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Marco has styleEditors;I agree with those defending Marco Pantani. He has still hadsome respectable results since the big "doping" label was placed on him,and yet, never proven. I read all those responses that bashed ilPirate and said "if not for the drugs," he wouldn't have won.Silly American brashness, popping off our big loud mouths withoutsubstance. In my opinion, Professional Cycling, specifically the Italian pieceof it, did a grave injustice to one of the best cyclists of a generation.So sad the Italians did it to one of their own, too. I say, go Marco!! Get back on the bike, train

Two riders from the Cofidis team were arrested at Orly airport in Paris on Tuesday on their return from a training camp as the investigation into doping and drug trafficking within the French team widened. Drugs squad officers detained Cedric Vasseur and Philippe Gaumont as they stepped off a flight from Alicante, Spain, and took them away for questioning. Meanwhile, the team's sponsor, the Cofidis group, which supplies personal loans by telephone, announced Tuesday it was launching legal action for defamation over the doping accusations. Vasseur, 33, won a stage in the 1997 Tour de

Dear Lennard,Your maintenance book has been a great help to me in building my firsttwo bikes. I've noticed from your book that you've recommended changingthe chain approximately every 1500 miles. Of course, I read this afterI put 4k on my current drivetrain! I have a Campy record 10-speed groupwith 13-26 in the back. I use dry lube. It still shifts great and wearlooks very low. There hasn't been any skipping at all.Could you please clarify for me about this issue; Are you suggestingthat the same cassette be kept and the chain switched out every 1500 miles?I've read conflicting suggestions on

The UCI released the start spot list for next summer’s Olympic cross-country races on Tuesday, making it official that the U.S. will be sending just two men and one woman (see "Dunlap a long shot for Athens?"). Canada will have five riders total, three women and two men. All told 32 countries were on the list that included nations from six continents, North and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa.On the men’s side 48 of the 50 starting places have been allocated. The women’s field is full, with all 30 of the spots accounted for. According to UCI rules, those final two places

McEwen takes the win

You win pretty or you win ugly, either way, you're still in yellow.

Pantani down after crashing in Stage 18 of the 2003 Giro

Sassone after winning his world title in 2001

Vasseur in 2003

German cycling great Jan Ullrich said Monday that he is optimistic that he can end Lance Armstrong's five-year reign as Tour de France champion. The 30-year-old 1997 Tour de France winner, on the island of Mallorca for team camp, said his T-Mobile team was the strongest squad he had ever lined up with as he seeks to shake off his bridesmaid's tag which has seen him fill the runners-up spot five times - three of them behind Armstrong. "This is the strongest team I've raced with," said the Olympic road race champion, who pushed Armstrong all the way last year losing by just over a

Reigning world time trial champion David Millar defended his Cofidis team despite some current and former members being caught up in the latest doping scandal to rock cycling. "We are not cheats," Millar told the English daily The Guardian on Monday. "I'm confident in the team and I hope Cofidis remain in cycling for a long time." Last week, French police began an investigation into team masseur Bogdan Madejak and former Cofidis racer Marek Rutkiewicz. Rutkiewicz is accused of smuggling growth hormones and other drugs into France, but said this week he is innocent of anything involving

A winning combo? Jan Ullrich thinks so.

Marek Rutkiewicz, the Polish rider who last week was reportedly caught by French police in possession of banned substances, has hit out at being made a scapegoat in an affair which he says has been blown out of proportion. As part of the investigation, Rutkiewicz’s former Cofidis team was under the spotlight last week as he was arrested along with Cofidis soigneur Bogdan Madejak. Madejak is accused of being part of a smuggling ring and has now been suspended by the team, who boast a string of top riders including world champions David Millar (time trial) and Igor Astarloa

Why defend a pirate?Editors,I'm a bit surprised to see all the letters in defense of Marco (see "Friday'smail bag: Pantani's Posse responds"). Thismonkey business about a high hematocrit not making him culpable of dopingis unbelievable. It's ridiculous having a crit’ in the 50's after a three-weektour and not think the guy is taking something. Since he was put on notice, his results have shown it.Jean Gretz The incredible celebrity ego machineEditors,As I see it Marco Pantani was swallowed up by his own success. I haveseen it happen in my profession as a jockey's agent. Riders strive

World cyclo-cross champion Bart Wellens won the fifth round of the six-raceWorld Cup series in Nommay, France, on Sunday, easily beating Holland’sRichard Groenendaal and fellow Belgian Erwin Vervecken.Belgian Sven Nijs, who finished seventh on the day, holds on to theoverall lead in the series, which closes out in Pijnacker in the Netherlandson February 15. Wellens win leaves the overall World Cup race up in theair with four riders – Wellens, Nijs, Groenendaal and Belgian Ben Berdenall capable of winning the title in the final round when double pointsare awarded.Wellens has set his sites

Sunday's mail: Marco, Lance, Krispy Kremes, sponsors and the movies

Canberra cyclist Oenone Wood won the road race on Saturday at the BMC Software Australian Open Road Championships, two days after claiming victory in the individual time trial. The 23-year-old Wood barely outsprinted Victoria’s Katie Mactier after 10 laps of a 10km course in Buninyong. Sara Carrigan of Queensland crossed third. “It’s pretty amazing, and I don’t think it’s quite registered yet,” said Wood. “To win with such a quality field, I’m amazed.” The race began in wet, cold and windy conditions, and although the rain let up by the third lap, the wind and cold made it tough going. But

After what he admits were five dark years struggling to rediscover the winning formula that shot him to the 1998 Tour de France podium, Bobby Julich says he’s excited about the 2004 racing season. Julich said he’s rediscovered his passion for racing after joining Bjarne Riis at Team CSC in what he admits is his “last chance” to return to glory. “I was very close to retirement and I’m very happy to get this chance to ride with Bjarne,” Julich told VeloNews during the team’s training camp in Lucca, Italy. “I feel like I’ve gotten my last chance.” Since his meteoric rise to third place in

All we are saying is give Marco a chanceEditor,This goes out to Mr. Wolfe and Mr. Schlitzler from Thursday'smail bag. I find their positions to be based more on emotion than anhonest evaluation of the facts.Last time I checked the "doper" won a couple of the hardest stages ofthe Tour in 2000 and passed his drug tests! Also, if one cares to notethe so-called "failed EPO test" of 1999 pertained only to a hematocritlevel above a prescribed limit. It did not show any traces of EPO or provethe use, whether systematic or one time, of EPO. If Pantani is a doperwhose "...winning form was only based

After being banned from the Internet for 14 1/2 days, I’ve admitted that I bet on baseball and have been reinstated by VeloNews.com. So, my first column of the new year is a little late, and I’ve got some catching up to do. Like many, I rang in 2004 by watching some or all of the following: the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi, the FedEx Orange Bowl, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and the Nokia Sugar Bowl 2004 National Championship. No, this isn’t going to be another BCS-bashing column – it’s a little late for that, even for me. But watching those games each year is a reminder of the

Kelme and Domina Vacanze will roll on as Division II teams for the 2004 season, according to the UCI, which on Friday released its official list of second-division teams for the upcoming season. Earlier this month, both teams failed to meet UCI requirements for continuing in cycling’s first division, which gave them automatic berths in many of the sport's top races. Also confirmed among the 18 teams in Division II is the Navigators Insurance team. Four other teams are on a pending list and have until January 28 to provide more documentation. Division II teams for the 2004 season:Acqua &

Well, the holidays are certainly over – here at VeloNews, we're hard back at it. I'm working on putting together our second Buyer's Guide, which means I'm up to my eyeballs in catalogs, price sheets and unreadable-image CDs. Our guide isn’t one of those all-inclusive publications, providing the brand and make of every single bicycle on the market – instead, it’s a selective compilation showcasing what we feel are the crown jewels and best values of 2004. So far, it's obvious that most of our pro-level road bikes incorporate carbon into their frames (if they’re not entirely built of carbon).

The Navigators cycling team is hustling to get its star sprinter squared away in time for Tuesday's start of the Tour Down Under in Adelaide, Australia. Race director Mike Turtur, noting that the Navigators only drew an invitation to race last month, said Russian speedster Vassili Davidenko has been encountering visa problems. "We're still hopeful,” Turtur told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “We've got him on a booking on the 16th out of New York, but I think time might be against us." Never fear, says Navigators business manager Ray Cipollini. “Yes, there has been a delay due

Polish rider Marek Rutkiewicz and Cofidis soigner Bogdan Madejak have been charged with illegally possessing and supplying toxic drugs. Police said Thursday that Madejak, the Polish soigner on the Cofidis staff, was held on remand while Rutkiewicz, who left Cofidis last year, was released on police bail. The 2001 world track champion Robert Sassone, who also left Cofidis last year, and Madejak's wife and pharmacist daughter were due to be brought before an investigating magistrate. The police investigation, which started eight months ago, centers on some elements of the Cofidis team. The

D'OH!Editors,Tell Mr. Roger he should get his facts straight, especially where it concerns the best cycling movie ever made, before he starts reminiscing in his column (see "Mr.Rogers' Neighborhood: 'Breaking Away' with Bart Simpson"). NealRogers talks about the main character (Dave Stoller) in the movie “Breaking Away” being out on a training ride when he runs into the fabled (but fictional) “Team Cinzano.” Point of fact is that it was a race that he ran into them on, and he had been training hard for that race so he could see how he measured up against his heroes, that is until they

Dear Monique,What is the scoop on ZMA? I have been trying to find out about thisrelatively new supplement. Is it safe? Is it effective? Isn't ZMA essentiallya mixture of vitamin B6, zinc, and magnesium?DRDear Monique,In papers worldwide, there has been concern over THG and its relationshipto the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative (BALCO). ZMA, a product relatedto BALCO and SNAC Systems is on the market. Is ZMA fuel safe and untaintedby illegal substances and anabolic precursors? Can you provide a breakdownof the product? Are there any benefits to taking the product? Thanks,KGDear DR and KG,ZMA

Dear Bob,I work on the floor of a large retail bicycle shop. I love my job,but have a problem with one of the managers. Since I began here, over ayear ago, he has been making sexual comments. I used to simply laugh athim, but recently, he tried to kiss me and I need this to stop.What should I do?Mashed in MinneapolisDear M in M,This is a sensitive area with most people having a canned responsesrunning the gambit from “ he should be strung up” to “political correctnessis ruining America.” My view is somewhere in the middle and depends onthe facts and circumstances. For instance, I believe this

Thursday's mail bag: Breaking Away; Bye bye Marco

Remember that scene in the classic 1979 film "Breaking Away" when the main character — Dave, the naïve young cyclist — was racing against the Italian Cinzano squad he so admired? Remember how, at first, Dave was thrilled to be riding with them, even challenging them, until one of the Italians put a frame pump through Dave's wheel and the young blond-headed kid ended up in a ditch while the darker-haired "pros" rode away laughing? Well anyone who knows that scene well and also watched "The Simpsons" on Sunday night probably recognized a quick parody of "Breaking Away" featuring Bart and the

Marco Pantani celebrated his 34th birthday Tuesday without much hope of returning to cycling's elite level. The former Giro d'Italia and Tour de France is 15 kilos overweight and isn't expected to race this year, according to a report in La Gazzetta dello Sport. While Pantani won't officially say he's retired, his father, Ferdinando, says it's not likely 'The Pirate' will roam cycling's peloton this season. "Between 1 and 10 for him to comeback to cycling, I see it as a chance of 1," the paper quoted the racer's father. "Marco is a sensitive man and all this has been too much for

Damn, this guy is pretty good

Cesar Grajales

Marco no more?

Just days after the Cofidis team presentation, the French daily L'Equipe is reporting Tuesday that a current trainer and one its former team members, Marek Rutkiewicz, are suspected of operating a "vast" drug ring between Eastern Europe and the peloton. According to reports, police acted on a tip and stopped Rutkiewicz -- a 23-year-old Polish rider formerly with Cofidis and newly signed with French team RAGT Semences-MG Rover (formerly Jean Delatour) -- at Charles de Gaulle airport Monday night in Paris. Rutkiewicz was taken into custody after police allegedly found doping paraphernalia.

Editor's Note: This is the second of what we hope will becomea steady stream of letters this season from Navigators Insurance pro cyclistBurke Swindlehurst.Hey folks in VeloNews land.Well, the New Year truly is upon us and I'm hoping that all of you enjoyedthe Holiday season as much as I did. All that good (bad) food anddrink and of course, friends and family. I don't know about all of you,but I even took the time to take in a few flicks, despite being deathlyafraid of sitting in a theater with the possibly "infected" carriers ofthe epidemic flu for up to three hours and 40 minutes... yes, I

Funky disco drop-outDear Lennard;Last Saturday I installed a new Kelly rigid mountain bike fork on aGunnar Ruffian. Friends at the shop were a little miffed by the drop-outson the fork. Seems that they are, in a sense, forward/upward facing. Somephone calls yielded some vague information about problems with wheels runningdisc brakes coming loose from 'standard' forks. Can you comment on thisproblem? Can you tell me if you've seen Kelly's solution to the problem and,if so, what you think of the design?Judd Dear Judd;Well, you can just barely see that the dropouts face forward on thatKelly

Pacific Cycle – the parent company of Schwinn, GT and Mongoose –announced Wednesday that the firm will be acquired by Montreal-based Dorel Industries, a global supplier of juvenile and home furnishing products. Dorel has signed a purchase agreement to acquire the Madison, Wisconsin-based Pacific Cycle. Dorel’s purchase of Pacific Cycle is expected to be completed by the end of the month. Chris Hornung, founder and CEO of Pacific Cycle, will remain at the head of Pacific and will run the company as a standalone Dorel division. “This acquisition provides numerous opportunities to

The board of the German Cycling Federation (BDR) has revoked the suspensions of Jens Lehmann andDaniel Becke, allowing the two star pursuiters to try for this year’s OlympicGames in Athens. The two were suspended in August of last year after they became embroiledin a team selection battle that ultimately resulted in the withdrawal ofthe once-powerful German team pursuit squad from the world championshipsin Stuttgart (see “Germanpursuit squad collapses before it hits track”). BDR president Sylvia Schenk, who had initially taken a hard line against the riders, asked the organization's board

Rutkiewicz in 2002

T-Bird's Roost: From blizzards to Oz

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Funky Disco Drop-out

It's now up to Lehmann (seen here in 2002)

Is Germany's pursuit team back on track?

A former Marine who was attacked by a mountain lion while mountain-bikeriding in a wilderness area in Southern California has been upgraded to fair condition, hospital officials said Sunday. "Her recovery is truly miraculous," said the victim's husband, JamesHjelle. Anne Hjelle, 30, was rescued Thursday from the mountain lion's jawsby her cycling companion, Debbie Nichols. The big cat had pounced on Hjelleand tried to drag her away, but Nichols grabbed her friend's leg and heldon as other cyclists threw rocks at the mountain lion until it let go. Authorities believe the same mountain lion

Alison will prevailEditors;I was appalled, at first, when I saw the  article detailing thepossibility of Alison perhaps losing the chance to go to Athens becauseof a mess up at USA cycling (see "Dunlapa long shot for Athens?") and weirder even still rules from theUCI. Then I thought about it a bit and realized Alison willbe at the Olympics. I'm sure of that, her strength of character and incredibledetermination will see her through, and if that slips a bit raw talentwill take some of the load. I am still upset the the people who shouldbe watching out for the athletes from a

Reigning world champion Bart Wellens added another victory to an alreadyimpressive streak this season as he won the Belgian nation cyclo-crosstitle on Sunday in the Belgian/French border town of Lille. The 25-year-old Wellens finished well ahead of fellow Belgian super‘crossers Mario De Clercq and Sven Nijs on the day when all of Europe holdsits national cyclo-cross championships. Wellens was the first to attack on the 2.7km loop that consisted 710meters of asphalt, 440 of meadowlands, 735 of wood and a tough 895-meterstretch of sand. The course also included three bridges and a staircase

What a season this has been for Bart.

Britain's David Millar is relishing his appointment as the sole leader of France's number one cycling team Cofidis - and an upcoming season which he hopes to top with Olympic time trial gold. The new-look Cofidis team was unveiled here on Friday with some high-powered new additions intended to make the French outfit a serious rival for the likes of T-Mobile and Quick Step in the various one-day and stage races during the 2004 season. Australians Stuart O'Grady (Credit Agricole) and Matthew White (U.S. Postal) have joined the fold, and the team now boasts three reigning world champions –

Jan Ullrich did not travel with the T-Mobile team for their training camp beginning in Mallorca on Saturday after being struck down with a bout of flu. The German rider, 30, will rest in bed while his teammates brace themselves for a two-week training program on the island. "Perhaps it is good to get this illness out of the way so early in the season," Ullrich said. "Hopefully I can prepare myself thoroughly in the next few weeks without any hiccups." Ullrich joined the T-Mobile team this year from Bianchi and has his sights set on deposing American nemesis Lance Armstrong in this year's

The mountain biker killed by a mountain lion Thursday in in the Orange County foothills was a former employee of Carmichael Training Systems in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Mark Reynolds, 35, worked for CTS from May 2001 through August 2002 before moving to California to work as an account executive with OMS Sports in Anaheim, according to the Colorado Springs Gazette. In interviews with the Gazette and the Los Angeles Times, friends and co-workers described Reynolds as a committed athlete who raced both bicycles and motocross, and Chris Carmichael was no exception. Recalling spotting bike

Editor's note: Plenty of you wrote in with advice for Erik Voldengen, who craves a new bike and wondered how to maximize the Spouse Acceptance Factor, while others were only too eager to abuse Jordan Bishko, who was critical of an Think about a trade-inErik,I just thought I would let you know that Cannondale is once again offering its yearly trade-in program. Cannondale will give you a large discount on its new CAAD 7 (Optimo) frame. It will also come along with a very nice full carbon fork and integrated headset. You will only need a new stem and perhaps a few cables to make the swap. I

A rack of rainbows: Gane, Millar and Astarloa

O'Grady's ready to rock

Two-time Vuelta a España champion Alex Zülle, former world champion Oscar Carmenzind and two other pros were intentionally driven into a guard-rail by an angry motorist Thursday in Spain. Zülle, Carmenzind (both Phonak), compatriot Fabian Jeker (Saunier Duval) and Santos González (Phonak) were training near Alicante in southern Spain when an 84-year-old driver exchanged heated words with the pros and then forced them into a guard-rail with his vehicle, the EFE wire services reported. Jeker suffered a three-inch cut in his left thigh while Zülle was taken away in an ambulance, received five

Former world champion Mario Cipollini's Domina Vacanze team and the Spanish squad Kelme, which won the team title at the 2000 Tour de France, have been denied places on cycling's elite list for 2004, the Union Cycliste Internationale said on Friday. They were among six teams, including the U.S. Postal team of five-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong, that the governing body had asked for more information before Thursday. “On the basis of the complement of information given to the UCI since the 22nd of December 2003, and following the advice given by Ernst & Young, the PCC could

Let the games begin (and not the good ones, either)Editor:The article about Alison Dunlap is just the start of a long hot summer before the Olympics. Every Olympic year deserving cyclists are not selected for the team. There is always going to be someone left out in the cold, and cold people usually employ lawyers to heat things up. Just wait – as the selection process gets closer there will be other stories to tell. On a similar note, it has been rumored for more than a year that the USA may not qualify a sprint "team" for the Olympics. Now that doesn't sound good for the country with the

In what appears to be a classic case of not enough limelight to go around, 2003 world cross-country champion Sabine Spitz has left the German-based Merida team. Last year, Spitz and Norway’s Gunn-Rita Dahle dominated women’s cross-country racing, with Dahle sweeping all five of the World Cup races and Spitz taking the world’s win in Lugano, Switzerland. But apparently all that success could not offset what Spitz called an “environment that did not allow me to concentrate fully on my races. The internal situation became such that I could not stay and continue to develop as an athlete.” No

A threat to drivers?

Don't expect Mario to be celebrating this news...

Like many Mac addicts out there, I sacrificed a few hours of my Tuesday morning to watch the live Web cast of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’s keynote address at the annual Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Each year, the biggest geeks in the industry come together for several days in a large showroom to meet with designers and engineers and drool over the latest technological advances. Fluorescent lights hum, camera flashes sparkle, and schwag is freely distributed while people discuss issues of speed and performance. Right — just like Interbike, only nerdier, if you can imagine that. But Jobs’s

WARNING: WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ CONTAINS SEVERAL EXPLICIT REFERENCES TO MOTORCYCLES. IF YOU ARE OFFENDED BY THE OF NOTION OF NON-HUMAN-POWERED TWO-WHEELED VEHICLES, PLEASE SKIP TO ANOTHER SECTION OF THIS WEBSITE NOW. Well, I just got back in from a bit of vacation time over the holidays [hope you had a good one]. Instead of the usual “hang-out-and-eat-and-drink-myself-silly” holiday, I chose to head south of the border with a pal of mine for a little two-wheeled adventure. As much as I’m a fan of the mountain bike, I had to concede that this trip required a bit more oomph in order to

This year, German classics man Steffen Wesemann turned from Australia to Arizona for his winter training home base and he's glad he did.“I never had such good training conditions before,” Wesemann said on the T-Mobile web page. “The climb to Mount Lemon is hard and the view from the top is amazing.”Wesemann has hit the roads of Australia for the past three years, but chose Arizona to “try something new,” for his lead-in to team camp on the Spanish island of Mallorca. The 2002 Paris-Roubaix runner-up put in 4000 kilometers and usually joined up with American pros “so we were never less than

The directors of the Webcor cycling team announced Thursday that they had signed sprinter Charles Dionne for 2004. "We are thrilled to have Charles aboard," said team director Frank Scioscia. "Dionne is unique in his ability to be a fast finisher in criteriums as well as a powerhouse in incredibly difficult road races like the San Francisco Grand Prix. He will be a significant part of the formula for creating a winning team." Dionne's breakout 2002 season included a solid win at the San Francisco Grand Prix by outsprinting a small breakaway group that included several seasoned European

So what is a good use of their time?!?!?Editors;I just want to know what is in the water in Colorado Springs. Maybesome of the cost of licensing should go to higher education for such "nuances." (see "Dunlapa long shot for Athens?") That line from USA Cycling's Matt Cramer- "To translate every nuance of the UCI rule book is not the best use ofour time..." says it all.What? To be continually embarrassed is a good use of their time!?! Whatin the world are you doing that is more important than the Olympics? Iknow as riders we have to look out for ourselves, but you'd think thatour "Director of

A look at the newly updated U.S. Postal Service team roster reveals a surprise: the as of yet unannounced addition of American Michael Creed to the squad. In a phone conversation from Tucson, Arizona, the Colorado Springs resident — who celebrated his 23rd birthday on Thursday with a 200km training ride — discussed his progression from the now-defunct Division 3 Prime Alliance squad to Postal with VeloNews. When informed of his appearance on the team’s Web site, the always-amusing rider was somewhat surprised, explaining that although his agent has been in discussions with the team, all the

Now that is brand loyalty

Plusher than ever in deepest, darkest Baja

Okay, we get it. You are officially a 'geek.'

Apple CEO Steve Jobs

Mike Creed, U.S. Postal's newest recruit

After two forgettable seasons, 2001 Vuelta a España champion Angel Casero is hoping to rediscover his winning legs for the 2004 season. “I’ve had two difficult seasons. In 2002, I had problems with my knee and I couldn’t race the Tour and it impeded my preparation for the Vuelta, where I finished sixth. And last year the situation with the team was truly chaotic,” Casero told the Spanish daily AS. Casero is set to ride for Kelme, though there’s no signed contract yet. “I have a lot of motivation for this season. After such a hard year that I had, with the disappearance of Coast, the

Try this on for size: Barring what would amount to a small miracle, 2001 world cross-country champion Alison Dunlap will probably not be at the start line for the 2004 Olympic cross-country race. "Say what?" you ask. Well, the chain of events is a bit convoluted, so put on your thinking caps and follow along. The story starts back in June when Dunlap took a nasty digger during the NORBA cross-country race at Snowshoe, West Virginia. That crash resulted in a badly separated shoulder and put an end to her 2003 mountain-bike racing campaign. The obvious consequences were to Dunlap, but her

Casero after winning the Vuelta in 2001

Dunlap may not get the chance for Olympic gold in '04

Dear Lennard;I've seen many times when you recommend a pair of custom orthoticsto alleviate many common cycling issues. I plan on having a pair made formyself, but therein lies my question: when shopping around for a podiatrist(I've heard too many stories about people purchasing expensive orthotics,which then turned out to not be effective), what does an athlete need tospecifically ask or have done to maximize their monetary efficiency? I know that all custom orthotics will be different based on the individual'sneeds, but I'd like some advice from a man who's had effective orthoticsmade. Are

American pro Christian Vande Velde confirmed Tuesday that he is close to reaching an agreement with Roberto Heras’s Liberty Seguros team. The U.S. Postal team rider told VeloNews that he has been negotiating with the Liberty squad since late last year and that the two parties are close to finalizing a deal, “although nothing has been signed at this point.” Vande Velde, who spends much of his season based in Gerona, Spain, said that he still has a year remaining on his current contract, “and some of those details need to be worked out,” before he can formally make the switch to the team now

Tour de France prologue winner Bradley McGee said he’s planning on making an all-out assault on the 2004 Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under as a springboard to what he hopes is an Olympic medal. “I'm confident I'll have better form than I did this year so I can attack the race because my goal is for a strong early season,” said the FDJeux.com rider in an interview on the race web page. “The best way to ensure I'll be firing when I get back to Europe is to be in the race and competitive in South Australia.” Set to join McGee in the TDU (Jan. 20-25) are 2003 Tour de France stage winner and green