Monday's Tour of the Basque Country Stage 1 departs Güeñes at 1:20pm CET (7:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Güeñes at around 5:14pm CET (11:14am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of the Basque Country live streaming video should get underway at around 3:40pm CET (9:40am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: George Hincapie (Team BMC) set the record for the most Tour of Flanders finishes on Sunday. The American came home in 52nd place, 3:26 down on winner Tom Boonen but the 38-year-old played his part in helping secure a podium spot for teammate Alessandro Ballan.

VeloNation: World time trial champion outsprints Kristen Armstrong in identical one-two to 2008 race.

Clara Hughes: Complete and utter sensory overload.  That’s today in a nutshell.  It was the day that marked my ‘welcome back to European racing’ here at the Tour of Flanders.

VeloNation: Belgian joins the greats with third Ronde van Vlaanderen victory; new course is not harder, just different.

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - April 2-7 (Stages & results),
Tour of Flanders - Women - April 1 (Results),
Tour of Flanders - Men - April 1 (Results),
Cape Epic - March 25-April 1 (Races & results),
Paris - Roubaix - April 8 (History),
De Panne-Koksijde - March 27-29 (Stages & results),
Volta a Catalunya - March 19-25 (Stages & results),
Critérium International - March 24-25 (Stages & results),
Tour de Normandie - March 19-25 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages ),
More...

VeloNation: Australian reflects on an unlucky day for the Argyle team, but admits that they “didn’t have the legs” on tough new Ronde course.

CyclingNews: The 36One-Songo-Specialized team of Burry Stander and Christoph Sauser walked away with top honors as overall winners of this year's Absa Cape Epic, following up on their victory of last year. With a 25-minute and 57-second lead time at the start of the final stage this morning, Stander and Sauser finished the eight day, 781km race with an overall winning time of 31:46:51.

EuroSport: Roberto Ferrari of Italy clinched victory in the second edition of the Fleche d'Emeraude on Sunday, the fifth round of the Coupe de France.

VeloNation: World number one sick with flu; more onus on other teams to make the race.

road.cc: Sprained wrist and bruised buttocks for Aussie world champion.

BikeRadar: The UK has been in uproar this week over the Government's 20 percent hike in the so-called pasty tax. As cyclists you may not think it'll effect you, but in light of new research it seems it might have a bigger impact than you think.

Pedal: The opening round of the 2012 UCI BMX Supercross World Cup series in Chula Vista, CA. saw the best elite BMX riders in the world battle it in the birthplace of BMX during this Olympic season.

Modular concept gives this bike infinite expandability from a single rider bike. After removing the front wheel, the downtube of each module folds down to connect to another bike in front at the rear hub to create an instant tandem, as shown in this illustration. Multiple bikes can be added.

PodiumCafe: "It was a big shock, mostly. It was pretty frightening. But mostly I'm glad to be alive", so Sporza quotes him.

EuroSport: Tom Boonen claimed his third Ronde van Vlaanderen victory to continue a wonderful recent spell for the Belgian hero.

CyclingNews: Fabian Cancellara has crashed out of the 2012 Tour of Flanders, hitting the pavement at the feed zone. Much of the RadioShack-Nissan team waited on its captain, who lay a long time on the road, before taking off.  Cancellara was moving and did not appear to have lost consciousness.

VeloNation: New procedure to be carried out in Switzerland after Flanders crash.

BikeRadar: Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) conquered his demons for a third win at the Tour of Flanders and a huge boost in his confidence heading into next weekend's Paris-Roubaix.

Cyclismas: Old habits die hard for Omega-Pharma-Quickstep superstar Tom Boonen, who totaled team owner Zdenek Bakala’s Ferrari Enzo during a joyride following a post-Flanders victory party, according to Belgian authorities. Flemish police reported that Boonen and an unnamed female occupant were unharmed in the incident.

VeloNews has learned that Lance Armstrong will make a return to the pro peloton later this season in a bid to sharpen his form ahead of the Ironman world championships in October.

RedKitePrayer: Details about impending equipment restrictions from the UCI have leaked out in recent weeks. Bicycle racing’s world governing body is ruling over sock length, safety tabs on forks, and more. The sharp, if mysterious, voice over at the Inner Ring posted all the details.

VeloNews: After years of development, Mavic is introducing a revolutionary mountain bike wheel system. With one technological breakthrough, Mavic’s “Select-a-Size” fitment system, riders can buy just one wheelset that can be adapted to fit all the mountain bikes they might own, whether they use 26-inch, 650b, or 29er wheels.

Pedal has learned that the Canadian Cycling Association (CCA) and US Cycling will soon unveil new cycling passports in an effort to streamline border crossings for riders and teams.

VeloNews: Citing safety concerns in the peloton, the UCI announced early Sunday that, effective April 1, race caravan vehicles in UCI races will no longer be allowed to be equipped with disc brakes. This includes all team, press, medical and race committee cars, press, police and neutral support motorcycles, and publicity caravan vehicles.

In a move that has shocked the cyclocross and cycling world, Niels Albert, the newest world champion of cyclocross, has announced his intention to switch from cyclocross to a career in Ironman triathlon.

BikeRumor: When using the CO2 system, you screw the CO2 cartridge into the brass fitting until it’s tight. The cartridge is punctured and activated at this point. To inflate your tire you attach the pump to your presta valve and loosen the cartridge a quarter-turn. To stop simply tighten the cartridge again, this makes the Second Wind Road Mini a controllable CO2/pump inflation system, brilliant! Purchase the Innovations Second Wind Road Carbon Here

 

SBS: "I would like to settle down with him for the rest of my life and it was like they (the rest of the team) expected me to pass that up."

InnerRing: The first 210km of the race were dominated by a series of crashes, accidents and bizarre incidents. Riders fell, most notably Fabian Cancellara. It was not until the final 40km that the race came alive.

CyclingNews: The most dramatic crash of the Tour of Flanders saw Sebastian Langeveld hit an onlooker when both ventured onto the bike path next to the road. The GreenEdge rider, who was going at full speed at the time, suffered a horrible looking fall.

Team Sky came away from the Tour of Flanders empty handed, despite strong performances from both Edvald Boasson Hagen and Juan Antonio Flecha. The Sky captains were in contention until a combination of bad luck and tired legs ended their chances of top 10 results, with Boasson Hagen taking 18th and Flecha finishing one place further back.

CyclingNews: The veteran American could set a record for the number of Flanders finishes if he crosses the line today. Currently tied on 16, one more Ronde would see him set yet another record in his illustrious career.

CyclingNews: A Belgian court has ordered the UCI to pay Iljo Keisse 100,000 euros for unjustly prohibiting him from racing. It is only the latest step in a long and complicated legal case for Keisse, now with Omega Pharma-Quick Step.

Jason Sager: Slowly and with the enthusiasm of a lumbersome conveyor belt, we masticated our meal. Flip flop shodden feet, covered in mud, we sought refuge underneath the black table cloth as we stared into the distance of the white RV walls. Coffee steamed, untouched.

VeloNews: For two overcast, breezy days in Kortrijk, Belgium, a fleet of journalists took to the roads aboard Trek’s new Domane endurance bike. While the cobbled climbs in the area (used in many Flemish races) are known for their harshness, even the paved roads are often brutal concrete blocks with large seams in them. Despite a fairly mild winter, the number of Belgian potholes was impressive.

Today's Quote

“There’s no engine, there’s just something to give you a bit more comfort.” - Fabian Cancellara CyclingNews

IrishPeloton: This week in cycling history in 1944, Rik van Steenbergen won the Tour of Flanders at the age of 19.

Some fenders are popular because they are easy to install and remove. It took me a while to realize that my fenders were such a nuisance exactly because they were easy to install and remove, rather than being an integral part of the bike.

CXMagazine: US Champion Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) has announced plans to set aside his off-season for the recording of his debut folk album, ‘Powers of Deduction.’

Brand New 2012 Wilier Cento 1, Size XL 57 top tube.  Frame fork headset integrated seatpost: $2300.
Bike as pictured with Campy Chorus 11 speed front and rear deraileurs, Revel Hove carbon brakes, FSA carbon bars (44), Fizik Kurve saddle, and 2012 Reynolds 46 carbon clinchers: $4900
Bike as pictured WITHOUT Reynolds wheels:  $3500. Purchase this bike via email Here