Volta a Catalunya: Pozzovivo wins stage 3 in Girona.

Domenico Pozzovivo won the third stage of the Volta a Catalunya on Wednesday after attacking a select seven-rider group of GC contenders in the closing two kilometers.

Europcar’s Pierre Rolland took the overall lead.

Pozzovivo soloed across the finish in Girona just ahead of Rigoberto Uran, Dan Martin, Alberto Contador, Fabio Aru, Richie Porte and Andrew Talansky. The first chase group finished 22 seconds later.

Iranians dominate stage 4 in Tour de Taiwan.

Pourseyedigolakhour moves into race lead.

Tom Scully of British-based team Madison-Genesis has taken the overall lead in the Tour de Normandie in France after stage one on Tuesday.

New Zealander Scully finished 44th on the opening road stage in the lead group, which was crucially 13 seconds ahead of a second group containing prologue winner and overnight race leader Tom Bohli.

Thanks to Scully’s second position in the prologue on onday, he inherited the yellow leader’s jersey from Swiss rider Bohli.

Women’s Gent Wevelgem 2015.

Gent Wevelgem, a race steeped in history but when it comes to women’s cycling the race is the young upstart on the UCI women’s calendar this Sunday.

Over in Cittiglio, Italy riders are contesting one of the oldest races in women’s cycling, Trofeo Alfredo Binda World Cup, which is now entering it’s fourth decade. The two races have clashed on the calendar ever since Gent Wevelgem organisers introduced a women’s race to their programme in 2012.

But the two are learning to coexist and their parcours are suited to very different riders with Gent Wevelgem, like it’s male equivalent being a target for the sprinters.

Preview: Gent-Wevelgem.

The cobble season is upon us, this is the time of year to be in Belgium or better; Flanders.

On Sunday Gent-Wevelgem heads out of Deinze for a ride to the coast and back via France, followed by a succession of gruesome cobbled climbs before the finish.

Bad weather and hard riders make for a real Classic.

Q&A: Pinot building form into Criterium International.

After the 2014 Tour de France, it was clear that Frenchman Thibaut Pinot had arrived. He left the grand tour with the white jersey awarded to the best young rider, and he finished third overall, behind fellow countryman Jean-Christophe Péraud and winner Vincenzo Nibali.

Now, he looks ahead to the Critérium International, which comprises two stages on Saturday — a flat 92.5km race and a 7km individual time trial — and a hilly 189.5km Sunday stage with a summit finish.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya - Mar 23-29 (Stages & Results),

Tour de Taiwan - Mar 21-25 (Stages & Results),

E3 Harelbeke - Mar 27 (Start List),

Gent - Wevelgem - Mar 29 (Start List),

Gent - Wevelgem Women - Mar 29 (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),

Milan San Remo - Mar 22 (Results),

Nokere Koerse - Mar 18 (Results),

Tirreno-Adriatico - Mar 11-17 (Results),

Paris Nice - Mar 8-15 (Results),

Le Tour de Langkawi - Mar 8-15 (Results),

Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen - Mar 6-8 (Results),

Strade Bianche - Mar 7 (Results),

Strade Bianche Women - Mar 7 (Results),

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

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

More ...

Volta a Catalunya 2015 Live.

Thursday's Volta a Catalunya Stage 4 departs Tona at 11:15am CET (6:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at La Molina (Alp) at around 4:57pm CET (11:57am U.S. Eastern).

Volta a Catalunya live streaming video is scheduled to get underway by around 3:30pm CET (10:30am U.S. Eastern, 7:30am Pacific).

Volta a Catalunya: Valverde wins in Olot.

Movistar went one-two in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya stage 2 bunch sprint with Alejandro Valverde taking the victory ahead of his teammate Jose Rojas on the streets of Olot. IAM Cycling’s Martin Elmiger secured third place on the day.

Stage 2 brought the peloton a 191.8 kilometers from Mataro to Olot, held under rainy and overcast conditions. A breakaway of four, that included Sam Bewley, Luis Mas Bonet, Tom Stamsnijder and Tsgabu Grmay, held a 2:55-minute lead with 55km to go.

Philadelphia Cycling Classic announces women’s teams for World Cup.

Organizers of the Philadelphia Cycling Classic, G4 Productions, have announced the 17 teams invited to participate in the women’s World Cup on June 7 in Pennsylvania. Two-time defending champion Evelyn Stevens is expected to return with her new Boels-Dolmans team.

Former world champion Giorgia Bronzini and her Wiggle-Honda team are also expected to be on the start line.

It is the first World Cup for women in the US in 14 years, since the 2001 edition of the Liberty Classic. G4 Productions' Robin Morton said in an earlier interview that the the first invitations would go to the top 20 UCI ranked teams from the provisional list at the end of the 2014 season.

Stage 3: Wippert takes a second stage win in Taiwan.

Bevin continues overall race lead.

Wallays wins Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise took one-two at the Dwars door Vlaanderen with Jelle Wallays taking the victory ahead of his teammate Edward Theuns.

Wallays attacked his four breakaway companions with one kilometer to go and held them off for the win.

Thuens took the sprint for second place ahead of Dylan Van Baarle in third and world champion Michal Kwiatkowski in fourth.

Amy Pieters wins women’s Dwars door Vlaanderen.

Not to be outdone by Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise, team Liv-Plantur also went one-two at Dwars door Vlaanderen on Wednesday, with Amy Pieters taking the win ahead of teammate Floortje Mackaij.

For Pieters, it was her second straight win at the women’s midweek Belgian semi-classic, also known as the Grote Prijs van Waregem.

“We tried to make it an aggressive race so we kept pushing for the small breakaways,” Pieters said on the team website. “In the end it was very small, with just Floortje and I.

Even after a good training yesterday I still felt good today, and it was a nice team performance.”

Trek Factory Racing ambitious to expand budget with new sponsors.

There was plenty of reason to smile inside the Trek Factory Racing team bus at the end of Tirreno-Adriatico. Fabian Cancellara had just taken an emphatic victory in the closing-day time trial to confirm his form ahead of the spring classics, while Bauke Mollema rode to second overall against an elite field to assure everyone that his GC credentials are legitimate.

Tirreno-Adriatico also served as an important milestone for the U.S.-registered team. After a few tumultuous seasons that saw remnants of the team morph from the birth of the Leopard-Trek team in 2011, and merge with RadioShack in 2012, the squad was reborn in 2014, racing under the banner of Trek Factory Racing.

The weeklong Italian race reminded everyone the team has reached new stability and maturity.

Cavendish says Olympic ambitions would harm career.

Briton Mark Cavendish has ruled out trying to add an Olympic medal to his long list of honours, saying it would be "detrimental" to his career.

Winner of 25 Tour de France stages and the world road title in 2011, the Isle of Man rider has begun the road season in fine style, winning the Tour of Dubai for his Etixx-Quick Step team.

His focus is now on this year's Tour de France and trying to move past French great Bernard Hinault into second place on the all-time list of stage victories.

The Olympics, he says, is a nice idea but not on his list of priorities, especially as the hilly road course in Rio de Janeiro would not suit him and a switch to one of the track disciplines would not be practical.

Eight reasons why we started cycling, and why we should never forget them.

It’s all too easy to forget what it was that inspired you to take up cycling regularly. When you are pedalling hard into a headwind, tired, freezing cold and with the rain running down the back of your neck you could be forgiven for wondering what you are doing this for.

Cycling can very easily become addictive, putting you in a position where you feel you ‘have’ to go out no matter the weather, or how you feel.

Sadly, for some, this means cycling becomes a chore, but one that still leaves them feeling very agitated if they don’t get their biking fix.

Riding comfort: What to consider when choosing a saddle.

"The first thing that went into my small suitcase when packing for ten days of riding in the French Alps and Pyrenees was my saddle.

Sure the bike I was hiring would come with a decent quality saddle, and if I left my own behind, I might have even be able to squeeze in a change of shoes and avoid flying into the fashion capital of the world looking like a style disaster.

But it was an easy choice. There was no way I was going to risk spending ten long days on the bike wincing every time I sat down."

Bianchi Vigorelli.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "This steel bike offers both style and substance - it won't win races, but it's fun to ride and looks great."

Bianchi is 130 years old this year, and is celebrating that with a collection of five steel-framed machines. The Vigorelli takes its name from Milan’s historic velodrome – home of the hour record from 1935 to 1967 and host to a Led Zepellin concert-turned-riot in 1971.

Bell Star Pro Helmet.

Of the many investments you can make in aero equipment, there’s little that can beat the aero helmet in terms of dollar to speed.

Truly, only shaving your legs offers as great a gain for less money. There’s been one significant difference between leg shaving and aero helmets, though.

Unlike shaving your legs, aero wheels, pro-fit kit or aero frames, the aero helmet has carried a geek factor—even among dedicated riders.

So while leg shaving was as accepted a practice as using clipless pedals, the aero helmet was tin-foil-hat crazy.

Andreu celebrates victory despite life being ‘destroyed’.

Daily Distractions.

Steve Tilford: Allergy Question.

Tinkov and Riis: The Anatomy of a Power Struggle.

The news of Bjarne Riis’s suspension from his team manager’s role at Tinkoff-Saxo has prompted vocal criticism of Oleg Tinkov. But why has Tinkov really acted now?

When Oleg Tinkov said three years ago that he and Bjarne Riis would gel because the Dane was exactly like his Estonian wife, it was difficult not to snigger.

Tinkov’s bulging eyes, though, confirmed that his point was meant in earnest. He went on to explain: “Sometimes these things work. My wife is the same. You can never say. Sometimes plusses and minuses work very well together. They can produce a lot of energy.

 My wife is very like Bjarne in some ways. She’s Estonian, she’s very quiet, and, as you said, I’m very flamboyant and energetic. But we’ve been happily married for 25 years. So, no, I don’t see it as a problem.”

Señor Cuarto.

José Joaquín Rojas celebrates but it’s Movistar’s jefe Alejandro Valverde who wins the stage in the Volta a Catalunya, collecting the helpful 10 second time bonus.

Valverde is no stranger to winning, in his early years he was called El Imbatido, the unbeaten one. Rojas by contrast is admired and even mocked for finishing fourth so often.

Is it true he’s the king of fourth place, the chocolate medallist specialist?

Chad Haga Journal: A good day at the office.

"When I was asked if I wanted to race Milano-Sanremo, I admit that I was woefully ignorant of the race’s history. I did not grow up dreaming of attacking on the Poggio, and “Via Roma” would elicit nothing more than a blank stare.

I only knew that Milano-Sanremo is a monument. And very long. But I also knew that John [Degenkolb] could win and that we work well together, and I was not going to pass up that chance.

After Tirreno-Adriatico, I got to spend a few days riding around Sanremo on the bike path. It was there that I found the race museum-tunnel, featuring two kilometers (each way) of education. I emerged full of respect for the race and a bit intimidated by it, too.

I then took to the internet to watch previous editions and do some reading, and I became enthralled with the race. For a race to so equally favor such a variety of riders is rare already, but add in the exceptional distance, and you have some really unpredictable racing. The more I learned about the race, the more excited I became."

Martin promises to keep chasing race lead after taking third on stage three of Volta a Catalunya.

Third on Wednesday’s stage three of the Volta a Catalunya, Dan Martin has said that trying to pay tribute to the victims of Tuesday’s plane crash was a big motivation for the team and that he and the other Cannondale-Garmin riders would aim high on Thursday’s toughest stage.

Martin finished third behind solo winner Domenico Pozzovivo, who jumped clear towards the end to nab the victory. Rigoberto Uran led in the chase group three seconds back, with Martin outsprinting Alberto Contador for third and the time bonus.

Philadelphia International Cycling Classic announces women’s teams.

Seventeen teams from around the world are confirmed to race the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic World Cup on June 7.

The race will consist of a 12.3-mile circuit through the city of Philadelphia and features one of the most historic climbs in American racing, the Manayunk Wall.

“This is an exciting year for Philadelphia, with the upgrade to a UCI road World Cup,” said race director Robin Morton. “We’re fortunate to have this level of women’s professional racing in the U.S. again.”

Sleep like an Olympian.

Twenty-twelve was a bad year for American competitive cycling. It’s the year that Lance Armstrong received his lifetime ban and was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. And in the midst of the controversy, his former teammates withdrew from the summer Olympics, placing the hopes for an Olympic cycling medal on the women.

And the women delivered: Kristin Armstrong secured the gold in the individual time trial, Georgia Gold had a career-best ride en route to a bronze medal in cross-country mountain biking and Sarah Hammer earned a silver medal in the women’s omnium.

Stravas new photo sharing function, improved leaderboards and 'My Recent Efforts'.

Route mapping and tracking app Strava has launched a new photo sharing functionality, Strava Photos, alongside introducing improved leaderboards and a new My Recent Efforts feature.

All the new features are available in the newly updated Strava mobile app, version 4.4, available on iOS and Android from the App Store and Google Play Store now.

Wednesday Legs: He climbs well for his weight.

Are micro-dosing riders poking holes in biological passport?

Anti-doping expert Robin Parisotto has stated that although clean athletes can now win Grand Tours, the net needs to tighten around the more sophisticated cheats. The detection of patterns that suggest micro-dosing EPO and blood transfusions in some blood profiles continues to cause a major concern within anti-doping circles.

Parisotto also raised questions over how the UCI previously governed the sport, and has concerns that athletes’ biological passport (APB) data may have been shielded under the governing body’s previous leadership.

He finds it surprising that the riders first sanctioned under the passport system in 2009 included no top names. Pointing to the favoritism by the UCI toward Lance Armstrong and Astana, as evidenced in the CIRC report, he makes the uncomfortable suggestion that the anti-doping experts previously weren't getting full access to the UCI's results.

Lance Armstrong may have left attempt to reduce ban too late, says WADA chief.