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The spoils of victory.

Tuetenberg sports the latest in aero' wear.

The kids get in on the action, too.

Juan Miguel Mercado wrapped up the 39th Setmana Catalana, finishing with the lead group in a cold and miserable final stage, giving the young Spanish rider his first major win of the 2002 season. The 23-year-old Mercado was the revelation of Spanish cycling last year, winning the Vuelta a Burgos in August followed up by an impressive win at the Lagos de Covadonga in the 2001 Vuelta a España. The iBanesto.com rider didn't win a stage at Setmana Catalana, but earned enough time in the long climbing stage from Castello de Empuries to Pal on the third day to secure the victory. "Mercado is no

A number of top riders, including Kazakh title contenders Andrei Kivilev and Alexandre Vinokourov, have pulled out of this weekend's Criterium international race. Kivilev, who came in fourth overall in last year's Tour de France, is suffering from a virus according to his Cofidis team while Paris-Nice winner Vinokourov, who rides for Telekom, has an achilles problem. Also out are Swiss pair Oscar Camenzind (Phonak) and Alex Zulle (Team Coast). Camenzind reportedly has a cold while Zulle is suffering from a sore knee after a fall in training. Spaniard Abraham Olano (ONCE) has also

To say that Chris Horner is on a roll this spring is something of anunderstatement. A week after winning the Redlands Classic, he and his PrimeAlliance team stormed through the road events at Sea Otter. Now, Hornerseems in complete command of the Solano Classic. VeloNews’s NealRogers caught up with Horner both before the start and after the finishof Thursday’s road race at Solano.Thursday, March 28, 2002 - 8:30 a.m.VN: You’re off to an amazing start, winning the overall at Redlandsand the Sea Otter. What’s the secret to your early season success?Horner: [smiling]Totally relaxed…VN: Yeah? You

Lance Armstrong heads the lineup at the Criterium International, theso-called "mini-Tour de France" because the race features a flat stage,a climbing stage and an individual time trial, all the features of a majorstage-race.After a virus postponed his season debut until Milan-San Remo last weekend,it will be Armstrong's second appearance this season. Held this year near the French-Luxembourg border, Criterium International's climbing section the through the French Ardennes will be good preparation for the upcoming Classics. Saturday opens with a 192-km rolling stage starting and

There was no change in the overall leaders Friday as the time trial stage of the Solano Bicycle Classic was contested in the midst of an isolated agricultural area near of Fairfield, California. In the women’s field, Saturn’s Lyne Bessette held on to her overall lead by posting a time of 30:39 over the relatively flat 12.2 mile out and back course, which was good for second on the day, six seconds behind teammate and national time trial champion Kimberly Bruckner. Saturn’s Judith Arndt came in third, 10 seconds behind Bruckner, completing the Saturn sweep over the stage and securing their

Wohlberg

Tina Mayolo-Pic got a boost from the wind and then got to fight it back to the finish.

A slipped seatpost slowed Horner\'s progress.

World\'s number one, Judith Arndt

Wohlberg managed a strong start

Defending Giro d'Italia champion, Gilberto Simoni will be out of competition for at least two weeks, because of injuries sustained in a crash at Setmana Catalana, his team reported Thursday. Results of a medical exam earlier in the week suggest that the Saeco rider apparently suffered a small fracture in his leg as a result of the crash that forced his withdrawal from the early season stage race. “After carefully studying the scan (of the injury) we've discovered a micro fracture of the inside of the end of the thigh bone of the right knee," according to Simoni’s doctor Flavio

Acqua & Sapone's Miguel Perdiguero edged-out Telekom's Erik Zabel in a mass sprint and kept the Telekom ace from getting his hat-trick at the 39th Setmana Catalana. Zabel, the winner of the first two stages, couldn't get past Perdiguero while iBanesto.com’s Juan Miguel Mercado finished safely just a few seconds behind the lead group to retain his overall lead with just one stage to go. Perdiguero was satisfied with the victory in Setmana Catalana's penultimate stage after enduring some bad luck earlier in the season, with falls at the Vuelta a Valencia and Tirreno-Adriatico. "I've been

A member of the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame who spent nearly 30 years on the lam from a drug-smuggling rap has pleaded guilty to federal charges of trafficking cocaine and failure to appear. Richard Gordon Bannister, 61, - better known to mountain-bike historians as Neil Murdoch, renowned for adding knobby tires and low gears to old coaster-brake bikes during the 1970s in Crested Butte, Colorado – entered his plea March 13 in federal court in Albuquerque, New Mexico. According to The Taos News, Bannister was charged in 1973 with smuggling 26 pounds of cocaine after U.S. Customs agents seized

The Solano Bicycle Classic began Thursday, with the opening stage road race ending on a familiar note: last weekend’s Sea Otter overall winners Chris Horner (Prime Alliance) and Lyne Bessette (Saturn) atop the podium. On a winding course through green foothills that can only be described as gorgeous, top domestic teams fought through gusting cross winds to decide the opening stage of this Northern California NRC event. In the men’s 91-mile race—that began and ended with two long climbs—a missed turn by the lead group at mile 67became a point of controversy, as race officials scrambled to

Fraser and Sayers were convinced their teammates' break would stick

In fourth place, Palmer-Komar (left) earned the top non-Saturn spot on the results sheet.

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.com at WebLetters@7Dogs.com.(Be sure to include "Friel" in the subject line.) Qustion: I have never lifted weights before, but I'm following your book—The Cyclist’s Training Bible. Since time is my biggest limiter, I'm lifting two days a week. I can workout five days a week. On

When all was said and done, only Mario Cipollini was faster than reigning U.S. champion Fred Rodriguez in the hotly contested 93rd Milan-San Remo on March 23. It was a dazzling result for the multi-lingual American now in his second season with Domo-Farm Frites. VeloNews's Andrew Hood spoke with Rodriguez from his home in Girona, Spain, on Monday about the race and his expectations for the 2002 season. Here are some excerpts from that conversation: How did you celebrate your ride at Milan-San Remo? "We drove back to Spain, not very exciting. My wife and Floyd Landis's wife came

Italy's Giuseppe Guerini gave Telekom its third stage victory in the Setmana Catalana, beating new overall leader Juan Miguel Mercado in a two-sprint to the line in a long climbing stage up the category-one climb to Col de Pal. Nearly three years ago, Guerini won the dramatic stage at Alpe d'Huez in the 1999 Tour de France when he collided with a fan on the course but recovered to take win. Nothing got in Guerini's way Wednesday except heavy fog and cool temperatures in the 157-km stage between Castello de Empuries to Pal. "I finally get to win again. I have forgotten what it's like to win.

Defending Giro d'Italia champion Gilberto Simoni (Saeco) didn'tstart Wednesday's stage of the 39th Setmana Catalana following his spillin the morning stage of Tuesday's two-part stage. Simoni crashed hard onhis right knee in the first sector and his knee didn't respond well toanti-inflammatories overnight.Saeco officials said it was better that Simoni not start than risk furtherinjury to the knee … With Simoni out, the SetmanaCatalana is with one less star in a race that many top riders choseto avoid, something that grates Vuelta a Espana director Enrique

Reigning World Cup and world mountain bike champion Roland Greenwas named Canadian Male Athlete of the Year on March 26th at the 29th AnnualCanadian Sports Awards sponsored by the Spirit of Sport Foundation. The 27-year-old native of Victoria, British Columbia, received the awardafter completing a year that included winning the World Mountain Bike Championship and the overall World Cup.The formal gala in Toronto featured a “who’s who” of Canada’s top athletes.The other nominees for Male Athlete of the Year included Olympians JeremyWotherspoon and Jasey-Jay Anderson. The Canadian Sports Awards

Training Bible Studies with Joe Friel

A conversation with Fred Rodriguez

Rodriguez likes the outfit and wants to keep it for another year.

Guerini held off Mercado up the Col de Pal.

Mercado holds the jersey

Spain´s Juan Carlos Dominguez (Phonak) took the overall lead of the 39th Setmana Catalana in Spain on Tuesday after winning the afternoon stage of the two-stage second day, a 10.3-km time trial. Erik Zabel (Telekom) won the 106-km morning stage from Lloret de Mar to Empuribrava in a sprint to make it two in a row for the German at Setmana Catalana. Zabel later lost the lead to Dominguez, the overall winner here in 1997. Americans Levi Leipheimer (Rabobank) and Tyler Hamilton (CSC-Tiscali), both riding into form for more important goals later in the season, didn´t push for the stage-win in

According to German television reports, Jan Ullrich’s knee injuryis more serious than originally thought. Ullrich didn’t start at Milan-San Remo after over-training caused pain in his knee. Team Telekom officialshad hoped Ullrich would be able to return to competition in April, butGerman TV reports that the 1997 Tour de France champion still has not trainedseriously on the bicycle and has been limited to working out in a swimmingpool. Mapei pushed to victory in the morning team time trial at the opening day of the five-day Coppi-Bartali in Italy on Tuesday. The five-man team, powered by none

Juan Carlos Dominguez

Simoni remounted and was able to finish the stage

Brian Lopes and Anne-Caroline Chausson reprised their 2001 triumphs on March 24 as mountain-cross paid a return visit to the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California. Chausson went three for three at Laguna Seca, adding a win in the four-up gravity grand prix to her downhill and dual-slalom victories. Fastest in qualifying on Friday, and never challenged in the early rounds on Sunday, the Volvo-Cannondale star suddenly found herself chasing Katrina Miller (Jamis) in the final after Miller stole the hole shot and dove down the course first. But the Frenchwoman poured it on and rocketed

Still basking in the afterglow of his dramatic victory at the93rd Milan-San Remo on Saturday, Mario Cipollini now says he willcertainly compete in the world championships in Zolder, Belgium in October."The worlds will be my Milan-San Remo of the autumn," Cipollini toldLa Gazzetta dello Sport. "It's a course well-suited for a sprinterand I will prepare 100 percent for it."Now that Super Mario is overall leader of the 2002 World Cup, Cipollinisaid he will race at Tour of Flanders (April 7) and possibly Paris-Roubaix(April 14). He said he will also race Ghent-Wevelgem, a race he's won

Rabobank's Erik Dekker, who broke his femur during last week's Milan-SanRemo Classic, took the number one spot in the world cycling rankings for the first time in his career Monday.The 31-year-old Rabobank rider pushes Germany's Erik Zabel out of thespot he has held since last year into second thanks to his win in the Tirreno-Adriatico race last Wednesday.Dekker, who turned professional ten years ago, is the current World Cup leader, but could lose ground as he will miss all the spring classicsnotably the Amstel Gold Race which he won last year and the Tour of Flanders,where he

Erik Zabel doesn´t cry over spilt milk for very long. Two days after a disappointing Milan-San Remo, the Telekom sprinter drove home a victory in the opening stage of the Setmana Catalana. Zabel -- who couldn´t win his fifth "La Classicissima" on Saturday when bad luck derailed his chances -- beat a handful of Spanish riders in the 152-km stage. Angel Vicioso, David Etxebarria, Angel Edo and David Fernández were close, but they´re not Mario Cipollini. UCI's "vampiros" swooped down at the start of the race, testing 48 riders from Itera, Milaneza, La Pecol, Relax, Fassa Bortolo and Credit

Chausson chases down Miller.

In the offseason they shared an apartment in Spain. On Saturday Cedric Gracia and Anne-Caroline Chausson shared the spotlight, too, as the pair of French Volvo-Cannondale riders each earned wins at the Sea Otter Classic dual slalom. For Chausson it was a repeat of her 2001 victory at the race in Monterey, California. And like last year, the reigning dual world champion had little trouble marching through the 16-rider field. After advancing to the round of four, Chausson took down Marla Streb (Luna Chix) in the semis, before besting Katrina Miller (Jamis) in the final. "It’s a good start to

A pair of North Shore residents ruled the third day of the Sea Otter Classic mountain-bike stage race Saturday, as Ryder Hesjedal (Subaru-Gary Fisher) and Alison Sydor (Trek-Volkswagen) picked up short track wins. Hesjedal’s victory came after hooking up with a three-rider break that formed four laps into the 7-lap race. Right there with the young Canadian were overall leader Bart Brentjens (Giant) and Roland Green (Trek-Volkswagen). Once together the trio steadily pulled away from the pack, with only Seamus McGrath (Haro-Lee Dungarees) and Filip Meirhaeghe (Specialized) able to stay in

Saturn’s Lyne Bessette won the women’s road overall at the Sea Otter Classic in style Saturday, taking the final stage, along with the points jersey, in a two-up sprint against Rona superstar Genevieve Jeanson. Entering the circuit race with a one-minute, 20-second lead over teammate Kimberly Bruckner, and a comfortable 2:15 over Friday’s road race winner Susan Palmer-Komar (Talgo America), Bessette was poised for the overall victory; however the Saturn women were still without a stage win. With the assurance of a powerful team her defending her leader’s jersey, Bessette took matters into

It’s not the world’s most challenging course, but with strong fields in both the men’s and women’s divisions, Nathan Rennie and Anne-Caroline Chausson could take satisfaction in their Sea Otter downhill wins on Sunday in Monterey, California. A year after a surprising Sea Otter defeat, Chausson was back to her old self, bettering her closest competitor by more than six seconds on the short, twisty course. In fact Chausson’s time (1:31.20) was so good that it would have put her ahead of 27 of the 60 men’s finishers. "I’m in better shape this year than I was this time last year," said

There’s a reason they call them world champions, and Alison Dunlap and Roland Green showed why Sunday, each taking the overall wins in the Sea Otter Classic mountain-bike stage race in Monterey, California. In his first major mountain bike race since winning gold in Vail, Green (Trek-Volkswagen) earned his GC title by putting 46 seconds into Dutchman Bart Brentjens (Giant) and winning stage 4’s 36-mile cross country. Brentjens, the 2001 Sea Otter champ, would settle for second on the day and in the overall, after surrendering the 7-second advantage he had begun the day with. The pace of the

Chausson won her second-straight Sea Otter slalom.

Gracia made it a VC sweep.

King is examined after his crash.

King's loaded onto an ambulance.

Hesjedal leads the short track.

Brentjens remains the overall leader.

The final six in the women's race.

Besssette

Rings around Genevieve. Everywhere Jeanson looked there would be a Saturn jersey.

Chausson wins again.

Rennie earned his second Sea Otter win.

What happens when you land on your face.

Green leads early.

Alexander leads the ladies, with Dunlap right on her wheel.

The lead group in the men's race.

Under gray skies that intermittently wet the course, Talgo America’s Susan Palmer-Komar won stage three of the women’s road stage race—however the real victory belonged to the women of Team Saturn. Going into Friday’s Fort Ord Road Race, the Saturn women held the number two, three, and four spots on the general classification after Thursday’s time trial and criterium. Standing in their way was the 20-year-old cycling phenom from Quebec, Genevieve Jeanson (Rona), who had shown her strength by not just winning the time trial but setting a new course record—by a full minute. A fourth place in

After 14 seasons as a professional, 35-year-old Mario Cipollini finally won the race he wanted to win more than any other. Cipollini, riding in the zebra-esque colors of his new team, Acqua & Sapone, survived a long day that saw many pre-race favorites succumb to crashes and injuries to win the 93rd Milan-San Remo. [nid:21955]Cipollini and the lead sprinters reeled in a two-man breakaway of Mapei’s Paolo Bettini and Panaria’s Giuliano Figueras with less than a kilometer to go after the pair had pulled away on the Poggio climb just seven kilometers from the finish.

Dutch racer Mirjam Melchers (Farm Frites-Hartol) won the 118km Primavera Rosa, winning a three-up sprint. The win puts her into second place overall in the women’s World Cup, 32 points behind Germany’s Petra Rossner. The race, the third in the nine-race World Cup, basically followed the final half of the men’s route of the Milan-San Remo. Melchers pulled away late in the race with Diana Ziliute (Acca Due) and Chantal Beltman (Acca Due) and beat the teammates in the sprint.

Chris Horner wrapped up the men’s road title at the Sea Otter Classic as he finished in the main field of the Laguna Seca circuit race Saturday, easily protecting the nearly three-minute lead he had in the overall standings. Saturn’s Mark McCormack took advantage of a final-lap charge and held off a closing field to earn a win in the final stage of the three-day, four-stage event, near Monterey, California. With just 20 laps around the twisting tarmac of the Laguna Seca speedway, there was little chance that anyone would come close to making a dent in Horner’s substantial 2:49 lead over

Mari Holden, Sue Palmer-Komar and Kimberly Bruckner

Jeanson gambled and lost.

Cipollini beats out U.S. champ Rodriguez

Rodriguez, Cipollini and Zberg

On the road to San Remo

McCormack

O'Bee

And the winner is....

Herr San-Remo, aka Erik Zabel, says he's ready for the race he's won four times since 1997. Zabel, 31, told La Gazzetta dello Sport he thinks he can win again despite winning just the opening stage at Tirreno-Adriatico. "I've already ridden 5000 kilometers this season and I feel strong. I felt strong in the climbs at Tirreno, and although I didn't win a stage [after the first day], I just lost to Bettini and Cipollini in sprints, but I was close." Zabel is one of 200 riders from 25 teams lining up for the 93rd Milan-San Remo. Zabel called Milan-San Remo the "the world’s of the

“There are a lot of guys in the peloton who are fit right now,” Ed Beamon remarked. “It’s just that Chris Horner is about two levels above that.” Had there been doubts about the Navigators director’s assessment of the Prime Alliance star’s form before, Horner surely put them to rest on the rolling hills of the Fort Ord road race at the Sea Otter Classic on Friday. The 30-year-old from Bend, Oregon and his team started the day as if he already had the leader’s jersey on his shoulders and by race’s end he did, well padded with a comfortable three-minute margin. By the strength of his

Used to be the Sea Otter Classic served as the final tune-up for the mountain-bike World Cup season, and that meant the stage race in Monterey, California was a prime indicator of who had gone hard and who had gone soft during the off-season. But this year, without the Napa Valley cross-country looming a week away, there was talk that some of the top riders might not be in top form when they arrived at the Laguna Seca Raceway for the Sea Otter’s four-stage affair, March 21-24. But following the second day of racing here, all but a few of the big names were right were you expected them to be.

In pursuit: Barry put in a heroic effort to protect Zabriskie's hold on the lead.

Alexander won the time trial.

Saturday's World Cup opener Milan-San Remo promises to be one of the most competitive in years. A baker's dozen of cycling's biggest Classics riders are roaring into the traditional kick off to the European racing season. Topping the list of favorites is Mario Cipollini, hot off his impressive victory in the final stage of Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday. The 35-year-old Tuscan has new colors (check that zebra-striped kit), a new bike (Specialized) and a new lease on life (Acqua e Sapone). Cipo is desperate for a victory at Milan-San Remo. Erik Zabel has owned Milan-San Remo,