Guide to the 2015 Spring Classics.

Opening the action was Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. The 2015 route had a total of 11 climbs or "hellingen," with course designer and former winner Peter Van Petegem keeping the circular route but tweaking the order of the climbs and adding the Bosgat ascent.

After a tumultuous year, 2014 winner Ian Stannard returned to the race as he searched to get his career back on track after breaking his back at Ghent-Wevelgem and spending three months off his bike.

There is still plenty more action to come in the Classics over the next two months, so let Cyclingnews guide you through the important races from Milan-San Remo to Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Etixx’s hard lesson at Omloop pays dividends in Kuurne.

Once again, the contrasts could not have been more stark.

On Saturday, for the second straight year, Belgian powerhouse Etixx-Quick-Step failed to deliver at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, its first home race of the season.

On Sunday, for the second straight year, it took revenge at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

In 2014 the difference was largely weather:

Saturday’s wet, frigid gloom gave way to the kind of lovely early spring sunshine in which Etixx’s Tom Boonen has built the better part of his career.

This year, the difference was simple patience.

The inside story of Ian Stannard’s incredible Het Nieuwsblad win.

They were scratching their heads at the start of Kuurne Brussels Kuurne on Sunday morning, still wondering how Belgium’s top team could have thrown away victory in Het Nieuwsblad the previous day.

To recap: Ian Stannard of Team Sky, away with three Etixx-QuickStep riders for the final 40km, scored the most improbable of wins in Ghent, and in so doing left three of the strongest Classics riders, Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh, with – choose your description or metaphor – red faces, pants around ankles, egg on face, bottoms on a plate.

Fairly ‘fitting in nicely’ at Giant-Alpecin.

Caleb Fairly says he’s “fitting in nicely” with his new team, Giant-Alpecin, and is looking forward to a season in the trenches for the squad’s big guns.

The 28-year-old Texan joined the Dutch-German outfit for the 2015 season after riding for American teams High Road and Garmin since 2010.

“There are differences in the cultures. It’s definitely more Dutch or German; it’s also very relaxed. I am fitting in nicely,” Fairly told VeloNews. “At the same time, it’s very structured and organized. I am liking it so far.

They are very punctual, very specific. I can say there is never any confusion about what’s going on, or what your job is that day. That’s good for riders.”

Fairly said he had contact with the Giant-Alpecin organization when High Road was folding at the end of 2011. He spent a season with SpiderTech and joined Garmin for two seasons, where he rode and completed his first grand tour at the Vuelta a España in 2013.

Gerrans eager to return to racing and eyeing the Ardennes.

This time last year, Gerrans had won both the Australian National Championships and the Tour Down Under.

This year, however, the Orica-GreenEDGE rider is yet to register a single race day owing to breaking his collarbone in December.

Next week the 34 year old will pin on a number for the first time since the UCI Road World Championships in September last year, making his racing return at the Italian one-day race Strade Bianche.

“I’m feeling good in training, and I can’t wait to pin a number on again,” a fully-recovered Gerrans wrote.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen - Mar 6-8 (Start List),

Paris Nice - Mar 8-15 (Stages),

Tirreno-Adriatico - Mar 11-17 (Start List),

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),

Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne - Mar 1 (Results),

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite - Feb 28 (Results),

Volta ao Algarve - Feb 19-23 (Results),

UCI Track World Championships - Feb 18-22 (Results),

Tour of Oman 2015 - Feb 17-22 (Results),

Vuelta a Andalucia - Feb 18-22 (Results),

Women's Tour of New Zealand - Feb 18-22 (Results),

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

More ...

Lizzie Williams: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad was my first spring classic.

"I had been warned, so I was mentally prepared for what to expect coming to Belgium this spring. I had been told to expect terrible weather – rain and freezing cold and maybe even snow. I heard about the big bunches and the race for position and how costly making a mistake would be.

“You have to keep going until you drop,” they said.

“It’s like war out there to hold position,” they told me.

My coach, Martin Barras, scared me a bit about the weather. I’ve come from an Australian summer. I’ve probably only been to the snow five times – and that was only in Australia. I haven’t had much to do with the cold weather. Martin told me to harden up. He said: 'You need to learn to train in the rain because in Belgium its always raining!'"

World Championships 2015 schedule and final routes revealed.

The 2015 World Championships road race route in Richmond, Virginia, will feature two challenging hills within three kilometers of the finish line, the organizer has revealed.

Working with the UCI, Richmond 2015 has modified the routes and finalized the schedule for week between September 19 and 27.

The downtown road race takes in the cobbled climb of Libbie Hill, before three 90-degree turns take the riders up 23rd Street, which hits a 13 per cent gradient short ascent.

Study: 103.7 million Americans ride bikes.

Bicycling participation among Americans is substantially greater than initially thought, according to a new study released Monday.

The U.S. Bicycling Participation Benchmarking Report, commissioned by PeopleForBikes, indicates that 34 percent of Americans age three or older rode a bike at least once in 2014.

For comparison, the same study found that 40 percent of Americans ran or jogged outside last year.

Previous studies had pegged U.S. bicycling participation much lower. The 2014 National Sporting Goods Association data indicated a bicycling participation rate of only 12 percent.

Cavendish sprints to Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne win.

Kristoff: Maybe Cavendish was fresher.

Disruption to Van Avermaet’s schedule likely due to anti-doping hearing, could Sanremo be affected?

Although Greg Van Avermaet is one of the BMC Racing Team’s biggest guns for the spring Classics, it remains to be seen how his preparation and thus form will be affected by his implication in the doping matter involving Dr. Chris Mertens.

On Saturday it was confirmed that the Belgian rider had been summoned to appear at an anti-doping hearing held by the Belgian cycling federation Koninklijke Belgische Wielrijdersbond (KBW) on Tuesday March 13.

This date clashes with two major races on the spring calendar, Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. Both of these are used by Classic riders as an important part of the build-up to Milan-Sanremo and other events.

Paris-Nice runs from March 8 to 15 while Tirreno-Adriatico will be held from March 11 to 17.

Milan-Sanremo will itself be held on March 22.

Report: Armstrong’s lifetime ban unlikely to be reduced.

Having been stripped of his seven Tour de France victories following the 2012 USADA reasoned decision, Armstrong has repeatedly argued that his life-time ban is too harsh a penalty considering former teammates were only handed six-month bans.

Armstrong claimed that he would be “the first through the door” when the Cycling Independent Reform Commission began to interview former dopers.

He revealed he spoke to the CIRC investigators twice during 2014 and told the BBC that he had been “totally honest”, adding, "At this point of my life, I'm not out to protect anybody.

I'm out to protect seven people, and they all have the last name Armstrong."

Froome, Contador, Quintana and Nibali confirmed for Tirreno-Adriatico clash.

The organizers of Tirreno-Adriatico have confirmed that Chris Froome , Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali will all ride this year’s race, setting up the first ever clash between the four big-name Grand Tour contenders.

The only other time when the so-called ‘Four Tenors’ or ‘Fantastic Four’ of cycling will race against each other is expected to be at the Tour de France.

The four have never gone head to head in a major WorldTour stage race due to different race program and objectives.

Roche understands Contador’s motivation to take on Giro-Tour double.

Nicolas Roche has an interesting take on Alberto Contador’s run at the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France double.

Not only did he ride two seasons alongside the ambitious Spaniard in 2013-14, but also his father, Stephen, was only one of seven riders to have matched the feat, when he won the Giro and Tour (not to mention the world championships) in 1987.

Roche, now racing with rival Team Sky, said he understands Contador’s ambitions.

“It’s great to see that he’s aiming for the double. Alberto is someone who likes to prove he can do the impossible. He’s won nine grand tours [seven after disqualifications from the 2010 Tour and 2011 Giro], so winning one more or one less isn’t going to change that much for him,” Roche told VeloNews.

“Doing something that people is say is impossible, that’s a good challenge for him. He finds motivation in that.”

Comment: Could Ian Stannard end the British search for a new cobbled Classic winner?

Tom Simpson’s Tour of Flanders win in 1961 remains the only time a Briton has topped the podium at either the Ronde or Paris-Roubaix, but Stannard proved, once again, he could be the man to end the barren run.

Victory last year, after a gutsy attack with Greg van Avermaet and a well-timed sprint for the line, firmly established Stannard as a Classics contender, but the 27-year-old suffered a fractured vertebrae after crashing into a ditch at Ghent-Wevelgem to effectively end his season, returning only for the RideLondon-Surrey Classics, Eneco Tour and a single stage of the Tour of Briton.

Migraine? Indoor cycling could help alleviate the symptoms.

There is currently no cure for migraines, but the millions of people who suffer from them could find some relief through indoor cycling, according to new research.

Dr Carolyn Bernstein, from Beth Isreal-Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, says the low impact nature of cycling indoors is a great way to alleviate the symptoms of migraines.

Dr Bernstein, a migraine sufferer herself, told Fox21 that exercise in general can help relief, but it is not a complete cure.

When’s the best time to train? Let your body clock decide.

In recent years there’s been an increasing recognition of the importance of the daily biological rhythm (circadian rhythm) in physical performance.

Previous studies on athletes have suggested that certain aspects of physical performance such as power and strength tend to peak during late afternoon/early evening.

But now a new study by UK scientists suggests that an individual’s internal body clock has an even more powerful influence on performance than was previously suspected.

Vital Information for the Cycling Community Regarding Bike Thieves.

Stuck in traffic? Ford wants you to assemble a bike from parts of your car.

There's a theory that some drivers get annoyed with cyclists because while stuck in traffic they envy our freedom keep moving despite congestion. If a patent application from Ford ever goes into production, jammed-in drivers could escape by assembling a bike from parts of their cars.

According to Richard Gray of Mailonline, Ford proposes to incorporate a bike frame in the body of the car, and have the other components do double-duty as car parts.

The car's spare tire will split to work as the bike's wheels; the jack will mount as the pedals and the saddle will come from one of the headrests.

Dumoulin wins La Drôme Classic.

Daily Distractions.

PEZ: EuroTrash Flemish Monday!

Out of Africa: MTN-Qhubeka’s model may change pro cycling.

The South Africa-based MTN-Qhubeka team has received a good deal of attention this year, with its off-season signings of Tyler Farrar, Edvald Boassen Hagen, and Matt Goss among others.

Its invitation to participate in this year’s Tour de France was also particularly ground-breaking. But apart from being the first African-registered team to earn a spot for the Tour’s starting line, and its notable racing successes over the last few years, the team is also driven by a different and unique philosophy — one which may eventually impact pro cycling at the highest level, and help to evolve the sport toward a more sustainable model.

Team founder and owner Douglas Ryder sees his squad as pioneering the future of African cycling in a way that will lead to more UCI events on the continent, and eventually, more African riders having the opportunity to race on top global teams.

Frank Schleck out of Paris-Nice.

The injury Fränk Schleck sustained in a crash in the first stage of Ruta del Sol on February 18 has left the Luxembourger struggling to return to full form ahead of Paris-Nice.

The Trek Factory Racing directors allowed time for Schleck to recover from the deep muscular hematoma in his quadriceps, hoping that he would be able to rebound in time for the March 8 start.

Today the team’s final decision was unfortunate news: Schleck would be unable to attain a level necessary for the WorldTour event.

Dani King: I need to get my confidence back.

Dani King admits it was scary to get back on the road after the crash that left her with broken ribs and a collapsed lung last year.

The 2012 Olympic team pursuit champion’s winter training was cut short by the accident, which occurred when a training partner hit a submerged pothole, bringing King to the ground as well.

But the 24-year-old is back in action with her Wiggle-Honda team, having recently returned from a training camp in Belgium, where the terrain was a real test of her recovery.

Movers and Shakers: History making Anna Meares keeps focus firmly on the future.

Anna Meares may be proud to have just delivered her eleventh world championship win but the Australian track cyclist is not about to get caught up in her history-making achievement, not when there is still work to be done towards the Rio Olympic Games next year.

When the 31-year-old won the women’s keirin final at the UCI Track World Championships in France a little over a week ago, she beat Felicia Ballanger’s record of 10 world championship gold medals.

With win number 11, Meares solidified her place in the record books, and the cycling world took notice. Meares received congratulatory tweets from figures such as Jens Voigt and Robbie McEwen, a flood of messages on her Facebook page and heavy mainstream media coverage.

The pathways to becoming a Euro pro.

While racing was in full swing these past few months in New Zealand, Australia and Qatar, all eyes were on Europe this weekend when the women’s road season “officially began” with Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday.

Although more UCI-sanctioned races are appearing around the globe, for men’s and women’s pro cycling alike, Europe is still considered the pinnacle of bike racing, and athletes from around the globe do whatever it takes to become “Euro pro”.

“In order to become the best cyclist — which is always the goal — you have to perform where all the best cycling is, and that really is in Europe,” said American cyclist Tayler Wiles.

Fellow American Megan Guarnier agrees.

Mark Cavendish 'proud' to beat Alexander Kristoff at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

Mark Cavendish drew first blood against in-form Alexander Kristoff  as the pair continued their Milan-San Remo preparations at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

Cavendish – who won the Belgian semi-Classic on his last appearance, with Team Sky in 2012 – outsprinted Kristoff and Elia Viviani  to notch up his sixth victory of the season.

Craddock custom frameset review.

Richard Craddock was born into a cycling family, so it was inevitable that he would throw his leg over a bike and start racing.

Less inevitable perhaps was his involvement in the industry, but that wasn’t what inspired him to start building his own carbon frames.

It was frustration instead, at not being able to find a mass-produced frameset that fitted him perfectly.

His first prototype generated enough interest for Richard to consider building a business around his new bike.

Are wider tires really faster?

n the past, narrow tires were the order of the day, but the modern peloton is bucking the trend and switching to wider hoops.

Tire companies are unanimous in their support for this increase in diameter, which they claim reduces rolling resistance and saves energy, as well as adding extra comfort.

No longer does thinner mean faster.

It’s not just the tire brands making the change. Bike manufacturers are also taking heed of the trend and fitting their machines with 25mm tires as standard — instead of the formerly ubiquitous 23mm size.

As a result, tire clearances are expanding. Frames that were once too narrow for anything other than skinny race tires now have room for fatter fitments.

Video: How The Race Was Won – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad 2015.

No chink of light for Armstrong in battle to lift lifetime ban.

Lance Armstrong’s lifetime ban from competitive sport is set to remain in place after the report into doping refused to recommend lifting it.

The Cycling Independent Reform Commission, established by the UCI president Brian Cookson, presented its report in Switzerland on Friday.

The American agreed to co-operate with the commission and had two meetings with its members.

Armstrong claims to have answered every question and, in a recent interview with the BBC, the former cyclist suggested he had been wholly honest in his dealings with the commission.

“At this point in my life I’m not out to protect anybody. I’m out to protect seven people and they all have the last name Armstrong.”