road.cc: A climby but sprinty stage… possibly not one for the pure sprinters though reckons Geraint Thomas.

CyclingNews: Whatever happens in the second and third weeks of the Giro d’Italia, Taylor Phinney will remain one of the main stars of the corsa rosa. The winner of the opening time trial has been thrust into the limelight. He’s been such a great talker on Italian TV with the local language he speaks very well – and also the dialect of Veneto where he lived as a teenager – that the tifosi look for him at starts and finishes as much as they do for the Italian stars.

VeloNation: Katusha rider makes intentions clear in advance of tomorrow’s lumpy stage.

road.cc: Points jersey leader and world champion both miss out on sprint as they come down on final corner.

CyclingWeekly:  "As I am sure you can guess, the Giro d'Italia is going rather nicely for Garmin-Barracuda so far. Unfortunately my colleagues at the Giro cannot just bask in the glory."

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages),
Tour de Picardie - May 11-13 (Stages & results),
Tour of Chongming Island - May 9-11 (Stages & results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingNews: For the second day in a row, the Giro d’Italia has a Canadian in the lead. That had never happened in the previous 102-year history of the corsa rosa. Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) has given the Italian grand tour an international impact.

VeloNation: Canadian welcomes likelihood of easier day today.

SBS: South African Robbie Hunter is set to take over as Garmin-Barracuda’s lead sprinter at the Giro d’Italia with teammate Tyler Farrar now out of the race.

Reto Hollenstein: "On Wednesday we set out for the Giro d'Italia. On the day we arrived there wasn't really a Giro feeling – everyone was really relaxed and laid back. But on Thursday we did a casual training session and saw the pink signs and posters everywhere – that's when things really got started!"

CyclingNews: Argos-Shimano sprinter prevails on final stage to seal victory.

Monday's Stage 9 start time: 13:20 CET (4:20 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 14:35 CET (5:35 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:17 CET (8:17 AM PDT);

BikeRadar: Although the expense of carbon molds have made custom geometry cost-prohibitive for some companies, Cannondale have created a “54x58” mold for former Liquigas rider Daniele Bennati. Now used by Sagan, the frame size features a 54 cm seat tube with a relatively long 58cm top tube.

Monday's Tour of California Stage 2 departs San Francisco at 11:05am PDT (8:05pm CET) and is expected at the finish at Santa Cruz County at around 4:04pm PDT (01:04am CET).  Tour of California live streaming video should get underway at around 2:00pm PDT (11:00pm CET).

TwistedSpoke: "We caught up with BMC Racing’s Tejay Van Garderen moments before the start of stage two in the Tour of California."

VeloNews: Prior to the race’s start, defending champion Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan) told NBC Sports Network that he wasn’t convinced that Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), who broke his leg on April 1, was incapable of mounting a GC battle, saying, “We all know Levi’s been playing a bit of possum. You don’t show up looking that lean and fit by laying around on the couch.”

VeloNation: Matthews’ fall foils Rabobank game plan.

In an odd way races seem to have their symbolic riders, don't they? Ronde van Vlaanderen... Briek Schotte. Paris-Roubaix... Jean Stablinski. Not sure who you could pick for any of the grand tours (TdF... Hinault?), but it's pretty easy to figure out who the face of the Amgen Tour of California is. He's the most decorated winner. Local guy. Headliner at press conferences, even when he might not be riding. Hell, this year, they even included a chunk of Levi's Gran Fondo in stage 1. In these still somewhat formative years of the ATOC, there is no separating out Levi Leipheimer from the festivities.

CyclingNews: It's been a hard year for Ben Jacques-Maynes of Bissell, but one year on from a crash at the Amgen Tour of California that left him with a simple broken collarbone that turned into a month ordeal, he was back in the race and on the attack, claiming the most aggressive rider's jersey at the end of the opening stage in Santa Rosa.

Cyclismas: After an mildly uneventful first day of the Amgen Tour of California which saw Liquigas-Cannondale rider Peter Sagan backstroke to his stage one victory, the race organizer was forced to act quickly to prevent the arrest of the entire peloton.

Cyclelicious: The proposed plan: Shoot photos at Bonny Doon at 2 PM, then race by bike to the finish line and hope to beat the pros there for another set of photos at about 4 PM. Who thinks I can make it?

BikeRadar: Whether you're in the comfort of a workshop or exposed out on the trails, having the right skills and tools to fix and maintain your bike are an essential part of any mountain biker's armory.

road.cc: In an attempt on the prestigious record for the world's longest saddle name, the leathermeisters at Brooks have introduced a special edition of the classic B17, called (deep breath) Brooks B17 Select World Traveller 2012 Limited Edition Saddle. Phew.

Off The Beaten Path: At Compass Bicycles, we tend to be a bit obsessive when it comes to our bicycles. “Good enough” usually is not good enough when we’re out on our bikes, and we apply the same exacting thoroughness to the components we sell. Take the Honjo fenders as an example.

Jonathan Vaughters: "On Stage 1 of the Tour of California the gap got out to 11 minutes at one point, and it got kind of interesting. The big thing is that for a while there were only two or three people working to bring the break back—we had one rider, Liquigas had one, and RadioShack-Nissan had one."

Saddle Americana:  My original ride across the United States in 2006 furnished me with most of my fondest memories and experiences so it’s truly hard to pick just one to relate here. Instead I think I’ll highlight some of my favorite experiences with a list for potential trans-continental cyclists, in the form of some advice as to what to expect (and what not to).

VeloNews: BMC Racing’s Tejay van Garderen used Friday’s pre-race press conference at the Amgen Tour of California to address a serious topic — and to ask for help.

CompetitiveCyclist: In the shadow of Mother's Day, it's proper to acknowledge that, indeed, it's the woman who pays. It's the mothers and wives who tolerate our absence from home, nevertheless sow the seeds of joy, and then welcome us back as if we haven't just spent the morning doing very bad things. The risk is all theirs because they're the ones who'll be left putting the pieces back together if, some day, our rage causes things to go tragic.

InnerRing: You might have heard of Piaggio, the Italian scooter manufacturer and its “Vespa” model. Two wheeled transport is very popular in Italy, especially with smaller 50 and 125cc engines. The countryside is often hilly, towns and villages are never far away, and frequent good weather all combine to make this mode of transport very practical and suitable.

InnerRing: The victory salute is universal. The rider crosses the line and lifts their arms in triumph. But what lies behind this movement, is it something we do in imitation of others or is it a primal form of expression? Why punch the air or wave your hands?

road.cc: Longer video with soundtrack shows incident in a rather different light.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "A smooth and fast ride for long days in the saddle."

road.cc: Ex ONCE, Astana and Liberty-Seguros Directeur Sportif looking to offload 57 pro peoloton classics.

BikeRadar: Knowing how to repair a puncture is an essential skill that every cyclist needs to master. It can be daunting for the inexperienced but only takes a few minutes once you know what you're doing.

CyclingNews: Swiss star earns mountain bike World Cup win on his birthday.

BikeHugger: This video is from the British Film Council and shows the Raleigh Bicycle factory in 1945. Of course, they don’t make bikes like that anymore and few in the UK. While in the UK a few years ago, we toured the Moulton factory, where they still make bikes and 14 Bike Co.