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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

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