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Carter heads to his fourth straight win at Big Bear.

Jonnier out in front.

After Wednesday’s time trial, I found itself in the leader’s jersey in the Tour de L’Aude, with my teammates Kimberly Bruckner and Kristin Armstrong in second and fourth overall, just a few seconds behind. For T-Mobile it was a great place to be, as it gave us many options tactically. Defending the jersey is a challenge that requires a lot of work, and for us, it has been a bigger challenge than normal because we are down to five riders here. Fortunately, our team has been extremely motivated and is getting stronger each day. On Thursday, we did a circuit race. We let a breakaway full of

Ukrainian Serhiy Honchar (De-Nardi) powered along 52km of rain-slick roads to win the 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Saturday, while the Giro’s 22-year-old revelation, Damiano Cunego (Saeco) surrendered the maglia rosa to Yaroslav Popovych (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago), who finished third on the day. The 52km Trieste-Altopiano Carsico individual time trial began with a flat 4km, then segued into a 12km climb followed by a 26km descent, concluding with a flat run to the finish. And once the rain began to fall, it proved a tough stage indeed. "The rain bothered me; I hadn't planned attacking

Christophe Moreau (Credit Agricole) won the fourth stage of the Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon on Saturday and took the overall lead for good measure. Moreau, who outkicked U.S. Postal’s Viatcheslav Ekimov at the end of the 161km stage from Le Pont du Gard to Mende, said: “I used my mental strength, my experience and my energy to win. This is like a rebirth for me.” The Frenchman now has an overall lead of 12 seconds on Ekimov and 27 seconds on Iker Flores (Euskaltel-Euskadi) with just one stage remaining. Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong finished 15th on the day, 2:08 behind Moreau, advancing

Seventh. Not too bad, not too bad at all. Even so, I may be close to the point of heading home. I’m still feeling pretty rough today. I had a pretty good ride, but I sure didn’t feel good. I had an early start, so I was pretty lucky with the weather this time out. It started raining towards the end, so some of the big GC boys had to do the whole thing in the rain and I had relatively dry roads the whole time. Then again, I had more wind than they did, so maybe it all comes out even. The course itself was bloody hard. The first 18 or 19 kilometers were all uphill, and a pretty hard uphill

After 30 miles of going toe-to-toe on the steep hills of Waterbury, the protagonists in Saturday's Waterbury circuit race ended up deciding things in a cat-and-mouse sprint, with Jeff Louder (Navigators Insurance) scoring a big win for the New Jersey-based team, ahead of breakaway companions Chris Wherry (Health Net-Maxxis) and Will Frischkorn (Colavita Olive Oil) in the Tour of Connecticut. Stage 4 of the tour brought the race back to the Waterbury circuit introduced last year, featuring a brutal climb averaging around 9 percent and twisting its way through Waterbury neighborhoods before a

President Bush suffered cuts and bruises early Saturday afternoon when he fell while mountain biking on his ranch near Crawford, Texas, according to White House spokesman Trent Duffy. Bush was on the 16th mile of a 17-mile ride when he fell, Duffy said. He was riding with a military aide, members of the Secret Service and his personal physician, Dr. Richard Tubbs. “He had minor abrasions and scratches on his chin, upper lip, nose, right hand and both knees,” Duffy said. “Dr. Tubbs, who was with him, cleaned his scratches, said he was fine. The Secret Service offered to drive him back to

On a dry and dusty Saturday afternoon, Americans Shonny Vanlandingham and Travis Brown each grabbed cross-country wins at NORBA National No. 3 in Big Bear Lake, California. In the women’s race, Vanlandingham broke away from a group of four near the end of the first of two 11-mile laps up and down Snow Summit Resort, then held strong to the finish. Originally the Luna rider had planned to make the trip to Spain for the opening round of the World Cup, but on Monday during a flight from Denver to her home in Durango, Colorado, Vanlandingham got a big scare when the plane’s hydraulics failed and

Eric Carter and Sabrina Jonnier put on gated-racing clinics Saturday evening, grabbing convincing wins in the dual slalom at NORBA National No. 3 in Big Bear Lake, California. In the men’s bracket Carter (Mongoose-Hyundai) won every heat in the preliminary rounds, cruising into the finals, where he met up with Aussie Sam Hill. Hill had been the benefactor of some good fortune, getting past Steve Peat and Mick Hannah after both suffered mechanical issues. Peat had a problem with his front tire, while Hannah snapped his chain at the start of his first semifinal heat against Hill. That allowed

Yaroslav Popovych flashes the victory sign after seizing the maglia rosa

His third-place finish was good enough to displace Damiano Cunego as overall leader

Moreau looks as though he can't believe he's won

The key break

Louder takes the three-up sprint

Louder was working for a living out there on Saturday

Ayastaran on the attack

Race leader McCormack and his posse

Carter cruising.

Jonnier has won three straight slaloms.

The super D start.

Vanlandingham grabbed her second NORBA XC win.

This was Brown's first national win since 1999.

Trebon narrowly missed his first major MTB win.

Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) is a step closer to tying a Giro d’Italia stage-win record after claiming his sixth victory on Friday. The Italian speedster once again held off Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo), who finished second to the seemingly unstoppable Italian, with Alexandre Usov (Phonak) finishing third. "I'm really happy to have won for the sixth time here, which equals my record here last year," said Petacchi after coming a step closer to becoming the fourth rider of the modern era to claim seven stages in a single edition of the race. "I don't know what the

“You’re all mixed up, like pasta primavera —Yo, why’d you throw that chair at Geraldo Rivera, man?”Beastie Boys“What Comes Around,” from "Paul’s Boutique" It’s time to slip into “guilty-pleasure mode,” ladies and gents, because there’s a little trouble brewing in the neighborhood this week. First, please allow me to wash my hands, as I have spent the past few days digging through a few Dumpsters. The trouble began almost three weeks ago at the second annual Cheaha Challenge criterium May 1 in Anniston, Alabama. I see a few of you are already nodding your heads, wondering, “What took these

Swiss rider Martin Elmiger handed his Phonak team a welcome victory in the 162km third stage of the Tour du Languedoc-Roussillon in Aigues-Mortes on Friday. Elmiger, a 25-year-old mountain-bike specialist who also plays golf and skis cross country, welcomed the win with open arms after believing he had been pipped at the line. Ukrainian Yuryi Krivtsov (AG2r Prevoyance) threw everyone, including the race announcer, into disarray when he raised his arms in victory after crossing the finish line. But Elmiger was given the decision after a photo finish indicated he had won by three

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.Single-speeding and simplificationEditor:With the increase in both complexity and cost of equipment to the recreational user, is it any wonder there's been some grass-roots backlash evident in the increasing popularity of single-speed racing?

I’m honored. No, really, I am. I’ve finally made it to the big time. I’m talking about getting my name plastered all over the most prestigious cycling website there is (aside from velonews.com, of course): www.drunkcyclist.com. A warning before you go dashing gleefully over there: This site is definitely not for the eyes of minors or those ultra-conservative types who are not big fans of pornography. My column last week apparently struck an off-key chord with the single-speed audience. To boil down my side of the argument, I mentioned that I’m not a believer in racing classes specifically

It might have been wise for organizers to hand out name tags to go with the medals they passed around at Friday’s awards ceremony following the stage 1 time trial at NORBA National No. 3 in Big Bear Lake, California. With many of the top cross-country pros absent this weekend to compete in the opening round of the World Cup in Madrid, Spain, it was a pair of relatively unfamiliar names — Heather Irmiger and Jimi Mortenson — standing atop the podium when racing was done at Snow Summit Resort. Mortenson (Specialized), who lives in Eagle, Colorado, took advantage of opportunity, posting the

Stage races are like a crash course in tactics and Racing 101. If you really want to learn fast, sign up for some stage races. Depending on the length of the race, you can learn three or four months’ worth of lessons in just one event. Today’s Giro d'Italia stage finished in another beautiful lead-out by Fassa Bortolo, sending Alessandro Pettachi off to his sixth stage win this year. But there are other lessons to be learned, aside from the picture-perfect lead-out. What do you do if you are on a team that does not have a powerful sprinter or isn’t strong enough to provide the 10km

With the laps counting down on Friday night's New Haven criterium and the peloton breathing down the necks of a seven-man breakaway, overall race leader Mark McCormack took it upon himself to keep the lead group out front, and in the process delivered teammate Ivan Dominguez to Colavita Olive Oil's second win in three stages of the Tour of Connecticut. The Friday night festivities in Connecticut featured 60 laps of a pancake-flat, four-corner, half-mile circuit around the New Haven Green, starting and finishing at the steps of the state courthouse. From the gun, the pack set a blistering

Ivan Dominguez (Colavita Olive Oil) powered to the win in the third stage of the Tour of Connecticut in Friday in New Haven, Connecticut, beating Charles Dionne (Webcor) by less than a wheel in a spectacular hour of racing. Mike Sayers (Health Net) crossed third. The victory, Colavita's second, kept team leader Mark McCormack in the leader's yellow jersey going into stage four Saturday in Waterbury. The race was fast and furious from the first lap as the 87 cyclists fought for position on the technical circuit. On the final laps a break of eight finally stuck, and race leader McCormack saw

Man, do I feel like crap today. I started the day out feeling like I was coming down with something. I've had a sore throat for a few days and now it's beginning to take a toll. Despite the easy terrain, I made it through the stage just sitting there in the field, feeling really, really average on the bike the whole day. The only thing I managed to do was to bring my teammate, Angelo Furlan, up to the front with about 3km to go. I wanted to do as much as I possibly could, so I just went up and took a big turn with the hope that Angelo was on a good wheel. I figured since I was losing steam

This was not a very good day for me. The frustrating thing was that I had great legs. I felt great. I thought I’d put myself into just the right spot coming into the finish and help up there and then it just didn’t happen. The finish today was just chaotic. I almost killed myself coming in. The day was pretty much under the control of Fassa Bortolo all the way from the start. They allowed a small break to get away, mostly just to keep things under control in the field, and then they just held a very moderate pace. Actually, it really slowed down toward the last 30km today. It was more like

With a coveted spot on the TIAA-CREF Cycling team on the line for the overall men’s and women’s individual champions, the 2004 collegiate national road cycling championships kicked off Friday afternoon with a round of criteriums on the streets of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Early morning thunderstorms threatened to stop the races before they started, but the weather was only the beginning in what would be one of the most dramatic days in all of collegiate racing. After a heart-breaking second-place finish at last year’s collegiate national championship road race, the University

Guess who?

In this corner, Jonny Sundt ... and in that corner, Roberto Gaggioli

Was this dent caused by a crash – or a two-by-four?

Choo choo

Cunego is rolling right along – but a time trial's on the menu tomorrow

It doesn't get much closer than this

Hushovd retains the lead going into tomorrow's hilly stage

Mortenson heads to the TT win.

Irmiger emerged from her fiancee's shadow for a day.

Florit was ready for battle, but finishsed 28th.

Race leader McCormack does a spot of domestique work

Meanwhile, the Cuban Missile Crisis takes matters into his own hands

And their work pays off in a stage win

So close ... and yet, so far

For the first time in seven years Snow Summit Resort did not serve as the NORBA National Series season opening venue, but that doesn’t mean America’s premier mountain-bike circuit is bypassing the kitschy charm of Big Bear Lake, California. Starting Friday the only venue to be on the dance card in all 15 years of the NORBA series will up its count to 16, as stop No. 3 of the 2004 series rolls into town. The cross-country stage race will kick off competition, as what’s left of the pro ranks will take on the stage 1 time trial. The reason for the thin upper tier of the XC fields is the event’s

Lance Armstrong's U.S. Postal team gave an indication of their collective force on the second stage of the Tour of Languedoc-Roussillon, won in Narbonne, France, on Thursday by Thor Hushovd. Hushovd has been a force to be reckoned with all spring, so victory after 188km of riding in hot temperatures between Port-Leucate and Narbonne came as little surprise for the Norwegian. The Credít Agricole sprinter came over the finish line ahead of French duo Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R) and Jerome Pineau (Brioches La Boulangere) to tighten his grip on the race leader's jersey. However, the day was marked

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Another rider from Generation Next made an exhibition in Thursday’s hilly 11th stage of the 87th Giro d’Italia, providing yet another glimpse at a possible future Italian star. First-year pro Emanuele Sella (Panaria) won an emotional stage in a poignant reminder of the fighting spirit of Marco Pantani as the 228km stage finished in the birth-place of the fallen star. The 23-year-old Sella roared away from the main bunch with 60km to go and blew past a faltering 20-man breakaway to earn his first win as a pro in a very Pantani-esque display of racing. “I can’t believe it. I am beyond

Christian Vande Velde is back racing after a two-month ordeal to secure a working permit that would allow him to legally race with his new Spanish team Liberty Seguros. With working papers safely in hand, Vande Velde negotiated the perils of the Vuelta a Asturias last week in northern Spain for his first week of racing since the Tour of Valencia in mid-February. After an injury plagued 2003 season, the 28-year-old Vande Velde decided it was time for a change. After racing his entire pro career at U.S. Postal Service, Vande Velde is opening new doors with a switch to Liberty Seguros where

Boulder, CO -- Inside Communications (ICI), the leading multi-title sports publisher, has named Bill Garrels to the newly created position of vice-president, sales and marketing. Garrels will head up all advertising sales and marketing efforts for VeloNews, Inside Triathlon, Ski Racing, VeloSwap and associated Web sites and events. Garrels moves to ICI from Time Inc's Mountain Sports Media and Transworld units, where he was Western Advertising Director responsible for bike, ski, and boardsports properties such as Transworld Surf, Snowboarding, Skateboarding, Ride BMX, Ski and Warren Miller

Bob,I noticed that there is a tax break for people who commute and also those who use hybrid vehicles to commute. Someone told me that there may be a deduction available to commuters who ride a bike to work. Is this true? One Less Car in NY Dear One Less Car,You are correct that there is a deduction available for individuals who drive hybrid cars. However, the current deduction of $2000 is set to be reduced by 25 percent per year until it is completely phased out. Even in its current state, the deduction is available only as a one-time deduction and is limited to three approved cars on the

We had a good day today. It was a long day, quite hot at times, but our guy, Cristian Moreni, finished second to that young kid none of us knew anything about. Cristian has been looking good here at the Giro and a day like today really suited his abilities to a tee. He’s really good on the short, steep climbs that marked the last half of the route today. As you know, those aren’t exactly my cup of tea, but Cristian just loves that stuff. After about 50 kilometers this morning – which was only an hour or so into the race! – he said he was feeling pretty good and so we tried to get him in

It was a long day in the saddle. A long day, a hot day and a day with a lot of climbing. It was a lot harder than I expected. We built our strategy for the day on the assumption that the race would be won in a breakaway today. Most of our guys were working hard to get into anything that went and we were always represented when something did go. Before the start my teammate, Rinaldo Nocentini, came up and said “I’ve already made the deal. There are four or five of us going to go right at the start!” Of course, our strategy was the pretty much the same as everyone else’s and the speed was

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First year professional Emanuele Sella of Italy

Hushovd takes his sixth win of the season

Armstrong and Postal set a pace that shattered the peloton and erased many a GC hope

Cruising through the French countryside

Stage 11 - Porto Sant’Elpidio - Cesena 228 (228km)

Stage 11. It was the last part that proved to be the toughest.

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