Here’s the latest from around the web:

• France has stiffened their anti-doping laws. The news laws state a one year sentence for being in possession of doping products and stiffer penalties (5 to 7 years) for trafficking. When will one of their own be found guilty?
• The UCI delivered the Cyclocross World Cup trophies to Sven Nys and Daphny van den Brand via mail. No awards ceremony, AND, they have to wait until June to receive their prize money. Can you feel the love?
• In a similar story, the teams that were due prize money from last year’s Tour de France finally got paid on April 25th.
• The U25 American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania announced the stages for its 2008 race. Twenty-two to twenty-five teams from around the world will come to PA from June 24th to 29th. It’s nice to see a big national sponsor like American Eagle Outfitters behind a race like this, but I wonder if they are really reaching their demographic with a bike race. Isn’t everyone in their target market sitting at home playing Guitar Hero and Grand Theft Auto IV?
• The Cactus Cup, one of the original mountain bike races that ended in the mid-Nineties, has returned.
• The National Mountain Bike Series (NMBS) finals have moved to Brian Head, UT. The organizers, Blue Wolf Events, had announced they were searching for a replacement venue after the Tamarack Resort in Idaho had to pull out from their roll as hosts. The dates of the finals, August 30-September 1, remain the same.
• A top rider has been tagged for doping under the UCI’s new biological passport program. No names yet, but of the 2,172 samples collected from riders since the beginning of the programme, there were 23 riders who “warranted further scrutiny” due to unusual patterns in blood or urine profiles. One rider is expected to be sanctioned, while four others are also facing potential bans. All of the teams participating in the Giro will be participating in the passport program.
• Astana received a last-minute invitation to the Giro.
• Toyota will not renew their sponsorship of the United Pro Cycling Team.
• Lampre’s Patxi Vila allegedly tested positive in March for testosterone and was dropped from the list of racers scheduled to ride in this year’s Giro d’Italia.