VeloNation: National anti doping tribunal will determine rider’s fate.

CyclingNews: Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) is in no doubt that Bradley Wiggins and Cadel Evans line up as pre-race Tour de France favourites but the veteran is aware that pressure can be a major factor in any Grand Tour.

InnerRing: "While Wiggins is the great favorite for the race I think the next three weeks can bring plenty of surprises. But let’s run with the idea that Wiggins is the rider to beat, here are the suggestions from the team managers plus some extra ideas."

CyclingNews: In her attempt to defend her title in the Giro Donne, the women's Giro d'Italia, Marianne Vos of Rabobank Women Team faces a new hurdle. Her bike has been stolen.

Vuelta a Colombia - June 12-24 (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: After his win in the Giro d'Italia, Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Sharp) took an extended break from racing as he began his preparations for the Tour de France, but on Saturday in Liege he will begin his campaign for a second Grand Tour in just three months. 

PodiumInsight: A sold-out field and a collection of some of the biggest names in professional road, mountain bike and cyclo-cross for the Beaver County Travel Council “Crusher in the Tushar” presented by DNA Cycling have race promoter Burke Swindlehurst calling the second edition “a showdown of the disciplines.”

RedKitePrayer: In Hincapie, as in most American clothing brands, I wear medium bibs and a small jersey. Of late, Hincapie bib inseams and jerseys have been cut shorter than they used to. This is a good thing. It’s one thing to have George Hincapie personally test all the clothing. It’s quite another to use him as the fit model.

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

VeloNews: It isn’t that Valverde was simply too strong for anyone to come around him. Instead, the others were happy to have someone else doing the majority of the work. Remember that what’s important is who crosses the finish line first, not who is leading at any one time.

BikeRadar: Paul Lew, Reynolds’ director of technology and innovation, brings a system approach to the Reynolds carbon wheel line — we profiled the 2013 road line last week — not only in the traditional sense of hubs, spokes, and rims, but also within the construction of the rims themselves.

TwistedSpoke: Finally, somebody steps up. Things have been rough of late for the Electronic Gizmo-Car-Bike squad. Andy Schleck is out of the Tour de France with a cracked pelvis and brother Franks is just too worn out from the Giro, Tour of Luxembourg and Suisse.

PodiumCafe: Only 4 days now until the opening prologue on this year's Le Grande Boucle and the last rosters are being finalized and the final preparations for the race are being made. After the 3 years of domination by Andy Schleck, last year brought a breath of fresh aid in the competition with Pierre Rolland (Europcar) squeaking it out over Rein Taaramae (Cofidis).

CyclingNews: Europcar team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau says he has no knowledge of any inquiry into his team's alleged use of corticosteroids and intravenous solutions of vitamins.

VeloNation: All eyes on the Olympic Games in the one women’s Grand Tour of the season.

VeloNews: A rail-thin Fränk Schleck said he was unsure of his Tour de France chances on Thursday, and downplayed the tension that’s strained his RadioShack-Nissan team in 2012.

PodiumCafe: Liquigas is withdrawing as sponsor at the end of the year and unless he team finds a new one then the riders are all free to go.

BrowneEye: Aerodynamic design has hit the forefront this season with the marketing folks. Sure, some bike companies have been ahead of the curve, aerodynamically speaking, such as Cervelo, Blue, and Kestral to name a few. Recently the Big Dogs in the bike industry, Specialized and Trek, have weighed in with aero-road bikes.

VeloNews: Most bikes skew towards either stiff efficiency or comfort. For most cyclists, the ideal bike is one that does both. This is exactly what the four bikes we tested here purport to do.

VeloNation: Stage wins and mountain jersey of interest to Garmin-Sharp rider.

VeloNews: TrainingPeaks, the online training software that began as an interactive version of Joe Friel’s “TrainingBible” book series, is yet again singing in the updates shower.

MountainBike: "We select the best bikes in seven categories—from the fastest race 29er to lightweight women’s full-suspension models."

BikeRumor: "Bottle cages have a pretty simple remit: to hold waterbottles.  Sure, it’s nice if they’re good looking, high tech, or reasonably priced- but all of this is forgotten the moment a bottle goes missing.  Lezyne know this and have built what may be the most tenacious bottle cage I’ve come across.  Is it the cage for you?"

BikeRadar: Bont produces some of the best – but priciest – road shoes out there. So it will be interesting to see how their new budget shoe, the a-three, works out.

VeloNation: Anomalies date from year’s prior to rider joining blue-fuchsia team.

VeloNation: Sport’s governing body confirms that three riders have reported irregularities.

InnerRing: Tour de France iCal.

VeloNation: “She’s faced accusations that she faked, but this isn’t true.”

BikeRumor: There was a rider who had set a KoM time on a public street in Berkeley, CA. Some time thereafter, he saw that another rider had bested his time, and he went out to try to improve upon it. In the process of doing so, he was riding over 40mph in a posted 30mph zone, collided with a car, and suffered mortal injuries. His family has now sued Strava, claiming that they are liable for his death.

Tom Danielson: With his second consecutive podium in the Amgen Tour of California and seventh overall at the Tour de Suisse, Tom Danielson is on the rise after an early season derailed by a hard crash at the Tour de Langkawi.

SBS: Cycling reporter Roger Vaughan is in Paris for the Tour de France, and provides his summation of the key riders to watch come June 30.

Off The Beaten Path: Last weekend, I rode in the Cascade 1200 km brevet. I like to make one ride every year my “main goal” – a ride for which I train, around which I plan my calendar, a ride that is special.

CycleSport: David Millar won the opening time trial in Futuroscope. He became the fourth British rider to wear the yellow jersey, after Tom Simpson, Chris Boardman and Sean Yates. It was an historic moment in Britain’s Tour history.

RedKitePrayer: 'My history with Zipp products goes back 14 years. In that time I’ve ridden wheelsets that scared me, cranks I thought should have been more popular than the Beatles and bars that changed my expectations for all carbon handlebars. The overriding impression I’ve had is that of a company less satisfied with its own products than intimidated by the competition."

BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Fantastically light, yet impressively durable and responsive."

road.cc: A good performing drivetrain degreasing cleaner with nice extra features.

VeloNews: The search for free seconds never ceases as riders prepare to tackle the 100km of contre le montre in this year’s Tour de France. With an eye towards the fine details, Garmin-Sharp-Barracuda crank sponsor Rotor released a brand-new aero crankset Thursday morning.

BikeRumor: Getting stomped under Team ORICA-GreenEDGE at the Tour de France this summer is Scott Sports’ new Premium Road Shoe.