CyclingNews: Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) became the first Canadian rider to win a grand tour when he finished 47 seconds ahead of overnight leader Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) to claim the Giro d'Italia title by a mere 16 seconds.

CyclingFans: Sunday's Giro d'Italia Stage 21, a 30km Individual Time Trial at Milan, gets underway at 1:49pm CET (7:49am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around  3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: Italian media are using irony to highlight new Giro d'Italia boss Michele Acquarone's evident inclination for the English language and the internationalization of the event. But they're ready to welcome Ryder Hesjedal as the first Canadian winner of the corsa rosa, should the rider from Garmin-Barracuda confirm tomorrow that he has the power to recover his 31-second deficit from current race leader Joaquim Rodriguez, who is not exactly a time trial specialist.

USA Road Championships - May 26-28 (Races & results),
Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (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...

VeloNation: Thomas De Gendt was the surprise winner at the top of the Passo dello Stelvio, the highest peak of the 2012 Giro d’Italia, on the eve of the closing 30-km individual time trial in Milan. He went away on the Mortirolo prior to keeping his momentum over the legendary climb that he has been very familiar with for the past six years.

VeloNation: Rodríguez and Hesjedal under pressure as Vacansoleil-DCM rider turns the race on its head.

Up to four riders are said to have been disqualified from the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia for holding on to the team cars on the stage climbs. It has been confirmed that Robert Hunter (Garmin-Barracuda) was one of them, and stage 18 winner Andrea Guardini of Farnese Vini-Selle Italia has told Italian television that he was also disqualified. The other riders have not been confirmed.

RBAction: The cycling touring company that has made a name for themselves by offering pro-style, weeklong training camps in Southern California has now added the “Cycling Greats” tour September 4th to 14th. Participants will get to experience some of France’s most esteemed climbs, notably the Galibier, Telegraph, and Alpe d’Huez, as well as many other lesser known, but equally amazing, ‘cols’ around the Rhône-Alpes region.

Bicycling: From ultra-light hardtails to downhill-inspired trail bikes, these eight bikes rip.

road.cc: Dan Lloyd rides the Stelvio & talks preparation & strategy while Geraint Thomas talks tactics.

CyclingNews: Astana’s Roman Kreuziger climbed to victory in an epic stage 19 at the 2012 Giro d’Italia, coming home 19 seconds clear of Garmin-Barracuda’s Ryder Hesjedal and going some way towards restoring his reputation after a race that hasn’t gone to plan over the last three weeks.

CyclingNews: Frenchman claims race lead.

Stage 3 start time: Sunday 12:00 MDT (11:00 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 12:00 MDT (11:00 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 3:00 MDT (2:00 PM PDT).

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VeloNews: The race motorcycle ahead of Phinney in the stage 21 time trial missed a turn on the course and led the American off-course. Phinney was forced to turn around and return to the course.

road.cc: Well made with distinctive love/hate looks and a clever lens replacement system.

IndieGroup: “Recovering,” a documentary chronicling how bicycling help troops heal wounds, needs your help.

VeloNews: Defending champion Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) has successfully defended his title the US Pro Time Trial Championship, covering the 20.7 mile course in Greenville, South Carolina in 40 minutes, 41 seconds.

CyclingNews: Thor Hushovd has flown to the US for medical examinations. It is thought that a viral infection may be responsible for his poor performance so far this year. The former world champion abandoned the Giro d'Italia on the sixth stage.

CyclingNews: At the top of the Stevlio with his Giro d'Italia bid all but over, Ivan Basso acknowledged that his performance had fallen short his expectations. The two-time race winner sits 3:18 down on race leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha Team) in seventh place after two difficult stages in the mountains. With just a 30-kilometer time trial to come, Basso has little chance of moving up the overall classification.

CyclingNews: With just one stage remaining in this year’s Giro d’Italia, Sky’s Dave Brailsford has plenty of reasons to be proud. Three stage wins courtesy of Mark Cavendish and overall white jersey on the shoulders of Rigoberto Uran, not to mention the emergence of Sergio Henao in his first Grand Tour have given Sky their best return since debuting in the race two years ago.

PodiumInsight: Arm in a sling, straight out of surgery for a mid-shaft clavicle fracture, Kristin Armstrong (Exergy Twenty12) paid a visit to watch the finish of stage 1 of the Exergy Tour. The message was clear.  Armstrong was there to support the race, her team and to let the world know that she is still determined to race at the Olympic Games and will not let a pesky broken collarbone stand in her way.

Cheryl Sornson: The Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSE) is consuming much of my brain right now. Mostly with things such as "I have to remember this or that"; "I have this to do before..."; "I can't forget to do this when I get back..."; "I also agreed to blog, what was I thinking!"; "I'm never this much of wreck prior to 100s"; "Am I just freaking out due to my poor luck last weekend, duh that's only part of it...Top notch women's field to line up for Trans-Sylvania Epic is the main part".

road.cc: Surprising features on Mio bike computer, try a bamboo frame on for size.