CyclingNews: Timmy Duggan of Liquigas-Cannondale has not had an easy time as a professional bike racer, he's had to overcome a string of injuries which turned his early career into a roller coaster ride. After many valleys, his peak came in this weekend's USA professional national championship road race, where he soloed away for over 15km to win the stars and stripes.

VeloNation: Rast and Hivert net second and third.

CyclingNews: Forty seven miles and over 5000 feet of elevation gain on a wide open gravel, paved and dirt roads made for a fast and attack-fueled stage 3 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. The attacks came early and often and left the men's field strewn across the Pennsylvania countryside.

RedKitePrayer: Ryder Hesjedal takes his career as a professional bike race ultra-seriously. He trains obsessively, he never shirks from working hard for his teammates, and whenever he gets a chance to ride aggressively he grabs it without a second thought. That’s why his magnificent performance in the 95th Giro d’Italia—the first Canadian to finish on the podium of a grand tour, let alone win one—didn’t surprise those who know him well. Even if his victory shocked the European cognoscenti.

Skoda-Tour de Luxembourg - May 30-June3 (Races & results),
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...

CyclingNews: Organisers of the Tour de Québec announced this week that their July race will be back to its original five-day format, thanks to a partnership with title sponsor Desjardins.

BikeRumor: The InCOG Biketool is a new product by industrial designer Joshua Brassé, not in production yet but available for pre-order. Built to suit bars ranging from drops to flats, InCog claims “to fit the majority of handlebars”, but no detailed specs are provided.

Peloton: Dura Ace Di2 was ushered in as the bellwether of a new era, electronic shifting. While not the first to attempt an electronic drivetrain, or even the first to market one, Shimano was the first to do it successfully. Not only did Di2 work, it delivered startling performance. Of course, at the $4000 price point most riders just get to read about it. It was not a product to open the electronic floodgates.

BikeRadar: A pair of good-quality bib shorts should be top of every rider’s essential kit list. Despite operating in very challenging conditions, well-fitting shorts can keep you comfortable, dry and save you from soreness, however long you ride.

VeloNation: Three-time Tour of Belgium stage winner continues his build up for the Tour de France.

CyclingNews: The day after finishing his debut Giro d’Italia, Cyclingnews sat down with Taylor Phinney (BMC) at his home in Tuscany to discuss the highs and lows of his maiden ride in the corsa rosa.

InnerRing: A Dauphiné preview, Andy Schleck’s private victory ceremony, plus new motivation techniques, a new competition in Switzerland and the Italian doping scandal that was supposed to erupt again this week.

VeloNation: Italian wants to do Vuelta, but team sending him to US races.

VeloNation: Italian to ride his first race on French soil in almost three years.

VeloNews: Team Saxo Bank’s Chris Anker Sørensen has had a difficult start of the season with crashes in Israel and Pays Basque along with a long period of illness. The Danish climber has not been racing since the Tour de Romandie in April.

Bicycling: Find it, reach it—and stay lean for life.

road.cc: "We've had out hands on Magura's new conversion box to go with their slippery hydraulic rim brakes."

BikeRadar: Carbon wheels for mountain bikes are still high-dollar luxury items.The key is to balance a set’s price with their supposedly better durability and lighter weight.

road.cc: An aero aluminium frame with a curious component selection and a riding position that's too sat up for flat-out TT speed.

Fresh Goods from SKS – Snap On Fenders, Pumps & More.

BikeRumor: Sitting around press events gives us a good chance to not just see new products but usually learn a bit about the companies presenting them. SKS is a German plastic molding company that offers a range of cycling products largely aimed at the commuter crowd.

CyclingNews: Evans, Wiggins, Nibali top start list.

Willow’s Wisdom on the Rocks: Staying Sexy in the Saddle.

VeloNews: Kiel Reijnen - "It was a great race, Timmy was a very deserving winner and Frank a very deserving second. I was happy to share the all-Boulder podium with both of those guys. I am really looking forward to Philly next weekend as it can be a similar type of course.”

CyclingNews: As he returns to racing at the Tour of Luxembourg on Wednesday, Fränk Schleck has declared himself “very confident” of earning selection for RadioShack-Nissan’s Tour de France line-up, in spite of mounting speculation that he will not figure in manager Johan Bruyneel’s plans for July.

Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa: "The World Cup race at La Bresse, France last weekend was a genuine thriller. The track was technically challenging with a lot of climbs and descents, so it tasted especially good to go right to the top! Four years have passed since my last World Cup victory, but it was my very first World Cup victory after becoming a mother."

road.cc: Custom 622 combines carbon fibre and titanium and it's a bit of a looker... but it'll cost you.

Genevieve Whitson: Preparing for the ’cross season: the calm before the storm … or so I thought.

BikeRumor: Freelance writer and photographer Mark Johnson was given free access to the team for the whole season, and this large book is the product of many long hours sitting in on team meals and meetings, standing roadside during races, and traveling with various fragments of the team throughout this remarkable season.

TwistedSpoke: The Pro Road ($249) is billed as a lightweight, race-ready road shoe with Mavic’s Energy Full Carbon outsole. While it weights 25 more grams than the top end Zxellium at 275 grams, it shares several technologies includes the carbon outsole, Ergo Lite Rachet and a few other ergos.

BikeRadar verdict: "The group achieves 90 percent of Campagnolo's goal of mimicking the mechancial group's ergonomics and tactile feedback."