Thursday's Tour of Algarve Stage 2 departs Faro at 11:50am local (12:50pm CET, 6:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Lagoa at around 4:27pm local (5:27pm CET, 11:27am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Algarve live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:30pm local (4:30pm CET, 10:30am U.S. Eastern) via RTP Portugal, with Eurosport coverage scheduled to start 15 minutes later.

Late burst sees Belgian open his account with new Lotto-Belisol team after five-rider break is pulled back.

Tough finale fragments peloton.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
G.P. Stad Eeklo (Results),
Tour of Qatar (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

Every season sees breakout performances by new names and resurgences by riders coming off tough seasons. Here are 10 cyclists to watch in 2012.

British Grand Tour contenders Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome make their 2012 season debut on Wednesday at the Tour of the Algarve, Portugal.

"We got a first glimpse of Motorola's MotoActv - an all-in-one training device, GPS tracker, cycle computer and music player - at the recent London Bike Show. And now here it is in full unboxing glory as presented by Cycling Plus Editor Rob Spedding."

Garmin has announced yet another delay for its much anticipated Vector pedal-based power meter.

"You might recognize at least one or two faces in this picture, more if you’re really good. That’s Eric Heiden, the guy sporting massive thighs and winner of five gold medals in speed skating in the 1980 Winter Olympic games in Lake Placid, NY, holding the bike at left. On the right in the suit is cofounder and manager of the team, Jim Ochowicz." Purchase the book "Team 7-Eleven: How an Unsung Band of American Cyclists Took on the World - and Won" Here

Is Oman the most interesting, scenic and just plain wonderful place I’ve ever been to on earth? Iʼm not sure yet. What I am sure of is that itʼs not exactly the land of lush, verdant forests, cascading waterfalls or humming, vibrant valleys of emerald green. However, it isnʼt Qatar, which is probably the reason this place looks so lovely.

Today Le Monde, France’s establishment newspaper, ran an article with several mistakes. So here’s a quick primer on the facts...

"In the welter of knee jerk reactions to judge/condemn Contador and/or criticize the UCI, the real issues of this situation are being missed; there are two main points that I can see."

Thor Hushovd is one of the new guys at BMC, but he has a lot to bring to the table for any team. Classic wins, Tour stage victories, point’s jerseys…the list goes on. A Classics man with a lot still to do and he has the right team behind him to do it. Let Thor speak!

BikeRadar verdict: 5 out of 5 stars. "The racer’s choice is highly adjustable, and double-sided entry is a bonus too." Purchase Speedplay Zero Stainless Pedals Here

Italian Classic specialist wants to return to racing as soon as possible.

Shimano and Pearl Izumi held a grand opening this past Friday for their new 3,000 sq m (32,000 sq ft) 'Education Center' in Boulder, Colorado. Located just a few minutes from Pearl Izumi's Louisville headquarters, the by-appointment-only facility will serve as a one-stop destination to view their full range of products as well as a base camp for demos, clinics and other events.

Olympic champion to lead strong Euskaltel-Euskadi team in southern Spanish race.

When GreenEdge's designated leader Matt Goss told his teammates that he didn't have the legs to compete for the win on stage 2 of the Tour of Oman, Baden Cooke threw his hat into the ring to contest the sprint.

Mathieu Perget (Ag2R-La Mondiale) is recuperating at home in southwestern France from a fractured pelvis sustained in late January at the Tour de San Luis. The 27-year-old Frenchman's 2012 season came to an abrupt halt on January 27 when he crashed heavily on stage 5 in the Argentinean stage race. Despite the injury, Perget is in good spirits and expects to return to racing in April.

The Daily Distraction.

Andy Schleck can hardly have expected to have held his first press conference as a Tour de France winner on the car deck of a ship in the Gulf of Oman, but it was perhaps in keeping with the absurdity that has surrounded the protracted Alberto Contador case.

Spain's Minister for Sport, Jose Ignacio Wert, has used a public forum on Spanish society to speak out on what he sees as a problem with the doping issues that are permeating Spanish sport. Alberto Contador's two-year sanction by CAS for his positive clenbuterol test, which was announced last week, has heightened controversy levels surrounding sport in Spain and Wert has decided to talk publicly on the matter and how Spanish sport as a whole can start the healing process.

Team Saxo Bank has not been invited to ride the Criterium International next month, a race organized by Tour de France organizer Amaury Sport Organisation. But the team does not believe that it is a reflection on the team for Alberto Contador's two-year suspension for doping.

"In 2008, Radio Freddy arranged for the two of us to meet Brad Roe, then the editor of Hi-Torque’s Road Bike Action. While Radio Freddy was in town for the Tour of California, we met Brad and took a tour of the offices that had produced countless issues of magazines we did a better job of memorizing than the algebra texts found in our book bags during our school days."

Depression in sport is doing the media rounds at the moment and the subject has triggered a huge response in society in general.

BikeRadar verdict: 5 out of 5 stars. "You could end up paying a lot more for a saddle and not doing as well as this. Give it a try."

“Jan Ullrich missed his last chance to win back even a little of his credibility, because he failed to come clean."  -  Dagmar Freitag CyclingNews

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Incredible performance in the hills and on the flat, plus great comfort. It’s only a trick set of wheels away from being unbeatable."

"It’s been months since I sent my last race report to friends and family, but after 6000 miles of training in the “off-season,” I’m back at it, and want to include you in the action."