Rich's Tongfamily (Richtong.net add-on)

For all you equipment geeks, here’s the latest from www.cyclingnews.com:
* US Postal has been campaigning new forks from the Trek/Bontrager line-up at the Tour, as well as the new Madone 5.9 frame. According to Trek teams liaison guy Scott Daubert, the Bontrager XXX fork is lighter than the previous 5900 fork by dint of a carbon crown lug and standard headset, rather than the 5900’s permanent lower bearing. The XXX fork will be available from August 1 with a US RRP of $425.
* Incidentally, the world, his uncle and his dog have all been asking why Lance Armstrong has been using a 5900 Superlight instead of the Madone 5.9 in the mountain stages. The Madone is still a beta model, according to van Roosbroeck, team mechanic, and it’s not set up with the right STI shifter and left downtube shifter, which Lance prefers.
Here’s the Q&A’s on the new Dura-Ace 10:
* Will the new Dura-Ace be compatible with existing nine-speed wheels? Yes. The ten-speed cluster is very slightly wider than the old nine-speed, but will fit on a nine-speed hub with just a little over-hang. However, the new ten-speed hubs and wheels will only take a ten-speed cluster.
* Will I need new tools for the bottom bracket? The new bearings require a specially-shaped spanner to fit and remove them, but that spanner will be supplied with the cranks.
* What chainring and sprocket combinations will be available? Chainrings: 53/42, 52/39, 53/39, 50/39, 54/42, 55/42, 56/44 and Sprockets: 11-21, 11-23, 12-21, 12-23, 12-25, 12-27