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The Italian connection

The Italian connection

Intense training is a big calorie burner. In fact, many cyclists and triathletes, particularly those training for stage races and Ironman-distance events, work hard to fit in enough calories for optimal daily recovery. Yet despite their high energy output, it is not unusual for endurance athletes to experiment with weight-loss programs to determine their best race weight. Often, these intense efforts have demonstrated that becoming too lean diminishesstrength and power. Yet a middle-of-the-pack or even top competitor may stillbe tempted to shed a few pounds in order to enhance

Dear Lennard Zinn;Everyone knows you don't have to work as hard if you're drafting off the person in front of you. How does your work effort change if someone is drafting behind you?Here is why I ask: I always thought that if you were riding by yourself, then you had to work harder than if somebody was drafting behind you because as you move through the air, it flows past your bike and body and creates turbulence as it swirls around in the void of space behind you. This almost creates a suction behind you pulling you back against your forward progress (if my logic is correct).

One of the more frequent questions I get on my “Tech Q&A" column is why Campagnolo changed its 10-speed chain and eliminated the PermaLink and, therefore, the tool to install it, now requiring the purchase of a different chain tool. In late July, I visited Campagnolo in Vicenza, Italy, and I got the answer to this question directly from Mario Meggiolan, the engineer who designed the new chain tool as well as the carbon Hyperon wheel. Campagnolo first supplied the PermaLink with 10-speed chains because that was the best way it could see at the time to make such a narrow chain strong enough.

The U.S. distributor of Look Cycling products, Veltec Sports, has issued a voluntary recall of the French manufacturer’s “Carbostem” handlebar stems. According to a Veltec release issued Friday, there have been no accidents or injuries involving any of the stems, but Look has reported that the stems, constructed of carbon fiber and aluminum, are subject to failure as a result of fatigue. Obviously, if that were to occur, a rider could lose control and crash. Therefore, Veltec is overseeing a full recall of the small number of stems distributed in the U.S. Veltec’s vice president of

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - The aerodynamics of drafting

Mario Meggiolan

The pin

Look issues stem recall

Look issues stem recall

Last summer 29-year-old climbing specialist Kevin Livingston announced hisretirement. The news, which came during the Telekom rider’s sixth Tour deFrance, was a surprise to many people around him, including long-time friendsFrankie Andreu and Lance Armstrong. Livingston, who turned professional in1994, said that he was ready to move on from cycling and to spend more timewith his family.After the Tour, Livingston completed his summer racing schedule and returnedhome to Austin, Texas, in September after competing in the San FranciscoGrand Prix. VeloNews correspondent Ted Arnold caught up with

Livingston rode his final Tour this year.

Richard Groenendaal finally broke the Belgian grip on international cyclo-crossSunday as he won the second round of the UCI World Cup in Kalmthout, Belgium.Racing in front of a crowd of 6000 spectators, the Dutch Rabobank ‘crossspecialist brought an element of suspense back into the discipline’s topseries, leaving the World Cup standings in a three-way tie between himself,Bart Wellens and world champion Mario de Clerq.Groenendaal celebrated his 12th ever World Cup in muddy conditions that areto said to be his specialty. Bart Wellens, winner of the opening World Cupround last month in

Jan Ullrich revealed Friday that he came close to retiring from the sport after testing positive for amphetamines earlier this year. The 1997 Tour de France champion, who admitted taking the party drug Ecstasy on a night out with friends while recovering from knee surgery, was suspended for six months earlier this year. His ban ends on March 23, 2003. "I made mistakes. I was frustrated because my knee wasn't healing and that's why I did some stupid things," he told Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday. "But being suspended was unjust,” Ullrich asserted. “My ban was

Deck us all with Boston Charlie, Walla Walla, Wash., an' Kalamazoo! Nora's freezin' on the trolley, Swaller dollar cauliflower alley'garoo!– The late Walt Kelly, lampooning the Christmas carol “Deck the Halls,” in the classic comic strip “Pogo” Deck the halls, ’tis the season, jingle-bell rock – however you sing it,the song is of Christmas, that time of year when we are supposed to buryour respective hatchets not in each other, but in the quivering trunks ofspruces, pines or firs destined for festive decoration in our living rooms.God bless us every one. Happily, we don’t

Friday's foaming rant:Merry Christmas, woof, woof, woof

Attorney Bob Mionske handles sports-related legal issues. Mionske invitesreaders to submit legal questions faced by cyclists and other endurance athletesto info@bicyclelaw.com. Hewill answer a cross-section of questions each Thursday here on VeloNews.com.The information provided in this column is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal advice (see notice below).ContractsHello Bob,As a pro cyclist for the past eight years I have signed several different types of “riders contracts” and have always been a little confused by them.They always seem to protect

With the Sea Otter Classic moving to April this year, one of mountain biking's newest races looks to be reaping the benefits of an open calendar in March. The Nova Desert Classic - which is billing itself as the rebirth of the Cactus Cup - recently announced that Subaru America has come on board as the event's title sponsor. The race is also doing well when it comes to attracting big-time talent. According to a press release issued in mid-December, Subaru-Gary Fisher, Trek-Volkswagen, RLX-Ralph Lauren and the Luna women's team have all committed to showing up in Phoenix for the

USA Cycling has announced a revised National Racing Calendar schedule for 2003. Entering its seventh year, the NRC is comprised of the top road cycling events from all over the country and lends itself to a national ranking system. Over 20 new events have been added as the 2003 calendar expands to eight levels of event classifications. Several new events join the NRC in 2003, beginning with the Tour de Georgia, a six-day stage race scheduled for April 22-26. With title sponsor Daimler-Chrysler on board, the stage race is sure to attract a competitive international field. The 2003 Tour de

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske

Monique Ryan is the nutrition columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and is founder of Personal Nutrition Designs, a consulting company based in the Chicago area. Ryan will try to answer selected questions each Wednesday in her regular on-line question-and-answer column.Readers are welcome to send questions directly to Ryan.HMB and bloatingDear Monique;Have you heard of HMB supplements causing bloating in women? I am 44, weigh 115 and am 5-foot-2. How much would you recommend I take, if at all? Thank you, I appreciate your time -- KDear K;HMB is short for

Watch your head, because the component war continues to wage at full-fury. First, with Shimano's intentional/accidental shot over the bow with its posterboy Armstrong showing up all big and beautiful in the latest Sports Illustrated sporting next-gen Dura-Ace. And now with Campagnolo granting VeloNews the first detailed images of its much-rumored electronic gruppo. Our visit to Campagnolo world headquarters in Vicenza, Italy last week (look for a full report in two weeks) certainly helped smooth-out the tight-lipped policy that Campagnolo has so far held about any official comment about

USA Cycling announced Wednesday the automatic nominees to compete at the 2003 World Cyclo-cross Championships in Monopoli, Italy, Feb. 1-2. The six athletes were nominated Tuesday based on their results at last week's USCF Shimano U.S. Cyclo-cross National Championships in Napa, Calif. at the Domaine Chandon winery or their rankings on the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross points list. U.S. athletes nominated to the 2003 World Cyclo-cross Championships team include:Ann Grande, Des Moines, Wash. (elite women) Carmen D'Aluisio, Watsonville, Calif. (elite women) Jonathan Page, Northfield, N.H.

The rear derailleur is almost all carbon

Some of the power for the system will be supplied by batteries stored in ErgoPower lever

The front derailleur has been the biggest hurdle of the system

A highly modified ErgoBrain will be the control center of the new system

A birds-eye view of the rear derailleur reveals the tucked-away servo motor

A wider view

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a former U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers' technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com.Question:The question about the MTB carbon steerer tube and the recent column about carbon forks begs the question – what do you think about

With the racing off-season in full bloom, the past two weeks provided a short window of opportunity to sneak out of the office. But unlike a leisurely jaunt to ride the back roads of Tucson or a few days railing Fruita singletrack, we needed to get some work done (so said the boss). With a week's notice, I was told I needed to, "Pack my bags and grab as many notebooks as I could," because we were off to Italy for a manufacturer meet-and-greet. Part social call, part product fact-finding tour, this trip provided the opportunity to introduce myself to a good segment of the Italian manufacturers

If Dr. Irwin Goldstein’s warnings about cycling-caused impotency or those Specialized saddle ads of a few years ago weren’t enough, now we learn from our evening news and newspapers and news magazines that the pounding experienced on a mountain bike now poses risks to your manhood as well. So, what do we do? Of course, after the Goldstein scare we were offered a flood of bike saddles designed to cure the problem. Are we now going to have bike designers claiming their suspension systems will not only improve your comfort and bike handling, but will also enhance your personal life? But isn’t

Organizers unveiled the route of the 58th Vuelta a España Tuesday, offering a challenging combination of stages, including four time trials and six mountain-top finishes. The 2003 Vuelta will kick-off on September 6 with an unusual team time trial as an opening stage, forgoing the more traditional short prologue individual TT. The Vuelta will continue with a pattern established this year, offering shorter and more challenging stages, with none exceeding the length of the 190km seventh stage from Huesca to Cauterets France. But most remarkable about the 2003 Vuelta – the 25th promoted by

Italian cycling stars Mario Cipollini and Marco Pantani will not ride together in the same team next season after negotiations broke down, it was announced on Tuesday. Discussions had been going on for several weeks in an attempt to amalgamate the teams of recently crowned world champion Cipollini and Pantani, who won both the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia in 1998. The new team was to be christened Mercatone-Elitron, but the boss of Cipollini's Acqua Sapone team, Vincenzo Santoni, said the issue of Pantani's image rights had scuttled a deal which had seemed close to

Success depends on the right materials

The Italian connection

The Italian connection

2003 Vuelta: Offering plenty of challenges

2003 Vuelta: Offering plenty of challenges

Dear VeloNews; I agree that Frankie is a great team player, stand up guy, and had a great career as a rider. However, that does not necessarily qualify him to run a team (see "Andreu leaves Postal"). It's difficult to say who will succeed at what level in professional sports. Remember Magic Johnson when he attempted to coach the Lakers? He stunk, but no one would say that he did not have a great career as a player. David Tom (send an e-mail to: WebLetters@7Dogs.com) Frankie will outlast his team Dear VeloNews; I’m an American living in Switzerland who hasn’t missed many days of the

After losing the 2002 Vuelta a España in a final-day time trial to Aitor Gonzales, U.S. Postal Service’s Roberto Heras should be much happier with next year’s course that will be announced on Tuesday. Early reports indicate that the 58th Vuelta, September 6-28, will have its last time trial the day before the finish. But this won’t be another long, flat race against the clock, like this year, but a bona fide hill climb in the mountains near Madrid. Heras — and Spanish rivals Joseba Beloki of ONCE-Eroski and Oscar Sevilla of Kelme-Costa Blanca — will be pleased also that the 2003 Vuelta is

Heras may like next year's route.

After years of being the bridesmaid, Ann Grande (Kona-Kenwood) finally won her long sought-after national cyclo-cross championships on Sunday, overcoming the elements and a deep field at the nationals at the Domaine Chandon winery in Napa, California. An hour later, Jonathan Page (Richard Sachs), 26, put in a dominating race to score what could be the first of many elite national titles and ensure himself of a trip to Monopoli, Italy, as part of the U.S. team for the world championships.

Very sorry can’t come. Lie follows by post.– Lord Charles Beresford, responding via telegram to a dinner invitation from the Prince of Wales– How did it get to be time for cyclo-cross nationals again so soon, and why am I tapping out inanities on the PowerBook in Colorado Springs instead of getting my steel plate power-washed by the deluge scouring the Napa Valley wine country? I’d like to say it’s because I had a previous engagement to accept the National Leadership Award offered me by a spokeswoman for incoming House majority leader Tom DeLay; that it’s a principled stand by a charter

Grande

Page

Hall takes the corner a bit fast

The epic Pacific storm that camped out on the Northern California coast made a soupy mess out of the first day of the national cyclo-cross championships at the Domaine Chandon winery in Yountville, California, on Saturday, producing a sloppy, but compelling day of racing. The day was capped by the repeat win in the under-23 championship by Giant’s Adam Craig, who beat out Kona-Kenwood’s Barry Wicks and a surprising Ryan Trebon (Krystals) of North Carolina. Eight inches of rain fell on Domaine Chandon, just north of Napa, on Friday, forcing organizers to re-route the course around some of the

Adam Craig

Maher

Feldman

Racing Kain

Dear VeloNews;Disappointed is what I felt after finding out that Frankie Andreu was unceremoniously released by U.S. Postal. (See "Andreu leaves Postal")Frankie represented the best of the best and would always give a hundred percent – race after race, year after year, sacrificing for the team leader. I can understand the dynamics of business and how it relates to the world of professional cyclist, but there comes a time when dedication, commitment, professionalism, and strength of character should count for something.I'll still be a fan of Lance and the Posties but my cheering will be a

It’s been a long and active season on the American cyclo-cross scene this year. Despite the absence of a national series like the SuperCup, the U.S. schedule has offered a full selection of UCI-sanctioned races, leading up to this weekend’s Shimano-USCF Cyclo-cross National Championships at the Domaine Chandon vineyards in Napa, California. The UCI points earned at those events are a valuable commodity for riders hoping to make the U.S. team traveling to the world championships in Monopoli, Italy on the first weekend of February. Topping the list on the women’s side is ClifBar’s Carmen

This is the first in what will become a regular column on VeloNews.com from attorney Bob Mionske, who handles sports-related legal issues. Mionske is inviting readers to submit legal questions faced by cyclists and other endurance athletes to info@bicyclelaw.com. He will answer a cross-section of questions each Thursday here on VeloNews.com.The information provided in this column is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal advice (see notice below).K-9 encounterHello Mr. Mionske;My wife and I were on an a group ride on a quiet country road in NorthCarolina

After two years of running a split venue — once for the 2001 World Cup, once for last year’s NORBA race — organizers in Durango, Colorado, will be putting on their entire 2003 NORBA event at Durango Mountain Resort. “The split venue didn’t fail, but it didn’t work either,” said NORBA’s Eric Moore, of a set-up where the downhill was contested at the ski area, while the cross-country, short track and mountain cross where all held down near town. “Having everything in one place [for this year’s NORBA finals] will just be easier on everyone involved.” Well, everyone except the cross-country

Lithuanian cyclist Raimondas Rumsas, whose wife was jailed in France after being caught with large quantities of banned substances, will stay with Lampre next season, the Italian team said Thursday. Rumsas, third in this year's Tour de France behind American winner Lance Armstrong and Spaniard Joseba Beloki, signed an extension to his contract at the team's headquarters just outside Milan in the presence of team manager Giuseppe Saronni and team boss Emanuele Galbusera. Rumsas will share the role of team leader with Italian Francesco Casagrande, who recently joined from the Fassa

Organizers of this weekend's national cyclo-cross championship havescheduled a special fundraiser for the American Cyclocross Foundation onSaturday at Downtown Joe’s in Napa, California.Funds raised will directly benefit U.S. athletes selected to race theWorld Championships in Monopoli, Italy in February.“By simply getting a great meal and a few beers, you’re supporting theU.S. team,” said Rick Sutton, president of GaleForce Sports Marketing,which is promoting the event. “We’ve gotten great support from DowntownJoe’s, which has pledged to donate a portion of every beer poured and

Legally Speaking - with Bob Mionske

Rumsas will stay with Lampre

Edita Rumsas upon her release from a French prison.

Since we started the Feed Zone Q&A, there have been several questions regarding the management of Type-2 diabetes as it relates to cycling. Nutrition advice to a person with diabetes must always be personalized based on that individual’s body composition, weight goals, medication regimen, and blood glucose control. Therefore, the answers to the questions below can only be interpreted as educational and not specific prescriptive advice. It may also be very beneficial for anyone with Type-2 diabetes to work with their own sports nutritionist/dietitian to determine their own optimal strategies

Joe Friel is author of the successful "Training Bible" series of books, a regular columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlon magazines and the founder of www.ultrafit.com. Dirk Friel races professionally and coaches along with Joe at Ultrafit Associates.The Friels also offer answers to a selection of questions each Wednesday on VeloNews.com. Readers can send questions to Joe and Dirk Friel in care of VeloNews.com at WebLetters@7Dogs.com. (Be sure to include "Friel" in the subject line.) Dear Joe and Dirk Friel;I am 31 years old and from Copenhagen Denmark. I have been racing for two seasons

Frankie Andreu, the American director sportif of the U.S. Postal squad, said Wednesday that he has been released from his job and will be leaving the team at the end of the year. Andreu said the Postal decision came as a surprise and represents "a sad ending to a wonderful job." Andreu had a long career as a professional, competing in nine consecutive Tours de France between 1991 and 2000. He raced for Postal for the final three years of his career before retiring two years ago at the age of 34. He assumed the U.S. director's position at Postal at the beginning of the 2001 season.

Andreu at Paris-Nice in 2000

VeloNews technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder, a former U.S. national team rider and author of several books on bikes and bike maintenance. Zinn's VeloNews.com column is devoted to addressing readers' technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Zinn’s column appears each Tuesday on VeloNews.com. Question:I have a question on the durability of the RockShox World Cup carbon steer tube. I am very comfortable on my MTB with a low front end but it is causing problems on steep descents. I am

A can of beer always helps to make problems seem less important, butsometimes, it can actually fix bike problems! Aluminum beveragecans are 0.1mm thick and are easy to cut with a knife or a pair of scissors,rendering them quite useful for making minor spacing adjustments on a bike. Slipping seatpostA seatpost that gradually slips downward as you ride can be causedby an ovalized seat tube, a sizing difference between the seatpost andseat tube or a tolerance buildup over a number of parts; the latter isparticularly rampant with suspension seatposts in oversized seat tubes.What can you do? A

Fine weather and a fast course welcomed star-studded fields to Napa Valley College for the final round of the Redline Cup of Cyclo-cross, on Sunday December 8, as series leaders Todd Wells and Gina Hall arrived to successfully defend their leads in the West coast series. With the national championships just a week away in nearby Yountville, the Redline Cup finals had dual implications: not only were the daily prizes and series win on the line, but the all-important “natz” starting positions and Worlds' team points also weighed heavily on racers’ minds. Riders battled on a fast course under

There are famous examples of shims being used with great success.

D'Aluisio

Hall celebrated her series win

Five inches of snow in Southern New Hampshire did little to slow the action for the final round of the 2002 Verge New England Championship Cyclo-Cross Series in Merrimack, where Mongoose-Hyundai’s Marc Gullickson wrapped up the series title with a convincing win. U.S. 40+ Champion Jodi Groesbeck scored her first win in a women’s series that has been dominated by Seven’s Mary McConneloug, who had already earned the series title, despite her absence on Sunday. Heavy TrafficCalling the Verge Series a priority, Gullickson flew to New England for the final time this year from his Boulder,

The Verge Mid-Atlantic Championship Cyclo-Cross Series ended with a double race weekend that saw riders contending with 10 inches of snow on two totally different types of courses. With several series titles coming down to the wire, it became apparent that the best bike handlers were going to have the edge heading into the weekend. The combination of snow, mud and unseasonably cold weather changed two notoriously fast courses, Phelps School 'Cross and First State Velo Sport 'Cross, into treacherous, ice skating rinks. Conditions changed from hard-packed snow and ice to mud as each day went

Ofoto-Lombardi Sports 2003 team announcement The Ofoto–Lombardi Sports Cycling Team on Friday announced the riders and sponsors for its 2003 squad. New to the team for the 2003 racing season will be: Switzerland’s Roman Peter (ex-Saint-Quentin Oktos), a former world junior cyclo-cross champion; Andy Bajadali, who had a breakout year as an amateur in 2002; Jon Erdelyi, silver medalist at the 2002 U.S. Under-23 Road Championships; and Saul Raisin, a talented young member of the US U-23 national team. The strength of the Team returns for 2003, led by Ireland’s David O’loughlin and America’s

Spurred on by Lance Armstrong, a partial U.S. Postal Service squad competed in Sunday's Dirty Duathlon, an off-road run-bike-run race in Smithville, Texas, near Austin. The multi-sport adventure capped the Postie’s first training camp in Austin. Improving on last year's second place finish, Postal’s top man bested Austin based mountain bike pro Jason Sager (Team Diabetic) to win the overall title in the event. The challenging course featured 12 miles of mountain bike trail sandwiched between hilly three- mile runs. Trailing competitor Kevin Stankiewicz after the first run