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The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) announced Thursday that AdhamSbeih, a cyclist from Sacramento, Calif., was suspended for two years aftertesting positive for recombinant human Erythropoietin (rEPO).  Itis the first suspension of an athlete in the United States for an rEPOpositive.The suspension followed a hearing before a three-member panel of theAmerican Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitrationfor Sport (CAS), which concluded in part that “The methodology utilizedby the UCLA Lab for testing rEPO is scientifically sound and the resultsproduced by the tests

Webcor. Jittery Joe’s. Jelly Belly. For the second day in a row, those were the three teams represented on the men’s podium at the Redlands Bicycle Classic, as Chris Horner won for the third day in a row and extended his overall race lead. Meanwhile, the women’s race tightened up, as Lyne Bessette took the stage victory on Oak Glen and cut deeply into Geneviève Jeanson’s race lead. For the second day, Horner’s Webcor squad held in check the efforts of the big-budget Health Net-Maxxis team to put the pressure on Horner. As they did on Wednesday’s Crestline stage, Health Net banked on the

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske: I have an idea. Now what?

Illegal speed: Giro's Rev IV is now a relic of the past

Postal's Floyd Landis has legal head gear

Bessette makes her move

Moninger and Pate

Horner and Grajales team up...

...and Horner wins on his own - again.

Thorburn and Bessette eventually left Jeanson on her own

Moninger and Pate

Horner and Grajales team up...

...and Horner wins on his own - again.

Thorburn and Bessette eventually left Jeanson on her own

Isaac Galvez handed his Illes Balears-Banesto team a welcome stage victory on the third day of Setmana Catalana in Montcada I Reixac on Wednesday, pipping T-Mobile's Erik Zabel on the finish line. After two days of Swiss domination, with wins going to Fabian Cancellara and Beat Zberg, Galvez finally handed Spain a victory following the 159.5km stage from Castello d'Empuries. Miguel Angel Martin Perdiguero (Saunier Duval) took the overall race lead after finishing third. Galvez, meanwhile, had to wait for a photo finish decision before being told he had beat T-Mobile veteran Zabel, who

Former Kelme rider Jesus Manzano has charged that his former team has long conducted an organized doping program with little regard for riders’ health or safety. Manzano’s claims come a week after he promised to lift the lid on the Spanish team's unsavory doping practices, including blood transfusions and the use of experimental substances. The 25-year-old Spaniard, who was fired by Kelme after last year's Vuelta a España for allegedly having sex with a woman in his hotel room, openly admits he is seeking revenge because he is currently living a hand to mouth existence. The 25-year-old

Heading into this year’s U.S. road racing season, it was pretty clear that there were only one or two teams that could be called powerhouse squads. For the rest, the addition of some seasoned professionals gave them credibility, but they would have to step it up at the races to show that they belonged in the upper echelon of U.S. teams. The Webcor Builders team clearly fell in that second group, but at least on the first road stage of the Redlands Bicycle Classic in Southern California, they showed that they’re ready to make that step. Webcor successfully defended Chris Horner’s yellow race

Manzano and Virenque attack in Stage 7 of the 2003 Tour

Capelle on his way to Waregem

Horner

Webcor kept the gap small on a fast ride across the desert

Only Grajales could stay with Horner

Klasna and the rest of the original break were now in chase mode

Time to go...

Is repair an option?Dear Lennard,I have had trouble with my car rack not holding the fork properly.Recently, a bike with a Deda Black Magic fork was victimized by this lousypiece of gear. While the bike stayed on the rack, one of the fork tipswas twisted (the other came out of the mount). It was an easy matter tobend the tip back into shape. However, is it safe to ride the bike?JimDear Jim,No, it is not safe. You need to buy a new fork… and should considerbuying a new rack.LennardSlip-slidin' awayDear Lennard,I recently purchased a USE Alien carbon seatpost for my Look KG461(27.2 mm). It is a

Krebs, carbs and crampsDear Joe and Dirk,Am I misunderstanding the current hypothesis on how cyclists are ableto fuel sustained high output or is it possible that we need to revisitour assumptions about how long the body can maintain maximum output givenonly fat as an energy source? I have often read descriptions of human metabolism that would lead meto believe that it is not possible to sustain high energy output withouteither loading up on or consuming a ready source of carbohydrates to deliverATP as fuel. This does not match with my experience. I am a type II diabeticand in order to stay

Tuesday’s windy 160km second stage of Setmana Catalana came down to a fist-pumping affair. Beat Zberg (Gerolsteiner) was pumping his in the air in delight after snatching victory in the final 20 meters while Frank Vandenbroucke (Fassa Bortolo) was pounding his handlebars in frustration after just missing a win. Vandenbroucke attacked off the lead group of about 20 riders with just under 1km to go and turned onto the finishing stretch with just enough gap that it appeared the troubled Belgian would grab the win. But Zberg shot past in the final 20 meters to snag the win and move into the

Okay, now, watch the dancing lady...VeloNews,So, the sport of cycling has this allegedly rampant drug problem,and riders are getting sacked for getting a little in the sack? (See"Ex-Kelmerider promises doping revelations") There's nothing likea little sex scandal to get everyone to forget about life's realproblems, no?Neil HickeySeattle, WashingtonYoung guns!Editors,That is some awesome writing! (See "Youngguns: Playing poker with Team Money") I will definitely befollowing these guys.Tschuss!Steve O'DellGeorgiaHe an icon of what?VeloNews,Your characterization of Marco Pantani as an "icon" is

The 2004 Redlands Bicycle Classic kicked off on a typical hazy Southern California spring day on Tuesday, and it was business as usual for two riders who have dominated the event in recent years. Chris Horner (Webcor), who has won Redlands three of the past four years, and Geneviève Jeanson (RONA), who has won two of the last three Classics, put an early stamp on what should be a tough week of racing. Each scored a convincing win in the 3.2-mile prologue time trial to the top of Mount Rubidoux in the city of Riverside. Jeanson has had a slow start to the season, after having problems

Tuesday's mail bag: Drugs, sex, icons and Mullets

Susan Palmer-Komar

Zabriskie takes second

Postal's Jurgen Van Den Brouck

Fabian Cancellara (Fassa Bortolo), a young Swiss bull known more for his time trial than his sprint, surprised the favorites to claim the opening stage of the Setmana Catalana in Spain. A group of about 40 riders cleared the Category 1 Alt de Sant Grau about 35km to go in the 165km stage and charged into rainy Lloret de Mar for a mass gallop. Rafael Casero (Saunier Duval) was caught with 200 meters to go and Cancellara relegated Milan-San Remo runner-up Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) to second place. Spanish rider Javier Ramirez (Liberty Seguros) went on a long solo move starting at 65 kilometers

Brian Maxwell, founder of the multimillion-dollar PowerBar empire and a former world-class marathon runner, died in San Anselmo, California, of a heart attack at the age of 51 on Friday. According to friends, Maxwell collapsed at a post office near his home. Emergency personnel called to the scene were unable to resuscitate him and he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Maxwell and his wife Jennifer, a nutritionist, co-founded the popular energy bar company in 1986 and began selling PowerBars out of their kitchen. Over the next decade, the Berkeley, California-based

Brian and Jennifer Maxwell

Give the boy some poker moneyEditor,Just writing to say that the Team Money essay/blurb/bit from Ang’ Sheldrakewas brilliant ( see "Youngguns: Playing poker with Team Money"). You should publish moreof him. Hell, are you paying these people? If not, you should even payhim.Thanks,Elliot Dickerson All I know is that I like what I likeEditors,I have no idea what I just read, but I liked it. Just thought I'd voicemy approval in case you get some differing opinions of this rather abstractpiece.Ryan RasmussenBozeman, Montanaand Calgary, Alberta What the....?!?!Sirs,Regarding Mr. Agnetti

The Primavera World Cup runs over the last 120 kilometers of the classic men’s Milan-San Remo World Cup course. It starts in the town of Varazze, just West of Genoa. I traveled to the start of the race two days early to meet up with my teammates and pre-ride the course. My teammates, Amber Neben, Kimberly Bruckner, Stacey Peters and Dotsie Cowden, had just arrived from the United States. We had only five riders to start in Primavera, as there are some very important races going on the U.S. that our sponsors want to make a solid presence in, like Redlands and Sea Otter. ReconnaissanceWe

Landbouwkrediet’s Bert De Waele won the 27th edition of the Cycliste Cholet-Pays de Loire on Sunday. The 202km race is the third round of the Coupe de France series, still led by Crédit Agricole’s Thor Hushovd. De Waele soloed in five seconds ahead of Brioches La Boulangere’s Didier Rous, Hushovd and Luxembourgian Frank Schleck (CSC). The day’s initial attack was launched by Belgian Frederik Willems (Vlaanderen - T-Interim - Eddy Merckx ). After a series of attacks, a group of four -- Patrice Halgand, Frederic Guesdon, Thomas Voeckler and the Jurgen Van de Walle -- bridged up to Willems at

Lyne Bessette (Quark) and Chris Horner (Webcor) won the overall titles at the season’s first major event, the Pomona Valley Stage Race in San Dimas, California, as Quark’s Sarah Uhl and Mariano Friedick (Jelly Belly) won the final stage on Sunday. Uhl was part of Quark’s successful effort to fend off any challenges to Bessette’s hold on the leaders jersey, chasing down a series of attacks from the Rona team. Uhl then nipped sprinter Tina Mayolo Pic (Genesis) at the line as the 55-minute event end in a field sprint. Horner began the 90-minute men’s race with a solid hold on the overall

Alison Dunlap (Luna Chix) won the Maxxis Cup International in Gouveia, Portugal, on Sunday, giving the 2001 world champion a boost in her efforts to secure the only American spot in the 2004 Olympic mountain-bike race.After winning the cross country event and placing second in the shorttrack at the 2004 NORBA National Mountain Bike Series opener in Waco, Texaslast weekend, Dunlap and her Luna Chix teammate, Shonny Vanlandingham madethe trip to Europe to compete in a series of UCI E1 classified events inan effort to earn UCI points. The U.S. has only been allotted a single spot in the women’s

Laurent was a pioneer?

Hushovd still leads the Coupe de France

Bessette was in control

Uhl's win was a bonus for Quark

Grajales fought hard to hold his place on GC

Postal's young gun Patrick McCarty made the break

Friedick's final push paid off

Erik Zabel’s world went from bright to very black in a split second on the Via Roma at the end of the 95th Milan-San Remo on Saturday. The German sprinter thought he’d come around Alessandro Petacchi (Fassa Bortolo) to win Milan-San Remo for the fifth time. But just as he was lifting his hands in celebration, Spanish sprinter Oscar Freire (Rabobank) shoved his bike across the line to snatch the win by inches.

Chris Horner (Webcor) and the rest of the guys showed up to race Saturday at the Pomona Valley Stage Race, but Horner showed up first, winning a shortened Glendora Mountain Time Trial. Horner covered the climb in 15:12, putting a minute on Cesar Grajales (Jittery Joe's Coffee) and a further two seconds on Scott Moninger (Health Net). As the women tackled their second stage, meanwhile, it was Kristin Armstrong (T-Mobile) taking the win at 19.25. Lyne Bessette (Quark) was second best at 19 seconds back, followed by Erin Mirabella (Red 5 Racing) in third at 37 seconds back. Bessette took over

Just like last year, Zoulfia Zabirova (Let’s Go Finland) attacked on the Cipressa climb in the 118km Primavera Rosa. And just like last year, Zabirova came down Via Roma the victor. Coming across the line solo, the Russian held up two fingers – for the victory and for her second consecutive Primavera victory. Dutch rider Mirjam Melchers (Farm Frites-Hartol) led the main bunch through to take second. Check back later for results and a complete report from VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood.

Fallen professional cyclist Jesus Manzano said Saturday he is ready to make a statement about alleged doping practices while he rode for the Spanish Kelme team from 2000 to 2003. Manzano told the Spanish sports daily MARCA that he wanted revenge for the way he was treated by Kelme last year and vowed that he would "make what Philippe Gaumont said a few days ago in France seem like a children's story.” "What is going to come out has real substance, I’ve got proof of all I’m going to say. I'm not going to do what Gaumont has done, I’m going to give all of the details," said Manzano, referring

Chris Horner (Webcor) made it two for two at the Pomona Valley Stage Race on Saturday, winning the 96-mile Incycle Puddingstone Road Race ahead of Nieko Biskner (Ofoto-Lombardi Sports). Eric Wohlberg (Sierra Nevada) won a six-up tussle for third at six seconds back. Horner maintains a comfortable lead going into Sunday’s Cannondale Old Town San Dimas Criterium, with nearly 90 seconds on second-placed Cesar Grajales (Jittery Joe's Coffee) and 1:43 on Wohlberg. In the women’s race, meanwhile, it was Magali Le Floch (Quark) taking the win ahead of Tina Pic (Genesis Scuba) with Lyne Bessette,

Zabel celebrates, but Freire wins

Horner heads up the hill

Armstrong seems to be enjoying the ride

Bessette rides into the overall lead

Moninger put in a strong ride for third

Horner again

Candace Blickem was out on a break all day...

...but a strong chase brought her back to the field on the final lap.

Ted Huang of Webcor controlling the break

Trent Klasna

Zabel celebrates but Freire wins at Milan-San Remo

Cipollini makes adjustments for the day's changing weather

A cool day along the Mediterranean

Ooops!

It’s been a beautiful week in the neighborhood here in Boulder, Colorado, as spring is clearly upon us. Friday’s forecast calls for 78 degrees and sunny skies, with no snow on the horizon — bad news for the skiers in the area, but welcome news for those of us ready to get back into a riding routine. For me personally, the past week brought a 31st birthday, shared with VeloNews technical editor Andrew Juskaitis and celebrated with some good old-fashioned tricycle racing at The Dark Horse, a local saloon sometimes referred to as “The Dork House.” The week also heralded the arrival of a much

An inquest into the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of fallen Italian cycling hero Marco Pantani has found that he died of a cocaine overdose, the Ansa news agency reported Friday. "The death of Marco Pantani was caused by acute cocaine intoxication," according to the draft report by doctor Giuseppe Fortuni for prosecutor Paolo Gengarelli. The report found that there was not enough evidence to support the theory of suicide and that Pantani died as a result of swelling to the brain and lung tissue as a result of cocaine poisoning. "Acute cocaine intoxication provoked a

Australian Baden Cooke has played down his chance of fulfilling one of his childhood dreams when he saddles up for Milan-San Remo on Saturday. The first race of the World Cup season - a 294km ride from Italy's fashion capital to the Mediterranean coast resort - would in normal circumstances be well within the Victoria rider's grasp; he has emerged as one of the most feared sprinters in the peloton since making his European debut two years ago. However, a virus that has laid low more than one member of the peloton last week has compromised 25-year-old Cooke's chances of victory in what will

“You may as well call us Team Money.” Who ever said cyclists were humble? And why should we be? We deserve recognition, respect, sex, rock stardom, little poodles with American bandanas and Gucci booties. Yeah, and trading cards and tanning beds and … and … and leather pants and capes – it all comes rushing to the head like the initial stroke of a sprint, full of commitment and devoid of thought. Looking inside the head of a cyclist is like fracturing a carnival sky with the hands of an innocent child and scattering the pieces in waving strokes of glory. For the cyclist is a legend in his

Scottish cyclist Graeme Obree has overcome a suicide attempt to get back in shape for an attempt on Chris Boardman's world hour record next month. Obree made his breakthrough in 1993 when he won at the world track championships in Norway on a homemade bike with a bearing salvaged from a washing machine. In the same year, he broke the one-hour world record by covering 51.596km, but the record stood for just six days before Olympic gold medalist Boardman shattered it, only for Obree to reclaim the record in 1994. Obree retired in 1997 after being diagnosed with manic depression. Two years ago

1907 Lucien Petit-Breton (F) Bianchi1908 Cyrille Van Hauwaert (I)1909 Luigi Ganna (I)1910 Eugene Christophe (F)1911 Gustave Garrigou (F)1912 Henri Pellissier (F)1913 Odiel Defraeye (I)1914 Ugo Agostoni (I)1915 Ezio Corlaita (I)1917 Gaetano Belloni (I)1918 Costante Girardengo (I)1919 Angelo Cremo (I)1920 Gaetano Belloni (I)1921 Costante Girardengo (I)1922 Giovanni Brunero (I)1923 Costante Girardengo (I)1924 Pietro Linari (I)1925 Costante Girardengo (I)1926 Costante Girardengo (I)1927 Pietro Chesi (I)1928 Costante Girardengo (I)1929 Alfredo Binda (I)1930 Michele Mara (I)1931 Alfredo Binda

Cocaine killed Pantani, a doctor's report says

Baden Cooke and Lance Armstrong, shown in last year's Tour, are a bit under the weather as Milan-San Remo approaches