“Speaking of doctored photos, Outside’s newest issue just dropped and Lance Armstrong is once again on the cover, only this time he’s none too happy about it.”

VeloNews reached out to Landis by phone Wednesday night but did not receive a response.

• The cycling world reacts to Landis’ charges

Since being disqualified from the Tour victory for a positive doping test, Landis systematically denied any guilt. His book, “Positively False: The Real Story of How I Won the Tour de France,” was published in 2007.

Landis confirmed to ESPN.com that he sent a series of emails to USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson and others detailing his drug use and that of other riders.

The ESPN.com story broke after The Wall Street Journal ran a story based on emails from Landis. The WSJ story claimed three, unnamed people verified that the emails were from Landis, but Landis himself did not respond to WSJ’s requests for comment.

VeloNews received a copy of an email to USAC’s Johnson that makes doping allegations against Lance Armstrong, George Hincapie, Levi Leipheimer, Michael Barry and Jose Luis Rubiera. He also listed Johan Bruyneel and Andy Rihs as supporters of doping practices.

WSJ said another email from Landis made similar allegations against Dave Zabriskie.

VeloNews attempted to contact all the named parties Wednesday night.

RadioShack press officer Philippe Maertens told VeloNews that Armstrong and Bruyneel will speak to the press tomorrow morning at the team’s bus at the start of stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California.

Sean Weide, U.S. media director for BMC Racing, told VeloNews that the team will issue a statement later regarding the allegations made against current BMC rider Hincapie and former Phonak boss — and current BMC Bicycles owner — Andy Rihs.

Garmin-Transitions communications director Marya Pongrace said that the team will offer comment soon regarding the allegations against its rider Zabriskie, who currently leads the Amgen Tour of California.

Landis has been riding this year for the OUCH-Bahati Foundation squad. His team manager Steve Owens responded to a request for comment via text: “We have no comment as a team and Floyd is unavailable.”

RECENT HISTORY

On March 9, Landis announced that he would ride with the new team Bahati Foundation, later retitled OUCH-Bahati Foundation. The week before that announcement, an updated Web site was unveiled, with the homepage story titled “Fraud, Lies, and Corruption – See How They Convicted An Innocent Man.”

His biography page on the site at the time concluded with this statement: “Landis underwent hip resurfacing surgery … and returned to professional cycling with Team OUCH in 2009, becoming the first professional cyclist to return to top level competition with an artificial joint. After 20,000 miles of cycling last year with his new hip, Landis now looks to regain his title as World’s Greatest Cyclist and, once again, inspire the world to greater heights in ‘classic’ American style!”

At the end of last season, Team OUCH’s parent company Momentum Sports Group (MSG) and Landis agreed to terminate their two-year contract (2009-2010). At the time, OUCH released a statement saying that, “For the 2010 season, Landis expressed to MSG that he desires to ride the longer, tougher stage races offered in Europe and internationally that better suit his strengths.”

2006 TOUR DE FRANCE FALL-OUT

News of Tour positive sends media scrambling – 7/27/2006

The Landis Case: Waiting for the B Sample – 7/28/2006

The Landis Case: Savior “B” samples a rarity – 8/3/2006

Second samples confirms original finding – 8/5/2006

Defense continues to hammer on USADA’s Landis charges – 5/15/2007

Lemond drops bomb at Landis hearing – 5/17/2007

The Landis Hearing: Floyd takes the stand – 5/19/2007

Landis stripped of Tour title; appeal uncertain – 9/20/2007

Landis hearing closes in New York – 3/24/2008

Floyd Landis loses CAS appeal – 6/30/2008

French arrest warrant issued for Landis – 2/15/2010

Brian Holcombe contributed to this report.

Cyclists will ride across Texas, from east to west, to raise money for Rise Schools. Photo: Courtesy Rise Across Texas

Texas is big. How big? You could drive from Texarkana in northeast Texas to Chicago, Illinois on the shores of the Great Lakes in about the same time it would take you to get from Texarkana to El Paso, on Texas’ southwestern corner.

So when organizers designed the Rise Across Texas Challenge bike ride, they naturally had to give it Texas-sized dimensions. Starting Saturday, March 6 in the east Texas town of Orange and ending two weeks and 850-miles later in Presido in southwest Texas, ride participants are  raising funds for a three-million dollar capital campaign to build a permanent home for the Rise School of Austin.

Texas’ six non-profit Rise Schools provides early childhood education to children with developmental disabilities. Passing through 13 counties, the route was designed by Trek Travel to keep riders on smaller rural roads and passes through some of Texas’ most scenic territory plus towns like Marfa, home of the mysterious Marfa lights.

About one-third of the way along, the ride passes through Austin, the place seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong likes to be when he’s not crushing it on the roads of Europe. For riders not doing the entire event, the March 10 Austin day features a 16-mile celebrity ride from Austin into the gorgeous green Texas Hill Country where riders will fuel up on an authentic Texas barbecue. The ride is open to the public and will include Texas governor Rick Perry, radio and TV personalities, and multi-time Tour de France rider and Armstrong teammate Kevin Livingston. Among other remarkable prizes, each celebrity ride participant will be entered into a raffle for a $5,000 dollar gift card for Armstrong’s Austin bike shop, Mellow Johnny’s. $5k! Can you say, “Hello brand new Trek Madone?”

The Rise Across Texas event was the brainchild of Texas radio entrepreneur and investor Steve Hicks. After visiting a Rise School, he was so touched by the children and their dedicated teachers that he decided to use his 60th birthday as an excuse to generate funds for the Austin school as well as the organization’s needs throughout the state.  Today, the Austin school shares space with a church, which means teachers have to move out every Friday and move back in on Monday.

On March 9, Hicks and Governor Perry are also hosting a Rise fund-raising birthday bash for themselves—Perry turns sixty this year, too–at the Austin Four Seasons Hotel.  Hicks, who sent 100 friends to a tropical island for his 50th birthday, but says he wants to give back this time around, has enlisted musical guests Asleep at the Wheel and mega-star Clint Black to help him ring in his sixth decade (and presumably, sonically soften the effects of riding that proceeds the party.)

The ride concludes on March 19 with a post-ride celebration dinner at Lance Armstrong’s house in Marfa, a renown artist town and home of artist Donald Judd.

When asked about the sprawling scope of the ride he started to benefit a worthy non-profit organization, ride founder Hicks was reported saying, “I kind of wish we lived in a smaller state, like Rhode Island.”

To learn more about Rise Across Texas, to donate, or to sign up for any of the ancillary events including the birthday bash with Clint Black and the celebrity ride, visit www.riseacrosstexas.org.

“The May timing of the 2010 edition of the AMGEN Tour of California is going to allow us to visit some challenging new areas of California that previously were not possible due to the weather,” said Andrew Messick president of AEG Sports, presenter of the race. “The Stage 6 route from Pasadena to Big Bear is the perfect example, with our first-ever mountaintop finish at a 7,000 foot elevation.”

Stage 6 begins in Centennial Square, directly in front of Pasadena City Hall at 9:45 a.m. The cyclists will make their way through Old Pasadena as they head east on Colorado Boulevard and over the historic Colorado Street Bridge. The racers will drop into Arroyo Seco and pass by the iconic Rose Bowl, where the competitive portion of the race begins.

The first of four main climbs along the route takes place as the riders ascend into the San Gabriel Mountains on the Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) to an elevation of 3,700 feet. The cyclists will encounter a number of climbs on Highway 2 as they strive to reach Dawson Saddle, the highest point of the entire tour at 7,900 feet. From Dawson Saddle the racers will have their first sprint to Wrightwood at an elevation of 5,960 feet.

The peloton of riders will cross Interstate 15 on an overpass, and make their push east onto a curvy Highway 138 to Silverwood Lake. In the distance the cyclists will see mountain vistas that surround Big Bear Lake, which looks quite intimidating from afar. From Silverwood Lake a steep and windy climb into the San Bernardino Mountains begins on their way to Crestline.

The race then moves onto Highway 18, which is known as the Rim of the World Highway, because of its narrow stretch of road that sets on the edge of the San Bernardino Mountains. This portion of the race goes through the mountain communities of Sky Forest, Running Springs and Arrowbear.

Just outside of Arrowbear the racers will encounter the last long sustained climb of the day. The riders will have a steep climb all the way to Lakeview Point, which tops out at 7,112 feet. At this point the cyclists will be treated to a stunning view of Big Bear Lake, the jewel of the San Bernardino Mountains.

From Lakeview Point the racers will sprint along a portion of Highway 18, known as the Arctic Circle. The racers will kick it into high gear as they give it their all on this final sprint to Big Bear Lake. The race route enters Big Bear Valley at Big Bear Dam, but rather than crossing the dam and heading through the City of Big Bear Lake, the riders will continue on the north shore of the lake and race along the shoreline for about three miles. The cyclists will ride through the quaint mountain town of Fawnskin and pass by some of Big Bear’s most recognizable locales, such as the Big Bear Discovery Center, Serrano Campground and the East Boat Public Launch Ramp. The cyclists will cross over Stanfield Cutoff to the City of Big Bear Lake and make a mad dash for the finish line at the base of Snow Summit Mountain Resort at an elevation of 7,000 feet.

The race is expected to end in Big Bear Lake sometime between 3:20 p.m. and 4 p.m. By the end of stage the race the riders will have climbed more than 12,000 feet. The Amgen Tour of California’s first-ever mountaintop finish in Big Bear Lake could very well be a determining factor in the outcome of the final standings.

(Colorado Springs, CO) Chris Carmichael, personal coach to Lance Armstrong and founder of Carmichael Training Systems, today officially launched Chris Carmichaels 10@50. To celebrate Carmichael Training Systems 10th Anniversary and Chriss 50th birthday, he has decided to compete in La Ruta de los Conquistadores and offer a $10,000 package of race entry, 7 months of CTS coaching, 3 training camps, and full race support at La Ruta to 10 qualified athletes. To qualify, athletes must submit applications and commit to attending all three training camps, including one recon camp in Costa Rica.

La Ruta has earned a reputation for being the worlds toughest mountain bike race. Held November 17-20, 2010, the 4-day race travels from Costa Ricas Pacific coast, through the mountains, to the Caribbean Sea. But the beauty of Costa Ricas rain forest belies the danger and adversity riders must face. Steep terrain, deep mud, deteriorated train trestles, and sweltering heat and humidity are just some of what riders need to conquer. Only about half who start reach the finish line.

Asked why he chose La Ruta, Chris commented, The 10th Anniversary of CTS and my 50th birthday are significant milestones in my life. Some people buy cars or boats to celebrate; I choose to go complete the biggest physical and mental challenge Ive faced since preparing to race the Tour de France 24 years ago. When it comes to finding an authentic challenge, La Ruta is the real deal.

Chriss familiarity with La Ruta developed through long talks with 2009 La Ruta champion Manuel Prado, a CTS Athlete who works with coach Adam Pulford. Prado will play an instrumental role in the reconnaissance training camp in Costa Rica. When asked about his rationale for including 10 everyday athletes in his 10@50 challenge, Chris said, In the lives many of us lead, we face stress from work, family, and even fitness goals, but we have few opportunities to truly discover how deep we can dig. La Ruta offers that, and the 10 people who come with me to Costa Rica will return with a new perspective on stress, adversity, and accomplishment.

The application process will have two phases. The initial phase is an online questionnaire available at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T6WNZQG. In the second phase, video submissions will be required from selected athletes. The application deadline for Phase 1 will be February 28, 2010. Finalists will be notified March 5, and will need to submit a video application by March 26. Final selection of the 10 athletes will take place by March 29. The 10@50 coaching program will commence on April 1.

Full details available at http://www.trainright.com/info.asp?uid=4765.

Defending Tour Down Under champion, Andre Greipel stole the show during Tuesday’s stage.

“Adelaide, Australia – Germany’s Andre Greipel opened his account in grand style in the Tour Down Under Tuesday by winning the bunch sprint that decided the 141-kilometre first stage. Winner of the 2008 edition of the Australian classic, Greipel looked set for a repeat victory the following year before he was sidelined by a crash.”

For comprehensive coverage of the stage, see VeloNews.com.

By Ben Delaney

The Amgen Tour of California has been a great “early season” race since its inception in 2006. Its organizers want it to be a great race, period.

“We aspire to be an important part of the cycling calendar,” said Andrew Messick, AEG Sports president. “We felt as though being a February race we were, I don’t want to say pre-season, but we weren’t a race that most riders were really targeting.”

To be a bigger race, the Tour of California needed two things, Messick said: a mid-season date and access to more climbing.

“In February, there is a lot of terrain that’s inaccessible due to snow and cold,” Messick said. “Shifting to May will open up the Sierras, mountain top finishes and areas like Lake Tahoe. To showcase the California that we know and love—blue skies, warm weather—we need to be in the spring. We think the racing will be better, and the competition will be better.”

Messick said he is confident that the race will continue to attract many of the world’s top riders, despite its scheduling conflict with the Giro d’Italia. The 2009 Californian tour was a who’s who of professional road cycling.

For 2010, the plan is for the Amgen Tour to serve as a fine-tuning event for riders targeting the Tour de France.

“We are partners with ASO, owners and operators of the Tour de France,” Messick said. “We want to be an important race in the lead-up to the Tour. To that end, we have made the race a little bit longer, a little bit harder. Some of our stages are going to be designed to give people a real indication of where they sit in terms of fitness.”

The big day will be stage 7, from Pasadena up to Big Bear, which could include about 13,000 vertical feet of climbing.

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will kick off May 16 in Nevada City with at least two of the world’s best cyclists who are also targeting the Tour de France: Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and Tour podium finisher Levi Leipheimer each announced their intentions to race California via Twitter Thursday morning. Tour veterans George Hincapie and Dave Zabriskie also confirmed their planned participation.

The 2010 Amgen Tour of California will venture high up into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, dispense with the traditional prologue, include a time trial in Los Angeles and feature the first mountaintop finish in the race’s four-year history at Big Bear.

The biggest change for the eight-day event remains the move from February to May (16-23), pitting it against the Giro d’Italia. Still, race organizers expect a field of comparable strength to 2009, when world champions and former winners of the Tour de France and Paris-Roubaix lined up alongside America’s best riders.

In 2010, confirmed riders include seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, who had been wrestling with the decision of whether to ride in California or at the Giro next May. He will be joined by RadioShack teammate and three-time winner Levi Leipheimer, national road champion George Hincapie (BMC) and national time trial champion Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Slipstream).

Those riders, along with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, announced the basic details of the route Thursday morning via Twitter.

Next year, the race will begin in Nevada City and head generally south, visiting Sacramento, Davis, Santa Rosa, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, San Jose, Modesto, Visalia, Bakersfield, Pasadena, Big Bear, Los Angeles and Thousand Oaks.

Notably absent are a prologue, the Solvang time trial and a stage in the San Diego area.

Here are the route details:

Stage 1: Nevada City to Sacramento.
The 78-mile stage will put riders back into Sacramento where the race caravan will have been staying in the days before the race. Expect a sprint finish.

Stage 2: Davis to Santa Rosa.
Somewhat of a repeat stage from 2009, but perhaps a little longer and a little harder. It may or may not have finishing circuits. Organizers are looking to put a hill in Santa Rosa to give someone else a chance to win it. Plus, it’s harder for Santa Rosa to do circuits on a Monday and shut down all of downtown. Trinity Grade may figure into the route.

Stage 3: San Francisco to Santa Cruz.
Another repeat from 2009, this stage will again feature the Bonny Doon climb, where this year Levi Leipheimer attacked his way into the race lead. The stage will start at Pier 30/32, then will follow the Bay to Breakers running course from two days earlier, across the spine of the city and into Golden Gate Park. There will not be a Golden Gate Bridge crossing this time, however.

Stage 4: San Jose to Modesto.
A sprint finish is pretty certain, as there is no way to get to Modesto without traversing 25 miles of dead flat central valley.

Stage 5: Visalia to Bakersfield.
The first and only real Sierra Nevada stage, this day will take riders up into the Sequoia National Forest. It could be somewhat similar to the Merced-Clovis stage from this year. The proposed finish near Bakersfield College consists of a two-mile circuit with a 200-foot climb in middle.

Stage 6: Pasadena to Big Bear.
The queen stage will include 13,000-14,000 feet of climbing up to one of the ski resorts in Big Bear. Race organizers are waiting on clearance from the state because parts of the route include areas affected by the Station Fire. If the Forest Service gives clearance, the race would do 2.5 hours through the burn zone. From the start in Pasadena, riders will climb up to Crystal Lake, summiting there at 8,000 feet, then descending into Wrightwood and climbing back up to Big Bear Lake.

Stage 7: Los Angeles time trial.
Originally, the plan was to start the time trial downtown and go to the beach. The LA Triathlon used a similar route and the city concluded the traffic impact was too great. So, the time trial will take place entirely downtown. It will start at finish at L.A. Live, the entertainment complex that houses the Staples Center.

Stage 8: Thousand Oaks circuit race.
The race will conclude with a circuit race in the Santa Monica Mountains. There will be at least one canyon climb over the top of mountains and a drop down to the Pacific Coast Highway. SoCal roadies can look for the Rock Store climb to be featured.

“For the 2010 Amgen Tour of California we had the unique opportunity to move our race to a part of the year when we are almost guaranteed great weather in California,” AEG Sports president Andrew Messick said in a press release. “This timing will help us to better showcase the beautiful features the state of California has to offer, while allowing us to travel to parts of the state that just weren’t feasible in previous years.”

Returning as the title sponsor for the fifth consecutive year, Amgen will again use the race to promote its Breakaway from Cancer program that supports people affected by cancer. The company’s headquarters are in Thousand Oaks.

Neal Rogers contributed to this report.

LIVESTRONG/Team Radio Shack

RadioShack Corporation (NYSE: RSH) is proud to announce a partnership with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong to form a new American Pro-Tour cycling team. Beginning in 2010, Lance Armstrong will compete for Team RadioShack as a cyclist, runner and triathlete in events around the world, including the 2010 Tour de France.

Lance Armstrong returned to the world stage of professional cycling in order to promote the efforts of the LIVESTRONG Foundation and their fight against cancer. From the start of the 2009 season at the Tour Down Under in Australia, Lance’s return has generated significant attention and has allowed LIVESTRONG to step up awareness, grassroots action and fundraising in the global fight against cancer.

“This has been a great season so far – the response in the countries we’ve been to has been amazing and it’s clear now that this was the right choice. Utilizing the massive media attention that the sport receives has been the perfect vehicle to help spread the LIVESTRONG message around the world,” said Lance Armstrong. “To be able to compete for an American team comprised of the world’s top cyclists, supported by the best coaches and staff – I couldn’t be happier to partner with RadioShack, a truly iconic American brand,” said Armstrong.

“Teaming up with RadioShack makes sense for a number of reasons. For one, it’s very appealing to me that they have a huge base of stores throughout the U.S. and Mexico. We have an incredible opportunity to leverage RadioShack’s connection to tens of millions of people to spread the LIVESTRONG message,” said Armstrong. “Also, in cycling, the technology we use on our bikes matters – it allows us to compete at the highest level. It’s important to me to partner with a brand that understands the role technology plays in people’s lives.”

“RadioShack keeps people connected in a highly mobile world through innovative technology from leading brands,” said Lee Applbaum, RadioShack’s Chief Marketing Officer. “As one of the greatest athletes of our generation, a father, a cancer survivor, and a tireless advocate in the fight against cancer, Lance Armstrong understands the power of keeping people connected and that’s why we feel he’s the perfect partner for our brand. ”

“This is an exciting time at RadioShack,” added Applbaum. “We are re-launching our brand with a new creative platform in early August, and now having Lance on our team – an American icon who embodies the spirit of mobility, connectivity and philanthropy – really allows us to accelerate our brand’s evolution.”

RadioShack also plans to activate their 35,000 employees and almost 6,000 stores across the country to raise awareness and funding for the fight against cancer through the Lance Armstrong Foundation and LIVESTRONG. “We know that cancer research and survivorship is near to the hearts of many of our associates and customers, and together with Lance and his Foundation, we have the power to make a meaningful difference,” said Julian Day, RadioShack’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

RadioShack will also sponsor the LIVESTRONG Foundation’s signature fundraising event, the LIVESTRONG Challenge Series, a 5K run/walk and cycling ride held in four cities throughout the United States, providing support for an ongoing, self-sustaining fundraising vehicle to raise money for the fight against cancer.

“RadioShack’s sponsorship will help spread the spirit of the LIVESTRONG Global Cancer Campaign and fuel its efforts make cancer a global priority. The cancer community salutes RadioShack’s efforts and the investment they are making in support of 28 million people living with this disease,” said Doug Ulman, CEO of the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Wasserman Media Group managed the partnership process on behalf of Capital Sports & Entertainment and Lance Armstrong.

Click the link below for riders and their start times.

“Riders face a significant challenge in the stage 1 individual time trial over the roads of the French Riviera’s independent city/state of Monaco. The short, hilly stage follows a clockwise route from its start-finish near the Monaco Harbor, climbing past the Monte Carlo Casino and into French territory along the Moyenne Corniche.“