BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news

Interviews with Phil Liggett, Johnny Green (former road manager of The Clash), Chris Boardman, Phillip Darnton of Cycling England, Kevin Mayne of the CTC, Peter King of British Cycling, Grant Young of Condor Cycles, Keith Bingham of Cycling Weekly, Guy Andrews of roadcyclinguk.com, and Chris Compton of the Association of Cycle Traders. Also includes soundbites (and a cycle shed joke) from London mayor Ken Livingstone and outgoing Tour director Jean-Marie Leblanc, and snippets of music from the official launch, attended by 600 dignatories, journalists and the great and good of cycling.

Accell Group N.V. of the Netherlands has announced it is in talks on the acquisition of all outstanding shares in Seattle Bike Supply Inc., a major US distribution company based in, er Seattle.

1m spectators? 3m? 5m? Nobody's sure but everybody at today's star-spangled event agrees: seeing the Tour de France in London in 2007 will be HUGE for cycling. BikeBiz was at today's impressive launch and has mingled with the great and good of cycling, millions of local politicians and the biggest British cycling champion ever. Yes, Chris Boardman was here, but not him, we mean Ken Livingstone.

The bike builder, bike shop owner and top roadman has died at the age of 83.

Reports from Taiwan say that high-end third-party fabricator MT Racing Inc. ceased trading on first day of the year of the dog.