took advantage of a well-timed attack from Belgian Ben Berden and a tumultuous final lap to scamper off with a victory. The action started early as Dutch champion Richard Groenendaal took a hard fall on a dangerous descent on the opening lap. The 2000 world champion fought back hard, though, and successfully rejoined an elite group of eight leaders, led by his Belgian Rabobank teammate, Sven Nys. Sven Vanthourenhout, winner in Saturday’s race in Eernegem, also

Groenendaal was forced to chase from the start

Nijs almost closed the gap

Lance Armstrong is unsure if he will ride in next summer's Tour de France because he'd like to compete in other races. Armstrong, who won a record sixth straight Tour de France this year, said in Saturday's edition ofL'Equipe it is “time to move onto other things.” He has previously been somewhat evasive about whether he will return in 2005, but these were his strongest comments yet about his plans. “Honestly, I don't know if I will be at the start of the next Tour,” he told the sports newspaper. “There are a lot of other things I would like to do in cycling before retiring. So I tell

Racers never know what to expect when they make the trip to Northern Michigan in November for the Subaru Iceman Cometh Challenge. Last year, a blanket of more than four inches of fresh snow covered the trail at start time. The course was sloppy and slow, with frigid temperatures to boot. This year, the conditions were at the opposite end of the spectrum, with temps reaching into the mid-50s and partly sunny skies. The mild and dry conditions practically begged the 2000 -racers to reach for personal course records, and they did. In the end, it was Michigan native Brian Matter (PCW Cycling),

Sven Vanthourenhout won the Flemish Houtlandcross in Eernegem (West-Flanders) on Saturday over Sven Nys with Czech Kamil Ausbuher third. The three racers escaped early, with a group of 11 in pursuit. At midrace, Ausbuher fell off the pace. Then, on the final descent, Nys slowed down and had to put a foot out – Vanthourenhout took his chance and put a gap of 50 meters between himself and Nys that held until the finish. "I had to strike hard, I did not get this victory for free," said Vanthourenhout. "I forced the race from the beginning on, joined by Nys and the Czech. When Nys made a

Amstrong tells L'Equipe he may skip the '05 Tour

Nys bobbled and had to settle for second

Andy Ording, President of Zipp Speed Weaponry, is determined to maintain his company’s lead in lightweight composite technology, and he’s also committed to making his products in the United States. With the miniscule margins most bike companies have to work with, that’s not an easy task, especially considering that most of Ording’s competitors source their products in China, where labor and materials costs are but a fraction of Zipp’s. Moreover, in Ording’s quest to create the lightest, most advanced wheels and components possible, he does not shy away from expensive solutions. The new

The flawed process that forced Olympic officials to throw out a case againstcyclist Tyler Hamilton shows the system needs to be improved, the WorldAnti-Doping Agency said Thursday.Hamilton had a preliminary positive test for blood doping at the AthensGames, but the IOC dropped its probe because the cyclist's backup specimenmistakenly was frozen and there weren't enough red blood cells left toanalyze. That meant Hamilton was able to keep his gold medal.The American, who insists he is innocent and has vowed to clear hisname, still faces a two-year ban because of a failed blood doping testat the

Division 2 Spanish team Cafés Baqué faces an uncertain future after losing title sponsor Orbitel. The Colombian telecom company told team officials it would no longer underwrite the team for the 2005 season. Erkaitz Elcoroiribe, team manager of Cafés Baqué, said the team will search for a new co-sponsor to step up. “What’s really sad about this situation is the marvelous team of riders, mechanics, massage therapists and other who could lose their job,” Elcoroiribe told the Spanish daily MARCA. The team has brought several riders into the pro ranks and was headlined by Colombian climber

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.Florit says adios to team, racingEditor:I am writing this letter to thank all the sponsors of the RLX-Ralph Lauren team, who during the six years I have been with the team supported us with the same level of passion we had for racing. Racing for the RLX-Ralph Lauren mountain-bike team

Andy Ording

Generation 5

Dimpled Zipp rims began appearing on pro bikes first

Felix Cardenas's Vuelta stage win.

While a record number of you turned out to vote on Tuesday, it’s only the VeloNews editorial staff that for better or for worse has a say in our upcoming 2004 Awards issue. While the crew is hard at work arguing over who might be named the Masters Road Racer of the Year, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the award that matters most to me: the Technical Development of the Year. A number of candidates have crossed my mind, but unfortunately the one idea that sticks out most prominently is not a component, frame or wheelset. Instead, the most notable impact has been made by a technology

Tour wouldn’t mind if Armstrong stayed awayTour de France officials evidently aren’t losing any sleep over the prospect that six-time winner Lance Armstrong might not race in the 2005 edition. Just a week after the 92nd edition of the Tour was unveiled in Paris, race officials said in an interview in L’Equipe that they’re not concerned if Armstrong doesn’t race next year. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Armstrong races another grand tour next year and return in 2006 to try the Tour again,” said Christian Prudhomme, director general of the Amaury Sport Organisation which produces the Tour. “To

The Genius may need a genius lawyer to ride on U.S. trails

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.We need more than old guys on bikesDear Velo,In response to Kristen Kehl’s letter (see "It'sworth it" in Monday’s Mailbag). As one who has picked many a bone with the USCF/USAC over the past 25years, I have to agree with Kristen’s assessment of the fee situation.However, this is a

If proof were needed that the dollars you spend on racing sponsorship come right back to your bottom line, Trek Bicycle Corporation’s investment in the U.S. Postal Team and Lance Armstrong would be the only spreadsheet you’d need to see. Although the company’s longstanding domestic team programs made Trek a top brand among cycling fans many years ago, it was Postal power that put Trek on the map for a much wider base of casual riders. Today, Trek is a familiar name in millions of households worldwide, and the Trek brand has become the most valuable franchise in cycling. Of course, Lance

The Netherlands’ 1978 world cycling road race champion Gerrie Knetemann died of a heart attack on Tuesday aged 53, the Dutch Cycling Federation (KNWU) announced. According to the federation he died while out riding a bike with three friends at his birthplace of Bergen in the north west of the Netherlands. Knetemann's career spanned 15 years (1974-89) which saw him win 10 stages in the Tour de France and he was regarded as one of the finest classics riders in the world, winning the Amstel Gold Race twice and the Paris Nice once. Knetemann, who leaves a wife and two children, recorded 130

So if you’re reading this column, and you haven’t yet voted, please get out and do it now. It’s really not all that difficult, and, as we all know, this is poised to be one of the most tightly contested presidential elections in history. My bit of nonsensical ramblings will still be online tonight, (at least I hope it will), while your chance to exercise your democratic right won’t. Speaking of voting, our editorial staff is busily compiling votes of our own for the 17th annual VeloNews Awards Issue, due out at the end of the month. In it you’ll find all the usual awards, such as

Everything in the life of Gerrie Knetemann appeared to be going wonderfully. Just a month ago, he was coaching the Dutch national team at the world championships in Verona. The highlight for the 53-year-old cycling legend was the excellent performance of his teenage daughter, Roxanne Knetemann, who finished sixth in the junior women’s time trial and fifth in the road race (in which her teammates placed first and third) Then on Tuesday afternoon this week, just as Americans were going to the polls, Knetemann, a big man who always wore glasses, was out riding his mountain bike with three

If you’re awaiting word on the final outcome of the Tyler Hamilton doping case, better not hold your breath. It could be well into January of 2005 — or even later — before any kind of conclusion is reached, according to Hamilton’s attorney Howard Jacobs. Speaking by phone from his office in Southern California, Jacobs told VeloNews that he is still in the “document gathering process.” “We’re hoping to get started by January on the Vuelta tests,” he added, “but to get going before the end of the month isn’t likely.” Jacobs said that he has faced substantial resistance from the UCI and IOC

The 2005 Madone SSL

Another round of product testing

Nys is in top form

Wellens: The end of the rainbow... or just a slow start?

Knetemann in 1979

Knetemann at last year's world's in Hamilton

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: The Winds of Change

Bontrager lets his helmet do the talking at the recent 24 Hours of Moab

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 is going on at Phonak?VeloNews,Are my eyes deceiving me or have two riders from Phonak both testedpositive for blood irregularities? (see "Perezimplicated in blood doping, Spanish daily reports" and "Perezmaintains his innocence"). With this being the case, it makes youask two

Fort Lewis College dominated both the men’s and women’s downhill events at the Collegiate Nationals at Seven Springs, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, securing yet another team omnium title in the process. Tough conditionsAlthough the sun finally came through Sunday morning, the previous day’s rain left the twisty single-track course in rough shape. A peanut buttery mixture of mud covered the trail’s many rocks, roots, and stumps. The Women’s Division II title went to Fort Lewis College freshman Leana Gerrard. While many of her competitors ended up carrying their bikes down large stretches of the

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.NEBRASKA: Wilhelm, Neville impressiveDespite a frightful beginning that included two spills in the opening lap, Tony Wilhelm (LBC-Highgear) continued to show impressive form with his third victory of the season and second in the Nebraska Cyclo-cross Series at Pioneers Park on Saturday. The

There’s still a long ways to go in mountain biking’s annual silly season, but the news of next year’s line-ups is slowly rolling in. Standing pat for 2005 will be the GT-Hyundai and Mongoose-Hyundai squads. GT will continue to feature cross-country Olympian Todd Wells and gated-racing specialist Brian Lopes, while reigning world 4X champ Eric Carter and Brian Schmith will be running the Mongoose colors. The one big change, according to team manager, Craig “Stikman” Glaspell is that Carter and Schmith will actually be “racing on genuine Mongoose bicycles” as apposed to the painted up

Frank N. Furter, a.k.a. Brian Matter

Vuelta a España runner-up Santiago Perez declared his innocenceof blood doping on Sunday, just weeks after his American Phonak teammateTyler Hamilton apparently failed a similar test. "The news I have been given is that they have detected irregularitiesin my blood as a consequence of a transfusion from another person," Perezsaid. "All I can say is that I have not undergone any type of blood transfusion. I am not sure what they are talking about. I am sure that the truth will come out very soon and it will show that none of what they are accusing me of is true." Perez's positive for blood

Ever since its days as a stop on the Super Cup circuit, the Gloucester, Massachusetts, cyclo-cross race has been lovingly referred to as “New England Nationals.” The implication, that every rider worth his or her salt makes an annual October pilgrimage to the seaside Gloucester course, seemed borne out by the inclusion of back-to-back Gloucester races in this year’s Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross.

Tom Vannoppen took Sunday’s round of the Superprestige cyclo-cross seriesin St-Michielsgestel, the Netherlands, out-sprinting Sven Nys in the closingmeters of the race. World champion Bart Wellens, while performing better than earlier thisseason, was still not able to stay with the two leaders at the decidingmoment of the race. Belgian Bart Aernouts began the day’s action with an early attack, ashe gained a few seconds on the field before Nys and Vannoppen charged afterhim and counterattacked. Dutchman Richard Groenendaal and Belgian SvenVanthourenhout gave chase, but the two leaders held

Perez was the big surprise of this year's Vuelta

The hard-working Trebon outlasted Kabush

Knapp had to work a little harder today, too

Nys just couldn't shake the guy

Jonathan Page

Jeremy Powers

Interbike may have ended for the rest of the bicycle industry three weeks ago, but for us here at VeloNews, the annual trade show wasn’t over until Tuesday, when we wrapped up 13 pages of coverage. We visited nearly a hundred companies at this year’s show, and it was very difficult to decide what to include in the magazine. Still, somehow, we managed. Even so, we had to trim a few items right at the very end, and so we’re telling you about them here. Don’t think of these reports from me, Lennard Zinn and Chris Milliman as “leftovers,” but rather as “first looks.” Gore Bike WearIt was 92

Santi Perez (Phonak), runner-up in the 2004 Vuelta a España, may have tested positive for blood doping, according to the Spanish daily MARCA. The daily suggests that the result may have come from the A sample in an out-of-competition test, adding that it is not yet certain whether the alleged blood doping involved the transfusion of Perez’ own blood or the blood of another. MARCA also suggested that there might have been a procedural problem with the examination of the B sample, saying that neither Perez nor a representative of his team was present. This might explain the delay in any

Davy Commeyne (MrBookmaker.com) soloed to victory in the Grand Prix de la Région Wallonne cyclo-cross on Saturday in Dottenijs, Belgium. Teammate Mario De Clercq won the sprint for second place over Sven Vanthourenhout (Quick Step-Davitamon) Commeyne escaped three laps before the finish, leaving behind a group of 10. De Clercq and Vanthourenhout kept Commeyne in sight, but could not keep up and wound up battling for the runner-up spot. Sven Nijs (Rabobank) had another spot of bad luck, taking a big fall in midrace. Luckily, he only suffered a few scrapes. Sunday brings the next round of

Fortunately for New England sports fans, they have last week’s Red Sox World Series win to look back on with a smile, because out-of-towners dominated today’s third round of the Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclo-cross in Gloucester, Massachusetts. In front of a huge, partisan New England crowd, Canadian Geoff Kabush (Maxxis) claimed his biggest ‘cross won to date, while Seattle’s Anna Knapp (Kona) took a win in one of the few ’cross events where victory had eluded her.

Josh Bezecny and Nick Ranno gave the University of Colorado a one-two finish in the Division I men’s cross country on Saturday at the National Collegiate Cycling Association’s Mountain Bike National Championships in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. Bezecny built a minute lead over Friday’s short-track winner, Matt Shriver (Fort Lewis College), on the technical 6.5-mile course and held on to take the win, with Ranno eventually overtaking Shriver for second. “I felt really comfortable on the first single-track section,” said Bezecny. “I got a gap and just kept going.” Meanwhile, Nina Baum

Gore's Tool jacket