It wasn’t the finish the cycling mad Belgian fans were hoping for, but with two riders in the top three it wasn’t a bad day either. The man spoiling the party at World Cup cross country No. 2 in Houffalize was Christoph Sauser, who bested home-country heroes Roel Paulissen and Filip Meirhaeghe in the 38.5km race on Sunday. After spending four laps dueling with a powerful lead group that also included the likes of Roland Green and Bart Brentjens, Sauser (Volvo-Cannondale) and Paulissen (Lanabau-Rainer-Wurz.com) broke away together, building a gap that hovered around 15 seconds. From there

1:15 p.m. Good morning to our U.S. audience. Obviously it has been a busy morning at the Giro d'Italia today, with bicycle racing again taking a back seat to events of a more pharmacological nature. As you can see from the headlines, Saeco's Gilberto Simoni -- winner of yesterday's stage -- has pulled out of the Giro as a result of the cocaine positive registered in an out-of-competition test on April 24. We'll try to keep tabs on that story as well as keep you up-to-date on today's stage -- a 200km race between Campobasso to Chieti -- though, to be honest, this seems less and less like a

A smiling Gilberto Simoni denied Thursday’s stage-win at CampitelloMatese had anything to do with revenge. According to the defending Giro d’Italia champion, his accelerations weren't related to the scandal surrounding his now-costly dentist visit back in April. “No, today wasn’t revenge,” said Simoni, who dominated Thursday’s 140-km11th stage. “I felt bad yesterday because of stupid negligence. It shouldnot have happened. It was very difficult yesterday. I feel sorry for the team and for the sponsor. When I am on the bike, I am thinking only about pedaling. In the night, I am human and I

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Le Mans style sprint, Saturday at high noon.

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

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

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"

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

Acqua e Sapone's ace sprinter Mario Cipollini earned his 36th stagewin at the Giro d'Italia Wednesday when he took a field sprint at the endof a 206km cross-border run from Verviers in Belgium to Esch sur Alzette, Luxemburg. Mapei's Stefano Garzelli continues to hold the maglia rosa, the race leader's pink jersey. In the race to the line, Cipollini beat Massimo Strazzer (Phonak) and Danilo Hondo (Telekom) to add to a collection of Giro stage wins that began back in 1989. He is now just five victories shy of the all-time record of 41 Giro stage wins held by Alfredo Binda, the great

Live updates:1:23 p.m. Good Morning to our American readers. We are just aboutan hour into today's race, 206km from Verviers in Belgium to Esch sur Alzettein Luxembourg. There were 193 starters this morning after the ColumbianCarlos Contreras (Colombia-Selle Italia) withdrew because of the flu. Theweather should not be much of a factor today since the wind is light andthere is no rain.1:28 p.m.Thus far today, the peloton has stayed relatively intact.There was one Category III climb at kilometer 20. Mariano Piccoli (Lampre-Daikin)took the points on that climb. Just a few minutes ago, at km 30,

1:45 p.m. -- Good Morning USA. We are now a bit more than an hour into today's stage, a 209-kilometer race from Cologne in Germany to the home of one of the year's great classics, Liege in Belgium. It is pleasant under sunny skies. There has been no rain forecast and only a very moderate breeze, so the weather shouldn't be much of a factor today. There hasn't been a ton of action yet today, though there have been a couple of breakaway attempts. The first was reeled in fairly quickly and right now Belgian Thierry Marichal, (Lotto-Adecco) is 1:25 ahead of the main field. He's been out there

Former Giro winner Stefano Garzelli (Mapei) won the second stage of this year’s Giro D'Italia, finishing in Liege on Monday. Garzelli's win in the 209km ride from Cologne, Germany to Ans, Belgium saw the Mapei rider take the leader's pink jersey. The Italian, winner of the 2000 Giro, won a group sprint to pip Fassa Bortolo’s Francesco Casagrande, who had launched the decisive attack on the final, six-kilometer climb, to the line. The leading group, who all timed 5:25:12 also included Jens Heppner (Telekom), who finished third, Italian Davide Rebellin (Gerolsteiner ), American Tyler

After two days of feeling like luck wasn't on my side, things startedto come together a little bit today.I was a bit concerned about being in the right position going into thefinal climb before the finish. Having just competed on the same roads forLiege-Bastogne-Liege three weeks ago, I knew what to expect in the final20 kilometers of the course. But the critical difference today, would bethat the entire field would probably still be together going into the finalstretch.Heading downhill on a four-lane highway with a full peloton of 196 guys,going 100 kilometers per hour definitely tests your

Acqua & Sapone’s Mario Cipollini of won the 218km first stage of the Giro d’Italia between Groningen, the Netherlands, and Munster, Germany on Sunday, taking over the leader’s pink jersey in the process. Cipollini won the final dash for the line from a splinter group that broke away from the main bunch after a mass fall 3km from the finish. Fassa Bortolo's Michele Bartoli, a perennial challenger in the classics, was one of the accident's victims and abandoned the race. Cipollini beat out two Australian cyclists, Graeme Brown (Panaria) and Robbie McEwen (Lotto-Adecco), on the line with

France’s Sylvain Chavanel (Bonjour) took the overall title at the Four Days of Dunkirk while Mapei’s Tom Steels won the sprint finish of the final stage in Dunkirk, France. After taking the overall lead on Saturday, Chavanel survived a day of frequent attacks on Sunday, but in the end the final stage came down to a field sprint, with the young Bonjour rider tucked away safely. In the finale, Steels beat out Domo’s Jans Koerts and Luciano Pagliarini for the stage win. Dunkirk was the first major victory for the 23-year-old Chavanel.

The U.S. team took three more medals at the second round of the World Track Cup in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday. Tammy Thomas took gold in the women’s sprint in an all-American final with Tanya Lindenmuth, while Sarah Hammer beat France’s Cathy Moncassin in the women’s points race. The big upset of the weekend came in the men’s sprint, where Australian Sean Eadie beat out France’s superstar, Arnaud Tournant. Home team Australia took the overall team classification, followed by New Zealand and the U.S.

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. Yeah...what he said! Wahoo! Way to go, Patrick! (see "Friday'sfoaming rant: The Giro d'Cheech and Chong") Couldn’t have said it bettermyself—and believe me, I’ve tried! Let the dogs run, baby, howling and snapping at the heels of Frigo,Pantani, and company. It’s hard

The U.S. team took three medals on day 2 of the second round of the UCI Track World Cup in Sydney, Australia. The medal haul was led by Tanya Lindenmuth, who took gold in the women’s 500-meter time trial. Meanwhile, Jame Carney took silver behind Dutchman Robert slippens in the men’s scratch race, and Sarah Hammer was second behind New Zealand’s Sarah Ulmer in the women’s scratch race. On day 1, Southern Californian Josiah Ng took silver in the keirin, flying the colors of the Malaysian national team, and 7UP-Nutra Fig pro Greg Henderson of New Zealand took third in the points race behind

As if the 15 percent grade of Cliff Street wasn't enough for the collegiate competitors on day one of the 2002 National Collegiate Cycling Association Road Nationals in Burlington, Vermont on Friday, there was also the 40 mph wind gusts off Lake Champlain to worry about. Under these conditions, Jeff Angerman (University of California at Davis) and Kate Maher (University of California at Berkley) took home the Division I stars-and-stripes jerseys in the Summit Street Criterium, the first of three stages scheduled for the weekend. In the men’s race, Angerman had his hands full when he found

With a second-place finish on the stage 4 individual time trial, Lampre’s Ravais Belohvosciks moved into the overall lead at the Four Days of Dunkirk in France, taking the leader’s pink jersey from Janek Tombak (Cofidis). Friday was a split stage at Dunkirk, with Jean-Patrick Nazon (La Française des Jeux) winning in a sprint over Lampre’s Jan Svorada. Navigators’ Ciaran Power took fifth. The afternoon presented the riders with a flat 23.3km time-trial course, and it was Crédit Agricole’s Christophe Moreau who posted the fastest time of the day, covering the distance in 27:51.64.

For one it was a breakthrough performance. For the other it was just more of the same. But after a long day of racing at NORBA NCS No. 1 at Snow Summit Resort in Big Bear Lake California, Jimena Florit and Roland Green both had impressive cross-country wins to their credit. Friday’s racing opened with the women taking on three laps of the revamped 7.25-mile circuit, and right from the gun Florit (RLX-Polo Sport) looked to have the strongest legs. The Argentinean national who calls San Diego home pulled away from the pack on the first lap, growing her advantage to 58 seconds by the time she

Cofidis’s Janek Tombak pulled on the pink leader’s jersey at the Four Days of Dunkirk in France after winning Thursday’s second stage, 190km from Hellemmes to Steenvorde. Tombak beat Frenchman Didier Rous (Bonjour) for the stage win and took the leader’s jersey away from Patrice Halgand (Jean Delatour). The start of the race saw the ever-present Jacky Durand (La Française des Jeux) initiate an eight-man breakaway that would stay out on the road for the first 50km. That group was absorbed, but countered by Roger Hammond (Palmans-Collstrop) and Roberto Lochowski (EDS-Fakta). That duo would

Jean Delaour’s Patrice Halgand won the opening stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk in northern France, taking the 181.6km stage over breakaway companions Janek Tombak (Cofidis) and Linas Balciunas (Ag2R). The trio were part of a lead group of about two dozen riders that formed 75km into the race and included some notable sprinters as well as last year’s Dunkirk winner Didier Rous (Bonjour). The group would finish three-and-a-half minutes over the field, with Mapei’s Andrea Tafi and CSC’s Laurent Jalabert among those missing out. As the race approached the finish in Wasquehal, the attacks

Acqua & Sapone’s Giovanni Lombardi won his second stage in three days Friday, winning a sprint while defending champion Dario Frigo widened his overall lead in the Tour de Romandie in Switzerland. Lombardi's Acqua & Sapone team set up the 32-yea-old with perfection, delivering him an easy victory over Saulius Ruskys (Gerolsteiner) and Mapei's Robert Hunter. Frigo finished 10th as the main bunch split coming into the finish and the Italian took an additional five seconds on his key rivals. Racers slogged through heavy rains for the third consecutive day and there's no let-up expected in

On Friday, Saturn’s Mark McCormack took Team Mercury by surprise as he sprinted away in the final 400 meters for the day’s stage win at the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, New Mexico. Mercury still continues to lead the overall with Chris Wherry and Scott Moninger first and second, but McCormack’s win broke the race stranglehold by the 13-strong Mercury team. In the women’s race, Genevieve Jeanson put on a one-woman show, riding away early and holding off a six-rider chase that included four Saturn riders and Jeannie Longo. On Thursday, Jeanson’s Rona team set her up perfectly for the final

Learning from their mistakes of a year ago, Tour de France director Jean-MarieLeblanc and his team selection committee at least explained thistime why they are snubbing Italy’s most popular cycling stars Mario Cipolliniand Marco Pantani.You may remember that in May last year, when announcing the five wild-cardteam selections for the 2001 Tour, Leblanc said that he took the numberof French teams up to eight because his committee favored the potentialof young-generation home teams over the possible failure of older-generationforeign teams. This year, in his announcement in Paris Thursday

Telekom's Erik Zabel won the Rund um den Henninger Turm in Frankfurt on Wednesday, nipping Jo Plankaert (Cofidis) and Serguei Ivanov (Fassa Bortolo) in a sprint finish.The Telekom squad pulled back a three-man break with 30 km to go andthe race came down to a bunch sprint, with the world No. 1 rider pushingPlankaert into another loss. The Belgian has been active throughout thespring without securing a victory. Ivanov, second at Amstel Gold, continuedon his fine form with third. World champion Oscar Freire (Mapei)crossed the line fourth.1. Erik Zabel (G), Telekom, 206 km in 5:00:17 (41.26

Giovanni Lombardi(Acqua & Sapone) won the first stage of the Tour de Romandie on Wednesday, a 187-kilometer ride from Geneve to Malleray-Bevilard, taking a bunch sprint on a wet and cold day in Switzerland. Lombardi, who used to be the set-up man for Erik Zabel for many years at Telekom, is now doing the same thing for Mario Cipollini. Lombardi says his return to an Italian team "makes it easier to communicate," adding that working for Cipo "is an honor. He's the best sprinter in cycling." Cipollini skipped the race because of a cold, opening the door for his reliable lead-out man to

Try as he might, Lance Armstrong just can't win Amstel Gold. Second here in 1999 and 2001, Armstrong finished fourth behind born-again Italian Michele Bartoli in an exciting, attack-riddled race Sunday in the Limburg region of Holland. It's not as if he isn't trying. Once again, Armstrong was among the main protagonists in the 37th edition of this unofficial finale of the spring classics. Armstrong, along with longtime nemesis Michael Boogerd of Rabobank, made the decisive attack on the Eyserbosweg climb 40 kilometers from the finish in the 254km circuit race.

Though it is no longer the "green wave" of yesteryear, the Mercury squad returned to its old tricks in Georgia Saturday night, washing over the front of the Athens Twilight Criterium with five laps to go and giving Canadian Gord Fraser a picture-perfect leadout for his second win under the streetlights. While Fraser served as closer for the squad, Australian powerhouse Henk Vogels put his nose in the wind all evening long to help the team control the race from the front. "Henk rides like a bull in a china shop," was Fraser’s simple summation of his teammates’ work for the evening. In a

Ángel Casero could have a very busy summer, especially if thingsgo well for his Team Coast. The 2001 Vuelta a España champion isalready planning to race in the Giro d’Italia in May and the Vuelta a España in September and might even go to the Tour de France in July if his team earns a wild-card bid in May. “I will race in the Giro, because I have focused my preparation on thisrace. If we are invited to the Tour, I will also have to go. Of course,I want to defend my title at the Vuelta,” Casero told the Spanish sportsdaily AS. “It’s obvious that you cannot race all three at the highest

Lotto’s Aussie sprinter Robbie McEwen held off Tom Steels and Dutchman Stefan Van Dijck to win the 90th Grand Prix de l'Escaut in Schoten, Belgium, Wednesday. It was the 10th win of the season for 29-year-old McEwen, who said he's ready for more. "After Milan-San Remo (World Cup classic), I rested up for a while," said McEwen, winner of two stages in the Paris-Nice stage race in March. "It gave me a boost because my start to the season was pretty busy. But now I fell really motivated to win some more during the rest of the season." The Italian Mapei team was at the front of the peloton

VeloNews.com welcomes your letters. If you run across something inthe pages of VeloNews magazine or see something on VeloNews.comthat causes you to want to write us, drop us a line at WebLetters@7Dogs.com. Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail to thisaddress, you are consenting to the publication of your letter. Of Sandbaggers and Cherry Pickers I was fortunate to witness this year's little Indy 500 in BloomingtonIN. The controversy surrounding Josh Weirs eligibility (see "Finishline: April 22") was well known by every person I spoke with in thecommunity.

Got results? Send them to POGrady@7Dogs.comby Monday morning and we’ll post them here on Monday afternoon. Word, RFTor plain-text attachments only, please, or paste the info into the bodyof your e-mail. You are welcome to include results as far as you got 'emand we'll post pictures, too (as long as you send them in JPG format andcredit the photographer). Racing replaces ranting as Little 500 gets on trackBy VeloNews Interactive Overshadowed for weeks by a controversy regarding whether an African-Americanathlete was eligible to compete, Indiana University’s 52nd Little 500 bike race,

11:30 a.m. Good morning. Welcome to VeloNews.com’s coverage ofthe 2002 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. For the first timeduring this year’s Ardennes classics, the weather is cooperating and 197starters left Liege under sunny and windless skies today… just about90 minutes ago. One race note for those of you checking out the startlist we've posted. The U.S. Postal team has made a last-minute changein their roster. Number 105 Floyd Landis is on his way home after findinghis recovery from crashes in Paris-Roubaix a little harder than expected.The roster now shows that 109 - David Zabriskie has

It was a tough morning for the American sprinters on the final day of racing at track World Cup No. 1 in Monterrey, Mexico. All three of the U.S. riders – Jeff LaBauve, Tanya Lindenmuth and Tammy Thomas – were beaten 2-0 in the best of three semifinal round, meaning bronze is the best they can now hope for. On the men’s side, LaBauve fell to German Rene Wollf, the event’s top qualifier. The Texan will now face Matthias John in Sunday evening’s bronze medal match. John (Germany) was also swept out of the semis, losing two straight to Cuba’s Julio Herrera. “The legs were felling a little

Regina Schleicher (Michela Fanini) upset Petra Rossner (Saturn) in the fifth stop of the women’s World Cup when Schleicher out-muscled the favored Rossner on a steep finish of 115-km race in Valladolid, Spain, Sunday. Rossner, however, finished ahead of third-place Mirjam Melchers (Farm Frites) to regain the overall World Cup lead she lost last week at Fleche Wallone. “I really wanted to win today but Regina was just stronger than me. We were so close over the final 100 meters but I just couldn’t get past her,” Rossner said. “Of course I wanted to win, but she was stronger. My team did

As she lay on the bed in the medical tent overcome by exhaustion, Belem Guerrero said she’d never been so tired in her life. The blistering heat of the midday Mexico sun and the sizzling pace of the women’s points race had taken their toll. But it was a price Guerrero would gladly pay again, as the reward was a gold medal earned in front of her home-country fans on the final day of track World Cup No. 1 in Monterrey, Mexico. Guerrero nipped China’s Limei Yang 16 points to 13 in a race that wasn’t decided until the last of the 75 laps around the 333-meter concrete Nuevo Leon Velodromo on

Thomas leads Lindenmuth in the 3-4 sprint final.

Americans Tanya Lindenmuth, Tammy Thomas and Jeff LaBauve all took care of business Saturday morning, moving out of the qualifying rounds of the match sprint. Also getting through was San Diego resident Josiah Ng (Malaysia), who has already won a bronze medal in the keirin here at the opening round of the UCI track World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico. On the men’s side, LaBauve was the fourth fastest qualifier, posting a 10.779 on the 333.33-meter concrete track at the Nuevo Leon Velodromo. Germany’s Rene Wollf was the fastest man in the morning, clocking a 10.593. Fellow German Mathias John

Saturday night marked the debut of the scratch race at the World Cup level and it’s safe to say Erin Mirabella likes the new addition. The blonde Californian slipped away from the field on the final lap of the 30-lap affair, then held off the late charge of Canadian Mandy Poitras to land the first gold medal for the U.S. at the three-day event in Monterrey, Mexico. “I had an opening and I just went for it,” said Mirabella of her winning move. “I knew there were some strong sprinters in the field, so I didn’t want to take any chances.” It’s the second World Cup win for Mirabella. She won the

It’s been six years since Lance Armstrong last rode Liège-Bastogne-Liège, in the days when he was a little heavier and focused on the one-day classics instead of the three-week Tour. Liège-Bastogne-Liège was then his favorite event, and he delighted in the Belgian race’s frequent climbs and its challenging distance. In 1994, Armstrong placed second, trapped in a Gewiss team sandwich between winner Eugeni Berzin and third-placed Giorgio Furlan. The following year, the Texan came in sixth, after dropping off the winning break on the last hill. And in 1996, he was outfoxed in a three-up sprint

On a warm, hazy Friday morning, competition got underway in round 1 of the UCI track World Cup in Monterrey, Mexico. Among the early success stories were Americans Tanya Lindenmuth and Erin Mirabella, who both earned the top spots in their respective qualifying rounds. Mirabella posted a 3:46.776 in the 3km individual time trial qualifier, easily besting Colombia’s Luisa Calle, and finishing ahead of second-place qualifier Emma Davies (Great Britain). Mirabella will face Davies in Friday evening’s final. Meanwhile, Lindenmuth won her keirin heat with a time of 12.618, moving her into the

It’s called the World Class Performance Program, and it’s a name that was well deserved after the first day of racing at the opening track World Cup of the 2002 season in Monterrey, Mexico on Friday. Great Britain’s Paul Manning and Emma Davies each earned gold medals in the individual pursuit, proving at least for a day that the WCPP — the UK’s competitive cycling program — is in fact world class. After placing second in the qualifying round, Manning outgunned Spain’s Sergi Escobar (Spain) 4:31.629 to 4:32.269 to win the first World Cup of his career. Switzerland’s Franco Marvulli earned

Lopes and the 3-man sprint squad

There´s still an awful lot going on in Europe, and we´re noteven talking about the Belgian Classics here.First off, Lance Armstrong will test his form at the 54th DauphineLibere, June 9-16, according to race organizers in France. Armstrong alreadyconfirmed he will race at Midi Libre as he hones his form for a run ata fourth straight Tour de France. Also expected to start among 14 teamsare Christophe Moreau, last year´s winning now racing withCredit Agricole, and Laurent Jalabert (CSC-Tiscali).The race features a climb up Mont Ventoux, which will be part of thisyear´s Tour. "We have made

The 2002 track World Cup season kicks off in Monterrey, Mexico, Friday, with preliminary and final-round competition in the individual pursuit, keirin, 30km points race and Olympic sprint. The U.S. — with its 12-rider delegation — is among 23 countries that have sent teams to Mexico’s third largest city in the northeastern state of Nuevo León. Monterrey is also one of Mexico’s biggest industrial centers and one of its most Americanized regions. The racing venue — known as Velodromo Nuevo León — is a 333-meter outdoor concrete track located next door to two of the city’s other major sports

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.)Question - My name is Juan and I'm a fan of your web site. I'm amountain and a road biker. I really love the bikes. For that reason I tryto do my best when I'm training, so please I want (if you can do it)

The Belgian Classics continue to dominate European cycling this week, withthe semi-Classic Fleche Wallone on Wednesday and Liege-Bastogne-Liege onSunday.Johan Museeuw's dramatic victory Sunday at Paris-Roubaix wasthe biggest news on this side of the pond. The Lion of Flanders is oneof Europe's biggest stars and the race was broadcast live throughout thecontinent.This week's other highlight is the Vuelta Ciclista a Aragon in Spain.The U.S. Postal Service will be among the 16 teams starting Wednesday.In other racing, ibanesto.com's Aitor Osa won the Vuelta al PaisVasco in Spain

Got results? Send them to POGrady@7Dogs.comby Monday morning and we’ll post them here on Monday afternoon. Word, RFTor plain-text attachments only, please, or paste the info into the bodyof your e-mail. You are welcome to include results as far as you got 'emand we'll post pictures, too (as long as you send them in JPG format andcredit the photographer).Herzig, Parsley triumph in “Montana Roubaix”By Geoff ProctorWith the 100th edition of the Paris-Roubaix cycling classic half a worldaway, the Montana Velo Road Race offered up an epic parallel April 14 inHelena. The hardy peloton braved heavy

VeloNews.com welcomes your letters. If you run across something inthe pages of VeloNews magazine or see something on VeloNews.comthat causes you to want to write us, drop us a line at WebLetters@7Dogs.com.Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail to thisaddress, you are consenting to the publication of your letter.Zebra in waitingOn the cover of your most recent issue you show a jubilant Cipolliniwinning at San Remo.His jersey interests me and I wondered if you might know where ( andif) anyone offers it for sale? All of the places I know only offer onlythe old Acqua &

Team mechanics were busy in Compiègne Saturday as they prepared each of their squad's bikes for Sunday's 100th edition of Paris-Roubaix. The most common modifications for tackling the French classic's giant cobblestones are a bigger inner chainring than normal (a 44 or 45 in lieu of a 39); wider, tougher tires (up to 25mm, and the majority appear to be clinchers); and slightly padded handlebar tape instead of the normal thinner variety. Other similarities aimed at making the bike less rigid are the use of titanium or aluminum tubing (with narrower gauges and thicker wall thicknesses than

After trying in every stage, Euskaltel finally scored a victory for the home team when David Etxebarria won a five-up sprint in the morning sector of Friday's two-part finale of the 42nd Vuelta al Pais Vasco. Etxebarria's victory lifts him into second-place overall going into the afternoon's 15.2-km time trial. Aitor Osa of ibanesto.com finished with the lead group to all but guarantee overall victory. "I'm very glad to win this stage because we've been working hard all week to secure a victory," Etxebarria said after winning the six-climb, 96-km stage. "Now all I will think about is

Good morning. The 64th edition of Gent-Wevelgem is underway. At the start Defending champion George Hincapie is in the field along with seven of U.S. Postal teammates, including Lance Armstrong. The wind is a steady and brisk breeze from the north and the day is still quite sunny. The official start time is now listed as 11:43 a.m. Almost from the start Lotto’s Nico Eeckhout made an attack. Now by kilometer 35, he has about a 4:20 lead. Behind the escapee, the wind is forcing the field into echelons. VeloNews editorial director John Wilcockson remarks that the day is already somewhat

Outrageous. That's the only way to describe the "new" Mario Cipollini. Dressed in his zebra-stripe tights, he engaged the media in a light-hearted post-race press conference Wednesday evening, discussing his, yes, outrageous, victory in the 64th edition of Ghent-Wevelgem. He has won this Belgian classic twice before, in 1992 and ’93, beating out first Johan Capiot and then Eric Vanderaerden, both in massive field sprints. Wednesday was different.

Despite a profile that looks like a roller coaster, a stage into Vitoriatypically finishes in a field sprint. That's because area's major climb- the Category I Alto de la Herrera - is nearly 40 km from the finish,giving the peloton plenty of time to set up their sprinters.Mapei's Stefano Zanini has been victorious here before, but the pelotonwas just 6 seconds late in pulling off the tried and true recipe in Tuesday'scold, windy stage of the 42nd Vuelta a Pais Vasco.Relax Fuenlabrada's Cesar Garcia Calvo outmaneuvered Euskaltel's UnaiEtxebarria to snatch the stage win after the pair

Whenever Johan Museeuw says he's retiring from bike racing, we take it with a grain of salt, right? Remember October 1996 when a frustrated Museeuw said he was quitting after losing the Paris-Tours classic? Well, a week later, in Lugano, Switzerland, he made his comeback to the sport ... and won the world title. Now, he's at it again. Before this year began, Museeuw said that it would be his last, ending with the world road race championship in Zolder, Belgium, which just happens to coincide with his 37th birthday. He also said that he wanted to go out on a high note -- and winning

Good morning. Welcome to our updated reports from this year’s Ronde van Vlaanderen. There were 192 riders at the starting line today, with Gerolsteiner’s Saulius Ruskys the only rider on the original start list not to make the race. There are 264 kilometers of racing ahead, punctuated throughout the last half by short, but brutally steep climbs that will cut the peloton down to just a few by the time they reach the finish.Postings are now in chronological order At the start The weather in Flanders is bright and sunny and there is a cold wind, which should place the peloton into a head wind

George Hincapie seems to be making a habit of collecting fourth places in World Cup classics. It's a habit he wants to break. But each time he looks to be in with a chance of victory, he comes up against a team with superior numbers, or loses out to one of the sport's veteran stars. In his fourth-place finishes at Paris-Roubaix, superior numbers have been the problem, while his frustration at Sunday's Tour of Flanders was due to both a stronger team (Mapei-Quick Step) and an experienced, aging winner -- in this case, Mapei's 35-year-old Andrea Tafi.

Kirk O’Bee and Vassily Davidenko (Navigators) scored a one-two punch Sunday in the 24th Grand Prix Cycliste de la Ville de Rennes, a thriller that went right down to the wire … and only missed being a top-five Navigators sweep by a single placing. Team director Ed Beamon called the 189.4km race, which winds up with five laps of a 6.3km circuit in the city of Rennes, “a great event for the sprinters.” And with U.S. crit champ O’Bee in the mix, it proved to be a great event for the Navigators as well.An early break by Arturas Kasputis (AG2R) and Eddy Seigneur (Jean Delatour), followed by a

Come the final stage of the Tucson Classic on Sunday, Geneviève Jeanson and her Rona teammates didn’t rest on Jeanson’s laurels from the previous two days of racing. Though the powerful young Canadian held an insurmountable overall lead of more than 11 minutes, the squad dropped the hammer in the closing Speedway/Artisan Prosthetics Circuit Race, sweeping the top four spots on the day and finishing 1-2-3 on general classification. Gord Fraser, meanwhile, had a sweep of his own going. Mercury’s very own quick Canadian won his third consecutive race on Sunday, ending as he began, in a battle

Fierce desert winds couldn’t blow Mercury’s Gord Fraser and Rona’s Genèvieve Jeanson off the podium on Saturday as the two won their second consecutive stages at the 17th annual Tucson Classic. Fraser and Jeanson kicked off the weekend’s racing by winning their respective prologue time trials on Friday – Jeanson by an astounding 46 seconds over the legendary Jeannie Longo (Vitalli) – then punched back in Saturday morning and went straight to work in the Gates Pass Road Race. The tough up-and-down course, a 21-mile circuit with a short 12 percent climb up the backside of Gates Pass, was made

VeloNews.com welcomes your letters. If you run across something inthe pages of VeloNews magazine or see something on VeloNews.comthat causes you to want to write us, drop us a line at WebLetters@7Dogs.com.Please include your full name and home town. By submitting mail to thisaddress, you are consenting to the publication of your letter. A guy who's been there enjoyed news from the gutterDear Editor;Michael Scherer says that the racing in Europe is much faster, longer,against fields over 200 riders, and it's fast from the gun: "no first hourof walking the dog like in the states." (see

Lithuanian Saulius Ruskys (Gerolsteiner) won Wednesday´s 232 km second stage of the Three Days of De Panne, but the big news was the crash by Belgian Andrei Tchmil Ruskys won a sprint over Belgians Tom Steels and Nico Eeckhout while Stefano Zanini, the winner of the first stage, retained the overall lead. The 39-year-old Tchmil -- a favorite for Sunday´s Tour of Flanders -- went down with six other racers – Belgians Chris Peers, Kritof Found, Italians Dario Pieri, Paolo Bossoni and Daniele Bennati as well as French racer Robert Sassone. Tchmil was the most seriously injured, with a double

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.)Question: Your Bible has been an inspiration for us- a groupof Mexican riders – that are following your system for our first seasonand we are really getting good results on races. Thanks.Just one question:

There was plenty of racing action throughout Europe, headlined by LanceArmstrong's second-place finish in the Criterium International,March 30-31. Spanish rider Alberto Martinez (Euskaltel) beat thethree-time Tour champ by just one second."I felt good in the race," Armstrong said Sunday.  "Yesterday'sstage was not too difficult, therefore it was hard to judge my form, butthis morning's stage was a tough one and I was happy with what I felt. The time trial was a bit of a disappointment, as it's tough to lose byhalf a second, but if you asked me before if I thought I would be

Editor's note: Michael Scherer is an American who has beenliving and racing in Oostede, Belgium, for the past month. Originally from Casper, Wyoming, Scherer spent last season riding for Prime Alliance while living in Boulder, Colorado. He moved to Belgium this year to take the next step and "to prove that I have what it takes to be a bike racer." Schererwill be sending back regular updates throughout the season.Why I'm hereAmerican racing is great, but in Europe we will get to race muchfaster races, more often with a lot less travel in between. Hopefully,we will see the benefits.

It wasn't a classic setup for a sprint, but Jean Patrick Nazon won one for his La Francaise des Jeux teammates in the opening stage of the Criterium International on Saturday in northern France. Rider after rider tried to escape the clutches of the peloton in the finale of the 192-km stage starting and ending in Charleville-Mezieres, but hard work by FDJ kept it together long enough for Nazon to win the mass sprint. In a dress rehearsal for the kickoff of next weekend's Ardennes Classics, Nazon won his first race of the season in 4 hours, 52 minutes, 26 seconds (39.39 kph) on a cool,

The 2002 Solano Bicycle Classic ended with a criterium stage Saturday, and once again, Prime Alliance celebrated as Chris Horner took the overall winner’s spot on the podium, as his teammate Jonas Carney took the stage. "I did the California triple," a pleased Horner declared, referring to his March victories at Redlands, Sea Otter, and now Solano. Also celebrating a California triple were the Saturn women, who, with Judith Arndt and Lyne Bessette, collectively monopolized the women’s overall. While Saturn's Ina Teutenberg took the day by winning the final stage. From the go, Horner was up

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