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Four American racers were poised to jump into contention for the overall title at the demanding Vuelta al Pais Vasco going into today’s challenging climbing stage to Lekunberri, won by Denis Menchov (Illes Balears). Floyd Landis (U.S. Postal Service) and Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) started Thursday’s stage in the select group of 20 riders tied with the same time as leader Alejandro Valverde (Kelme). Bobby Julich (CSC) and Tyler Hamilton (Phonak) sit just eight seconds out of the lead going into the climb-riddled stage, which features a long Category 1 climb that tops out just 3km from the

Denis Menchov, a quiet Russian on the Illes Balears team, ruined the party for the hometown heroes of the Euskaltel-Euskadi team in Thursday’s decisive climbing stage in the Vuelta a Pais Vasco. Menchov punched the accelerator with 500 meters to go up the short but steep Category 1 Alto Azpiroz climb near the finish of the 182km fourth stage to quickly drop David Etxebarria (Euskaltel). The Russian didn’t look back as he crested the summit and hammered the final 3km to the finish line to score his second stage win this season and seize the overall lead. Menchov, the best young rider of the

Germany's Jan Ullrich said Thursday he is happy to amble along at the back of the peloton in preparation for his main challenge of the year - facing Lance Armstrong during what is bound to be an unmissable Tour de France in July. Ullrich, the 1997 Tour winner who returned to form with another runner-up finish behind Armstrong last year, is taking part in this week's Circuit de La Sarthe race with no ambitions of winning stages or the race itself. While 32-year-old Armstrong has increased his training load ahead of the July 3-25 showpiece, during which the American U.S. Postal rider will bid

Herbold can not only handle a bike better than most, he can also tell the guys in engineering how to improve it

To Herbold, the nuts-and-bolts of suspension can be the most fun

Tomac isn't afraid to do a little hands-on work to improve product

Obree in 1995 after winning the individual pursuit at world’s in Colombia

CSC's Bobby Julich is among four Americans contending for the overall in the Basque Country

Menchov celebrates his stage win

Ullrich is content to build slowly toward his date with Lance Armstrong

Ludovic Turpin gave France its second winner in two days at the Circuitde la Sarthe as the Ag2r rider held off a pair of Aussies to win the secondstage.Two riders -- Yuryi Kristvov (Ag2r) and Luis Sanchez (Liberty Seguros)– went on the attack early on to build up an eight-minute lead. Kristvovwas reeled in with just 5km to go to set up the sprint.Franck Bouyer (La Boulangere) retained the overall lead after finishingsafely in the main pack that came into Montreuil for a mass gallop. Turpinedged Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) and Allan Davis (Liberty Seguros), whocame through third. American Fred

image files - April 7+

It would have been a shame, really, if it had ended any other way. After treating the local fans to a display of power in the 66th running of Ghent-Wevelgem in Belgium on Wednesday, the Quick Step-Davitamon team turned to its young gun Tom Boonen to close the deal. The 23-year-old did so magnificently, continuing his rise to stardom by outfoxing a group of seasoned sprinters including Magnus Backstedt (Alessio-Bianchi) and Jaan Kirsipuu (AG2R), who finished second and third respectively.

The troubled Kelme team hopes winning will help erase the bad memories of the past few weeks. The Spanish team brushed off recent doping allegations by ex-rider Jesus Manzano and won Wednesday’s third stage of the Tour of the Basque Country and bounced back into the overall lead. First-year pro Carlos Zarate held on during an epic solo move to win his first pro victory while Alejandro Valverde, winner of the opening stage, shot ahead of the peloton to claim second and recapture the overall lead. “I still can’t believe I won,” said Zarate, who held a nearly two-minute lead over the Category

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@7Dogs.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.What? Huh? Hey, that's pretty good!Editors,Holy crap!Is he for real?It's like Jack Kerouac on wheels. “On the road...” with AgnettiSheldrake? (see “YoungGuns: "It's all just so caray-zee"”)Pretty good stuff. Keep it coming.Tim McDonaldRichmond,

SUN VALLEY, ID – Scott USA announced its return to theUSA in the coming months and offer a full line of bicycles and selectedcycling accessories for the 2005 model year. Beat Zaugg, President of ScottSports Group said, “We have always wanted to return to North America. Wefelt this was the perfect time as our bicycle line has been extremely wellreceived for years and is already sold in some 37 countries around theworld. We have been getting many requests from enthusiasts in the UnitedStates asking to purchase our cycling related products. Our brand is verystrong but we did not have the right

Map Gent-W 04

cobbles

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Hincapie is ready for Sunday

Wind early in the day set the tone for the entire race.

Are you getting a theme here?

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image files - April 7+

image files - April 7+

Fleche Map

Eyes

Dear Lennard,For the sake of example, let’s say you are in 39/17 and switch to 53/23 (or whatever the equivalent ratio is). Assuming the gear size is the same, is the 53/23 more efficient because the chain is on a larger tooth cog?When compared, does the rider have more leverage on generating rotation of the rear wheel when using the larger ring? Also, does the 53T chainring reduce leverage that the crank arm exerts on the chain and thus the back wheel?TreyFrom Wayne Stetina at ShimanoAn interesting question to be sure. Basically at the heart of the debateabout any potential advantages for

It’s spring in Basque Country and that means rainy, cool weather. Tuesday’s 180km second stage of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco followed that script as riders hit a string of short, but steep climbs in the rugged mountains of northern Spain. Beat Zberg (Gerolsteiner) was fastest out of a group of 40 riders that cleared the day’s many hurdles to claim the stage victory ahead of Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel). Danilo Di Luca (Saeco) started his sprint too early and faded to fourth, but it was a good move as he slipped into the overall leader’s jersey. The rollercoaster stage featured a tough

Spanish cyclist Jesus Manzano appeared in court in Turin, Italy, on Tuesdaywhere he was questioned by prosecutors who are trying to find out moreabout doping in the sport.Manzano, whose recent claims about doping practices at his former Kelmeteam have rocked the sport to its foundations in Spain, appeared in frontof public prosecutor Raffaele Guariniello at the city's Palace of Justice.Guariniello, who is leading his own investigation into doping practicesin the sport in Italy, quizzed Manzano for three-and-a-half hours."It was a long and tough interrogation," said the 25-year-old, who

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Same ratio, different result?

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Same ratio, different result?

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Same ratio, different result?

Zberg takes the stage

Getting back on the horse that threw yaDear Joe,I'm a 60-year-old recreational rider (2500 miles per year) who endo-edand fractured my C1 and C2 vertebra last July.Ignoring the fact that everyone thinks I'm crazy to get back on thebike, what are some things to watch out for as I recondition my body aftera six-month layoff?My physical therapist has me doing isometric, stretching and weighttraining to increase my neck flexibility and strengthen my neck and backmuscles. I have some residual limitation in my neck movement as a resultof my injury. For example, it's hard for me to look left and

Zinc Man flashes between two cars, moving melodically in opposite ways. There he is again. I’m in a numb parade of bones as I take a morningpassagiata with my inept vocabulary and listening of birds. Just the cock-a-hoop morning and my whirling derby mind absorbing a controlled chaos of external influx. I thought he was gone. I know he’s homeless and crazy, and even a pervert, and I know he’s a local-legend cyclist, emerging like some nudnik superhero, but I don’t want to ride with him! Luckily this time I’m sans bike, just doing a morning reconnaissance for an espresso and a chocolate chip

(4/5/04) Cannondale is celebrating the imminent delivery of its new,featherweight Six13 road racing models by issuing a unique challenge toriders attending the upcoming Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California.The Connecticut-based bikemaker will be running “The Six13 Challenge” throughoutthe race, inviting riders to pit their bike against the Six13 in a head-to-headweight comparison. Any rider whose bicycle is actually lighter thanthe Six13 will win a free Saeco team jersey. The first 613 riderswho fail the challenge will each receive a free Six13 waterbottle for participating.“Our Six13

Kelme’s Alejandro Valverde won the first stage of the Tour du Pays Basque – the Tour of the Basque country – a 139km run around Bergara, on Monday. Valverde, recent winner of the Tour of Murcia, prevailed in a sprint finish at the end of the opening day's stage, which featured three climbs. His compatriot Angel Vicioso and Davide Rebellin of Italy filled the minor placings. While Valverde was celebrating, fellow Spaniard Joseba Beloki retired before the end after failing to keep up with the pace. I the final Category 2 climb nine kilometers from the end the Saeco riders Gilberto Simoni and

As a team, we made the most of our time between the Castilla and Flanders World Cups by scheduling a sponsor visit to our sponsor to SRM in Germany, getting in some solid training rides and organizing a pre-ride of the course in Flanders. The SRM headquarters is close to the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands. Ulrich Schoberer, the inventor of the SRM, welcomed us to the company. The company is named after him, though for English speakers, Schoberer Rad Messtechnik is a little bit more difficult to say than “SRM.” Schoberer is a great host, he took us for nice dinners, did some testing

In some places, it's all about the bike...Dear VeloNews.com,Just to let you know, this happens all over (see ''Friday's foaming rant: Wave dynamics revisited"). I lived in Spain from 1981-1983. I rode a Schwinn LeTour, wore a t-shirt and shorts and topped it off with one of those old styrofoam helmets. When I went riding, I would wave at the Spaniards as they went by, but they never returned my waves. Then, I upgraded to a Zeus 2000 equipped ALAN bike, got bike shorts and some Mirko jerseys. Not only did they wave back, but I was invited to join the local bike club, the Club Ciclista

April , 2004 – The CCA is pleased to announce that Curt Harnett has been appointed as the new Chair for the High Performance Committee. Harnett will serve on an interim basis until the next Board of Directors meeting which will take place later in the year. Curt is one of the most recognizable faces of cycling in Canada and he is a true advocate and voice for the sport. For a complete biography of the former World Champion and Olympic medalist, view attached pdf file. The HPC mandate is to guide the planning, evaluation and establishment of standards for national team programs. The HPC

Many longtime observers of the Tour of Flanders, the traditional kickoff to northern Europe’s World Cup classics, estimated Sunday’s crowds to be the largest in recent memory for the Belgian race known here as the “Ronde.” From the frigid morning start in Bruge’s historic Grote Markt to the surprise finish in the small town of Meerbeke, thousands pressed against the barriers lining the 257km course. Most were straining to see, among other things, one last glimpse of Johan Museeuw in action: a legendary Belgian in a legendary Belgian event.

Start ListLotto-Domo:1. Peter Van Petegem (B)2. Wim Vansevenant (B)3. Aart Vierhouten (Nl)4. Niko Eeckhout (B)5. Leif Hoste (B)6. Leon Van Bon (Nl)7. Thierry Marichal (B)8. Serge Baguet. (B)Chocolade Jacques-Wincor Nixdorf:11. Jans Koerts (Nl)12. Dave Bruylandts (B)14. Gerben Lowik (Nl)15. Chris Peers (B)16. Geert Verheyen (B)17. Jan Van Velzen (Nl)18. Bart Voskamp (Nl)19. Bert Hiemstra (Nl).Landbouwkrediet-Colnago:21. Jacky Durand (F)22. Ludo Dierckxsens (B)23. Ludovic Capelle (B)24. Geert Van Bondt (B)25. Lorenzo Bernucci (I)26. Marc Streel (B)27. Tony Bracke (B)28. Bert De Waele.

Belgium's former world road racing champion Alberic "Briek" Schotte died Sunday at the age of 84, only minutes after the start of Sunday's Tour of Flanders, a race he'd won twice over the course of a 20-year pro career. Schotte died shortly after 10:00 a.m. Sunday at a clinic in Courtrai after suffering from lung problems, according to his son Johan. Born in September 1919 in Kanegem, in Flemish speaking Belgium, Schotte was a professional rider between 1940 and 1959. He became world champion in the Dutch town of Valkenburg for the first time in 1948, and won the rainbow jersey again two

Zulfia Zabirova took a page from the men’s playbook to win the women’s Tour of Flanders. Like many past Flanders champions, she used the cobbled slopes of the day’s penultimate climb, the infamous Muur de Geraardsbergen, to catapult to a solo victory in the first World Cup edition of the race. After starting in Oudenaarde and scaling the Kruisberg, the 96km Ronde Van Vlaanderen Vrouwen merged with the men’s course just before the Boigneberg, the first of the final eight climbs the two races shared on the day. Despite Farm Frites-Hartol’s concerted efforts to control the race for Leontien Van

The Tour of Flanders, the second leg of the ten-race World Cup, smiled unkindly on a few of the Australian riders competing over a tough 257km of cobblestones and short steep climbs from Bruges to Meerbeke on Sunday. Victorian Baden Cooke, one of a handful of realistic contenders for theFlemish classic known as the Ronde --won by the relatively unknown but experienced German Steffen Wesemann -- crashed out just after the halfway stage. His Fdjeux.com team-mate Matt Wilson, the Australian national champion, failed to finish as steady crosswinds pounded the peloton throughout. With 64km

In a bid to secure its place among the ranks of the top teams taking on the UCI’s ProTour, the Dutch banking consortium Rabobank has extended its sponsorship of the cycling team that bears its name for an additional two years. The bank, which has sponsored the team since 1996, will continue to do so until the end of 2008. Beginning in 2005, teams on the ProTour circuit will be able to have four-year licenses, in accordance with new UCI regulations. Milan-San Remo winner Oscar Freire, American Levi Leipheimer and Dutch riders Michael Boogerd and Erik Dekker are among the team's most

Boston, MA (April 3-4, 2003) - Hundreds of collegiate cyclists from the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference (ECCC) convened on the Boston area for the third annual Boston Beanpot Classic. The races included the BU team time trial in historic Concord, a criterium on the Tufts campus in Somerville, and the Grafton Hills road race promoted by Harvard. Saturday night featured a catered banquet dinner by Wentworth with keynote speaker Jonathan Vaughters providing tales and tips to the hundreds of attendees. The University of Vermont took top honors in Division 1 for the weekend, and fought

The day's first major move had some real horsepower...

...including Postal's Tony Cruz

Briek Schotte (R) hands a magnum of champagne to Belgian sprinter Tom Steels for winning the first stage of last year's Tour of Belgium

The best sprinter in the break, Wesemann lived up to expectations

The winning move

Despite appearances, these three actually won the race

Hincapie works his way up the Grammont

Springtime in Flanders

Despite troubles en-route, Freire managed to hold on to the World Cup lead.

Not wanting to pull a 'Zabel' Wesemann waited to celebrate

When Johan Museeuw began racing as a professional cyclist, in 1988, Ronald Reagan was president of the United States, Dustin Hoffman’s “Rain Man” was selling out movie theaters, and the Netherlands became the first European country to be linked to the Internet. Museeuw, now 39, competes in his final four races in the first part of April, determined to add at least one more victory to his record haul of 11 World Cup classics. Nothing could make Museeuw happier than winning Sunday’s Tour of Flanders (the Ronde van Vlaanderen), or April 11’s Paris-Roubaix. The legendary Belgian rider has won

MONTEREY, Calif. (April 2, 2004) — Building on its reputation as North American cycling’s most inclusive cycling festival, the Hyundai Sea Otter Classic has partnered with top professional road cyclists and coaches to offer a road cycling skills clinic at the April 15-18 event, held at Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey, California. On Sunday morning, April 18, Team Basis, along with Wenzel Coaching, will run a road cycling clinic as part of the Sea Otter Road Bike Tour. The clinic will start concurrently with the Sea Otter Classic’s new Road Century, and will include a 40-mile ride

The hardest working man in show business is bringing down the curtain on his career

Cycling's most successful active one-day rider – Johan Museeuw, the “Lion of Flanders” — will continue winding down his lengthy career on the second race of the 10-leg World Cup here on Sunday. Museeuw, who is gunning for a record fourth victory in the 88th Tour of Flanders before he retires after the GP de l'Escaut on April 14, admits that as he approaches hanging up his bike for good, what should be his final roar on the “Ronde” could turn out to be more of a whimper. The 38-year-old Belgian conceded this week that his failing legs "on the harder climbs" mean he could end up playing a

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@7Dogs.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.A VN cover-up? Dear Editors Why doesn't the picture of the "English photographer" enlarge? (see "Harvest of Shame: What Price Beauty?") My guess is the culprit is Graham Watson, and you buy lots of his pictures. An honest piece of journalism would

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commissionannounces the following recall in voluntary cooperation with the firm below.Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwiseinstructed. Name of product: Mongoose aluminum 20-inch-wheel “D-XR AL” mountainbicyclesUnits: About 14,000Manufacturer/Importer: Pacific Cycle Inc., of Madison, Wis.Hazard: The rear shock absorber allows the aluminum, dual-suspensionframe to flex severely, causing the frame to become unstable and break,posing the risk of injury to riders.Incidents/Injuries: Pacific Cycle Inc. has received two reports

You cannot have a proud and chivalrous spirit if your conduct is mean and paltry; for whatever a man’s actions are, such must be his spirit.DemosthenesThird Olynthiac A colleague recently described one of those cheery encounters that help make American cycling what it is today: an obscure, cliquish activity whose elaborate and inexplicable pecking order would be the envy of any chicken run. My colleague was out for a ride on his ’cross bike, saw another cyclist on a road bike, and had the audacity to give him a friendly greeting — which, naturally, was haughtily ignored. Three times this

What looks like an asterisk? (Hint: It's riding a bike, and won't return your friendly greeting.)

The Lion of Flanders in last year's Ronde

By now, the image is standard on posters in dorm rooms, bike shops and offices all over the western world: The peloton of the Tour de France zooming across the sunlit country roads of France, weaving its way through fields of golden sunflowers; bright, beautiful and precisely the tone of the legendary maillot jaune. The image is a classic, emoting visions of idyllic country life, families peacefully enjoying France’s spectacular summer, interrupted only by the momentary passing of the world’s greatest bicycle race. Sadly, a Thursday news conference in Paris underscored just how much of a

This time of year is almost like Christmas for those of us who love bicycles and the annual improvements to the technology that adds to the pleasureof riding them. That's right, it’s time for the 2005 product roll-outs! I've really been enjoying the fact that next year’s suspension product lines are going to be marked by serious competition and some major developments. Manufacturers have been particularly eager to showcase technology to help them hold or regain a foothold in the lucrative bicycle suspension fork and shock market. Manitou was first this year to debut its 2005 product

After finishing third in the fourth and final stage, U.S Postal’s George Hincapie has won the overall title at the Three Days of De Panne, the warm-up before this weekend’s World Cup race, the Tour of Flanders. Quick Step’s Hungarian time trial specialist, Lazlo Bodrogi, won the final stage a 13.7km time trial at Le Panne in northern Belgium. Hincapie's victory is the ninth of the season by the Postal team. Hincapie entered Thursday's 13.7km time trial in third place overall, 16 seconds back of race leader Baden Cooke of FDJeux.com. Hincapie finished the stage five seconds behind Bodrogi to

Five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and his new companion, nine-time Grammy Award winning Sheryl Crow, have recorded a duet at Armstrong's home in Girona, Spain, and will release the single in conjunction with this year's Tour. The song, titled "Love and Life," features both lead and backing vocals from U.S. Postal Service-Berry Floor rider. "I'll probably catch a little flak about this from the guys on the team," Armstrong said, "but it won't be the first time. Besides, you only live once, right?" As reported in the Spanish newspaper AS, the song was recorded over the March

Introducing Team Haro-adidasComing off its best season of racing ever, with two NORBA National andone UCI World Championship title, the Haro boys are back on the attackaiming for more podium finishes in 2004. Although the team will be sportinga whole new look and a new name, the Team Haro-adidas roster remains relativelyunchanged.Long known for its support of athletes of all disciplines includingcycling, adidas joined Haro as a sponsor in 1997.  “Our relationshipwith adidas goes back a long way and we value their continuing support”said Haro President and CEO Jim Ford.So what’s with the

Dear Bob,I flew from N.Y. to L.A. with my bike in a cardboard box. I paid around $100 dollars for the bike and signed some paperwork. When the bike arrived the top tube was bent and it was clear the box was badly treated along the way. I called the airline and they said I signed a release and that either way I must have packed the bike improperly. What can I do?Diane ShelbyDana Point, CA Dear Diane, That fact that the airline said that you must have packed the bike improperly seems quite presumptuous. Although airlines may compensate up to $2500 per passenger for loss, damaged or delayed

Mountain Bike Camps in Rossland BC Rossland, B.C. – The DevineRIDE Bike Camps are proud to announce their inaugural season of bike camps for youth, women-only and co-ed in Rossland on selected weekends from June to September 2004. The DevineRIDE Mission Statement is simple: Have FUN, Get FIT, Be FAST. Whether you are a beginner or advanced rider DevineRIDE offers you appropriate skill sessions and afternoon rides to take you to a new level of ability and self-confidence. DevineRIDE Mountain Bike Camp is located in Rossland nestled in the Monashee Mountains of the West Kootenays of

Varineau in Paris