The RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter is e-mailed without cost or obligation each Thursday to road cyclists around the world. Click for a free subscription and a complimentary copy of the eBook, 29 Pro Cycling Secrets for Roadies. E-mail a friend   Tell other roadies about this newsletter Printer  Here's a newsletter format that's easy to print Subscribe   No cost or obligation, and a free eBook too E-mail the editor   We like to receive your comments This Week's Content Click to comment on what you read in this issue! Weekly Dispatch  New Pro Team Bikes for 2009 Cycling Shorts  Blogger Gives Lance a Shot Scott's Spin  School Me Classifieds  (2 new) Best of Coach Fred  Should I Go Home if I Feel Blah? Racing Roundup  Levi Leads the Vuelta Uncle Al  Carbon Fork Considerations Try This on Your Next Ride  Be a Good Lookout RBR eBookstore  HOT LIST:  eBooks for Autumn ______________________________________ NEW Wear Wool - Get Real Comfortable! Extend your season in warmth. Our complete line of gear keeps you covered head to toe. U.S. made. http://www.joneswares.com ______________________________________   RoadBikeRider.com Newsletter Issue No. 359 - 09/04/08:  Pro Team Bikes ISSN 1536-4143     Produced almost every Thursday by RBR Publishing Company. E-mailed without cost or obligation to more than 61,000 roadies around the world.   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   1. WEEKLY DISPATCH   Pro Bike Roulette   It's big news when top pro riders change teams. This year bike companies also are making headlines with a flurry of sponsorship changes.   Not that these decisions are made overnight. Usually they're the result of months of behind-the-scenes negotiations and planning. When news finally breaks it makes a splash for 2 key reasons: Pro team sponsorship establishes a bike company as a major player and raises the brand's prestige among consumers. Consider what has happened to Trek's status since it's been the bike ridden by the U.S. Postal Service, Discovery Channel and Astana teams to so many grand tour victories.   Testing and feedback from pro riders and mechanics help a company design and build better bikes. In most cases, you can drop by your LBS and buy a machine almost exactly like those ridden to victory in cycling's major events. Or you can buy a much more affordable model that benefits from the company's racing R&D. Here's a summary of team-bike news from the last 10 days:   Specialized.  CSC-Saxo Bank (soon to lose Computer Science Corp. as a sponsor) is getting off Cervelo bikes for the first time in 6 years and will ride Specialized in 2009-2011. The deal was months in the making and actually helped by the demise of Specialized-backed Team Gerolsteiner, which freed money and resources.   The Saxo Bank deal will put Specialized's top-line Tarmac and Roubaix frames under world time trial and Olympic champion Fabian Cancellara, the fast-rising Schleck brothers (Frank and Andy) and 2008 Tour winner Carlos Sastre (if he re-signs).   Specialized got the sponsorship only after satisfying the fastidious demands of Saxo Bank director Bjarne Riis. Velonews.com reports that before committing, Riis travelled to California several times to evaluate bikes, parts and components and confer with Specialized engineers.   Specialized also will continue as the bike, helmet and optics supplier to Team Quick Step featuring former world champions Paolo Bettini and Tom Boonen. The NorCal company also provides numerous pro and developmental teams with helmets and optics. It's claimed that more than 100 Euro pros will wear Specialized Body Geometry shoes in 2009.   Cervelo.  Specialized's sponsorship opportunity with Saxo Bank became possible when Cervelo decided to create its own pro cycling team. The Canadian company produces only high-end carbon bikes that have earned mega prestige, thanks to so many top results achieved by CSC-Saxo Bank riders during the last half decade.   Cervelo's new squad, tentatively called TestTeam while seeking a 2009 title sponsor, will have additional support from Zipp, Speedplay, Vittoria and 3T. These companies also were involved with the former CSC team. Like Cervelo, they will use TestTeam as a proving ground for product development.   The squad reportedly will seek a Professional Continental license (a step below the top rung). Cervelo co-founder Gerard Vroomen told cyclingnews.com that "race performance is only one component of Cervelo TestTeam. Our riders will also be involved in field-testing and providing technical feedback. In addition they will participate in activities with our customers, making them more accessible to cycling fans."   Vroomen explained, "We are certainly going for top results, and the roster will reflect that. But it will not be the only thing the riders will be judged by. That is the difference."   Ridley.  After 4 years, Belgian bike maker Ridley will cease sponsoring home-country Silence-Lotto and instead provide its carbon machines to the new Russian team, Katusha (read more about this outfit in the Racing Roundup). The deal is valued at about 5 million euros ($7.2 million) per year. Katusha is an outgrowth of the Tinkoff Credit Systems team, which has been aboard Colnagos. Silence-Lotto has not named its new bike sponsor.   Focus.  This relatively unknown German company will sponsor home-country Team Milram in 2009 with bikes featuring parts from SRAM and FSA. A player in mountain biking since its founding in 1991, Focus will be using its association with Milram to gain more visibility in the road market. The team has been riding Colnagos.   Giant.  This Taiwanese company is a true giant -- the world's biggest bike producer. It's switching its sponsorship from Columbia to Rabobank, the team of 3-time world champion Oscar Friere and 2-time Tour of Spain winner Denis Menchov. The agreement covers 2009 and 2010. The loser in this deal is Colnago, which has sponsored Rabobank for a number of years.   Scott.  Giant's move opened the Columbia sponsorship for Scott Bicycles. Scott is leaving Team Scott-American Beef, which was known as Saunier Duval until that company bolted during last July's Tour de France. The abrupt departure was the direct result of star rider Riccardo Ricco testing positive for EPO. Now Scott says the Spain-based team's association with doping is the reason it's leaving. Scott figures it won't be invited to some of 2009's high-visibility races.   U.S.-based Columbia, known as one of cycling's 3 "clean teams," is more attractive to Scott. Along with Astana and Garmin-Chipotle, Columbia pays for year-round rider drug testing by an independent company.   Columbia riders are expected to be aboard Scott's 790-gram Addict LTD frame for road racing and the new Plasma2 frame for time trialing. A Scott spokesman indicated that the company may develop 2 additional team frames -- a more aerodynamic road model and one that's designed specifically for the spring classics with longer chainstays and clearance for wider tires.   Comment ______________________________________   RBR's QUESTION of the Week   Speaking of bikes and equipment, think about when you're deciding which bike, frame, wheels, helmet, shoes or other products to buy, and tell us . . .   Are your cycling purchases influenced by what pros ride?   We give you 6 ways to answer at http://www.roadbikerider.com/poll, where you can also find an archive of previous poll results. Please click, vote and come back to finish reading.   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   2. CYCLING SHORTS Quick Tip:  Two Times to Ride.  (1) The day before an event. (2) The day after an event. Instead of taking those days off to rest up, you'll find that easy spins, perhaps with 2 or 3 brief jams to get your circulation going, are more effective for preparation and recovery. Take your rest days 2 days before the event and the second day after. A short ride the day before will restore your rhythm without sapping energy. It also lets you check your equipment one final time. Riding the day after, even though you may feel stiff and sore, will loosen your muscles and joints. Lying on the couch won't.   Lance Armstrong is getting slammed for joining the campaign against childhood vaccinations. Those in the movement believe the shots can cause autism. As a blogger called Orac puts it, "another celebrity has been sucked into the maw of antivaccine propagandizing disguised as an autism charity." Orac terms himself a "humble pseudonymous surgeon/scientist." He (or she) blasts Armstrong for hosting a poker tournament with Jenny McCarthy called Ante Up for Autism: "The sight of Lance Armstrong, who arguably more than any other celebrity I can think of owes his very life to science and scientific medicine, pairing with a celebrity so dedicated to antiscience and the promotion of antivaccination lies and autism quackery, is a jarring one." The blog is at http://tinyurl.com/5ayjha   Sen. John Kerry went for a ride during last week's Democratic National Convention in Denver, using David Millar's spare bike provided by Team Garmin-Chipotle director Jonathan Vaughters. Kerry, 65, is known as a cycling enthusiast, but can he really ride? Hint: His legs are shaved. Read Vaughters' wide-eyed assessment of the former presidential candidate's cycling talent at http://tinyurl.com/5h2y9c  ______________________________________   Overheard:  "John Kerry descended like he stole the friggin' bike from the GOP." -- Jonathan Vaughters ______________________________________ Unless the lawsuit between LeMond Cycling and Trek Bicycle Corp. is settled out of court, a jury trial will be held in March 2010, according to documents filed last week with the U.S. District Court in Minnesota. As summarized by trade journal Bicycle Retailer and Industry News, the 2 companies are locked in a legal dispute over contractual obligations. Trek wants to end its licensing agreement with Greg LeMond, claiming damages in excess of $6 million for multiple breaches. In the other corner, LeMond is seeking a total of $4 million for lost U.S. and international sales because, he says, Trek failed to promote his brand as specified in the contract. Trek and LeMond Cycling partnered in 1995 to produce road bikes under LeMond's name. Their licensing agreement is scheduled to expire in 2010 but Trek wants out now.   Here's a weird twist to the LeMond case, as reported by BRAIN:  "An inmate at a federal prison in Williamsburg, South Carolina, filed a motion to intervene in the [Trek/LeMond] lawsuit, alleging that he and other inmates produce bikes for LeMond under the Federal Prison Industry Unicor Program for 12 cents an hour, a violation of minimum wage laws. The inmate also claimed LeMond bicycles are shipped to Iranian troops for training purposes, violating the Training with Enemy Act." The judge denied the motion.   The conflict between RAGBRAI and the Iowa State Association of Counties is nearing a happy end for cycling. At issue has been liability involving the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa and, by extension, any other group ride. RAGBRAI attracts more than 10,000 cyclists for the weeklong cross-state trek. In 2004 one of those riders died after apparently catching a wheel in a road seam and crashing. His widow sued the county where the accident occurred and received a $350,000 settlement, making other counties nervously consider ways to avoid a similar situation. One county, Hardin, even passed an ordinance requiring groups of 10 or more cyclists to obtain at least $1 million in liability insurance or be fined $750. RAGBRAI responded to the statewide threat by rewriting rider waivers and purchasing liability insurance that covers all counties along its route, which changes each year. The Iowa State Association of Counties then dropped its push for laws regulating bike riders. Details at http://tinyurl.com/6falmk ______________________________________   Overheard:  "If RAGBRAI has this covered, then we are satisfied." -- Jim Johnson, supervisor of Iowa's Hardin County, which is likely to repeal its tacit ban on groups of 10 or more cyclists. ______________________________________ September is the month of the cycling industry's major exhibitions. Eurobike begins its 4-day run in Friedrichshafen, Germany, today, to be followed by Interbike in Las Vegas during the week of Sept. 22. Plenty of 2009 product news will be pouring out of these shows. Shimano has already made headlines by announcing a new line of aftermarket accessories for its components. Dubbed Yumeya (Japanese for "dream workshop"), offerings include gram-saving doo-dads for mountain bikes, such as carbon XTR derailleur plates, titanium bolts and cassette cogs, and a hollow-pin chain. It's expected that Yumeya for Dura-Ace will soon follow.   Assos is beefing up its North American presence. The Swiss maker of premium road cycling clothing has opened a warehouse in Chicago and plans another one near New York City. The goal is to provide better service and inventory for dealers, which the company chooses carefully in order to protect its top-end image. Assos was established 32 years ago by Swiss engineer Toni Maier-Moussa and remains family owned. In the 1970s Assos originated Lycra cycling shorts, which it put on riders in the era's top team, Ti-Raleigh. For the last 13 years, Illinois-based Ochsner International distributed Assos in North America. The relationship ended Aug. 31and Ochsner now has the Spanish apparel brand Etxeondo.    Now on the RBR website:  Review Crew member Mike Dayton rode all night to comparison test 2 new super-bright LED headlights from Europe that never need batteries. Expensive? You bet. The best bike lights yet? Very likely. But Mike likes one better, as he explains at http://www.roadbikerider.com/producttests.htm ______________________________________   Comment of the Week   Last week Coach Fred's answer to "What Emergency Rain Gear Should I Carry?" produced several tips from readers. Included was the old standby -- wear a plastic garbage bag with holes for your head and arms. That'll certainly work in an emergency, but we like to be a little, uh, classier than that. So we picked the following comment to share because we've been riding long enough to remember when the recommended fabric -- wool -- was used for almost all cycling clothing, and for a very good reason: It's a great insulator. Unlike in the old days, though, the modern stuff doesn't itch or shrink. Here's what a roadie named Gerard says:   "Coming from the land of sheep (New Zealand, and no jokes, please) it's surprising that it's taken me so long to realize the value of merino wool.   "I got caught in the rain 70 km from home and found I had left my rain jacket at home (winter here, so 15C [59F] and wet, wet, wet). A merino T-shirt beneath my usual long-sleeved cycling jersey saw me wet, but not cold. The new merino tops are machine washable and are nice against the skin." ______________________________________   Share your thoughts about stuff you read in this week's newsletter by clicking http://www.roadbikerider.com/comments.htm. Or just go there to read the variety of interesting opinions and helpful tips from your fellow RBR readers.    o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   3. SCOTT'S SPIN   School Me   A quick internet search uncovers more than 2,500 online degree programs, but not one in cycling.   Until now.   Move over, University of Phoenix. Introducing Merckx University, home of the Fightin' Eddys.   Here at MU, time-crunched working adults such as yourself can become well-rounded, productive, successful cyclists by completing our nationally acclaimed degree program conferring a Bachelor of Riding Education (BORE).   Are you ready to break away from your dead-end, low-gear, Shimano-105 existence? Enroll today!   Here are some of the exciting courses you'll be taking:   Ethics In this advanced philosophy seminar, students ponder age-old questions, such as: "If a rider gets dropped and no one notices, did he really get dropped?" and "Wheelsucking: Moral imperative or bourgeois facade?" Required reading includes Machiavelli's The Prince, Nietzsche's Beyond Good and Evil and Nixon's I Am (Still) Not a Crook.   Ancient History Students travel to a remote archaeological dig (known to our ancestors as a "cellar") to experience firsthand the origins of revered artifacts, like the mysterious Toe Strap of Binda and a pair of down-tube shifting levers said to operate a system of gears using antiquated "friction" technology. Back in the classroom, students explore why experts believe these levers are inscribed with the name of this primitive people's god, SunTour.   Biology 101 Distinguished visiting professors Fuentes and Ferrari teach this popular lab on performance enhancement. Pre-requisite: Ethics.   Applied Mathematics Students learn how the world works in this rigorous course that asks: If 2 cyclists 3 miles apart are traveling toward each other, one at 22 mph and the other at 15 mph, and one has deep-dish carbon rims and the other has box-section alloy rims, at what point will they meet -- and which one will refuse to acknowledge the other's presence?   Comment   (Scott Martin's eBook, Spin Again, contains 181 of his witty, sometimes wacky and occasionally heart-felt observations on road cycling. Enjoy 3 classic Spins again and place your order -- instant delivery by download -- at http://www.roadbikerider.com/sa_page.htm.)   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   4. CLASSIFIEDS   Also see the Classified Ads page on the RBR website and please support these advertisers that help make this newsletter free for you.  ______________________________________    NEW Wabi Woolens - Top quality wool cycling jerseys! Wool weather is near. Wear Wabi. RBR readers get free or reduced shipping until 9/17 by clicking WabiWoolens.com ______________________________________   Devoted to bicycle mechanics and cyclists, Effetto Mariposa makes the best possible tools, like the GF. http://www.cantitoeroad.com/a/gf ______________________________________   CycliStats - Software for Cyclists. Try it for free! Ride log, training diary, season planner, health tracker, and much more! http://www.CycliStats.com ______________________________________   $10 off orders over $75 for RBR readers! Shop the vast selection of women's cycling, tri and fitness apparel at TeamEstrogen.com ______________________________________   The Right Road Bike at the Right Price. From used & starter bikes to dream bikes from Colnago, Pinarello & DeRosa, we will meet your budget and your needs. http://www.aroadbike4u.com ______________________________________   Also on Classified Ads, these Roadie Ads: Serotta Legend Ti road bike Covered Bridge Century (NH) Wanted: RBR cycling writers o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   5. BEST OF COACH FRED   Should I Go Home if I Feel Blah?   Q:  Yesterday I scheduled an interval workout having four 5-minute efforts. But during the warmup and on the first interval I felt tired and that ruined my motivation. So I went home. Was that the right thing to do, or should I have gutted it out and completed the workout? -- Barry A.   Coach Fred Matheny Replies:  It depends on why you were so blah. If you have felt overtrained and lacking motivation for some time, heading for the couch was definitely the right thing to do. Stay there until you feel good again. Then continue to rest a couple more days just to be sure.   Chronic fatigue will reverse your progress -- and the fun of riding a bike -- faster than almost anything.   But if during the first interval you were merely having trouble getting all systems fired up, it's best to do at least the second hard effort. Sometimes you feel bad on the first interval, but once your body catches up with the intensity you're demanding, you perk up.   If you do feel better after the second interval, continue with the planned workout. If not, pack it in. By having done 2 intervals, you'll already have gotten much of the benefit from the session.   Why do I say that? We know from weight-training studies that the first set or 2 provides the stimulus for most of the improvement gained during multi-set workouts.   So if you do 5 sets of bench presses, for instance, much of the benefit occurs during the first set. The second set stimulates a significant amount of the remaining improvement possible from the session. Each of the final 3 sets contributes a progressively smaller amount.   It's a pretty safe bet that something similar takes place while doing interval workouts on a bike. The first interval is the biggie. The second is well worth doing, but remaining intervals are subject to the law of diminishing returns.   Of course, cycling is an endurance sport and rewards those who can repeat hard efforts many times, whether they be sprints, hill jams or short time trial-like efforts. So there is more benefit in multiple sets for riders than for weight trainers.   If you feel fine, do all of the repeats in your scheduled workout. But if you feel puny, managing just 2 repeats garners a large percentage of the possible benefits without causing a lot more fatigue.   Comment   (Seeking sensible cycling advice? You'll find a ton more in Fred Matheny's Complete Book of Road Bike Training. In fact, all elements of better road cycling performance can be found in this eBook's 55 chapters. See the contents and read an excerpt -- "Building the Base" -- at http://www.roadbikerider.com/rbt_page.htm) ______________________________________   New on RBR's PREMIUM SITE   Members will find the links to this new content on the What's New? page after logging on. "Preserving Power:  Why Weight Training is Vital for Aging Cyclists," the 8th of 9 new eye-opening research articles by Coach Fred Matheny. Don't miss this one if you're over 40.   29% of voters in an RBR poll said BMX doesn't belong in the Olympics. Les Woodland couldn't agree more in his perspective from France: "Unconvincing Performance."   The What's On page with more than 100 mini product reviews has a new one on Lantiseptic Skin Protectant. Is it the best chamois lube ever? Join the Premium Site for access to these articles and 238 web pages of exclusive road cycling advice, information and entertainment. At just $24.99 per year for 24/7 access, RBR provides 10 valuable member benefits, including product discounts and 3 bonus eBook downloads. Check the bennies here.   o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   6. RACING ROUNDUP Gleaned from news sources worldwide. Credited where exclusive. Levi Leipheimer won yesterday's flat, windy 42.5-km (26.4-mile) individual time trial to move into first place in the 63rd Vuelta a Espana after 5 stages. It's the American veteran's first time in the leader's jersey of a grand tour. His margin is just 2 seconds over France's Sylvain Chavanel (Cofidis). Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) is 3rd at 30 seconds, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) is 4th at 32 seconds, and Leipheimer's Astana teammate Alberto Contador rounds out the top 5 at 47 seconds. Significantly, Contador is 40 seconds ahead of key rival Carlos Sastre (CSC-Saxo Bank), who sits in 7th place overall at 1:27. The 3-week race enters the mountains for 3 stages following Friday's rest day.  See daily news and stage results on the Vuelta's website at  http://tinyurl.com/6ke73c   If Alberto Contador can win the Vuelta a Espana -- he's the favorite -- he'll be the first Spaniard to claim all 3 grand tours. The 25-year-old from Madrid won the Tour de France in 2007 and the Giro d'Itlia last spring. The feat would put Contador among the giants of cycling, as the only other riders to accomplish the grand triple are Italy's Felice Gimondi, Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault, and Eddy Merckx of Belgium.  ______________________________________    Overheard:  “Alberto is the best climber in the world. He’s won the Tour, he’s won the Giro and now we’re going to work so that he will win the Vuelta.” -- Levi Leipheimer, leaving no doubt who Team Astana wants in the leader's jersey when the race ends in Madrid on Sept. 21.  ______________________________________  Tom Boonen's Monday was bittersweet. The boyish Belgian sprinter won the Vuelta's third stage -- his first big victory after being benched for recreational cocaine use -- but then he got socked with a 2-month driver's license suspension and fines totaling 1,510 euros ($2,190). It seems Tornado Tom drives nearly as fast as he rides. In separate incidents, he was ticketed for going 129 kph (80 mph) in a 70-kph (43-mph) zone and 180 kph (112 mph) in a 90-kph (56-mph) zone. The latter transgression was compounded by him holding a cell phone in one hand and being under the influence, reportedly due to 4 glasses of champagne.   Tyler Hamilton, 37, shocked the sport Sunday by winning the USA Cycling Professional Road Race Championship in Greenville, South Carolina, with a Phelpsian margin over Blake Caldwell (Garmin-Chipotle). Their 2-up sprint after 115 miles (185-km) saw Hamilton take the stars-and-stripes jersey by 0.002 of a second -- less than the width of a tire. "This was all about redemption for Tyler," said his team's owner, Michael Ball of Rock Racing. "Winning the most prestigious one-day race in the U.S. almost a year to the day after he pretty much retired was what this team is all about -- giving guys second chances." Rock Racing is Hamilton's third team after being fired for doping by Phonak and fired for suspicion of doping by Tinkoff Credit Systems. He didn't ride the previous day's time trial championship in Greenville in order to save full strength for the road race. He said he drew motivation from the recent death of his 102-year-old grandmother, noting, "I felt something special over the past couple of days." It was his third victory this year and the 30-something of his 13-year pro career. Read the blow-by-blow and result list at http://tinyurl.com/5uupkg ______________________________________   Overheard:  "I've been in the top five seven times, and I've never been tested. I'm not making an implication about anyone racing here today, but I am disappointed." -- Danny Pate (Garmin-Chipotle), third place in the 2008 road nationals, commenting on the cursory drug testing that took samples only from winner Hamilton and 2 riders picked at random. ______________________________________ Here's one you retrogouches will love.  While Team Columbia's Linus Gerdemann was soloing toward victory in a stage of the Tour of Germany last weekend, his radio earphone fell out and got caught in the chain. The young German still won the stage and took over the race lead, but he said the amusing (to some) technical problem "cost me at least 30 seconds." He thought about a bike change but figured it would waste even more time. Besides, he couldn't talk with the support car about his difficulties. Welcome to bike racing the way it used to be.   Here's one you tuned-in techies will love. When defending champion Dave Zabriskie made his game plan for last Saturday's USA Cycling Time Trial Championship, he told his support car driver, "I usually don't want anyone on the radio with me, but tomorrow I want you to be really aggressive with me. When I get to the top of the hills [urge me] to spin, spin, spin and push." Result: Zabriskie's support "did a great job and helped me out a lot." Dave Z, 29, won his third consecutive U.S. TT title, 5 seconds ahead of Tom Zirbel (Bissell) and 10 ahead of his Garmin-Chipotle teammate, Christian Vande Velde. ______________________________________   Overheard:  "It feels great to have this win, but it's not like it saves my season or anything. It's me with something to prove time and time again, that I am Dave Zabriskie!" -- The TT champ on his comeback from a fractured vertebra in May's Giro d'Italia.   "I felt great. I was just trying to hold back my vomit, basically, just feathering that level." -- Tom Zirbel on his ride to a silver medal in the national TT. ______________________________________ Tom Danielson rode the time trial in warm and humid South Carolina with a bag of ice on his back under his skinsuit, reports velonews.com. Officials at the start questioned whether the hump might be an aerodynamic advantage, so the bag was moved lower on Danielson's back. The Quasimodo Effect became a moot point as the 20.7-mile (33.3-km) race progressed and the ice melted, but Danielson still finished a respectable 5th. His later-starting Garmin-Chipotle teammates did not use ice, which the squad has been experimenting with this season.   Team Columbia dominated the 5-day Tour of Ireland with 3 stage wins by Mark Cavendish, one by Frantisek Rabon and overall victory by 32-year-old Italian Marco Pinotti.   Columbia is taking the Tour of Missouri very seriously. Besides defending champion George Hincapie, the U.S.-registered team is entering former world time trial champion Michael Rogers and pro cycling's new fastest man on 2 wheels, Mark Cavendish. The young sprinter will bypass his home-country's Tour of Britain to race in Missouri, where he figures to add to this season's 16 victories, 4 of which came in bunch finishes at the Tour de France. Cavendish also won the first 3 stages of the just-completed Tour of Ireland. Other notables in the Sept. 8-14 race across Missouri include Roman Kreuziger and Vincenzo Nibali of Liquigas, Christian Vande Velde and Dave Zabriskie of Garmin-Chipotle, and U.S. domestic team talents Tony Cruz (BMC), Rory Sutherland (Health Net) and Dominique Rollin (Toyota). Rosters of the 15 teams and other details are at http://www.tourofmissouri.com   Money talks, and Team Katusha has the cash to articulate with a loud voice. Boasting an annual budget of more than 15 million euros ($21.8 million), the new Russian incarnation of the Tinkoff Credit Systems team has offered unrefusable deals to Australia's Robbie McEwen along with Italian Filippo Pozzato, Belgian Gert Steegmans and Russians Vladimir Karpets and Alexandre Botcharov. Next, Katusha wants Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre, whose contract with CSC-Saxo Bank is up at the end of the year. "We are still talking to Sastre," said Katusha boss Oleg Tinkov. "Budget? We have the budget to sign two riders like Sastre." McEwen, the winner of 12 Tour stages, has a 2-year-contract after leaving Silence-Lotto. In remarks to cyclingnews.com, Tinkov revealed his team's plans for the 36-year-old Aussie, calling him "a great sprinter and I want him to be a mentor in the team. He is very professional -- perfect with his age and experience."   Katusha (also spelled Katyusha) is taken from a song during World War II meant to inspire Soviet soldiers, according to velonews.com, which notes that it's also the name of a truck-mounted rocket launcher.   Andreas Kloden says he "will not be available in the future" for the German national team. He wasn't included in his country's squad for the Olympics or world championships and says he never received an explanation. In Kloden's view, "Especially in light of the fact that my team [Astana] did not participate in the Tour de France, I would have been able to prepare explicitly for the Olympics." The 2-time Tour de France runner-up also fired this shot: "In other countries, the participants are chosen by experienced former riders and not from functionaries who don't necessarily know anything about cycling."   Manuel Beltran's B sample has confirmed his use of EPO at the Tour de France, according to a report by Agence France-Presse. The 37-year-old Team Liquigas rider was announced positive after stage 7, pulled from the race and suspended from further competition. He was in 26th place at the time. Liquigas says it will fire him once B sample results are made official.   Czech rider Ondrej Sosenka, owner of the world hour record, tested positive for the banned stimulant methamphetamine during his country's national time trial championships. The 32-year-old TT specialist has been suspended by his team, PSK Whirlpool-Author, which says his contract will be terminated if his B sample also is positive. "Sosenka seriously violated the rules and caused the most damage to himself, because it probably means the end of his career," said team manager Vladimir Vavra. Sosenka rode 49.7 km in 60 minutes in 2005 to break Chris Boardman's 5-year-old hour record of 49.4 km. The Czech is one of the largest riders in pro cycling, standing 6-foot-7 (200 cm), weighing almost 200 lbs. (90 kg) and using 190-mm crankarms.   Versus is televising the USA Pro Cycling Championships on Sunday, Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. ET. Check your local listing. Click http://www.versus.com/cyclysm for the Cyclysm Sundays schedule and features. o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o  o^o   7. UNCLE AL   Carbon Fork Considerations   Ever since George Hincapie's steerer tube broke in the 2006 Paris-Roubaix, leaving him holding a handlebar attached to his bike only by cables, customers have asked whether carbon forks are a good idea.   Carbon forks are great! Paris-Roubaix is another story.   The Romans who built those cobblestone roads didn't think crazy people would be flying across them on 18-pound bicycles. Considering the level of punishment those stones dish out at the speed those big dogs travel, I'm surprised that everything doesn't break. But carbon forks are not inherently fragile or risky.   Some forks are all carbon, including the crown, steerer tube and dropouts. Others have carbon lower legs bonded to aluminum crowns with either aluminum or steel steerer tubes.   Hincapie's Trek 5200 had a Bontrager fork with an anodized aluminum steerer. He'd crashed earlier in that Paris-Roubaix so it's suspected that his fork was damaged then, setting up the nightmarish failure that saw him turf hard and break his shoulder. He would have been wise to change bikes following the first fall, but after he joined the 30-mph lead group he didn't want to stop, and there was no team support vehicle in sight.   Maybe the risk was understandable in racing conditions when Hincapie had a chance to win the most famous classic in cycling, but it violates rule No. 1 for the rest of us non-pros:  Don't ride a crashed bike until it checks out with a thorough inspection.   Fork Fundamentals   Virtually all carbon forks nowadays are threadless with a 1 1/8-inch-diameter aluminum, steel or carbon steerer tube. Models with old-school 1-inch threadless steerers are all but gone. The future for them looks pretty dim. If you are in the hunt for a carbon fork with a threaded steerer, good luck. A winning lotto ticket is easier to find.   The lightest all-carbon forks may have composite dropouts instead of forged aluminum ones. Be really careful with these on your rooftop fork-mount bike rack. You can snap off the tips by clamping them crookedly or losing your balance while installing or removing the bike. That's not covered by the warranty.   Stick with the companies who've been making carbon forks longest and know what they're doing. Easton, Time, Look, Kestrel, Reynolds, Profile Design, Ritchey Design and Alpha Q are all good choices. These companies are known for producing safe high-performance products.   Carbon forks weigh from about 315 grams (all carbon) to more than 510g for tandem-suitable models. Some manufacturers claim to make even lighter forks. If you want to try one, go ahead. I won't be joining you. The most practical forks are in the 360-460g range. Prices vary from $250 to $600. Generally, the more you pay, the less you get (weight wise).   Carbon Fork Do's & Don'ts Always observe rider weight limits.  Lighter forks tend to be more flexible, fore and aft. They handle poorly under heavier riders, particularly during hard braking. A 200-pound (91-kg) rider shouldn't be worrying about saving 100g in the fork anyway.   Don't exceed the recommended stack height (much).  The rule for the nearly obsolete 1-inch carbon steerers is a maximum 1 inch (25.4 mm) of spacers, plus the stem. For 1 1/8-inch steerers it's 1 1/8 inch (29 mm) plus stem. I've found you can exceed this by a