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After an offseason that saw America’s premier mountain-bike racing series undergo a host changes in hopes of reviving the struggling property, it’s time to see if things are really any different. The site for the opening exam is Waco, Texas, where round No. 1 of the renamed NORBA National Mountain Bike Series kicks off Thursday morning. Day one of the four-day event brings the marathon at 9 a.m. The ensuing three days will feature a stage race, with a time trial Friday, short track on Saturday and cross-country on Sunday. There is no gravity racing on the schedule in Texas. Bolstered by a

With the start of the 2004 NORBA National Championship Series openerjust days away, Manitou is pleased to announce that it has confirmed mostof its 2004 MRD Factory Race Team roster (what can we say, it’s early March).Returning teams include Cannondale’s DH/4X team consisting of Cedric Gracia,Gary Fisher, Giant USA, and Intense --- with more to come in weeks to follow.New to the MRD factory team program will be the Commencal DH program consistingof Anne Caroline Chausson, as well as the USA Cycling U23 Development team.Will Longden, riding for Scott, will also be returning to the program

Reba is a part cross-country, part trail bike fork

Pike is RockShox's full-on trail bike offering for 2005

The remote PopLoc lever will change the fork's damping characteristics-on the fly

Shimano's new Hone mountain group

Michele Bartoli (L), Ivan Basso (C) and David Millar (2ndR) chat with Leblanc.

Stay or go? Stay or go? After two delays, Leblanc called off the stage.

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Armstrong to race in Vail, U.S. National squad to Georgia

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Armstrong to race in Vail, U.S. National squad to Georgia

Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood: Armstrong to race in Vail, U.S. National squad to Georgia

Lotto's Leon van Bon won the third stage of Paris-Nice, a 229km ride between Chapelle-Saint-Ursin and Roanne on Tuesday, finishing just ahead of Gerolsteiner's Thomas Ziegler. Van Bon and Ziegler slipped off the front of the field just before the 30km mark and built up a lead that peaked at more 13 minutes at one point. The two finished just ahead of the main field, nearly 200km after their initial escape. Quick Step's Tom Boonen won the field sprint 25 seconds after the two leaders crossed the line. German CSC rider Jörg Jaksche retained the overall race lead with a six-second advantage

PRESS RELEASE:New Kona Top-to-Bottom Eliminator to highlight BikeWorld’s spectular“Out of Bounds“ opening weekend,  20th till 23rd of May, 2004KONAWORLD -- California has the “Terminator”, Flachauhas the “Herminator”, now BikeWorld Leogang, Austria has the “Eliminator“.During BikeWorld Leogang’s “Out of Bounds” season opening weekend, May20-23rd, the new Kona Top-to-Bottom Eliminator DH/Freeride race will awarda combined €10,000 euros to the last man and woman standing.The Eliminator is open to the public, with qualifiers taking place onThursday and Friday. The riders will face BikeWorld’s

March 7th, Elk Grove, CA -- Sierra Nevada Cycling competed in another weekend of local racing inthe Sacramento area and it was new recruit and cagy veteran Eric Wohlbergwho came through with the win on Sunday at the Mather Field Criterium. Eric was part of the 6 man winning break which included team mate Ben Jacques-Maynes,2 riders from McGuire Reality including Dave Fuentes, Jason Lokicesmoe(Health Net) and Michael Hernandez (Reno Wheelman).  The remainderof the field was controlled by the Sierra Nevada team with team CapitanTrent Klasna cracking the whip.Wohlberg & Jacques-Maynes took their

Editor's note: A quick glance over the resultspage of this year's edition of Paris-Nice will suggest the Bobby Julichis having a good start to the 2004 season. As of Tuesday, Julich is thirdplace in the overall standings, 18 seconds behind his CSC teammate JörgJaksche. At this point in the year, things are shaping up nicely for the32-year-old American, who spent an afternoon earlier this year speakingwith VeloNews European correspondent Andrew Hood about his new teamand his hopes for the coming season. This story originally appeared inthe March 8, 2004 edition of VeloNews.When Bjarne Riis

This move lasted for 200km

Jaksche: Still in yellow

It was a day of heavy damage in Monday’s second stage of Paris-Nice. No, no one crashed, but a half-dozen favorites were all-but-eliminated when Team CSC and U.S. Postal Service collaborated to drive a deep five-minute wedge into the eight-day race. Five Postals and the entire CSC team drove a lead group of 36 into Montargis in the windy 166.5km stage across rolling farmland south of Paris. Spanish rider Pedro Horrillo (Quick Step) rejoiced in his most important victory of his career while two-time defending champion Alexandre Vinokourov (T-Mobile), Erik Dekker (Rabobank), Laurent

Murcia ended up being quite successful for the team: we accomplished morethan we had set out to with two stage wins and a solid team effort. U.S.Postal currently has the most victories of any team in the professionalpeloton which isn’t bad considering we were the last to start racing. Friday’s stage at Murcia was a little harder than the profile had suggestedand some serpentine undulating roads took most of the peloton by surprise,split things up and zapped a good amount of energy out of everybody’s legsand spirits. It ended up being good for us as the challenge of the course made therace

U.S. Postal leader Lance Armstrong has decided to ride in this year's Dauphine Libere as part of his preparation for a record sixth Tour de France title in July. "I've changed my mind," said 32-year-old Armstrong, who was not expected to race in the event from June 6-13 in southeast France which he has won for the past two years. But Armstrong, who has hinted that he could quit at the end of the season, changed his mind because this year's race includes a time-trial up Mont Ventoux, which will aid his preparation for Alpe d'Huez time-trail which is seen as a key to this year's Tour de

Over the past two weeks, organizers of last year’s Grand Prix FemininInternational du Canada, and the Canadian Cycling Association have sent out conflicting press releases regarding the future of this year’s race. Organizers of the 2003 event, from the Lac St Jean-Saguenay region in eastern Quebec, released a statement saying that they would not be presenting the event in 2004 – slated for August 4 to 8 – because of its potential scheduling conflict with the Athens Olympics. While the promoters said that there would be an expected lack of interest from European teams in 2004, the race would

One man's waste is another creature's buffetEditors;There was a letter on the webpage recently, asking Bob Mionske if throwingbanana peels or other organic trash on the roadsides is considered littering(see "LegallySpeaking - with Bob Mionske: Is that a banana in your jersey pocket?").He replies that the law does in fact consider it littering, but I wouldlike to point out another good reason not to do it. Organic wasteattracts small scavengers such as insects and rodents and possums.These critters in turn attract larger predators, such as owls and hawks,and when they become road kill, crows

Brian Lopes had been at his buddy’s house all of 20 minutes when the accident happened. The former world four-cross champion was on the last leg of a fun/work trip that had taken him from Michigan to Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia, when he jumped aboard a four-wheel ATV, just to have a little fun. “My friend’s house had this big grassy area and I was doing some donuts,” Lopes explained. “Then I don’t know, the thing must have gotten caught up in some dry stuff. I was probably only going five miles per hour at that point, but when it started to tip I went to step out [and] the roll cage just

Jaksche: Still the man to beat

CSC timed its move to perfection

Before the storm

A three-judge Colorado appeals court panel has unanimously overturned a lower court decision and ruled in favor of a lawsuit filed by former U.S. Cycling Federation trustee Les Earnest challenging a series of changes to the by-laws of USA Cycling, passed under emergency provisions in February of 1999. In an opinion drafted by Colorado appeals court Judge Leonard P. Plank, the court ruled that the procedures used in enacting a 24-page set of changes to the organization's bylaws and articles of incorporation were in violation of USA Cycling's own rules. Furthermore, the court ruled

When Jorg Jaksche raced with Telekom and ONCE early in his career, he didn’t get much of a chance to ride for himself. Most of his efforts were supporting proven leaders Jan Ullrich or Joseba Beloki. Now that he’s been giving the leadership mantle since joining Team CSC over the off-season, the 27-year-old German is taking full advantage of the opportunity. Jaksche won the Tour Mediterranean in February and added an even more important victory Sunday in the 13.2km opening time trial of the 62rd Paris-Nice. “When I rode at the other teams I was always a worker for others, which was fine

Rona’s Emilie Roy and Michael Jones (Health Net/Maxxis) took the overall titles as the 19th Annual Tucson Bicycle Classic wrapped up with a tough circuit race on Sunday The women’s race didn’t have a surprise finish as much as it did a surprise start – or rather lack of start -- on Sunday morning. Team Rona sensation Geneviève Jeanson had already won the opening two stages of the race, had more than a ten-minute lead on G.C. and was poised to win her third successive Tucson Classic when an awkward dismount from her pedal inflamed a knee injury and the young Canadian was unable to start on

Jaksche in yellow

Hamilton is here for Zülle

Roy and the Rona team kept the overall in the family

Sayers and Jones made sure that this break would stick

Italy's Danilo Di Luca (Saeco) won the 169km fourth stage of the Tour of Murcia in Collado Bermejo on Saturday. The stage finished with a climb up the Marco Pantani Hill, named in honor of the Italian cyclist who died last month, and as Di Luca crossed the line he pointed his finger towards the sky in memory of his compatriot to claim the stage in 4:25:34. Di Luca overtook Alejandro Valverde (Kelme), Australia's Cadel Evans (T-Mobile) and compatriot Leonardo Piepoli (Saunier Duval) to win the stage; for his part, Valverde stripped the leader's jersey from compatriot Ivan Gutierrez (Illes

The men’s race at the Tucson Bicycle Classic may have boiled down to a sprint after more than three hours of racing on Saturday, but Geneviève Jeanson wasn’t about to wait around for such nonsense. As she did on this stage in 2002, the Rona rider soloed away from the women’s field to win the Gates Pass Garrett Lemire Memorial Road Race by more than nine minutes. Jeanson, who also took Friday’s individual time trial, finished her 63-mile workout on the 21-mile circuit in 2:42:26. The runner-up, her teammate Emilie Roy, wouldn’t turn up until nine minutes and two seconds later. Third went to

Di Luca salutes Pantani

Di Luca and Valverde

Evans guts it out

Max Van Heeswijk scored his second victory in three days after taking Friday’s sprint in the third stage of the Tour of Murcia. The U.S. Postal Service rider has hit a purple patch that includes four wins in three weeks of racing in Spain. This time, Van Heeswijk slipped ahead of Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) to take the honors. José Ivan Gutierrez (Illes Balears) finished safely in the main bunch to retain the overall lead he earned following Thursday’s time trial victory. Lance Armstrong (USPS) also avoided trouble to remain second overall and even played a hand to help spring Van Heeswijk to

The law is an assVeloNews:When I read the "Legally Speaking" column lumping banana peels and used oil filters together, I had to step back and remind myself the column is "legally" correct and therefore has no connection to common sense. Let's take this slowly: Banana peels thrown in the grass are fertilizer; one-gallon jugs filled with urine are litter; banana peels biodegrade in a week; a used diaper is going to take a lot longer. Of course my mental picture is of riding down a country road, polishing off nature's perfect food and trying to clear the barbed-wire fence with the slinky

Earlier this week, McDonald’s announced that it would be phasing out “Supersizing” by the end of this year. What’s the world coming to? Since when do the wheels of progress move backwards? In one of the great innovations in capitalism, Mickey D’s found a way to take a penny’s worth of soda syrup and a nickel’s worth of French fries and tack on 39 cents to millions of orders. And now, they’re doing away with it? What, in the name of public relations? Just because they helped spawn a nationwide epidemic of obesity and health problems is no reason to do away with an institution. It’s just

Geneviève Jeanson (Rona) and Ryan Blickem (Aida’s Bail Bonds) were the fastest on the day as the 19th annual Tucson Bicycle Classic got under way on Friday. The 3-mile Old Tucson McCain Loop time trial on McCain Loop Road in Tucson Mountain Park began with a mile of fast rollers before serving up two miles of 4 to 6 percent climbing to the finish. Blickem covered the course in 7:22, 8 seconds ahead of Michael Jones (Health Net-Maxxis) and a further second up on Scott Blanchard (Eclipse). Jeanson won in a more convincing fashion, finishing in 8:20, 14 seconds ahead of Jeannie Longo and 26

'Mad Max' does it again

Gutierrez holds onto the overall

Lance Armstrong (USPS) won the battle against Tour de France rival Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) but it was Spanish rider José Ivan Gutierrez who won the war in Thursday’s 21.8km time trial. Armstrong settled for fifth at 29 seconds slower while Ullrich finished 31st at 1:35 back, more than a minute slower than his Tour rival. While the hyped Armstrong-Ullrich showdown somewhat fizzled, Gutierrez chugged to an impressive victory against a quality field in the second stage of the five-day Tour of Murcia in Spain. “I needed a win like this,” said Gutierrez, a former national road and time trial

Dear Bob,It always bugs me when I see a rider on a group ride toss a bananapeel on the road. I know he's littering if he discards the empty gel pack,but does a banana peel constitute litter?Rich W.Illinois Dear Rich,I bugs me too. Maybe that’s why they are called litterbugs?Generally speaking I am not the guy who feels it is his responsibility,or even his right, to “police” scofflaws. However, when a person littersin public, he is polluting the environment, which, of course, belongs tothe multi-national corporations… oops... sorry, I mean all of us. Ruminating on this subject I am loath to

It's not about the licenseDear VeloNews,Call it bureaucracy, call it fair, unfair or simply logical (see"Jeansongets U.S. license"). As a competitor myself, and without goinginto the issue of one's getting a license from Canada versus from USA Cycling, I just want to know if Ms. Jeanson is going to give her fellow competitors a reason why she tested with a high hematocrit before world's last year. Like a few years ago, Paola Pezzo never bothered to explain to any of us competing against her as professional mountain bikers how she tested positive for Nandrolone. That same year, as she won

The race is off to a good start for the team with another victory for Max and USPS/Berry Floor. Our directors have a bit of a competition running, as there are currently two Postal race programs, one for the classics and one for the smaller tours and Ardennes classics. I think Johan is now up on victories, 4 to 2 against Dirk. The past few weeks in Europe have been frigid with snow in Majorca, Barcelona and throughout much of the rest of Europe. Races have been cancelled and training sessions have been indoors. It was a relief when we arrived in Almeria in the south of Spain on the

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske: Is that a banana in your jersey pocket?

Gutierrez

Dear Monique,In a previous article you discussed hypoglycemia symptoms follow apre-exercise meal of carbohydrates. I have experienced this on random periods-usually after my morning coffee and bagel, and then setting out on a run.Generally this happens a mile out, and may last for the next two milesbefore passing. During the reaction period I slow down and just try tomaintain activity. What should one really do when this happens?Thanks,K.Dear Monique,I train before work and get up, get dressed, and am immediately onthe bike, usually for 1-1.5 hours. So, should I slam down an orange juiceand

The hyped first confrontation of the season between Lance Armstrong (U.S.Postal Service) and Jan Ullrich (T-Mobile) didn’t last long. The pair was all smiles as they posed with race favorite Alejandro Valverde(CV-Kelme) before the start of Wednesday’s opening stage of the Tour ofMurcia in Spain. But strong crosswinds forced a split in the peloton and Ullrich rolledacross the finish line with 42 other riders more than seven minutes behindArmstrong. José Antonio López (Illes Balears) was the day’s main protagonist, going on a solo move that held out until 30km to go despite the strong winds

It was only logicalHi,As a competitive cyclist in Canada, I am in awe of GenevièveJeanson's talent (see "Jeansongets U.S. license"). The level of racing in Canada can't compareto U.S. or international racing. Yet Geneviève Jeanson is at thevery top of the sport at the international level. Clearly she has the talentas well as the necessary ambition and support to compete at that level.Over the past several seasons she has provided inspiration to aspiringyoung cyclists in Canada. It is rare for such a talent to emerge from the Canadian scene, andbecause of this I am quite unhappy

It seems as though the off-season may be the most dangerous part of the year for the world’s top gravity racers. First Chris Kovarik broke his ankle in September, then Brian Lopes snapped his leg in late February. Now comes word that British downhill star Tracy Moseley has broken her wrist. According to a report issued by Moseley’s Kona-Les Gets trade team, she was riding back home in England when she came up short on a set of double jumps and landed badly. The result was a “clean break of her radius.” At the time Moseley was with friend and fellow pro Scott Beaumont, who looked after her

Sorta like the swallows returning to Capistrano, one of my regular annual duties is to bundle-up and head out to Bloomington, Minnesota, for Quality Bicycle Products' annual open house. One of the largest bicycle distributors in the United States, QBP opens its door every February to interested shop owners who are keen on getting a glimpse at some of this year's latest technology. Representatives from many of QBP’s clients make the trip out, set up a booth and profess the merits of their products. In short, it’s a really mini-Interbike without the cigarette smoke, slot machines or

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Salanson died from heart failure at the age of 23

The wind was a factor on Wednesday

Ullrich's doing this early race at his own pace

MTB News: Moseley breaks wrist

Cane Creek's Peter Gilbert shows off the improved $50 Ergo Control II bar end that cleverly integrates with an ODI-style locking grip ($27)

Just who is that sporting the highly sought-after VeloNews messenger bag? Why, it's none other than Shimano's Chris DiStefano with hints of '05 technology. Much improved Ultegra anyone?

Deda Elementi's frontman Fulvio Acquati came up with this clever campaign to garner interest in passerby. The Italian manufacturer's new modular TT bar is less expensive than the popular Aero Black and offers increased ease of adjustability

ITM's Eric Sakalowski shows off the beautiful carbon $599 Sword bar/stem combo.

Nokian's Steve Ritchey shows off the NBX Lite which utilizes the company's legendary car snow tire rubber compound for increased traction and durability

These clipless XPedo pedals weigh just a scant 220 grams and cost a hearty $249

Thomson's new Masterpiece road seatposts are a thing of beauty at 193 grams and $139 (27.2, 330mm)

Vetta's Brian McGorrahan shows off the clever $25 Tube tool which incorperates 18 tools, 180 degree pivoting ratcheting driver and LED lights

Park Tool's John Krawczyk shows off the company's latest high-end workstand, the $250 PRS-15

The beautiful Salsa Las Cruces 'cross bike gets even better in '04 with the addition of a carbon disc-ready fork

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Map Tof Flanders