Anton Vorobyev wins Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen prologue ...

Vorobyev wins prologue in Middelkerke.

Katusha rider takes early leader's jersey in Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen.

Preview: Strade Bianche promises to be a strongman’s race.

Strade Bianche, slotted into the 2015 calendar on Saturday, may be newer than most races, but it has all the charm of a proper one-day classic with its white gravel roads rolling over the Tuscan countryside to the finish in Siena’s Piazza del Campo.

“This is one of my favorite races and I’ve already won it twice,” Fabian Cancellara said in a press release. “This race, thanks to its course and its scenery, is certainly unique in the international race calendar.”

The Swiss classics specialist won in 2008 and 2012. The race’s roll of honor includes other big names, too. The Piazza del Campo, famous for its horse race, celebrated Philippe Gilbert, Moreno Moser, and last year, before going on to win the 2014 road worlds title, Michal Kwiatkowski.

Cromwell hunting Strade Bianche victory.

Tiffany Cromwell is chasing the biggest win of her career this weekend.

The Australian is contesting Strade Bianche  on Saturday, the new women's Italian one-day race in southern Tuscany.

The race only started in 2007 and it has quickly grown in popularity, with a women's race added for the first time.

Cromwell, who races for VelocioSRAM, is one of the race favorites and showed she is on track with a fifth placing on the weekend at Het Nieuwsblad in Belgium.

The UCI 2.2 race is scheduled to begin on April 29, and organizers have given themselves one week to find the sponsorship dollars that would allow the race to continue this year.

The 29-year-old event has received UCI status for its women's event for the first time this year, while the men's race has been a UCI event since 2012.

Organizers announced a “call to action” this week to help find a title sponsor that would allow the event to continue.

2014-15 Races & Results.

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

Strade Bianche - Mar 7 (Start List),

Strade Bianche Women - Mar 7 (Race),

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),

Le Samyn - Mar 4 (Results),

Le Samyn des Dames - Mar 4 (Results),

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

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite - Feb 28 (Results),

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

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

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2015 Strade Bianche LIVE.

2015 Strade Bianche LIVE Saturday, March 7.

Race starts at 10:30am CET (4:30am U.S. Eastern)

Finish at around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern)

Live video from 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern, 5:00am Pacific).

2015 Paris-Nice LIVE.

Sunday's Paris-Nice Prologue, a 6.7km Individual Time Trial at Maurepas, gets underway at 1:35pm CET (8:35am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.

Paris-Nice live streaming video should get underway at around 2:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern, 6:00am Pacific).

Chris Froome confirms he testified to CIRC.

Alex Howes: I'm not a neo-pro anymore.

McQuaid divulges 2017 Worlds contract with Makarov.

Pat McQuaid has told Cyclingnews that he met with the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) on three separate occasions in 2014 and that he has nothing to hide regarding allegations of covered-up doping tests and misconduct at the UCI while he was president from 2005 to 2013.

However, the Irishman has revealed that he signed a personal contract with Igor Makarov – the head of the Russian Cycling Federation – in 2012, while still at the head of the UCI.

The contract was in relation to a potential World Championships bid from Makarov’s home country of Turkmenistan, and McQuaid, who claims he was considering not standing in the UCI presidential election of 2013, admits that he signed a contract before realizing that it was a potential conflict of interest.

McQuaid had previously, before becoming UCI President, acted as a consultant for the 2004 Worlds in Verona, Italy.

Who Will Win Paris-Nice?

Tirreno-Adriatico’s got the star factor with the “fantastic four” of Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Vincenzo Nibali and Nairo Quintana leading the charge in Italy.

The focus on four is obvious but the field is deeper with Joaquim Rodriguez, Rigoberto Uran and Thibaut Pinot who have all have stood on the podium of a grand tour.

All this makes Paris-Nice look secondary, two races equal in UCI label alone.

Yet everyone wins as we get to see a rare clash in Italy before riders reconvene for the Tour de France while Paris-Nice offers a sweep of riders the chance to finally win the major stage race they need.

If Froome or Contador rode to Nice the result could be just another line on an already long palmarès but for the likes of Tejay van Garderen, Andrew Talansky and Wilco Kelderman the yellow jersey in Nice is an important conquest.

Nys confirms 2016 date for retirement.

Two-time cyclo-cross world champion Sven Nys has announced that he will do exactly one more year as a professional rider before he hangs up his bike and retiring from the sport.

The Belgian had previously stated that he would end his career next season but has confirmed the date as March 5, 2016.

Now 38, Nys turned professional in 1998 with Rabobank and has since ridden for Landbouwkredit and Crelan-AA Drink – for who he currently races.

Stannard: ‘I’d Love To Win Roubaix’.

Britain’s Ian Stannard, the two-time winner of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, is the toughest pro cyclist racing right now.

He showed that last week when he didn’t just win Belgium’s classics season opener after an injury-hit 2014 but also impressed the cycling world with fearsome power and tactical cunning.

Stannard laid waste no fewer than three strong men from the same team — the Etixx-QuickStep trio of Tom Boonen, Niki Terpstra, and Stijn Vandenbergh.

It was one of the most thrilling finishes we’ve seen

Hesjedal resumes march to Giro at Strade Bianche.

It’s been more than a month since Ryder Hesjedal kicked off his season at the Santos Tour Down Under (TDU) while admittedly riding for Cannondale-Garmin teammate Nathan Haas.

However, the young Australian Haas lacked the form that propelled him to fifth place last year and dropped out of contention after suffering a nasty spill in a crash-marred bunch sprint on stage 4.

For Hesjedal, the TDU was merely a tune-up to test the legs and find some early-season form.

The last time the Victoria, British Columbia native rolled up to the start line in Adelaide at the TDU was in 2012, the same year the then 31-year-old went on to win the 95th edition of the Giro d’Italia to become Canada’s first — and only — grand tour winner just two years after finishing fifth at the 2010 Tour de France.

Ford showcases e-bikes at MWC.

Ford has launched a range of e-bikes, capable of monitoring your heart rate and directing through through a series of vibrations in the handlebars.

The motoring company showcased the electric bicycles at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona this week as part of its Smart Mobility plan, designed to innovate transport through technology.

Vinokourov to leave Astana?

Daily Distractions.

Steve Tilford: Chris Froome Testifies to CIRC about What???

UCI to publish CIRC report on Monday.

UCI President Brian Cookson announced the creation of CIRC soon after being elected in September 2013. The UCI has covered the estimated €3 million costs.

“This Commission will investigate the problems cycling has faced in recent years, especially the allegations that the UCI has been in involved in any wrong doing in the past –allegations which have done so much to hurt the credibility of the UCI and our sport” Cookson said when CIRC was announced.

“Their work will also be focused on understanding what went so wrong in our sport and they will make recommendations for change so that, as far as possible, those mistakes are not repeated.”

Adam Yates to lead Orica-GreenEDGE against stellar Tirreno line-up.

Adam and Simon Yates face a crucial fortnight in their fledgling pro careers after team Orica-GreenEDGE admitted it will use Tirreno-Adriatico and Paris-Nice to gauge their progress as major race winners of the future.

Adam Yates will aim for a top ten overall among the grand tour stars in Tirreno-Adriatico, while twin brother Simon starts in Paris with similar aims. Both are preparing to race the Tour de France in July.

Gunn-Rita: An exciting start to the season.

"The cycling season of 2015 is about to start.

Where did the cold and dark winter months go? I’m starting my season in Cyprus once again, just like last year. Starting in this way last year was very advantageous. I’m excited and a little nervous, but most of all I’m full of anticipation at starting racing again.

These last weeks back home after training camp on the Canary Islands in January have been action-packed and interesting. I had just a few days at home in Sandnes (Norway) after my stay in the sun.

The weather was cold and horrid, as is usually the case at this time of year, but good clothing makes all the difference in those conditions."

David Millar to represent riders in Extreme Weather Protocol talks.

David Millar has confirmed that he will represent the Cyclistes Professionnels Associes (CPA) as it works with the UCI to establish an Extreme Weather Protocol to protect riders and avoid making them compete in dangerous weather conditions.

Millar retired at the end of 2014 after racing for 17 years with Cofidis, Saunier Duval and Garmin.

He revealed he has yet to ride a bike since his last race but has began to coach former teammate Ryder Hesjedal.

He is also writing a second autobiography. His first called ‘Racing through Dark’ mostly covered his decision to dope and the huge consequences on his life and career.

The new book will be called ‘Racer’ and “will remember the good bits, the fun bits,” he said.

Zipp unveils thru-axle 202 and 303 wheels.

Zipp has officially pulled back the veil on its thru-axle hubs that have been out in the wild since September. The new disc wheels offer better compatibility, a slightly lower weight, and a dramatically lower price.

The three new wheelsets use the same rim shape from the current Zipp Firecrest line, along with an updated hub. The new wheelsets are the same ones Zipp has offered in quick-release disc versions for some time now; the 303 Firecrest tubular and both the 303 and 202 Firecrest carbon clinchers.

The new hub, the 6-bolt Zipp 77-177D, comes out of the box with quick-release end caps attached that can be swapped out for 15mm and 12mm thru-axle front and rear end caps.

Steve Tilford: Bored with the Sport?