Volta a Catalunya: van Garderen wins queen stage.

Tejay van Garderen claimed his first individual European stage victory since 2009 atop La Molina on stage 4 of the Volta a Catalunya. The American soloed away from the elite group of favourites on the summit finish, holding off Team Sky's Richie Porte and Alberto Contador.

The Team Sky train steamrolled the breakaway at the base of the final climb, but as they drew close to catching Riccardo Zoidl and Tom Danielson, there was a hestiation between Tinkoff-Saxo and Sky, and Vasil Kiryienka kept hammering on, getting a gap on the field.

CCC Sprandi beats Sky in Coppi e Bartali team time trial.

CCC Sprandi created a major surprise when they beat big favorites Team Sky and MTN-Qhubeka in the 13.3km team time trial at the Settimana Internazional Coppi e Bartali.

In the special event where each squad was divided into two separate teams, Davide Rebellin, Tomasz Kiendys, Adrian Kurek and Jaroslaw Marycz beat the best Sky team by just a single second which allowed Rebellin to take the lead on the eve of the queen stage.

Pourseyedigolakhour wins Tour de Taiwan overall.

Thömel takes final stage.

Breakthrough win for Boudat in inaugural Classica Corsica.

Former omnium world champion Thomas Boudat proved that he has the potential to become a great road rider when he won the inaugural edition of the Classica Corsica.

After a strong trio had been brought back with 2km to go, it came down to a bunch sprint where the young Frenchman managed to beat Shane Archbold and Daniele Ratto into the minor podium positions.

Confusion over race lead at Tour de Normandie.

An unexpected judges’ decision at the Tour de Normandie saw Madison-Genesis rider Tom Scully ‘lose’ the overall race lead between signing on for stage two on Wednesday and reaching the start line.

As we reported yesterday, New Zealander Scully was awarded the yellow jersey of race leader after stage one of the French stage race.

Overnight leader and prologue winner Tom Bohli had lost time and – seemingly – relinquished the lead after being caught up in a crash with around three kilometres to go on stage one.

Next on the menu: E3 Harelbeke.

Act 2 of the Flandrian orgy.

E3 Harelbeke, the race named after a highway once upon a time and which has evolved into the Ronde van Vlaanderen dress rehersal of choice for just about everyone.

Ever so slightly we are cranking up the temperature from Wednesday's Dwars door Vlaanderen. By this time next week we'll be at near supernova temperatures.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Volta Ciclista a Catalunya - Mar 23-29 (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),

Tour de Taiwan - Mar 21-25 (Results),

Milan San Remo - Mar 22 (Results),

Nokere Koerse - Mar 18 (Results),

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

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

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

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2015 E3 Harelbeke LIVE.

Friday's E3 Harelbeke (E3 Prijs Vlaanderen - Harelbeke) departs Harelbeke at 12:00pm CET (7:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Harelbeke at around 5:14pm CET (12:14pm U.S. Eastern). 

E3 Harelbeke live streaming video should get underway at around 2:15pm CET (9:15am U.S. Eastern, 6:15 Pacific).

Trofeo Binda World Cup 2015.

Round two of the UCI Women’s World Cup, Trofeo Binda is the hilliest of the World Cup races but it takes more than climbing prowess to win. It’s as much about choosing the right attacks to follow because one thing is for sure, you can’t chase them all.

The Trofeo Binda dates back to the mid-70’s, making it one of the oldest races in women’s cycling and one of the most prestigious one day races on the calendar. It’s also a great place to spot future stars of the sport.
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Volta a Catalunya 2015 Live.

Thursday's Volta a Catalunya Stage 5 departs Alp at 11:15am CET (6:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Valls 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: 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.

Scott Mercier: The 'anti-Lance Armstrong' is still cycling's outsider.

Scott Mercier has genuine integrity and credibility when talking about doping, its consequences and how cyclists can choose the right path.

But Mercier says he has been met with a wall of silence since offering his service to the governing body of the sport in his home country.

He says he spoke to Bob Stapleton, the chairman of the board of USA Cycling, about a potential role last year. And since then? Nothing.

"We met at the USAPro Challenge last year in Aspen, Colorado, just after Bob had been named chairman," explains Mercier.

"We talked about the future of the sport and discussed whether there could be a role for me in the governance of USA Cycling.

"I expressed an interest and Bob said he thought I would be a good board member -- although a potentially controversial one.

"I didn't ask why and to be honest I still don't know. "Bob told me he had a board meeting the following week in Colorado Springs and that he would get back in touch after that.

"I haven't heard from him since. I have emailed him four times but no reply. It's all a little bit bizarre." 

Van Garderen, Porte and Contador react to top three finishes at Catalunya.

Each had hoped to end up top dog at the end of the stage, but only one of them was successful in pulling off the win. Tejay van Garderen played things just right on the climb of La Molina, the final ascent on the queen stage of the Volta a Catalunya, and soloed to victory ahead of Richie Porte (Sky), Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo) and the other GC contenders.

“I have very good memories of this race from last year,” van Garderen said, referring to what was his first WorldTour win on the queen stage of the 2014 race to Vallter 2000.

Veteran rider Bookwalter relishing new chances at BMC.

Brent Bookwalter is relishing fresh opportunities to race to win this season at BMC Racing.

The veteran American was long a loyal lieutenant to 2011 Tour de France champion Cadel Evans, but with the Australian retiring in January, Bookwalter is once again seeing chances to be at the sharp end of the action.

“I already have had my chances in the early part of the season. I’ve had freedom to make my own races. Little opportunities like that, when I am not the second man to do the work, it’s fun,”

Bookwalter told VeloNews in a recent interview. “I still enjoy working, especially when we have guys on fire, and I am happy to lay it on the line. It’s nice to be in the mix, reminding myself what it’s like to be racing for the win.”

Specialized recalls aerobar sold on Shiv aero bike.

Specialized is working with U.S. and Canadian authorities to recall about 8,300 aerobars that were sold individually and as part of some complete Shiv aero bike models. The bars were sold from 2011 until February this year.

The concern is that the extension clamp bolt that attaches the Aerobar extensions to the base bar may break or slip. Specialized is providing replacement hardware to remedy the situation.

Sergio Henao returns from broken knee at Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

Nine months after breaking his knee at the Tour de Suisse, Team Sky’s Sergio Henao is set to return to action at this week’s Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

On a recon of the Swiss race’s time trial last June when he was involved in a collision with a car, being diagnosed with a fractured patella at a nearby hospital.

The injury ended Henao’s already disrupted season – after the Tour of Oman last February, Team Sky withdrew their rider from competition after anomalies were found in an out of competition drugs test over the winter.

Geraint Thomas to lead Team Sky at E3 Harelbeke.

Geraint Thomas will lead team Sky into the cobbled Classics campaign that starts tomorrow in Belgium, with the E3 Harelbeke on March 27, and runs through to Paris-Roubaix on April 12.

Friday’s E3 race is considered mini-Tour of Flanders, which the Welshman is also targeting next Sunday.

“Geraint will be our leader for Friday,” Sports Director Servais Knaven told Cycling Weekly.

“He’s in really good shape, which he showed in Algarve, in Paris-Nice and in San Remo. This is a big hit for him here in the classics.”

Colombia’s Own Breaking Away.

You’ve seen Breaking Away a million times. Maybe you can even quote all of the best lines. But what about in Spanish? In any case, you might want to check out Lisandro Duque’s 1983 film, El Escarabajo.

The story follows one promising small-town cyclist and his two friends. The hour and a half film features real race footage and appearances by Patrocinio Jimenez, a member of the first-ever Colombian team to compete in the Tour de France.

Unfortunately there are no subtitles, but you’ve been meaning to brush up on your Spanish anyway, right? If not, the scenery and vintage racing footage is worth the silent-movie vibe.

Abu Dhabi Tour announces four-stage race route.

Organizers announced the route for the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour on Wednesday, which will include four stages, a total distance of 555 kilometers, and uphill finish on the third day.

The race, to be held October 8-11, is promoted by Abu Dhabi Sports Council and UAE Cycling Federation, in partnership with RCS Sport.

In its first running, the Abu Dhabi Tour will be a UCI category 2.1 event around the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the surrounding desert.

“When I heard about the Abu Dhabi Tour I was super excited,” said Mark Cavendish. “I know that Abu Dhabi is a place full of tradition, that also looks to the future, I think it’s a great place to have a bike race.

Can Happy Hour Hurt Performance?

Happy hour is a great way to wind down from a long week of work. But could your Friday brew be detrimental to your cycling performance over the weekend?

Runner's World columnist William O. Roberts, M.D., a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, says that one or two drinks a week at happy hour would have minimal negative (and possible positive) effects on your health.

This amount of alcohol probably doesn’t adversely affect your training. Alcohol can have a mild diuretic effect, but if you’re eating a normal diet with accompanying fluids you shouldn't be at risk for dehydration, he says.

Daily Distractions.

Ask a Mechanic: Straight pull vs. J-bend spokes.

Cookson on motors in bikes: “Our information is this is a very real possibility.”

Commenting after the Cycling Independent Reform Commission outlined a real danger that riders are, or could, be using motors in bikes, UCI president Brian Cookson has admitted that this could be the case.

The Briton has said that the UCI is taking the matter extremely seriously and warned any teams or riders tempted by the mode of cheating that the consequences could be ‘devastating’ for them.

Problems still brewing in team Tinkoff-Saxo.

Team Tinkoff-Saxo heads into the busiest time of the year with issues left unresolved. Team owner Oleg Tinkov benched founder and manager, Bjarne Riis and created a leadership vacuum ahead of the biggest one-day races.

Peter Sagan, the team’s new $4 million star, led the team in Milano-Sanremo on Sunday. Tomorrow, he will line up with dossard #1 to defend his 2014 E3 Harelbeke title. However, he is racing without the master tactician, Riis.

Riis sat home while Sagan raced to fourth place in Milano-Sanremo and had to leave Alberto Contador in Stephen De Jongh’s hands in Spain’s Volta a Catalunya stage race this week.

The problem appears to be a power struggle between him and the team’s owner and Russian businessman, Tinkov.

Greg Van Top-Ten.

A follow-up to yesterday’s piece about José Joaquín Rojas, the master of finishing fourth.

Some have asked about Greg Van Avermaet and his ability to place regularly. Is he the king of second place, the present-day peloton Pou-Pou?

Time to crunch the numbers.

The climbs of Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The Cobbled Classics have their secteurs pavé and their bergs. Paris-Roubaix has its gruelling cobbles and combative racing. However, the oldest classic of them all is set apart by the amount of climbing the riders must conquer if they are to have any hope of victory when they finally return to Liege.

Three-time Vuelta a Espana winner and former Hour Record holder Tony Rominger once added up all the changes in altitude in Liege and reckoned the total came to something like a solid Alpine stage of the Tour.

So, starting at the turn in Bastogne and counting down to the finish at Liège, here’s our climb-by-climb guide to the hills of the last Spring Classic, 261 kilometers long and barely a metre of flat on it.

Talk: Novo Nordisk’s Thomas Raeymaekers.

Thomas Raeymaekers was on his way to a promising career, in the best under 23 team in Belgium and then he finds out he has diabetes and was advised to hang up his wheels. From his hospital bed he saw the Tour of Turkey and knew he had a future in the peloton.

At this time of year we usually catch up with Martijn Verschoor of Team Novo Nordisk (and will when he has time for a coffee), but as the team were training in Spain recently we managed to have a word with one of the team’s young Belgian riders; Raeymaekers. Thomas has come through some hard times, but now he is were he should be due to inspiration from the team.

Cookson hails successful mixed-gender track cycling test event.

Brian Cookson has hailed a mixed men’s and women’s track cycling test event as “a huge success” as four under-23 teams competed in a team sprint at the World Cycling Centre in Switzerland.

The development of women’s cycling was one of Cookson’s manifesto aims before he was elected president, and cycling events that see men and women competing at the same time seems like an obvious way to completely break down the gender divide.

Teams of two women and two men from Great Britain, France, Italy and Spain gathered in Aigle for the race, with the Italians beating the French in the final by just 1/100 of a second.

15 Women's Cycling Groups We Love.

Since Susan B. Anthony famously said, "I think [bicycling] has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world," bikes have been a major part of the women’s movement in many ways.

The bike gives us freedom and independence. In communities across the world, it helps to cut down on gender-based violence by making women harder to target.

It helps lower obesity levels and leads us to healthier lifestyles. And it's wicked fun.

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.