High performance program cut is a symptom of a bigger problem.

If there were a manual on how to become a professional cyclist, “don’t be female” would be an apt opener.

The scale of the women’s professional cycling industry means there are precious few opportunities for talented riders to progress to the top level of the sport.

The Australian women’s European Development Program that had been implemented to address the problem has been closed down until further notice.

The decision has been debated and viewed as anything from a sensible solution to a malicious abandonment.

With women’s cycling seemingly exploding with visible signs of growth, this was a significant moment of perhaps unexpected calamity for the elite end of the sport in Australia. But what does it mean?

The 2015 cycling season according to Bronzini 

The women’s 2015 season is reaching full speed with the Tour of Qatar this week in the Middle East, where two-time world champion, Italian Giorgia Bronzini sat down to forecast winners of the stage race, cycling’s newest talents, and the direction of her sport.

Personal aims: “It’s an important year for me ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

My goals are in the in the Giro d’Italia Femminile, where I’d like to come away with a few stage wins, and in a few of the World Cups like China, Philadelphia, and Germany.

And why not also add on a third title in the world championship road race in America?! It’s going to be a demanding season with different goals during the year, but I’ll try to be in form for those dates.”

Cucinotta wins Ladies Tour of Qatar opener.

Annalisa Cucinotta won the opening stage of the Ladies Tour of Qatar, beating Giorgia Bronzini and Marta Tagliaferro in the bunch sprint at Dukhan Beach.

The stage was animated by a lone attack by Xiu Jie Jiang, who went clear shortly after the first intermediate sprint, which was won by Shelley Olds ahead of Chloe Hosking and Lizzie Armitstead. Jiang stretched her lead out to a minute after 55 kilometres but the pace remained a brisk 43kph in the peloton, with several teams keen to ensure a sprint finish.

Olds begins 2015 season with a bang in Qatar.

Shelly Olds is starting the 2015 season with a bang in the Middle East by sprinting for bonus seconds and trying to win the overall in the Tour of Qatar

“Qatar is always a big goal of mine,” she told VeloNews on Tuesday.

“It’s a [UCI] 2.1-ranked stage race; it’s the first race of the season; it’s a race for sprinters. It’s a hard race with all the best teams. I’m trying to win the overall. I’d like to start the year off with something positive.”

Olds placed fifth behind winner Annalisa Cucinotta  in Dukhan, a small but oil-rich village on Qatar’s west coast, after 98.5 kilometers. Heading toward the finish line on the empty, wind-swept road, she placed herself on the heels of Alé-Cipollini’s train for the sprint. She accelerated too early and was unable to hold off her rivals.

The bonus seconds gained through the stages will help determine the general classification, in which Olds sits third

Lucy Garner’s Ladies Tour of Qatar blog: stage one.

"So that’s my first ever Ladies Tour of Qatar stage finished and, thanks to the lack of wind, it was pretty normal. It wasn’t really that hot, either.

It was a bit hectic in the opening few kilometres, and there were a few crashes that were caused by some huge cateyes in the middle of the road.

That was a little bit ridiculous. We had to go over a series of speedbumps a bit further into the stage, too, but thankfully a number of riders shouted loudly to make sure nobody went flying over the top of them."

Roundtable: Top riders discuss the development of women's cycling.

Minimum wages, equal prize money and the growth and prosperity of the sport have been fundamental issues within women’s cycling. Yet despite the hard work that lies ahead, the sport has seen shoots of promise and growth in the last twelve months. The women’s field is as competitive ever; new sponsors are joining and improved television coverage is set to change the landscape.

On the eve of the Ladies Tour of Qatar, Cyclingnews sat down with five of the most prominent figures in women’s cycling: Rochelle Gilmore, Giorgia Bronzini, Tiffany Cromwell, Chloe Hosking and Gracie Elvin to talk about the development of the sport, the UCI’s role and how female athletes are trying to make a difference.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Ladies Tour of Qatar 2015 - Feb 3-6 (Stages & Results),

Dubai Tour 2015 - Feb 4-7 (Stages),

Tour of Qatar 2015 - Feb 8-13 (Stages),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships - Jan 31-Feb 1 (Results),

Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race - Feb 1 (Results),

Santos Tour Down Under 2015 - Jan 18-25 (Results),

UCI Road World Championship 2014 - Sept 20-27 (Results),

Vuelta a España 2014 - Aug 23-Sept 14 (Results),

Tour de France 2014  - July 5-27 (Results),

Giro d'Italia 2014 - May 9 - June 1 (Results).

More ...

Dubai Tour: Nibali vs Valverde and Rodriguez on climbs, Cavendish and Degenkolb chasing stages.

Speaking one day before the start of the 2015 Dubai Tour, five of the top riders in the lineup have outlined their goals for the early season event.

Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali is seeking to clock up his first win since taking his yellow jersey on to the Champs Elysees last July, and while he admits not being certain where his form is at, he feels its possible he could contend,

“It’s important for me to be here,” he said, speaking about his season debut. “We have two good sprinters in [Lars] Boom and [Andrea] Guardini.

Dubai Tour 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Dubai Tour LIVE.

Wednesday's (February 4) Dubai Tour Stage 1 (the Westin Dubai stage) departs Dubai at 11:55am local (8:55am CET, 2:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Dubai Union House Flag at around 3:30pm local (12:30pm CET, 6:30am U.S. Eastern). 

Dubai Tour live video streaming is expected to begin at around 2:00pm local (11:00am CET, 5:00am U.S. Eastern).

Armour: Lance Armstrong's latest incident shouldn't surprise anyone.

Once a cheater, always a cheater.

The news Tuesday that Lance Armstrong tried to pin the blame on his girlfriend for hitting two cars after a night of partying should come as a surprise to no one.

He built a career and a lucrative cult of personality out of lies, seeing the truth as something only suckers would champion.

Merckx: Bradley Wiggins ‘cannot afford to fail’ in Hour Record ride.

Bradley Wiggins must beat the Hour Record if he attempts it this summer because failure would tarnish his palmarès, says Eddy Merckx.

“If you’re nobody and you don’t beat it, there’s no problem, but if Wiggins attacks the Hour Record, he has to beat it,” Merckx told Cycling Weekly.

“It was the same way with me because I’d already won the Tour de France two or three times, the Tour of Italy, the classics and things like that. The journalists in Mexico thought I couldn’t beat it. I knew that I had to if I went for it. I also felt that my career wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t break the Hour Record.”

North American riders create representative association.

North American riders have announced the creation of an association that will defend their interests and represent riders in attempts to develop and improve professional cycling.

The ANAPRC (Association of North American Professional Road Cyclists) was formally created in October 2014 and in November became a member of the CPA (Cyclistes Professionels Associés), the global riders' association headed by Gianni Bugno.

As the 2015 season gets underway, the North American riders have revealed their plans and the CPA has welcomed them as the eighth national association under the CPA umbrella.

Membership is open to retired and active riders from the top divisions of men's road cycling – WorldTour, ProContinental, and Continental.

Froome takes motivation out of 2014 setbacks .

Chris Froome is finding new motivation from the setbacks he suffered during 2014 as he prepares for a run at a second yellow jersey this season.

Last July, instead of repeating as Tour de France champion, he crashed out within the first week. And when he bounced back for the Vuelta a España, he ran headlong into a stubborn and ultimately stronger Alberto Contador.

Froome, now training in South Africa before a return to Europe next week, only looks at taking the positive out of last year’s bumpy ride instead of dwelling on the negative.

Edvald Boasson Hagen targeting Paris-Roubaix success.

Edvald Boassan Hagen has made Paris-Roubaix his main aim for the season, and though he admits it is a ‘lofty goal,’ he says it could be the defining victory of his career.

The Norweigian left Team Sky at the end of 2014 to join African outfit MTN-Qhubeka in order to gain further leadership opportunities, and will now proceed with a full classics campaign as well as looking ahead to the Tour de France in July.

“The first objective is Paris-Roubaix,” he told Biciclismo. “I know it’s a lofty goal. It is the classic I like most because it is very hard, for both the course and the competition.

News shorts: Kwiatkowski to Volta ao Algarve, Sanchez to Vuelta a Murcia.

UHC send teams to Dubai and Sun Tour, Giro del Trentino adds Monte Velo to queen stage.

When Does Eating Healthy Become Unhealthy?

Filling your grocery cart with organic vegetables and whole grains is a smart way to stay fit and healthy.

Yet for some cyclists, a dedication to eating right can cross a line into a disorder called orthorexia.


Alternative medicine physician Steven Bratman, MD, himself an orthorexia sufferer, coined the term in 1997 to refer to an extreme fixation on health food.

Unlike anorexia, an eating disorder characterized by consuming too few calories, orthorexia is a preoccupation with the quality of food, rather than the quantity, and the condition can have severe mental and physical repercussions leading to a drastic impact on performance.

The disorder often begins with a real desire to improve health, says Maria Rago, PhD., vice president of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD).

Women's news shorts: Hosking and Kirchmann ready for Qatar, Matrix signs Trott.

Rabo Liv and Harris talk 'cross Worlds, five gravel sectors in Strade Biache, UCI Women’s Teams Seminar, IOC awards Mulholland and Galpin for contributions to cycling.

Anto Moran on Pat McQuaid: “It wasn’t begrudgery; we acted for the love of cycling.”

Kazakh federation considered closing down Astana team.

Women take the lead at Middle East races.

The Ladies Tour of Qatar kicks off a series of stage races this month in the Middle East that cumulates with the Tour de France stars in Oman.

The men, including reigning Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali, race Wednesday in the Dubai Tour. Bradley Wiggins, Peter Sagan, Fabian Cancellara, and others land in Doha for the Tour of Qatar February 8.

Ladies first, however.

Last year’s stage win spurs Pieters on in Ladies Tour of Qatar.

Daily Distractions.

BikeSnobNYC: There's no "I" in "transit." Oh, wait, yes there is.

Vinokourov questions BMC and Team Sky's absence from MPCC.

Astana general manager Alexandre Vinokourov has defended his squad’s stance on doping by highlighting the absence of a number of other high-profile teams from the Movement for Credible Cycling.

In accordance with MPCC regulations, Astana suspended itself from racing and missed the Tour of Beijing last October following Maxim Iglinskiy’s positive test for EPO, the team’s second such case at WorldTour level in 2014.

“It’s too easy that many people just point at us,” Vinokourov told De Telegraaf. “I have discussed this with Roger Legeay, the president of the MPCC. We are affiliated to the MPCC and we really do everything to prevent our riders from doping. Teams like BMC and Team Sky talk about doping but they refuse to join the MPCC. How harmful is that for the image of cycling?

Moerenhout: Managing Vos and Ferrand-Prevot a luxury.

The sign of a great manager is his ability to get the best out of his athletes and to ensure that individual potential is channelled into the ultimate aim of team glory.

That’s the acute challenge facing Koos Moerenhout at the Rabo Liv Women Cycling Team this season as he juggles the aspirations of Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot to name but two.

At the Ladies Tour of Qatar, Moerenhout is without arguably his two most successful leaders but the Dutch team is still stacked with talent and the former Rabobank rider believes that managing individual expectations and team aims is a luxurious but challenging position.

Paris-Nice Route.

ASO has announced the route for the Paris-Nice. After last year’s hilly route without time trials the 2015 race looks traditional with an opening prologue, a “summit finish” and the conclusive Col d’Eze time trial.

As usual it doesn’t start in Paris but the Yveslines area to the west is the next best thing and a Mecca for Parisian cyclists who flee the capital for some sharp climbs and peaceful woodland roads. At 6.7km the prologue is long enough to put some gaps in the GC.

France From Inside: Cycling The Pyrenees.

France From Inside Tours specializes in cycling holidays in southern France, and one of their most popular trips is the epic Conquer the Pyrenees: 12 days riding 1000 miles from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean and back, climbing over 100,000 feet.

The company owner and lead guide, Allan Reeves, explains why this trip is so popular, it’s back for the 9th year.

Sam Bennett ready to challenge the big names in 2015.

After a largely successful debut season that saw him take home three victories, Sam Bennett is about to embark on his second year as a professional.

The 24-year-old made his name back in 2013 with a stage win at the Tour of Britain, and was quickly snapped up by the German Pro Continental team NetApp-Endura.

With a year of experience at Pro Continental level, Bennett is ready to advance to the next level.

“I just want to make another step and having a season under my belt makes me that much stronger,” he told Cyclingnews at his team’s recent training camp in Mallorca.

“As a sprinter, you’re always trying to get the results, whether you’re feeling bad or good.

Starting the Season in South America.

"Before I begin, I would like to thank the race organization for putting on such a great event, Hugo and Carlos for providing the team with everything we needed, Barbara Bialokoz and Curtis Cramblett for fixing me up enough to race despite an injured hamstring (they’re both amazing so if you need some physiotherapy or bike fitting check out their contact info on my sponsors page), and of course to all the TIBCO SVB sponsors and staff without whom it would not be possible for us to live the dream."

Shimano power meter - what we'd like to see.

With multiple US and Japanese patents filed for power-meter designs, Shimano appears close to having a power meter of its own.

Jay Prasuhn of Lava Magazine recently posted photos of what appears to be a Shimano power meter prototype from a BMC triathlete camp. BikeRadar went digging through Shimano's various power-meter patents to research what could soon be a consumer product.

We detail that information, plus highlight the features we would like to see on a product that will likely recast the power-meter landscape.

PEZ: EuroTrash World Cross Monday!

Lance "the best of his generation", says Mercier.

Vinokourov: “We want our credibility back as a matter of urgency.”

Bobridge won't attempt Hour Record again until after Rio, says Decker.