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The three-day Valley of the Sun John Earley Memorial Stage Race kicks off today with an individual time trial in the western Phoenix-metropolitan area. The 12th annual race continues Saturday with a road race south of Phoenix and concludes Sunday with a criterium downtown, near the State Capitol. Among the elite men’s teams slated to compete are Colavita-Bolla, featuring U.S. national champion Mark McCormack, Australian national champion Nathan O’Neill and Cuban sprinter Ivan Dominguez; the local Landis-Trek-VW squad, which won the 2003 Tour of the Gila and Vuelta de Bisbee; and Team Monex,

Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com) nipped Mario Cipollini (Domina Vacanze) in an exciting photo-finish sprint to take his second stage in three days Friday at the Tour Mediterranean. The 25-year-old Australian picked up his fourth win of the season (Tour Down Under stage, GP d‘Ouverture and Med Tour stage 1) at the expense of 37-year-old Cipollini, racing for just his fourth day of the season. Cooke was beaming after beating Cipollini head-to-head for the first time. “It was a difficult sprint. Cipollini tried to block me but couldn’t,” Cooke told Reuters. “To finally beat Cipollini, that’s

While some may consider Redlands to be the unofficial “season opener” to the U.S. road-racing calendar, it’s not like there’s really an Opening Day when everybody gets under way. Health Net-Maxxis has been racing for a week now in Malaysia, Navigators has the Tour Down Under and an Italian one-day race under its belt, and a number of pros have probably tested the waters in some warm-weather locales across the southern part of the U.S. But there’s no “pre-season” races in cycling, no exhibition games – once you start racing, everything counts. With that in mind, this weekend’s Valley of the

Nathan O’Neill (Colavita-Bolla) gave his new sponsor something to celebrate with a victory in the opening stage of the Valley of the Sun stage race on Friday. The former Saturn racer covered the 13.6-mile individual time trial in 24:05:06, 22 seconds faster than Mariano Friedick (Jelly Belly) and an additional two seconds ahead of Joey Dantoni (Cycles de Oro). Defending champ Aaron Olsen (Colavita-Bolla) was 14th, 1:12 off the pace. In the women’s race, T-Mobile put two racers in the top three. Mari Holden took the win in 27:15:17, with teammate Lynn Gaggioli third at 0:15 and Rona’s

Stage 8 map

Pagliarini (l) takes it with a well-timed throw

The madness begins.

Perez (r) with teammate Gonzalez

Fraser's got the points jersey, but Pagliarini has two stage wins

Health Net's Danny Pate

Health Net's Sayers and Lieswyn head to the hills tomorrow

Cooke nips SuperMario at the line

Astarloa holds onto his leader's jersey

The race winds past the Roguefavour Aqueduct

[nid:26855]On a hot, flat stage 7 designed for the peloton’s musclemen, Brazilian hotshot Luciano Pagliarini (Lampre) took a mass sprint Thursday, narrowly edging out points leader Gord Fraser (Health Net). It was Pagliarini’s first win this year, to add to the three consecutive wins he took in Malaysia in 2003. “I want to thank my team,” a grinning Pagliarini said, clearly happy to have the first win of the year under his belt. “They had a lot of confidence in me, and brought me to the finish.”

An Australian cyclist is facing doping charges, an Australian Sports Commission (ASC) spokesman said Thursday. Reuters reported that the ASC released a short statement but declined to name the cyclist, although his identity has been widely published in local media. “The ASC and Cycling Australia have both written to the athlete outlining the nature and basic details of the alleged doping offences and are awaiting a response from the athlete,” the ASC said. “The ASC continues to work with Cycling Australia in relation to this matter. ASC rules state an athlete on doping charges has 14

After four days of training together, and with just two days until their first race of the season, the new-look Colavita Pro Cycling Team is beginning to take shape. Significantly upgraded in the personnel and organizational departments, the 2004 iteration of Colavita bears only a passing resemblance to the ’03 version of the squad. Just four riders remain from the Colavita-Bolla squad that passed last year in relative anonymity, and the 11-rider roaster boasts a host of “name” riders. Chief among the changes in the ’04 was the late-fall signing of USPRO road champion Mark McCormack. After

A lot more will be known next week, but it is looking more and more like downhiller Chris Kovarik will miss a significant chunk of the 2004 race season after shattering his ankle in a motocross accident last fall. According to an e-mail from Scott Sharples, Australia national team downhill coach, “Chris is still wearing his ‘roll cage’, or steel support frame. His next check up is on February 16, and he hopes to get [the leg halo] off then.” Next up, Kovarik will be outfitted with a normal cast. The length of time he has to wear that will depend on what his doctors find when they take the

Two big names moved to the front of the pack in Thursday’s climb-riddled 130km second stage of the Tour Mediterranean. World Cup champion Paolo Bettini (Quick Step) and world champion Igor Astarloa (Cofidis) finished 1-2 ahead of about 30 lead riders, with Bettini taking the stage and Astarloa grabbing the race leader’s yellow jersey. The pair made headlines last fall when Astarloa suggested Bettini offered a pay-off to throw the road world championships in Hamilton. Astarloa quickly retracted the statement and the two have since made up. There was no sign of any hangover of bad feeling

In the beginning there was RockShox. When first raced in 1990, Paul Turner’sRS-1 fork jump-started the suspension revolution. As you’re most likelyaware, Manitou followed suit and produced its own elastomer-sprung forkjust a year later. Within two short years the two suspension companieshad locked horns over market share (albeit small dollars way back then). Fast forward to 2004 and the two are back at it again-this time vyingover potentially millions of dollars in original equipment spec' and aftermarket sales. Stroll on down to your local bike shop and take an informal poll and I’ll bet

A federal grand jury charged four people on Thursday linked to the top names in international sport with 42 counts of distributing illegal steroids and human growth hormones. Following a six-month probe behind closed doors of the global sport doping scandal, U.S. officials charged Victor Conte, owner of Burlingame, California-based BALCO Laboratories, his vice-president Jim Valente, famous track coach Remi Korchemny and Greg Anderson, a personal trainer to U.S. baseball legend Barry Bonds. The four men are expected to appear in court on Friday. "While operating BALCO, Conte and others

Stage 7 map

Captain America: USPRO National Champion Mark McCormack

Australian National Time Trial champion Nathan O\'Neill

Time for a bike throw...

... a matter of inches

A happy reminder that this is not the Tour de France

Bettini edges Astarloa for the win

Manitou has the upper hand... for now.

Leipheimer and Julich fared well

[nid:26841]Italian sprinter Ivan Quaranta (Formaggi Pinzolo) won the first fieldsprint of the Tour de Langkawi Wednesday, following a pancake-flat 175kmstretch from Muar to Johor Bahru, Malaysia’s portal to neighboring Singapore.Two South Americans — Brazilian Luciano Pagliarini (Lampre) and ArgentineanRuben Bongiorno (Panaria) filled out the top-three; Canadian Gord Fraserwas fourth.

World Cup champion Nicole Cooke says she might skip the series opener later this month in Australia to focus entirely on the Olympics and world championships. The 20-year-old British star became the youngest rider to win the overall World Cup last year, but she told BBC Sport that she’s still feeling pain from a knee injury suffered in a crash last June “I've had 10 weeks without training and that's left a massive hole in my preparation,” she told BBC Sport. “Given that, the Olympics and the World Championships are the target this year.” Cooke said the allure of the Olympics could prove

It was an all-star cast taking the initiative in Wednesday’s 111km opening stage of the Tour Mediterranean with last year’s green jersey winner Baden Cooke (FDJeux.com) edging classics strongman Michele Bartoli (CSC) in a 20-up sprint. Some of cycling’s biggest names seemed anxious to test their form as a group of about 20 riders tore away from the main bunch early in the sunny stage featuring two Category 1 climbs. “Since I was the only sprinter in the group I worked to stay with them in the break,” said Cooke, who’s already won at the Tour Down Under and the GP d’Ouverture. World

Dear Monique,This time of season many of us are including resistance training inour current training programs. What can I do nutritionally to maximizemy strength-building efforts? I am specifically interested in what I caneat before and after weight training. How do my nutritional strategiesdiffer after a long bike ride or run?ThanksBK Dear BK,For the cyclists and triathletes who opt to include resistance trainingin their program, nutritional considerations should include both one'sdaily training diet (especially when combined with your regular endurancetraining), and before and

Stage 6 map

Quaranta timed it perfectly

Good roads and....

Quaranta put on the charm before the start

Gert Vanderaerden is working with TV crews to provide an in-the-peloton perspective

Lots of horsepower and plenty of motivation

Astarloa in this season's ensemble.

Cooke in yellow

[nid:26838]Canadian rocket Eric Wohlberg stormed through a tight 18km circuit in central Melaka to take the time-trial stage of the Telekom Malaysia Le Tour de Langkawi on Tuesday. “I went as hard as I could. It was really tough out to the turn but I had the lead at that point and was really surfing coming back,” Wohlberg said at the finish. It was a double triumph for the strong man, originally from Ontario but now residing in California, as he also led his compatriots Roland Green and Peter Wedge to the team prize.

Keeping important parts comfyDear Lennard,This isn't a nuts and bolts question, but I thought you might shedsome light on this subject. Most roadies I know (including myself) preferto wear bib shorts with leg warmers instead of tights in cold weather.I can't understand why nobody makes a short with a windproof panel in thesensitive chamois region. Surely I'm not the first to think of this.JayDear Jay,Good question! No, you are certainly not the first to wonder this!Here are somewhat contradictory answers from De Marchi and from Sportful,which also owns Castelli.From De MarchiDear Lennard,The

Portuguese rider Candido Barbosa won his second stage and wrapped up the overall victory in the three-day GP Correos in Portugal. Barbosa edged two Spanish riders to take his second stage in three days and lay claim to the spoils of the first Portuguese race of the season. Garzelli confident in GiroStefano Garzelli (Vini Caldirola-Nobili Rubinetterie) wants another maglia rosa to go along with 2000 victory and is putting everything into winning the 2004 Giro d’Italia. The 30-year-old from Varese told La Gazzetta dello Sport that he’s confident he can take down defending champion Gilberto

Stage 5 map

Perez back in yellow

Lieswyn takes third

[nid:26834]It was another day for breakaways in Malaysia, as Australian Sean Sullivan of the South African Barloworld squad took the fourth stage of the Tour de Langkawi in a dramatic two-up sprint against breakaway companion Devis Miorin (De-Nardi) after 100km off the front. Behind, Canadian Gord Fraser of Health Net won the bunch sprint for a second consecutive day, adding to his points jersey tally and confirming that, at this tour, he’s the sprinter to beat.

Sprinting superstar Mario Cipollini will start Wednesday’s Tour Méditerranéendespite crashing hard in Sunday’ GP Costa degli Etruschi, team officialsreported Monday. Cipollini wasn’t seriously injured in the spill about 2.5km from thefinish line along Italy’s coast, with his helmet evidently protecting the2002 world champion from serious injury. “Despite the hard crash in the finish Sunday, Cipollini will be at theTour Méditerranéen,” said Domina Vacanze sport director AntonioSalutini. “This will be the first stage race of the season for Cipolliniand the team. Our goal is to win a

Stage 4 map

Fraser holds the points jersey

Dancers provide a send-off

Saying 'I do' on the podium

[nid:26830]Panaria’s 24-year-old Brett Lancaster, a member of Australia’s four-man world record-setting team pursuit squad, pulled off a courageous stage victory Sunday in heavy rain at the Tour de Langkawi. After Saturday’s 60km climbing day, the event’s third stage featured 100km of flat terrain before ascending a gradual pitch at Gap Rest House (elevation 881m), deep in Malaysia’s highland country. The course then quickly dropped into a fast and winding 35km descent to the town of Raub.

French team Ag2r enjoyed a banner day Sunday in the final day of theEtoile de Bessèges, claiming the overall title with Laurent Brochardand the stage victory for veteran sprinter Jaan Kirsipuu.Thirteen riders escaped early in the 145.8km stage between Pont Gaignièresand Bessèges and stayed away until the final lap on the finishingcircuit. Kirsipuu surged ahead of Saulius Ruskys (MBK-Oktos) to take hissecond stage of the five-day race.Stuart O’Grady (Cofidis) nipped former teammate and rival Thor Hushovd(Credit Agricole) to take third, but the Aussie didn’t win a stage in hisseason debut.

Stage 3 map

Before the storm: Lancaster led from km36.

Health Net leads the chase

Gord' gets the points jersey

Perez loses lead

Teammates Marlon Perez and Freddy Gonzalez of the Columbia-Selle Italia squad set the stage for the general classification on the first of two mountain stages at the 10-day Tour de Langkawi Saturday, finishing first and second on the day’s nearly 60km gradual climb into the Cameron Highlands. It was a good day for the South American squad, which now holds both the yellow leader’s jersey (Perez) and the blue sprinter’s jersey (Gonzalez).

Laurent Brochard (Ag2r) won Saturday’s fourth stage and slipped into the overall lead of the Etoile de Bessèges with just one stage remaining. The victory makes it the first by a French racer of the 2004 season and proves the 36-year-old former world champion still has the desire to race at the sport’s top level. Brochard outfoxed the younger French rider Sylvain Calzati (MBK-Oktos) and Spanish rider Joseba Zubeldia (Euskaltel) in the 150km stage between Branoux les Taillades and Les Salles du Gardon in France. Seven riders attacked on the day’s climb at La Baraque and took a one-minute

Stage 2 map

[nid:26826]Spectators at the finish of the Tour de Langkawi’s flat stage 1 from Penang to Taiping, Malaysia, were surprised to see the peloton roll across the line intact without a contested sprint. What initially appeared to be a rider protest proved to be more a matter of survival after local police marshals errantly waived traffic onto the course following the first of two 8km closing circuits.

With our 2004 Buyer’s Guide entering the critical home stretch, I was hoping I’d be able to dodge this week’s Tech Report, but this press release from Michelin was too important to overlook. As rumored for the past three years, tubeless technology is officially making the crossover to the road. Here are some excerpts from Michelin’s release: Michelin is initially targeting the world of professional road racing in 2004 with three new products: the Michelin Pro Race Tubeless, the Michelin Pro Grip Tubeless and the Michelin Pro Grip Special Paves Tubeless. This year, Michelin-sponsored

South African sprinter Robert Hunter (Rabobank) took care of business in the Middle East to win Friday’s final stage and claim the overall title of the third Tour of Qatar. Hunter won his second stage in three days to claim the overall prize, scoring a big win ahead of Italian Francesco Chicchi (Fassa Bortolo) and Wouter van Mechelen (Vlaanderen), who came across third. With only one second separating race leader Hunter and archrival Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Domo) going into Friday’s 163km finale, it was heated battle from the gun. A group of about 40 riders tore away early as Lotto-Domo

Page 2 news in my local paper yesterday was the story of the 11 Cubans who tried to sail to the U.S. in a 1959 Buick. They had sealed shut the car’s doors and added a double bottom, bow and propeller. However, they were intercepted on their 90-mile journey to Florida by a U.S. Coast Guard vessel, and it was unclear whether they would be allowed to stay in the U.S. or be returned to Cuba. This wasn’t the first attempt for some of them. Some members of the group were intercepted by the Coast Guard last July, trying to make the journey in a 1951 Chevy pickup converted into a boat with

Stage 1 map