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Floating around NAHBS I noticed a number of bikes with these Terminator-esque mechanical stoppers, and Steve from Calfee said they were new, so a quick call to ee Cycleworks was in order.  First thing you need to know: They average under 200g per set.  Yeah, now you’ll keep reading.

Launched at Interbike ‘08, ee Cycleworks is the brainchild of Craig Edwards, the man who had a hand in the design of the original Sweetwings cranks from the ’90s (if you don’t remember them, they were at the time the lightest mountain bike cranks you could get…if you could get them.  They even trumped purple ano for total coolness).

Like any good tinkerer and entrepreneur, the first version is always just a starting point.  Pretty much since the eeBrakes first came out, Craig’s been thinking how he could make the already-well-reviewed brakes even better.  Jump on past the break for more pics, colors, details on what’s changed and pricing…

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Liquigas rider Peter Sagan sprung a massive surprise on the peloton today, as he launched a gutsy attack 1.9km out, and buried himself to stay ahead and claim a second stage win.

A tight left turn and a narrow plunge under a railway track distracted the bunch and the steep uphill after was the perfect springboard for the 20-year-old Slovakian. He followed Christophe Le Mevel’s wheel as the Française des Jeux rider jumped, but soon outstripped the Frenchman.

The pain was evident on his face as the peloton, in disarray, tried and failed to chase him back. This second stage win in his debut Paris-Nice more than makes up for the tricky, steep hill-top finish yesterday where he lost ground to many of his more experienced rivals.

“That kid is going to be more epic than Rapha,” a Liquigas team insider may (or may not) have said as they watched the former junior mountain-biking world champion recover in a heap on the ground.

Provisional standings after stage 5, Pernes-les-Fontaines - Aix-en-Provence.

1. Alberto Contador (AST)

2. Alejandro Valverde (GCE … +20″)

3. Roman Kreuziger (LIQ)

4. Luis Léon Sanchez (GCE)

5. Samuel Sanchez (EUS)

6. Jens Voigt (SAX)

7. Joaquin Rodriguez (GCE)

8. Peter Sagan (GRM)

3T is unveiling it’s new Aura-Pro, an entry-level carbon-fiber aerobar complete with extensions at this week’s Taipei Show.

The Aura shares its basic architecture with their Mistral, but its basebar has a simplified top skin and top-mounted extension clamps. This means it lacks the multiple elbow-rest positions of Mistral, but is lighter. The Aura comes with S-bend extensions as standard, but owners can customize their front-end fit by swapping in any of 3T’s range of extensions.  The simplified manufacturing process used with the Aura allows them to bring it in at a lower price point, though at the moment, we’re not sure what that will be.  Their goal is to not just offer consumers a good deal, but to entire OEM placements on triathlon and TT bikes sold as complete.

Weight is 598g and it’ll be available in both 40 and 42cm widths.  The alloy elbow rests have neoprene pads with embossed 3T logos.  3T claims the Auro Pro is legal for UCI, USAT and WTC Ironman events.

Founded by Greg Hudson and Veloforma Bicycles owner Mark Duff, Corsa Concepts was born out of a frustration with lightweight wheels that just didn’t hold up to everyday use.  The goal: to build lightweight, durable wheels that will perform at the highest level of racing while still being solid “do it all” wheels for the common roadie.

Shown for the first time at NAHBS on Signal Cycles’ bikes, Corsa Concepts is based in Portland, OR, amongst the plethora of area builders, which has many of them excited about a second (and local) U.S. carbon wheel manufacturer (Edge Composites being the first).

Corsa Concepts will offer a full line of carbon tubular racing wheels designed for road, track, time trial, triathlon, and cyclocross and alloy training and racing wheels, with four models available now: the 1.2C clincher, 2.3T and 2.3TP tubulars and the Disc.  The naming system indicates their design: 1.2″ deep (30mm), “C” for clincher.  The 2.3’s are 2.3″ (58mm) deep and ‘T” is for Tubular.  The Disc is a full carbon disc wheel made for Tubulars, and there’s a Track-specific version available, too.

Hit more for add’l photos, specs and pricing…

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Via Steephill.tv, here’s a U.S.-friendly link to video of the final climb that put Contador in Yellow today at Paris-Nice.  He basically rode away and made it look easy.  The Tour de France should be very, very interesting…

Today’s 173.5km stage from Maurs to Mende skirted the Massif Central for most of the day, and only at the end facing some difficult hills. And what a finish it was.

A seven-man break featuring Jérôme Pineau (Quickstep) held the front until the 3rd-cat climb 8km from the end; but they quickly melted back into the Astana-fronted peloton.

Then the bunch hit the final climb on the last 3km. It averaged 10% overall, yet a middle section of tortuously steep hairpins sorted the men from the boys - and notably saw Peter Sagan (Liquigas), yesterday’s stage winner, as well as King of the Mountains Laurent Mangel (Saur-Sojasun) quickly slip from front to back.

Le Mevel (Française des Jeux) had a little dig, but then Contador simply floated off, as is his wont, dancing away from the pack; and, although not quite as imperious as usual - Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d’Epargne) gave a good chase - he was never in any danger of being caught.

Contador took first - and, thanks to the bonus seconds, yellow jersey. Valverde came in some 10 seconds behind, closely followed by Olympic Champion Samuel Sanchez (Euskatel). Jens Voigt, who was potentially riding for the biggest result of his career, couldn’t hold with them and finished some 40 seconds back.

Overall standings:

1. Alberto Contador (AST)

2. Alejandro Valverde (GCE) +24″

3. Roman Kreuziger (LIQ)

4. Luis Léon Sanchez (GCE)

5. Samuel Sanchez (EUS)

6. Jens Voigt (SAX)

7. Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)

8. Peter Sagan (LIQ)

Cervélo’s Heinrich Haussler abandoned.

Perhaps his F*%kin’ Twitter signoff was a bit premature.

Floyd Landis, who was most recently in discussions with Rock Racing’s Michael Ball until the UCI decided it wasn’t going to let them play, has signed on with the Bahati Foundation Pro Cycle Team for the 2010 season.

“Cycling has given me so many opportunities that I wouldn’t otherwise have had, and I look forward to helping provide the same opportunities for less fortunate kids.” said Floyd Landis, who has previously won the Tour de Georgia, the Tour of California, Paris-Nice, and many other international races.

Team General Manager, Steve Owens commented “We’re confident in Floyd’s commitment to being a powerful ambassador for the Bahati Foundation and supporting the team in winning marquee events like the Tour of California.”

Josh Berry, a Portland, OR resident, also comes to the program as a member of the US National Team in Cyclocross.

NAHBS 2010 - Ever wonder what a man who builds frames and components would build and ride himself?  Pictured here is Chris King’s personal road bike, and it’s pretty sweet.  Sure Cielo makes fairly straightforward frames with few if any frills, but the devil’s in the details, and the closer you look, the sweeter this bike becomes.

Besides the owner’s ride, Cielo had some new colors on display for 2010 and their entry into the Oregon Manifest’s Constructor’s Challenge.  Check it all out after the jump…

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Sure, Rock Racing’s made some interesting talent-acquisition decisions and is currently relegated to being the fastest amateur team in the world, but when it comes to business, it’s succeeded in getting and keeping attention, which is no small feat.  And let’s be honest, their new road bikes are pretty bad ass looking.

Now, Rock & Republic / Rock Racing founder Michael Ball says they’ll be producing a road bike with a belt drive, and we found photos of a fixed-gear bike and some pretty solid looking components on their website, indicating they’re actually taking this whole bike brand thing seriously.  No, you couldn’t race a belt drive in a pro race, but then when has appeasing the UCI ever been Ball’s M.O.?

Check out the rest of the goodies after the break…

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NAHBS 2010 - Craig Calfee had a number of non-traditional bikes on display to truly illustrate not only the versatility of bamboo, but also his skill as a builder.

The Moulton replica bike was made at the request of a customer and isn’t something he plans to build regularly, but it was pretty ornate.  Nothing like a full suspension mini bike made from trees, eh?  Then there was his triple-tandem (Trandem?) from bamboo and a 23lb fully built carbon fiber tandem that was positively sick.

See it all after the break…

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Peter Sagan of Liquigas won a thrilling shortened stage in the Paris-Nice today. Cut down to 155km  due to snow at St Junien, the course nevertheless contained three cat-2 and one cat-3 climb, which let Saur-Sojasun’s Laurent Mangel extend his King of the Mountains classification lead.

Caisse d’Epargne generally led the peloton once again, though the pack let a small breakaway lead until just before the final climb. This was always going to be decisive, being only 3 downhill kilometres from the stage finish in Aurillac.

Nicholas Roche (AG2R) jumped off the front halfway up, but only succeeded in taking former  world junior mountain biking champion Peter Sagan with him. Joaquin Rodriguez and Alberto Contador then flew away from the pack, too, and, just over the top, Tony Martin and powerhouse Jens Voigt also established themselves in the leading pack.

In this exalted company, Roche was always going to have to turn himself inside out to produce a result, and it’s no discredit to him that he didn’t take the stage, instead coming in third behind Sagan and Rodriguez. A stage win will surely come his way soon.

Unhappiest man in the peloton tonight? Roman Kreuziger, who has been outridden - and now leapfrogged in the GC - by his younger team-mate, whom he’ll now have to pull for. Happiest? Maybe Peter Sagan, with his first Pro Tour stage win, but I’d go for big Jens, who will now ride in yellow tomorrow from Aurillac to Rodèz. Bye bye Boom!

Standings after stage 3:

1. Jens Voigt (SAX)

2. Peter Sagan (LIQ)

3. Luis Leon Sanchez (GCE)

4. David Millar (GAR)

5. Roman Kreuziger (LIQ)

6. Alberto Contador (AST)

7. Levi Leipheimer (RSH)

8. Joaquin Rodriguez (KAT)

Another race, another big debut: Columbia HTC’s star sprinter Mark Cavendish finally got on the bike in anger today, but spent the stage trying to find his legs. The 148km from Livorno to Rosignano Solvay will, however, be some crucial miles for him as he prepares for the Milan-Sanremo next weekend.

Eventually it was Milram’s Linas Gerdemann who won this opening day of seven, though the 202km through filthy conditions seemed to sap the peloton’s will to sprint. BMC and Sky, both working well, pushed the peloton for the last 20km, but a four-man break led down some slippery descents.

They were caught by the peloton on the final corner yet nobody in the bunch took the initiative to sprint and the four men slipped clear again. Paolini led the charge but Gerdemann came through to beat Lastras Garcia on the line

Standings after the first stage:

1. Linas Gerdemann (MIL)

2. Pablo Lastras Garcia (GCE)

3. Matti  Breschel (SAX)

4. Lucca Paolini (ASA)

NAHBS 2010 - Alongside their new Oxford rain cape and sweet white leather bar tape, Brooks showed off several new shades for some of their popular saddles and a reissue by popular demand of the Colt, which has been off the market for six years.

Above, the Brooks Imperial B17 Narrow adds two new colors, Honey and Antique Brown, to the original Black. Hit ‘more’ for the rest of the rich, leathery goodness…

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NAHBS 2010 - Bilenky’s booth crew were quite involved in their conversations when I swung by, so I scooped up a bunch of photos, but not lots of info…but the pictures speak volumes.  Their tandem won “Best Road Frame” of the show this year!

The red roadie above mated a straightforward front triangle with some curvy stays for a wild looking bike.  Built up with a collection of seriously vintage parts, it presents a bit of a mixed package that’s hard not to stare at.  Check after the break for closeups of this (you won’t believe the gruppo) and some amazing lugs and brazing work…

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Mark your calendars; NBC’s Universal Sports channel confirmed it will be carrying coverage of some of the major road races this season, starting with Tirreno-Adriatico this Wednesday.

Coverage will run daily at 3pm and again at 8pm during the six day event. If you don’t get Universal Sports, we suggest finding a friend that does, but Universal is also broadcasting Tirreno-Adriatico, as well as some other races, live online via their website here. See the full schedule after the jump.

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