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After being overlooked for the Tour de France by his Telekom team, American Bobby Julich will now prepare for September’s Vuelta a España and October’s world championships. “Bobby’s plan now is to come back to the U.S. to do some high altitude training during July, then have a great Vuelta and world championships at the end of the season,” read an entry on Julich’s official web page. Telekom will be anchored by sprinting ace Erik Zabel and three riders with eyes on the final podium: Santiago Botero, Alexandre Vinokourov and Paolo Savoldelli. Rounding out the team are Rolf Aldag, Matthias

Published Jun 26, 2003

News

Legally Speaking – with Bob Mionske

Bob;What are the most common types of bicycle accidents?Mike APhoenixDear Mike;For many years, there was vehement debate over this question. Virtuallyall statistics relating to bicycle accidents came from police accidentreports, and critics maintained that this database systematically under-reportedbicycle wrecks that did not involve a motor vehicle. Finally, in 1999,a team of researchers at the Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC) of theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill performed a large-scale studyof bike wrecks based on emergency room admissions. Their findings largelysupported

Published Jun 26, 2003

Road

Fitchburg kicks off Thursday

More than 800 cyclists of all categories will descend on Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Thursday to compete in the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic stage race. Now in its 44th edition — the race was first held as a single-day event in 1960 — Fitchburg-Longsjo has evolved into one of the major races on the U.S. calendar; past competitors include Greg LeMond, Lance Armstrong, Eric and Beth Heiden, Rebecca Twigg, Connie Carpenter and Davis Phinney. The event began as a tribute to Arthur M. Longsjo, Jr., a Fitchburg native and the first person to compete in both the Summer (cycling) and Winter (speed

Published Jun 26, 2003

Mountain

MTB News and Notes: Midseason Awards

Unlike baseball or basketball, there’s no official halfway point in themountain biking season. But with three of five NORBAs in the books andthe World Cup slate well underway, it seems like an appropriate time tohand out some midseason awards. So without further ado, here’s the bestand worst from the opening stanza of the 2003 mountain bike season. Biggest SurpriseSo many candidates here that’s it’s hard to pick just one. Right fromthe beginning, at the NORBA opener in Big Bear Lake, there’s been a steadystream and new faces gracing the top of podium. There was Eric Carter’sstunning double

Published Jun 26, 2003

News

The Centennial Challenge

Anniversaries are big in France. Take the year 1989, which was the bicentennial of the French Revolution. The bicentennial’s big celebration came on the Fourteenth of July, and the Tour de France organizers just happened to schedule that day’s stage finish in Marseille, the city after which the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, is named. The race saw plenty of attacks by French riders that day, and the stage was won in a late solo attack by the blond rider from Normandy, Vincent Barteau. Acelebration followed on a hot, steamy night, as huge crowds watched a mammoth fireworks display

Published Jun 26, 2003

News

Americans at the Tour: Levi Leipheimer

Improving on last year, that’s the goal for American Levi Leipheimeras he heads into his second Tour de France. In an impressive debut in 2002,the Rabobank rider fought his way to eighth place after a spectacular finalweek in the Alps. And despite emergency surgery for blocked intestineslast August, the 29-yearold says he is back in winning shape and wantsto inch closer to the Tour podium. “I want to improve on last year, for the sponsors and everyone else,”Leipheimer said. “The expectations are higher. I want to keep doing mybest and put into effect everything I’ve learned.” EXCITING

Published Jun 26, 2003

News

Aussies at the Tour

It's been a long time coming but the Aussie presence at this year's Tour de France is going to reach record levels. A potential seven Australian professionals, riding for four teams, are being lined up for this year's centenary race and although that's no mean feat, just wait till the race itself gets underway next Saturday, July 5. No-nonsense Queenslander Robbie McEwen, who rides for the Belgian Lotto outfit, pulled off a coup of sorts when he ended Erik Zabel's bid to win a seventh straight green points jersey. However McEwen, who goes into the race a little less primed than at this

Published Jun 26, 2003

Road Racing

Baldwin, Ulmer speedy at Fitchburg TT

Stage 1 of the Fitchburg-Longsjo Classic, a seven-mile out-and-back time trial finishing with a 500 meter climb, was held Thursday in scorching New England heat and humidity, with Navigators Chris Baldwin and Kiwi Sarah Ulmer (TDS) taking their respective leaders jerseys. In the women's race, Saturn's Jessica Phillips was the first to set a time that looked to stick on the leader's board with an 18:26:29. Phillips remained the leader until Ulmer (TDS) flew across the line fourteen seconds faster. Ulmer’s time of 18:12:88 remained untouched as Phillips’ Saturn teammate Katie Mactier finished

Published Jun 26, 2003

News