News

Despite a name change, Mario Cipollini’s Acqua e Sapone team will enterthe 2003 season largely intact as it aims to build upon its successes oflast year.Cipollini, who had toyed with the idea of forming a team with formerTour and Giro winner Marco Pantani, will again head a team that includeshis trusty lead-out man Giovanni Lombardi.The team, now sponsored by the Italian resort owner Domina Vacanze,will include most of the same riders as last year, and in similar RobertoCavalli-designed, zebra-patterned racing uniforms. One notable absencefrom the '03 team is American Guido Trenti, who

Editors,It may have played itself out in letters already, but I wanted to tossout a reply, as a master, and level the field a bit.I can honestly say that for every young rider with an attitude, I havecome in contact with a masters rider with not only a superiority complex,but also the unfortunate ability to make their comments and actions twiceas bad because they have the experience to pour salt in the wound withthe accuracy of a Navy SEAL sniper.I have met more than my share of "I am so above it all,” know-everything,critical-of-anyone, snobbish, nose-in-the-air,

Former world No. 1 cyclist Michele Bartoli could face a long time on the sidelines amid fears he broke his pelvis in a heavy fall while training in Spain his team reported Tuesday. It would be a bitter blow for the 32-year-old Fassa Bortolo rider, who had roared back to form after a series of injuries to win the Amstel Gold Cup race and the Tour of Lombardy last year. "I don't know much about what happened," team spokesperson Miriam Nordeman said Tuesday. "I know he hurt his pelvis and perhaps he has fractured it, but we'll have to wait and see how it is when he returns

The U.S. Postal Service team released its 2003 roster on Tuesday, listingan experienced squad of 20 riders headed by LanceArmstrong and Roberto Heras.From the looks of the team for '03, the team appears to be followinga simple "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" philosophy, leavingmuch of the 2002 roster intact. As Armstrong aims for his fifth consecutiveTour de France win this year he has a roster of 17riders with some grand tour experience to chose from."For the first time in a long time, we have been able to retain everyonefrom the Tour de France team and almost everyone from the

Fausto Pinarello shows off his latest creation, the Prince SL

ITM laser-etches warnings, instructions and recommended tightening torques on all of its products

Dario Pegoretti shows off his much in-demand Luigino lugged frameset

In addition to stems and bars, ITM produces steel tubing which is peeled off in flat sheets from these humungous rolls.

Jan Ullrich lost out on a move to the CSC team run by former Telekom teammate Bjarne Riis because he asked for too much money the Dane revealed on Monday. Riis told the BBC Online he felt frustrated at the talks falling through after spending over six months devoted to luring the 29-year-old 1997 Tour de France champion to the team. It is believed CSC offered the four-time Tour de France runner-up and Olympic champion $1.5 million for a one-year contract but were unable to extend it beyond that because of uncertainties over future sponsorship in 2004. Their interest cooled further when

Nijs

Groenendaal: Lost the battle, still winning the war.

Most masters agreeDear VeloNews; Kurt Schmal's letter (see "Masters are the heart and soul of this sport" under Friday's letters, below) echoes the feelings of many masters racers. I was unaware of Mr. Bisceglia's comments. If USA Cycling truly wants to grow this sport with the youth of our country (see " Looking ahead: An interview with USA Cycling chief Gerard Bisceglia") they need to spend some of our money that is wasted every year (i.e. world championship efforts) on grass roots programs. The only way we will ever have a solid base of junior riders will be through

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

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

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

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,

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

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

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

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.

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

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

Success depends on the right materials

The Italian connection

The Italian connection

2003 Vuelta: Offering plenty of challenges

2003 Vuelta: Offering plenty of challenges

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

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.

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

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

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