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Three-straight Tour de France podium appearances gives Joseba Beloki quiet confidence going into the 2003 Tour. Often criticized for simply following rather than attacking, Beloki believes his time has come. The ONCE rider says he’s feeling better than ever and promises to give reigning champion Lance Armstrong a run for his money. “I feel better than other years,” Beloki told the Spanish sports daily AS in an interview. “I will go to win. I believe it’s time. You have to try to force Armstrong’s decline instead of just waiting for it and I believe this is a good year for that to

Subaru-Gary Fisher rider Nat Ross called the other day, and I could almost hear him grinning from across the Atlantic after his big 24-hour solo win at the UK’s June 21-22 Saab-Salomon Mountain Mayhem event. Held near Birmingham, England, the race is now in its sixth and most successful year, with online registration selling out its 80 solo and 380 team spots in, coincidentally, just over 24 hours. Ross — who took second at the NORBA 24-hour national championship earlier this year — didn’t have to worry about registration; his boss, mountain-bike legend Gary Fisher, co-sponsored the event

Dear Doctor;I am a 42-year-old Cat. 2 racer with a history of lifelong fitness and no significant health problems. I recently had a blood cholesterol screening done at a health fair while I was out of town.My levels were:total cholesterol 142 mg/dLHDL = 42mg/dlLDL = 80mg/dlTotal/HDL Ratio = 3.38The doctor on hand told me that I should see a cardiologist when I return home, because my ratio – total to HDL - was 3.38, well below the target value of 4.0. Despite the fact that my overall level was low, he felt I might be developing harmful plaque deposits in my blood vessels. Upon return home I

Alexander Vinokourov just couldn't help himself. Leading the Tour of Switzerland since regaining the overall lead in Tuesday's time trial, the Kazakh jumped with less than a kilometer to go in Wednesday's 152km final stage into Aarau and was caught 300 meters from the line. It's not that he really needed the stage win. Second-place rider Francesco Casagrande (Lampre) didn't start the ninth and final stage due to high fever and a urinary infection and all Vinokourov had to do was finish safely in the main bunch to claim final victory. "I tried to win the stage but I'm not disappointed at

Dear Monique;What is the best way to take in sodium during a competition? In longer triathlons I invariably experience cramping during the run, which I suspect is due to some level of naturemia. Can I simply add salt to my drinking water, or is there a better way? -- HD Dear Monique;I am a road cyclist who is prone to leg cramping during strenuous rides, particularly on hot days or hill climbs. I have tried many remedies, but to no avail. Recently I came across a website advertising a sports drink that claims to keep cramps at bay with 282 mg sodium, 584 mg potassium, and 210 mg of

Mark Gorski will step down July 1 as chief executive officer of Tailwind Sports after eight years in the sports-marketing company’s top job. Vice president Dan Osipow, director of operations for the Tailwind-managed U.S. Postal Cycling Team, will become interim general manager. "It is with a mixture of sadness, satisfaction and new opportunity that I announce my resignation," said Gorski. "After many months of consideration, I decided that it was best for me personally, professionally, and most importantly, for my family, to step down." Gorski will be leaving the sports-marketing business

Cooke captures the stage win

Rogers sews up Route du Sud Quick Step's Michael Rogers held off challengers in Tuesday's 156km climb-riddled finale to clinch the overall title of the 27th Route du Sud. Cofidis' David Moncoutie jumped ahead of Alessio's Pietro Caucchioli to win the final stage, which included climbs up the Col de Peyresourde and finished on a steep climb up the on the Port de Balès summit. "It has been a difficult day, but today my teammates were fantastic," Rogers said, a winner of five races this season. "The last up hill section was really very hard. When Moncoutie and Caucchioli launched themselves

Dear Lennard Zinn;Is it true that the Zipp clincher 404/303s will break up when tire pressure exceeds 140? --JV Dear JV;Below is a long answer to your question, but it is worth reading, as it addresses, in addition to the specific Zipp question, the general question many of us have about how much pressure a clincher rim can handle.--Lennard Answer from ZippDear Lennard and JV;In short, no, a ZIPP 303 or 404 clincher will not break up when tire pressure exceeds 140psi. The source of this concern may stem from one or both of two sources: either from the Maximum psi sticker ZIPP now applies to

Alexandre Vinokourov regained the overall lead of the 67th Tour of Switzerland on Tuesday after erasing a 37-second gap to Italian Francesco Casagrande in the 33km individual time trial. Australian Brad McGee (Fdjeux.com) surprised Germans Uwe Peschel and 1997 Tour de France champion Jan Ullrich to claim the stage victory. American Bobby Julich (Telekom) was seventh. Riding in 90-degree heat, McGee was timed in 42 minutes, 20.77 seconds, 23 seconds faster than Peschel (Gerolsteiner) and 50 seconds faster than Ullrich (Bianchi). Vinokourov was poised to recapture the lead from Casagrande

Allen Larsen fell into an embrace with his family moments after winning the 2003 Insight Race Across America at 9:42 a.m. Tuesday morning, exactly eight days, 23 hours, and 36 minutes and 2992 miles after he left San Diego. Larsen maintained a 13.55 mile per hour average over the duration to win RAAM in only his second year competing in the non-stop transcontinental bike race. Larsen took a gamble early on when he opted to forego a rest break until after he reached New Mexico, 700 miles and almost two days into the race. The risky tactic earned him a lead he never relinquished. The move

They say curiosity killed the cat but, as I write this, I still feel pretty good. It's one of those trivial little technical details that's been plaguing me this entire race season: why on earth is the men's world cross-country mountain bike champion wearing mid-level shoes both racing on the road and off? Earlier this year, we saw Roland Green compete in the Tour de Langkawi not sporting Shimano's top-of-the-line SH-R214 carbon road shoe, but instead, the Canadian was seen donning the single strap SH-TR01 triathlon shoe. Later in the year, we see Green roll up to both NORBA and world cup

Zipp 404s

Zipp 303s

Vino's fifth was good enough for first

Tri shoes for The Champ?

Red, white and you...if you hurry.

Zipp's in the bar business too

Aussie Michael Rogers won Monday’s 34km individual time trial and grabbed the overall lead of the Route du Sud race in southern France. Rogers was fastest over the rolling course to score his fourth win of the 2003 season. “The route was tricky. There wasn’t even a meter of flat,” Rogers said. “The roads were narrows and dangerous, making it easy to make mistakes. I was very cautious and thankfully everything turned out well.” Rogers moves 1:51 ahead of Frenchman Nicolas Vogondy (Fdjeux.com) with one stage to go. “Tomorrow there are two up hill sections roughly half way through the

Telekom’s Sergei Yakovlev won the seventh and longest stage of the Tour du Suisse on Monday while Lampre’s Francesco Casagrande finished safely in the main bunch to retain the overall lead. The Kazakh rider was part of a six-man breakaway that led for 160 km of the 231-km stage which began in Switzerland and ended just over the German border. Yakovlev’s American teammate, Bobby Julich, was part of an eight-man chase group that was sent down the road in case the leaders wilted under the long distances. Yakovlev jumped out of the break with 15km to go and hung on to score the win while

A solo win

Casagrande still in charge

Phonak’s Oscar Pereiro held off his pursuers to take a solo victory in the sixth stage of the Tour of Switzerland Sunday, a 135km ride around Silvaplana. Bianchi’s Jan Ullrich came in just over a minute later followed by the promising Kim Kirchen of Luxembourg. Francesco Casagrande (Lampre) retained the overall lead of the race ahead of Tuesday's 33km time trial where second-placed Alexandre Vinokourov (Telekom) is aiming to regain the lead. Kazakh rider Vinokourov may well keep his promise. His 37-second deficit will seem like almost nothing given his excellent season so far, having won

Paternia’s Jose Antonio Pecharroman held off the best efforts of U.S. Postal's Roberto Heras to claim overall victory in the Tour of Catalunya after Sunday's seventh and final stage in Barcelona. The 25-year-old Pecharroman beat Heras by 43 seconds with two more Spaniards Koldo Gil and Rafael Casero coming third and fourth in the overall standings. Angel Vicioso (ONCE) won the final stage after holding off Postal’s George Hincapie in the sprint. Both Heras and Hincapie will be key elements in the American team in the next fortnight as Lance Armstrong gets his record-equalling bid for a

It may have come a day later than he would have liked, but Seamus McGrath (Haro-Lee Dungarees) finally won his first NORBA race, taking Sunday’s short track at Mount Snow. After finishing second to Roland Green (Trek-Volkswagen) in Saturday’s cross-country, McGrath left nothing to chance today, attacking breakaway compatriot Filip Meirhaghe (Specialized) with three laps to go, just as Green was about to bridge to the leading duo. McGrath kept his margin through to the finish, celebrating a win that was a long time coming only after checking to make sure Meihaghe was well in the rearview

Not even losing the ability to sit down could slow Cedric Gracia at Mount Snow. The 25-year-old Siemens-Cannondale rider closed out the weekend’s racing by winning the men’s downhill, even though he broke off his saddle midway through his winning run. “I tried sitting back down [on the rails],” said the charismatic Frenchman. “But it was no good, I just had to ride standing up, which isn’t so easy.” With the infamous Yard Sale rock garden section of the course shortened due to safety concerns, riders depended on skill more than luck. In order to negotiate what remained of the Yard Sale

John Lieswyn and his 7UP-Maxxis squad successfully defended the yellow jersey in the final stage of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce, Lubor Tesar (Ed's Systeme-ZVVZ) just holding off Charles Dionne (Canadian National) to take the final stage victory. Lieswyn had held the jersey from stage one, and started the final stage47 seconds in front of Chris Baldwin (Navigators). Tomas Konecny (Ed'sSystem-ZVVZ) and Danny Pate (Prime Alliance) were also less than a minute behind, so 7 Up could not afford to rest, despite having spent a week at the front of the peloton. The final stage of Beauce is no

Harreither-VAV Versicherung won the 2003 Insight Race Across America team competition Sunday night when the four men crossed the finish line on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey at 10:13 p.m.(EST). The four Austrian cyclists rode a relay from San Diego over the course of six days, six hours and 13 minutes. After initial head-to-head battles with Team Vail-Go Fast in the deserts of Southern California, Harreither has led the race since Vail withdrew after one of its riders was killed in a tragic accident in New Mexico. (see "RAAM rider killed in New Mexico") The members of the

Casagrande leads

Ullrich took second on Sunday

Gracia

Steb

Jose Antonio Pecharroman (Paternina) virtually secured victory in the Tourof Catalunya on Saturday after winning a time trial to take the overalllead from defending champion Roberto Heras.Pecharroman covered the 8.14-mile sixth leg in 21 minutes and 49 seconds.Heras, the defending champion riding for the U.S. Postal Service team,finished 52 seconds back. The time lag cost Heras the nine-second overalllead he held over Pecharroman for the last two days.With one stage remaining, Pecharroman now holds a comfortable 43-secondoverall lead over Heras in Spain's oldest bike race. Sunday's final

Lampre’s Francesco Casagrande won the 177m fifth stage of the Tour of Switzerland Saturday, reaching the summit finish at La Punt with enough of a margin to take the overall lead in the Swiss national tour. Casagrande, who began the day six seconds behind overall leader, Alexandre Vinokourov (Telekom), at the start of the stage, finished 39sec ahead of the Kazakh following the 20km ascent of the Col du Albula at 2315m altitude. When Casagrande attacked only Vinokourov could stay with him though he soon concluded the effort was taking a toll on him and eased off as the Italian continued

France’s Sabrina Jonnier (Fox Racing) took advantage of a bottleneck atthe start of the mountain cross finals and cruised to an easy win on thehigh speed Mt. Snow course near Dover, Vermont. With everyone keen to get the holeshot to the first corner, Jonnier,Katrina Miller (Jamis), Marla Streb (Luna) and Jill Kitner (Staats Bike-Fox)tangled in the first 50 meters of the finals, with only Jonnier exitingthe scrum cleanly. From there, the 22-year-old woman from Nice just hadto stay upright, which she did. “Everyone was leaning all over each other,” said Jonnier, “I pushedback and that’s how I

John Lieswyn continues to hold onto the lead at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce after two stages back-to-back on Saturday. In the morning's 15-kilometer time trial, the 7UP-Maxxis rider finished second to Navigator's Chris Baldwin, the U.S. national time trial champion. Baldwin, the reigning U.S. time trial champion, professes to be surprised at his performances in the race against the clock this year. "I don't know why, but this year I'm really hot,” Baldwin said. “I guess a good bike equals good results." Eric Wohlberg (Canadian National), the perennial Canadian national time trial

As you slept last night, they rode. As you ate breakfast three days ago, they rode. As you commuted to work all last week, they rode. Think of anything you’ve done over the last week, and while you’ve been doing it, riders in the 2003 Race Across American have been riding. They have endured rainstorms, burning deserts, headwinds, crosswinds and even the joy of the occasional tailwind. They have crossed more than a dozen mountains. They have hammered through the night on roads so straight they could not tell how far they’d gone. They have plummeted in and out of rolling hills so steep,

Riding for a local New England bike manufacturer and cheered on by a crowd that could sense an upset, Mary McConneloug (Seven Cycles) won Saturday’s Mount Snow NORBA cross-country. McConneloug, who spends half her year training on Martha’s Vineyard, dropped three-time world champion Alison Sydor (Trek-Volkswagen) on the last climb of the last lap and held her advantage on Mt. Snow’s infamous, rooty, rocky, singletrack descent. “I’d always thought I could do this,” said McConneloug of her win, “but actually doing it never seemed to happen.” The win was McConneloug’s first ever podium in

The new leader

San Bernardino Pass

Casagrande wins stage and takes lead in Switzerland

Pecharroman

McConneloug

Green and McGrath

Rabobank’s Oscar Freire outkicked the bunch to win the fifth stage of the Tour of Catalunya Friday. Freire finished the 166.3km stage from Llivia to Manresa in 3:46:37, ahead of Angel Vicioso (ONCE-Eroski) and Rene Haselbacher (Gerolsteiner). Results:1. Oscar Freire (Sp), Rabobank, 3:46:372. Angel Vicioso (Sp), ONCE-Eroski, same time3. Rene Haselbacher (Aut), Gerolsteiner, s.t.4. Roberto Lozano (Sp), Kelme, s.t.5. Inaki Isasi (Sp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, s.t.6. Carlos Torrent (Sp), Paternina-Costa Almeria, s.t.7. Filippo Pozzato (I), Fassa Bortolo, s.t.8. George Hincapie (USA), U.S. Postal.

Up-and-coming Frenchman Sandy Casar held off a bunch of big-name sprinters to win the fourth stage of the Tour of Switzerland between Viege and Losone on Friday. Casar, the 24-year-old Fdjeux.com rider who made his name when finishing second in last year's Paris-Nice, held off Luxembourg's Kim Kirchen and Australian Stuart O'Grady after the 166.5km ride. Coming in just behind was Australian sprinter Robbie McEwen, the winner of last year's Tour de France green jersey, and CSC's talented Kiwi Julian Dean - both of whom had battled at the finish on Thursday. Alexander Vinokourov of

After what seems like months, finally, a column about … cycling. Last week, after the USPRO Championship in Philadelphia, VN.com reader Michael Batley e-mailed the following question: “Do you think it’s time for us to go to a U.S.-citizen-only pro championship? It seems like we have the numbers in the peloton to do it now. Why the continual inclusion of the Euro pros?” It’s a topic that comes up from time to time, often as a reaction to the “race within a race” situation, such as this year, where the USPRO champion and the race winner aren’t necessarily one and the same. So, I figured I’d

USA Cycling has announced its automatic selections for the U.S. team attending the 2003 World Track Championships July 30-August 3 in Stuttgart, Germany. Many of the automatic selections earned their world's-team selections by winning their respective events at the 2003 Pan Am and World Championship Qualifier last weekend in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The U.S. team includes: Giddeon Massie (Colorado Springs) - team sprint, sprint,keirinJames Carney (Boulder, Colorado) - scratch raceColby Pearce (Boulder) - points raceStephen Alfred (Santa Cruz, California) - team sprint and keirinAnton

As Insight Race Across America leader Allen Larsen passed a time station Friday morning in Jefferson City, Missouri, he was nearly 200 miles ahead of second-place Rob Kish. And once again, thanks to back and neck pain from an old traffic accident, he was wearing a back and neck brace – but not the homemade wood-and-duct-tape kind that made his rookie-of-the-year finish last year so memorable. At his current pace, which has fallen a little from challenging Pete Penseyres's 1986 transcontinental record of 15.4 mph, Larsen should win RAAM by Monday. In the team competition, the four-man

John Lieswyn successfully defended his yellow jersey today at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce on the tough Mont Megantic stage, finishing second to former Beauce winner Tomas Konecny, who moved up to second in the general classification. Lieswyn credited his 7UP-Maxxis teammates with inspiring him to ride so well on the feared final climb, which reaches 18 percent in places. "I'm just happy that I didn't let the team down,” he said. “The closer I got to Megantic, the more pressure I felt, because the guys were killing themselves for me. They gave me the confidence and inspiration to do

An all-American USPRO championship probably ain't gonna happen.

Sandy Casar (FDJeux) outkicks the bunch in stage 4.

A beautiful day for a bike race ...

... even for Vinokourov, who crashed but held onto the leader's jersey.

Mountain bike racing will be without two of America's top female riders for a while after both Alison Dunlap and Tara Llanes suffered injuries that have derailed promising 2003 seasons in the span of three days. Dunlap went down first over the weekend, separating her shoulder in a crash at the NCS cross-country race in Snowshoe, West Virginia. Initially it was called a third degree separation, but when Dunlap got back to Colorado Springs doctors told her it was actually a fourth degree and that without surgery she wouldn’t be able to race at an elite level again. “I completely tore all the

This just in: Rahsaan Bahati (Saturn) will be featured in People's25 “Hottest Bachelors” issue, on stands Friday, June 20. For Bahati, 21,it won’t be his first non-cycling magazine appearance — he was featuredin Details magazine a few months back, and was named by Outsideas one of 2003’s “New All-Stars.” “I’m trying to get on the podium next,” joked Bahati, one of a selectfew African-American cyclists to be signed to a pro U.S. cycling team. Bahati came to the attention of Saturn in 2000 when he was only 17 and won the Junior National Road Racing and National Criterium Championships, in

Hi Bob,I have been following your column and appreciate the legal advice you offer to cyclists. Do you have any advice about avoiding accidents for cyclists?Ted G.Menasha, WIDear Ted;That's a great question and one that I thought might best be answered by an expert. So, I went to forensic engineer James Green who specializes in reconstructing bicycle and pedestrian accidents. So here's James's list of the most effective steps you can take to avoid accident and injury:Helmet - One of the absolutely dumbest things a cyclist can do is ride without a helmet. There is no excuse for not having one

Francesco Casagrande (Lampre) won the third stage of the Tour of Switzerland on Thursday to move into second place overall. The Italian is now six seconds behind leader AlexanderVinokourov (Telekom) of Kazakhstan, after winning the 205km stage from Nyon to the Saas Fee ski resort in five hours, 10 minutes, 38 seconds. Mountain specialist Casagrande took the initiative on the final 20kmclimb in the Alps after the riders had traveled around Lake Geneva andthrough the valley of the River Rhone. He finished 13 seconds clear ofLuxembourg's Kim Kirchen (Fassa Bortolo), with leader Vinokourov

Jesus Maria Manzano (Kelme) won the fourth stage of the Tour of Catalunya, a 157km race from Andorra to Llivia on Thursday. Rene Hasselbacher (Gerolsteiner) crossed second, followed by Matthias Kessler (Telekom) in third. U.S. Postal’s Roberto Heras finished 13th to retain the overall lead ahead of Jose Pecharroman (Paternita-Costa Almeria) and Santiago Blanco (Colchon Relax-Fuenlabrada). Heras’s teammate George Hincapie cracked the top 10 on today’s stage, crossing in sixth. Results:1. Jesus Maria Manzano (Sp) Kelme, 4:17:552. Rene Hasselbacher (A), Gerolsteiner, at 0:123. Matthias Kessler

Allen Larsen continued to build his lead over the 2003 Insight Race Across America solo field Thursday – he passed through Yates Center, Kansas, 180 miles ahead of second-place Rob Kish. Larsen, last year’s Rookie of the Year, has maintained an average speed of 15.33 mph, just seven-tenths of a second off the record set by Pete Penseyres in 1986 (15.4). Meanwhile, after the tragic loss of teammate Brett Malin in an Tuesday-night accident in rural New Mexico, Team Vail-Go Fast has withdrawn from the race, handing the lead over to Team Harreither-VAV Versich. The Austrian team is also in

Gord Fraser (Health Net) rebounded overnight from a disappointing finish in the second stage of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Beauce to record his 13th career win at the race in stage 3. John Lieswyn (7UP-Maxxis) finished with the peloton and remains in the yellow jersey. The 151km Lac Etchemin stage is one of the hardest in the race, and has been instrumental in determining the final winner in past years. In 2001, Henk Vogels took the leader's jersey during this stage after a long breakaway, and last year a split in the field put all but 20 riders out of contention. The stage is "relentless,"

Am I hot?

Lampre's Francesco Casagrande celebrates his stage-3 victory

Can you believe a broken foot was the worst injury to come out of this wreck?

Slip-slidin' away in Colombia.

A Team Harreither/VAV Versich rider roars through El Centro, California, late Monday evening

Brett Malin, a 30-year-old from Vail, Colorado, was killed late Tuesday when he was hit by an 18-wheel tractor-trailer rig moments after completing a leg of the 2003 Race Across America. Malin, a member of the four-man Vail-Go Fast team, was riding along a rural stretch of U.S. Highway 60, 10 miles east of Pie Town, New Mexico, when he completed a 30-minute relay leg in the race a few minutes before midnight and was quickly relieved by teammate Zach Bingham. As is the practice of teams competing in RAAM, Malin’s pace vehicle passed him to continue down the course with the team’s new rider.

Dear Monique;I just read your article on pre-race eating. I will be racing for thefirst time this July and this is a big concern for me as I am very sensitiveto low fuel levels. I have heard that it is a good idea to eat three hoursbefore a race. Most of the races I know of start around 8:00 a.m. to 8:30a.m. This requires eating at 5:00 a.m., or so. The problems I have withthis are waking up (and feeling rested) and being able to eat any kindof significant amount that early in morning. Even at my normal waking hour,I can’t eat much. Is this really the best way? Are there alternatives orother

Mario Cipollini's Domina Vacanze team on Wednesday threatened to sue the organizers of the Tour de France for being excluded from this year's race. In a statement posted on its official website, Domina Vacanze team officials said that if their appeal to the UCI to be included in the Tour was rejected they would seriously consider taking legal action in the matter. The Italian team, which was overlooked for one of the four wild card places, is unhappy that several of the teams invited to take part in this year's centenary race ranked considerably below Domina Vacanze in the UCI rankings.

Lotto-Domo's Robbie McEwen has claimed his first-ever stage win in the Tour de Suisse on Wednesday. The 31-year-old Aussie topped a Southern Hemispheric podium he beat CSC’s New Zealander Julian Dean and fellow Australian Stuart O'Grady (Crédit Agricole). Telekom’s Alexandre Vinokourov retained the overall lead. Another Australian Bradley McGee saw his hopes of playing a part in the finish ruined as he had his route blocked by a Lotto team-mate of McEwen's in the final 500 meters - it also prevented him from gaining enough bonus time to replace Vinokourov as overall leader. However McEwen