VeloNation: Garmin Barracuda rider keeps eye on bigger picture.

Evans and Gilbert to join forces at Strade Bianche...

VeloNation: Defending champion yet to hit form.

VeloNation: World under-23 champion takes a simple win after an aggressive race of breaks and attacks.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages & results),
Le Samyn (Results),
Le Samyn des Dames (Results),
Strade Bianche (Start list),
Paris - Nice (Stages ),
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

VeloNews: Race director José Luis López Cerrón — whose name made headlines after he bought the meat that Alberto Contador alleged triggered his clenbuterol positive in 2010 – said on the race web site that the tourism board from the Castilla y León region will cover any budget shortfalls.

RBAction: Marky Mark in the sky with rainbows while Boonen mis-judges and Jake Keough shines for America.

CyclingTips: "From what the guys at SRAM are telling me, Australia is the first market in the world for the new 2012 Red groupset to land. Yesterday I had the chance to watch the guys at Bike Gallery to build up a new BMC Team Machine SLR01 and took it out for a short spin."

Peloton: It took just 23 miles for me to figure out exactly what kind of bike the new Venge is. As the pace ramped up 1k from the top of the main climb on our Tuesday night club ride I found the elastic stretching as the riders that weighed 30lbs less than me began to dance on the pedals.

Amy Dombroski: "When I was driving to Holland for a ‘cross race I noticed how odd it seemed to see windmills not moving. In a windmill farm of ten, only one was moving and the others looked dead.  Though this is drastic in comparison, I noticed similarities in the cadence of the riders in the Three Legs Cycling Sprint DVD in relation to Cav’s spinners."

Jürgen Roelandts is back on the bike again, at least on the rollers. He hopes to get back on the road again this week, but knows he won't be racing again until May at the earliest.

"I found out quite a bit about the Georgia cyclocross scene: it’s highly localized, but there’s a serious love for the sport down there."

Niner's new Air 9 RDO (race day optimized) is a thoroughbred 29er hardtail built for speed and racecourse performance. It follows on the heels of the Jet 9 RDO, Niner’s competition-focused full-suspension cross-country bike.

BikeRumor: With wheel technology marching steadily on (and prices marching steadily up), it’s nice to look a step or two down the range to find a darn sexy wheel.  When Easton’s EA70 XCT 26in wheels arrived (a 29er version is also available), I was taken aback by how cool they looked.

CyclingNews: Mehdi Sohrabi must delay his 2012 European debut for Lotto-Belisol, due to visa problems.  The Iranian  will now start in the Three Days of West Flanders on Friday, instead of Le Samyn on Wednesday.

CyclingWeekly: The denial is unsurprising for the 38-year-old whose racing career has been defined by a gritty determination and never-say-die attitude in the toughest competitions on the calendar. Yet Roger Hammond's 12th place ride at the National Cyclo-Cross Championships on January 8 looks like his last.

After kicking off the season in Australia at the Tour Down Under, the WorldTour returns to Europe for its first event on the continent, Paris-Nice, and five teams from the host nation of France all look to figure in the mix.

CyclingNews: Russian rider Alexandr Kolobnev, formerly of Katusha, has been acquitted of systematic doping by the Court of Arbitration for Sport today after the court upheld the decision of the Russian Cycling Federation not to ban him for a positive test at the 2011 Tour de France.

Boulder Report: For most of the stages of the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, we know only broad details—start and finish towns and likely climbs or routes. But on Tuesday night race fans learned the specific route of Stage 6, a highly anticipated ride from Golden to Boulder.

The Rain! Well, it was wet.
The Pain! It hurt, go figure.
The Lame? Not lame as in gimpy leg lame but more like ‘Geez did you see those lame dudes throwing their empty bottles and actually trying to hit spectators with them?’

VeloNews: With Tom Danielson popping like a balloon on the decisive climb of Genting Highlands and dropping out of the general classification, Garmin-Barracuda sport director at the Tour de Langkawi, Allan Peiper, tells VeloNews.com it’s time to change objectives, stop working on the front, and try and grab a stage win before the race finishes Sunday in Kuala Terengganu.

Serpa beats Nino Corridor to take Genting Highlands stage and yellow jersey

VeloNation: Tour de Langkawi classification shaken up

CyclingNews: Darren Lapthorne (Drapac) suffered severe chest pains on yesterday’s queen stage of the Tour de Langkawi, and despite a determined effort to limit his losses and stay in contention, in the end, the mountain, and his ailments got the better of him.

CyclingNews: Race organisers ASO have announced the wildcard entries for two of its biggest spring races, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. In addition to the 18 ProTour Teams, who all receive compulsory invites, seven other teams have been given wildcard invitations to both Belgian events.

VeloNation: Showdown beckons at Tour de Langkawi.

CyclingNews: Pierre Rolland (Europcar) risks missing out on Paris-Nice due to a knee injury sustained at last week’s Tour de Haut Var. The Frenchman banged his knee against his stem when his chain slipped and the seemingly banal incident may cost him participation in the Race to the Sun, which gets underway on Sunday.

CyclingNews: Bjarne Riis and Team Saxo Bank had their day before the UCI's licencing commission on Monday, and must now await the group's decision as to whether the team will retain its WorldTour licence.  Alberto Contador's suspension removes a majority of the points the team used for its 2012 licence.

SteepHill: Strade Bianche (White Road) has rapidly risen as favorite among bike racing fans and racers since the first edition in 2007. Italy's version of Paris-Roubaix is held on the dirt roads of Tuscany with the finish in Siena.

The Daily Distraction.

BikeEurope: For model year 2012/2013 Shimano launched the city touring Alfine group with integrated Di2 electronic shifting. The Di2 technique was introduced in Dura-Ace and Ultegra component groups in the last years. The Di2 technology has proven itself in the most extreme weather conditions.

Irish Peloton: There is ongoing debate from all sides about the future of the sport of cycling with respect to the racing calendar and the distribution of money along with a potential breakaway league. Richard Moore wrote an excellent piece on it for Pro Cycling magazine which was reproduced on cyclingnews.com.

InnerRing: Kazakh team Astana has hired a British public relations agency called Weber Shandwick to help manage the team’s image. In the agency’s own words “to use the riders and the team to get media to re-evaluate perceptions of Kazakhstan” which is a nice way of saying trying to get people to forget Borat.

Today's Quote

“One day on the 2006 Tour, Tom Boonen, who was reigning world champion, was near the front, slowing things a little.  At the moment I launched my attack, he hit me hard on the back. I stopped, he yelled at me and I said to him: ‘You can shout if you like, but don’t touch me.’ I was the small French guy he could hit because I’m thirty centimetres smaller than him." -  Thomas Voeckler  CyclingNews

RedKitePrayer: Positive mental attitude (PMA* ) is one of those things that has primary, secondary and tertiary benefits. When you’re alone, it makes everything you do easier. When you’re with a gro    up, it makes things easier for the whole group and reflexively for you. Further, the example you set influences what people do in groups you may not even be a part of. The converse is also true. The more negative shit you put out into the world, the worse off you are, the worse off we all are.

Joanna Rowsell was born in Sutton, not too far from the Olympic Velodrome, and is already a seasoned campaigner on the boards and the road, even although she only turned 23 just before Christmas.

"So chainrings... No big deal right? I mean nobody makes a better aftermarket set than just getting stockers right? Wrong. Based in the sea side town of Santa Cruz California, Praxis Works lend us a set of their lovely, LevaTime Liquid Ano, forged chainrings."

BikeRadar: Doddy and Justin Loretz, examine the differences between 29in- and 26in-wheeled bikes, and hoping to dispel some of the myths and rumours surrounding the two.

VeloNews: George Hincapie vows to help his new BMC teammate Thor Hushovd at Paris-Roubaix and seems to have thrown in the towel on his own dreams of winning the Hell of the North.

Trek's flagship Superfly Pro carbon 29er hardtail gets upgrades to both the frame construction and spec for 2012. BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Great power transfer, natural-feeling geometry and smart overall spec list, but not as stiff or comfortable as some competitors."

VeloNews: Red heat-shrink tubing segments shrunk down around Eggbeater pedal ends. Photo: Lennard Zinn.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Brilliant value, race-ready carbon bike. Exciting to ride with responsive handling, but not the most cosseting."

CXMagazine: "As the season wore on, I realized that not only had my preparation for the season been completely wrong – you mean dropping long endurance rides in favor of short sessions of skills training wasn’t a good idea? – but also none of my attempted solutions came close to working."

CyclingFans: February 29, Belgium. Race starts at 11:50am CET (5:50am U.S. Eastern). Finish at around 4:43pm CET (10:43am U.S. Eastern). Live video from 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

VeloNation: Tour de Langkawi heads to crucial battleground of Genting Highlands.

CyclingNews: José Serpa (Androni-Venezuela) took victory on stage 5 of the Tour de Langkawi at Pandan Indah, while Darren Lapthrone (Drapac) moved into the leader’s yellow jersey.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages & results),
Strade Bianche (Start list),
Paris - Nice (Stages ),
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Results),
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

VeloNation: Garmin Barracuda rider ‘not freaking out’ about climbs on today’s stage.

The Basque rider had twice finished fifth in the Tour and was always among the candidates to challenge for the final-three come July. But having the pressure of carrying the team colors of Euskaltel-Euskadi, the homegrown Basque team where he rode from 1998 to 2008, proved too much sometimes.

CyclingNews: It's one of the highlights of the entire professional cycling season and a race that is close to his heart, but Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan) has revealed that he and his fellow pros are nervous at, and also slightly confused by, the crucial and fundamental changes that have been made to the parcours for the 2012 Tour of Flanders.

In "The Power of Habit," Charles Duhigg explores and exposes how habits essentially rule our lives. By learning how to shape them ourselves, we can entirely turn our lives around.

road.cc: What's that he's riding then? Doesn't look like a Team Machine...

PodiumCafe: The finishing circuit last year was the site of one of the greatest Belgian advertising moments I have seen in a long time. I give you Frites Man.

Bicycling: 5 ultraeasy ways to make your bike look and feel new.

Cyclismas: The UCI is currently considering banning – or at the very least de-listing – Iranian cyclist Behnam Khalilikhosroshahi, as the Tabriz Petrochemical Team rider’s 18-character-long surname is causing the Swiss governing body’s website to spontaneously crash with increasing frequency.

VeloNation: Race leader Dave Zabriskie rolled across the line in 70th place, preserving his one minute advantage in the general classification.

CyclingFans: Wednesday's Tour de Langkawi Stage 6 departs Proton Shah Alam at 10:00am local (3:00am CET, 9:00pm U.S. Eastern Tuesday) and is expected at the finish at Genting Highlands at around 12:57pm local (5:57am CET, 11:57pm U.S. Eastern Tuesday).  Tour de Langkawi live streaming is being provided (intermittently?) during each stage, with video highlights streamed online at 11:30pm local here.

When pro team directors complain about the UCI’s almost total ban on race radios, they say that without radios they can’t get essential information to their riders, especially when the race is in a state of flux. What they rarely mention is the role played by the motorcycle-mounted blackboard man.

CyclingNews: Danish Continental outfit Christina Watches-Onfone has revealed that talks to sign Davide Rebellin have failed, after rumors previously suggested that a deal was close to being completed. The 40-year-old Italian has been without a team since leaving Miche-Guerciotti last year, despite enjoying success with them, and has been looking for a team to prolong his career.

VeloNation: Polish National Team to ride WorldTour race again, along with Colnago-CSF Inox, Team Type 1 Sanofi and Caja Rural; no Polish trade teams eligible.

SteepHill: Strade Bianche (White Road) has rapidly risen as favorite among bike racing fans and racers since the first edition in 2007. Italy's version of Paris-Roubaix is held on the dirt roads of Tuscany with the finish in Siena.

CyclingNews: Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) may be the darling of the French public after his exploits at the Tour de France, but he has admitted that his riding style has won him few friends in the peloton over the years.

Wouter Weylandt, the Belgian cyclist who was tragically killed at the 2011 Giro d'Italia, is to have a memorial plaque dedicated to him in the Dutch city of Middelburg. Weylandt won the third stage of the 2010 Giro d'Italia in Middelburg and the city is keen to mark the life of the rider who delighted the local fans so much with his victory there on May 10, 2010. It will unveil the memorial on April 2.

BikeRumor: Fiets magazine scored some prototype spy shots of Shimano’s rumored 11-speed Dura-Ace group on Great Britain’s Alex Dowsett’s team bike at an early season Belgian mini-classic. They’re reporting his was the only bike of the Team Sky group with the rough looking (read: straight from the milling machine) test pieces.

WanderingJustin: Since March 2011, they’ve been my go-to glasses. My initial review praised their optics, fit, cool factor and their very innovative magnetic lens retention setup.

Bicycling: A competitive cyclist’s relationship with food can be summed up in one word: intense. Our love for food runs deep and plays a role in almost every aspect of cycling. A hearty meal is the reward for a long day in the saddle.

The Daily Distraction.

InnerRing: Yesterday the UCI put out a short press release on the apparent financial health of the pro peloton. Two statements stood out:
-  the budget of the 40 top teams is €321 million, an increase of 36.5% over three years.
-  the average annual salary is €264,000, up from €190,000 three years ago.

BikeSnobNYC: To find the perfect bike, sometimes all you have to do is ask.

VeloNation: Méditerranéen and Haut-Var victories put British rider far ahead in the season’s first ranking.

Today's Quote

“I’m not hiding it, I didn’t go well. I think I suffered more than I thought I would from my inactivity. But I wouldn’t be putting myself back in the game if I wasn’t convinced I could return to my old levels. You know well that I don’t like just to scrape a living.” -  Danilo Di Luca  CyclingNews

VeloNation: Cyclocross World champion honoured after his triumphant win in the sand dunes of northern Belgium.

PodiumCafe: Robert Penn's It's All About The Bike is the story of one man's quest to build the ultimate bicycle, wrapped around a potted history of the bike.

There's been little doubt that Shimano engineers have been developing an electronic Di2 version of the company's top-end XTR group but it's only recently that prototypes look to have been spotted in public. Canadian cross-country racer Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Rox Racing Team) appears to be testing a prototype drivetrain on his new Scott Scale 29, an observation based on two images he posted on Twitter Tuesday afternoon.

Cyclismas: The worldwide economic crisis has had its first casualty of the 2012 cycling season with Radioshack-Nissan in the unfortunate position of cutting back its classics season, bypassing both Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Still unlisted on the Cannondale website is this ridiculously stealth Scalpel ULTIMATE 29er.  The guys at  Freshbikes debuted one of the first Scalpel 29 complete builds back a few months ago here, and now have their hands on one of the few Ultimate models available globally.

CycleOps Aluminium Rollers BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Look a bit basic but they’re fast to get rolling, easy to store and impressively smooth when you’re going flat out."

road.cc: Lightweight and very stiff racing shoes that you can heat-mould for the perfect fit.

Chicago-based shoe firm Lake are one of the world's most established cycle footwear brands, having brought out their first line of mountain bike shoes way back in 1982. The intervening years have seen them expand with a road range, one of which - a custom design of the range-topping CX401 - stood out at their UK distributor Moore Large and Co's annual show today.

VeloNews: Four stages down, six to go, but we still have no idea who will win this seventeenth edition of the Tour de Langkawi.

VeloNation: Race leader Dave Zabriskie rolled across the line in 70th place, preserving his one minute advantage in the general classification.

VeloNation: Sore after crash, but able to remain in race.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Results),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Men (Results),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women (Results),
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages & results),
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

CyclingNews: The American said he did not know if he would ever return to professional cycling. “For too long now I have been struggling with colitis,” he said in a statement issued by the team on Monday at midday. “I am getting better at managing it but at this point it is not improving fast enough for me to continue at this professional level in the sport of cycling.”

CyclingNews: Lars Bak did not suffer any fractures in his crash Saturday at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, and expects to be back on his bike again next weekend for Paris-Nice. The Lotto-Belisol rider got the good news Sunday at a Luxembourg hospital.

CyclingNews: Alexander Vinokourov has opened his final season as a pro at the Tour of Langkawi, but not as captain. Still recovering his form after his horrifying accident in last summer's Tour de France, the Astana rider is now ready “to pass the baton to a new generation.”

BikeRumor: When we first laid eyes on Felt’s disc-brake equipped F65X cyclocross bike, they were poised to be one of the first major manufacturers to hit the market with a non-canti, race-ready bike. Unfortunately, it missed the 2011/2012 season thanks to hold ups in the supply chain for some of the spec’d parts and, less sucky, a redesign of the fork.

Unior 1600B tool set BikeRadar verdict: 1.5 out of 5 stars. "Expensive, and disappointing in its lack of bike-centric content."

CyclingWeekly: This Pinarello Dogma 2 is the first of three to be sent to the team for Mark Cavendish to race on. He'll have TT bikes and training bikes too.

From the latest product news to details of routes and events, our news round-up is a collection of short snippets of information in one handy article.

PodiumCafe: "Bike Art" is one of those books that falls somewhere between pro-bike propaganda and bicycle pornography. Purchase "Bike Art" Here

Cyclismas: Mark Cavendish, Alberto Contador, and Cadel Evans issued a joint statement today, apologizing to the other 470 members of the professional peloton for “inappropriately skewing the average salary and sullying their reputations as underpaid slaves.” The statement came in response to the UCI’s recent report on the healthy position of men’s professional cycling.

VeloNation: BMC Racing the team to beat with last year’s winner, Montalcino Giro stage winner, and huge Classics pedigree.

InnerRing: Sep Vanmarcke’s win in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race last Saturday was a breakthrough for the Belgian rider but in hindsight only a matter of time. Here is a quick look at his past performances in order to help us assess where he goes next.

Tour De José: €150.000 is what the Organizaciones Ciclistas Euskadi (OCE) need to save this year’s edition of the Vuelta al País Vasco and the Clasica San Sebastian. The Vuelta is in the biggest danger of disappearing because it takes place in just over five weeks from now but the Clasica is linked because of the same organization and broadcasting licenses.

CXMagazine: When you're doing this to your bike every weekend, you should probably check it over before packing it up for the off-season.

VeloNation: Italian’s post race press conference also online.

BicycleRetailer: Nearly half the riders in this year’s grand tours will be wearing clothes made by Nalini and Moa Sport in Italy, and replica clothing is available in the U.S. through importer Albabici.

road.cc: Lifting of content without attribution or recompense and misguided application of ideas among reasons cited.

Today's Quote

“I’m not hiding it, I didn’t go well. I think I suffered more than I thought I would from my inactivity. But I wouldn’t be putting myself back in the game if I wasn’t convinced I could return to my old levels. You know well that I don’t like just to scrape a living.” -  Danilo Di Luca  CyclingNews

RedKitePrayer: The knock against Assos is always their cost. The Swiss manufacturer is famous for nothing so much as their pricing that makes Mercedes seem as affordable as Kia. Sure, they are known for their over-the-top models and pimped-out images of said models in their clothing, but the prices can make you forget the models, at least until you put your injured Visa away.

The Daily Distraction.

road.cc: Former Giro director Angelo Zomegnan invites 'Mr X' to get in touch - and says Bjarne Riis shouldn't have a UCI license.

Marijn de Vries: Sometime there are days you fly over the cobbles. You shift to a higher gear as soon as you enter the cobbled section and cross those pesky little things on full gas. You don’t feel the bumping and shaking. But, there are also days that you bump up and down, days on which you seem to be hitting every individual cobble.

VeloNation: Ernst & Young report “shows that cycling is in a healthy position and resisting the effects of the current global economic downturn”; many races not so lucky however.

CyclingNews: As Harrif Salleh was presented on stage after finishing third of stage 4 at the UCI 2.HC Le Tour de Langkawi in Muar behind sprint aces Andrea Guardini and Jacobe Keough, the Malaysian continental team backed by the state of Terengganu reached their first goal in the country's most important race.

CyclingInquisition:  A large painting of George Hincapie sporting US Postal kit, appears to be overseeing matters at the Hincapie factory in Medellín. But he's not just in his aunt Mari's office. He's everywhere. He oversees the main production room. He looks on as patterns are cut, and as fabric is sublimated as well. Here in Medellin, George sees all.

PodiumCafe: According to reports, Friday night Team Garmin-Barracuda held a pre-Omloop strategy meeting where the team discussed working for Heinrich Haussler. An emotional Sep Vanmarcke eventually spoke up and said he could win. Haussler was still the team captain, but classics head Eric Van Lancker and the riders agreed to let Vanmarcke pursue a result. And the rest is history.

CyclingNews: The German national team from was written in the stars under former national trainer Peter Weibel. Weibel consulted an astrologer to help pick the team, he said.

BikeRadar: Lots of us carry bags when we’re cycling, whether we’re riding to the office with our laptop, out for a long day’s ride or just carrying emergency spares – phone, mobile, a bit of food and drink and a change of clothing.

CyclingNews: Late last year, American photographer Jered Gruber provided some of the best images we've seen with his highlights of the year, and he's back again for 2012, set to cover a number of European races and events.

CyclingNews: The Stan's NoTubes Women's Elite Team announced it has returned for a second season. Coming off of a victorious inaugural year, the women are poised to repeat their success with an even stronger team and additional sponsors.

BikingBis: The struggle to pass a law in California that requires motorists to give cyclists 3 feet of space when passing won't die.

VeloNation: World champion powers to victory after Team Sky controls a race littered with breakaways.

VeloNation: Greipel frustrated with poor positioning in sprint finale, capping rough weekend for Lotto-Belisol.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Results),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Men (Results),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women (Results),
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages & results),
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

VeloNation: Young Australian fast man takes Rabobank’s long-awaited first win of 2012.

CyclingNews: Italian Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale) scored his season's first victory in the GP Citta di Lugano, sneaking away in a chaotic finale to claim the race win over Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) and Enrico Battaglin (Colnago-CSF Inox).

CyclingNews: Danilo Di Luca has finally signed on the dotted line with Acqua & Sapone and will get his 2012 campaign underway on Sunday at the GP Lugano in Switzerland.

CyclingNews: Several riders from the Bontrager-Livestrong development team took an unexpected trip to a California hospital Friday after crashing during a training ride outside of Solvang with team director Axel Merckx and owner Lance Armstrong.

Belgian veteran ultra-aggressive as usual for Sean Kelly’s team.

CyclingNews: The American found himself out of contention after the peloton came through the last corner of the race, and was unable to mount a challenge as Mark Cavendish (Team Sky) went on to win the race.

CyclingNews: Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) scorched to his second consecutive stage victory at the Tour de Langkawi in Parit Sulong on Sunday, holding off the challenge of Raymond Kreder (Garmin-Barracuda) and Anuar Manan (Champion System) in the bunch sprint. David Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) retains the overall lead.

VeloNation: Day of breakaways sees local former-Danish rider escape alone; time bonus for Shara Gillow makes overall as close as possible.

"At these tours you quickly learn to take a serious dislike to eating, because it isn’t for pleasure anymore, but rather for the basic purpose of refueling. Like geese being force-fed to produce foie-gras, we sit there and stuff ourselves every chance we get, on bad pasta, dry rice and copious mounds of bread, the likes of which haven’t been seen on a plate since the Eastern Bloc fell."

The Tour of the Basque Country (Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco) and the Clasica San Sebastian are in danger of disappearing along with past races in this mountainous region of Spain due to a budget shortfall of 150,000 euros, it was reported this week.

SBS: Australia's women's cycling  team GreenEDGE-AIS have continued their exceptional debut, scoring wins in Europe and New Zealand.

The Daily Distraction.

InnerRing: We have Lars Boom taking a tumble at the foot of the Taaienberg. That’s Lars Boom, cyclo-cross champion, a rider who can handle his bike. The fight for position is intense in moments like this and Boonen doesn’t give ground. Boom runs out of road, hits the soft earth. Game over.

"Some guys from Spidertech, they just don't care and they take risks. That's the way the peloton is right now there's not much respect and everyone wants Cavendish's wheel," he told Cyclingnews.

RedKitePrayer: If you’re a parent who made the mistake I did and started the kids out on training wheels, there are a couple of ways to wean them off of those things.

Says it’s uncertain how race leader Zabriskie will fare on Genting.

Today's Quote

“I’m not hiding it, I didn’t go well. I think I suffered more than I thought I would from my inactivity. But I wouldn’t be putting myself back in the game if I wasn’t convinced I could return to my old levels. You know well that I don’t like just to scrape a living.” -  Danilo Di Luca  CyclingNews

Cannondale SuperSix 6 Apex BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Handles brilliantly with gearing that'll help you climb a wall. The frame deserves some better kit, though."

RBAction: Sweet steel from the mountains of Montana...

PodiumCafe: "Bike Art" is one of those books that falls somewhere between pro-bike propaganda and bicycle pornography. With contributions from more that 250 contemporary artists the book showcases the way a host of different people, drawn from around the world, view the bicycle today. Purchase "Bike Art" Here

CyclingFans: Cavendish, Renshaw, Greipel, Farrar, Galimzyanov et al join in the fun Sunday in Belgium. Race starts at 11:55am CET (5:55am U.S. Eastern). Finish at around 4:30pm CET (10:30am U.S. Eastern). Live video from 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

PodiumCafe: Sep Vanmarcke from Garmin-Barracuda opened his account for the season -- and maybe for the start of a dramatic career turn -- with a clinical victory at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in Gent, Belgium today.

VeloNation: Former Dutch champion outsprints compatriot Ellen van Dijk in women’s European season opener.

VeloNation: Omega Pharma-Quick Step Classics captain positive about form ahead of the big races to come; will go for a third Kuurne victory tomorrow.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Men (Results),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite Women (Results),
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages & results),
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Start list),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

VeloNation: American rider gives his thoughts in post-stage reaction.

"It’s February in Colorado. Today, it’s in the high 50s but the wind is hurricane force. There’s a branch in my driveway as big as my Subaru. I just watched an empty trash can speeding down the street going at least 35 miles per hour."

Boulder Report: Neither Hushovd nor Gilbert will race Sunday’s KBK. That’s a little curious on Hushovd’s part as KBK is more of a sprinters’ race than Omloop. It has hills but not nearly as many as the Omloop’s numerous hellingen. But they’ll share the team lead Saturday even as both play down their ambitions.

VeloNation: World time trial champion now just eleven seconds behind Kristin Armstrong.

Sunday's Tour de Langkawi Stage 3 departs Melaka at 10:00am local (3:00am CET, 9:00pm U.S. Eastern Saturday) and is expected at the finish at Parit Sulong at around 2:22pm local (7:22am CET, 1:22am U.S. Eastern).

David Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) retains his overall lead.

VeloNation: Yellow passes from one US rider to another as the peloton sits up.

VeloNation: American in zany humor as yellow jersey defence continues.

CyclingNews: Andrea Guardini has found the way to success again at Le Tour de Langkawi where he launched his career as a sprinter with five stage wins on Malaysian soil last year, but a question arose after the opening 20.3km time trial: has Jose Rujano (Androni-Venezuela) already won the overall title, given that he recorded the fifth fastest time and only conceded nine seconds to the other race favorite Tom Danielson?

VeloNation: Rising British star remains hungry after latest wins.

Michele Scarponi (Lampre-ISD) enters the record books as the victor of the 2011 Giro d’Italia following Alberto Contador’s suspension, but he has admitted that he does not feel like the winner of the race.

The Daily Distraction.

CyclingNews: The Italian was training with his teammate Marco Coledan and three riders from the UC Trevigiani under 23 team – Mattia Mosole, Massimo Coledan and Andrea Dal Col – when a motorist passing the opposite direction fired plastic pellets at the riders. None of the five were seriously injured, although Marco Coledan and Mosole were struck by pellets.

CyclingNews: The future of the Tour of the Basque Country and the Clasica San Sebastian is at risk as the autonomous Basque government has been unable to sustain its commitment to funding the races.

Today's Quote

“Where are those who have ridden with Ricco now? Those who were with him then, where are they now? In this world of sharks, nobody, nobody is there. Mercy and love are words we are taught as children. We must give him strength and we must reach out for him. I want him to remember the good of cycling. It will not be easy, because he is still wearing the badge and thinking of riding and of revenge."  -  Mario Cipollini CyclingNews

RBAction: Take 16 minutes out of your to life to be a better cyclist by watching this video...

SBS: Australian cyclist Shara Gillow is five seconds from the lead in the Tour of New Zealand after a dramatic shakeup of the overall standings in stage four, ahead of today's fifth and final 119km stage at Palmerston North.

BikeRadar: "We've just received BH’s new road bike, the Ultralight, for a long-term test. True to its name, the frame weighs just 807g/1.78lb on our scale (small size, with seat binder, derailleur hanger and bottle cage bolts)."

road.cc: How entrepreneur Will Meister bounced back from the dotcom bust to surf the wave of the fixed gear scene...

BikeRumor: Lezyne’s Pressure Drive mini pump is a CNC aluminum mini pump that claims to go to 120psi. The overlapping barrel and handle with a detacheable threaded hose makes for a compact package that easily slides into even the smallest hydration pack. It even does well inside a jersey pocket.

InnerRing: The season started in January, collarbones have been snapped already. We’ve had racing in the Middle-East and the shores of the Mediterranean too. But this weekend marks the start of racing in Belgium and the intensity of the racing goes up and the quality of the road surface goes down.

CyclingFans: Race starts at 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern). Finish at around 4:38pm CET (10:38am U.S. Eastern). Live video from 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Boulder Report: Neither Hushovd nor Gilbert will race Sunday’s KBK. That’s a little curious on Hushovd’s part as KBK is more of a sprinters’ race than Omloop. It has hills but not nearly as many as the Omloop’s numerous hellingen. But they’ll share the team lead Saturday even as both play down their ambitions.

VeloNation: World time trial champion now just eleven seconds behind Kristin Armstrong.

Today's Quote

“Where are those who have ridden with Ricco now? Those who were with him then, where are they now? In this world of sharks, nobody, nobody is there. Mercy and love are words we are taught as children. We must give him strength and we must reach out for him. I want him to remember the good of cycling. It will not be easy, because he is still wearing the badge and thinking of riding and of revenge."  -  Mario Cipollini CyclingNews

Peloton: Just as everyone in basketball is drooling over the sensational Jeremy Lin, so everyone in pro cycling is talking about the remarkable Jon Tiernan-Locke.

RedKitePrayer: In the eyes of most fans, the season officially begins this Saturday with the 67th edition of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad—to be followed Sunday by the 65th running of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages & results),
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Start list),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite (Start list),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

road.cc: A lovely cyclocross bike with a light weight and a soft character, best-suited to those with finesse.

First stage race victory since the 2009 Vuelta a España for former suspended rider.

On arrival, as in past years, the pro’s went for a 20 minute “fun ride” with cycling enthusiasts from the public. LTdL organisers estimated 300 people turned up for this year’s ride; roughly 200 fewer participants than a similar event led by Alexandre Vinokourov two days prior. Meanwhile, dignitaries were treated to a small parade during their short walk to an open-sided tent, which stood on a grassy field opposite the presentation stage.

Stage 2 starts at 10:00am local (3:00am CET) (9:00pm U.S. Eastern Friday). Finish at around 1:33pm local (6:33am CET) (12:33am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: David Zabriskie has started the 2012 season on a high note with a large margin of one minute over runner up Adam Phelan from Drapac in the 20.3km opening time trial of Le Tour de Langkawi.

VeloNation: American rider performs well in Langkawi time trial despite recent bone graft.

VeloNation: Avid comic book and movie fan speaks about his interests away from the bike.

SBS: Scientists at the Australian Institute of Sport have made it their job this year and tackle what's become a critical factor in any Olympic sport - home advantage.

VeloNews: In 2011, Kristin McGrath was the top-placing U.S. rider at Belgium’s Flèche-Wallonne Féminine. Following the same course as the men’s race, the women climbed the infamous 20-percent gradients of the Mur de Huy twice, and McGrath, a 29-year old who was born in Durango, Colorado and races for the Exergy-Twenty12 squad, finished 27 seconds in arrears of Dutch winner Marianne Vos.

road.cc: You thought that was all we had on iceBike?

The Daily Distraction.

CyclingNews: "During 2010 and 2011, CADF activities were focused on consolidating and improving the Biological Passport Program (BP)," the report stated. "The use of this very important tool in the fight against doping was progressively modified in order to emphasize quality instead of quantity. By applying "intelligent testing", we were able to perform fewer tests on riders having normal ABP profiles (based on a significant number of samples already collected), while more tests were performed on riders having abnormal blood profiles."

InnerRing: The season started in January, collarbones have been snapped already. We’ve had racing in the Middle-East and the shores of the Mediterranean too. But this weekend marks the start of racing in Belgium and the intensity of the racing goes up and the quality of the road surface goes down.

CyclingNews: The freezing early February weather may have granted Riccardo Ricco a temporary stay of execution by conspiring to postpone his hearing in front of the Italian national doping tribunal, but according to a legend of Italian cycling the 28-year-old rider should not be thinking about continuing in the sport.

Scarponi, one of the few riders whose results have actually got better since being busted for drugs, must be feeling rather sheepish about the whole thing. It seems 'Il Presidente' can do no wrong this year: he's yet to put his feet in the pedals but is already racking up numerous wins and accolades.

BikeRumor: Here's part four of the series following British cross-country mountain bike racer Oli Beckingsale's rehabilitation from the broken leg he suffered on the circuit last season.

BikeRumor: Tom Ritchey built his first frames in 1972, making this his 40th year of framebuilding. To celebrate, he’ll be bringing to NAHBS the first of 40 classic Ritchey frames hand built by the man himself. They’ll feature special 40th anniversary paint and graphics and include a few new builds using vintage tubing.

road.cc: Camille McMillan and Luke Scheybeler talk to Simon MacMichael about their collaboration on iPad app.

RedKitePrayer: "Many fans could care less about the first four weeks of the professional cycling season. Part of me can’t blame them. I mean seriously—Argentina? Qatar? Oman? And of these early races, only a few feature terrain that puts the majority of the peloton into the red zone. In most cases, crosswinds and cold weather do more damage than the actual racing does."

First stage race victory since the 2009 Vuelta a España for former suspended rider.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne (Start list),
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite (Start list),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

VeloNation: American rider gunning for high result, Astana leader returning after injury.

On arrival, as in past years, the pro’s went for a 20 minute “fun ride” with cycling enthusiasts from the public. LTdL organisers estimated 300 people turned up for this year’s ride; roughly 200 fewer participants than a similar event led by Alexandre Vinokourov two days prior. Meanwhile, dignitaries were treated to a small parade during their short walk to an open-sided tent, which stood on a grassy field opposite the presentation stage.

PodiumCafe: Tom Boonen is so not going to win Het Nieuwsblad. He has brown eyes. Blame it on the moon. See, of the past fifteen editions* of the Omloop, seven of them have been held when the moon was waxing,** and it’ll be waxing again on Saturday.

TwistedSpoke: Both rider riders are looking to make their mark in the cobbles but for very different reasons. The young Phinney didn't have a huge debut success in his new BMC kit. First a knee injury, then a concussion and even the rumors that he wasn’t taking the life of a professional cyclist seriously enough.

After it emerged yesterday that Edvald Boasson Hagen had pulled out of this Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad  in Belgium due to a nasty cold, Team Sky has moved to confirm that his place on the start line will be taken by CJ Sutton. Boasson Hagen started to feel unwell after returning to his native Norway following the Tour of Algarve, where he performed well in winning stage two and the overall points classification.

CyclingNews: With the growth of mountain bike marathons and stage races, 24-hour races have been dropping off the endurance race calendar in recent years, but in Arizona, 24-hour racing is alive and well.

road.cc: Expensive, finely made, and arguably even beautiful and worth the money if it keeps you and your favourite old steel bike on the road.

Interview: Daniel Friebe

PodiumCafe: "Back before Christmas we looked at Daniel Friebe and Pete Goding's Mountain High. Now, with the European road season about to really get into swing, Daniel Friebe pops into the Café to talk about that thing most cyclists can't get enough of: climbing."

VeloNation: Avid comic book and movie fan speaks about his interests away from the bike.

23-year-old Australian takes first UCI victory; Kristin Armstrong takes third and holds race lead.

Today's Quote

“Generally, the whole level of the peloton is much higher because they had such good weather throughout November and December in Europe and I think that's really showed – those guys usually come to Qatar and Oman to train but this time they all turned up for the win."  -  Mark Renshaw CyclingNews

Marijn de Vries: "My third season as a bike racer is about to begin. After six weeks of intensive training in Spain, I can’t wait to actually race. Omloop Fever! As long as we don’t have the cold and terrible weather we had last year, everything’s fine by me. Yes, rain and wind are part of a Spring Classic. But you can overdo it."

VeloNation: “Complicated, but interesting” courses on the terrain of the Amstel Gold Race.

Nick Legan: "Training on tubulars is super fun. After all, life is short. What are we saving them for? I ride on tubulars as often as I can. But I make sure I can fix two flats when I leave the house. I always carry a pre-glued, pre-stretched spare tire in an Arundel Tubi bag and a can of Vittoria’s Pit Stop. Either a frame pump or Co2 inflator are a necessity too."

Japanese cycling product giant Shimano has unveiled a new 2013 range of cycling-specific bags, which should be available in the shops in October.

Oooh! We've got lots of shiny new bike stuff to show you from Pro, Cervelo, San Marco and Bell, and we'll be adding to this later in the day so check back in a bit for even more goodness.

Lezyne CRV 20 BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Big and tough. Ideal for cycle tourists and off-road riders."

BikeRumor: Weighing in at a very respectable 233g (claimed), it looks to have some massive cooling vents. There are 26 vents in all, spaced around internal reinforcements and a in-molded Fusion microshell. It uses Bell’s TAG fit system and includes X-Static padding to keep odor at bay.

The Daily Distraction.

RedKitePrayer: "Many fans could care less about the first four weeks of the professional cycling season. Part of me can’t blame them. I mean seriously—Argentina? Qatar? Oman? And of these early races, only a few feature terrain that puts the majority of the peloton into the red zone. In most cases, crosswinds and cold weather do more damage than the actual racing does."

PodiumInsight: Yesterday, the Amgen Tour of California unveiled its 2012 poster via its facebook page, a poster which left many including yours truly scratching their heads.

Frenchman unhappy with FFC decision.

"I now have two stage races under my belt now so it's time for another blog – I'm also back in Europe. It's still a bit fresh over here but it's about 10 degrees warmer than when they had the cold snap which is lucky for me."

When Cadel Evans won the Tour last year he removed himself from a Very Bad List: that list of riders who Can't Win The Big One. No wonder he smiled so much as he paraded into Paris. BUT WAIT! Didn't he already win The Big One and removed that monkey off his back when he won the Worlds race at Mendrisio in 2009? Ah, yes and no.

A hotel dedicated completely to cyclists? Not something we see in North America – but you can find them everywhere in Italy - and they’re a dream come true to us cyclists. The Hotel Funivia in Bormio is an ideal base for some fantastic rides steeped in Giro history.

Ron S. Doyle: "Our beautiful sport can occasionally give rise to ugly sores, festering boils, and assorted creepy-crawlies. Here’s how to avoid a horror show."

CyclingNews: Donckers Koffie will be the new title sponsor of the Marco Polo Cycling Team in 2012. Thanks to the new partnership with Donckers Koffie, the UCI Continental team - which is also the first Continental team ever to be based out of Ethiopia -  following 10 years of success in China - will be able to race a full pro-level program in Europe, with additional races in Asia and Africa.

Endura Piranha glasses BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "These are well-made glasses at a killer price."

The Cat pounces in the Ruta once again as the break is caught late; Valverde holds his overall lead.

Uruguayan takes over race lead from Olheiser.

Alejandro Valverde has notched two stage races and two big wins in his comeback from his two-year ban.

Euskaltel-Euskadi management admit that they will likely be forced to sign non-Basque riders who pack a lot of UCI points if they hope to remain among the elite ranks of the international peloton.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Women's Tour of New Zealand (Stages & results),
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Rutas de América (Stages & results),
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages),
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour du Haut Var (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

In which we clear up a few of the misunderstood elements of your cycling shorts.

A top half finish at Haut Var last weekend served notice that he is on his way back, but Saur-Sojasun's Brice Feillu will not be ready to tackle Paris-Nice at the start of next month according to his team.

Competitive Cyclist's first-year pro Mike Olheiser got his rookie season underway with an impressive solo win Tuesday at the first stage of the Rutas de Americas, a UCI 2.2 race in Uruguay.

Francisco “Paco” Mancebo is quietly preparing for second successful season with the US-based Competitive Cyclist team, formerly named Realcyclist.com, with a focus toward bettering his 2011 NRC results.

"If America has a bike it is the Trek Madone. The only race most American’s care about has been dominated by this bike since 1999."

Pinarello FP Uno BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "Heavyweight compared with the competition, but well priced and fine handling."

Treat yourself—and your bike—to some cowhide, and watch your investment get better with time.

Pearl Izumi Select Attack bib shorts BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Stretchy, lightweight, well tailored fit at a reasonable price." Purchase the Pearl Izumi Attack 3Qtr Bib Tight (Large, Black/Black) Here

While others have kicked off their season campaigns in Australia, the Middle East or Europe, two noted Tour de France riders have chosen somewhere decidedly different. One of those names is Tom Danielson, who 10 editions ago, came to his first Tour de Langkawi and took the cycling world by storm.

Olympic champion beats US champion and World champion to stake an early claim to a place at London 2012.

With the last of the UCI-sanctioned cyclo-cross races taking place this past weekend, the UCI announced today the final cyclo-cross rankings of the 2011-2012 season. Kevin Pauwels (Sunweb-Revor) topped the elite men's rankings for the first time in his career while Daphny van den Brand (AA Drink – Leontien.nl Cycling Team) concluded her career as the highest-ranked rider in the women's standings.

Team also competing in the Sud-Ardèche, where Iljo Keisse will start his road season.

“If you were Belgian, you would have already been in the Pro Tour for three years…” That was the harsh verdict the Lotto team laid down on New Zealand’s Clinton Avery, explaining why, despite his five years of European results, and a very successful stagiaire period with Radio Shack, he could not get a pro contract. The new Champion System Pro Cycling Team, which snatched him up for 2012, might have very well saved one of the great talents in the sport.

Farnese Vini-Selle Italia Classics captain planning to complete both races; aiming for full fitness by Tirreno-Adriatico.

American rider to take a more ambitious approach in 2012 season.

Sevilla tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch during the Vuelta a Colombia in August 2010 but was not formally sanctioned by the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) until September of last year. When the RFEC then decided to hand Sevilla a six-month suspension, the UCI announced its intention to appeal the matter to CAS.

Paying tribute to the young bucks and lions of old...

“I believe that our industry is losing the war against the Chain Reactions, the Wiggles, the Amazons."  -  Steve Flagg BicycleRetailer

Bikes Belong, the League of American Bicyclists, and Alliance for Biking & Walking, hope to become one organization.

“The classics? We clearly hope Andy will be there as best he can, but the only true objective of his season is the Tour. And that will be the case for his older brother too, even if I’ve read that certain people already see Fränk as leader at the Giro."

"A cyclist who was a hero in America and Europe. A guy who headed up a cycling dynasty. Deals and doping and death. Steel frames. Woolen jereys. Petrol engines. Speed. Passion. Excitement. What's the attraction in Bobby Walthour's story?"

The Daily Distraction.

The Mounty: A Smartphone Mount For Just About Anything.

Taylor Phinney will finally make his long-awaited debut in the classics this weekend in Belgium, having been sidelined in 2011 due to the spring season due to a knee injury and then concussion from a training incident.

"The coverage of cycling from France Télévisions and in 2012 there will be 120 hours of race coverage. Hopefully this time without staff ramming riders off the road."

"Imagine this for a moment. You're driving home from a long interstate business trip, it's 1:30am and you can barely keep your eyes open. You have 3hrs left to travel so you decide to pull into a motel for the night. The following morning you make your way home and are notified that drug testers were waiting at the front door of you home and you forgot to notify them. The next day there are front page headlines in the paper stating "JOE SMITH MISSES DRUG TEST"."

License Commission will weight up whether squad should lose ProTeam licence.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme has said that there were no winners in the Alberto Contador clenbuterol case, which saw the Spaniard stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title and suspended for two years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld a joint appeal from WADA and the UCI on the matter earlier this month.

There is a lot of talk in cycling circles about a breakaway league and a new head of the UCI.  It is this writer’s opinion that the answer to professional cycling’s current troubles is bored American billionaire, Mark Cuban.

The 24-year-old Norwegian, who races for Team Sky, has shown he is on good early season form after winning stage 2 of the Tour of Algarve last week.

"For our last official race at GVA Trofee’s Sluitingsprijs in Oostmalle,  I showed up with relatively fresh legs but fought hard to keep the motivation high for this final push."

"Northampton, Massachusetts is a quintessential New England town of 28,000 and the home to Smith College. The riding there, I assert to this day, is truly world-class. You can do five-hour flat rides. You can do a never ending day of short, punchy hills for your own stateside edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege. You can do long climbs that ascend 2000 feet or more followed, of course, by screaming descents. All the while rolling through lush deciduous forest with only the odd car to pass."

The Gear Movement / Epic Pro cycling team won the 13th annual 24 hours in the Old Pueblo this past weekend in Arizona. The team overcame world-class competition from the Kona factory racing team to set a record breaking 23 laps in the four-man open category.

Helmets, handlebars, shoe covers, tubes, bike bags, gloves and jerseys...

While others have kicked off their season campaigns in Australia, the Middle East or Europe, two noted Tour de France riders have chosen somewhere decidedly different. One of those names is Tom Danielson, who 10 editions ago, came to his first Tour de Langkawi and took the cycling world by storm.

Stage and jersey for Murcian who takes first post-suspension victory on home soil.

"For many in northern Europe winter is long. But there are signs of spring in Belgium today. Mother nature can give us clues with early blooming flowers but cycling has its own annual rituals. Today’s recon rides by teams on the course of the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad are very much part of the spring routine. The spring classics are coming."

Local authorities pledge to remove moss growth which could make the cobbles treacherous.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Vuelta a Andalucia (Stages & results),
Le Tour de Langkawi (Stages),
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
UCI Track World Cup IV (Days & results),
Tour du Haut Var (Stages & results),
24 Hours of Old Pueblo (Races & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

"British track bosses believe they can still lead the way at London 2012 despite new rules and the steady comeback of rivals who are determined not to suffer another Olympic nightmare."

Italian won half of the stages in last year’s Tour de Langkawi.

"American team Optum Pro Cycling p/b KBS has come up with an early-season training regimen that takes team building to a whole new level for 2012.  Not to be outdone by their European skydiving peloton mates, the Optum squad has taken to the ropes. That’s right, they are boxing."

"The location was Oostmalle, a small town of less than 7,000 residents in north eastern Belgium. The crowds gathered around the circuitous course had bittersweet expressions on their faces, excitement for the spectacle to come intertwined with sadness. Even the weather seemed sad, weeping rain as the day came to an end. Miraculously, the riders legs - which were visibly heavy with fatigue a mere 24 hours ago - thrashed at the pedals of their muddied steeds as they sought to empty every last drop of energy from their bodies."

There’s only one race that Thor Hushovd wants to win, and that’s Paris-Roubaix. The former world champion doesn’t hesitate when he says that the Hell of the North is his top goal for the upcoming spring classics campaign, but he insists he is “not obsessed” with the cobblestone classic.

Bell the famous high-speed-sports helmet makers have named their latest top-level cycling helmet after what they're claiming as the world's first automotive speed shop "Bell Auto Parts" from whence the helmet-making sprang. It was located at 3633 Gage Avenue in the town of Bell, just outside Los Angeles.

Tacx Antares rollers BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "While they’re super-smooth to use you’ll need to spin your legs off to get a serious workout from them."

Danish rider hoping to develop rhythm with Garmin-Barracuda sprinter.

Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) president Pat McQuaid has presented a speech at the World Conference on Women and Sport in Los Angeles, USA, this week dealing with the issue of gender equality within cycle sport.

Quatar, Oman, Laigueglia, Tour Méditerrannéen, Algarve or Ruta del Sol... It's all fine, I'll watch the races (if they're televized), I'll look at the results,... It's all good, but it doensn't really get me excited.

"Nobody hands out team grades before we even get to March or a few classics. Evaluations before Milan San Remo — seriously? Insane, pointless, bad form and poor taste. Except for Twisted Spoke. We always have our red pen ready to both embarrass and extoll."

"Over the years, partly by accident, partly by design, Riis has cultivated an air of mystery. He could be a deeply complex man, imbued with near mystical, quasi-shamanic motivational abilities; or a charlatan, cycling’s idiot savant who has made a virtue out of saying little, perhaps simply because he has little to say – and plenty to hide." – Excerpt from Bad Blood: The Secret Life of the Tour de France.

Tejay van Garderen’s move to BMC over the winter has gone unacknowledged to a surprising degree. While his likable personality off the bike has ensured a seamless transition to the Swiss backed team, van Garderen’s climbing and time trialling abilities also ensure that he will play an important role in Cadel Evan’s defense of his Tour de France title come July.

"Competition is at the soul of innovation, a modern vestige of our drive to survive manifested in the push to excel — and profit. In cycling, the battle for your wallet is the stimulus for a continuously improving ride experience. In short, you ride a better bike today than you did ten years ago largely thanks to the cycling industry’s love of money. Or maybe you don’t, but only because you love your own cash even more."

A good solid overview of the American history of Sixes, establishing the stars of the day and showing just how popular cycling was in America at the time.

Fizik Kurve Snake saddle BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Reinvents the legendary Arione with a more comfortable ride."

Argon 18 E-118 frame kit BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "The ‘hands by your knees’ position might be intimidating at first, but square up to the Argon E-118 and it’ll reward you big time."

"If you’ve never heard of Frostbike, it’s easily excused. Quality Bicycle Products, based in Bloomingon, Minnesota, hosts the event to help educate and listen to its dealers. It isn’t a public show, it’s a chance for the industry to meet and learn how better to serve you, the bike shop client."

By making the new SRAM Red available initially in the aftermarket form, SRAM has dramatically reduced the cost for the early adopter. They only need to buy the components, not an entire new bike. It's further evidence of SRAM's consumer-first strategy, which is why goodwill for the brand has reached lofty heights.

Heather Logan-Sprenger talks Pro Cycling, Pro Hockey, PhD and Exergy TWENTY12.

The Daily Distraction.

"Dearest snarky VeloNews commenters. I think you have been misguided by the title of this video (which to be honest comes across as pretty arrogant on my part--but I don't choose the titles to interviews do I)."

Shimano is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission and Canadian officials to recall about 300 PRO Atherton stems that can break.

"Last week, I was asked to sit on the advisory board of the U. S. Cycling Monument — which will be a memorial to the sport in this country. Its goal is to raise funds to build the monument, a futuristic metal-and-stone sculpture, in the Boulder, Colorado, park that is regarded as the spiritual home of modern American cycling."

“The Tour makes you dig a little deeper and push a little harder.”

“I believe that our industry is losing the war against the Chain Reactions, the Wiggles, the Amazons."  -  Steve Flagg BicycleRetailer

Johan Bruyneel has insisted that the absence of Alberto Contador will not alter Andy Schleck and RadioShack-Nissan’s plans for the 2012 Tour de France, but acknowledged that the complexion of the race will be different without him.

"Many of us are nostalgic for the golden years of cycling and we love to romanticise its forgotten blue-collar past. Those who love to boast about their history knowledge will tell you about the days back in the 50's when Coppi and Bartali had epic battles in the high mountains of the Giro d'Italia as if they were there to see it for themselves. That was back when cyclists were real men and the sport was tougher than ever. Or was it?"

"PEZ visited the home of Fondriest bicycles in the Veneto region of Italy, to talk bike manufacturing, team sponsorship and most importantly find out all about the racing career, of 1988 World Road Champion, Maurizio Fondriest."

LZ riding the TRP CX9 mini V-brake on an ENVE cyclocross fork at 2012 US Nationals in Madison, WI. Photo: Jon Patz.

"Look is best known for their road bikes but at this week's Fisher Expo, organised by UK distributors Fisher Outdoor Leisure, we had a chance to check out some of their off-road models, notably the full-suspension 920, 986 hardtail and X85 carbon cyclo-cross rig."

Ridley Orion Team Edition BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Beautifully accomplished ride with vibrant looks that's let down by weighty wheels and braking niggles."

Fuji Bikes is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall its step-through Saratoga cruisers due to potential frame breakage.

Danish rider hoping to develop rhythm with Garmin-Barracuda sprinter.

Local favorite Javier Ramírez (Andalucia) scored the biggest win of his career, winning the first road stage of the Ruta del Sol from Zahara de los Atunes to Benalmádena. The 33-year-old beat breakaway companions Luis Ángel Maté (Cofidis) and William Routley (Spidertech) taking third. Oscar Friere (Katusha) led home the peloton.

Doesn’t rule out charging to see race in the future.

Belgian climber credits Lance Armstrong’s former mechanic as well as a winter of hard work.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Asian Cycling Championships (Stages & results),
UCI Track World Cup IV (Days & results),
Tour du Haut Var (Stages & results),
24 Hours of Old Pueblo (Races & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
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With the Tour de Langkawi boasting one of its strongest line-ups in recent years one might be forgiven in glossing over some of the so-called smaller teams, but the MTN-Qhubeka team posses some of the most exciting talents in the race, and have been dubbed the first ‘truly African team’ by their team manager.

How do I put into words something I cannot quite grasp? Something big. Something encompassing walking on the tallest and the most majestic mountain range on Earth? My work is finally done. Months of preparation will be put to work starting March 3 in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Track cycling could be set for an Olympic boost when a host of world records are expected to fall at London’s new state of the art velodrome.

Union Jack, Lion of Flanders, Alpe d'Huez, pretty pink and more available.

Yep, it's a prototype and nope, you can't have one...at least, not yet. Salsa is toying with the idea of a dual suspension fat bike. Judging from the response the bike received at Frostbike, they should go ahead. Photo: Nick Legan.

"The opening day of the Fisher Expo, the annual trade show hosted by UK distributor Fisher Outdoor Leisure, gave us a first look at an all-new new bike brand - Eastway."

One of cyclo-cross's most important series, the Gazet van Antwerpen Trofee, just ended it's 25th year with the finale in Oostmalle this weekend, and despite the newspaper dropping from title sponsor to secondary backer, the Trofee will continue in the next season with a new title supporter soon to be announced. In addition to a new name, the rules of the series will undergo sweeping changes.

The Absa Cape Epic will once again take 1 200 riders through some of the Western Cape's most unspoilt territory. The race, which takes place from 25 March to 1 April, will kick-off with a prologue at Meerendal Wine Estate in Durbanville and finish eight days and 781km later at the prestigious Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West.

Heather Logan-Sprenger talks Pro Cycling, Pro Hockey, PhD and Exergy TWENTY12.

Fränk Schleck continued his 2012 racing season finishing 59th in the prologue at the Tour of Andalucia, on Sunday. The RadioShack-Nissan-Trek rider is using the race to gauge and improve his form ahead of the main objectives in his season.

“I believe that our industry is losing the war against the Chain Reactions, the Wiggles, the Amazons."  -  Steve Flagg BicycleRetailer

Underground time trials aren't as rare as you might think… but few can be as tough as Liverpool's Ten Minutes of Hell.

It’s almost over. The Arabian Odyssey is to come to an end. One of the single most intense experiences of my life is about to be abruptly interrupted by a 3am wake up call and a drive to Muscat airport for a 5.55am flight to Doha. Then onto Sri Lanka for a stopover, on the way to Malaysia for the ten-day Tour de Langkawi. It’s non-stop, this pro cycling thingy...

Steve Cummings, you’ve just had a career change. Brit may be surprised to learn he’s now a super domestique climber.

Euskaltel team manager Miguel Madariaga has admitted that the squad needs a substantial injection of funds in order to keep competing at the top level of the sport. One of the founders of the team back in 1993, Madariaga says that the search for sponsors has been widened beyond their Basque Country base and confirmed that any new sponsorship deal could lead to non-Basque riders joining the team.

After Rocky Mountain’s simple bikes.com, Naked Bikes has perhaps the second best URL in the industry: timetogetnaked.com. Even better than that are the bikes builder Sam Whittingham has brought to the show over the past few years, winning oohs, aaahs and the coveted People’s Choice award in ’08, ’09 and ’11.

"Gabe Konrad was publishing a little “zine” about classic bikes called Aeoleus Butterfly. I sent him a check, and received a delightful photocopied newsletter. On 16 pages, it featured articles reprinted from old magazines, and other articles written by fellow collectors of old bicycles. (The name of the magazine came from a turn-of-the-century bicycle pedal.)"

The Daily Distraction.

"In the winter after my first racing season, I faced a decision: replace my old bike, invest in a set of race wheels, or hire a coach. Each promised to make me go faster, and two appealed to my materialistic side."

By making the new SRAM Red available initially in the aftermarket form, SRAM has dramatically reduced the cost for the early adopter. They only need to buy the components, not an entire new bike. It's further evidence of SRAM's consumer-first strategy, which is why goodwill for the brand has reached lofty heights.

The Olympic road race, Seoul – the year is 1988 and it’s the first big East/West Olympic showdown since the Montreal Games 12 years before. East German Olaf Ludwig restored Eastern honor in Seoul, with West Germans Bernd Grone and Christian Henn taking the other two medals; legendary Soviet sprinter Djamolidine Abdoujaparov took fifth. But in fourth place was an ex-skier who’d only been riding a bike for four years, who says he couldn’t ride GC, couldn’t time trial and in his own words, was ‘built like a wrestler’ – Bob Mionske.

It's been 15 years but Alexander Vinokourov still remembers the first and last time he raced the Tour de Langkawi in 1997, as a member of the Kazakh national team. This week, the leader of the Astana squad is back in Kuala Lumpur to start his final season in the pro-ranks.

Why you'll never find the only bike you'll ever need.

The internals will have bearings to keep twists super smooth. Aiding the smoothness will be an external, separate locking collar that holds it onto the handlebar without putting pressure on the body of the shifter. Both are pretty big upgrades over the original Gripshift twisters and half pipes.

The pedal is an important link between you and your road bike. Of the three contact points – saddle, bar and pedals – the latter is by far the most dynamic. After all, the power that you’re working so hard to generate is all going through the pedals to the crank and ultimately propelling the bike. So getting the right pedal is crucial.

Dan Craven gets to go home to Namibia for rides along the arrow-straight roads through the savannah. And the off season for Namibia’s only pro cyclist is, if anything, more hectic than racing.

Just like good wine, your expensive cyclocross tubulars require a little care and proper storage.  “Ridden hard and put away wet” should never be how you describe your equipment at season end.  Here are a few tips to help you summer-ize your cyclocross tubulars.

Become Films was created by filmmaker-journalist Michael de Yoanna in 2011 to shoot footage for “Recovering,” a documentary about injured veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Richie Porte (Team Sky) wrapped up the overall at the Vuelta ao Algarve in Portugal, then quickly highlighted his team’s efforts in helping him secure his first GC win Europe, telling Cyclingnews that his teammates' sweat had "made him look good".

Velits takes overall win from Nibali.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Asian Cycling Championships (Stages & results),
UCI Track World Cup IV (Days & results),
Tour du Haut Var (Stages & results),
24 Hours of Old Pueblo (Races & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
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For Team Sky, the Volta ao Algarve could only be considered a huge success. Overall victory for Richie Porte, a stage win and the points jersey for Edvald Boassen Hagen and another stage win and third overall for Bradley Wiggins ensured Sky scooped the team prize in Portugal and left but scraps for anyone else.

After amazing performances in the Sprint final on Sunday and Keirin final on Saturday where Sir Chris Hoy nabbed two gold medals at the Track World Cup, “the Real McHoy” was madly hugged and greeted by UCI Management Committee member Brian Cookson, who declared that the champ should run for UCI president.

Geraint Thomas, who is part of the Team GB squad contesting the Track World Cup in London this weekend, has revealed that the time could be right for him to retire from the track and focus on the road after the London 2012 Olympics this summer. 25-year-old Thomas, who rides for Team Sky, claimed that the evolution of track cycling makes it extremely difficult to excel in both disciplines.

Ben Johnke, Bill Engelking, and Matthew Stout from CSU teamed up on a self-shifting bike prototype. As the rider picks up or drops in speed, the bicycle shifts gears to accommodate.

“Dre creep to the mic like a phantom.” Snoop Dog from the Chronic.

Sunday's Volta ao Algarve Stage 5 is a 25.8km Individual Time Trial from Lagoa to Portimao.  Tour of Algarve live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:00pm local (4:00pm CET, 10:00am U.S. Eastern) via RTP Portugal, with Eurosport coverage delayed (not live) according to the official website.

American Sarah Hammer underlined her gold-medal ambitions in the inaugural Olympic event of the omnium by winning the final World Cup race of the season in London Sunday.

Kevin Pauwels loses out to Zdenek Stybar but confirms overall GvA TRofee; Daphny van den Brand bows out of the sport in style.

TT specialist gets early race lead over returning champ Markel Irizar.

Having been part of a winning team nine times, George Hincapie is ideally placed to identify what is required from a Tour de France winner. Hincapie was side by side with his compatriot Lance Armstrong for all seven of his victories in the race and he also assisted Alberto Contador in 2007 and Cadel Evans last year in the colours of BMC.

“I think the biggest thing is listening to the body more. Everyone can say that, everyone says that, ’sick is sick eh’, like the Belgians say that. And you can have people say ‘oh you need to rest more’ but athletes don’t learn that through listening to people, they learn it through being in a deep hole and finding their way out."  -  Amy Dombroski PodiumInsight

Team leader starting final pro season in Malaysia on Friday.

The GTR Series 5 looks good and offers an enviable balance of speed, handling, comfort, performance and weight. BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Excellent lightweight budget racer that deserves serious consideration."

The 2012 Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista Del Sol runs from February 19-23.

2011-2012 Cyclocross season action wraps up Sunday with GVA Trophy Cyclocross at Oostmalle, Belgium. Live streaming video: Elite Men: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern)

"A look back at the most recent big-time doping cases pretty much involves old-time stuff: Ullrich, Armstrong and even Contador’s case was from two years ago. What has me wondering, though, is after all of this noise, do you think the sport is any cleaner?"

Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) raced to victory in stage five of the 2012 Tour of Oman on Saturday afternoon, taking advantage of the summit finish on Green Mountain to the south of Muscat. It was the 27-year-old Italian's first victory since he clinched the overall GC at the 2010 Vuelta a Espana and marks a welcome return to winning ways after his form dipped in 2011.

"Oh hell, I can’t keep a secret. I love this book. I absolutely love this book." Purchase "Comedian Mastermind: The Best of FatCyclist" Here

The Daily Distraction.

Did you know the three cyclists on the 2008 Tour de France podium all used bikes produced in the same factory? Yes, the design and decals might have varied but there was only one manufacturer behind all three riders.

Brit gets third and fourth victory for Endura Racing.

Third fastest ever Team Pursuit to put pressure on Great Britain; second gold for Hoy; close-as-possible Omnium glory for Hammer.

Francesco Moser’s nephew underlines class with Trofeo Laigueglia win.

"We watched the women's elimination race on our feet, cheering along with the rest of the enraptured velodrome. It was the most entertaining race I have seen in years. All thanks to Laura Trott."

"Those of you who spend too much time at work (cough, of course I mean personal leisure time) browsing through the results lists of women’s road races might just have noticed a familiar name cropping up towards the tail end of last season. After time out to assume a dominant position in the world of endurance cross-country mountain-biking (XCM), Finland’s Pia Sundstedt is back on the road … with a vengeance and an eye on next summer’s London Olympics."

Refreshing and effective carbohydrate energy drink.

Become Films was created by filmmaker-journalist Michael de Yoanna in 2011 to shoot footage for “Recovering,” a documentary about injured veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Live streaming video: 7:00pm local (8:00pm CET, 2:00pm U.S. Eastern).

Having been awarded the 2010 Tour de France title in a courtroom earlier this month following the CAS ruling on Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) is confident that he can win it on the road in 2012. Much has been made of the fact that Schleck's chances this year will be increased by Contador's absence, but the 26-year-old from Luxembourg reckons he is well placed to win regardless of what anyone else does or doesn't do.

Sunday's Volta ao Algarve Stage 5 is a 25.8km Individual Time Trial from Lagoa to Portimao.  Tour of Algarve live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:00pm local (4:00pm CET, 10:00am U.S. Eastern) via RTP Portugal, with Eurosport coverage delayed (not live) according to the official website.

Omega Pharam-QuickStep goes one-two.

Young Italian takes victory thanks to perfectly-timed attack.

Likely to be out of racing for a month.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Asian Cycling Championships (Stages & results),
UCI Track World Cup IV (Days & results),
Tour du Haut Var (Stages & results),
24 Hours of Old Pueblo (Races & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
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Live streaming video: 7:00pm local (8:00pm CET, 2:00pm U.S. Eastern).

"The rest of the world should watch out. According to British Cycling head coach Shane Sutton, Great Britain is on the hunt as it moves ever closer to the London Olympic Games in August. Sutton was speaking at the end of day two at the London velodrome after four world records were shattered in a thrilling day of racing."

The Superfl y 100 will have uninitiated riders forgetting about the big wheels in minutes. BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "Everything’s in the right place but the frame finish isn’t quite up to the very high standard set by the competition."

At least somebody is happy about the official new standings of the 2010 Tour de France. The recent ruling by the court for Arbitration in SPort has removed Alberto Contador as the winner and everyone has moved up the standings.

"Lance Armstrong rode this climb regularly as a test of his form (his record was just over 30 minutes), and it gains 927 meters from sea level over 13km, the average gradient is 6.7%, with a max at 10%. We were under no illusions of challenging Lance’s record, so it was a “start out slow, then dial ‘er back” kind of pace."

Julich, once one of the best time trialists in the world, helped Porte in his first year as a pro when they were both at Saxo Bank. The duo built up a good working relationship but parted ways last season when Julich moved to Sky. Now they are back together again and both are delighted with the arrangement.

Stage and lead for Australian as he escapes on the final climb after ground work put in by dominant Team Sky.

2011-2012 Cyclocross season action wraps up Sunday with GVA Trophy Cyclocross at Oostmalle, Belgium. Live streaming video: Elite Men: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern)

"A look back at the most recent big-time doping cases pretty much involves old-time stuff: Ullrich, Armstrong and even Contador’s case was from two years ago. What has me wondering, though, is after all of this noise, do you think the sport is any cleaner?"

Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) raced to victory in stage five of the 2012 Tour of Oman on Saturday afternoon, taking advantage of the summit finish on Green Mountain to the south of Muscat. It was the 27-year-old Italian's first victory since he clinched the overall GC at the 2010 Vuelta a Espana and marks a welcome return to winning ways after his form dipped in 2011.

Belgian champion rides away from the field as two punctures foil World champion Niels Albert; Marianne Vos wins yet again.

2011-2012 Cyclocross season action continues Saturday with Cauberg Cyclo-cross. The first Cauberg live stream is expected to start about 5-10 minutes before the Elite Men race begins. Elite Men: 3:15pm CET (9:15am U.S. Eastern).

Menchov, Freire and Schleck amongst big names to line up.

"Having helped his Radioshack Nissan-Trek teammate Tiago Machado into second place overall on stage three of the Volta ao Algarve in Portugal yesterday, Matthew Busche took some time out at the start of stage 4 today to reflect on his European season thus far."

"Oh hell, I can’t keep a secret. I love this book. I absolutely love this book." Purchase "Comedian Mastermind: The Best of FatCyclist" Here

The Daily Distraction.

Having been awarded the 2010 Tour de France title in a courtroom earlier this month following the CAS ruling on Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) is confident that he can win it on the road in 2012. Much has been made of the fact that Schleck's chances this year will be increased by Contador's absence, but the 26-year-old from Luxembourg reckons he is well placed to win regardless of what anyone else does or doesn't do.

The 2012 Tour du Haut Var is February 18-19.  Once again there will be live streaming video (Starting around 4pm CET (10am U.S. Eastern) Saturday, 3pm CET on Sunday).

"While many of us wonder just how much exercise we really need in order to gain health and fitness, a group of scientists in Canada are turning that issue on its head and asking, how little exercise do we need?"

Chapeau to Robert Marchand who at the age of 100 set a world hour record of 24.251km. Lapping the UCI’s velodrome in Aigle Switzerland, the Frenchman had tried an attempt on an indoor trainer before but this time made his way to a track and rode under the scrutiny of officials from the UCI.

“I think the biggest thing is listening to the body more. Everyone can say that, everyone says that, ’sick is sick eh’, like the Belgians say that. And you can have people say ‘oh you need to rest more’ but athletes don’t learn that through listening to people, they learn it through being in a deep hole and finding their way out."  -  Amy Dombroski PodiumInsight

Liquigas-Cannondale, Acqua & Sapone, Farnese Vini-Selle Italia also in the running.

"Speed, handling and comfort are all things that are directly affected by the rubber you’re rolling on. We chose top-level competition tires from four major brands— Continental, Kenda, Maxxis and Michelin—to put through a road test, capped off with a trip to the San Diego Velodrome for a rolling-resistance test."

While training on his mountain bike, Absalon clipped a tree and crashed. He bruised his knee and fractured his right thumb. The two-time Olympic mountain bike champion will now likely make his first racing appearance on March 11 at the Copa Catalana Internacional in Banyoles. That race is scheduled one week before the first UCI Mountain Bike World Cup of the 2012 season, to be held the next week in South Africa.

After its star stage-racer dominated the U.S. peloton in 2011, Competitive Cyclist wants to expand and diversify—and race the Tour of California and USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Become Films was created by filmmaker-journalist Michael de Yoanna in 2011 to shoot footage for “Recovering,” a documentary about injured veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Saturday's Tour of Algarve Stage 4 departs Vilamoura at 11:50am local (12:50pm CET, 6:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Tavira at around 4:26pm local (5:26pm CET, 11:26am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Algarve live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:00pm local (4:00pm CET, 10:00am U.S. Eastern) via RTP Portugal, with Eurosport coverage, if there is any, starting about 30 minutes later.

Live streaming video: 7:00pm local (8:00pm CET, 2:00pm U.S. Eastern).

Stage and lead for Australian as he escapes on the final climb after ground work put in by dominant Team Sky.

Long distance move by Vandenbergh impresses but doesn’t deliver victory.

Right now we’re all watching the early-season races and wondering what they can tell us about the big hitters to come—Milan-San Remo to start, which is exactly one month from today.

Australian riding well with new team.

"I’m looking for a interesting way to open this entry but it just isn’t flowing tonight. My brain this evening is a beloved chihuahua squashed in the driveway under the Dodge. An exploded gnat streaked up on a windscreen. A struggling bluebottle flickering in and out of life glued to a strip of paper dangling from some gas station ceiling in the desert."

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Asian Cycling Championships (Stages & results),
UCI Track World Cup IV (Days & results),
24 Hours of Old Pueblo (Races & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

2011-2012 Cyclocross season action continues Saturday with Cauberg Cyclo-cross. The first Cauberg live stream is expected to start about 5-10 minutes before the Elite Men race begins. Elite Men: 3:15pm CET (9:15am U.S. Eastern).

The 2012 Tour du Haut Var is February 18-19.  Once again there will be live streaming video.

"I'm not sure what you're going to write about. I don't really have anything interesting to say or any stories to tell". This is how my four hour ride with Jeremy Hunt began just a short while ago while he was back in Melbourne for the off-season."

Belgian wins his second race of the season for his new team.

"Justin Loretz shows you how to identify and remove noises and creaks in your bike, a problem that nearly all of us will have encountered."

"The season really is wrapping up and though we’ve been on a slow down on the Rumors and Rumblings front, things are still coming down the pipeline."

"You might recognize at least one or two faces in this picture, more if you’re really good. That’s Eric Heiden, the guy sporting massive thighs and winner of five gold medals in speed skating in the 1980 Winter Olympic games in Lake Placid, NY, holding the bike at left. On the right in the suit is cofounder and manager of the team, Jim Ochowicz." Purchase the book "Team 7-Eleven" Here

Nine days after sustaining fracture...

Filippo Pozzato (Farnese Vini-Selle Italia) is determined to ride tomorrow's Trofeo Laigueglia in Italy, less than two weeks after sustaining a broken collarbone in a crash at the Tour of Qatar.

"Oh hell, I can’t keep a secret. I love this book. I absolutely love this book."

Anna Meares and Kaarle McCulloch of Australia set a new world record in the women's team sprint with a time of 32.828, in qualifying on Friday. It marked the first world record set at the new Olympic Velodrome in London.

Britain’s gold-medal hunt really begins this February weekend, when three-time Beijing Olympic champ Sir Chris Hoy, 35, opens his bid to be his country’s single selection for the match sprint. His competition? Fellow Brit Jason Kenny, 23, who just happens to be the current world champion.

American to begin season next Friday.

BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "We love the extra support and light weight, but it's firm and pricey."

"One of the most boring things I can possibly conceive of is training inside looking at a wall. Marginally more mind numbing is watching other people train inside. The idea of riding and reviewing a turbo-training DVD didn’t hugely appeal to me, that’s why I split my time between SoCal and Spain."

Recently successful team bikes for the likes of us, new lights and bike polishing on the agenda this week...

This bamboo and carbon fiber fat bike was built by Drew Diller as a hobby project inspired by the folks at Boo and Bamboo Bike Studio.

"A friend posted on Twitter the other day, “Why do I have such a hard time caring about the early-season desert races?” and I replied, “Because those are training rides the UCI has sold ads for.” Which is pretty cynical, though essentially true."

VeloNews Analysis: Breeding one kind at the expense of another.

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Become Films was created by filmmaker-journalist Michael de Yoanna in 2011 to shoot footage for “Recovering,” a documentary about injured veterans returning home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

VeloNation: 100 year old sets first-ever hour record mark for his age group.

Robert Marchand writes his name in history in Aigle.

“I think the biggest thing is listening to the body more. Everyone can say that, everyone says that, ’sick is sick eh’, like the Belgians say that. And you can have people say ‘oh you need to rest more’ but athletes don’t learn that through listening to people, they learn it through being in a deep hole and finding their way out."  -  Amy Dombroski PodiumInsight

Pon Holdings, today, announced that they have acquired Cervélo Cycles after successfully concluding negotiations that began last December.

The GP Plouay sits on the World Tour calendar of top races. Held every year in August in the town of Plouay in the Brittany region of France, last year’s edition was won by Grega Bole. It is the sort of race the needs an introduction like this because many are not aware of it or its details. The other one day race in France on the World Tour is Paris-Roubaix and that needs no explanation.

"Pretty much every possible tabloid pun on Ben Swift’s surname has already been done to death, so we’ll waste no time in getting to the meat of the story. The twenty-four year old has had an almost perfect career progression to date. Starring as an amateur with a string of results in Italy, Ben Swift moved on to Barloworld and then rode the Giro with Katusha, before joining the Team Sky juggernaut in 2010. He took a fistful of big wins in 2011, but what about 2012?"

So just exactly do we quantify all the harassment of cyclists in 2011 in their “Operation Safecycle?”

"It's up there with Tim Krabbé's The Rider and Paul Fournel's Need For The Bike."

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Great frameset for the price, but some component upgrades are required to get the most out of it."

Understated but extremely competent mid-sized saddlebag that's perfect for the British winter, although the bracket is mediocre.

"Some of us have done it and there’s a good chance you may have done too: driven into the garage forgetting that your roof rack is full of bikes. With spring around the corner – apparently the busiest time of year for bike rack accidents – we’ve decided to take a look at three products designed to warn drivers before disaster strikes."

Without a victory since he sealed the Vuelta a España in September 2010, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) is aware that he has an early opportunity to get back in the winning habit on stage five of the Tour of Oman on the slopes of Jabal Al Akhdhar.

Thursday's Tour of Algarve Stage 2 departs Faro at 11:50am local (12:50pm CET, 6:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Lagoa at around 4:27pm local (5:27pm CET, 11:27am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Algarve live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:30pm local (4:30pm CET, 10:30am U.S. Eastern) via RTP Portugal, with Eurosport coverage scheduled to start 15 minutes later.

Sky Procycling rider takes race lead from Meersman.

23-year-old wins the battle of the German sprinters team, but the Gorilla takes back the overall lead.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Asian Cycling Championships (Stages & results),
UCI Track World Cup IV (Days & results),
24 Hours of Old Pueblo (Races & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

Jurgen Van den Broeck seems to be the lost rider in the pre-Tour de France sweepstakes for 2012.

Hitting your goal for the day is the most important aspect of eating protein, whether it’s for fat loss, building muscle, or just maintaining your weight.

"You might recognize at least one or two faces in this picture, more if you’re really good. That’s Eric Heiden, the guy sporting massive thighs and winner of five gold medals in speed skating in the 1980 Winter Olympic games in Lake Placid, NY, holding the bike at left. On the right in the suit is cofounder and manager of the team, Jim Ochowicz." Purchase the book "Team 7-Eleven" Here

Practice these skills, and you'll be riding through bends quickly and easily.

It seems like you can’t throw a rock (or cowbell, or punctured tube) without hitting a new Internet Meme these days.

Former Paris-Roubaix winner Servais Knaven settled into the role of director sportif at Sky over a year ago, and the Dutchman has made the transition from bike to team car appear seamless. Popular with the riders, knowledgeable on race tactics and still hungry for success, he’s the archetypal team player.

Colorado-based Kappius going into production with innovative new rear hub design with external drive ring.

RideClean/PatentIt.com elite women's team will roll up to the start line for the first time in 2012 with two time Olympian and 22 time national track champion Jame Carney as team director.

"Having covered European food and drink, an exception to the rule with a quick look at coffee culture in Oman. The Middle-Eastern country is staging a bike race at the moment and many riders seem to be enjoying the experience whilst fans wow at the scenery."

“I think the biggest thing is listening to the body more. Everyone can say that, everyone says that, ’sick is sick eh’, like the Belgians say that. And you can have people say ‘oh you need to rest more’ but athletes don’t learn that through listening to people, they learn it through being in a deep hole and finding their way out."  -  Amy Dombroski PodiumInsight

The Italian sees the future. Where everywhere people are saying, “My customers are asking for this. My customers are asking for that,” the Italian says, “Your customers don’t know what they need. They do not think of the future. They only read magazines and stare at the television.”

Athens, Georgia doesn't make many top ten lists for dream destinations to ride a bike, but without promising heaven it delivers on so much more.

Tour de France winner, World champion and new father - what more could Cadel Evans want from life? Well, he wants to do it all again, the Tour and the Worlds bits anyway, much less paperwork involved.

St. Kitts and Nevis rider docked points due to federation delay.

"Italian firm Bianchi are famed for their bikes but also have a huge array of their own components, accessories and clothing. The latest to land on our desk are two pairs of sunglasses, a helmet and a mini pump, all in the traditional Bianchi celeste color."

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Supple and tenacious grip, but we’d prefer a little more width."

BikeRadar verdict: 5 out of 5 stars. "The racer’s choice is highly adjustable, and double-sided entry is a bonus too." Purchase Speedplay Zero Stainless Pedals Here

EGM Architects, one of the largest architectural firms in the Netherlands, started the new year by giving every employee a Dahon bicycle.

When it comes to tires, I’m a bit of a broken record. GO BIGGER! I don’t understand why anyone who’s out riding a road bike would ride anything smaller than a true 23mm (most labeled 23mm tires are narrower when measured with calipers). Rolling resistance goes down for the same model of tire when width goes up. Puncture resistance is better. So is comfort.

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the ones that can have the biggest impact.

The Daily Distraction.

Lars Seier Christensen, co-founder and chief executive of Team Saxo Bank, explains his support for Contador and continued sponsorship of cycling.

Governing body accepts that it failed to follow WADA protocols but wants rider suspended regardless.

Patrick Lefevere admitted that his team needed a "facelift" for 2012, but he is pleased with how Omega-Pharma Quick Step has adopted to the host of changes made during the winter.

A German T.V. show revealed that the winner of today’s stage of the Tour of Oman Marcel Kittel had undergone a blacklight treated blood transfusion. Kittel was forced to answer all sorts of doping-related questions. His Team 1T4i were also obliged to respond to the allegations (which they did so in an admirably diplomatic fashion).

Country needs "to gain credibility" in war against the drugs cheats, says politician.

In 2011 American Amy Dombroski made the big decision to move and live to Belgium for the cross season, a season of highs and lows and lessons learned for the diminutive 24-year old from Vermont. And she is not done with her season with one final race coming up this weekend, final GVA race in Oostmalle, Belgium on Sunday.

Thanks to an anonymous tipster we just got this photo of an early prototype of TRP’s forthcoming hydraulic road brake lever with integrated Di2 buttons.

The Camber offers sorted 29er handling in a great value and easy to live with package. BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "If you’re looking for an all-out racer you’d be better off spending more but the Camber 29 convinces as a great value trail all-rounder."

"Never one to sit on the sidelines, Alberto Contador announced today that he will be starring on a special episode of NBC’s Celebrity Fear Factor in 2012.  The extreme game show features contestants vying for cash and prizes by performing dangerous stunts, exposing themselves to poisonous and/or slimy insects and reptiles, and ingesting disgusting substances."

Former multiple King of the Mountains winner Richard Virenque held a press conference in Paris today to announce his return to professional cycling at age 43 with Team SaxoBank-Sungard.

Thursday's Tour of Algarve Stage 2 departs Faro at 11:50am local (12:50pm CET, 6:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Lagoa at around 4:27pm local (5:27pm CET, 11:27am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Algarve live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:30pm local (4:30pm CET, 10:30am U.S. Eastern) via RTP Portugal, with Eurosport coverage scheduled to start 15 minutes later.

Late burst sees Belgian open his account with new Lotto-Belisol team after five-rider break is pulled back.

Tough finale fragments peloton.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Volta ao Algarve (Stages & results),
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
G.P. Stad Eeklo (Results),
Tour of Qatar (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
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Every season sees breakout performances by new names and resurgences by riders coming off tough seasons. Here are 10 cyclists to watch in 2012.

British Grand Tour contenders Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome make their 2012 season debut on Wednesday at the Tour of the Algarve, Portugal.

"We got a first glimpse of Motorola's MotoActv - an all-in-one training device, GPS tracker, cycle computer and music player - at the recent London Bike Show. And now here it is in full unboxing glory as presented by Cycling Plus Editor Rob Spedding."

Garmin has announced yet another delay for its much anticipated Vector pedal-based power meter.

"You might recognize at least one or two faces in this picture, more if you’re really good. That’s Eric Heiden, the guy sporting massive thighs and winner of five gold medals in speed skating in the 1980 Winter Olympic games in Lake Placid, NY, holding the bike at left. On the right in the suit is cofounder and manager of the team, Jim Ochowicz." Purchase the book "Team 7-Eleven: How an Unsung Band of American Cyclists Took on the World - and Won" Here

Is Oman the most interesting, scenic and just plain wonderful place I’ve ever been to on earth? Iʼm not sure yet. What I am sure of is that itʼs not exactly the land of lush, verdant forests, cascading waterfalls or humming, vibrant valleys of emerald green. However, it isnʼt Qatar, which is probably the reason this place looks so lovely.

Today Le Monde, France’s establishment newspaper, ran an article with several mistakes. So here’s a quick primer on the facts...

"In the welter of knee jerk reactions to judge/condemn Contador and/or criticize the UCI, the real issues of this situation are being missed; there are two main points that I can see."

Thor Hushovd is one of the new guys at BMC, but he has a lot to bring to the table for any team. Classic wins, Tour stage victories, point’s jerseys…the list goes on. A Classics man with a lot still to do and he has the right team behind him to do it. Let Thor speak!

BikeRadar verdict: 5 out of 5 stars. "The racer’s choice is highly adjustable, and double-sided entry is a bonus too." Purchase Speedplay Zero Stainless Pedals Here

Italian Classic specialist wants to return to racing as soon as possible.

Shimano and Pearl Izumi held a grand opening this past Friday for their new 3,000 sq m (32,000 sq ft) 'Education Center' in Boulder, Colorado. Located just a few minutes from Pearl Izumi's Louisville headquarters, the by-appointment-only facility will serve as a one-stop destination to view their full range of products as well as a base camp for demos, clinics and other events.

Olympic champion to lead strong Euskaltel-Euskadi team in southern Spanish race.

When GreenEdge's designated leader Matt Goss told his teammates that he didn't have the legs to compete for the win on stage 2 of the Tour of Oman, Baden Cooke threw his hat into the ring to contest the sprint.

Mathieu Perget (Ag2R-La Mondiale) is recuperating at home in southwestern France from a fractured pelvis sustained in late January at the Tour de San Luis. The 27-year-old Frenchman's 2012 season came to an abrupt halt on January 27 when he crashed heavily on stage 5 in the Argentinean stage race. Despite the injury, Perget is in good spirits and expects to return to racing in April.

The Daily Distraction.

Andy Schleck can hardly have expected to have held his first press conference as a Tour de France winner on the car deck of a ship in the Gulf of Oman, but it was perhaps in keeping with the absurdity that has surrounded the protracted Alberto Contador case.

Spain's Minister for Sport, Jose Ignacio Wert, has used a public forum on Spanish society to speak out on what he sees as a problem with the doping issues that are permeating Spanish sport. Alberto Contador's two-year sanction by CAS for his positive clenbuterol test, which was announced last week, has heightened controversy levels surrounding sport in Spain and Wert has decided to talk publicly on the matter and how Spanish sport as a whole can start the healing process.

Team Saxo Bank has not been invited to ride the Criterium International next month, a race organized by Tour de France organizer Amaury Sport Organisation. But the team does not believe that it is a reflection on the team for Alberto Contador's two-year suspension for doping.

"In 2008, Radio Freddy arranged for the two of us to meet Brad Roe, then the editor of Hi-Torque’s Road Bike Action. While Radio Freddy was in town for the Tour of California, we met Brad and took a tour of the offices that had produced countless issues of magazines we did a better job of memorizing than the algebra texts found in our book bags during our school days."

Depression in sport is doing the media rounds at the moment and the subject has triggered a huge response in society in general.

BikeRadar verdict: 5 out of 5 stars. "You could end up paying a lot more for a saddle and not doing as well as this. Give it a try."

“Jan Ullrich missed his last chance to win back even a little of his credibility, because he failed to come clean."  -  Dagmar Freitag CyclingNews

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Incredible performance in the hills and on the flat, plus great comfort. It’s only a trick set of wheels away from being unbeatable."

"It’s been months since I sent my last race report to friends and family, but after 6000 miles of training in the “off-season,” I’m back at it, and want to include you in the action."

Wednesday's Tour of Algarve Stage 1 departs Dunas Douradas at 12:45pm local (1:45pm CET, 7:45am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Albufeira at around 4:30pm local (5:30pm CET, 11:30am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Algarve live video streaming is expected to begin at around 3:30pm local (4:30pm CET, 10:30am U.S. Eastern) via RTP Portugal, with Eurosport coverage scheduled to start 15 minutes later.

The 2012 schedule for the Tour of America’s Dairyland presented by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (“ToAD”) is out. The omnium competition will travel throughout 11 Wisconsin communities, June 21 – July 1, and include four dates on the USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar (“NCC”).

Lotto Belisol rider beats Galimzyanov and Farrar into Wadi Al Huwqayn.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour of Oman (Stages & results),
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages & results),
Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria Challenge Calabria (Stages & results),
Internationale Cyclo-cross Heerlen GP Heuts (Elite men results),
Internationale Cyclo-cross Heerlen GP Heuts (Elite women results),
Superprestige Middelkerke (Elite men results),
Superprestige Middelkerke (Elite women results),
G.P. Stad Eeklo (Results),
Tour of Qatar (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

24-year-old Katusha sprinter improving day by day as he chases his first victory of the season; teammate Mikhail Ignatiev on the attack again.

Bart Wellens is determined to at least try and come back to riding on the cyclo-cross circuit, even if he is uncertain as to whether he will succeed. The Belgian is still undergoing medical procedures for the dental problems that are said to have caused the heart and kidney problems which hospitalized him earlier this year.

Team NetApp has received the final wildcard invitation to the 2012 Tour of Flanders. The German Professional Continental team impressed race organisers with their performance at last year's Paris-Roubaix.

Disc brakes are coming to road bikes. You don’t need to look any further than SRAM’s new hydraulic offerings as proof; they wouldn’t make it if major frame manufacturers weren’t ready to spec it. But is this progress being driven by the need for improved performance or consumer demand? And are there true performance gains to be found?

"From the latest product news to details of routes and events, our news round-up is a collection of short snippets of information in one handy article."

The more you learn about this era of cycling - not just in the US, but also in Europe - the more you want to know.

Direct-to-consumer retailers Williams Cycling have added road saddles, bars, stems and seatposts to their popular range of clincher and tubular road wheels. The American company are sticking to their usual business model with the new gear – a potent mix of performance and value.

Cycling was back on the streets this last week with wins by a top sprinter, World Champion Mark Cavendish, and an emerging one, Elia Viviani. The previous week's doping controversies were almost forgotten. The Jan Ullrich chapter is closed, Armstrong was drinking, and cycling only suffered only a slight hangover.

February 14th takes on a very different meaning for fans of pro cycling, this year marking eight years since Marco Pantani’s tragic death. But in 1998, Il Pirata was at the top – winning the rare Giro – Tour double. Ale Federico set out from Genoa on his new moto to see the race for himself, and recorded the odyssey in his personal diary…

The mentor and his apprentice.

Six years ago, I started working and writing for ElleGirl, and was probably one of the only college freshman who skipped out on orientation to head into the city for an industry party at MTV Studios.

Bright future ahead for Endura Racing rider.

Damiano Cunego, who at 22 years of age won the 2004 Giro d'Italia, has always had difficulty choosing between Grand Tour or Classics contention. As he this year enters his tenth season as a pro, the now 30-year-old has opted to focus on the Spring Classics and the Worlds in the Netherlands as his main targets in 2012. Like last year, the Lampre-ISD rider will skip the Giro d'Italia, and participate in the Tour de France, but without aiming at the general classification.

It’s a welcome change each February to watch the lead stories in cycling move from the minutia of law and bio-pharmacology to the nuance and verve of actual bicycle racing.

Bontrager's new inForm Pro last offers what is far and away the best fit of any shoe the company have produced to date. It could still use just a bit of tweaking around the ankle but for the most part, this is a superb shoe. BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Bontrager's best fit yet, plus they're lightweight, stiff, well vented and reasonably priced."

The partners of professional cyclists are long-suffering domestiques we often don't see. They wash dirty kit, put up with blurry Skype conversations, and, in some cases, look after the children or act as an airport taxi service.

Four smart mapping and tracking apps for your iPhone or Android.

Betsy Andreu. in 2006, and her husband Frankie provided sworn testimony that Armstrong told physicians in their presence in 1996 that he has used EPO (erythropoietin), growth hormone, steroids and testosterone.

In the priority list of life-as-cyclist, an S&S bike occupies slot number 2, right after the standard road bike, and well ahead of CX bike and miles ahead of a TT bike. Nothing is as sweet as screwing the airlines.

The Daily Distraction.

Spain’s sports minister acknowledged Tuesday that the country has a problem with doping that needs fixing, after its record in the fight against drugs came under further scrutiny following Alberto Contador’s ban from cycling, The Associated Press reported Tuesday.

Dizziness leads to ongoing assessment by brain doctors.

Multi-time Japanese national champion Kohei Yamamoto has joined Specialized Racing for 2012. Yamamoto becomes part of a roster full of mountain bike stars including cross country world champion Jaroslav Kulhavy, marathon world champion Christoph Sauser, Burry Stander, Todd Wells, Lea Davison, Rebecca Rusch and Ned Overend.

Red Bull’s Crashed Ice is likely the most terrifying sport invented by the drink manufacturer, where it seems the only way to survive is with ‘wings’. Prior to the skate finals in Valkenburg, The Netherlands, Red Bull sent four of their sponsored riders down the track in a feat that is nothing other than awe-inspiring.

The wheels may be big but the weight isn’t – and the handling is top-notch, too. BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Light, nimble and with the fluidity of Giant’s proven Maestro suspension, the Anthem X 29’er 1 is a thoroughbred speed machine."

Like the detachable tandem bike, the Rota has some excellent innovations that push the boundaries of bicycle design.  Argentinian designer Leandro Albino de Oliveira visualizes a bike that would fold with ease – with a couple of twists, the Rota becomes half its size.

“Jan Ullrich missed his last chance to win back even a little of his credibility, because he failed to come clean."  -  Dagmar Freitag CyclingNews

Not long until Bespoked on March 23rd-25th, meanwhile one of last year's star turns...

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Very costly, but among the best made and comfiest to wear."

British rider making gradual progress with new squad.

Cancellara is racing this week at Oman after debuting at the Tour of Qatar, two important pre-season races that will help put “Spartacus” on a winning track heading toward the season’s first major goals.

The 2012 Tour of Oman runs from February 14-19. Do not expect live video feeds for this race but videos after each stage.

The Tour of Oman starts tomorrow. You might have seen images from Qatar but just because pro cycling continues in the Gulf region, don’t think this race is the same. Instead the Tour of Oman is very different, whether it is the landscapes, the country, the people or the vicious summit finish on Stage 5.

Cycling expert and former world number one believes Australian could repeat.

“Jan Ullrich missed his last chance to win back even a little of his credibility, because he failed to come clean."  -  Dagmar Freitag CyclingNews

Jonathan Page may live in Europe and race almost exclusively there (except when he’s home to snag a bronze medal at Nationals, that is), but he’s still a US racer at heart. He’s also the only US racer to take a podium spot at Worlds, though this year his race at the World Championships didn’t go quite as smoothly.

There's a sheer simplicity to the manner in which Jon Tiernan-Locke claimed overall victory in the Tour of the Mediterranean on Sunday. Lying third overall behind two sprinters, he just waited for the final climb of the race, then blasted away at the foot of it.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel (Stages),
Giro della Provincia di Reggio Calabria Challenge Calabria (Stages & results),
Internationale Cyclo-cross Heerlen GP Heuts (Elite men results),
Internationale Cyclo-cross Heerlen GP Heuts (Elite women results),
Superprestige Middelkerke (Elite men results),
Superprestige Middelkerke (Elite women results),
G.P. Stad Eeklo (Results),
Tour of Oman (Stages),
Tour of Qatar (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California (Stages ),
More...

Florida-based Crankinstein creates some scary jerseys, with designs ranging from Frankenstein’s monster to Dracula and beyond.  Along with stock items, they’ll help you create custom designs.  All jerseys are a Trim Club Cut for a slim fit (though not as tight-fitting as race cut).

Nys takes GP Stad Eeklo, Pauwels bests Van der Haar at GP Heuts.

Betsy Andreu. in 2006, and her husband Frankie provided sworn testimony that Armstrong told physicians in their presence in 1996 that he has used EPO (erythropoietin), growth hormone, steroids and testosterone.

In the priority list of life-as-cyclist, an S&S bike occupies slot number 2, right after the standard road bike, and well ahead of CX bike and miles ahead of a TT bike. Nothing is as sweet as screwing the airlines.

As well as the decision to rule on Saxo Bank’s future in the top level, last Friday’s UCI press release announced a new race, the Tour of Hangzhou. This five day stage race will take place in October after the Tour of Beijing.

Schleck, Cancellara and Klöden in action for RadioShack.

A full complement of sprinters line up on Tuesday for the Tour of Oman, but while Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Barracuda) is among their number, the American admitted that at this point of the season his mindset is that of a classics rider rather than a pure fastman.

Don't let bike maintenance be forgot, and never brought to mind. This year, vow to...

From afar, the Tour of Qatar looks like a curious early season sideshow ball-buster staged in some far off desert - a windy one at that. Over the last week, PEZ has gotten the unique opportunity to peer inside the race courtesy RTS Racing's Lee Rodgers.

How cool is this? A tiny self-contained dynamo light in development.

The Daily Distraction.

My conception of blogging was that it was so personal as to be codified and—worse—without insight. The lack of universality in experience made cycling blogs pointless, at least to me. It would be a few more months before I’d run across BSNYC and Fat Cyclist.

Seven-time TDF champ comes second in debut Ironman 70.3 - and then 'snubs' winner, claims NZ press.

The German cycling federation has banned former Tour de France winner Jan Ullrich from competing in any amater or public races.

Saxo Bank have shown their support for Alberto Contador by using the Spaniard to promote their online banking services in an advert that appeared in Sunday’s edition of L’Equipe. The full-page ad featured Contador on the verge of taking a stage win with a huge smile on his face and framing the Saxo Bank name on his jersey. The slogan across the image reads: “Opportunities often present themselves in times of crisis.”

Fourteen events on a calendar of some 200 days of racing is nothing much. You could ignore them at little peril,

Newly promoted WorldTour race hopes to capitalise on the iconic climb discarded by the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

Ritchey launched their first 29in mountain bike tyre last year and now they've followed it up, not with more 29er tyres or rims but with a whole 29in-wheeled bike.

Virgin Australia confirms that a financial settlement has been reached.