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The first race of the year always feels a little odd. The change from a training bike and long ride in a group or alone to a race bike and an attacking peloton is quite extreme and the body senses it almost immediately. But by the second day, my mind was back into it, the legs had come around and it seems like just a week ago I was in the Vuelta a España. The Volta Algarve is a nice race to start the season, as the weather is fairly mild in the south of Portugal, the racing is quite tame, and the countryside is nice for racing with undulating terrain. The vegetation and environment seem

Leading on the Fóia

Friday's EuroFile: Garrido at Algarve; Leblanc looks ahead

Dear Bob,I live in Maryland and when I train I carry my cell phone. I don’tmake calls but keep it for emergencies. Occasionally I will answer a calland speak while I ride along if the roadway is safe and easy. Is this legal?TomDear Tom,I started bringing my cell phone on rides as a way to multi-task (read- so I can ride when I should be in the office). I seem to rememberseeing pictures of Lance doing the same thing and I will point that outto any officer who stops me. When I do make or take calls, I make surethe roadway is safe and that I am not endangering anyone else. I must sayI get some

"I'm all alone." — Written on a note found at Marco Pantani’s bedside at the time of his death.

French cycling veteran Jean Cyril Robin has hit out at stubborn doping practices which he claims have resulted in the sport operating on two completely different levels of performance. Only a day after the funeral of Marco Pantani, Robin has called on cycling to stand up and take stock of what he calls a shameful situation. "I'm beginning to feel ashamed of being a professional cyclist. In the eyes of the public, we've got no credibility whatsoever," said the 34-year-old Robin, who finished sixth overall in the drug-tainted 1998 Tour de France, and won a bronze medal the following year at

LA Pecol's Candido Barbosa won the second stage and moved into the overall lead at Portugal's Tour of the Algarve Thursday, edging out Spaniard Alberto Benito (Antarte) and Cofidis's recent Aussie recruit, Stuart O'Grady, at the end of a 201km haul from Castro Marim on the Spanish border to Portimao. U.S. Postal leader Lance Armstrong, whose presence at the normally low-keyearly season race has brought international attention to the event, finishedthe day in the middle of the field. "Everything's going fine, as good as possible for the first race ofthe season," said Postal director Johan

Where is the outrage?Dear VeloNews,Okay, okay, Pantani was a great rider; one of the best climbers ever. But boy am I tired of reading letters about how unfairly he wastreated on the subject of doping. This is what we know:There are untold number of drugs for which there are no tests. New drugs and masking agents are produced faster than the tests can keep up.Pantani's famous retest from his 1995 crash in Milan-Turin showed a hematocrit level of 60.1 percent! No one has disputed the result, only that he could not be punished retroactively. To suggest the level got there without the use of

Following an offseason that nearly saw the Maxxis mountain-bike teammerge with the Giant squad, the orange-and-black, tire-maker sponsoredteam is back with a new line-up that includes Canadian cross-country honchGeoff Kabush.The merger never did happen, but with Kabush and Colombian climbingspecialist Cesar Grajeles coming on board to join gravity racing holdoversColin Bailey and John Kirkcaldie, Maxxis has a balanced squad that cancontend in almost any race.The team also added former Volvo-Cannondale and Trek-Volkswagen teammanager Eric Wallace. April Lawyer, a mainstay with Maxxis over the

A cyclist’s guide to depression

Jean Cyril Robin

Barbosa edged Benito for the stage and the overall lead

Armstrong is getting fit and working on his tan

George Hincapie will line up alongside Lance Armstrong today for the opening stage of the Tour of the Algarve in southern Portugal. Hincapie was scheduled to race Ruta del Sol, but he came down with what he called “a stomach bug” and delayed his start to the 2004 season. U.S. Postal Service sport director Johan Bruyneel told The Associated Press that Armstrong chose the Algarve race to kick off his season because he wants to spend more time in the United States later this spring. “The main attraction is the date, because we're starting racing earlier this year,” Bruyneel told the AP. “The

May he finally find peaceEditors,Today is truly a sad day in cycling. We are putting to rest one of the greatest cyclist and climbers the sport has seen. Not only was Marco a truly amazing cyclist. He came across as a truly passionate person. Marco will live in our memories. God bless you! May you now rest in peace.Doug BladesBrampton, Ontario In Memoriam: Marco PantaniIt was just one of many slogans scrawled onto the homemade bannersthat floated above a sea of cheering tifosi gathered atop the PassoMortirolo. Its truth, however, rang though the chaos and sticks in my headtoday. It said,

U.S. Postal’s Dutch sprint ace, Max van Heeswijk, claimed his second stagewin in three days at the end of the fourth stage of the Ruta del Sol inJaen, Spain, on Wednesday. The 30-year-old Van Heeswijk held off Belgians Nico Mattan (Relax)andPeter van Petegem (Lotto) at the finish line of the 159.3km stage betweenLa Zubia and Jaen. It is Van Heeswijk's second stage win of the race following his victoryon stage 2 on Monday, which was the first victory of the season for U.S.Postal. Juan Carlos Dominguez, of Saunier Duval, held on to the race leader'sjersey. Thursday's fifth and final stage

Marco Pantani was laid to rest before thousands of mourners in Cesenatico, Italy, Wednesday as prosecutors began their search for a drug dealer who supplied the former Tour de France winner with the cocaine that apparently killed him. Drugs and anti-depressants overshadowed Pantani's last days in much the same way doping allegations clouded a career in which he achieved a rare double of winning the classic French race and the Giro d'Italia in 1998, the last man to do so. At Pantani's funeral, tearful fans filed past his coffin in the church of San Giacomo Apostoli hours before his funeral.

Domínguez

Pantani's coffin is carried through the streets of his hometown

Vladimir Belli and other friends served as pall bearers

Francesco Moser was among those who attended services at the church of San Giacomo Apostoli

1958 Tour de France winner Charly Gaul - The Angel of the Mountains - pays his respects

Dear Lennard,I am considering purchasing a compact chainring with my next bike.I am confused. Some literature suggests that the 50/34 tooth compact chainringwith a 11-23 cassette has a more expanded range than the conventional 53/39chainring with a 12-25 cassette. Is there a formula for determining the"high" and "low" range of gearing?RobDear Rob,There sure is!Gear = (number of chainring teeth) X (tire diameter) & divide; (number of cog teeth)If you want the gear in inches, put in the tire diameter in inches.To find out how far you get with each pedal stroke (gear rollout), multiply the gear

Italian young gun Fillipo Pozzato (Fassa Bortolo) roared to victory in Tuesday’s 183km Trofeo Laigueglia along the Italian Riviera. Pozzato held off Lorenzo Bernucci (Landbouwkrediet-Colnago) to win the race for the second consecutive year. Former world champion Romans Vainsteins (Lampre) came through third in the bunch sprint. Laigueglia is the traditional kick off to the Italian racing calendar and the 22-year-old Pozzato becomes the first racer since Eddy Merckx (1973-74) to win the race back-to-back. “This victory comes thanks to my teammates, who believed in me,” Pozzato said. “I didn’t

The grief-stricken mother of Italian cycling great Marco Pantani blamedanti-doping investigators Tuesday for driving her son to his death.An initial autopsy Monday revealed Pantani, a former Tour de Francewinner, died from accumulated fluid in the brain and lungs. The 34-year-oldhad been at the center of a series of legal probes into doping."They murdered him," Tonina Pantani was quoted as saying in La Gazzettadello Sport ahead of a church ceremony honoring the cyclist in hishometown of Cesenatico.The body of Pantani will be dressed in a dark blue suit and a trademarkblack bandana, which

One day to rememberEditors;The moment that stands out the most for me in regards to Marco Pantaniwas last year's Giro. It was a huge mountain stage in the Alps and Pantaniwas struggling to get to the top, on his descent he was cut off by StephanGarzelli, and crashed to the side of the road on a snow bank. Hegot off his bike and was grimacing with pain and in tears, he ponderedwhether to continue or quit. Well after sitting on the side of the road and struggling with obvious pain and cuts for nearly 10 minutes Marco continued on and finishedthe race , having lost a lot of time from the leader.

Here's a quick update on my earlier reporton Michelin’s announced plans to begin testing its tubeless road tiretechnology.I also wanted to thank all those readers who sent in additional questionsfor me to ask Michelin’s Steve White when I finally managed to corner himon the phone. As luck would have it, White called me early this morningto clear-up my questions.The following is an edited transcript of our discussion: VeloNews: Steve, how easy will it be to seat and inflate a tubelessroad tire? I’m also curious how regular riders might be able to patch andreinflate tubeless road tires out in

Police officials in Rome are planning to investigate claims that Marco Pantani was supplied with cocaine, which may have contributed to his death last weekend, an Italian wire service, quoting sources close to the case, reported on Tuesday. The state prosecutor's office in Rome is expected to file a complaint against "unknown persons" for drug trafficking, a legal procedure allowing investigators to consider whether a crime such as dealing cocaine contributed to Pantani's death, according to the ANSA news agency. Friends of 34-year-old Pantani said he had been taking cocaine, which, when

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - My, my, time for Pi

He got up and finished

Pozzato gets a good start to his season

Thierry Marichal (Lotto) andl Francisco José Ventoso (Suanier Duval)

Tech News: Tubeless road tire update

Tech News: Tubeless road tire update

Marco Pantani died of a heart attack and showed signs of cerebral edema and lung damage, according to initial reports from an autopsy carried out in Italy on Monday. Officials conducting the autopsy said it may be up to 60 days before they know the exact cause of death for the man who won both the Giro d' Italia and Tour de France in 1998. “We can’t rule out any cause of death,” said Professor Giuseppe Fortuni after the autopsy. “Today’s autopsy is only the first in a long series of tests. It will be a few weeks before we know the exact cause of death.” Pantani, a former winner of the

Italian newspapers devoted their entire front pages Sunday to the sudden death of Marco Pantani and fans walked the streets of the cyclist's hometown in a day of mourning for one of Italy's biggest and most troubled sports stars, the Associated Press reported. The Italian Cycling Federation instituted a moment of silence in every cycling event in Italy on Sunday as athletes and fans alike awoke to the news that one of the sport's greatest climbers had died. "This is terrible and shocking news," said five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. "My thoughts and condolences go out to his

Racing at altitudeDear Dirk;I've got a few questions about altitude training and just general living.First, if I'm planning on racing at about 6000 feet above sea level,how long do I have to live at a similar altitude to become acclimated? Second, should I were to be required to take a blood test, is it advisableto get a blood test before living at altitude, and some midpoint to showan increase in hematocrit level?  Do you have any general suggestionsfor adjusting to altitude?  Any information would be appreciated,DevinDear Devin,It can take about two weeks to get fully acclimated to an

Just as in 2003, the Navigators professional cycling team has again traveled to Tuscany for its pre-season training camp in Castagneto Carducci, a spot favored by many European teams. In this part of Tuscany the roads offer interesting, challenging routes in a beautiful rural setting. And just like last year, the Nav’s were guests at Carlo and Isa Guarguaglini’s Hotel Zi Martino. Carlo is an ex-pro who raced during the ‘60s as a gregario for Charly Gaul and with his wife Isa, and son Fausto, the family runs a hotel historically popular with teams like Motorola, Mapei, Rabobank and Lampre.

Put yourself in his shoesVeloNews,I'm in shock. I'm sad and depressed, but I am not surprised.In the span of a few short years, we have witnessed the triumphant arrival,the awesome creation and the tragic destruction of one of our sport's greatones. He was an historical figure, to be sure. A man so powerful,so outspoken, so passionate, so dedicated, is a rare thing to see.With all his faults (and who is perfect?) he was still larger than life.Marco Pantani infused the sport with incredible passion. He was asensitive man, giving to others - including his competitors - and dedicatedto the

U.S. Postal Service wasted no time to score its first victory of the 2004 season as Max Van Heeswijk edged Oscar Freire (Rabobank) to win Monday’s second stage of the Ruta del Sol. Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) came through third in the 184km stage from Arcos de la Frontera to Benalmádena to grab the overall lead in the five-day race in southern Spain. U.S. Postal’s George Hincapie didn’t take his planned departure in Sunday’s opening stage after suffering stomach problems and might race later this week alongside Lance Armstrong at the Tour of Algarve in Portugal. Michael Rasmussen (Rabobank) also

Pantani said he felt persecuted

Time for Tuscany: The Nav's know where to train

Time for Tuscany: The Nav's know where to train

Time for Tuscany: The Nav's know where to train

Van Heeswijk edged Freire

Pantani relatives arrive at the mortuary of Rimini's hospital on Monday

[nid:26885]For the second consecutive year, Panaria’s Ruben Bongiorno took the field sprint at the Tour de Langkawi’s closing stage, a steamy hot, 60km criterium through Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur. With no major changes to the overall classification, Colombia Selle Italia’s Freddy Gonzalez — King of the Mountains at the Giro d’Italia in 2001 and 2003 — took top honors, his biggest win to date.

The cycling world is spending much of Sunday struggling to come to grips with Italian champion Marco Pantani's sudden death in a hotel room late Saturday. Jan Ullrich, who finished second to Pantani in the 1998 Tour de France, heard the news at a training camp in Toscana. "You are always shocked when you hear about the death of a fellow sportsman," Germany's Olympic road race champion said. "Personally I can not say anything about it because I only know what I have heard in the media. For the past three years I was not in contact with Pantani." While a post-mortem will be held to determine

Investigators on Sunday ordered an autopsy to determine the cause of death of former Tour de France champion Marco Pantani who was found in a hotel room in central Italy with sedatives near his bed. The cause of death of the 34-year-old rider was not immediately known but investigators ruled out violence. Magistrate Paolo Gengarelli told reporters on Sunday that there were no illegal drugs in the room but tranquillizers were found near the body and in the kitchen section. Pantani, who had been suffering from depression, was found dead in a hotel in the Adriatic coastal resort city of

Italian cycling fans are mourning the death of the man whom many will consider the greatest Italian bike rider since the legendary Fausto Coppi, who alongside rival Gino Bartali ruled the peloton in the 1950s. However while Coppi died in mitigating circumstances after contracting a mystery illness in Africa, Marco Pantani's untimely death on Saturday, at the age of 34, may come as little surprise to many who followed the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia winner closely. Pantani began his professional career in 1995 after showing his climbing prowess by winning the 1992 “baby Giro,” a

Jorg Jaksche and his CSC teammates barnstormed to victory in Sunday’s26km team time trial up the steep roads to Mont Faron high above the FrenchRiviera. While a team time trial by name, riders were awarded individual timesas eight-man teams rode the twisting course. It wouldn’t have matteredas CSC dominated the proceedings, sweeping the top three positions in thestage as well as the overall. “We rode this stage to perfection,” said CSC team manager Bjarne Riis.“The riders followed the tactics down to the last detail and on the climbthey were simply outstanding. All the riders deserve praise

No cause has yet been established for the cardiac arrest that ended Marco Pantani’s life on Saturday afternoon. A dozen jars, some part empty, of three types of anti-depressants were found in the small apartment where he died at a residential hotel in Rimini on Italy’s Adriatic coast. The time of death was put at 4 p.m., several hours before the hotel porter discovered the body, dressed only in jeans. Pantani’s death is a tragedy, made more poignant by the fact that it came on St. Valentine’s Day, just a month after his 34th birthday, in a hotel called the Rose. Pantani was alone. He split

In a sport long dominated by a Belgian juggernaut, Richard Groendendaal scored an upset World Cup cyclo-cross victory in front of hometown crowd on Sunday and grabbed the season’s overall title in the process. By winning the double-point final in the six-race World Cup series in Pijnacker in the Netherlands, Groenendaal unseated former World Cup leader Sven Nijs - his Rabobank teammate - and denied world champion Bart Wellens a shot at scoring cyclo-cross’s “grand slam” (the World Cup title along with the Belgian and world championships). While he rode a strong solo race at the front of the

Heading into the final stage of the Valley of the Sun stage race, Mariano Friedick (Jelly Belly-Aramark) and Lynn Gaggioli (T-Mobile) were just seconds out of the overall leads in the men’s and women’s races, respectively. And by the end of the day, both pulled out the overall victory to get their 2004 season off to a good start in Arizona. Friedick entered the criterium just two seconds behind Colavita Olive Oil’s Nathan O’Neill, on the strength of his second-place finish in the time trial – just 22 seconds behind O’Neill – and his victory in the road race, where he picked up a 20-second

12 laps through downtown Kuala Lumpur

Pantani joins a riders' strike in the '98 Tour de France, whch he eventually won

Police crowd the lobby of 'Le Rose' hotel in Rimini

Before the fall: Pantani leads the '99 Giro

Pantani, after winning the 15th stage of the 87th Tour de France in Courchevel

A moment to remember Pantani

Health Net's Scott Moninger is back

A moment to remember Pantani

Health Net's Fraser takes the points jersey

Fans gather at Le Rose Hotel to pay tribute

Pantani's career had incredible highs...

...and devastating lows (the 1999 Giro).

Groenendaal showed that some days you're just better off on your own

The first break is the one that ultimately counted

Despite the Belgian colors, Nijs's had few allies in the chase group

Wellens missed his chance at a grand slam

[nid:26873]Colombia-Selle Italia’s svelte climbers Ruber Marin and Freddy Gonzalez conquered the steep 25km ascent to Malaysia’s Genting Highlands during stage 9 of the Tour de Langkawi, taking 1-2 on the day and keeping the leader’s jersey within the team after fellow countryman and first-year teammate Marlon Perez was dropped in the final 6km.