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Doug Report Daily Cycling News Archive

43 years old ...

Italian veteran wins the queen stage ...

Rebellin wins summit finish at Tour of Turkey.

Davide Rebellin laid down a commanding performance to win stage 3 of the Tour of Turkey atop Emali ahead of Kristijan Durasek.

The Italian used his wealth of experience to soak up the accelerations from the Lampre rider in the final stages before launching the winning move with 100 meters to go.

Durasek hung on for second with Eduardo Sepulveda picking up third after a strong finish.

Defies the years and history ...

Rebellin will not race the Giro d’Italia.

Italian Davide Rebellin will not be among team CCC Sprandi-Polkowice’s nine men in orange when the Giro d’Italia starts in Liguria Saturday, May 9.

The 43-year-old, who won the third stage and took the overall in the Tour of Turkey on Tuesday, left a sour taste in the mouths of many after he doped his way to an Olympic silver medal in 2008.

Giro organizer RCS Sport explained that he is persona non grata for the 2015 race, despite handing one of five wildcards to his Polish Professional Continental team. Rebellin, who calls Monaco, France home, said as well that he will have to make other plans for the month of May.

Team line-up  ...

New summit finish, high-elevation time trial ...

Preview: Tour of the Gila attracts star-studded field.

Although Tour of the Gila has just barely eked out an existence in the second poorest state in the USA, frequently teetering on the brink of extinction, the race has an undeniably charm and pull on the North American peloton.

Thanks in part to its remote location, the Tour of the Gila has not been choked off by rampant development or relegated to a series of short circuits. It's one of the last events to host both amateur and pro fields on courses that sweep across the countryside, offering relentless climbs, white-knuckle descents, a challenging time trial and a high-speed criterium.

Abbott, Gaimon look to repeat Redlands results.

Cavendish believes Alaphilippe has similar mentality to him, big career lies ahead ...

Alaphilippe: I’ve found the races that suit me ...

Julian Alaphilippe plays down Ardennes Classics breakthrough.

With two second-place finishes, Julian Alaphilippe was one of the standout performers of the Ardennes Classics, but the 22-year-old is playing down his performances.

The Frenchman, the latest prodigy off the Etixx Quick Step production line, was runner-up to Alejandro Valverde at both Flèche Wallonne and Liege Bastogne Liege.

But Alaphilippe admits he still has a lot to learn about racing the one-day Classics and admitted the strongest rider won on both occasions.

“I’m a little frustrated by this second second place,” he told Sporza.

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour of Turkey LIVE.

Wednesday's Tour of Turkey Stage 4 departs Fethiye at 12:50pm EEST (local) (11:50am CET or 5:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Marmaris at around 4:15pm EEST (local) (3:15pm CET or 9:15am U.S. Eastern).

Tour of Turkey live streaming video should get underway at around 3:00pm EEST (local) (2:00pm CET or 8:00am U.S. Eastern, 5:00am Pacific).

2014-15 Races & Results.

Tour de Romandie - April 28-May 3 (Stages & Results),

Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (Stages & Results),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Liège - Bastogne - Liège - Apr 26 (Results),

Joe Martin Stage Race - Apr 23-26 (Results),

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Results),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (Results),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

More...

USA Pro Challenge route unveiled for 2015 race.

Organizers unveiled details of a mountaintop finish and a high-altitude time trial, plus the rest of the 2015 USA Pro Challenge route, on Tuesday, for the fifth edition of the race, August 17-23.

“Each of our 2015 host cities offers something unique and special to the fifth anniversary of the Pro Challenge,” said Shawn Hunter, CEO of the USA Pro Challenge. “We’re confident that this year’s route will provide the most exciting week of racing yet.

We have added new cities and a dramatic mountaintop finish that will prove to be a fierce battleground for riders eager to show they have what it takes to compete on a new climb up Loveland Pass.”

Tour of Turkey: Cavendish wins sprint in Alanya.

Mark Cavendish made it two for two in the Presidential Tour of Turkey, winning the mass sprint of stage two in Alanya. He edged out Sacha Modolo and Nicola Ruffoni, to maintain his overall lead.

The stage, 182km with start and finish in Alanya, was marked by five-man break group. Lluis Mas, Federico Zurlo, Kevin de Mesmaeker, Frederik Veuchelen and Adrien Niyonshuti never had more than about a three minute lead, and were caught again with 12 km to go.

Wiggins to race against Sky at upcoming Tour de Yorkshire.

Meeusen acquitted by Belgian Cycling Federation.

Sporza reports that the Belgian Cycling Federation has acquitted cyclocross star Tom Meeusen of doping allegations. It cited insufficient evidence and only indirect links between Meeusen and illegal, performance enhancing treatments, such as cortisone and vaminolact.

There is a possibility that the UCI would appeal the decision. One outstanding question in the case is whether it would chose to appeal based on concerns over pro cycling’s ‘no-needle’ policy.

This rule was in place in 2011, when Meeusen reportedly took a cortisone injection for a knee injury, but the Belgian Cycling Federation did not implement its no-needle policy until a year later.

Sky gets Froome’s title defense off to great start ...

Tour de Romandie: Sky pip Orica-GreenEdge in team time trial.

Team Sky edged out Orica-GreenEdge by just 0.63 of a second to claim the opening team time trial of the Tour de Romandie at Juraparc.

The teams were locked in the same time at the midway point, but Sky – the final team to take the start – managed to squeeze out GreenEdge by the narrowest of margins.

Geraint Thomas led Sky across the line and will wear the yellow jersey of race leader on Wednesday.

Stage 2 preview ...

2015 Tour de Romandie LIVE.

Wednesday's Tour de Romandie Stage 2 departs Apples at 1:00pm CET (7:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Saint-Imier at around 5:17pm CET (11:17am U.S. Eastern). 

Tour de Romandie live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern, 7:00am Pacific).

Giro d’Italia: Aru rides into the unknown.

Italy’s most promising general classification rider Fabio Aru is now in a race simply to be on form for the Giro d’Italia. The Italian grand tour starts in just over a week in Liguria, but Aru, who placed third in 2014, has not pinned a racing number on his back in a month.

Knocked out by a stomach virus , the 24-year-old called off the Giro del Trentino last week and a chance to face rival Richie Porte. He considered racing the Tour de Romandie this week, but is skipping that one too.

The Giro d’Italia will be Aru’s first race since placing sixth behind Porte in Spain’s Volta a Catalunya stage race March 29. His only other race this year was Paris-Nice, in which Porte was on top again and Aru took 39th.

Degenkolb returns to racing in Frankfurt.

Giant-Alpecin will be backing John Degenkolb to make a winning return to racing on home turf at the Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn Frankfurt. Degenkolb is one of three German riders selected for the 1.HC race which he lost to Alexander Kristoff last year.

Degenkolb won the first monument of his career in March at Milan-San Remo and quickly claimed the second at Paris Roubaix with a seventh place at the Tour of Flanders in between the two wins. The 26-year-old won 206.8 km German one-day race in 2011 and has since placed seventh, fourth and second in the following seasons suggesting another high finish is possible in 2015.

Nibali: I won’t be at the Giro d’Italia.

Vincenzo Nibali has reiterated that he will not ride the Giro d’Italia despite speculation in the Italian press last week that he might be drafted in to Astana’s line-up following Fabio Aru’s recent bout of illness.

“I’ve already said ‘no’ many times. I won’t be present at the Giro d’Italia, it’s not in my program,” Nibali told Swiss radio station RSI on the eve of the Tour de Romandie, a stance he reiterated in an interview with the race organization.

Introducing Spoke Fins: swivelling fairings for your spokes.

US company Null Winds Technology is seeking Kickstarter funding for its swivelling Spoke Fins: nylon plastic fairings that are designed to cut spoke drag in both headwinds and crosswinds.

Fairings for your spokes? Uh-huh!

Greipel struggles to crack podium in Tour of Turkey.

The “Gorilla” has been caged for the first two sprint stages of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey. Not only has Andre Greipel failed to crack the podium, a day after finishing fifth on stage 1, the reigning two-time German national road race champion fell short of the top 20 on stage 2 with heated rival Mark Cavendish claiming both in dominant fashion.

Greipel recorded 16 wins last season — the most of any international male professional cyclist — but has just two in 2015, compared to the six he had at this time last year.

Daily Distractions.

Toolbox: Cardiovascular Fatigue.

Technical FAQ: Chainring and cog compatibility.

Steve Tilford: Riding Hard.

RKP: Cooperation.

Pro Womens Cycling: 2 new videos from the 2015 Flèche Wallonne.

Video: Tour de Romandie stage 1 highlights.

Video: How The Race Was Won – Liege Bastogne Liege.

Video: Mike Cotty takes on Europe’s third highest road pass – the Col Agnel.

Analysis: The curious case of Alejandro Valverde.

Fairly or unfairly, Valverde continues to be dogged by unanswered questions about his role in the Operación Puerto doping scandal that erupted in Spain nearly a decade ago.

In 2006, cycling was brought to its knees after Spain’s Guardia Civil uncovered the international doping ring masterminded by Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes. Fuentes was the Spanish counterpart to Italy’s Michele Ferrari, and served as one-stop shopping for riders such as Ivan Basso, Jorg Jaksche, Tyler Hamilton, and Michele Scarponi, all who served bans.

More than 60 names were linked to Fuentes, but police could only clearly identify a handful, meaning there were dozens of major riders, some who could still be racing today, who got away with it.

In the News: MPCC president Legeay defends organization’s mission.

Roger Legeay has staunchly defended his organization, insisting the group MPCC (Movement Pour Cyclisme Crédible) remains a legitimate voice for change despite recent hurdles.

The departure of Lampre-Merida from the group earlier this year as well as the continued presence of beleaguered Astana has raised questions about the group’s legitimacy as a voice of change within the peloton.

Legeay, who started the volunteer group eight years ago to bolster ethical conduct within the peloton, said the group remains committed to its principles.

King to turn his attention to UnTapped ...

Ted King will retire after 2015 season.

Cannondale-Garmin's Ted King announced today that he will retire from professional cycling following the 2015 season. The 32-year-old raced in the sport’s biggest events, including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, World Championships and Monuments such as Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.

“I'll forever love this sport and consider myself grateful to have earned such an international career,” King said.

Eric Marcotte: The power of the U.S. pro criterium champion.

The pro criterium championships offer a unique combination of a relatively small field, a short race (by professional road standards) at two hours, and a stars and stripes jersey on the line. This creates an exciting showcase of cycling strategy and tactics with the backdrop of aggressive racing, the essence of the American criterium.

Put simply, every team’s strategy was to create a small split or break with both the numbers in their favor and the fastest finisher. These are fairly simple to qualify but exponentially more difficult when executed at 45kph among a peloton of your peers.

Tactically, Eric Marcotte did a superb job investing his energy early to cover splits and never engaging in any prolonged chases. This enabled him to go on the offensive, instead of chasing back threatening moves.

The extreme methods and measures at the Australian women’s development team selection camp.

"It was freezing cold and drizzling in Canberra as I waited outside the Australian Institute of Sport residence hall. It’s something like a university college but more empty and austere.

I’m waiting for Rochelle Gilmore, the woman behind Wiggle Honda and the High5 Dream Team. She’s in Canberra for her latest project, the Australian women’s European development program.

Gilmore emerges into the mist to greet me, ambassadorial in a suit and heels. I was meeting her to ask about what had revived this development pathway, which had been controversially cut earlier in the year.

Partnering with Gilmore has allowed Cycling Australia to resuscitate the program."

Tour de Romandie Preview.

With the spring classics done it’s time for the stage races. There’s no immediate switch from embrocation to sun screen as this year’s Tour de Romandie offers familiar conditions with rain and cold forecast.

There’s a rare pre-Tour clash between Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana and Vincenzo Nibali but with wider interest as it’s a Giro tune up for some and a test for others.

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's (May 1st) Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

PEZ: EuroTrash Valverde Monday!

Tour of Turkey: Cavendish wins sprint in Alanya.

Mark Cavendish made it two for two in the Presidential Tour of Turkey, winning the mass sprint of stage two in Alanya. He edged out Sacha Modolo and Nicola Ruffoni, to maintain his overall lead.

The stage, 182km with start and finish in Alanya, was marked by five-man break group. Lluis Mas, Federico Zurlo, Kevin de Mesmaeker, Frederik Veuchelen and Adrien Niyonshuti never had more than about a three minute lead, and were caught again with 12 km to go.

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour of Turkey LIVE.

Tuesday's Tour of Turkey Stage 3 departs Kemer at 11:25am EEST (local) (10:25am CET or 4:25am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Elmali at around 4:13pm EEST (local) (3:13pm CET or 9:13am U.S. Eastern). 

Tour of Turkey live streaming video should get underway at around 3:00pm EEST (local) (2:00pm CET or 8:00am U.S. Eastern, 5:00am Pacific).

Wiggins to race against Sky at upcoming Tour de Yorkshire.

Bradley Wiggins will line up against his former Sky team for the first time in the Tour de Yorkshire on Friday. The Englishman is set to make his debut in the blue and red team Wiggins colors as he transitions from the road to the track with an attempt at breaking the hour record on the horizon.

Wiggins, who celebrates his 35th birthday Tuesday, has never raced against Sky before. He left Garmin after he finished fourth in the 2009 Tour de France and joined Sky for its debut year in 2010. He stayed with the British squad for five and a half years, winning the 2012 Tour de France and the time trial at the 2014 UCI worlds, and left after Paris-Roubaix two weeks ago.

“I would not have had any of the success that I’ve had if I hadn’t been in this team,” Wiggins said during a talk with members of the media during the classics.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Tour de Romandie - April 28-May 3 (Stages),

Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (Stages & Results),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Liège - Bastogne - Liège - Apr 26 (Results),

Joe Martin Stage Race - Apr 23-26 (Results),

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Results),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (Results),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

More...

Beyond pink it and shrink it: Layers of change in diverse Asia-Pacific (Part 2).

"The women’s market for cycling products is going through a period of evolution.

The commercial opportunity posed by such an underdeveloped market sector is causing companies to invest time and resources into providing female cyclists with the products they want and need.

In part one of our three-part series on the women’s market we looked at Specialized’s take from the United Kingdom and now we turn our attention to the Asia-Pacific region."

Leadville adds three-day stage race.

Owners of the Leadville 100 mountain bike race have announced the addition of a three-day stage race, to take place three weeks prior to the 100-mile event over the same course.

The stage race, slated for July 24-26, will cover the same high-altitude terrain as the Leadville 100, but split the distance over three consecutive stages.

“We are thrilled to offer the new Leadville Stage Race as an opportunity for athletes to come and test their limits on the famed The Leadville 100 MTB course,” said Josh Colley, Leadville race director.

Trek Domane 5.2.

Verdict: 5 out of 5 stars. "Designed for the Classics – and a classic race machine."

Bosch eShift System for eBikes.

First appearing on these shores during this month’s Sea Otter Classic bike expo, eBike enthusiasts first got a glimpse at Bosch’s eShift system last fall at venues throughout Europe.  

Although Bosch’s video has been lingering in “cyber space” for a few months now, its the first time its come to our attention.

When used in conjunction with NuVinci’s H|Sync system, Bosch’s Intuvia on-board computer can set the cadence, in relationship with the shifting system to operate, in which case the gear ratio will be automatically adjusted to the rider’s preferred cadence.

The Moment The Race Was Won: Liège Bastogne Liège.

Alejandro Valverde sprints for the line ahead of Julian Alaphilippe and Joaquim Rodriguez. The Movistar rider won the sprint after controlling the final kilometer and outwitting Katusha’s numerical superiority.

The early breakaway took time to form, a flurry of attacks in the first half hour finally ended with a move that didn’t contain any threats. It still prompted Europcar to lead the chase, strange for the wildcard invitees to feel responsible for controlling events especially as they were doing it before the TV coverage started.

Things heated up on the the Côte de Wanne where Astana’s Andriy Grivko took off, launching the first of a series of moves by the Kazakh team. Were they celebrating their continued presence in the World Tour?

Probably not and the hilly terrain suits a team that’s built for stage racing and Vincenzo Nibali had started 2015 with two targets circled in red: the Tour de France and Liège Bastogne Liège.

Greipel struggles to crack podium in Tour of Turkey.

The “Gorilla” has been caged for the first two sprint stages of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey. Not only has Andre Greipel failed to crack the podium, a day after finishing fifth on stage 1, the reigning two-time German national road race champion fell short of the top 20 on stage 2 with heated rival Mark Cavendish claiming both in dominant fashion.

Greipel recorded 16 wins last season — the most of any international male professional cyclist — but has just two in 2015, compared to the six he had at this time last year.

Chris Froome leads Brit-heavy Team Sky squad in Tour de Romandie.

Chris Froome returns to the Tour de Romandie as leader of Team Sky, eyeing a possible third consecutive victory in the Swiss WorldTour race, starting on Tuesday (April 28).

Froome is backed up by a strong team featuring four other Britons. Sky has picked a selection of riders to support Froome in the key Tour de France warm-up race that mixes those coming in from the Classics and key mountain domestiques.

2015 Tour de Romandie LIVE.

Tuesday's Tour de Romandie Stage 1, a 19.2 km Team Time Trial from Le Sentier to Juraparc, gets underway at 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first team.

Tour de Romandie live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern, 7:00am Pacific).

Murphy, Stephens win Joe Martin Stage Race titles.

Haedo and Wilborne claim final day criterium wins.

Valverde takes over WorldTour lead.

The victories in Liege Bastogne Liege and the Fleche Wallonne have propelled Alejandro Valverde to the top of the UCI WorldTour rankings.

The Movistar rider moved up from second, dropping former leader Richie Porte to the runner-up position. Alexander Kristoff and John Degenkolb remained as third and fourth, respectively. Joaquin Rodriguez jumped from ninth to fifth.

Kittel to make racing return at Tour de Yorkshire.

Marcel Kittel (Giant-Alpecin) will return to racing at the Tour de Yorkshire on Friday following an extended period away from racing due to sickness.

The German sprinter’s recovery from a virus was slower than expected, resulting in a quiet, nearly race-free start to his season. Kittel was forced to pull out of Tirreno-Adriatico in early March and has not raced since. He missed the chance to add a fourth Scheldeprijs victory to his palmares as team doctors kept him sidelined during his recovery.

Kittel’s only win this year came at the People’s Choice Classic, a 51-kilometer warmup race for the Santos Tour Down Under. He notched 13 wins in 2014, including four Tour de France stages.

The Hell Of The North (County) BWR.

"Like Sea Otter it was my first visit but I would strongly suggest, 2016 will be your year to attend Sea Otter, recover, and attend BMR.

Events like that are put on by loyal cycling fans. My hats off to Victor and Maddy of Spy Optic. Someone mentioned turning the event to a professional event planner. There is something to be said to family and Maddy, who was my main contact did a fantastic job.  A well deserved Pat On the Back to Maddy and her gang."

Videos ...

Caleb Ewan takes second ...

Mark Cavendish takes opener ...

Cavendish wins opening stage of Tour of Turkey.

Mark Cavendish claimed the opening stage of the 2015 Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey on Sunday.

Cavendish won the bunch sprint after a perfect lead-out from the Etixx squad at the end of the 145-kilometer stage looping around Alanya. Australian prodigy Caleb Ewan placed second, with Italian Nicola Ruffoni in third.

Cavendish’s win means that he wears the leader’s jersey going into Monday’s second stage Alanya to Antalya covering 182 kilometres. It’s the Manxman’s seventh victory of the season – only Alexander Kristoff and Richie Porte have won more, with 11 and nine wins respectively. (cyclingweekly.co.uk)

Daily Distractions.

PEZ: EuroTrash Valverde Monday!

Adam Hansen: New target for Grand Tour record.

He’s already completed a staggering run of ten straight Grand Tours, starting with the 2011 Vuelta a España and doing three a year since then.

Adam Hansen has committed to doing the same block of racing again this year and, all going well, by the end of September’s Vuelta the affable Australian will have set a major Grand Tour participation record.

The issue is a somewhat confusing one; as Hansen approached and then equalled the ten consecutive Grand Tours of the Spaniard Marino Lejarreta, that was widely reported as being the record.

However it has since emerged that another rider, Spain’s Bernardo Ruiz, had finished twelve straight three week races, starting with the 1954 Giro d’Italia and concluding with the 1958 Vuelta a España.

Some Classic Moments.

Gent Wevelgem was the stand-out race of the 2015 spring classics campaign and a shoe-in for the highlights of 2015 after the storm made a race that was gripping for hours.

Yes it was dangerous but hopefully most enjoyed watching for the long range action where for the tactical scenarios kept changing for over two hours rather than the crashes.

Other races provided plenty of action too and right from the start with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and along the way there have been revelations, confirmations and a fair-share of post-race polemics.

Injury update from Liege Bastogne Liege.

The series of crashes and injuries that has marked the 2015 season continued Sunday in Liege Bastogne Liege.

One mass crash with about 40 km to go took out a number of riders, and sent Europcar’s Yukiya Arashiro to the hospital with the most serious injuries.

The Japanese rider lay on the ground a long time and was obviously in pain. It was later reported that he had broken ribs as well as either his humerus or scapula.

LottoNL-Jumbo was the hardest hit team, losing two riders. Bram Tankink tweeted that he was “with concussion and bruises in bed. Nice end to the early season. Can’t remember what happened.”

After Liege runner-up, Alaphilippe happy to work for others.

French revelation Julian Alaphilippe admitted he was frustrated at missing out on a prestigious victory at Liege Bastogne Liege but claimed he was happy with his support role for world champion Michal Kwiatkowski.

The 22-year-old was beaten only by Alejandro Valverde in sprint finishes at Liege on Sunday and four days before that at Fleche Wallonne after Kwiatkowski had cracked in the final kilometers.

And having already finished seventh at Amstel Gold a week before Liege, where 25-year-old Kwiatkowski triumphed, Alaphilippe was arguably his Etixx Quick Step team’s star performer in the Ardennes.

But the humble rider refused to demand an improved status within the team, saying he will bide his time for the chance to lead.

Not A Museum Piece.

When bikes are as stunningly beautiful as the machines from René Herse, Alex Singer and other French constructeurs, it is easy to dismiss them as “beauty queens” or “show bikes.” This would be a mistake: The performance of these bikes is as outstanding as their appearance. They confirm the old saying: “What looks right usually is right.”

When I first became interested in the bikes of René Herse and Alex Singer, collectors told me: “Yes, they are beautiful to look at, but they probably aren’t so great to ride.” As a rider, that dampened my interest in these machines.

So imagine my surprise when I read Bernard Déon’s classic book Paris-Brest et Retour about the history of the famous 1200 km PBP randonneur event, and saw that these bikes had not only been ridden for that long distance, but ridden at incredible speeds.

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's (May 1st) Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Steve Tilford: Belgian Waffle Ride and Trans Iowa.

Podcast: The Recon Ride. Tour de Romandie.

Podcast: Murder We.

Video: Martin, Gerrans and Roche caught up in Liege Bastogne Liege crash.

Injured Gilbert fades ...

Nibali unable to follow ...

Crashes continue for Gerrans ...

Rodriguez leaves empty handed ...

Alaphilippe takes France’s best result since 1998 ...

Young Meintjes impresses at Liège Bastogne Liège.

Up and coming climber Louis Meintjes put in an impressive performance at Liège Bastogne Liège, following the attacks in the latter stages of the race to finish in 11th place.

Meintjes was sitting in the wheel of Daniel Moreno with two kilometers to go after the Katusha rider put in a dig, although he was eventually distanced on the final climb into Ans and was beaten to 10th by Moreno when the pair came to the line together.

The Moment The Race Was Won: Liège Bastogne Liège.

Alejandro Valverde sprints for the line ahead of Julian Alaphilippe and Joaquim Rodriguez. The Movistar rider won the sprint after controlling the final kilometer and outwitting Katusha’s numerical superiority.

The early breakaway took time to form, a flurry of attacks in the first half hour finally ended with a move that didn’t contain any threats. It still prompted Europcar to lead the chase, strange for the wildcard invitees to feel responsible for controlling events especially as they were doing it before the TV coverage started.

Things heated up on the the Côte de Wanne where Astana’s Andriy Grivko took off, launching the first of a series of moves by the Kazakh team. Were they celebrating their continued presence in the World Tour?

Probably not and the hilly terrain suits a team that’s built for stage racing and Vincenzo Nibali had started 2015 with two targets circled in red: the Tour de France and Liège Bastogne Liège.

Videos ...

Third career Liège victory ...

Alejandro Valverde takes win ...

Valverde wins Liège Bastogne Liège.

Alejandro Valverde chased down a late breakaway and then prevailed in a rain-soaked dash to the line to win his third Liège Bastogne Liège on Sunday.

Dani Moreno had attacked a small lead group just ahead of the final kilometer, and as the favorites hesitated he opened a significant gap. Finally Valverde took the initiative to drag him back, and despite bringing most of the other hopefuls along with him the 35-year-old Spaniard found the legs to kick to the victory at the end. (velonews.com)

1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team 6:14:20
2 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step
3 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
4 Rui Costa (Por) Lampre-Merida
5 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Tinkoff-Saxo
6 Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
7 Sergio Luis Henao (Col) Team Sky
8 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
9 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Astana Pro Team
10 Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Spa) Team Katusha.

Weekend Race Wrap-Up: Borsele and Westhoek.

Three races this weekend marked the beginning of the end of the one-day spring classics for the women’s peloton. While Belgium and Holland will play host to a handful of single day races in May, we’re on the cusp on stage race season in Europe as the World Cup series visits the further-flung destinations of Chongming Island, China and Philadelphia, USA in the next six weeks.

Familiar faces graced the top step of the podium at Borsele. Ellen van Dijk won her fourth consecutive individual time trial title on Friday evening. The following afternoon Kirsten Wild scored her fifth victory of the season – and her fifth victory at Borsele.

A new winner emerged at Dwars door de Westhoek where Elise Delzenne soloed to her first professional victory.

Bardet struggles through Liège-Bastogne-Liège final sprint in Ans.

Romain Bardet mixed it up with some of the most experienced riders in the peloton to secure his best finish yet at Liège Bastogne Liège.

The 24-year-old Frenchman was ever present on the front of the small bunch in the finale, cresting the climb to Ans with just 10 other riders. Bardet was visibly struggling in the sprint but battled home to take sixth, however, he had hoped for more.

“Sixth is a good result but we hoped for a podium and with 30 meters to go I still hoped for the podium but the legs cried and I couldn’t do much in the sprint,” Bardet told Cyclingnews as he warmed down by the team bus.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Liège - Bastogne - Liège - Apr 26 (Results),

Joe Martin Stage Race - Apr 23-26 (Results),

Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (Stages & Results),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Results),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (Results),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - Apr 6-11 (Results),

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Apr 7-10 (Results),

Scheldeprijs - Apr 8 (Results),

Tour of Flanders - Apr 5 (Results).

More...

Video: Tour of Croatia Stage 5 - final kilometers.

Maciej Paterski wins the finall stage and the overall classification.

Holloway defends title at Athens Twilight Criterium.

Daniel Holloway defend his title at the Athens Twilight Criterium held on Saturday night in Georgia.

The elite criterium champion lapped the field and out-sprinted his breakaway companion Ruben Companioni to take the win. Frank Travieso was third.

Pic wins Athens Twilight Criterium.

Former six time US criterium champion, Tina Pic won the women's race at the 35th Annual Athens Twilight Criterium on Saturday.

The veteran sprinter won the bunch kick to the line ahead of Samantha Schneider and Laura Van Gilder.

Videos ...

Caleb Ewan takes second ...

Mark Cavendish takes opener ...

Cavendish wins opening stage of Tour of Turkey.

Mark Cavendish claimed the opening stage of the 2015 Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey on Sunday.

Cavendish won the bunch sprint after a perfect lead-out from the Etixx squad at the end of the 145-kilometer stage looping around Alanya. Australian prodigy Caleb Ewan placed second, with Italian Nicola Ruffoni in third.

Cavendish’s win means that he wears the leader’s jersey going into Monday’s second stage Alanya to Antalya covering 182 kilometres. It’s the Manxman’s seventh victory of the season – only Alexander Kristoff and Richie Porte have won more, with 11 and nine wins respectively. (cyclingweekly.co.uk)

Joe Martin Stage Race: Scotti Wilborne wins stage 4, Lauren Stephens wins overall.

Breakthrough win for Omar Fraile in the Apennines.

Having made it into an 8-rider group that escaped in the hardest part of the race, Fraile beat his companions in a sprint to win the Giro dell’Appennino; Pirazzi and Cunego completed the podium.

In the first part of his professional career, Fraile has been known as one of the most aggressive riders in the peloton. However, his many escapes have never paid off and he started the 2015 season with no wins on his palmares.

Manzin confirms his potential with big Coupe de France win.

Lorrenzo Manzin confirmed that he has a huge potential as a future top sprinter when he won La Roue Tourangelle which is an important part of the Coupe de France race series.

After a wet day in the saddle, his FDJ teammates brought back a dangerous four-rider group in the finale before the young sprinter held off Clement Venturini and Jan Dieteren in the 30-rider sprint to take his first pro win.

Going into the 2015 season, FDJ lost sprinter Nacer Bouhanni to Cofidis but they were intent on finding a replacement to supplement Arnaud Demare in the bunch sprints. Hence, they signed the two promising youngsters Marc Sarreau and Manzin and promised to give them lots of chances in their first pro year.

The slow but steady return to racing for Marianne Vos.

With a 1.2 UCI ranking, the Ronde van Gelderland might be a minor race on the women’s race calendar, but for 12-time world champion Marianne Vos this race was a big one. Sidelined with a hamstring injury since the 2015 Cyclocross World Championships in January, Gelderland marked Vos’ long-awaited return to the peloton.

Prior to Gelderland, Vos pinned on a number for the the Rabobank Bikecenter VANTUYL Paasbike mountain bike race. It was a final test of the hamstring and fitness.

She won race with ease.

Tom Boonen: Tour out of question, Giro stage/worlds are targets.

Making his return to racing after injury on stage one of the Presidential Tour of Turkey, Tom Boonen has ruled out any participation in the Tour de France this year and said instead that he will likely pursue a Giro/Vuelta program in order to be in top shape for the world championships.

“The Tour is out of the question,” the 34 year old told CyclingTips at the stage one start in Alanya. “I go two months now à bloc [flat out – ed.]. Then July I am off, then August September two months à bloc again for the world championships. The Tour just doesn’t fit the program and the team is pretty full as it is.”

Tour de Romandie Course Preview.

Swiss stage racing.  The six day Tour de Romandie starts Tuesday.

It's a Jura mountains focused course this year.  We'll see numerous lakes  and vineyards, we'll climb to ski stations, and, hopefully, we'll see lots and lots of cows. And, of course, conforming to Swiss law, the peloton will cycle past UCI headquarters in Aigle while visiting the Alps.

The Tour de Romandie has been raced since 1947. Romandie refers to the French speaking region of Switzerland - approximately 20% of the population - in the western edge of the country.

A list of former Romandie winners reads like a who's who of cycling: Merckx, Hinault, Bartali, Koblet, Thévenet, Zoetemelk, Roche, Rominger, Evans, etc.

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour of Turkey LIVE.

Monday's Tour of Turkey Stage 2 departs Alanya at 10:30am EEST (local) (9:30am CET or 3:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Antalya at around 2:45pm EEST (local) (1:45pm CET or 7:45am U.S. Eastern). 

Tour of Turkey live streaming video should get underway at around 1:15pm EEST (local) (12:15pm CET or 6:15am U.S. Eastern, 3:15am Pacific).

Daily Distractions.

Steve Tilford: Belgian Waffle Ride and Trans Iowa.

DCR: Week in Review.

Podcast: The Recon Ride. Tour de Romandie.

Podcast: Murder We.

Video: Martin, Gerrans and Roche caught up in Liege Bastogne Liege crash.

Injured Gilbert fades ...

Nibali unable to follow ...

Crashes continue for Gerrans ...

Rodriguez leaves empty handed ...

Alaphilippe takes France’s best result since 1998 ...

Young Meintjes impresses at Liège Bastogne Liège.

Up and coming climber Louis Meintjes put in an impressive performance at Liège Bastogne Liège, following the attacks in the latter stages of the race to finish in 11th place.

Meintjes was sitting in the wheel of Daniel Moreno with two kilometers to go after the Katusha rider put in a dig, although he was eventually distanced on the final climb into Ans and was beaten to 10th by Moreno when the pair came to the line together.

“A top 10 would have been nice but I’m obviously very happy to be in the front group of a race like Liège,” Meintjes said after the race. “I was thinking if I am there and I am on the wheels I didn’t want to get stuck behind someone else and I thought I’d go to the front and follow the action.

Women's Cycling: Doing it not for the money.

When Australia’s Tiffany Cromwell won the 2013 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad classic she had every right to be delighted – and one reason not to be. She’d just cemented her name on the European scene with what was arguably the biggest win to date in her career, trouncing Megan Gruanier of Rabobank in the sprint to seal a brilliant victory.

The win brought her the spotlight her talent deserved and gained her a reputation for being a no nonsense rider who could mix it with the best in the sport.

Surely, a win like that will have brought in a nice little pot in prize money? Well, not quite.

For her suffering on that cold morning at the tail end of February last year, Cromwell picked up an altogether underwhelming 270 euro. After splitting that among her teammates she might just have had enough for a glass of vino and a plate of pasta down her local trattoria.

Three doping positives in Africa hint at deeper problems on the continent.

News of a positive doping test for Algeria's Hichem Chaabane and two other as yet unidentified cyclists from Africa in the past few days points to a deeper problem with banned substance abuse in one of the UCI's most important growth areas and serves to highlight the fact that the same mistakes made in Europe are being made in other regions where the sport is in a development phase.

Chaabane recently won the Circuit d'Alger, a UCI 2.1 race that finished on March 6th.

"The National Commission for the fight against doping were informed by letter of 22 April as urinary analyzes conducted by the Paris laboratory of Chatenay Malabray on two samples of the same rider revealed the presence of two banned substances," revealed the Algerian Cycling Federation in a statement, but did not specify what the prohibited substances were.

Steele Von Hoff wins CiCLE Classic without realizing it.

Steele Von Hoff raced to victory in the Rutland-Melton International CiCLE Classic on Sunday – but as he crossed the line he thought he had been sprinting for fifth place.

The Australian had battled back from last place after his chainring had exploded, and was happy to have made it back and be sprinting just for the minor placings – but he took the win.

“It was a real surprise because I thought there were four other riders away up the road,” said Von Hoff as he stepped from the top of the podium. “I thought there was a group that went earlier.

“I thought they were a long way off and we had no chance of catching up so I honestly thought we were sprinting for fifth.”

Blood Medicine, by Kathleen Sharp.

A story about some of the frauds at the heart of EPO's rise to becoming America's most popular prescription drug

Sharp takes a complex story and explains it clearly,focusing the story on one of those who blew the whistle on EPO.

2015 Tour de Romandie LIVE.

Tuesday's Tour de Romandie Stage 1, a 19.2 km Team Time Trial from Le Sentier to Juraparc, gets underway at 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first team.

Tour de Romandie live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern, 7:00am Pacific).

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's (May 1st) Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Lance Armstrong: Ice Driving Was a Bad Idea.

Photos: Liège Bastogne Liège team presentation.

Results (as available) ...

Athens Twilight Criterium live.

The 35th annual Athens Orthopedic Clinic Twilight Criterium hasl kicked off the USA CRITS Series today (Saturday) in Athens, Georgia, and you can watch the live streaming of the event right now.

The men’s live started at 8:15pm EDT, (5:15pm Pacific).

Pic wins Athens Twilight Criterium.

Former six time US criterium champion, Tina Pic won the women's race at the 35th Annual Athens Twilight Criterium on Saturday.

The veteran sprinter won the bunch kick to the line ahead of Samantha Schneider and Laura Van Gilder.

Peeters: Don't expect wins from Boonen.

Tom Boonen makes his return to racing tomorrow at the Tour of Turkey and Giro d’Italia, but his DS Wilfried Peeters has told fans not to expect wins from the 34 year old Belgian star in any of those races.

"It's all right with Tom. He is ready,” Peeters told sporza.be. “His arm feels good but after a few hours his shoulder of course is painful. But that's normal after the operation."

Gallopin: I should be able to fight for a Monument.

This year, France has been steadily raising its collective game in the Ardennes Classics, but while Julien Alaphilippe’s second place at Flèche Wallonne has understandably received a lot of attention, Tony Gallopin’s sixth place in Amstel Gold Race and fourth in Brabantsje Pijl sees the 26-year-old Lotto-Soudal rider slowly raising the stakes, too.

Ninth in Milan-San Remo, Gallopin has deliberately switched targets this year, skipping the cobbles to focus more on Ardennes Classics, and so far his change of goal has paid off. The 2014 Tour stage winner and leader also deliberately missed out on Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday in order to be fresher for Liège Bastogne Liège and the final Monument of the spring, he told reporters on Saturday.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Liège - Bastogne - Liège - Apr 26 (History),

Joe Martin Stage Race - Apr 23-26 (Stages & Results),

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (History),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Results),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (Results),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - Apr 6-11 (Results),

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Apr 7-10 (Results),

Scheldeprijs - Apr 8 (Results),

Tour of Flanders - Apr 5 (Results).

More...

Do You Need the Apple Watch?

"One of the four things that for me sets the Watch apart from other wrist-based fitness trackers or performance monitors — and that also makes it preferable to just using your iPhone to run Strava or answer a call, text, or email mid-ride — is the factor that takes longest to appreciate and utilize: Its potential to integrate disparate parts of your life in a more seamless use of technology and communication.

You need to live with the Watch for awhile. And that’s sort of the take-away for me."

2015 Tour of Croatia LIVE streaming.

Sunday's Stage 5 starts at 9:10am CET (3:10am U.S. Eastern).

Finish at around 3:58pm CET (9:58am U.S. Eastern).

Live video from 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern, 5:30am Pacific).

Murphy, Kirchmann win stage 2 at Joe Martin.

UnitedHealthcare's John Murphy won stage 2 of the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas on Friday, beating Hincapie Racing's Ty Magner and Dion Smith to the line after the peloton caught a breakaway of six riders in the final kilometers. Stage 1 winner Gregory Brenes maintained his overall lead.

Leah Kirchmann out-kicked UnitedHealthcare speedster Coryn Rivera Friday to take stage 2 of the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas, while overnight leader Lauren Stephens finished inside the top 10 to preserve her leader's jersey.

Shelley Olds returns to racing after rib injury.

Murphy and Rivera win stage 3 at Joe Martin Stage Race.

John Murphy took his second consecutive win at the Joe Martin Stage Race, winning stage 3's 175km road race in Prairie Grove on Saturday. He won the bunch sprint ahead of Sebastian Haedo and Joseph Lewis. Gregory Brenes will keep his leader's jersey into the criterium on Sunday.

Coryn Rivera won the women's 107km race in similar fashion. The former US criterium champion won the bunch sprint, after receiving a solid lead-out from her team, ahead of her own teammate Alexis Ryan and Canadian road champion Leah Kirchmann. Lauren Stephens finished in the main field and held onto the overall leader's jersey heading into stage 4.

Haters are gonna hate: How to watch Alejandro Valverde win a bike race.

This year, just like every year since Alejandro Valverde completed his unrepentant detention for dabbling in some of professional cycling’s darker arts, the response from many fans has been the same, “anybody but Valverde”.

But the “Green Bullet” is always there in the mix, hunting for the win, and if not that, crafting another cheeky place on the podium.

The Ardennes week is his favorite playground, and on the eve of “La Doyenne”, Valverde has already recorded a 2nd at the Amstel Gold Race and 1st at Flèche Wallonne.

As he goes deeper into the season Valverde just gets better and better, and tonight he’s up for another shot at a third victory at Liège after wins in 2006 and 2008.

No Tour de Romandie for Aru.

Despite having been forced to skip the Giro del Trentino - Melinda, Fabio Aru can be pleased with the performance of the teammates that will accompany him in the Giro d'Italia.

Astana was a great protagonist during these four days and capped it with a stage win for Paolo Tiralongo. 

Due to his illness, Aru has also been forced to skip Liege Bastogne Liege but it had been considered to send him to the Tour de Romandie to make up for the missed racing.

However, Tiralongo confirms that he will stick to the original plan of training at altitude.

Martin hoping to recover from effects of Fleche Wallonne crash to contend in Liege.

Dan Martin said Saturday he hopes his whiplash will have improved enough to allow him to challenge for victory at Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Martin, 28, won the prestigious monument two years ago and looked to have a strong chance of retaining his crown last year before crashing on the final bend as he attempted a break for the finish line.

But his preparations for Sunday’s 253km race hit a stumbling block on Wednesday when he crashed badly during the Flèche Wallonne.

“I’m definitely fit enough, it’s just seeing where this whiplash I’ve got is,” said Martin.

“It’s improving every day [but] I also don’t know what will happen during the race tomorrow.

2015 Liege Bastogne Liege LIVE.

Sunday's Liege Bastogne Liege departs Liege at 10:15am CET (4:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Ans at around 4:49pm CET (10:49am U.S. Eastern). 

Live streaming video should get underway at around *1:50pm CET (*7:50am U.S. Eastern). *Rai Sport 1 coverage starts at this time but Eurosport is not scheduled to start until 2:15pm CET (8:15am U.S. Eastern, 5:15am Pacific).

Renshaw: Cavendish’s watts are up, he looks a lot more focussed ...

Renshaw looks to launch “Missile” to Tour of Turkey success.

Leadout specialist Mark Renshaw is no stranger to the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey. A year after taking a stage win in 2012 while riding for Rabobank turned Blanco, the 32-year-old Australian returned the following year with Blanco turned Belkin only to suffer the “worst crash of his career” which resulted in a concussion, fractured collarbone, and broken tooth.

After his two years with the Dutch team, Renshaw joined Omega Pharma Quick-Step (now Etixx Quick-Step) in 2014, reuniting with Mark Cavendish to reform a duo that had been one of cycling’s most successful partnerships a few years prior.

Renshaw piloted “Cav” to 14 Tour de France stage wins and a green jersey during an ultra successful three-year stint with the British sprinter at HTC-Highroad from 2009 to 2011, and has led Cavendish to 11 wins with Quick-Step, including four stage wins and a points classification at the Tour of Turkey alone.

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour of Turkey LIVE.

Sunday's Tour of Turkey Stage 1 departs Alanya at 11:30am EEST (local) (10:30am CET or 4:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Alanya at around 2:48pm EEST (local) (1:48pm CET or 7:48am U.S. Eastern).

Tour of Turkey live streaming video should get underway at around 11:45am EEST (local) (10:45am CET or 4:45am U.S. Eastern, 1:45am Pacific).

Daily Distractions.

Lance Armstrong: Ice Driving Was a Bad Idea.

Photos: Liège Bastogne Liège team presentation.

Videos: Liege Bastogne Liege.

Podcast: Phil Liggett; Leah Missbach Day.

Video: Data overlay as Cannondale Garmin recons Liège.

Nibali: Now we can continue as normal.

After the news that the UCI would allow the Astana team to keep their WorldTour license, star man Vincenzo Nibali said there was no celebration, just focus ahead of Sunday’s Liege Bastogne Liege.

“There was no party,” Nibali said during a press conference at the team’s hotel. “We heard the news at lunchtime yesterday, I’m happy and now we can continue as normal. It hasn’t taken any pressure off my shoulders because there never was any pressure.

It’s only the media that made this up.”

30 year old Nibali, Liege runner-up in 2012, knows he and Jakob Fuglsang need to make the race as tough as possible in order to win, and the pair have been on the attack in both Amstel Gold and Fleche, when Fuglsang rode to eight in the latter.

Craddock set to soak in experience ...

Sanchez confident in Gilbert for Liège Bastogne Liège.

Samuel Sanchez will be a key player for the BMC team this Sunday as he looks to deliver Philippe Gilbert to his second victory at Liège Bastogne-Liège. Gilbert’s participation is still under question following a knee injury he sustained at Flèche Wallonne.

Sanchez has faith in his team leader, however, and believes that he can be a factor in the race if he does take the start.

“Philippe is one of the favorites, he’s won the race before,” Sanchez told Cyclingnews at the team hotel on Friday. “I think he is more or less good, and on Sunday I hope he will be near 100 per cent.

He is the captain and I think he’ll be there in the final. Cycling is a different sport to others and it’s impossible to write down on paper what you think will happen in the race.

It’s a surprise and that’s the beauty of cycling.”

Retro Liege: Sean Kelly Talks.

His stats for Liege read like this: 1979, 20th: 1981, 11th: 1982, 10th: 1984, 1st: 1985, 4th: 1986, 12th: 1987, 20th; 1988, 5th: 1989, 1st – good enough to tell us a little about La Doyenne?

Yeah, we thought so too: PEZ talked to Sean Kelly about the oldest, and many would say the hardest of the ‘monuments’.

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's (May 1st) Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Giro Treble II road shoes.

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "At first glance these look like Giro’s Prolight SLX shoe, and at under half the price, they’re a solid starter option."

Tech Roundup: New kit from howies, Rapha, PEdAL ED, adidas, Wattbike and more.

Brooks don't just make saddles these days, the company has gradually expanded its range to include things like bar tape, bars and now, they also now make wallets, card and passport holders, glasses cases and other small items designed for travel.

As you would expect, they’re made using the same materials and handcraft process as goes into the Brooks leather saddles.

Video: Interview with Dennis Vanendert.

Aru considers legal action after Henderson accuses Astana rider of cheating.

Fabio Aru is considering legal action against Lotto Soudal rider Greg Henderson after he accused the Astana rider of being caught up in a UCI Biological Passport case.

The Italian, who is set to ride the Giro d’Italia next month, pulled out of the Giro del Trentino citing illness for his non-participation in the four-day Italian stage race.

Kirchmann wins stage 2 at Joe Martin.

Leah Kirchmann out-kicked UnitedHealthcare speedster Coryn Rivera Friday to take stage 2 of the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas, while overnight leader Lauren Stephens finished inside the top 10 to preserve her leader's jersey.

Shelley Olds returns to racing after rib injury.

Shelley Olds will return to racing at Omloop van Borsele on Saturday, following her recovery from a rib injury sustained at Ronde van Drenthe on March 14.

“From the first day that I knew I had a broken rib, I have focused on staying positive and moving forward,” Olds said. “As soon as I could start working, I did. The first days were difficult, but every day I saw progress and I felt better with each week that passed.”

Olds was forced to take time off the bike following the crash, which occurred on one of the cobbled sectors in Ronde van Drenthe and resulted in broken ribs for the American sprinter.

Shimano wraps up investigation of Flanders incidents.

Shimano has concluded its investigation of the two incidents in the Tour of Flanders involving their neutral service cars, and again apologized to the riders and teams involved. It said that the crash involving Trek Factory’s Jesse Sergent was the result of “a split-second error of judgment”.

In separate incidents, a neutral service car hit Sergent, who suffered a broken collarbone, and another Shimano car hit the FDJ team car in the same race, pushing it into FDJ rider Sebastien Chavanel.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Joe Martin Stage Race - Apr 23-26 (Stages & Results),

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (History),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Results),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (Results),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - Apr 6-11 (Results),

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Apr 7-10 (Results),

Scheldeprijs - Apr 8 (Results),

Tour of Flanders - Apr 5 (Results).

More...

Giddy up! Back to Holland: Loren Rowney on her return to racing.

"Six weeks ago today I was lying in Hamburg hospital. I found myself repeatedly thinking: “What the hell just happened?” as I began to come to terms with with an injury far more painful than my broken elbow four years ago.

I fractured my collarbone in what has been described as “one of the most spectacular crashes of the season” by the cycling media.

A spectator reached his arm across the barriers as I sprinted past him. He hit my handlebars, and the next thing I knew, I was tumbling toward the ground. Crashes happen in cycling. We all know that.

My crash? It shouldn’t have happened."

Dwars door de Westhoek 2015.

The day after Omloop van Borsele the women’s peloton head south for the second class one race of the weekend, Dwars door de Westhoek.

Raced across the West Flanders countryside Dwars door de Westhoek marks the mid-point of the Lotto Cycling Cup competition currently lead by Sofie de Vuyst ahead of her Lensworld Zannata teammate, Kaat van der Meulen.

Start List: Omloop van Borsele 2015.

Omloop van Borsele is the first of back-to-back UCI 1.1 races this weekend.

Check out the start list packed with many of women’s cycling’s top riders. Want to know more about the race? We’ve got that covered to in the race preview.

2015 Tour of Croatia LIVE streaming.

Saturday's Stage 4 starts at 9:10am CET (3:10am U.S. Eastern).

Finish at around 3:58pm CET (9:58am U.S. Eastern).

Live video from 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern, 5:30am Pacific).

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's (May 1st) Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Brenes tops Colombians in uphill Joe Martin time trial.

Colombian riders nearly swept the podium during the opening time trial at the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas on Wednesday until Jamis-Hagens Berman's Costa Rican climber Gregory Brenes set the fastest time with just two riders remaining.

Brenes covered the 4.3km uphill time trial in 8:36 to break the stranglehold that Orgullo Antioqueno had on the race, placing Robinson Chaplaud in second and Christian Montoya in third.

Brenes beat the Colombian riders by one second and seven seconds, respectively. Orgullo Antioqueno's Juan David Montoya finished fourth, followed by Stephen Bassett of Jamis-Hagens Berman.

Richie Porte seals Giro del Trentino overall win.

Paolo Tiralongo won the final stage of the 2015 Giro del Trentino from a three-man break on Friday. The Astana rider finished ahead of David Arroyo and Fabio Duarte (Colombia) in the 161.5km stage from Malè to Cles.

Richie Porte (Team Sky) finished safely in the main field to claim the overall title ahead of Mikel Landa and Sky teammate Leopold König.

Gilbert to start Liège with van Garderen protected by BMC.

"When everything is right, you don't see so much of the work they are doing," Gilbert said. "But now you really appreciate the help and the support you get.

“Every hard day it is getting better because we work well together. I know I will not be on my best on Sunday because I don't think it is possible. But at least I will be at the start and then we will see."

Sport Director Valerio Piva said van Garderen will enjoy protected status in his first appearance in Liège since 2012.

"I feel good, I feel prepared and motivated," van Garderen said. "It was a bit of a blow to see so many crashes on Wednesday from a lot of our stronger guys, especially Philippe.

Hidden motors for road bikes exist — here’s how they work.

The basic vivax Assist package costs in the vicinity of AUD $4,300 and comes with a battery pack, a saddle bag for housing the battery, a charger, a seatpost for housing an electronic control unit, the motor itself and the adapters necessary to connect the motor to the crankshaft of the bike.

The motor, which measures 22cm in length, is fed into the seat tube and connects with the crankshaft via an interlocking gear — the gear on the bottom of the motor locks in to a gear ring which is placed over the crankshaft.

Preview: Liege could close spring classics season in dramatic fashion.

The 2015 spring classics season wraps up Sunday with what should be a dramatic exclamation point on a campaign full of aging warhorses and emerging stars.

Alexander Kristoff and John Degenkolb emerged as major forces in the northern cobbles, with huge wins at Flanders and Roubaix, respectively, while world champion Michal Kwiatkowski scored a major coup at the Amstel Gold Race. All are young, talented, and poised to become the riders of reference across the spring classics.

Some aging veterans still had something to say, with Luca Paolini taking a win at Gent-Wevelgem and Alejandro Valverde at Flèche Wallonne, to prove that experience and guile still have a place in the peloton.

Will Dan Martin reign again in Liège?

Belgium’s Liège Bastogne Liège is one of the five “Monuments” on the calendar, a title given to the oldest and most prestigious one-day Classics – and the ones every cyclist aspires to win.

Sean Kelly, the Irish legend and two-time winner in Liège, describes it as the hardest race to win. Its steep hills and constantly changing terrain make it a truly demanding and intense experience.

Kelly’s Irish compatriot Dan Martin, who competes this year for Cannondale Garmin, has an impressive record in the race. In 2013 he topped the podium and a year later was in a winning position only to crash 200 meters from the finish line.

Japanese Firms Claims to Have Design First Viable 3D Bike.

Japanese firm, Triple Bottom Line, claims to have designed the world’s first viable 3D printed road bike.

Called the DFM01 Ouisa, several aspects of the bike’s titanium main frame were created using a technology called, selective laser sintering (SLS), wherein a laser is used to form a metal structure from powdered material.

“As you can see DFM01 consists of  several parts,” says Triple Bottom Line’s Satoshi Yanagisawa. “The head, seat cluster (we called junction) and entire bottom section (bottom bracket, chainstay, and lower seatstay bracket) are made from SLS titanium. Other parts (top, bottom tube and both seatstays) are market available conventional carbon tube.”

2015 Liege Bastogne Liege LIVE.

Sunday's Liege Bastogne Liege departs Liege at 10:15am CET (4:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Ans at around 4:49pm CET (10:49am U.S. Eastern). 

Live streaming video should get underway at around *1:50pm CET (*7:50am U.S. Eastern). *Rai Sport 1 coverage starts at this time but Eurosport is not scheduled to start until 2:15pm CET (8:15am U.S. Eastern, 5:15am Pacific).

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard.

TUR 2015 Eurosport Broadcast Schedule (CET*)

Stage 1, Sun 26/04/2015, 11:15-14:00,

Stage 2, Mon 27/04/2015, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 3, Tue 28/04/2015, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 4, Wed 29/04/2015, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 5, Thu 30/04/2015, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 6, Fri 01/05/2015, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 7, Sat 02/05/2015, 11:15-12:45, 

Stage 8, Sun 03/05/2015, 10:00-12:00.

Daily Distractions.

Video: Interview with Dennis Vanendert.

Aru considers legal action after Henderson accuses Astana rider of cheating.

Fabio Aru is considering legal action against Lotto Soudal rider Greg Henderson after he accused the Astana rider of being caught up in a UCI Biological Passport case.

The Italian, who is set to ride the Giro d’Italia next month, pulled out of the Giro del Trentino citing illness for his non-participation in the four-day Italian stage race.

Kristoff signs new contract with Katusha.

Alexander Kristoff and Katusha will continue their relationship past 2015. The winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) on April 5 and much more re-signed with the Russian WorldTeam Friday.

Katusha announced the news via a press release. Kristoff has emerged as one of the top sprinters and one-day riders in the peloton.

In addition to Flanders this month, Kristoff won three stages and the overall of the Three Days of De Panne and Scheldeprijs. The results backed up 2014, when the 27-year-old made a significant step forward by winning Milano-Sanremo and two stages in the Tour de France.

“It is unbelievable how the team was going the last months. They all worked so hard for me. The teammates trust me and I trust them,” Kristoff said.

Crane recovers, cheers from afar for Jamis-Hagens Berman teammates.

Ian Crane wasn't able to make it to the Joe Martin Stage Race on Thursday to defend his 2014 overall title, but his Jamis-Hagens Berman team picked up where he left off when Gregory Brenes withstood a Colombian onslaught to win this year's opening time trial and take the race lead.

Following along from his home in the Pacific Northwest, Crane, who continues to recover from a harrowing, life-threatening crash last August at the USA Pro Challenge, experienced conflicting emotions as the results began to pour in over social media.

L’Eroica California!

Nate King has raced professionally around the world but he’d never ridden on classic steel, strapped on some toeclips and got those downtube shifters moving on a machine from the past.

Eroica California was the perfect place to do it and it’s where Nate rediscovered just how beautiful riding can be.

SRAM Wireless groupset: What to expect.

When we received an invitation to a SRAM product launch in California a few weeks ago, we thought the day had finally arrived that the new SRAM wireless groupset, possibly the worst kept secret in cycling, was finally going to be unveiled to the public.

Instead SRAM announced its new single ring 1x Road groupset which, although quite possibly a game-changer in the long term, was not what much of the cycling world had been waiting for.

Despite having already chalked up victory courtesy of Domenico Pozzovivo at the Giro del Trentino, SRAM still isn’t giving an exact date for the unveiling of the groupset, although UCI regualtions state that prototype equipment used in races, as SRAM Wireless was at the Tour Down Under in January, must be available on the market within nine months.

Unsurpassed, by Godfrey Barlow.

The story of Tommy Godwin who throughout 1939 rode a total of 75,065 miles (120,805 kilometers) and then continued on riding into 1940 until he'd racked up 100,000 miles (160,934 kilometers) in 500 days

With multiple different attempts to beat Godwin's record ongoing or planned, it's worth knowing the story of the man who put the Year record on the map and left behind a story up there with the best rival record the Hour can throw at it.

Five-a-side: This week's new bike gear.

Is it a road bike? A 29er? A (shudder) gravel grinder? No one knows, but the Trek 920 is clearly built for the rough, and with front and rear racks as standard it’s meant for load-lugging.

Braking comes courtesy of TRP’s rather excellent Hylex hydraulic brakes, and shifting via bar-ends that will warm the cockles of bearded touring types everywhere. It’s geared properly too, with 42/28 cranks and a 36t big sprocket on the cassette.

Ask a Mechanic: Finding measurements for hub bearings.

Brenes tops Colombians in uphill Joe Martin time trial.

Colombian riders nearly swept the podium during the opening time trial at the Joe Martin Stage Race in Arkansas on Wednesday until Jamis-Hagens Berman's Costa Rican climber Gregory Brenes set the fastest time with just two riders remaining.

Brenes covered the 4.3km uphill time trial in 8:36 to break the stranglehold that Orgullo Antioqueno had on the race, placing Robinson Chaplaud in second and Christian Montoya in third.

Brenes beat the Colombian riders by one second and seven seconds, respectively. Orgullo Antioqueno's Juan David Montoya finished fourth, followed by Stephen Bassett of Jamis-Hagens Berman.

7 talking points from the 2015 men’s Fleche Wallonne.

The dust has now settled on La Fleche Wallonne, the mid-week WorldTour race that makes up one third of the so-called Ardennes Classics. Alejandro Valverde won yesterday’s edition, his second consecutive victory in the race and his third overall.

Fleche Wallonne is best known for the Mur de Huy (“the wall of Huy”) a 1.2km-long climb of 10% average gradient which the riders tackle no fewer than three times.

Unlike last weekend’s Amstel Gold Race, which ended 1.8km beyond the top of Cauberg climb, Fleche Wallonne finishes at the top of the Mur, making it the only Classic with a summit finish.

Dan Martin: Dreaming of another Liege win.

It has been quiet, but that is no reason to forget about Dan Martin ahead of Sunday’s Liège Bastogne Liège one-day race in Belgium. The Cannondale-Garmin leader’s run in the biggest Ardennes classic stands strong: fifth in 2012, a victory in 2013 and, had it not been for a crash in the final corner, perhaps another victory in 2014.

A crash in La Flèche Wallonne Wednesday should do little to derail a determined Martin as he races for another “dream win” in Liège Bastogne Liège on Sunday.

“This is the race of my dreams,” Martin said after his 2013 win. “It’s one of the big ones, and one of the places where I can win.”

Liege Bastogne Liege toughens up finale.

Yet more changes in the race route of Liege Bastogne Liege this year seem certain to cause a much smaller peloton to reach the decisive final climbs of San Nicolas and up to the finish at Ans on Sunday.

Most of the important alterations come between what is traditionally considered the first key group of Liege Bastogne Liege’s ten climbs, the trio of the Wanne, Stockeu and Haut Levee, and the race’s second crucial ascent, the Cote de La Redoute.

2015 Tour of Croatia LIVE streaming.

Thursday's Stage 2 starts at 10:40am CET (4:40am U.S. Eastern).

Finish at around 4:05pm CET (10:05am U.S. Eastern).

Live video from 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern, 5:00am Pacific).

2014-15 Races & Results.

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Stages & Results),

Joe Martin Stage Race - Apr 23-26 (Stages & Results),

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (History),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (Results),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - Apr 6-11 (Results),

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Apr 7-10 (Results),

Scheldeprijs - Apr 8 (Results),

Tour of Flanders - Apr 5 (Results).

More...

Gesink targets Tour de France after restarting season at Flèche Wallonne.

Robert Gesink was nervous about returning to racing at the Flèche Wallonne this week.

With only two days of racing since last September, it felt “a bit like it was my first race,” the LottoNL-Jumbo rider said, but added, “cycling is fun again.”

He is now looking to the Tour de France, which is his “main goal” for the year.

His next race will be the Tour de Romandie. “I've had no spring but later Romandie and the Tour of Switzerland or the Dauphiné, there are plenty of opportunities to work towards the Tour,” he told telesport.nl.

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard.

TUR 2015 Eurosport Broadcast Schedule (CET*)

Stage 1, Sun 26/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 11:15-14:00,

Stage 2, Mon 27/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 3, Tue 28/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 4, Wed 29/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 5, Thu 30/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 6, Fri 01/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 7, Sat 02/05/2015, EUROSPORT , 11:15-12:45, 

Stage 8, Sun 03/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 10:00-12:00.

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Videos ...

Valverde wins La Fleche Wallonne 2015.

Alejandro Valverde defended his La Flèche Wallonne title with a gutsy performance on the Mur de Huy. The Spaniard led from the front on the final climb and held off the challenges from Julian Alaphilippe and Michael Albasini to win by a clear margin.

The win marked the Spaniard’s third win the race and came after Movistar reeled in a late attack from Tim Wellens, who broke clear on the penultimate climb of the Côte de Cherave, and survived into the final 500 meters.

Aru illness prompts speculation that Nibali could ride Giro d'Italia.

Pozzovivo wins Giro del Trentino stage in Fierozzo Val dei Mocheni.

Domenico Pozzovivo nabbed his second victory of the 2015 season, jumping away on the final climb to Fierozzo Val Dei Mocheni to win stage 3 of the Giro del Trentino by five seconds over Mikel Landa and Richie Porte.

The win followed excellent teamwork by AG2R, who placed Hubert Dupont and Hugo Houle in a 15-rider day-long breakaway of the mountainous 183.8km stage from Ala that featured three major climbs in the last 65km - the category 2 Montagnaga, category 1 Passo Redebus and the final ascent to Fierozzo Val Die Mocheni.

Pozzovivo shows his stature with Giro del Trentino stage win..

Domenico Pozzovivo and his AG2R-La Mondiale teammates bounced back at the Giro del Trentino on Thursday, with the French team taking on Team Sky and the Italian climber going on to win the third stage to Fierozzo.

Pozzovivo lost 1:26 on Wednesday’s stage when Porte attacked after seeing him in difficulty. No longer an overall contender or a threat to Porte’s race lead, Pozzovivo focused on winning the stage, attacking alone with two kilometers to go.

He was able to stay away and celebrated with his now familiar gesture of highlighting his lack of stature with his hand on his head.

Alaphilippe, 22, registers breakthrough ride at Fleche Wallonne.

Julian Alaphilippe came to La Flèche Wallonne with a job to do, but it wasn’t to win, or even try.

That’s why, as a sharply diminished peloton hit the lower slopes of the Mur de Huy and the riders around him honed in on the climb, the young Frenchman’s head seemed on a swivel, searching in vain for his Etixx-Quick-Step team leader, world champion Michal Kwiatkowski.

He looked back once, twice, checking over his right shoulder and then his left. The rainbow stripes were nowhere to be seen. Kwiatkowski was too far back, with 600 meters to go, to contest for victory.

Sitting in ninth wheel as the gradient pitched up with 500 meters to go — 10 percent, 12 percent, 15 percent — Alaphilippe took a hand off his bars and called over race radio. What should he do?..

Organizers unveil 2015 Tour of Utah route.

Organizers of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah have revealed a race route for the 2015 edition of the event that will cover over 712 miles in total and make the race’s first visit to the state of Idaho.

The Tour of Utah will make the jump from a 2.1 ranking on the UCI America Tour to a 2.HC ranking this year, putting it on the same UCI race level as the Amgen Tour of California and the USA Pro Challenge, and the newly promoted race will greet riders with 51,442 feet of elevation gain from start to finish.

The race will take place from August 3-9, starting with a stage in Logan, Utah.

The “queen stage,” stage 6 on Saturday, August 8, will take the peloton over nearly 13,000 feet of elevation gain en route to a finish at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort before the final stage of the race on the following day in Park City.

CTech April 2015 Product picks.

The POC Octal helmet is reportedly designed with one thing in mind — safety — whilst also offering good ventilation, comfort and a weight of less than 200 grams (for size M).

To increase safety, the Octal has been designed to provide more coverage and additional protection for the temples and back of the head and the expanded polystyrene liner is reportedly thicker in the most exposed areas.

Rather than many small vents, Octal has fewer, but larger, ventilation slots. This ventilation design allows more air to flow through the helmet, which is said to aid aerodynamic performance.

Giant launches full range of road helmets.

After launching the Rev helmet last year, Giant has unveiled its first full line-up of road helmets.

Alongside an updated Rev, there are two completely new models: the Rivet TT helmet, and the Rivet aero road helmet that we first spotted on the head of John Degenkolb at the Tour Down Under.

The Rivet is probably the most exciting project from the new range, and already has two monuments under its belt with Degenkolb’s victories in Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix.

Videos ...

Giro del Trentino 2015 Live Dashboard.

Stage 3 start time: Thursday 10:30 CET (1:30 AM PST).

Earliest live video: No live video - text updates only.

Approximate finish: 15:20 CET (6:20 AM PST)

Fizik launches Team Edition Aliante saddles.

Fizik has launched a collection of team edition Aliante saddles, available in AG2R La Mondial, BMC Racing Team, Cannondale-Garmin, FDJ, Movistar, Orica - GreenEDGE and Team Sky colors.

The Italian saddle manufacturer sponsors a lot of the WorldTour teams, and has in the past celebrated this fact with limited edition saddles, most recently in the 2013 Giro d’Italia with the Arione R3.

Giro del Trentino: Richie Porte wins stage 2.

Daily Distractions.

Ask a Mechanic: Finding measurements for hub bearings.

UCI confirms Astana to keep license with strict monitoring.

The UCI today confirmed that its License Commission has opted not to revoke the WorldTour license from the Astana team, but will instead keep its existing registration as long as it complies with "special measures."

The announcement did not include any specifics about what Astana must do, but stated the measures were suggested by the representatives from the Institute of Sport Sciences of the University of Lausanne (ISSUL), the same organization that carried out the independent audit that precipitated the license hearing.

Astana Ride On.

The Astana team meets the UCI’s License Commission again today for a second hearing following the UCI’s very public call to remove strip the team’s World Tour license. La Gazzetta Dello Sport says no decision is imminent either.

A second round suggests this is not a slam dunk case. If it was then a review of the files and an obligatory hearing would have been enough to remove the team from the sport.

What happens next has been a regular question by email in recent weeks but the rules aren’t clear and the outcome is more uncertain. Here’s a look at the case and some potential outcomes...

Lance Armstrong: WADA head rebuffed proposed meeting in 2013.

Lance Armstrong said Wednesday that the World Anti-Doping Agency and others are "owed an apology" from him for cheating during his cycling career, but noted that the agency's chief rebuffed efforts to meet back in 2013.

David Howman, director general of WADA, told The Associated Press this week that he is disappointed Armstrong had not apologized for costly and time-consuming lawsuits before the former cycling champion admitted using performance-enhancing drugs.

Armstrong initially declined comment on Howman's remark, but on Wednesday provided the AP with a May 2013 email exchange with Howman, who initially indicted he could meet with Armstrong, then backed off under advice from WADA lawyers..

Tiernan-Locke: It’s hard to see a WorldTour team touching me.

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke admits that a place within a WorldTour team could be out of his reach but the banned rider has confirmed that he aims to compete in the sport once his doping ban ends in December of this year.

Tiernan-Locke was dismissed by Team Sky last year when the UCI announced that he had shown irregular biological passport values dating back to 2012.

The values were before his time at Team Sky and he was handed a two-year suspension. He resolutely defended himself throughout the proceedings, stating that he had never doped, but with his ban ending this year the suspended athlete has already been approached by domestic teams in the United Kingdom.

Thoughts On The LIMITS Power Meter.

"Ok, I wasn’t planning on doing a post on the LIMITS power meter until I actually had some first-hand time with the unit. 

For those not familiar, LIMITS kicked off a round of publicity this past weekend ahead of their crowd-funding launch this past Monday. 

Their product is a $250USD power meter that attaches in between the pedal and the crank arm.  This will measure your power on your left side (ala Stages Power), and then double that power.  It will transmit ANT+ initially, and then Bluetooth Smart support down the road. 

Also down the road are plans for releasing a dual capable left and right version."

Storey and Rowsell headline Tour de Yorkshire women’s race.

Sarah Storey and Joanna Rowsell are just two of over 100 of the UK’s best female riders to be taking part in the Tour de Yorkshire’s women’s race on May 2 in York.

The pair, who both race for Pearl Izumi Sports Tours International, are joined by fellow Great Britain track rider Katie Archibald.

With the race open to Elite down to Cat. 3 riders, the mix of participants will give some younger riders the chance to race alongside Olympians and Paralympians like Storey and Rowsell.

2015 Liege Bastogne Liege LIVE.

Sunday's Liege Bastogne Liege departs Liege at 10:15am CET (4:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Ans at around 4:49pm CET (10:49am U.S. Eastern). 

Live streaming video should get underway at around *1:50pm CET (*7:50am U.S. Eastern). *Rai Sport 1 coverage starts at this time but Eurosport is not scheduled to start until 2:15pm CET (8:15am U.S. Eastern, 5:15am Pacific).

Videos ...

Valverde wins La Fleche Wallonne 2015.

Alejandro Valverde defended his La Flèche Wallonne title with a gutsy performance on the Mur de Huy. The Spaniard led from the front on the final climb and held off the challenges from Julian Alaphilippe and Michael Albasini to win by a clear margin.

The win marked the Spaniard’s third win the race and came after Movistar reeled in a late attack from Tim Wellens, who broke clear on the penultimate climb of the Côte de Cherave, and survived into the final 500 meters.

Aru illness prompts speculation that Nibali could ride Giro d'Italia.

Fabio Aru’s illness and the pending UCI License Commission decision on Astana’s WorldTour status has prompted renewed speculation from Gazzetta dello Sport that Vincenzo Nibali could yet line up at the Giro d’Italia, which gets underway in San Remo on May 9.

Nibali rides Flèche Wallonne and Liège Bastogne Liège this week before tackling the Tour de Romandie, and is then expected to take a break from racing before returning to ride the Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of the Tour de France.

With Astana’s Giro leader Aru stricken by an intestinal complaint and forced to miss this week’s Giro del Trentino, however, manager Giuseppe Martinelli is reportedly keen that Nibali attempts the Giro-Tour de France double.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Stages & Results),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (Results),

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (History),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - Apr 6-11 (Results),

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Apr 7-10 (Results),

Scheldeprijs - Apr 8 (Results),

Tour of Flanders - Apr 5 (Results).

More...

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard.

TUR 2015 Eurosport Broadcast Schedule (CET*)

Stage 1, Sun 26/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 11:15-14:00,

Stage 2, Mon 27/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 3, Tue 28/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 4, Wed 29/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 5, Thu 30/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 6, Fri 01/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 7, Sat 02/05/2015, EUROSPORT , 11:15-12:45, 

Stage 8, Sun 03/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 10:00-12:00.

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Bora-Argon 18 win opening team time trial at Giro del Trentino.

Giro del Trentino: Richie Porte wins stage 2.

Richie Porte won stage 2 of the Giro del Trentino and took the overall race lead after distancing all his overall rivals with a devastating attack two kilometers from the line at Brentonico-Parco Del Baldo.

The Australian reached the finish 16 seconds ahead of Mikel Landa and a resurgent Damiano Cunego, who finished third on the stage at 32 seconds.

Thanks to Team Sky's strong ride in the opening team time trial stage on Tuesday, the Tasmanian now leads the general classification and pulled on the race leader’s fuchsia-colored jersey.

Landa is second overall at 24 seconds, with his Team Sky teammate Leopold Konig third at 42 seconds.

Report: further delays likely in Astana case.

Although the season is already in its fourth month and the Giro d’Italia is drawing ever-closer, there are suggestions that a final resolution in the Astana case may still be some time away.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the expected hearing scheduled for Friday has been moved to Thursday and will take place in Geneva. However rather than a quick decision being made, the Italian newspaper states that a further wait is likely to happen.

La Gazzetta presents two scenarios. The first is that the UCI’s License Commission will decide to have a new discovery phase in order to allow more information to be brought forward.

Alternatively, it envisages the announcement of a definitive date for the final decision.

Wednesday Shorts.

The 1980 edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège is infamous for the snow. Reports say half the field abandoned within the first hour, some so desperate they entered roadside houses for shelter.

Bernard Hinault ploughed on to win, cementing his reputation as a hard man and ensuring the day entered the sport’s mythology.

But there’s the untold tale of Rayban sunglasses.

2015 Tour of Croatia LIVE streaming.

Thursday's Stage 2 starts at 10:40am CET (4:40am U.S. Eastern).

Finish at around 4:05pm CET (10:05am U.S. Eastern).

Live video from 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern, 5:00am Pacific).

Cannondale Synapse HI MOD review.

The design of the carbon Synapse frameset was recently overhauled.

A wider bottom bracket was introduced, braced by a seat tube that splits into a fork to create a “power pyramid”. The bike’s micro-suspension was also refined and the diameter of the seatpost was reduced to introduce more flex.

Finally, the weight of the frameset was reduced by utilising “Ballistec” carbon fibre, which apparently also offers greater impact resistance.

Daily Distractions.

Wednesday Legs: Therefore.

The Moment The Race Was Won – Flèche Wallonne.

Alejandro Valverde sprints clear in the final straight to win the Flèche Wallonne. An obvious scenario but plenty happened before with numerous crashes. It promises a very nervous Stage 3 of the Tour de France.

As usual an early breakaway but no riders of serious consequence. It took a while to reel them all in even while they were bickering and attacking each other. The race behind was on with crashes as riders fought for position.

Tejay van Garderen tried a move over the Côte d’Ereffe and why not? He’s a steady rider rather than the springy type for the finish and was one of the few BMC riders to stay upright.

Anna van der Breggen wins La Flèche Wallonne Féminine.

Anna van der Breggen came out on top after an exciting finale to La Flèche Wallonne Féminine. The Rabo Liv rider beat Annemiek van Vleuten from an unexpected two-rider breakaway, while Megan Guarnier  was the best of the rest on the Mur de Huy.

Van der Breggen took advantage of a strong performance by her Rabo-Liv team to bridge across to Van Vleuten and teammate Roxane Knetemann at the foot of the final climb. Knetemann sacrificed her chances for her teammate, and Van der Breggen jumped away to win by a 12-second margin.

Cookson: Armstrong risks angry welcome on Tour charity ride.

Lance Armstrong will be risking an angry reception if he carries out his own Tour de France charity ride this year, the head of cycling’s governing body has warned.

The American, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles for doping, plans to go over this year’s “Grande Boucle” route one day before the main race with former England soccer player Geoff Thomas. The pair say they will raise money for cancer sufferers.

But Armstrong has been widely criticized.

“I think he needs to bear in mind that he may not get quite the welcome he would like in France riding around the route of the Tour the day before,” Brian Cookson told AFP at the SportAccord convention in Sochi, Russia.

Videos ...

Giro del Trentino 2015 Live Dashboard.

Stage 3 start time: Thursday 10:30 CET (1:30 AM PST).

Earliest live video: No live video - text updates only.

Approximate finish: 15:20 CET (6:20 AM PST)

Cannondale Garmin crash at speed ...

Bora-Argon 18 win opening team time trial at Giro del Trentino.

Bora-Argon 18 sprang something of a surprise in the opening team time trial of the Giro del Trentino when they beat Team Sky by just 0.18 of a second to take the honors and place Italian rider Cesare Benedetti in the leader’s jersey.

The German-registered squad scorched around the fast, 13.3-kilometer course on the shore of Lake Garda at an average speed of some 56.643kph, but despite that impressive showing, the expectation was that the Sky team of pre-race favorite Richie Porte would have enough quality in their ranks to land the win.

Philadelphia International Cycling Classic teams announced.

The organizers of the Philadelphia International Cycling Classic have announced 24 teams will contest the 173km race on June 7.

The race, which finishes at the top of The Wall and features the infamous 17% Manayunk Wall has been won by Kiel Reijnen for the last two years.

In 2015, the women's edition of the race has been elevated to World Cup status with the men's race retaining a 1.2 ranking.

They will race over 110-miles (173 km) and complete 9 laps of the course with a spectacular finish at the top of The Wall. The one-day competition is a dynamic and selective course best known for the intense elevation on the 17% Manayunk Wall, the most historical climb in U.S. cycling history.

How to follow the women’s Flèche Wallonne, live–ish ...

Evelyn Stevens: Ready for La Fleche Wallonne.

"I love racing Flèche; I loved it even before I won it.

I have some great male and female training partners. One of the benefits of training with strong men (and women) is that you can hop on their wheel, and it is like motorpacing. The best thing is when you find some solid training partners who push you on your rides and also who you have a fun time with on the bike.

As professional cyclists we spend so many hours on the bike, so having good company makes your training better!

The riding in Nice is wonderful. There is a plethora of great training loops, wonderful climbs, and the views are incredible. The nice Mediterranean weather is a big plus as well.

I am very fortunate and have found some wonderful people to train with, a great motorpacer, and a great person for sports massage. Any time you can train hard and recover just as hard, it is always a good recipe for racing."

Q&A with Bardet: I'm ready to fight for victory at Liege Bastogne Liege.

Romain Bardet impressed last year when he went on to claim sixth overall at the Tour de France. His 2015 season hasn’t gone to plan so far with a crash during the Volta a Catalunya preventing him from contesting the overall classification and eventually out of the race.

Bardet has picked himself up though and begins a busy two weeks of racing with the Giro del Trentino.

Cyclingnews caught up with the Frenchman to discuss his first appearance at the Italian race, targeting success at Liège Bastogne Liège and his preparation for the Tour de France.

Videos ...

La Flèche Wallonne 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Fleche Wallonne LIVE.

Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne departs Waremme at 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Huy at around 4:51pm CET (10:51am U.S. Eastern). 

Fleche Wallonne live streaming video is scheduled to get underway from around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern, 5:00am Pacific).

Videos ...

Giro del Trentino 2015 Live Dashboard.

Stage 1 start time: Tuesday 15:15 CET (6:15 AM PST).

Earliest live video: No live video; Text updates only.

Approximate finish: 16:20 CET (7:20 AM PST).

2014-15 Races & Results.

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Stages & Results),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (History),

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (History),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - Apr 6-11 (Results),

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Apr 7-10 (Results),

Scheldeprijs - Apr 8 (Results),

Tour of Flanders - Apr 5 (Results).

More...

Seven essentials you need to take on every ride.

"There’s no point risking it, because that’s the point when you’ll definitely need your tools with you on your ride."

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Astana license decision expected in days.

An International Cycling Union (UCI) commission is expected to rule this week on whether the doping-tainted Astana team should be stripped of its license, Brian Cookson said Monday.

If Astana loses, star rider Vincenzo Nibali could forfeit the right to defend his Tour de France title.

“I am expecting a decision this week, I am hoping so. I don’t have a final date, but the sooner the better,” Cookson told AFP on the sidelines of the SportAccord convention in Sochi, Russia.

Astana could appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but legal officials have said Astana would not automatically have the right to carry on racing while the tribunal comes to a decision..

Nearly 1 million bikes ...

Trek issues recall of QR on disc-brake bikes.

Trek is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall bikes spec'd with quick releases that have a lever that opens greater than 180 degrees and can be caught in a front disc brake if left in the open position.

The company said that the issue is not a manufacturing defect on the QR but due to improper use or adjustment.

Riders who leave the QR in the open position can potentially have the lever caught in the front disc brake while riding.

Nibali criticizes Cookson as Astana license decision nears.

Tour de France champion, Vincenzo Nibali wasn’t short of words for Brian Cookson when asked about team Astana’s license situation recently. With a decision on the team’s license by the License Commission expected as early as this week Nibali’s Tour defense hangs in the balance.

Cycling’s governing body requested that its license commission strip the Kazakh team of its WorldTour status following the 2014 doping cases and an independent audit by the University of Lausanne.

Following Nibali’s Tour win, two riders from the team failed a test for EPO while three from the continental team with the same Astana name were caught using steroids.

Who will win La Flèche? ...

Pocket Preview ...

Flèche Wallonne Preview.

For 364 days of the year the Chemin des Chapelles climbs up the side of Mont Mosan but on Wednesday the road its renamed the Mur de Huy, the “wall of Huy”.

The climb is so steep it deserves mural adjective and few races see riders cross the finish line in such obvious agony. But can the race deliver more than a three minute climax?

This year’s route includes a new climb right before the end to split up the field and the presence of several star names indicates that this mid-week race matters because because the finish is identical to Stage 3 of the Tour de France.

Kwiatkowski can join exclusive group with Flèche Wallonne win ...

Lefevere: Kwiatkowski won’t win the Tour de France.

Reigning world champion Michal Kwiatkowski won’t be wearing yellow on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. According to Etixx-Quick-Step boss Patrick Lefevere, he has the capacity to win all the classics, but not the Tour de France.

The Pole won his first race in the rainbow jersey on Sunday, the Amstel Gold Race in Valkenburg, the Netherlands. He is now taking aim at the remaining Ardennes classics, La Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday and Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.

In 2014, Kwiatkowski placed fifth in Amstel and was third in both Flèche and Liège.

“With his legs, he can win them all. I just don’t think he is my Tour winner,” Lefevere told Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad.

“I think the overall in the Tour de France is too much. [Nairo] Quintana will always be better at climbing.

Cycling Climbs, by Nigel Peake and Claire Beaumont.

A collection of twenty art prints inspired by iconic climbs, with some of the story of those climbs.

Once you've read the details, you can frame the prints and hang them on your wall.

Beat-Looking Bike? Try New Paint.

Sometimes the most interesting product isn’t a product at all, but a service. Walking the Sea Otter Expo, we spied several eye-catching frame paint jobs at an exhibitor and walked over to inspect.

Joe’s Carbon Solutions does carbon frame repair, but also has a solid business in custom frame painting. The company started out painting for Kestrel and Calfee 25 years ago, and several years back hung out their own shingle.

They paint new or used frames, metal and carbon. You can have a new, custom-made frame sent to them for finishing or send them a restoration job. Simple, single color paint jobs start at $400, although customs can reach much more.

Dropper Bibs: The One Piece of Women’s Cycling Gear You Need.

"I’m not really a tech-head, but there’s one development I’ve been watching closely for the last couple of years: the pee-break-friendly bib short.

In case you haven’t been following this game-changing apparel revolution, I’m talking about bib shorts that are specifically designed to make nature breaks easier for women. So instead of maneuvering out of your sweaty jersey, vest, jacket, or whatever else you’re wearing up top, you can drop trou and go.

As an apparel category, they don’t seem to have a name. Around the office we’ve nicknamed them dropper bibs, potty bibs, pee-friendly bibs, squatter shorts.

For women who like the comfort and smooth lines of bib shorts, dropper bibs solve a legit problem."

2015 Tour of Croatia LIVE streaming.

Wednesday's Stage 1 starts at -- CET (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- CET (-- U.S. Eastern)

Live video from -- CET (-- U.S. Eastern)...

PCC, WADA partner to create $6 million anti-doping research fund.

The Partnership for Clean Competition (PCC) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced a multi-year anti-doping research partnership on Tuesday.

The partnership will involve the creation of two collaborative research funds totaling $6 million to be administered by both organizations; $1.5 million of the funds will be matched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as part of the special IOC-WADA Anti-Doping Research Fund.

“This partnership will enable us to support the highest quality international anti-doping research and to implement the results of that research in WADA-accredited labs.

This is a great win for anti-doping, PCC members, and for our researchers,” said PCC executive director Michael Pearlmutter.

Daily Distractions.

Lee's Lowdown: Amstel Angst!

Steve Tilford: Fixin’ Stuff.

AngryAsian: Enough with the logos already.

BikeSnobNYC: "Hey, cyclist, can you help me tell my ass from my elbow?"

RKP: The Sea Otter ‘Show,’ Part I.

Toolbox: The Power of External Motivation.

Technique Tuesday: Adam Myerson On Warming Up Differently for Different Events.

Technical FAQ: Disc brakes in road racing.

Photos: 15 years of La Flèche Wallonne.

Photos: Fleche Wallonne.

Photos: Inside the Team Lotto Soudal service course.

Photos: “Seabase x El Teide” Cycling in Tenerife.

Video: How The Race Was Won – Amstel Gold 2015.

Video: On-board at the Tro Bro Leon with Jérémy Roy.

Video: How To Choose The Right Cycling Shoes.

Video: Bike box drop test. BikeBoxAlan vs a Chinese imitation.

Video: Concealed Carrie Carrie's Closet Athletic Top.

Cancellara moves to next stage of recovery from vertebral fracture.

Having been forced to miss the spring Classics due to the transverse process fractures he suffered to two vertebrae bones of the lower back at the end of March, Fabian Cancellara has been able to resume training.

The Trek Factory Racing rider fell heavily in the E3 Harelbeke race on March 27, being forced to retire from the event. X-rays and CT scans subsequently confirmed the damage and made participation in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix impossible.

“There is nothing you can do with this injury – no cast, no surgery – but just biting the pain,” said Cancellara at the time.

There was better news for the Swiss rider on Tuesday.

Fleche Wallonne: New climb adds twist to Mur finale.

The Amaury Sports Organisation is often accused of being stodgy, out of touch, arrogant, and, if you believe the complaints of team owners trying to get a piece of their TV revenues, the main impediment holding back the evolution of cycling.

But the owner of the Tour de France and a mix of one-day and week-long stage races has done more than its fair share to prop up cycling, saving such races as Paris-Nice and the Critérium du Dauphiné from oblivion.

For 2015, ASO is tweaking the formula at Flèche Wallonne in a bid to add another layer of surprise, the Cote de Cherave with 5km to go, into what’s become a predictable road map to the approach to the decisive Mur de Huy.

Beyond the podium at Flanders Classics with Lien Crapoen and Maja Leye.

By 8am on the morning of the Tour of Flanders, the Grote Markt in Bruges is already filled to bursting point. The sun slowly emerges above the medieval belfry, though most have already been warmed by heated discussion over who will win De Ronde.

Lien Crapoen and Maja Leye survey the Markt with pride. In just over nine hours, they will do their duty as podium hosts to present that winner with a bouquet and an oversized bottle of champagne.

Millions will witness the moment Alexander Kristoff accepts kisses from them, but few will realize that 12 months of hard work from these two women have played a major role in the very running of the race itself.

Omloop van Borsele 2015.

Omloop van Borsele is the main event in a weekend-long celebration of all things cycling in the Zeeland town of ‘s-Heerenhoek. As well as the women’s road race there There are junior stage races for boys and girls plus an elite women’s time trial.

The women’s road race has taken a step up in classification for 2015 and is now a class one event, putting it on a par with the likes of Strade Bianche and Boels Rental Hills Classics when it comes to those precious UCI points.

Froome returns to racing at Flèche Wallonne.

Team sources have confirmed that Chris Froome will be on the startline of Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday, but that he will not, as had been rumored possible, be taking part in Liege Bastogne Liege on Sunday.

His next race will instead be the Tour of Romandie, which Froome won in 2013 and 2014.

The Briton last raced this season in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, losing more than 27 minutes on one stage, before heading to Tenerife for almost two weeks of training.

Prior to Catalunya, Froome missed out on Tirreno-Adriatico because of a chest infection, but in February he won his first race of the season, the Tour of Andalucia, ahead of arch-Tour rival Alberto Contador.

Froome’s previous participation in Flèche Wallonne, meanwhile, was back in 2010, finishing 119th, eleven minutes down.

Strava signups were six-times expectations ...

Competitive Cyclist puts the brakes on Strava partnership.

Just three weeks after its launch, online retailer Competitive Cyclist has put the brakes on its Strava partnership, stating that the program, which rewards cyclists with one US dollar in store credit for each hour spent riding, must be put on hold in order to restructure the program to address unexpectedly high demand.

“When we came up with the idea to pay you a dollar an hour to ride your bike through our partnership with Strava, it was pure, it was simple and it represented everything we stand for. Apparently you liked it too, because you signed up by the tens of thousands and told everyone you knew. We had expectations and you blew them out of the water,” stated Competitive Cyclist in a press release issued on Monday.

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard.

TUR 2015 Eurosport Broadcast Schedule (CET*)

Stage 1, Sun 26/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 11:15-14:00,

Stage 2, Mon 27/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 3, Tue 28/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 4, Wed 29/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 5, Thu 30/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 6, Fri 01/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 7, Sat 02/05/2015, EUROSPORT , 11:15-12:45, 

Stage 8, Sun 03/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 10:00-12:00.

PEZ: EuroTrash Michal Monday!

BikeSnobNYC: Sorry, I forgot to wind my Apple watch.

Steve Tilford: Criterium Nationals – UnitedHealthcare Disaster.

RKP: The Mother Ship.

Alps&Andes: Non-culinary secrets of Colombian cycling. The undisputed king of the mountains.

AeroGeeks: WiR.

Astana license decision expected in days.

An International Cycling Union (UCI) commission is expected to rule this week on whether the doping-tainted Astana team should be stripped of its license, Brian Cookson said Monday.

If Astana loses, star rider Vincenzo Nibali could forfeit the right to defend his Tour de France title.

“I am expecting a decision this week, I am hoping so. I don’t have a final date, but the sooner the better,” Cookson told AFP on the sidelines of the SportAccord convention in Sochi, Russia.

Astana could appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but legal officials have said Astana would not automatically have the right to carry on racing while the tribunal comes to a decision..

Giro del Trentino 2015 Live Dashboard.

Stage 1 start time: Tuesday 15:15 CET (6:15 AM PST).

Earliest live video: No live video; Text updates only.

Approximate finish: 16:20 CET (7:20 AM PST).

Who is Alexander Kristoff? The most successful rider of 2015 profiled.

Some reacted like he had just burst forth onto the scene with his three stages plus the overall in the Three Days of De Panne, the Tour of Flanders and Scheldeprijs, but in truth Alexander Kristoff has been a pot slowly coming to the boil for several seasons.

Now 27 years old and with an impressive eleven victories thus far this year, the Norwegian is someone who has made steady progress since turning pro with the BMC Racing Team in 2010.

While his time at that squad was relatively quiet, he did show early promise with results such as third in the 2010 Philadelphia International Championship and victory in the 2011 national road race championships ahead of Vegard Laengen plus Thor Hushovd.

With second at Amstel Gold, Valverde confident for remaining Ardennes races.

Perhaps Alejandro Valverde will never win the Amstel Gold Race. It’s not for trying. And for the third time in his career, he was on the final podium Sunday, behind a superb Michal Kwiatkowski, who relegated Spain’s “Green Bullet” to second in the Dutch classic.

“I couldn’t ask for a better result than second,” Valverde said Sunday after the second Amstel Gold Race runner-up finish of his career. “It’s a more open finish than right at the top of the Cauberg, with a field sprint like today. We did everything we could.”

The 34-year-old Spaniard confirmed yet again he is one of the most consistent performers across the hilly classics in Belgium and the Netherlands. Sunday’s podium was his 11th top-3 in the Ardennes of his career.

Michael Woods: Calming the emotional roller coaster at Redlands Bicycle Classic.

"Dude, calm down," said my team director, Jonas Carney, as I hobbled into the pit of the Redlands Bicycle Classic Criterium. I was angry.

Only minutes earlier I had consumed a Clif caffeinated gel, and its effects were kicking in right when I had originally hoped. This shot of caffeine, combined with the onset of adrenaline from racing an NRC level crit was supposed to propel me to a strong finish.

However, the concoction of caffeine and adrenaline, when mixed with the nausea brought on from slamming into a steel barrier at 30km/h, instead resulted in all my rational thoughts crawling into the most remote spaces of my brain.

"Where the f_*!k is Phil" I yelled, as I held my left side and grimaced from what felt like I had just been Shorykened by Ryu from Street Fighter. "Dude, you need to calm down," Jonas said.

"Ok," I said, and looked down at my pinky finger, which had a piece of skin dangling from its side, and then said, "I think I am going to puke."

Start List ...

La Flèche Wallonne Femmes 2015.

La Fléche Wallonne Femmes is round four of the UCI Women’s Road World Cup and the last round in Europe for a few months as the competition heads to China and the USA.

Held on the same day as the men’s edition of the race, La Fléche Wallone Femmes is one of the biggest one day races on the women’s cycling calendar, attracting huge crowds, cheering on the riders on the two ascents of the infamous Mur de Huy.

To spice things up, the race organizers have added a punchy climb just five kilometers from the finish which could change the approach of those who don’t want to leave it to the final meters up the Mur de Huy.

Greg LeMond’s five greatest wins.

Greg LeMond’s favorite career moment is probably one that few people actually witnessed. Aged 18, LeMond stormed onto the world scene at the Junior World Championships in Argentina, medalling in three disciplines on both road and track.

“I got three medals in Argentina,” said LeMond. “I got a bronze medal in the team time trial and a silver on the track, despite having not ridden a pursuit for years! Then I won the road race.”

The win marked the American’s readiness to enter the professional ranks and, courted by Bernard Hinault and coach Cyrille Guimard, he joined the Renault team in 1981.

2014-15 Races & Results.

Giro del Trentino - Apr 21-24 (Start List),

La Flèche Wallonne - Apr 22 (History),

Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey - Apr 26-May 3 (History),

Giro d'Italia 2015 - May 9-31 (Stages),

Tour de France 2015 - July 4-26 (Stages),

Vuelta a España 2015 - Aug 22-Sept 13 (Stages),

UCI Road World Championship 2015 - Sept 20-27 (Stages),

Amstel Gold Race - Apr 19 (Results),

De Brabantse Pijl - Apr 15 (Results),

Paris Roubaix - Apr 12 (Results),

Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco - Apr 6-11 (Results),

Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Apr 7-10 (Results),

Scheldeprijs - Apr 8 (Results),

Tour of Flanders - Apr 5 (Results).

More...

Is this the best bike race you’ve never heard of?

Here is a professional bike race that feels a little bit like it doesn’t belong in this world.

The 200km route zooms up hills, along windswept coasts, through the grounds of deserted castles and into dark passages that tunnel under motorways like rabbit burrows.

It takes place the weekend after Paris-Roubaix and is run over off-road sectors through farmland in the far west of France.

There are farm animals aplenty – although these are reserved for the podium – and the publicity poster features a cartoon of the previous year’s winner, drawn by the organizer.

Preview ...

La Flèche Wallonne 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Fleche Wallonne LIVE.

Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne departs Waremme at 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Huy at around 4:51pm CET (10:51am U.S. Eastern). 

Fleche Wallonne live streaming video is scheduled to get underway from around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern, 5:00am Pacific).

2015 Tour of Croatia LIVE streaming.

Wednesday's Stage 1 starts at -- CET (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- CET (-- U.S. Eastern)

Live video from -- CET (-- U.S. Eastern)...

Tour de Yorkshire 2015 Live Dashboard ...

2015 Tour de Yorkshire LIVE video stream.

Friday's Stage 1 starts at -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern). Finish at around -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Live video from -- BST (-- U.S. Eastern).

Videos ...

Experience pays off ...

Sprints to first victory in rainbow jersey ...

Kwiatkowski wins Amstel Gold Race.

Michał Kwiatkowski claimed his first road race win as World champion with a perfectly executed sprint at Amstel Gold Race.

The Pole was briefly distanced on the final ascent of the Cauberg by defending champion Philippe Gilbert and sprinter Michael Matthews but the Etixx-QuickStep rider latched back with several other riders, including Alejandro Valverde as the group crested the climb.

BMC led out, then Sky made a move on the right and Matthews was in a good position but Kwiatkowski came from a long way back, and took the win by over a bike length. It looks like Valverde was second.

Felt Bicycles Revamps Carbon Cyclocross Bikes with TeXtreme.

At the 2015 Sea Otter Classic, we got a first look at the brand-new 2016 cyclocross bikes unveiled by Felt Bicycles.

Verbruggen's letter speaks for itself, says Cookson.

Brian Cookson said that he will not enter into public debate with former incumbent Hein Verbruggen, who wrote a 3,350-word letter to the UCI Management Committee in which he dismissed Cookson’s request for him to step down from his position as honorary president.

“I think Mr Verbruggen's letter speaks for itself. Those who have read the CIRC report will understand where the UCI went wrong in the past, including the conflicts it needlessly got into and which seriously damaged its credibility.

I was elected to change the way the UCI conducts itself and I won't be drawn into this kind of public conflict.”

All US domestic teams will get automatic invitation to Worlds TTT.

All US Continental teams and women's pro teams will receive an automatic invitation to the Team Time Trial World Championships this September in Richmond, Virginia, rather than having to qualify via UCI rankings, organizers of the race confirmed to Cyclingnews this week.

Although all 17 WorldTour trade teams are compelled to compete in the team time trial, previously only the top 20 teams in the UCI Europe Tour rankings, the top five from the America and Asia tours, and the leaders of the Africa and Oceana tours would have qualified for the event.

The team time trial is the only world championship event that is contested by trade teams rather than national teams.

North American wrap: Stetina back in the US, Virtual ride with Voigt.

After a marathon journey from Bilbao, Spain to Salt Lake City, Utah, Peter Stetina is back on US soil and ready to start the process of recovering from a shattered kneecap, broken tibia and four cracked ribs sustained in a crash in the opening stage of the Volta al Pais Vasco earlier this month.

The BMC rider spent 11 nights in the hospital after the crash, including surgery to repair the breaks, and will now be evaluated by the team's medical staff in Utah before launching into rehab.

Porte is favorite ...

The road to the Giro starts in Trentino.

The Giro d'Italia is three weeks away and for the contenders the true sharpening of the form starts now. Before we get on the startline in Sanremo May 9 there are two major stageraces that will give us an idea of what kind of Giro to expect.

The Tour of Romandy and first of all the Giro del Trentino that is emerging as a true warmup for the climbers about to tackle the first Grand Tour of the year.

With a short but challenging course in the mountainous Trentino region of northern Italy this is the perfect place to get race ready.

For the Italians it's more than that of course, it's a solid win in itself ,but to the many forign GC contenders lining up it is primarily a way to gauge your form and try yourself against some of the opposition you will be facing in a month.

Tony Martin: Taking Tour de France yellow as important as the Worlds.

When Tony Martin rolls down the start ramp of the Tour de France’s stage one time trial in Utrecht this summer, cycling’s top time triallist of his generation will look to continue the recent run of German success on the opening day of the race.

Marcel Kittel has donned the first yellow jersey at the past two Tours, and Martin aims to match his fellow countryman on July 4.

Martin’s best result in an opening Tour time trial was second in Rotterdam in 2010, and in 2012 he set the fastest time in the opening prologue in Liege at the mid-race checkpoint but then was forced to change bikes because of a mechanical problem, slumping to 45th.

Up to this point in his career, when the Etixx-QuickStep rider has been asked if the Worlds Time Trial is his biggest goal of the season, it’s pretty much been a rhetorical question. But this time Martin replies “maybe, but also the yellow jersey this summer in Utrecht is very important.”

'Stomach virus"  ...

Aru withdraws from Giro del Trentino due to illness.

Fabio Aru has withdrawn from the Giro del Trentino, citing illness. The Astana rider will not participate in the four-day race, which gets underway on Tuesday, as he is reportedly suffering from a stomach virus.

Aru had spent almost three weeks training at altitude on Mount Teide in Tenerife prior to the Giro del Trentino, which was due to be his final race before the Giro d’Italia, where he lines up as Astana’s leader following his third place finish a year ago.

“Fabio completed a solid training block with his teammates at altitude in Tenerife this month and has very good physical condition at the moment, but unfortunately he caught something after he returned home and was very ill over the weekend,” Astana trainer Paolo Slongo said in a statement on the team's website.

British inventor creates revolutionary affordable power meter ...

The World's Smartest Cycling Power Meter.

"Introducing a cycling training tool designed to maximize your training efforts and performance and revolutionize cycling power meters. LIMITS is a truly unique cycling power meter. LIMITS power meter is inspired by our cycling passion and our goal to remove all existing limitations in the marketplace.

Affordable – to make power meters accessible to cyclists at every level.

Interchangeable – compatible with all bikes, no need to replace any parts.

Simple to use - the easiest ever to install and use."

Rudy Project Wing57 – Review.

"When a company like Rudy Project launches a new aero helmet, everyone in transition takes notice. And that’s not just because they have the highest helmet count in Kona year after year.

Rudy Project is also smart in that they consult with experts to make their products better, like John Cobb for example. So when Rudy Project first announced the Wing57, we all wanted to know more.

We started seeing examples show up in the pro peloton, as well as among the ranks of pro athletes in transition, almost immediately.

Unfortunately, it took a little while longer for the helmet to make it to the age groupers—and even longer for it to get into our hands. But finally in late fall of last year we received ours.

Fortunately the helmet arrived with enough time to not only put it through its paces via our usual testing process, but we were also able to wear it for a couple races as well. Before we jump into our full review, lets recap what makes the Wing57 so special."

Tour of Turkey 2015 Live Dashboard.

TUR 2015 Eurosport Broadcast Schedule (CET*)

Stage 1, Sun 26/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 11:15-14:00,

Stage 2, Mon 27/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 3, Tue 28/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 4, Wed 29/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 5, Thu 30/04/2015, EUROSPORT, 12:30-14:00,

Stage 6, Fri 01/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 14:00-15:30,

Stage 7, Sat 02/05/2015, EUROSPORT , 11:15-12:45, 

Stage 8, Sun 03/05/2015, EUROSPORT, 10:00-12:00.

The seven most innovative products of 2015 so far.

"Believe it or not, but one of the most popular pages on the Cycling Weekly website has been a saddle review. However this is not just any old saddle, it’s the legendary Essax Shark saddle.

The “innovative design” claims to evenly distribute weight between the rider’s sit bones, with the fin helping to achieve better alignment of the knees and prevent rocking and rolling.

We tested the saddle back in January and found it to be surprisingly comfortable, while also being impressively lightweight for the price, although we had doubts over its durability."

Nibali, Astana attacks come up short ...

Valverde remains upbeat despite another loss ...

The Moment The Race Was Won: Amstel Gold Race.

Michał Kwiatkowski wins the sprint to take the Amstel Gold Race, checking he’s got the better of Michael Matthews while Cauberg attacker Philippe Gilbert has already been tamed and beaten.

The early break was notable for two things. First the presence of Lotto-Jumbo’s Timo Roosen, because if the team had missed the move you sense they’d have been forced to bring it back in order to try again; second Mike Tepstra was there, the Roompot rider isn’t Niki’s twin but they’re look-a-likes.

Despite no obvious threats the move was never allowed to get much time with BMC Racing and Movistar doing a lot of the tempo-setting, with BMC’s Marcus Burghardt notable for a lot of work.

As ever on the small roads crashes took their toll, notably Lieuwe Westra. While if a rider punctured they could often get back to the bunch ok, it was moving back to the front of the peloton that was the hard part.

Daily Distractions.

PEZ: EuroTrash Michal Monday!

BikeSnobNYC: Sorry, I forgot to wind my Apple watch.

Steve Tilford: Criterium Nationals – UnitedHealthcare Disaster.

RKP: The Mother Ship.

Alps&Andes: Non-culinary secrets of Colombian cycling. The undisputed king of the mountains.

AeroGeeks: WiR.

Mechanical Monday: Prepping Your Tubulars for Off-Season Storage.

Photos: Amstel Gold Race.

Photos: Ronde van Gelderland.

Photos: USA Cycling USPRO team time trial championships.

Video: 2015 Volkswagen USA Cycling Professional Criterium Championships.

Video: How to change Shimano lever hoods.

Video: Pro peloton goes off-roading at Tro-Bro Leon.

Hein Verbruggen pens an Open Letter to Brian Cookson - Truly insane ...

Hein Verbruggen slams successor Brian Cookson in scathing attack ...

Verbruggen rejects Cookson's call to step down as UCI honorary president.

Hein Verbruggen has dismissed UCI President Brian Cookson’s call for him to resign his title of honorary president in a long letter to members of the UCI’s Management Committee and said that he is “proud” of the legal action he took against Floyd Landis, Paul Kimmage and others who have spoken on the issue of doping in cycling.

Following the publication of the Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) report last month, which highlighted “numerous examples that prove Lance Armstrong benefited from a preferential status” during Verbruggen’s time at the head of the UCI, Cookson wrote to Verbruggen to ask him to step down from his role as honorary president.

Peloton thinks of Criquielion ahead of Fleche Wallonne.

Five riders have won Flèche Wallonne on multiple occasions since the race first began finishing on the Mur de Huy in 1983, and thoughts will turn to two of them, in particular, when the leaders clamber up the Mur for the third and decisive time on Wednesday.

Second in Amstel Gold on Sunday, the defending champion and 2006 winner, Alejandro Valverde will be a marked man. A third victory this week would take the Spaniard level with Moreno Argentin, Eddy Merckx, Marcel Kint, and Davide Rebellin, the only riders to have scored a hat-trick of Flèche wins.

The other two-time conqueror of the Mur in hearts and minds — particularly hearts — on Wednesday will be Claude Criquielion. The winner of Flèche in 1985 and 1989, Criquielion died this February, somewhat prematurely, at the age of 58.

Who do the bookies back? ...

The Mur de Huy: Where the Flèche Wallonne will be won or lost.

The Mur de Huy is one of the steepest and most spectacular finishing climbs in cycling. With its continued presence in the Flèche-Wallonne and its inclusion in this year's Tour de France, we have a look at this famous climb.

“The last climb of the Mur is everything. It’s just 1,300 metres of road, but when I won, that road went on for ever, especially the last few meters. I never felt such pain and ecstasy at the same time,” Mario Aerts, Flèche Wallonne winner in 2002.

Nibali surprised with strong form in Amstel Gold Race.

Vincenzo Nibali fired his guns in the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday and ended feeling surprised at his strength after a break and a training camp.

The Sicilian is aiming to defend his 2014 title at this summer’s Tour de France. He just returned from an altitude training camp on the Spanish island of Tenerife for the Ardennes classics and the Tour de Romandie.

During Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race in the Netherlands, he attacked with 36 kilometers remaining and stayed ahead of the field for 18km.

“I’m pretty happy with myself because to be going so strongly after returning means that I’m good. In fact, it’s a confirmation that in training I worked well,” Nibali told Italy’s La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper.

“Maybe I wasn’t even expecting to be so ahead. But, I was sure that I worked well in Tiede [Tenerife], so I knew that more or less my legs would be good.”.

7 talking points from the 2015 Amstel Gold Race.

After more than six and a half hours of racing in the Dutch province of Limburg yesterday, world champion Michal Kwiatkowski emerged as the winner of the 2015 Amstel Gold Race.

The 24-year-old Pole had the strongest sprint from a group of 18 riders that came together after the decisive final ascent of the famous Cauberg climb.

The race featured no fewer than 34 climbs in its 258km but none of them more decisive than the fourth time up the Cauberg, a 700m rise that averages 8% but peaks at 12%.

This climb has been a happy hunting ground for Philippe Gilbert who has won the Amstel Gold Race three times and also the 2012 World Championships which featured the Cauberg no fewer than 10 times.

Wilco Kelderman’s Amstel Gold Race power data.

Pro cyclists — they’re just like us. Well, not exactly, but many riders in the WorldTour peloton are uploading their rides and races to Strava, giving us a window into what it takes to be a factor in Europe’s hardest races.

On Sunday, Wilco Kelderman rode his way into a late-race attack that had some serious firepower, including such riders as Vincenzo Nibali and Tony Martin.

Unfortunately for Kelderman, a crash on one of the course’s characteristically narrow and twisty roads knocked him out of the group, although he did manage to keep it upright as he rode off-course into a field.

He ended up finishing 62nd, but he certainly worked hard for it.

The Single Life Gets Company as SRAM expands to Force1 and Rival1.

Originally, mountain biking utilized three chainrings to gain a wide gear spread, but with front shifting already less than perfect for two rings, the third ring was prone to more shifting problems, not to mention ‘chain suck’ as a result of less than stellar drivetrain maintenance.

When rear suspension became more popular, non-traditional frame geometry and shapes sometimes made front derailleur mounting a challenge.

Though mountain bikers addressed the problem with cobbled together single chainring setups, there were problems of chain derailment due to chain tension issues, exacerbated by the bouncing of the bike over rough terrain.

SRAM seized the opportunity to improve conditions for the mountain bike by introducing XX1, a component group dedicated to the single ring setup for mountain bikes.

Riding on the success of XX1 came CX1, a component group aimed directly at the cyclocross rider.

Check out the Pediscope – the periscope for your bike.

It may sound ridiculous, but American inventor Mike Lane has come up with a design that allows cyclists to see the road ahead while looking down at their handlebars.

Normally periscopes are reserved for submarines and wannabe spies, but now Lane has used the device’s prism based design and applied it to a bike.

The position required for riding a bike can often cause neck or back pains for the rider, with the need to crane the neck upwards accentuating the problem.

Now, the answer to that problem clearly isn’t to not look where you’re going, and we’re sure the Pediscope wasn’t designed so that riders would just stare at their bars the whole time.

But a moments respite from looking up could alleviate a few problems, and the Pediscope could increase safety on the road.

Road Bike of the Year: Trek Emonda SLR.