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1:00 p.m. Good morning to the U.S. It is 1:00 in Italy and we are about 10 minutes from the start of today's stage. It's another short one -- just 140km -- but the finish is going to be tough. At 125km, the day's Intergiro will toy with the sprinters, but then the road almost immediately begins to rise. The steep 13.57-km, 885-meter (2920-foot) climb to Campitello Matese, a small ski resort at 1430 meters (4917 feet) deep in the mountains of south central Italy, will test the mettle of the better climbers in the group and may take a big bite out of Jens Heppner's hold on the leader's

I’m sorry readers. This journal entry may be a little short tonight, as I am finding it difficult to find the energy and morale to write... but here's what I've got. In general, today was disappointing. If you are reading this you are probably interested in an explanation for my ride today, so here goes. There are no excuses, but here's a little insight into what I was contending with today. I took some anti-inflammatories before the start this morning to try an ease some pain I have been experiencing in my ribcage. If you followed the Tour de France last summer, then you know my history

Simoni towed Casagrande in the closing kilometers and then beat him at the line.

Those last kilometers...

Steve Zampieri and Renzo Mazzolini

Perez

Still in control: Heppner did better than many would have expected.

Why does my rear derailleur pinch my chain on the largest cogs?

Joe Friel is author of the successful "Training Bible" series ofbooks, a regular columnist for VeloNews and Inside Triathlonand the founder of www.ultrafit.com.Friel also offers answers to a selection of questions in this weekly column here on VeloNews.com. Readers can send questions to Friel in care of VeloNews.comat WebLetters@7Dogs.com. (Besure to include "Friel" in the subject line.)Q: My question concerns training for triathlons and bicycle roadracing.  Is there a way to effectively train for both and be successful. Will I have to sacrifice one sport for the other.  I have noticedthat

Italian cycling suffered a second major blow Wednesday when it was revealed defending Giro d'Italia champion Gilberto Simoni had failed a drug test for cocaine earlier this season. Speaking to reporters before the start of the 10th stage of the Giro Wednesday, Simoni claimed Wednesday he had tested positive for cocaine because of a visit to the dentist. The 30-year-old will be allowed to continue to compete in the Giro after the UCI ruled that the test did not affect his performances in the race. Simoni tested positive on April 24 during the Tour of Trentino. Simoni, who is eighth in the

It was a day the Giro d’Italia race organizers were happy to get over with. Doping controversies threatened to overwhelm the race with the mostimportant racing still to go. Unfortunately for the already haggard race officials, there's likely more to come. The winner of the 2000 Giro d'Italia, Stefano Garzelli (Mapei), didn't start Wednesday's stage 10 after the test of a second urine sample, taken last week in Belgium, came back positive, while 2001 Giro winner Gilberto Simoni stayed in the race but had his own battlesto fight against a positive test for cocaine back in April. Cynical

VeloNews.com values your opinions and welcomes your letters. If you runacross something in the pages of VeloNews magazine, hear of something inthe world of cycling or see something on VeloNews.com that causes you towant to express an opinion, dropus a line.Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail to thisaddress, you are consenting to the publication of your letter.Blackwelder responds to USADA ruling and suspensionDear VeloNews(see "Blackwelderreceives 8-month suspension") Funny thing, for the last three yearsI've spent countless hours developing a women's team

Live Updates 2:15 p.m. Good morning to our American audience. If you were expecting race updates today, don't worry, they're coming. At 118km, Stage 10 is quite short and the start time reflects that. While the starting time was originally scheduled for 2:40 today, that has been moved up to 2:20. Looking ahead, there is a Cat. II climb soon after the start at 28km and an Intergiro sprint at 47.7km. From the looks of things, Gilberto Simoni is starting today, despite this morning's report that he, too, had a positive drug test this season. We'll try to keep you up-to-date on that breaking

Idaho cyclist Brooke Blackwelder (Team Goldys) has been suspended from the sport for eight months following a final ruling on a case stemming from a positive drug test at last year’s Hewlett-Packard Women’s Challenge. According to a statement released by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), a three-member arbitration panel from the American Arbitration Association (AAA)/North American Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that there was enough evidence to show that Blackwelder had violated doping rules by using a banned anabolic steroid. Blackwelder, 34, tested positive for

McEwen now turns his attention to France.

Simoni fans don't care if their hero is under fire.

Acqua e Sapone rider Mario Cipollini won a sprint finish to take the ninth stage of the Giro d’Italia, chalking up his career 37th stage win at Italy’s national tour. Telekom’s Jens Heppner finished in the field and holds a 3:33 lead over Mapei’s Stefano Garzelli. Garzelli continues to be the focus of a great deal of attention after he tested positive for the diuretic Probenicid – an outdated masking agent – following his stage win last week at Liege, Belgium. Garzelli could be thrown out of the race if a test of his ‘B-Sample’confirms the positive result. His team is pointing to negatives

Italian policeman Armando Marzano on Tuesday admitted supplying doping products to three cyclists, judicial sources in Rome revealed on Tuesday. Marzano, who has been suspended from the police force, was arrested Saturday as part of an investigation by magistrates in the northern city of Brescia into doping in cycling. He admitted supplying doping products to Italian cyclists Antonio Varriale and Filippo Perfetto of the Panaria team and Domenico Romano of the Landbouwkrediet squad. Marzano said that he had received doping products from riders but that he had not supplied them for about two

LIVE UPDATES4:52 p.m. -- Not this time, Robbie. It's Giro win number 37 for Cipo'... McEwen takes second. 4:51 p.m. -- With Robbie McEwen on his wheel Mario Cipollini launches off of Lombardi's wheel. 4:51 p.m. -- With 2km to go, Cipo's acqua boys are setting him up and there is a fight for position. 4:49 p.m. -- Lotto led the chase and pulled Streel back in. Cipo is sitting on Lombardi's wheel. 4:48 p.m. -- With 4km to go, Marc Streel has charged off the front. 4:47 p.m. -- We are within 5km of the finish. Four or five teams are fighting for the prime spot at the front of the

Giro d'Italia officials threw former winner Stefano Garzelli out of the race late Tuesday after an earlier positive dope test was confirmed by the analysis of a second sample. The action follows the release of results from a UCI-conducted re-test of urine samples submitted after Garzelli’s victory in stage 2 of the Giro last week. Preliminary tests showed slight traces of the diuretic Probenecid in a test of a sample submitted after the stage win. News of the first result was announced last week, but Garzelli requested that the ‘B-sample’ be tested for corroboration. Late Tuesday evening,

Today's stage was perhaps the least nerve-wracking so far. But it was fast. The sprinters were all on their toes and it showed with their teams at the front most of the way. CSC-Tiscali took a brief look at things from their vantage point toward the end. Bjarne Riis had given us the nod to move up and stay out of trouble heading into the finish town. If you saw the television coverage, than you know there were a few dangerous turns before the final kilometer. Our strategy worked, and we were able to stay out of the fray when a few guys went down with five kilometers to go. For the most

Green Beret Sgt. Gene Vance Jr., an avid cyclist who had worked at a West Virginia bike shop before being called up for duty in Afghanistan, was killed May 12 when his Special Forces unit came under fire. He was the first member of the West Virginia National Guard to die on active duty since World War II, according to The Associated Press. On March 4, another soldier-cyclist, Army Sgt. Phil Svitak, 31, of Clarksville, Tennessee, was among seven Americans to die when enemy fighters targeted two Chinook helicopters in separate attacks. Bruce Summers, owner of Whitetail Cycle & Fitness, said

Garzelli started the day uncertain of his fate.

Piccoli leads the escape

Kelme's Aitor Gonzalez, whose teammate was injured earlier in the day, won the eighth stage of the Giro d'Italia asit finished in Orvieto on Wednesday. Gonzalez, of the financially troubled Kelme team, attacked in the final kilometer and held of a charging peloton to take the longest stage of this year's Giro, a 237-kilometer race that started in Capannori. Fassa Bortolo's Francesco Casagrande took second, as the tightly bunchedpack cruised in four seconds behind the winner. Saeco's Gilberto Simoni,winner of last year's Giro, took third. The stage was highlighted by a nearly 170-kilometer

Mountain biking took centerstage over the weekend with the openinground of the 2002 World Cup in Madrid. Alison Dunlap made an impressiveseason debut wearing her rainbow jersey with her new Luna kit, finishingsecond behind turbo-charged Marga Fullana. Dunlap said she´sgoing for the overall title this year."I want to win the World Cup because it´s something I´venever done before, so this is a good start."It´s an even better start considering Fullana, who´s terrifiedof flying and doesn´t like to stray too far from Spain, won´tbe racing any of the North American World Cup stops.Susan Haywood

The fate of Mapei's Stefano Garzelli, who failed a dope test while leading the Giro d'Italia last week, will be known Tuesday when tests are carried out on the B-sample provided by the rider, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced Monday. In the case of a positive -- or "non-negatiive" -- result Garzelli, the 2000 Giro champion, will be thrown out of the Giro in conformity with UCI rules. The Mapei team leader has already vowed that he would retire from the sport if a second B-sample provided a positive result. Garzelli tested positive for the diuretic Probenecid, which has

Live updates1:13 p.m. -- Good morning race fans. The eighth stage of the 2002 Giro d'Italia -- 237km from Capannori to Orvieto -- has been underway for just about two hours. This is the Giro's longest stage this year. Today's speed is fairly brisk, averaging just over 41 kph for the first two hours. Just 40 minutes into today's stage, three riders were involved in a crash. Kelme's Santiago Perez Fernandez was injured seriously enough to pull out of the Giro. He was transported to a hospital and we will try to get an update as to his condition as soon as possible. Right now, three riders

The $500,000 Mike Walden Velodrome officially opened earlier this monthin Rochester Hills, Michigan.Designed by velodrome master Dale Hughes, paid for by private donations,built by volunteers and subsequently donated to the city, the 200-meteroutdoor track in Bloomer Park is Michigan’s first since a predecessor inDetroit, built in 1969 by Walden, shut down in the early 1980s.The new track “is exciting to ride,” said spokesman Leonardo Gianola.“Our old velodrome in Detroit, the Dorais Velodrome, was a 333-meter trackwith angles of 8 to 24 degrees. The MWV is 13 to 44 degrees, which makesit

Following a major overhaul to its mountain-bike ranking software during the offseason, the UCI has finally released an updated set of cross-country standings. And just as they did at the end of 2001, Bart Brentjens and Barbara Blatter continue hold down the No. 1 spots. In the rankings released May 16, Brentjens had an 18-point lead over second-place occupant Jose Antonio Hermida, with Canadian Roland Green moving past Miguel Martinez into third place, 32 points back of Brentjens. Martinez is now fourth, with Roel Paulissen in fifth. Paulissen made the most significant jump, climbing into

Italian cyclist Domenico Romano, who was being sought in connection with an investigation into doping, surrendered to authorities in Brescia, on Monday and later admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs. Romano, who has been out of contact since he unexpectedly quit the Giro d’Italia last Wednesday complaining of a wrist problem, has been placed in temporary detention and will be questioned by prosecutors later in the day. Romano admitted to a prosecutor during questioning that he had taken doping substances. The 26-year-old, who rode for Panaria for the past two seasons before moving

Heartbreaker: Guidi was caught with just 2.5km to go.

Mountain-bike hall of famer Tinker Juarez, twice an Olympian andthree-time NORBA National XC Champion, has yet another stars and stripesjersey to add to the collection.Between noon Saturday, May 18 and noon Sunday, May 19, the Cannondalerider successfully defended his 2001 title as the 24 Hours of AdrenalinNORBA National Champion at the Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California."It's nice to win these days," Juarez, the overwhelming crowd favorite,told VeloNews. "It means so much more to me to win, because thewins are so much harder to come by. Today was the first time I've beenable to race

1:35 p.m.-- Good Morning. Today's stage is the 159-kilometer Circuito Della Versilia, where today's 187 starters cover three laps around a circuit between Viareggio and Lido di Camaiore. We are about 9km into today's stage and the field is still together. 1:55 p.m.-- It's Sunday. Things are bit more relaxed. The peloton has allowed Alessandro Petacchi to roll off the front to see his family. Looking ahead today, the Intergiro is at the 58km mark and climber's points will be awarded on the Colli di Pedona at 88km. Weather conditions are ideal and a nice contrast to yesterday's rain. The

Marga Fullana did it again, winning mountain biking’s 2002 World Cup openerin front of a raucous home crowd in Madrid´s Casa de Campo park onSunday.Some of Fullana´s biggest victories have come in her native Spain,including her World Cup win at El Escorial a few years ago and her secondworld title at Sierra Nevada in 2000."The Spanish fans really helped me today late in the race. They reallyencouraged me to keep pushing," Fullana said, winning in 2 hours, 31 seconds.Under bright sunny skies, Fullana attacked early, opened a 40-secondgap after the first of five laps and held the lead to the

Lotto’s Rik Verbrugghe won the seventh stage of the Giro d’Italia, a 159kmrun round a circuit in Lido Di Camaiore on Sunday.The 27-year-old Belgian won the stage by 59 seconds, after escapingfrom a breakway group of 10 on the last of three ascents up the short and steep Colli di Pedona. After an 18km solo effort, Verbrugghe finished nearly a minute ahead of Gerolsteiner’s Raphael Schweda finished second and Alessio's Cristian Moreni.Britain's Maximilian Sciandri was fourth, a minute and two seconds behindbut the main peloton trailed Verbrugghe by a full minute and 46 seconds.American Tyler

Bart Brentjens tore a page out of the history books to win his firstWorld Cup race since his glory days in 1996. Mountain bike’s first Olympicgold medalist roared away from a lead group of nine riders in Sunday’sopening round of the 2002 World Cup to score an impressive victory.“It feels good,” said Brentjens, who attacked early in the second lapto open a gap that kept growing during each of the six laps on Madrid’srolling Casa de Campo course. “It’s unbelievable to win today.”It’s not as if Brentjens has been collecting dust on the shelf. Despitehis five-year World Cup drought that dates

Sorry for the late journal. I spent about three hours on the massage table tonight. We made it through another day. Today's stage was contested over three laps around the same circuit. There was a fair amount of climbing and descending within the course, so I was a little nervous about how my body was going to handle it all. Luckily, I made it through without incident. I'm in good hands this evening. In addition to my regular soigneur, Sandra Hodnett, our physical therapist Ole Kaire Foli is back for another visit from Denmark. He's the same fellow who turned around at the airport to help

For the second year in a row, the top U.S. road teams descended on the lush Housatonic Valley in southwest Connecticut for the Housatonic Valley Classic, which has quickly emerged as one of the top one-day road races in the U.S. On a cool but sunny afternoon, Navigators’ Vassili Davidenko won a field sprint among the tough men of the peloton, while Saturn’s Anna Millward won the inaugural Saturn-Timex Classic women’s race. When the 198-strong men’s field left the start in Danbury just after noon, many of the 34 teams were probably expecting the race to unfold like last year’s, a survival of

Mavic's Aaron Walker helps set up Tinker's lights for the night ride

The Le Mans style sprint, Saturday at high noon.

Juarez, during one of his fresher laps Saturday

Words of encouragement ring through the hills of Laguna Seca.

24-hour racing is serious business. Just ask Fred Flintstone, here.

Solo effort. Verbrugghe had plenty of time to celebrate.

A Family Affair: Tinker Juarez with his pit crew: sister Yvonne Roblero (left) and mother Rose Juarez.

What goes up must come down

24 Hours of wavering Adrenalin

Millward

Davidenko and Obee

Vogels

Neben and Hughes on the attack

Fullana climbs towards the win.

Dunlap took second in Madrid.

Brentjens takes round one.

Green settled for second.

VeloNews.com welcomes your letters. If you run across something in thepages of VeloNews magazine or see something on VeloNews.com thatcauses you to want to write us, dropus a line.Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail to this address, you are consenting to the publication of your letter. Follow the samplesDear VeloNewsGarzelli's initial response to an apparent positive test for steroidmasking agent Probenecid pretends to add an air of doubt as to whethersuch test results can be trusted."It would be ridiculous to take this product. I don't know how it gotinto

Giro d’Italia leader Stefano Garzelli announced Saturday that he would not quit the race and will compete in the sixth stage despite testing positive for an outdated masking agent used to hide steroids. "I wanted to quit the Giro but my team asked me to stay," said Garzelli, who tested positive for the diuretic Probenecid – often used as a masking agent -- after winning the second stage last Monday at Ans, Belgium. "It's a stupid thing that can ruin a career, a reputation, a life,” said Garzelli, who expressed shock at the news of a positive test. Garzelli vowed Saturday that he would

5:13 p.m. -- Paolo Savoldelli attacked with 5km to go and finished 45 seconds ahead of the peloton. The big news is that the main group -- including Garzelli -- finished 5:05 behind the lead group. So, Jens Heppner (Telekom) is the new overall leader of the Giro d'Italia, with a margin of more than three-and-a-half minutes.Provisional results from Stage 61. Giovanni Lombardi (I), Acqua e Sapone 4:56:452. Ruggero Marzoli (I), Formaggi Tret3. Bert Grabsch (Ger), Phonak4. Eddy Mazzoleni (I), Tacconi Sport5. Angel Vicioso (Sp), Kelme6. Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago7. Jens

The man who knows a thing or two about drug scandals, Marco Pantani, has rushed to the defense of his former teammate Stefano Garzelli who has failed a dope test. "Until it's proved to the contrary he has the right to be innocent," said Pantani, who was himself thrown out of the 1999 Giro for failing a blood test. Garzelli, who now rides for Mapei, competed in Saturday's sixth stage despite testing positive for the diuretic probenicid, which has drug-masking qualities. He has vowed to retire from the sport if a second B-sample provided a positive drugs test. The 32-year-old Pantani was

Sunday’s opening round of the 2002 World Cup is lining up to be the firstshowdown of the season with all the top guns at the starting line. So far,most of the Euros have been sticking to Continental races, while the NorthAmericans have stayed closer to home at Sea Otter and the NORBA openerlast week at Big Bear.Sixty-eight women and 158 men are competing on a fast, rolling 8km coursein Madrid´s Casa de Campo. World champion Roland Green says he´sready to take on Miguel Martinez, Filip Meirhaeghe and the rest of Europe´sheavy hitters.“The course is fast,” Green said after training on it

Stefano Garzelli lost the overall lead in the Giro d’Italia to Telekom’s Jens Heppner on Saturday after competing despite failing a doping test, while Giovanni Lombardi of the Acqua e Sapone team won the sixth stage. Word leaked out early Saturday that Garzelli tested positive for the diuretic Probenecid, which has drug-masking qualities, after winning Monday's second stage. Garzelli and his Mapei team were informed of the result Saturday. He was encouraged to continue in the race by his Mapei team until a 'B' test has been examined. (see "Garzellistarts stage 6 despite positive drug

My apologies for the delayed recap of stage 5.  I got a little bangedup yesterday and was busy for most of the evening getting some much neededattention to my many wounded body parts.Yesterday was shaping up to be an ideal stage for me.  Coming over the first climb, which was as steep as a wall, I was right along side the riders I thought I ought to be; Casagrande, Simoni and Garzelli.Then the unimaginable happened on the descent.I had a mechanical failure in my rear wheel and I found myself sailingtoward the ground like a missile.  I was literally thinking to myself"this can't be happening"

Heppner takes over the jersey

Lombardi takes the stage

Just part of the damage.

5:09 p.m. Well,if you had any doubts about Garzelli's form, he probably put them to rest today. He powered a strong charge over the last kilometer, catching the hapless Pellizotti in the final 200 meters. Then the man in the maglia rosa went head-to-head with Casagrande and other contenders in the final sprint. Tyler Hamilton did finish among the leaders despite his hard crash on the descent of the Colletto del Moro. If you are interested, Marco Pantani is still on course... now more than four minutes of the winner's pace. 5:08 p.m. Pellizotti is closing in, but the group is coming in on

Saying "it's a scary, but necessary decision," Lyne Bessette announced Friday that she is leaving the Saturn cycling team for at least the remainder of the season. The 27-year-old Bessette, winner of last year’s Tour de l'Aude and Hewlett-Packard Women’s Challenge, has been a member of the team for five years, but said that she felt it necessary to take a break from the world's number one women's team in order to "focus on some of my own goals." Bessette said primary on that list of personal goals is a strong performance at this year's world road championships. Bessette

The 2002 mountain bike World Cup season opens Sunday with cross-country No. 1 in Madrid. With a scaled-back schedule of just five stops this year and some teams cutting back their commitment to racing, Madrid will be a litmus test on how the international racing season shapes up. Defending world champion Alison Dunlap, Todd Wells, Gina Hall and Susan Haywood will lead the American contingent in Spain. Canadians making the trip include world champ Roland Green, Ryder Hesjedal, Alison Sydor and Chrissy Redden. It will be interesting to see how many Spanish fans show up at Casa de Campo, a

Mapei’s rider Stefano Garzelli strengthened his grip on the overall lead of the Tour of Italy here on Friday when he won the fifth stage of the race as it reached Italy for the first time. Garzelli crossed the line after the ascent of the 14 km final climb, just ahead of Spain's Santiago Perez and now leads Francesco Casagrande (Fassa Bortolo) by 43 seconds in the overall standings. "Garzelli is setting a steady pace. I was going to attack him today but I decided to climb without taking any risks," said Casagrande. "This year I have trained more on my time trial performance and feel I'm

“I notice that you use work and job interchangeably. Oughten to do that. A job’s what you force yourself to pay attention to for money. With work, you don’t have to force yourself.” - Cal, an engineer, in William Least Heat Moon’s “Blue Highways.” According to a story by Jason Sumner in the May 20 VeloNews, most pro mountain bikers aren’t making any money. Welcome to the club, dudes. I believe the late Ed Abbey defined this sort of edge-dwelling as “voluntary simplicity.” But then he didn’t mind sleeping in the back of his truck. Pro cyclists are not unlike the pro journalists who write

After last year's successful debut, the Housatonic Valley Classic is backthis weekend for year two, and with the First Union cycling series loomingjust two weeks away, all of the top U.S. pro teams will be using Sunday's120-mile Connecticut race as one of the final tune-ups. Although shorterthan last year's edition, this year's race, which begins and ends in Danbury,should be just as difficult, with a little bit more climbing added to thelong hilly circuit in the southwest part of the state.In 2001, Saturn's Trent Klasna claimed the Housatonic victory as partof his red-hot spring campaign.

Italian rider Nicola Chesini (Panaria), who occupied last place in the Giro, was arrested Thursday at the finish of the fifth stage in Limone Piemonte according to police sources. Although his team had no official explanation, the arrest was believed to be related to that of another Panaria rider, Antonio Varriale, 28. Varriale was not participating in the Giro, and had been arrested late Monday night and suspended by his team and provisionally by the Italian federation. Varriale was charged with possession of stolen goods, associating with criminals, and violation of antidoping

Bessette leaves Saturn

Friday's Foaming Rant: The naked truth about jobs vs. work