I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture that more accurately or effectively depicted the phrase “oh, shit!”

View the entire sequence at Velonews.com:

1. http://www.velonews.com/photo/81241
2. http://www.velonews.com/photo/81242
3. http://www.velonews.com/photo/81243
4. http://www.velonews.com/photo/81244

Just looking at the pictures hurts.

VeloNews | Shimano’s electronic Dura-Ace

Shimano has formally announced plans to release Dura-Ace Di2, a new electronic shifting option for the all-new 7900 series Dura-Ace, in January.

Composed of dual control shift/brake levers, front derailleur, rear derailleur, a wiring harness and battery pack, the new Dura-Ace Di2 7970 components integrate with components from the upcoming 7900 series Dura-Ace group, while adding only 68 grams.

Electrically actuated shifting eliminates cable friction and contamination. The shifters are now merely switches, which also allows for creative placement of optional remote shifters while reducing the weight and profile of the main shifting units. For example, a rider could place remote switches out on the ends of aero bars as well as on the top of drop bars near the stem.

Derailleur movements are computer-controlled and servo motors in both front and rear derailleur create synchronized shifts.

You know, because manual shifting is so difficult.

When Mavic tried this 10 years ago, they had no end of problems with their Zap and Mektronic systems. Knowing their thoroughness of design, I’m sure that Shimano has worked out all of those kinks, but I still just don’t see the point.

Although, I have to admit, with the exception of the battery pack, the stuff sure does LOOK sexy.

But I’ll stick with Campagnolo, unless someone feels like putting a full SRAM Red kit (along with some Reynolds carbon wheels) into my hot little hands.

VeloNews | Drug maker cooperated with WADA

The World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday Italian rider Riccardo Riccò tested positive at the Tour de France after a secret molecule was planted in the blood booster EPO during its manufacture.

Riccò, 24, upset the big names of the sport to win two stages of this year’s Tour before he was kicked off after testing positive for EPO (erythropoietin).

Revealing the now high-tech nature of the fight against drugs in sport, WADA chief John Fahey said his organization worked with drugs giant Roche on the newest version of EPO (erythropoietin).

He said Roche had included a molecule in the third generation of EPO, called Continuous Erythropoiesis Receptor Activator (CERA) that acted as a marker in drug tests.

“In the development of that particular substance, close cooperation occurred between WADA and the pharmaceutical company Roche Pharmaceuticals so that there was a molecule placed in the substance well in advance that was always going to be able to be detected once a test was taken,” Fahey told public radio in his native Australia.

Until this year’s Tour, CERA, which is released into the body more slowly than its predecessors, had been thought to be undetectable by drug testers.

Followers of sport have been calling for markers to be placed into certain performance-enhancing drugs for years, and it appears as though it’s finally happening.

In the United States, it would be nearly impossible to insert a marker into a drug after the fact, as it would have to go through the entire testing and approval process from the FDA all over again, which is why Epogen^® and Aranesp^® (Amgen’s EPO drugs) have taken so long to become detectable; they weren’t designed with the markers already built in, so the drug-testers had to devise another way.

But Mircera^® (the brand-name for CERA) was developed with the marker already built in; a fact that surely would have been disclosed to the approvers, and obviously to WADA, but not widely spread, especially to the athletes. And what better way to catch the cheaters than to not tell them HOW you’re going to catch them.

This is the right way to catch drug cheats; not witch hunts.

Yeah, Floyd Landis likely doped. He still got screwed by a system which admits no wrong … and the system still has a lot of other problems. Now that Dick Pound is no longer pounding his dick at WADA, their organizational issues should get better. It’s too bad he’s now a part of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but one step at a time … and we’ll clean up both the sport and the governing bodies.

VeloNews | How Chris Horner is spending July

Photographer Heidi Swift was near the summit of the final climb of Saturday’s fifth stage of the Cascade Cycling Classic when a passing race moto driver told her to get her camera ready.

Soon enough, Swift saw a strange sight: Astana rider Chris Horner pounding along, with a rider — and bike — along for the ride.

Swift learned later that Horner came across Billy Demong (Team American R.A.D.D./AGEL) about 2km from the summit. Horner, his work helping teammate Levi Leipheimer over, offered Demong a ride.

“I wasn’t really a huge Horner fan before this but I am now. What a class act,” Swift said.

Horner, by the way, still finished 82nd on the stage, nine minutes behind winner Moises Aldape, who won the stage. Results show Demond credited with the same time, in 83rd.

VeloNews | Rock Racing launches fund to help injured bike racers.

Michael Ball, owner of the Rock Racing team, says he and his companies will contribute “hundreds of thousands” of dollars to launch a fund to help elite racers who seriously injured while racing.

“Let’s do the right thing for these guys,” Ball told VeloNews.

Ball urged other teams and bicycle industry members to contribute to the Professional Cycling Catastrophic Injury Fund, which will be managed by an independent board. The team will contribute 10 percent of the sales of Rock Racing merchandise to the fund. The entire proceeds from sales of several new items — to be sold on the team’s Web site and at events — will go to the fund.

Ball said he was inspired to launch the fund by the plight of Mexican racer Fausto Esparza, who was partially paralyzed after a downhill crash at New Mexico’s Tour of the Gila this spring.

“That’s what really made me think about this,” he said. “Here’s a perfect example of a guy who has dedicated his life to the sport and now he’s in a tough spot,” he said.

Esparza, who spent several weeks at the hospital in El Paso, Texas, following the crash, has been moved to a facility in Mexico City, according to a source familiar with his situation. A call to a family member on Sunday was not immediately returned.

Ball said his goal is to raise $20 million over the next two years. The initial donation will come from the team, his Rock & Republic clothing company and himself personally. He said the fund will make donations to elite amateurs and professionals who are injured during a race. The fund’s board of directors will decide on a case-by-case basis who qualifies and how much support should be given.

If he hopes to raise $20,000,000, I certainly hope that he and Rock & Republic will be contributing more than just “hundreds of thousands” … thousands of thousands would be better. And I really hope that this is not another case of Ball talking out of his ass, and that he actually does something this time.

Michael Ball just might not be a total dick … but I’m still going to reserve judgment until everything is in place, and the fund completely established (and independent).

VeloNews | Tech Report: The Campagnolo 11-speed Super Record group

In Feltre, Italy, this week, just 15km away from the memorial to Tullio Campagnolo at the summit of the Croce d’Aune pass, Campagnolo reintroduced its Super Record racing group.

Super Record was Campagnolo’s mystical racing group, but it has been decommissioned for more than 20 years. For 2009, it, along with new Record and Chorus groups, will help celebrate the brand’s 75th anniversary. In addition to the groups, Campagnolo will offer new versions of its four top wheelsets: Hyperon Ultra Two, Bora Ultra Two, Shamal 2-Way Fit and Eurus 2-Way Fit.

The technologies and the range of products presented are nothing short of truly impressive. With SRAM’s Red, the new Shimano 7900 Dura-Ace group and now Campagnolo’s three new groups, 2009 will offer more choice and technology than ever before for those in the market for a new set of components.

But this is about Campagnolo. Its new products highlight the brand’s willingness to approach its competitors head on with its own innovation and new technology. On another hand, Campagnolo hasn’t lost its passion or respect for its own heritage; the new groups are as artful and stylish as any it has ever produced. And the new components are all still produced in Campagnolo’s factory in Vicenza, Italy. The three groups are based on and share technologies surrounding two key features: the third edition of Ergopower, which is called Ergopower Ultra-Shift, and an 11-speed cassette.

I know, I know … I should actually ride more before I start drooling over more bike parts; but you have to admit this group is absolutely gorgeous!!!

VeloNews | Garmin is the new title sponsor of the Slipstream-Chipotle team

For the third time in 10 days, a major international cycling team has announced a new title sponsor heading into next month’s Tour de France.

GPS maker Garmin International has signed on as the title sponsor of American professional continental team Slipstream-Chipotle through 2010, Garmin and the team announced Wednesday.

The title sponsorship, which sees the team name change to Garmin-Chipotle presented by H30, will commence immediately. A new team jersey, which will incorporate Garmin’s logo with the team’s trademark argyle motif, will be unveiled on July 3 in Brest prior to the start of the Tour.

With Monday’s announcement that Team High Road is picking up title sponsorship from Columbia Sportswear, and last week’s announcement that Saxo Bank is picking up co-sponsorship of Team CSC for the remainder of this year, and title sponsorship for the next three years, it seems that things might be looking up on the cycling front …

Is it a coincidence that all three of these teams have strong, independent, third-party anti-doping programs?