Vaughters on Cannondale-Garmin's past and future.

Team boss discusses Hesjedal's silence and CIRC meeting.

Garmin’s merger with Cannondale this winter meant that some changes were inevitable, but even without the new name and the fresh colors, a process of rejuvenation was already in effect.

The infusion of young talent from the old Cannondale team has helped to drop the squad’s average age further, of course, and it is now the lowest in the WorldTour.

Even at this early juncture, manager Jonathan Vaughters feels this merger is set to be a rather more convivial affair than the hastily-arranged nuptials between Garmin and Cervélo TestTeam in 2011.

Kristoff takes his third sprint victory.

Alexander Kristoff took his third stage victory at the Tour of Qatar, beating Peter Sagan in yet another close sprint finish.

The Norwegian again started his sprint early but had the strength and speed to hold off Sagan, who jumped from his wheel in sight of the line. Nikias Arndt was third, with Tom Boonen fourth and Adam Blythe was fifth.

Niki Terpstra managed to fight his way back to the front group and finish in the same time as Kristoff, to retain his overall race lead.

Terpstra ready to fight for overall success at the Tour of Qatar.

Niki Terpstra will have to fight with Alexander Kristoff for every second available during the final stage on Friday if he is to depend his overall lead in the Tour of Qatar, after the Norwegian won stage five and moved to within 11 seconds of the overall lead.

Kristoff won his third stage of the race ahead of Peter Sagan and Nikias Arndt and even dropped the race leader in the closing kilometers of the stage, forcing Terpstra and his Etixx-QuickStep team on the defensive.

Bos crashes out of Qatar but avoids broken bones; will miss Oman.

Concerns that Theo Bos might have suffered serious injury in a crash during Thursday’s fifth stage of the Tour of Qatar proved unfounded, with medical scans showing that the Dutchman had not fractured any bones.

Bos fell 85 kilometers after the start at Al Zabara Fort and was forced to abandon the race.

“It was a bad day for us today and we are not happy with the result,” said directeur sportif J.P Heynderickx, speaking soon after the Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff nabbed his third stage win of the race.

Hayman sees racing career extending beyond current contract.

Although Matthew Hayman is entering the final year of his current deal with Orica-GreenEdge he has no plans on retiring any time soon and at the age of 36, hopes to carry on racing for the foreseeable future.

Hayman is currently racing at the Tour of Qatar and has been in two significant breaks in the first five days.

On Thursday’s stage 5 he slipped clear with four other riders and even held the overall lead on the road until the move was shut down in the closing kilometers.

2014-15 Races & Results.

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

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),

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

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

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

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Tour of Qatar 2015 Live Dashboard.

Friday's Tour of Qatar Stage 6 departs Sealine Beach Resort at 1:15pm local (11:15am CET, 5:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Doha Corniche at around 4:02pm local (2:02pm CET, 8:02am U.S. Eastern). 

Tour of Qatar live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:30pm local (1:30pm CET, 7:30am U.S. Eastern, 4:30am PST).

Mark Cavendish: not finished yet.

Ask Mark Cavendish if 2014 was the most challenging year of his career and you’ll more than likely get the same defiant answer.

“I won 11 races last year,” he snaps, as we sit down for our interview, “with six weeks out with injury, it’s not bad you know.”

We’re at a hotel in the Spanish coastal town of Calpe.

As well as being a tranquil haven for expats who’ve escaped their grey northern European winters in search of constant sunshine, it’s an ideal location for cycling teams to hold their winter training camps, thanks to the varied mountainous terrain that skirts the edges of the town and its relative calm in the winter months.

David Brailsford: Nutrition is fundamental to cycling.

David John Brailsford has been one of the most prominent figures in British Cycling over the past decade and as I look at the sea of admiring cycling enthusiasts desperate to chat to him, it becomes apparent just how inspirational his work has been.

Five years ago the 50-year-old claimed that he would see a British person win the Tour de France and two years later he oversaw Bradley Wiggins’ and Chris Froome’s victories in the 2012 and 2013 races.

Why cycling makes us happy: the positive psychology of being on the bike.

Cycling is a beautiful sport. We hear it all the time.

We experience it when we ride and race.

For the ever-increasing number of us that have caught the cycling bug, we know how happy cycling makes us.

But what is it that makes us love cycling so much?

Why are we so compulsively drawn to it? Why does cycling make us happy in a way that perhaps tennis, or swimming, or footy can’t?

How to master a long climb.

Mike Cotty, global ambassador for Cannondale and Mavic is a mountain and endurance cycling specialist.

Having completed a 1,000km non-stop journey across the Dolomites, Eastern Alps and Swiss Alps in 2014, he knows a few things about how to reach the summit with a smile on your face.

As with most things, correct technique is crucial. “On longer ascents try staying in the saddle to get into a rhythm while pedalling at a higher cadence, around 90rpm”, Cotty says.

“This will help keep your legs supple and use your aerobic capacity more efficiently as opposed to relying on leg strength alone.”

Kristoff strikes again in Mesaieed.

Crashes won’t derail IAM Cycling at Tour of Qatar.

Tour of Qatar news shorts: Sagan comes up short, Sky loses ground.

WADA, UCI await decision in Operación Puerto appeal.

With the conclusion of the criminal case against Eufemiano Fuentes in the long-running Operación Puerto doping case, the Spanish courts are set to destroy the evidence collected from the Madrid clinic in 2006.

211 bags of stored blood and plasma, currently being stored in Barcelona, are facing imminent destruction unless appeals by the Spanish minister of sport, together with the UCI and World Anti-doping Agency are accepted.

Even with the new UCI rules incorporating an extended statute of limitations, any anti-doping rule violations must be prosecuted by June, 2016 - and meeting that deadline is currently being blocked by the Spanish courts.

Lampre: Not re-signing Horner ‘came down to his age’.

Age was the deciding factor in Chris Horner’s future with Lampre-Merida. Despite a bumpy 2014 campaign with the Italian team that included a heavy crash and his untimely departure from the Vuelta a España, it was Horner’s birth certificate that ultimately proved his undoing with the WorldTour team.

Speaking to VeloNews, Lampre general manager Brent Copeland confirmed there was no consensus within the team to keep the 43-year-old on board for another season.

“The main reason came down to his age,” Copeland told VeloNews by telephone. “It was difficult to convince everyone within the team to keep him. There are only places for 25 riders on the team, and it’s not always easy to keep everyone happy. It’s unfortunate, because Chris is a fantastic rider and person, but his age was the deciding factor.”

Tour of Oman 2015 preview.

In recent years, the Tour of Oman has become the first major meeting between the major general classification riders.

The climbs of the Green Mountain and Bousher al Amerat possess that crucial combination of difficulty and warm weather that is so rare this early in the season.

Chris Froome has won the past two editions, using the race to start his season with a bang and lay down a marker for his rivals.

In 2013 he went on to dominate the season, culminating in overall victory at the Tour de France, although last year, as we know, didn’t progress quite so smoothly.

Women’s Cycling Round-Up.

Verita Stewart was one of 20 women to successfully complete the mass-everesting challenge undertaken this past Saturday.

To earn her coveted grey stripe from Hells 500, Verita climbed eight laps of Mt Donna Buang to gain 8,848 metres of vertical gain – the height of Mt. Everest – over 250 kilometres of riding.

Thursday Shorts.

La Course by La Vuelta looks set to get the go-ahead reports AS today, all that’s missing is the written permission from the UCI.

The race was uncertain because the proposed date, timed to coincide with the Vuelta’s arrival in Madrid, meant a clash with several other women’s races and initially the UCI didn’t want this.

The clash remains although the Belgium Tour has shifted by a week.

It’s hard not to see this as ASO getting its way, a new race is added to the calendar because it’s got the backing of a big business while smaller races get bumped and will probably see few star riders part.

Eight wildcards announced for Tour of Flanders.

The organizers of the Tour of Flanders has announced the eight wild-card invitations for the 2015 race.

The Professional Continental teams will join the 17 WorldTour teams, making a total of 25 teams in the race to be held April 5.

MTN-Qhubeka, Bora-Argon18, Androni-Giocattoli and Team Roompot all got the nod, as did the two French teams Cofidis and Europcar.

They will be joined by the two Belgian ProConti teams, Wanty-Groupe Gobert and Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise.

Pinarello Mercurio T2 Hydro.

"After a few rides, I started calling the Mercurio "Black Beauty" because the bike's flowing lines and gleaming carbon-fiber frame captivated cyclists and nonriders alike everywhere I took it.

Many marveled at the disc brakes and some astute observers appreciated the Think2 modular internal cable routing system, which accepts mechanical or electronic drivetrains.

Plus nearly everyone I encountered seemed shocked that a bike this striking, from a revered Italian brand, cost less than two grand."

Best floor pumps for road cyclists.

There are a few tools every cyclist should own.

A decent set of Allen keys, ideally a torque wrench – and a track pump. Yes, you could get away with a smaller frame-mounted or mini pump, but nothing gets a tire up to pressure like their bigger brother.

Bikes are at their best when tires are running at their ideal pressure, which will help them roll smoothly and keep punctures to a minimum – though sadly there’s nothing you can do to prevent punctures altogether.

And if you’re taking your bike to a race or sportive, having a track pump with you before the event will help your pre-ride routine.

We've tested many pumps this year, and these five are our picks of the bunch.

The disc brakes debate: Are they necessary on road bikes?

Drop-bar bikes with disc brakes are far from a new idea.

Cyclo-cross riders have had them for some time, and for 2015 most major bike brands will have at least one disc-specific road model range, such as Giant’s Defy Advanced, or Specialized’s new Diverge line-up.

But with caliper brakes always improving, do road riders really need the compromises that come with a disc brake system?

To begin, let’s look at the three main benefits of disc brakes: power, modulation and all-weather efficiency.

Zipp to Recall First Generation 88 Front Hub.

Zipp has identified a technical issue with respect to a production range of Zipp wheels manufactured with the Zipp 88 front hub. We have begun the process with the CPSC for a complete recall.

The root of this recall is spoke retention, a concern only with first generation front hubs. Specifically, the first generation 88 hubs could incur retaining ring failure that might result in an ejection of all the wheel’s spokes.

This may result in wheel failure.

Schleck takes up Trek role, preserves his link with the sport .

Daily Distractions.

MPCC awaiting clarification from Lampre-Merida over plans to retain Ulissi.

The MPCC has responded to a statement by Diego Ulissi’s Lampre-Merida team this week saying that he will return to competition with the squad in the Vuelta al Pais Vasco, with the anti-doping body saying that it is seeking clarification from the squad.

In a communication issued today, the MPCC noted that all of its members have thus far accepted the rules of the association.

It pointed out in particular an agreement that any member team should not hire a rider who has been suspended for six months or more.

David Millar: 'I don't want to be a human billboard anymore'.

David Millar hasn’t cycled once since his retirement last September. But that’s not to say his life has slowed down – far from it.

The success and controversy that punctuated his 17 years as a professional road racer continues to follow in his slipstream.

There’s a new book coming out later this year – the “antithesis” of 2011 bestseller Racing Through the Dark, the spill-all account of Millar’s doping disgrace more than a decade ago – and he is also starting a one-man revolution in the fashion industry.

All that alongside other filmic projects and spending more time with his wife, Nicole, and their two young sons, three-year-old Archibald and Harvey, born in May 2013.

Michal Kwiatkowski Interview.

World professional road champion at 24 isn’t too shabby, but when you look at the young Michal Kwiatkowski’s build up to his Rainbow ride it is not so surprising.

Kwiatkowski was double European champion (road race 2007, time trial 2008), Polish National road champion in the under-23 category before he turned professional.

After a year with Caja Rural he joined RadioShack, and placed third overall in the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, the Three Days of De Panne and the Tour du Poitou-Charentes.

In 2012 he was snapped up by the Omega Pharma – Quick-Step squad and carried on with a load of top class results including being part of the World team time trial gold medal winning selection in 2013.

That same year he also showed his class with top ten placings in Tirreno–Adriatico, Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Grand Prix de Wallonie with 11th Overall in the Tour de France.

But it was in 2014 that the young Pole consolidated his rise with his World title to go with another national title and wins in: Volta ao Algarve, Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana and Strade Bianche, with top five spots in the Tour of the Basque Country, Tour of Britain, La Flèche Wallonne, Liège–Bastogne–Liège and Amstel Gold Race.

Cancellara: Race the classics first, talk retirement later.

Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara will aim at a record fourth Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) win and other spring classics before deciding his future.

“I’m happy. I’m enjoying myself and trying to reach 100 percent in less than two months’ time,” he said. “That’s what I’m doing.”

The 33-year-old has been racing over the flat and often windy countryside in the Tour of Qatar this week to prepare for the monuments ahead.

After the fourth stage and a shower, his hair gelled back and beard closely trimmed, he met with a handful of international journalists.

Cancellara clarified his schedule. After Oman, he will race in Italy — Strade Bianche, the Tirreno-Adriatico stage race, and Milano-Sanremo — and in northern Europe — E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem, the Tour of Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix.

Hushovd discouraged Boasson Hagen from signing with Tinkoff-Saxo.

Thor Hushovd has revealed he advised Edvald Boasson Hagen not to join Tinkoff-Saxo for the 2015 season, convincing him that the MTN-Qhubeka team would be the best option to restart his career after a lean final year at Team Sky.

“I said: Edvald, you shouldn't sign for Tinkoff. I think it is the wrong choice. If you do, then I'll give you a slap,” Hushovd revealed to TV2 Norway.

The reason for his opposition to the idea? “With the image of Bjarne Riis and the team, in addition Peter Sagan had signed for them, Edvald wouldn't evolve into the rider he was in his best years at Sky,” Hushovd argued.

Shimano R321 and R171 shoe review.

A good cycling shoe is meant to be something that isn’t felt or noticed.

It’s easy to think about your shoes during a ride when there’s discomfort, and even easier to forget about them when they fit perfectly and do the job they’re meant to.

Shoes are a highly individual piece of kit and as the saying goes, one size doesn’t fit all. I’m fortunate that I can enjoy many different types of shoes and am not overly particular. However, some the most fussy cyclists I know all wear Shimano shoes.

News shorts: No breaks for Bos, Synergy Baku joins MPCC.

Zingle sidelined with virus, Carlsen retires from pro bike racing.

Core Work on Unstable Surfaces Might Not Have Additional Benefits.

Building your core can greatly benefit your cycling, and doing core-strength exercises on unstable surfaces has been billed to increase balance, coordination, flexibility, and muscular endurance.

However, all that unsteadiness may not benfit you any more than if you performed the exercises on stable surfaces, according to research published in BMC Sports Science, Medicine, and Rehabilitation.

Researchers had teens do a basic core-strengthening workout twice a week for six weeks. The workout was a 30-minute circuit session, rotating among three key exercises: cross curl-ups, side bridges, and bird dogs. Half of the teens did the exercises in the conventional manner on a stable surface.

The other half of the teens did the same exercises, but on unstable surfaces.

Ted King: From Early Morning til Late at Night.

USADA chief Tygart rejects Armstrong ‘witch hunt’ claim.