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The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.CONGRATULATIONS!!! And, uhhhhhh, here's your billDear VeloNews,Here is something for the Hot/Not Hot column in the magazine: Hot - Velo Bella racers at U.S. Cross Nats - Two Velo Bella racersbeing named to the U.S. Women's team for cyclo-cross world'sNot - Having to pay your own way:

It’s not an overstatement to say that Rebecca Much is something of a hot commodity these days. In October, Much earned a silver medal in the time trial at the 2004 World Championships in Bardolino, Italy. In December, she finished up her racing season with an under-23 victory at the U.S. National Cyclocross Championships in Portland. And with the ink just drying on a new contract to race for the T-Mobile women’s professional cycling team next year, Much seems poised for even greater success in cycling. No bad for 18, eh? Much dabbed in triathlons while still in high school in Chicago but

Organizers announce 2005 Crank Brothers U.S. Gran Prix of CyclocrossSeriesBOSTON - Coming off a highly successful inaugural season, organizersof the U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross have unveiled a sequel campaign in2005 that promises even more excitement for riders and fans alike. Withsix C1 events in the Pacific Northwest, New England and Northern California,the series will bring North America's best cyclocross stars to the sport'sfeverish hotbeds. "With nationals coming to New England next year, we wanted to createa balanced schedule for racers and fans," said co-organizer Paul

December 21, 2002Gerard Bisceglia has been at the helm of USA Cycling since July 2002, when he took over as Chief Executive Officer of the struggling organization. Over the next few issues of the print edition of VeloNews we hope to examine the issues and challenges facing Bisceglia and USA Cycling in 2003. In this interview, the CEO discusses some of these challenges, which include a declining NORBA membership, strained relations with some regional road racing organizations, and a failed attempt to merge USA Cycling’s BMX association, the NBL, with the ABA. On the bright side, Bisceglia

Kona’s Buck-A-Bowl Fun Raiser Earns $11,000 for Kona/IMBA Freeride GrantsKONAWORLD – The Kona Bicycle Company today announced that theproceeds from the 7th annual Kona Buck-A-Bowl Fun Raiser exceeded $11,000.The record take means that more Kona/IMBA freeride grants will be fundedand more money will be available for each grant than last year.More than 500 people competed on teams representing IBDs, manufacturers,media and friends of the industry. The crew filled all 70 lanes at thefabulous Orleans Bowling Center, and the bar.“Selling out 70 lanes for three years in a row is super exciting.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 21, 2004)—USA Cycling has submittedregistration materials to the UCI on behalf of 12 potential UCI ContinentalTeams, and one UCI Women’s Team in consideration for the 2005 season.Under the UCI’s road cycling reform plan, teams formerly recognizedas tier III trade teams will now be registered by the international governingbody under the new ‘Continental Teams’ moniker.Paperwork has been sent to the UCI on behalf of the following potentialContinental Teams:Colavita Olive Oil/Sutter Home Pro Cycling TeamJittery Joe’s/Kalahari Pro Cycling TeamTeam Nerac.comJelly

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Rake, trail, offset

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Rake, trail, offset

Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn - Rake, trail, offset

Greek prosecutors have opened investigations into how an Athens laboratory blunder allowed Olympic time-trial champion Tyler Hamilton to escape a charge of alleged blood doping. The American tested positive for a blood transfusion in Athens in August after winning the Olympic time-trial gold medal. However, he was able to keep the medal because the International Olympic Committee said the result of a follow-up sample was "non-conclusive" because the sample had been destroyed by being deep-frozen. Prosecutors said they wanted to determine if the deep freezing was deliberate, negligent or

Euro Cross Camp II23 December, 2004 to 4 January 2005Goals: to provide top U.S. cyclocross riders with race preparationfor the World Championships and/or valuable European race experience ina supportive environment based in Belgium12 Riders Selected for 2004-2005:Elite Men: Ryan Trebon* USGP Champion (Kona), Barry Wicks (Kona),Erik Tonkin (Kona), Ben Turner (TIAA/CREF-Clif Bar).U-23: Jesse Anthony* (U.S. Champion/USGP Champion; cyclocrossworld.com),Jeremy Powers* (Jelly Belly), John Hanson* (NCC/Bike Reg)Juniors: Bjorn Selander* (U.S. Champion; Alan Factory Team),Charles "Toby" Marzot* (USGP

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Put up or shut upDear Velo,Dick Pound needs to be set straight. I don't give a rat's rear whatyou think of Tyler Hamilton or his medical practices, but you need to shutyour mouth (see "Greekofficials investigate Hamilton case").I am not defending a possible doper - what I am doing is

Hamilton on his way to winning the time trial stage at the Vuelta in September.

Pound: Hamilton 'dodged a bullet.'

Weekend 'Cross Wrap: Armstrong versus Santa; Jingle 'cross in Iowa

Battle of 'Toona continues as Leidy rebuts charges

Facing a lawsuit charging that he diverted more than $370,000 of AltoonaBicycle Club funds to his own use over a 12-year period, former Tour de’Toona race director Kirk Leidy defended himself during a series of televisioninterviews last week. During the interviews, Leidy leveled allegations of his own, chargingthat ’Toona was operating as a non-profit corporation while paying itsrace committee members high commissions from sponsorship money. Leidy alsosaid he plans to bring a defamation action against Tour de ’Toona promoterRick Geist, race director and club president Larry Bilotto, and

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.We’re all cyclists – even downhillersEditor:I live in San Diego, and have had quite a laugh at many of the letters from readers regarding the recent ban on downhilling at Big Bear. All I can say about my fellow cyclists is this: All forms of cycling are related. I'm personally not fond

You don’t really need to find out what’s going onYou don’t really want to know just how far it’s goneJust leave well enough aloneEat your dirty laundry–Don Henley, Dirty Laundry It’s the slow time of the year, which means there’s not much going on in the cycling world outside of the gravity gang getting the bum’s rush from Big Bear, extortionists with false mustaches skulking around at Tyler Hamilton's website, the UCI’s ProTour galloping off in three different directions at once, and unicyclo-cross in Oregon. Jeez, what the hell is a guy supposed to write about? The big news out of Big

Francesco Moser (L) has written to UCI president Hein Verbruggen (R), to ask that riders be given a voice in the ProTour talks

'I say, one goes around with a big black mustache...'

Dear Bob,While I was away for a long weekend, I brought my bike with me on a rooftop rack. About a mile from my home, as I came down an exit ramp from the highway, an overhead telephone wire snagged my bike from the carrier. I watched my bicycle tumble across the road in my rear-view mirror. I’m now sure how much damage was done—the rear wheel is definitely bent, and the bike rack is pretty twisted. Do I have any recourse with the utility company or am I on my own?C.O.,Massachusetts Dear C.O.,There are actually two important questions here: 1. Can you go after the utility company? It is

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Hincapie lends a hand to fund-raiserEditor:Thank you for your part in sponsoring the fund-raiser at the Frostig School in the Pasadena area this past Sunday with George Hincapie as the guest. As an amateur rider it was a a thrill to take a 20-mile ride with George, get an autograph, ask

Durand during the 2004 Giro

The 2005 Vuelta a España

George and the gang at Frostig School

The 2005 USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships will return to Mammoth Mountain, California, the U.S. governing body announced Tuesday. The championships will be held September 15-18. More than 1400 athletes raced at Mammoth this past September as USA Cycling unveiled its new one-day format for crowning national champions. “We were very pleased with the outcome of the first one-day national championships in 2004,” said USA Cycling CEO Gerard Bisceglia, “Mammoth is an ideal location and we look forward to another great event in 2005.” The resort's management was happy,

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.It's all two-wheeled joyEditor:I just couldn't help but respond to the two letters you posted fromMichael Jones and Chris Whippern (see "Friday'sMailbag").First of all I would like to thank Pat Follett and Tom Spiegel for givingus the chance to do what we love, and that is to ride and

For the first time, a state east of the Mississippi River has taken top-honors in the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA) Report Card. West Virginia received the highest grade in the 2004 edition of IMBA's annual survey of mountain biking. The Mountain State has everything a mountain biker could want: endless miles of backcountry singletrack, stunning Appalachian Mountain scenery and a community of avid riders. The West Virginia Mountain Biking Association has emerged as one of the top mountain bike advocacy groups in the nation, balancing trailwork, advocacy, riding and

Sand City, CA – Effective immediately, Veltec Sports, Inc. will extend its distribution of Look Carbon Fiber Frames, Pedal Systems and Components into Canada. Veltec Sports and Look Cycle reached this agreement after reviewing the needs and opportunities of the Canadian market. “With Veltec’s proven success with the Look brand in the United States and the strength of their sales force in Canada, it is a natural expansion of our relationship” says Christophe Jouffret, Sales Director for Look Cycle of France. “Increasingly the North American market is seen as one market, so this was a

'Cross nats: Page makes it three in a row; Compton surprises 'em

Pearce gives the U.S. its second podium of this World Cup

The points race drew a big crowd

Mirabella just missed medaling in the individual pursuit

That win went to Mactier

Bourgain took the sprint

The team pursuit went to Germany

Now that's what we call a velodrome

Bos and the Dutch charge to a team-sprint win and the overall victory

Germany took the Madison

Nothstein and Pearce began strongly, but saw the Germans lap the field

Reed led it out in the keirin only to see her competitors rocket past

Arustamova took the scratch race ...

... while Pendleton got the women's keirin

Colorado's Compton surprised the field

One more time!

Fort Lewis's Shriver won the men's collegiate championship

Mirabella took gold in the points race

Tsylinskaya won the women's sprint

Mulder took the keirin

Bos was boss in the kilo

Jesse Anthony makes it six in a row

Powers got caught in the middle

"Cycling in the News" is a regular service of VeloNews.com. Readers,reporters and friends are encouraged to send links to current stories aboutcompetitive cyclists and cycling that appear in the mainstream media. Ifyou come across a news item that you believe may be of interest to otherVeloNews readers, we would be grateful if you choose to send it to Rosters@InsideInc.com.The Oregonian, December 10 Cyclo-cross riders return to face tougher course By Abby Haight The first time the USA Cycling National Cyclocross Championships churned into Portland, racers had to contend with mud thick as

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.Predictions for ‘cross natsEditor:Regarding cyclo-cross nationals: Jonathan Page will win the men’s elite race hands down so long as his bike stays together in the mud. Todd Wells and Ryan “Treefarm” Trebon will fight it out to the end for the second and third spot. Ann Knapp and Gina

"Lausanne Recommendations" on "Sudden Cardiovascular Death in Sport"adopted10 December 2004The "Lausanne Recommendations", a consensus paper on the preventionof sudden death, has been adopted today under the umbrella of the IOC MedicalCommission at the meeting on "Sudden Cardiovascular Death in Sport" inLausanne. The meeting of the ad hoc working group on Sudden CardiovascularDeath in sport, coordinated by Professor Erik J. Meijboom of the UniversityHospital Centre in Lausanne (CHUV) brought together a group of experts.Dramatic"Sudden death" in sport is always a dramatic event and has to be

Hospitals are removing or taping over patients' LiveStrong bracelets for fear of a fatal mix-up. The yellow bands are the same color as the "do not resuscitate" bands a hospital chain puts on patients who don't want to be saved if their heart stops. No mix-ups have been reported, but BayCare Health Systems officials don't want to take any chances. The popular rubber bracelets are sold through the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It's part of the champion bicycle racer's efforts to raise money for cancer education and research. Hospitals use colored bracelets to quickly tell doctors, nurses and

Portland means mud: Just ask Ann Knapp, seen charging through the goo at the USGP opener

Metzger mud-surfs to the collegiate crown

Much crashed a ton, had plenty of fun ... and won the under-23 title

Can you say '45-degree banking?'

1st Annual North American Handmade Bicycle ShowHouston Texas will host the first ever “North American Handmade BicycleShow” the weekend of January 15th 2005.  This is a milestone eventthat brings together some of North America's Finest Custom Bicycle FrameBuilders Notorious Builders such as Richard Sachs, Darren Crisp, Don Ferrisof Anvil Bicycles and many others will be on hand to display their craftTrue Temper will also be on hand displaying and talking about their mostrecent development, the "S 3 tubeset"A Q/A session will be beneficial to Amateur Bicycle Framebuilders whoattend regarding

Jeremy Powers: International Man of Mystery

The Mail Bag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you have a comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen in cycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write to WebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name and home town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity.All dressed up and no where to go (down)Editors,Wow, what sad news that Big Bear is banning downhill bikes (see"Gravityracing (and riding) to be banned at Big Bear").While there are other places for DHers to ride, this means the nearestNORBA NCS DH race from the Bay Area is 800 miles

Downward bound

Tech Report: Maintaining perspective

Tech Report: Maintaining perspective

Tech Report: Maintaining perspective

Answer Kashmir winter boot

Answer Kashimir boots beg for fresh powder

And away goes trouble, down the drain

Schauer has an eye on collegiate title, too

Gould got an early jump but was reeled back

Storm on the attack that led to his win on Sunday

Vandenbroucke speaks with friends during an earlier court appearance in Dendermonde

Baden Koch, future Paris-Roubaix star