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Phonak emerged as the top squad

Michael Rasmussen, the willowy Dane who came late to road racing after winning the 1999 world mountain-bike championship, was all smiles Saturday evening after taking a brilliant solo stage win at the Dauphiné Libéré. Tyler Hamilton, despite maintaining his second place on GC, 36 seconds down on Ivan Mayo, was just relieved to have finished the four-hour mountain stage in one piece. Phonak team leader Hamilton crashed halfway down the long, dangerous descent of the Col de la Morte (“Pass of the Dead”) along with two others, his Spanish teammate Santos Gonzales and Frenchman Walter Beneteau.

Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) won the first stage of the Tour of Switzerland in Beromuenster Saturday, outsprinting Swiss duo Oskar Camenzind (Phonak) and Fabian Jeker (Saunier Duval) after a relatively flat 176km ride between Sursee and here. American Bobby Julich (CSC) finished 13th in the same time. The Tour of Switzerland has begun with a time-trial prologue since 1993, but this year the organizers decided against including it. The race, which runs till June 20 and is one of the big pre-Tour de France preparation races, has also be reduced in stages from 10 to nine. Results1. Jan Ullrich (G)

The image of McGuire Pro Cycling’s Dave McCook surging across the finish line, arms raised triumphantly in the air, was repeated — again — at the Nature Valley Grand Prix as the 34-year-old sprint veteran made it three-for-three Saturday, piloting his red Jamis Comet across the finish line in Red Wing, Minnesota, ahead of Emile Abraham (Monex) and Erik Saunders (Ofoto-Lombardi Sports.) From a spectator’s standpoint, Saturday’s sprint finish was as exciting a finish as one could ask for, as the field closed in on a three-man breakaway of Eric Wohlberg (Sierra Nevada), Erik Saunders

Rasmussen grabs a win for Rabobank

Hamilton's crash required two bike changes and a hard chase

The imposing countryside

Basso and Rasmussen work together

Basso's dropped chain cost him

Three sprints, three wins for McCook

The one that almost got away: Wohlberg, Saunders and Eiken

The stage podium: Abraham, McCook and Saunders

Hannos takes the day's fourth intermediate sprint over Grain and Jennifer Eyerman (Red 5 Racing)

Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) will use the nine-day Tour of Switzerland starting on Saturday as the main stepping stone to peaking for cycling's premier contest, the Tour de France next month. The 1997 Tour de France winner has long been seen as the most realistic challenger to American Lance Armstrong's grip on cycling's top prize. Seventh in last week's Tour of Germany, Ullrich does not expect to beat teammate Alexandre Vinokourov of Kazakhstan, the defending champion, who is favored to retain his title, but the mountainous stages will provide ideal training for France. "This is my last big

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com, appearing each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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.Here’s to more miles for DavisEditor:My respect to the fine tribute written by Lennard Zinn in his article “Riding with Davis.” I traveled to Tuscany to ride with Andy Hampsten and Mark Mahan, who also guides for the Carpenter-Phinney group,

When they came into pro cycling a decade ago, American George Hincapie and Aussie Stuart O’Grady were hot-shot sprinters. They loved mixing it up with the true field sprinters. Over the years, as Hincapie transformed himself into a one-day classics rider and a devoted Tour de France lieutenant for Lance Armstrong, Hincapie sacrificed his finishing speed. As for O’Grady, he still goes for the bunch finishes, but rarely wins one. On Friday, though, there were no other racers around when O’Grady of Cofidis and Hincapie of U.S. Postal sprinted out the stage 5 finish of the Dauphiné in Sisteron.

Photographer Graham Watson was a busy man at the Dauphiné Libéré on Friday, what with breaks, chases, weigh-ins and podium ceremonies. Here's a small sample of what he saw.

A cyclist was killed Friday when he crashed during the fifth stage of the Tour of Colombia. Juan Barrero, a 31-year-old Colombian, suffered serious head injuries after he got tangled up with other cyclists and fell while negotiating a fast downhill curve. He had a cardiac arrest and died while being transported from a small hospital to a larger one, said Orlando Cardona, director of the San Vicente de Paul Hospital, located about 100 miles west of Bogota. Two other cyclists were also injured in the crash, Cardona said. "The fall was massive and Juan took the brunt of it," said his

One year after a dramatic crash nearly ended his cycling career, Aussie hardman Henk Vogels (Navigators Insurance) returned to the top step of a race podium, assuming the overall race lead at the Nature Valley Grand Prix following Friday's wet downtown criterium . Vogels didn’t take the criterium win — that honor went to McGuire Pro Cycling’s Dave McCook, who went two-for-two in sprint finishes following Thursday’s stage win in Virginia, Minnesota. Still, returning to the spotlight was a poignant moment for the man from Perth, given an ankle-shattering crash at the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic

O'Grady outkicks Hincapie in stage 5

Erstwhile teammates Armstrong and Hamilton, safely back in the bunch

Hincapie and O'Grady set off on their own

And why shouldn't they be smiling? Sevilla and Hamilton are second and third overall

Definitely not smiling is Peña, who is pulling the group along

In the bunch, meanwhile, Mayo is unconcerned

Sorry, Cooke old man, we're not sticking around for the sprint

Smile for the folks back home ...

Snack time for the lads

And then it's straight back to business

While Cooke leads the chase

O'Grady gets the win ahead of Hincapie

And later, he gets something even sweeter

Speaking of sweet, Mayo hits the scales so he can collect his weight in candy

Best not eat too much, Iban, or that jersey will get a little snug

And why shouldn't they be smiling? Sevilla and Hamilton are second and third overall

In early 2004 the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Food and Nutrition Boardreleased Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for water and sodium (potassium,chloride, and sulfate recommendations were also included in this report).You may have heard about these dietary guidelines for Americans and Canadians,which are designed for the average adult who may be sedentary or mildlyactive, not for triathletes and cyclist who training regularly, often formore than two hours per session. In establishing the guidelines, the expertpanel reviewed the scientific literature for quality of the research andthe

Back in 1999 at the Dauphiné Libéré, on a sun-filled June afternoon of 80-degree weather, Jonathan Vaughters raced up the Giant of Provence, Mont Ventoux, faster than anyone in history. His record time for the 21.6km between the tree-shaded village of Bedoin and the bare, exposed 6263-foot summit was 56:50, an average speed of 22.8 kph. It was a record that the now-retired Colorado climber expected to be beaten on Thursday, when the weather was almost identical to that of five years ago. There were several factors that backed up Vaughters’s prediction. First, bicycle technology and training

After giving way to the World Cup for two weeks, the NORBA National Series is back this weekend with stop No. 4 in Snowshoe, West Virginia. After three rounds of diverse event schedules that included stage-race formats for cross-country riders, and downhill mania and dual slalom for the gravity gang, this will be first time this year all four of the standard events — cross-country, short track, downhill and mountain cross — will be contested. Competition in West Virginia begins Thursday with the marathon, while Saturday sees mountain cross and cross-country. Racing concludes Sunday with the

On a day that began in disarray for the pro men’s field and ended in disasterfor a handful of pro women, Gina Grain (Victory Brewing) and Dave McCook(McGuire Pro Cycling) took chaotic field sprints to win the second stageof the Nature Valley Grand Prix in Virginia, Minnesota. With high winds blowing across Northern Minnesota for the Iron Rangeroad race, both the women’s and men’s fields found it difficult to escapethe safety of the peloton, culminating in the pair of field sprints after80-plus miles of racing. (The women raced 84.79 miles, while the men raced83.) Both finishes could be

Watching the Giro or catching some of the action from Wachovia week, did you happen to notice “Fast” Freddie Rodriguez’s choice of pedals? While his team is officially sponsored by Look pedals, keen eyes may have spotted the fact that the newly recrowned USPRO National Champion was riding a pair of Crank Brothers Triple Ti Egg Beaters. We asked the folks at Crank Brothers about that one and marketing director Christina Orlandella said Rodriguez has been using the pedal for most of the year. “He’s been riding the Egg Beaters for the last four months and in that time he's won three big

Looks like the UCI has stirred up quite a hornet’s nest with its latest “proposed solution” to the woes of international mountain-bike racing. Faced with a shrinking World Cup series and an even-tougher sponsorship climate, the high priests in Switzerland are floating the idea of getting rid of the World Cup in favor of 16-20 events that would compose a slate similar to the Pro Tour that’s set to go into effect in 2005. According to sources with knowledge of the proposal, the events would include some of the successful World Cups, such as Mont-Ste-Anne, Houffalize and Fort William, along

Dear readers,In this week’s column I pass the ball to the other attorney slaving away at the bicyclelaw.com offices, Brian Driscoll. Dear Bob,I am an avid cyclist in New York City, and I like to commute by bicycle. The building in which I work does not allow full-sized bicycles in the lobby or elevators (I purchased a foldable bicycle). However, I am curious about the legality of banning cycles in this building. Bryan in NYC Bryan,Even though a policy disallowing bicycles in the lobby or elevators of a building is morally reprehensible, it does not run afoul of any laws that we can think

Dunlap is back in the USA -- but not for long.

Bishop switched gears and returned from Europe.

McCartney takes second... or first... or...well, he's up there, that's for sure.

Sage advice pays off.

Hamilton has a strong ride

Armstrong: Just lulling the competition into complacency?

Gutierrez: Last day in yellow

Look at those pedals

The new Quattro

Air Boxxer - just don't tell anyone

The V10

Dede gets a test ride

Sundt

McCook settles in for the ride

Racing begins Wednesday, June 9, at Minnesota’s Nature Valley GrandPrix, a five-day stage race that serves as the primary component of theGreat River Energy Bicycle Festival, a weeklong celebration of cyclingcomplete with live music shows, stunt riders and a traveling tech expo.Coming off the Wachovia Cycling Week, riders from many top domesticmen’s teams are expected, including Chris Horner of Webcor Builders, 2002NVGP winner John Lieswyn of Health Net-Maxxis, Eric Wohlberg of SierraNevada, Tim Larkin of Ofoto-Lombardi Sports, Robbie Ventura of U.S. Postal-BerryFloor, Marty Nothstein and

Davis Phinney may well qualify as a cycling legend. These days, though, the man who has won more bike races than any other American is facing the toughest challenge of his life: Living with early-onset Parkinson’s disease. Each May, during the final week of the Giro d’Italia, I have the pleasure of working to put on a bike camp in northern Italy with Phinney and his wife, 1984 Olympic Gold medalist Connie Carpenter. The two have been hosting bike camps in the U.S. and in Europe for many years, but now the physical difficulty ramps up steeply each year as his disease progresses. Phinney,

Joseba Beloki has admitted he is facing an uphill battle to be 100-percent ready for this year's Tour de France, where American Lance Armstrong will saddle up for an attempt at a record sixth yellow jersey. The 30-year-old Spaniard has had a nightmare season so far after missing the remainder of 2003 because of the crash during last year's Tour when he was being chased by Armstrong on the 16th stage to Gap. The Spaniard, who has finished three times on the Tour podium and would normally be a challenger to the U.S. Postal team's seemingly unstoppable leader, has since switched teams although

AG2R Prevoyance’s Nicolas Portal won the third stage of the Dauphiné Libéré on Wednesday, a 180-kilometer race from 180 km from St Etienne to Aubenas. Portal jumped out early with a small pack of rivals on the hilly route, crossing the finish line in 4:41:42. Estonia's Janek Tombak of Cofidis was second, and Euskaltel rider Iker Flores of Spain finished third. Both finished 51 seconds after Portal. Five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, teammate Floyd Landis and fellow Americans Levi Leipheimer and Tyler Hamilton finished in a group of 18, which finished 1:49 after the leader.

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com, appearing each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. 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.Davis has a friend in FolsomEditor:Thanks so much for that article on Davis Phinney. It was well written and meaningful. Keep up the good work. A lot of us are concerned about Davis and it is good to know he can still ride. Let him know he has

The Wachovia Classic in Philadelphia, now in its 20th year, has become a regular summertime event. Like the T-Mobile Grand Prix in San Francisco, it is one of the most prestigious one-day races in America and hosts some of the best racers in the world. What makes it most special for the racers is the fans. Hundreds of thousands of fans line the course, cheering and partying. There are a couple of grandiose block parties on the Manayunk Wall and at the start/finish line. The energy is incredible – it pushes us up the hill. The women’s race had its biggest field ever, with 190 starters,

Each season I look forward to going back to Philadelphia for the Wachovia races. I like the city, the races are the best in North America, and the crowds are incredible. This year the trip to Philly was my first to America since the start of the year. I have been watching the results in America from overseas but have yet to race against all the new stars of the U.S. peloton. Lining up for the start in Lancaster was a bit strange as there were all sorts of new jerseys and new faces on the line. The race in Philly almost always unfolds in the same manner. A breakaway, sometimes quite a large

Under sunny skies on an afternoon that had seen rain in Minneapolis earlierin the day, Canadian Lyne Bessette took the opening time trial of the NatureValley Grand Prix, held along the Mesabi Trail in Virginia, Minnesota. The Quark rider posted a time of 11:23.90 (28.5 mph) over the narrow,rolling and often falsely-flat 5.4-mile pedestrian/bike path, 2.16 secondsfaster than RONA’s Katrina Grove, whose early time of 11:26.06 had heldup for most of the afternoon. After a hard-luck performance at the Liberty Classic in Philadelphia,where Bessette had multiple mechanicals followed by a crash

Some good days, some bad.

Riding with Davis

Fausto Coppi's bike at the church of the Madonna del Ghisallo

Lake Como

'The hardest thing I've ever done...'

But he made it.

After the stage win at Bordeaux in the 1987 Tour