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Ever since Stephane Girard decided he missed his native France too much, and left his post as USA Cycling’s mountain bike coach back in 2000, the national governing body had been promising to hire a replacement. But like many promises USAC has made over the years, this one didn’t come true — until now. On January 13, two-plus years after Girard left, USA Cycling announced that 26-year-old Matt Cramer had been hired as the organization’s new mountain bike development director. The new job will have two primary duties: developing young American mountain biking talent, and more importantly at

Colombia Selle-Italia Manager :Gianni Savio1 Munoz, Hernan Dario COL 2 Gonzalez, Fredy COL 3 Garcia, John Fredy COL 4 Marin, Ruber COL 5 Mesa, Huberlino COL 6 Khalilov, Mykhaylo VEN 7 Rujano, Jose' VEN Lampre Manager: Maurizio Piovani 11 Missaglia, Gabriele ITA 12 Sciandri, Maximillian GBR 14 Bertogliati, Rubens SVI 15 Righi, Daniele ITA 16 Pinotti, Marco ITA 17 Pagliarini, Luciano BRA 18 Serpellini, Marco ITA Domina Vacanze-Elitron-Rdz Manager : Enrico Paolini 21 Gonzalez Capilla, Santos ESP 22 Martin Perdiguero, Miguel ESP 23 Lobato Elvira, Ruben ESP 24 Cardellini, Lorenzo ITA 25

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske

Matt Cramer

Dear Monique Ryan; Without doing a complete metabolic work-up on me, I know your answer will be based upon assumptions and estimates. For my activity level, weight, age, etc. I should consume 3000 calories a day simply to maintain my weight. I want to lose weight for the racing season, so I am cutting 500 calories per day, leaving me at 2500. If I go out and hammer on a group training ride, and burn 2000 calories, does that mean my caloric need for the day is 4,500 (the 2500 I usually eat, plus 2000 to replace those burned)? I know I can eat a bit more on heavy days, but I’m really trying

Dear Editors,Totally agree with Brad Libby. This sport seems to get more and more expensive. By the time my daughter may want to race, the fees will be $100 for a licenseLet's not hit people that are starting with high fees. Let’s find another way of getting the money.Pros could possibly work it into their budget when they make a proposal to a sponsor. The promoter could do the same. I know it's a lot of work to promote a bike race, but just pencil it into the budget: Free registration to all beginners.(See Brad Libby’s letter, “Give it up for the sport you love”)We've got to

Former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich has finally made it official and signed a three-year contract with Germany's Team Coast. The 29-year-old Ullrich reached an agreement with the team earlier this month after negotiations with the Danish CSC team – headed by his former Telekom teammate Bjarne Riis -- broke down. Ullrich is earning less money with Coast - a reported annual salary of two million euros a year - than he did with the giant Telekom team. But Ullrich’s relationship with Telekom came unraveled after a troubled year in 2002, which saw him undergo two knee surgeries, face

Quick Step’s Kevin Hulsmans and Spanish rider David Arroyo of ONCE-Eroski will miss next week's Tour Down Under after training crashes on Wednesday. Organizers of the Australian tour said Hulsmans, 24, was hit from behind by a car in the center of Adelaide near the end of a four-hour training ride. He will fly home Thursday for surgery after scans identified a fracture of the left femur, just below his hip joint, team doctor Toon Cruyt said. Quick-Step manager Luca Guercilena said it was too late to fly in another rider from Europe and the team, which includes defending Tour Down Under

Transplanted from California less than a year ago (there, it's official, everyone in Colorado can now hate me) the guys here at the office say the winter has been unusually mild. My early morning frozen water bottles and icy trails might disagree, but hey, at least we're out there and not relegated to the trainer (like I was told I would be before moving out here). Weather aside, the racing/product seasons are right around the corner and we're gearing-up for some pretty hectic travel schedules. For racing coverage, Jason's off to Malaysia, Charles is heading over 'cross

Ullrich joined Coast along with former Telekom director Rudy Pevenage and training partner Tobias Steinhauser

Super light; Super pricey

Where the links come from

More from Italy and the Front Range of Colorado

A lot of the important work is still done by hand.

Ending months of speculation, two-time U.S. professional road champion Fred Rodriguez signed with the Italian Division I Sidermec team, joining tour rider Stefano Garzelli and fellow classics rider Gianluca Bartolami. “The economy of cycling is so low right now, “ said Rodriguez, who had been with out a team since his contract with Domo-Farm Frites had expired. “Everyone is so behind in their sponsorship schedules that I had to wait until everything settled down and Sidermec had the position for me.” Rodriguez joins Bortolami as one of the team’s main classics leaders. “With the experience

Dear readers;I get a lot of questions about cranks – crank lengths, non-standardcranks, compatibility, etc., so I thought I’d just combine a number ofthem here.  --LennardDear Lennard;I would like to read your comments or opinions on a product calledPowerCranks (see at Powercranks.com). I would like to buy a pair to improvemy technique. Thanks for your help. --HeltonDear Helton;PowerCranks are cranks with a clutch bearing at the bottom-bracketconnection in order to only engage the bottom bracket in the forward direction.You can only keep them turning if you pull up and around the entire

A question that I receive often through my "Tech Q&A" column on thissite is how one should remove a seatpost that is stuck in a frame. Ratherthan answer each one, I can simply reprint the section from Chapter 10of "Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance" that touches on thatvery subject.Removing a seatpost that has frustrated all normal methods of removingit is a difficult job requiring lots of attention and skill because ofthe risk involved. This may be a job best done by a shop, because if youmake a mistake you run the risk of destroying your frame. If you’re not100-percent confident

Investigators in the northern Italian city of Pordenone reported Tuesday that preliminary autopsy results indicate that cyclist Denis Zanette died of natural causes last Friday. The 32-year-old Zanette, who collapsed during a visit to his dentist’s office, apparently died of a previously undetected heart ailment, prosecutor Antonella Dragotto reported. "A cardiac pathology can be hereditary, but can be difficult to diagnose without detailed clinical testing (and can be) aggravated by a bronchial infection,” Dragotto said. She added the full results of testing would not be known for around

Four-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said Monday he would continue working with controversial Italian doctor Michele Ferrari. The 31-year-old Texan told Le Figaro newspaper in an interview he worked on a daily basis with his full-time coach Chris Carmichael but had a periodic but limited six-year collaboration with Ferrari. "I am not ashamed of it, quite the contrary," he said. "There has never been the slightest ambiguity between us. I have never suspected him of anything, and until I have proof to the contrary I will continue to be fully confident in him. "What counts for me

Gerard Bisceglia continued his USA Cycling Reunion Tour on January 11 by meeting with a group of American Cycling Association executive-committee members, employees and licensees in Denver. After once again conceding the missteps of the previous administration, the CEO of USA Cycling made his pitch for the 2000-plus-member ACA – formerly the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado - to rejoin the national governing body, which it left in 1999. Flanked by USAC marketing vice president Sean Petty, Bisceglia said the new USA Cycling “is not a Politburo that pretends to develop five-year plans

U.S. Postal’s Floyd Landis suffered a broken hip in a bike accident Saturday. In a press release issued Monday, the team reported that Landis suffered a complete oblique fracture of the right femoral neck when he went down hard on his bike returning from a workout at his local gym near his home in Murrieta, California on Saturday afternoon. Landis underwent 90 minutes of surgery at Inland Valley Medical Center in nearby Wildomar Saturday evening and had three titanium screws placed in his hip. "I was about 20 minutes from home and returning from the gym," said Landis. "I was riding down

National cyclo-cross championships were held throughout Europe on Sunday. As is usually the case, the most closely watched titles were up for grabs in Belgium and Holland, where Sven Nijs and Richard Groenendaal scored wins in the men’s events and Hilde Quintens and Daphny Van den Brand took the women’s titles.With Belgians taking four of the last five elite men’s world titles, Sunday’s race in Wielsbeke, Belgium, may be an indicator of the finishing order at the world championships in Monopoli, Italy on Febrary 2. Sven Nijs outsprinted fellow escapee Ben Berden, finishing 17 seconds ahead of

Groenendaal wins in the Netherlands

Jan Ullrich is poised to sign a three-year contract early next week with the German Coast team, his manager Wolfgang Strohband said Saturday. Strohband said that the 1997 Tour de France champion should be officially presented by the team in Essen on Wednesday, January 15. "Now I'm going to get together with Jan and Rudy Pevenage and we'll meet Coast at the beginning of the week," said Strohband. "Some details have still to be worked out." Belgian Pevenage, the sporting director of the Telekom team for eight years, recently left the German squad to join former team leader

He may have talent, but David Millar’s team thinks he hasn’t been living up to it. The top British rider in the European peloton has been told by his French Cofidis team to ramp up his effort this year and start living up to the potential that some believe might one day even win him the Tour de France. Cofidis manager Alain Deloeuil, speaking at the launch of the 2003 squad in Paris on Friday, said he wants Millar, who won a stage in last year's Tour de France to "start working harder". "David was a bit compromised last year because he was ill at the start of the season, but this

Everyone’s crazy except you and me, and I’ve been wondering about you lately.- AnonymousThe VeloNews.com letters column has been stuffed like a Florida ballot box of late with informed opinions about masters and juniors, rednecks and yuppies, and SUVs. Pretty much everyone agrees that one or another of these things sucks like a Hoover upright crosswired to a black hole, especially those SUVs. And it's true, the land-schooner commanders - soccer moms, George C. Scott-as-George S. Patton wanna-bes, and bondage aficionados with sweaty dreams of perpetual confinement in steel and leather

The UCI has released its list of 30 Division I road teams for the 2003season, taking the first major step in the process of determining whichsquads will participating in this year's major World Cup and three majortours. The 10 top-ranked teams among the Division I squads are automaticallyqualified for World Cup races and the season’s three major tours: The Girod’Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España.The UCI's "Top Club"ibanesto.com (Sp)Cofidis (F)Team Coast (G)CSC (Dk)Fassa Bortolo (I)Gerolsteiner (G)Lotto-Domo (B)ONCE (Sp)Rabobank (Nl)U.S. Postal (USA) Other teams (Tour

Fassa Bortolo’s Denis Zanette died after suffering an apparent heart attack at his dentist’s office in the northern Italian city of Pordenone in on Friday. Zanette, who had become a father for the first time shortly after the start of the Giro in May, collapsed suddenly and lost consciousness at his dentist’s office. He was declared dead soon after emergency medical personal brought him to Pordenone’s main hospital. Medical officials said preliminary reports indicated that the 32-year-old cyclist had died of massive heart failure. Investigating magistrate Antonella Dragotto immediately

Friday’s foaming rant: Juniors and masters and vans, o my!

It’s about as far away from a mountain bike race as you can get, but when the two-time reigning world cross-country champ decides to show up at Malaysia’s Tour de Langkawi it’s news. Roland Green has committed to ride in the 10-day road stage race in Malaysia as part of Canada’s national team. Joining the Trek-Volkswagen pro will be fellow mountain bikers Seamus McGrath and Peter Wedge, plus roadies Gord Fraser, Cory Lange and Alexandre Lavallee. And while it will surely be an uphill battle against a solid slate of Euro pros, you have to count Green as at least a dark horse candidate for

Greetings Mr. Mionske,I am a professional triathlete here in the U.S. I am Brazilian and moved here about two years ago and at first I stayed here as a tourist. Now I am a student in Florida. I am planning on applying for the p-1 visa. Can I do that by myself? If not, how much will lawyers usually charge for this service? F.B.Florida Dear F.B,The answer to your inquiry is located in section 214.2(p), C.F.R. A P-1 visa status applies to aliens who wish to stay in the U.S. temporarily "to perform at [a] specific athletic competition as an athlete, individually or as a team, at an

Editors,Given the volume of responses to my letter (see “Mostmasters agree”), I think it would be fair to let me reply. First,I have no political agenda, and I am certainly not one of the "spoiledvets" mentioned in Jay Kidd's reply (see “Biscegliais right”). I spend countless hours mentoring, training, promotingand racing with cyclists of all ages, including a number of juniors.What I get from some of these responses is a general impression thatmasters racers deserve less because some "17-year-old has a real chanceat cycling becoming a big and long lasting part of his/her life," and

Fassa Bortolo’s Michele Bartoli, who crashed during a pre-season training ride in Spain two days ago, has in fact fractured his pelvis, his team announced Thursday. "Michele has suffered a fractured pelvis and needs to relax," team spokesperson Miriam Nordman wrote in an e-mail to media, after confirming the rider's arrival back in Italy. "He will see a specialist tomorrow (Friday) to assess the extent of the damage,” she added. "We cannot say how long he will be out of action until he has seen a doctor. We will know more tomorrow." In his diary notes that appear on his personal

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske

Dear Monique;I had a question about glucosamine. I am trying to determine if I can save a little money by taking a smaller daily dose. Currently I take 1500 mg each of glucosamine and chondroitin, as instructed on the label. Thank you.-- KGDear KG;Glucosamine and chondroitin are two dietary supplements offered as alternatives to standard medical treatment of osteoarthritis, which affects 12 to 15 percent of all adults in the U.S. Researchers estimate that 90 percent of people over the age of 40 exhibit some evidence of this condition in the weight bearing joints. Sixteen million individuals

Despite a name change, Mario Cipollini’s Acqua e Sapone team will enterthe 2003 season largely intact as it aims to build upon its successes oflast year.Cipollini, who had toyed with the idea of forming a team with formerTour and Giro winner Marco Pantani, will again head a team that includeshis trusty lead-out man Giovanni Lombardi.The team, now sponsored by the Italian resort owner Domina Vacanze,will include most of the same riders as last year, and in similar RobertoCavalli-designed, zebra-patterned racing uniforms. One notable absencefrom the '03 team is American Guido Trenti, who

Editors,It may have played itself out in letters already, but I wanted to tossout a reply, as a master, and level the field a bit.I can honestly say that for every young rider with an attitude, I havecome in contact with a masters rider with not only a superiority complex,but also the unfortunate ability to make their comments and actions twiceas bad because they have the experience to pour salt in the wound withthe accuracy of a Navy SEAL sniper.I have met more than my share of "I am so above it all,” know-everything,critical-of-anyone, snobbish, nose-in-the-air,

Dear Lennard ZinnI'm 50 and have arthritis in my left hip. I've been riding a pretty laid-back road bike for years (A LeMond with a 72.5 seat angle, seat all the way back)I do Yoga regularly, and that has helped, but my hips ache when I ride. I’m wondering if sitting further back might be "working" my hips more. The second part is that I have another frame I could have built up, but it's radically different: 73.5 seat, 40.5 stays. The front end is almost the same as the LeMond. Both bikes are steel, the other frame is 753. I'm 6'2" and weigh240. Some people have said the shorter bike would

Well, things are certainly back up-to-speed here at the magazine after the holidays. I hope you had a good one. You'll be glad to know that even though we're all a little teary-eyed over Jeremy "Showtime" McGrath's sudden retirement, we're still focused on getting another issue out the door. It's NORBA's 20th anniversary and in the spirit of celebrating, we're working on a pretty interesting feature piece highlighting the highs (and some lows) of the governing body of mountain biking.Personally, I'm working on a few techy pieces that highlight just how far technology has come in the past 20

Former world No. 1 cyclist Michele Bartoli could face a long time on the sidelines amid fears he broke his pelvis in a heavy fall while training in Spain his team reported Tuesday. It would be a bitter blow for the 32-year-old Fassa Bortolo rider, who had roared back to form after a series of injuries to win the Amstel Gold Cup race and the Tour of Lombardy last year. "I don't know much about what happened," team spokesperson Miriam Nordeman said Tuesday. "I know he hurt his pelvis and perhaps he has fractured it, but we'll have to wait and see how it is when he returns

The U.S. Postal Service team released its 2003 roster on Tuesday, listingan experienced squad of 20 riders headed by LanceArmstrong and Roberto Heras.From the looks of the team for '03, the team appears to be followinga simple "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy, leavingmuch of the 2002 roster intact. As Armstrong aims for his fifth consecutiveTour de France win this year he has a roster of 17riders with some grand tour experience to chose from."For the first time in a long time, we have been able to retain everyonefrom the Tour de France team and almost everyone from the

Fausto Pinarello shows off his latest creation, the Prince SL

ITM laser-etches warnings, instructions and recommended tightening torques on all of its products

Dario Pegoretti shows off his much in-demand Luigino lugged frameset

In addition to stems and bars, ITM produces steel tubing which is peeled off in flat sheets from these humungous rolls.

Jan Ullrich lost out on a move to the CSC team run by former Telekom teammate Bjarne Riis because he asked for too much money the Dane revealed on Monday. Riis told the BBC Online he felt frustrated at the talks falling through after spending over six months devoted to luring the 29-year-old 1997 Tour de France champion to the team. It is believed CSC offered the four-time Tour de France runner-up and Olympic champion $1.5 million for a one-year contract but were unable to extend it beyond that because of uncertainties over future sponsorship in 2004. Their interest cooled further when

Belgian Sven Nijs took the third round of the UCI’s World Cup cyclo-cross series in Liévin, France on Sunday, after his Rabobank teammate, Dutchman Richard Groenendaal, encountered difficulties in the second half of the hour-long race. Groenendaal maintains the overall lead in the series and appeared set to win his second World Cup race of the season on Sunday as he powered out of an elite group of riders that included Nijs and world champion Mario de Clerq. Fast start-tough course The race began with a fast charge out of the field by Dutch champion Gerben de Knegt, but the Rabobank man

Nijs

Groenendaal: Lost the battle, still winning the war.

Most masters agreeDear VeloNews; Kurt Schmal's letter (see "Masters are the heart and soul of this sport" under Friday's letters, below) echoes the feelings of many masters racers. I was unaware of Mr. Bisceglia's comments. If USA Cycling truly wants to grow this sport with the youth of our country (see " Looking ahead: An interview with USA Cycling chief Gerard Bisceglia") they need to spend some of our money that is wasted every year (i.e. world championship efforts) on grass roots programs. The only way we will ever have a solid base of junior riders will be through

Dear Joe and Dirk:I have been reading some European studies on stationary trainers and how the inertia of the trainer affects the muscle fibers. The studies say thatlow inertia trainers cause the rider to use all fast twitch muscle fibers and high inertia trainers with large flywheels use slow twitch muscle fibersthe ones predominantly used in road racing and triathlon.I have spoken to some triathlon and cycling coaches and they all agreed. Do you guys have any information on this subject?Thank you,ChuckDear ChuckNeither of us has ever seen such research and tend to doubt that there is such a

USA Cycling announced Friday that it will be sending a full contingent ofqualified riders to the world cyclo-cross championships in Monopoli, Italy,on  February 1-2. The U.S. governing body named its 12 nominations Friday adding to the list of automatic qualifiers  namedlast month.The 20 athletes nominated earned their spots on the world's squad based ontheir UCI cyclo-cross points rankings and their performances at the Shimano-USCFU.S. national cyclo-cross championships in Napa, California on December 14and 15. The U.S. squad is headed by four newly-crowned national cyclo-cross

For as long as bike racing has existed, riders and teams have bent the rules,made secret deals and used questionable tactics to affect the outcome ofraces. Are the rules of cycling more susceptible to infraction than the rulesof other sports? In the current issue of VeloNews our editors seek the answer to that question by talking to the athletes and managers who have walked the sometimes blurry line between fair and foul. In VeloNews’s first issue of the New Year, you’ll read about someof the memorable and bizarre moments of indiscretion that have occurred incycling over the years. Our look

Speculation about Jan Ullrich’s future appears to have ended as German and Danish news services reported Friday that the 1997 Tour de France winner plans to sign a three-year contract within the next two weeks with Coast, the German squad that is a rival to Ullrich's former team, Deutsche Telekom. According to German news and wire reports, Ullrich’s signing and the team’s apparent reinvigorated financial picture will almost certainly guarantee the team a spot among the final round of teams to receive UCI approval for Division I status. Indeed, if Ullrich signs as expected both Coast and

Dear Mr. MionskeI am a professional triathlete and have a question about a company using my picture in an advertisement in a way that implies I endorse the product(which is not true). Do I have any legal rights? I live in California, which is where the advertisement was run and where the company that ran the ad is located.Name withheld by request Dear Tri-guyThe unauthorized use of a performer or celebrity name or image may be a violation of both state and federal copyright law. The tort of “invasion of privacy, false light may have been committed. Your right of publicity may have been

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske

I resolve to try and emulate daily in some small way the grace, dignity,humor, good nature, and integrity of two friends sorely missed by many, JohnPavlat and Chris Ethridge. MikeMaverick Sports PromotionsEditors;I resolve to:1) Start slow and ease off.2) Thank the Lord that I can still ride.3) Help those who can’t ride find something to channel their passion.4) Raise as much money as I can for my daughter’s Children’s Hospital.5) Tell my family and friends that “I love them” each day.6) Pray for peace.7) And “kick butt and win a race this year”.Ron Heimburger Tampa, FLEditors,I resolve to do

Long-time bike industry friend John Pavlat took his own life a week ago inSan Francisco. Several readers have written in and offered thoughts on hislife.If you would like to offer your own personal remembrances, photos or anythingelse, please visit www.JohnPavlat.comChristmas 2002 delivered more than a sleigh full of sorrow for many as itbrought the untimely passing of industry veteran John Pavlat. The task ofwriting words to remember a departed friend, words that pay adequate respect,and do justice to a fine man is difficult. A closer friend or member of thefamily would do better.  However,

Cyclists and triathletes are often advised to consider the glycemic index when consuming carbohydrates before, during, after exercise. Low glycemic foods are recommended before exercise, though research does not strongly support this recommendation.Moderate to high glycemic carbohydrate food and drinks are considered appropriate during endurance training, though cyclists and triathletes with diabetes may sometimes amend this recommendation to maintain optimal blood glucose levels. While these recommendations need to be verified with further investigation, the actual glycemic index of most

I am falser than vows made in wine. William Shakespeare, "As You Like It"New Year’s resolutions usually bring to mind the “Oh, God, I’ll never (insert vice here) again” class of vow taken upon awakening queasily on New Year’s Day under your truck in a friend’s driveway with a fresh cast on one ankle, your pants on backward and your mouth tasting not of sweet midnight kisses, but of feedlot mire, SuperFund sludge and baboon’s ass.OK, so maybe that’s just me. Whatever. These annual trench confessions, if I am making them, are about as reliable as a baby-kissing politician, particularly if the

Dogmobile

Hogmobile

Over December 14-17, the Saturn Men’s Team held a winter cross-training camp, near Winter Park, Colorado, to introduce new team members. Activities included snowshoeing, skate-skiing, and snowmobiling. VeloNews caught up with new Team Saturn member Phil Zajicek as he was loading up digital photos by the fireplace, after a day of snowmobiling. Velo News:Had you ever tired snowmobiling before?Phil Zajicek: Just once before, ten years ago. VN:What’s been the highlight of the camp so far?PZ: I'd have to say our hostess Chris at the Wild Horse Inn has been great. Her cooking has been

Dear Lennard Zinn; My right foot (third and fourth toes especially) goes to sleep after only a short time on the bike (10-15 minutes).  I've had the problem for quite a while, but just got new shoes (with plenty of toe room) and it's back - these shoes are stiffer than my others too.  If I stand or unclip for a few seconds it helps, but comes right back.  I use the same MTB shoes for road and MTB riding (recreational) - the problem is worse on the road.  What can I do to help?  --JeffAnswer: It sounds like perhaps you need custom orthotics. I have a similar problem, which in my case was

With the 2003 road season about to get underway, a number of Division 1 (andpotential Division 1) teams are still scrambling to complete their budgetsand rosters to become officially registered with the UCI. The delays arebeing caused by a number of different problems, headed by the uncertain economicclimate and the escalation in the number of professional riders in recentyears. With more riders available and with fewer sponsorship dollars to goaround, most teams have been cutting costs or signing fewer riders than inpast seasons.Indeed, when the UCI made its announcement of the Division 1

Phil Zajicek will be spending New Year's in an ice igloo

Final deadline looming for Division 1 teams

Jan Ullrich indicated Sunday that he will decide by January 15 if he willsign on with the Danish CSC squad or another team for the 2003 season.Ullrich’s agent Wolfgang Strohband told the Danish news wire service Ritzauthat Ullrich will decide no later than January 15 whether he will be theCSC team, headed by his former Telekom teammate, 1996 Tour de France winnerBjarne Riis.CSC director Alex Pedersen and Riis said Saturday that the team intends toconcentrate its efforts and energy on those already signed rather than tryingto try “at any price” to convince the 1997 Tour winner to join.Ullrich

News briefs: Ullrich ponders; De Clerq wins

Dear Mr. Friel;As a serious, mostly self-coached junior racer I have a couple questionswith regards to planning my season. This past year was my first season racing(as well as my first experience cycling seriously at all) and I found shortlythat I had some amount of potential, winning the senior sport classes inlocal mountain bike races, and doing well in group rides. Encouraged by thismodest success, I began putting in substantial miles of training on the road.I ended up riding an average of 500 miles a week (25+hrs) for a little overthree months of the summer, all at very low intensity,

After taking his fourth-straight Tour de France win, Lance Armstrong hasearned the title of the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, beatinglast year’s winner Barry Bonds by 59 points.Armstrong and Bonds were the top two finishers for the second straight year, only this time U.S. Postal team star took top honors. Armstrong received 45 first-place votes and 292 points from sports writers and broadcasters. Bonds had 31 first-place votes and 233 points."Uh-oh, hopefully he's not mad," Armstrong told the AP, referring to Bonds. "It's nice to be recognized."Tiger Woods, who won the

Friday news briefs: Armstrong AP athlete of the year

Dear Mr. Mionske,My bicycle was totaled when it was run over by a truck. I was waiting at a red light on the right shoulder when the truck driver also waiting at the light, began a right on red turn. I saw that the trailer was going to hit me and tried to move out of the way. The wheel hit my front wheel and I jumped off the bike and was able to avoided being hit, but the bike was crushed under the rear wheels of the truck. The trucker’s insurance company offered to pay for the bike and asked me to get an estimate to replace it. My local shop provided me with an estimate for $3500, which is

Although this was not my first trip to Italy, this 12-day whirlwind was certainly the most eye-opening--not just from a tech perspective. My previous Italian experiences were limited to press functions where a manufacturer airlifts in a contingent of journalists, unveils a new product (sometime letting us ride it) and ships us back to the States ASAP. These trips usually end up being sterile slam-bang forays where one hardly spends enough time away from the office to adapt to the time change. While certainly not a summer backpack trip throughout Italy, this trip afforded me the opportunity

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske

The Italian connection