Three-time Tour of California champion and Olympic bronze medalist Levi Leipheimer would like to invite you, cycling loving friends everywhere, and fellow athletes to join him for a 30 minute webcast on Monday, May 7 at 4 p.m. EST / 1 p.m. PST.

Levi will answer your questions on everything from the ToCA to his recent car-bike accident to his Olympic dreams.  Tweet your questions through the Twitter hash tag #AskTeamCLIFBar, chat them directly into the webcast or post them directly to CLIF Bar’s Facebook page prior to or during the webcast.

Wondering how to tune in? There’s no sign-up needed to watch: click ‘more’ to find out! (more…)

You’re not used to seeing black and white photos on Bikerumor, are you? Well, this photo speaks to the time before time, when there were only four pro cyclists in the US, and black and white photography wasn’t used just for a digital effect, but was instead common – in film. Hey, this was only 1981! You might recognize at least one or two faces in this picture, more if you’re really good. That’s Eric Heiden, the guy sporting massive thighs and winner of five gold medals in speed skating in the 1980 Winter Olympic games in Lake Placid, NY, holding the bike at left. On the right in the suit is cofounder and manager of the team, Jim Ochowicz.

Ochowicz is also coauthor, along with lead writer Geoff Drake, in a book recently released by VeloPress titled Team 7-Eleven: How an Unsung Band of American Cyclists Took on the World – and Won. Click through to hear more of this story and see if it’s worth a read…

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With a new aero wheel in development, Mavic started the tour off well with wins on the first three stages, including the team time trial. It seems that the aero wheel arms race is really starting to heat up with more companies touting their extensive wind tunnel testing, yielding supposedly best results.

While Mavic is certainly using the Geneva wind tunnel to fine tune their new wheels, the video above has just as much to do with designing new processes and equipment for testing as it does the wind tunnel. In order to make rapid prototyping possible, Mavic is relying on stereolithography which is basically layered resin which creates a solid form. Stereolithography is able to produce an identically formed rim in a very short period of time, to use for aerodynamics testing.

Check out the yet to be released CX-01 Aero wheel after the break!

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Celebrating the Tour de France and their support of the BMC Racing Team, Easton Cycling has launched a contest letting fans use a custom iPhone app to “put themselves in the race.” Free from the iTunes Store, the app allows people take a picture and insert themselves into 21 iconic images of the world’ biggest race.

The contest takes off when people upload their photos to a special photo album on Easton’s Facebook page. At the end of the Tour, Easton will award a $500 shopping spree on Eastoncycling.com for the photo that best captures the spirit of the Tour de France. The winner may use the gift card at Easton’s online store. Visit Eastoncycling.com or Facebook.com/EastonCycling to learn more.

We know you’re probably scheduling some quality tube time over the next three weeks. You may as well enter some contests and try to win something while you’re at it.

• NBC Sports and Travelers Insurance is giving away a trip to the 2012 Tour de France and prizes from Headsweats, Fizik, Easton, LeMond Fitness, Easton and Giro. Enter here.
• The IZOD Race for the Podium also wants to send you to Le Tour for 2012, and they have prizes from Cervelo, Giro and Clean Bottle. Start here and enter “France” as your keyword.
• MapMyRide and Aquaphor have more than $150,000 in prizes from CycleOps, BH Bicycles and Smith to give away. They’d also like to send you overseas to watch the big race in person. Next year. Details here.

It’s become somewhat of a tradition for Trek to show off some fancy paint jobs made especially for a big event, and the 2011 Tour de France will be no different. This time however, none of the bikes will belong to Lance, though rather than relying on one guy, this year Trek has two powerhouse teams ready to take on the Alps.

Leading the charge will be the big 3 from Leopard Trek, the Schleck brothers and Cancellara, who all get their own custom paint. For the Schleck brothers it’s a classy, modern paint job with the Lions of Luxembourg and two hammers representing the Schleck’s tenacious work ethic. Frank and Andy are undoubtedly proud to represent their country, which is apparent throughout the design of the bike. Cancellara gets a bit wilder paint scheme, as Trek teamed up with Hydro74 to create an eye catching tribute to Spartacus on both the Madone 6.9 SSL and the Speed Concept 9.9.

Team RadioShack doesn’t get any one off customs, but they do get a new livery for the entire team. The design has quite a bit more white than previous versions, and will likely compliment the team kit.

Check out all of the beautiful bikes after the break!

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It’s recently been announced that the UCI will be flying in select media to its Aigle, Switzerland headquarters for an intimate Q&A session regarding the UCI’s new Sticker program. While there, journalists will get the run down on the new “approved by UCI” program from Julien Carron, the UCI’s technical coordinator and will also take part in a presentation from UCI president, Pat McQuaid.

This all comes less than 2 months after McQuaid came forward to VeloNews, after meeting with Johan Bruyneel regarding the ban of race radios, and the tension developing between the UCI and select pro tour teams, including Bruyneel’s. During McQuaid’s talk with VeloNews, Mcquaid accused the leaders of the so called “breakaway league” of attempting to create a separate pro riding organization to sidestep the UCI.

While exact details haven’t surfaced to confirm McQuaid’s assumptions, the UCI seems to be taking no chances with a prompt PR move to answer any of the media’s questions.

This should be interesting.

• From Cannondale: “We are now down to the final five applicants in the Tour de France/Team Liquigas-Cannondale promotion, with the winner receiving a trip to France for a week to work behind-the-scenes with the team. The final five include: Amy Campbell, Angel Castillo, Gabriel Garcia, Joe Praino, and Derrick Young. Their video entries are now available for fans to vote on by logging onto Cannondale’s and Peloton Magazine’s Facebook pages. Videos and voting capability can be accessed by first liking the page, then clicking the Trip de France icon on the left. Voting runs from now until Friday, June 17th.
• From reader Derrick Young as posted on our FB page: “I saw the Cannondale Trip de France contest FIRST on bikerumor.com and now, I AM A FINALIST!! If I get the most votes I win a trip to the Tour de France with Team Liqiugas-Cannondale. I need your help to get there. Just go to http://on.fb.me/jQpr4b “LIKE” the Cannondale FB page, then “VOTE” for my video (it’s the one on the bottom or the right, easier yet I’m the one riding the Super X) Thanks. And tell your friends.”
• It may cost you $1,000 to participate in Ironman NYC next August. Organizers say the cost of road closures, police and renting barges to transport the racers to the middle of the Hudson for the 2.4 mile swim start. Typical entry fees are around $575. Via Business Insider.
• If you’re a fan of American Pickers like Sweetie is, check out Bicycling Magazine’s interview with avowed bike nerd and co-host Mike Wolfe here.
• Bike Parks BC “Ultimate Summer of Freeride” contest closes June 12 (Sunday). Enter now or forever wish you could have shredded for free this summer. Enter on their website or via Facebook.
• Help Trips for Kids WNC (Western NC) win some coin to continue getting more youth on mountain bikes. Click here and recommend them, takes only a second and helps a great group with a great cause.

It’s easy!

Just sign up, ride your bike, upload your data and win prizes!

Top prizes are a trip to Paris with Trek Travel and a bike…

http://www.mapmyride.com/tdf/

This morning, sources around the globe, including the UK’s Cycling News and USA’s Bicycling Magazine, are buzzing with rumors out of the Spanish press regarding the Contador Decision (I’m thinking that’ll be a good title for the movie they inevitably make about this; Contador played by BJ Novak of The Office…).

That decision, which will be handed down on Thursday by the Spanish Cycling Federation (REFC), is now heavily rumored to be a one year suspension, an exception from the standard two years, which would also result in the automatic removal of his 2010 Tour de France title.

Contador is currently at Saxo Bank-Sungard’s team training camp in Majorca, Spain, and will be expected to file an appeal on the decision within ten days.

As Trek transitioned its line of consumer helmets from its self-titled line, to what is now the Bontrager line of helmets, they left one glaring omission. This was, of course, the absence of what would be considered a pro level road lid. Up to this point, it could have been argued that perhaps it was simply deemed unnecessary, as the Bontrager Circuit is an incredibly nice helmet, for only $99.

However, it turns out that Trek was keeping a bit of a secret, even from their own dealers, as they unveiled the all new Oracle today. In addition to being an all new helmet for Bontrager that consumers will be able to purchase in the Spring, it was announced today as well, that the Oracle will be the official team helmet of Leopard-Trek Racing.

More info on the new Oracle after the break!

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Event Scotland is reportedly preparing a proposal to grab the opening time trial of the 2017 Tour de France.

Looking to host the event in either Edinburgh or Glasgow, Event Scotland’s Paul Bush says the event would cost approximately £5 million, it would likely inject around £100 million back into the economy.

Bids from Japan, the United States and the Middle East are also being considered by le Tour director Christian Prodhomme. Wondering where Scotland is in relationship to France? Yeah, our geography sucks, too. Click past the break for a map…

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