VeloNation: Another strong sprint win for Lotto Belisol sprinter.

TwistedSpoke: At Liquigas-Cannondale the temptation could be to support Nibali and let the versatile and aggressive Sagan freelance and pick his moments. However, factor in the high probability that Nibali is leaving Liquigas and the scenario becomes more complicated and company loyalties open up for re-evaluation.

CyclingNews: That's the word Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale) used to describe the pace during the Raystown stage, stage number 4 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Only 25 seconds separated Bishop from Barry Wicks (Kona Bikes) at the start of the day. By the end, that lead had ballooned to more than six and a half minutes.

CyclingWeekly: If you were none the wiser, the sight of Chris Froome working tirelessly for Bradley Wiggins during the recent Tour of Romandy could have fooled you into thinking that this season has been business as usual for the Kenyan-born Brit.

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: Bjarne Riis hopes to tie Alberto Contador to a contract in the next few weeks. The Spaniard was released from his contract with Riis Cycling and Saxo Bank after the Court of Arbitration for Sport handed down a two-year retrospective ban earlier this year for his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour de France.

BikeRadar: It's been a busy year for Shimano with the launch of new entry-level road groupsets and electronic Alfine hub gearing, not to mention three new mountain bike groups – but it looks like they may have left the best till last. Officially unveiled today is a new 11-speed version of their flagship Dura-Ace road groupset.

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Light and transferable, but expensive and has some compatibility problems."

road.cc: Performance helmet with an excellent combination of comfort and ventilation at a light weight.

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.

CyclingNews: After making headlines at the beginning of the Giro d’Italia for his prologue victory and his finishing straight crash in Horsens, Taylor Phinney (BMC) reached Milan looking to bookend his race with a strong showing in the concluding time trial.

SBS: A peek at the course and riders heading to the Criterium du Dauphine starting in France on Sunday make for a mouthwatering prospect for cycling fans, but aside from the fascinatng spectacle ahead, perhaps more importantly the race will serve as an important dry-run for the main event, the Tour de France, in four weeks time.

BikeRumor: HED have expanded the Ardennes wheel range to five models- and those reviewed here are equivalent to the range-topping Ardennes FRs.  Now $1,300, the Ardennes FR have gone to front- and rear-specific rims (lighter and heavier/stiffer, respectively).

road.cc: Flying Scotsman gives the lowdown on the bike he'll use for his tilt at the human-powered land speed record.

BikeRadar: Today's big news is the launch of a new version of Shimano's flagship Dura-Ace road groupset. But its electronic Di2 offshoot hasn't been forgotten – an updated version is in development. It's yet to be officially launched but Shimano did give us some information on what to expect from the new 11-speed Dura-Ace Di2 9070 series.

Cyclismas: "At the end of last week I took my team to Holland to race the in UCI 1.2 ranked event, the Valkenburg Hills Classic.  Run in the same region as the upcoming World Road Race Championships and taking in many of the hills used in the Amstel Gold race, it was never going to be an easy event.  With Marianne Vos at the head of affairs, with her powerful Rabo team riding off against the AA Drinks team of Emma Pooley and several other Brits hunting for points towards Olympic selection, the pace was very high."

Bicycling: Nine short workouts that deliver big results.

BikeRadar: How to perfect your cornering is the second in a multi-part road cycling ŠKODA skills series featuring pro tips from members of the British Continental squad Team Raleigh-GAC. The series is running in conjunction with the 'How to' section from our sister magazine Cycling Plus.

BikeRumor: 3T Team London Olympic Ergonova Drop Bar3T’s getting pumped about the 2012 London Olympics this year with a themed cockpit series. Adding just a little extra flash, 3T kept specs the same as standard components. Available for both road and mountain bike.

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

VeloNews: “I am not counting on going back to the Olympics,” Leipheimer told VeloNews on Thursday. “That’s OK. I need to focus on winning races and not doing the Olympics is a good thing for that.”

CyclingNews: Operacion Galgo, or “Operation Greyhound,” the Spanish investigation into an alleged blood doping ring involving Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes has been closed due to “a lack of evidence.”

InnerRing: There are reports in La Gazzetta Dello Sport that Vincenzo Nibali has signed with Astana for 2013 and beyond. The Sicilian apparently has a €2.3 million contract and will move to the Kazako-Italian team with loyal helpers Alessandro Vanotti and Valerio Agnoli.

VeloNation: Injury sustained on stage 2; Dutch sprinter struggled through to stage 16.

VeloNation: Following his fall on stage nine of the Giro d’Italia, an accident caused during the sprint into Frosinone when he ran into the bike of Matt Goss, Filippo Pozzato yesterday returned to training and is on the road back to competition.

VeloNation: Lappartient admits questions exist, AFLD says rider has not been tested this year.

CyclingNews: 2008 Olympic TT champion more determined than ever following recent clavicle fracture.

The XP/XP City has an available rear blinky light (the City version comes with it) that pops into a rear vent hole.

BikeRumor: In addition to the completely revamped Dura-Ace DA9000 and 9070 Di2 groups just unveiled, Shimano has introduced a refreshed road bike wheel lineup and Dura-Ace hubs, too.

CyclingNews: Evans, Wiggins, Nibali top start list.