First stage race victory since the 2009 Vuelta a España for former suspended rider.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Start list),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite (Start list),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

VeloNation: American rider gunning for high result, Astana leader returning after injury.

On arrival, as in past years, the pro’s went for a 20 minute “fun ride” with cycling enthusiasts from the public. LTdL organisers estimated 300 people turned up for this year’s ride; roughly 200 fewer participants than a similar event led by Alexandre Vinokourov two days prior. Meanwhile, dignitaries were treated to a small parade during their short walk to an open-sided tent, which stood on a grassy field opposite the presentation stage.

PodiumCafe: Tom Boonen is so not going to win Het Nieuwsblad. He has brown eyes. Blame it on the moon. See, of the past fifteen editions* of the Omloop, seven of them have been held when the moon was waxing,** and it’ll be waxing again on Saturday.

TwistedSpoke: Both rider riders are looking to make their mark in the cobbles but for very different reasons. The young Phinney didn't have a huge debut success in his new BMC kit. First a knee injury, then a concussion and even the rumors that he wasn’t taking the life of a professional cyclist seriously enough.

After it emerged yesterday that Edvald Boasson Hagen had pulled out of this Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad  in Belgium due to a nasty cold, Team Sky has moved to confirm that his place on the start line will be taken by CJ Sutton. Boasson Hagen started to feel unwell after returning to his native Norway following the Tour of Algarve, where he performed well in winning stage two and the overall points classification.

CyclingNews: With the growth of mountain bike marathons and stage races, 24-hour races have been dropping off the endurance race calendar in recent years, but in Arizona, 24-hour racing is alive and well.

road.cc: Expensive, finely made, and arguably even beautiful and worth the money if it keeps you and your favourite old steel bike on the road.

Interview: Daniel Friebe

PodiumCafe: "Back before Christmas we looked at Daniel Friebe and Pete Goding's Mountain High. Now, with the European road season about to really get into swing, Daniel Friebe pops into the Café to talk about that thing most cyclists can't get enough of: climbing."

VeloNation: Avid comic book and movie fan speaks about his interests away from the bike.

23-year-old Australian takes first UCI victory; Kristin Armstrong takes third and holds race lead.

Today's Quote

“Generally, the whole level of the peloton is much higher because they had such good weather throughout November and December in Europe and I think that's really showed – those guys usually come to Qatar and Oman to train but this time they all turned up for the win."  -  Mark Renshaw CyclingNews

Marijn de Vries: "My third season as a bike racer is about to begin. After six weeks of intensive training in Spain, I can’t wait to actually race. Omloop Fever! As long as we don’t have the cold and terrible weather we had last year, everything’s fine by me. Yes, rain and wind are part of a Spring Classic. But you can overdo it."

VeloNation: “Complicated, but interesting” courses on the terrain of the Amstel Gold Race.

Nick Legan: "Training on tubulars is super fun. After all, life is short. What are we saving them for? I ride on tubulars as often as I can. But I make sure I can fix two flats when I leave the house. I always carry a pre-glued, pre-stretched spare tire in an Arundel Tubi bag and a can of Vittoria’s Pit Stop. Either a frame pump or Co2 inflator are a necessity too."

Japanese cycling product giant Shimano has unveiled a new 2013 range of cycling-specific bags, which should be available in the shops in October.

Oooh! We've got lots of shiny new bike stuff to show you from Pro, Cervelo, San Marco and Bell, and we'll be adding to this later in the day so check back in a bit for even more goodness.

Lezyne CRV 20 BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Big and tough. Ideal for cycle tourists and off-road riders."

BikeRumor: Weighing in at a very respectable 233g (claimed), it looks to have some massive cooling vents. There are 26 vents in all, spaced around internal reinforcements and a in-molded Fusion microshell. It uses Bell’s TAG fit system and includes X-Static padding to keep odor at bay.

The Daily Distraction.

RedKitePrayer: "Many fans could care less about the first four weeks of the professional cycling season. Part of me can’t blame them. I mean seriously—Argentina? Qatar? Oman? And of these early races, only a few feature terrain that puts the majority of the peloton into the red zone. In most cases, crosswinds and cold weather do more damage than the actual racing does."

PodiumInsight: Yesterday, the Amgen Tour of California unveiled its 2012 poster via its facebook page, a poster which left many including yours truly scratching their heads.

Frenchman unhappy with FFC decision.

"I now have two stage races under my belt now so it's time for another blog – I'm also back in Europe. It's still a bit fresh over here but it's about 10 degrees warmer than when they had the cold snap which is lucky for me."

When Cadel Evans won the Tour last year he removed himself from a Very Bad List: that list of riders who Can't Win The Big One. No wonder he smiled so much as he paraded into Paris. BUT WAIT! Didn't he already win The Big One and removed that monkey off his back when he won the Worlds race at Mendrisio in 2009? Ah, yes and no.

A hotel dedicated completely to cyclists? Not something we see in North America – but you can find them everywhere in Italy - and they’re a dream come true to us cyclists. The Hotel Funivia in Bormio is an ideal base for some fantastic rides steeped in Giro history.

Ron S. Doyle: "Our beautiful sport can occasionally give rise to ugly sores, festering boils, and assorted creepy-crawlies. Here’s how to avoid a horror show."

CyclingNews: Donckers Koffie will be the new title sponsor of the Marco Polo Cycling Team in 2012. Thanks to the new partnership with Donckers Koffie, the UCI Continental team - which is also the first Continental team ever to be based out of Ethiopia -  following 10 years of success in China - will be able to race a full pro-level program in Europe, with additional races in Asia and Africa.

Endura Piranha glasses BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "These are well-made glasses at a killer price."