The elite men's sixth stop on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar begins at 4pm Pacific Daylight Time on Sunday, May 1.

Australian BMC Racing Team rider looking good.

U.S. national time trial champion Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) didn’t get the result he wanted on Saturday’s stage 4 TT at the Tour de Romandie. He went into an early downhill corner too fast and crashed spectacularly, smashing his bike, sustaining a bad bruise on his left buttock and getting a chainwheel rash on his left leg. He continued on his spare TT bike after losing at least a minute.

Saturday's Tour de Romandie Stage 4 is a 20.1km Individual Time Trial from Aubonne to Signal-de-Bougy.  The first rider departs at 2:15pm CET (8:15am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de Romandie live video streaming should begin at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Saturday's Tour of Turkey Stage 7 departs Tekirova at 12:50pm EEST (5:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Manavgat around 4:14pm EEST (9:14am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Turkey live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm EEST (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

Saturday's Vuelta a Asturias Stage 3 departs Luarca at 11:15am CET (5:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Santuario del Acebo (Cangas del Narcea) at around 4:22pm CET (10:22am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta a Asturias live streaming video should begin around 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

Joaquim Rodriguez finished 2010 as the number one rider in the UCI rankings. He had a great year with several wins and many consistent finishes.

In second place is  Rhae Shaw (CycleU), the Canadian triathlete who is now focusing solely on cycling. After dropping her chain on the first climb, Janel Holcomb (Colavita Forno d’Asolo) caught her two-minute women and finished third.

The Trek-Livestrong U23 team did it again at the SRAM Tour of the Gila time trial. Last year it was Jesse Sergent, and this time it was Dale Parker, the 18-year old Australian with a time of 34:39 on the 16.15 miles (26km) out-and-back course with 1000 feet (305 m) of climbing.

With one day to go in the 47th Presidential Tour of Turkey, Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) has met the expectations of his directeur sportif Luca Scinto, who promised him a start at the Giro d’Italia should he win two stages this week. But the sprinter and his mentor have since decided to forget their bet and Guardini will not be on the start line in Turin on May 7.

Following her coach’s advice, red jersey Clara Hughes (Pactimo) knew that she had to be second wheel into the final corner before the 400-meter dash to the finish line. And that’s exactly what she did. Hughes opened up her sprint and held it to the finish line to win the Silver City Criterium, stage 4 of the SRAM Tour of the Gila.

The Trek-Livestrong kids did it again at stage 4 of the SRAM Tour of the Gila. Seventh out of the final corner, Joe Lewis opened and sprinted to the line to take the bunch sprint, making two years in a row for Trek-Livestrong following Taylor Phinney’s win last year.  Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis/Sutter Home) took second with Aaron Kemps (V Australia) third.

The stage will be viewable on the VeloNews live page, www.velonews.competitor.com/live. Coverage will begin with the women’s category 3-4 race at 8 a.m. Mountain Time, and extend through the pro/elite women’s race (starting at 3 p.m.) and the pro men (starting at 4:15 p.m.).

Squad takes victory yesterday evening in Luxembourg TTT.

This year’s Giro celebrates the 150th anniversary of the unification of the country, marking the moment when a collection of kingdoms, fiefdoms and other lands on the peninsula were finally united into a single nation, in part by military force.

You've seen and read plenty about Zipp's 303 rim profile... A few major publications called it the best all round carbon tubular rim currently on the market (and "best" isn't a frequently used term mind you). But there's a little more to be said about the hoops and more to the hubs than most realize...

In spite of his failure to win a monument classic this spring, Tom Boonen (Quick Step) has declared himself satisfied with his season to date. The Belgian captured Gent-Wevelgem and finished fourth at the Tour of Flanders, before a series of mechanical problems ruled him out of contention at Paris-Roubaix.

A couple days ago I arrived here in Bangkok to do a race called the Tour of Friendship. If you’ve ever been to Thailand before, you’ll understand how fitting this name is. Before coming here I knew very little about this event, but I’ve heard little bits about it via others emailing me saying “you gotta come and do this race!”

China, my child. Along with the rest of the cycling gear, bikes, wheelsets and components, Chinese facroies pump out lycra bib shorts and pads for companies in apparel companies in Eruope, the United States and elsewhere.

Roberto Damiani has taken over the reins as team manager of Lampre-ISD and confirmed that none of the riders or staff named recently in the Mantova-based doping investigation will be present at the Giro d’Italia.

Lampre-ISD announced today that none of their riders who are under suspicion in the Mantova doping investigation will ride the Giro.

VeloNation: Omega Pharma prepared to remain a sponsor in cycling.

Split from Lotto doesn't phase Belgian Pharmaceutical company.

We have before us two excellent road shoes, with all the usual trimmings: stiff carbon soles, soft, comfortable uppers, solid buckles, and good looks.

Today's Quote

“I have submitted a letter to WADA that I will cooperate fully with any questions they have regarding my past. I hope I am given another chance, but I understand that it isn't as simple as just asking to be forgiven and then jumping back into the top level. I will earn it. Slowly and patiently. And I will show that I can be a positive force in cycling. To be in contact with Vaughters is an honor on its own, making a comeback at his team is a dream.” - Thomas Dekker  CyclingNews

Superb performance but high price tag, limited color choice and more careful cleaning might be a deal-breaker.

"Good parts don’t rescue the heavy and uninspiring frame."

Spin Power, which happens to be located right down the road from us in Greensboro, NC, had a couple of new products at the New Amsterdam Bike Show in NYC.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

 The Trek-Livestrong development team once again surprised even itself with a blistering time trial win at the Tour of the Gila, when 18-year-old Dale Parker surprised the heavy hitters.

Team Katusha’s Russian contender Pavel Brutt retained the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Friday's Tour de Romandie Stage 3 departs Thierrens at 11:15am CET (5:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Neuchatel around 3:13pm CET (9:13am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de Romandie live video streaming should begin at around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Friday's Tour of Turkey Stage 6 departs Fethiye at 11:10am EEST (4:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Finike around 4:16pm EEST (9:16am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Turkey live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm EEST (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

Schumacher retains lead on morning stage.

Friday will see morning and afternoon stages at the Vuelta a Asturias.  There is a road stage in the morning which begins at 10:00am CET (4:00am U.S. Eastern) and an individual time trial in the afternoon which is scheduled to begin around 4:00pm CET (10am U.S. Eastern).  Only the TT is scheduled to be broadcast live.  Vuelta a Asturias live streaming video should begin around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

For the first time since his comeback to cycling last September, Stefan Schumacher has been victorious. Sprinting to the win in stage one of the Vuelta Asturias in Spain, the Miche-Guerciotti rider is now leading the general classification of the five-day event.

Without a full team to support her efforts, Miller was tasked with “staying as rested as possible” by Sports Director Lisa Hunt. “It’s hard for her, I know,” noted Hunt. “She prefers to race aggressively, but I wanted her rested and recovered for tomorrow’s time trial.”

One of the interesting situations about Geox-TMC’s sponsorship deal is they’re able to use products across the ASI product line, including opting for the distinctive Kestrel 4000 over the Fuji D-6.

Free-to-air digital TV channel ITV4, which earlier this year said that it planned to increase the amount of cycling it covers, will be showing the Amgen Tour of California live from 15 May. The news was confirmed on Twitter by Ned Boulting, who will be presenting coverage from a studio in London, together with a “mystery guest.”

Cyclists who participate in the Canary Century anti-cancer benefit ride on May 28 can win a custom Cervélo race bike and ride alongside top San Francisco Bay Area pros including Freddie Rodriguez, John Novitsky, Joao Correia, Brooke Miller and more.

The Ardennes Classics are over. The weather is getting warm. Big road races are moving away from one day 260-300 km epics to seven-plus-day stage races. The skinny climbers are coming out to play. That must mean we are getting closer and closer to ’cross season, only a four short months away.

Like any relationship, your relationship with your favorite coffee shop is a delicate thing with distinct phases. You start out relatively anonymous.

The elite men's sixth stop on the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar begins at 4pm Pacific Daylight Time on Sunday, May 1.

Not all marriages last. Today came confirmation of a split in the Kingdom of Belgium between Omega Pharma and the Belgian lottery, Lotto. Both are long term sponsors of pro cycling. Omega boss Marc Coucke is a big fan of the sport and cycling is the most popular sport in Belgium, meaning the state lottery is almost obliged to get involved.

Belgian lottery to begin new project “to create maximum opportunities for Belgian cycling.”

Could Belgacom and Adecco come on board?

TwistedSpoke: Spanish Federation bans Mosquera for two years. Just kidding.

Today in Madrid the Spanish Federation issued a two year ban on Ezequiel Mosquera for his positive doping test at last year’s Vuelta a España. The Spaniard had an adverse analytical finding for hydroxyethyl starch, often using as a masking agent for EPO.

Today's Quote

“I have submitted a letter to WADA that I will cooperate fully with any questions they have regarding my past. I hope I am given another chance, but I understand that it isn't as simple as just asking to be forgiven and then jumping back into the top level. I will earn it. Slowly and patiently. And I will show that I can be a positive force in cycling. To be in contact with Vaughters is an honor on its own, making a comeback at his team is a dream.” - Thomas Dekker  CyclingNews

Carera downplays reports of any disagreement.

Okay it's not exactly the height of the 'cross season, but at £795 and with good crossover potential, the Giant TCX2 is the kind of bike many people look to as an all-rounder for commuting and leisure duties, as well as the odd race. And it's pretty Cyclescheme-friendly too at well under a grand.

The Tour of Romandie is on now. Then comes the Giro (and Tour of California). The Dauphiné and Switzerland are after that. Then le Tour. Tour of Poland and the Eneco countries are in there next. Then the Vuelta, and then it’s fall, and we’re back to watching Phillipe Gilbert write his legend.

VeloNews: Jamis-Sutter Home signs Tom Zirbel.

Every road cyclist knows the feeling — the rush of air, the feeling of heat rising, and a car suddenly passing dangerously close. It’s problem on rural roads and urban streets, and when the motorist makes contact the cyclist loses every time. In the US, California is close to passing a law that offers, at least some, protection.

Garmin-Cervelo’s head honcho Jonathan Vaughters has earned tremendous respect within the world of pro cycling.

Mosquera tested positive for a banned masking agent, Hydroxyethyl Starch, also known as HES, during an in-competition test at the race on September 16.

Stage 15 of the Giro features 6,320 vertical metres in a day, including the Passo Giau, the high point of the race where the Cima Coppi prize is awarded to the first rider to get to the top. Normally 4,000m is a big day in the Alps and it’s rare to go beyond 5,000m (16,500 ft).

Rapid British rider continuing to progress.

When you first bite the bullet and start cycling to work there are loads of things that you aren’t sure of. We asked the BikeRadar forum users what they wish they’d known at the beginning. Here are some words of commuting wisdom from those who've been doing it for years...

Great scenery, a spectacular climb, a twice as long descent, and even a record from Lance – this climb along France’s cote d’Azur is must do for any fan of great rides. The capper was meeting up with a PEZ-Fan who lives nearby for a great day on the bike.

Rider likely to test himself on tomorrow’s TT stage of Tour de Romandie.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

Frank Pipp (Bissell) secured his first National Racing Calendar (NRC) win of the season at the stage two Inner Loop Road Race at the SRAM Tour of the Gila. He won a bunch sprint ahead of Anibal Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home) in second and stage race leader Francisco Mancebo (RealCyclist.com) in third.

After a blank season in 2010, Italy’s Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) is back to his best. The 29 year old’s victory on Thursday at stage 2 of the 65th Tour de Romandie came in a trademark uphill sprint, crossing the line in medieval Romont two seconds ahead of an impressive Cadel Evans (BMC Racing), with Alexander Vinokourov (Astana) in third.

Thursday's Tour de Romandie Stage 2 departs Romont at 12:55pm CET (6:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Romont around 5:22pm CET (11:22am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de Romandie live video streaming should begin at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Miche-Guerciotti teammates Stefan Schumacher and Constantino Zaballa finish 1-2 in the opening stage.

Schumacher crossed the line just ahead of his Miche-Guerciotti teammate Tino Zaballa to win the 162km run from Oviedo to Gijón in northern Spain. David Gutiérrez (Geox-TMC) was third as a group of 26 pulled clear of the main pack in the hilly stage.

Stage 1 starts at 12:40pm CET (6:40am U.S. Eastern). Race finish around 4:43pm CET (10:43am U.S. Eastern). LIVE video from 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

Tom Peterson (Garmin-Cervélo) powered into the leader’s jersey at the Tour of Turkey in Thursday’s fifth stage and takes a commanding 27-second lead with just three stages to go at the weeklong race.

Thursday's Tour of Turkey Stage 5 departs Denizli at 10:10am EEST (3:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Fethiye around 4:18pm EEST (9:18am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Turkey live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm EEST (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

Jelly Belly p/b Kenda executed a perfect leadout in the final two kilometers of the Tour of Korea, sending Ken Hanson to victory in Stage 9.

Italian expected to take over from Saronni in fresh start for team.

As most of you know, back in January during the Tour Down Under Green Edge launched it’s intentions to make apply for a UCI World Team license. Unfortunately Pegasus were unsuccessful in attempting the same feat, however I have a pretty good feeling about Green Edge’s chances at being the first Australian professional cycling team.

The Yorkshire-born rider was left with a shattered leg and broken arm after an accident on a cliff drop. A metal rod was inserted into his leg and pins into his arm during an operation last night. He is said to be in good spirits this morning following the four hour surgery.

It’s the UCI’s points system that’s ruining everything. Teams think about finishing sixth or ninth instead of playing to win but maybe finishing tenth. They say the race radios are killing off panache, but the points system does just that. You play it defensive.

Lance Armstrong joined George W. Bush on Wednesday for the final leg of the former president's 62-mile mountain bike ride with 15 U.S. soldiers who lost limbs or were seriously injured in Iraq or Afghanistan. Bush_275 The seven-time Tour de France champion commended the soldiers for their will to recover and teased Bush about his athleticism.

"Stunning value for money and decent handling – a steal."

Rider agent says that world championship bonus is yet to be paid

Today's Quote

“I have submitted a letter to WADA that I will cooperate fully with any questions they have regarding my past. I hope I am given another chance, but I understand that it isn't as simple as just asking to be forgiven and then jumping back into the top level. I will earn it. Slowly and patiently. And I will show that I can be a positive force in cycling. To be in contact with Vaughters is an honor on its own, making a comeback at his team is a dream.” - Thomas Dekker  CyclingNews

Belgian rider Mario Aerts will not have to undergo heart surgery after all. The Omega Pharma-Lotto rider underwent electrophysiological testing on Wednesday, and it was shown that his cardiac disorders were no threat to his life nor the practice of top level cycling.

“You must be brave!” Cycle to work and someone will say that, or at least imply it, because cycling on today’s roads is ever so dangerous. Except, actually, it isn’t.

Sheep laugh at us. Here we are, top of the food chain, with our brain tumor-causing cell phones, genetically modified food and most of all, our petro-chemical based cycling gear.

World Cup time trial one of goals targeted by team.

Has no doubts that a good Tour de France is in store.

Not bad as cheap cable locks go, but then you wouldn't want to rely on a cheap cable lock either.

ComtetitiveCyclist: The Stalingrad Moment.

Vaconsoleil-DCM rider Ezequiel Mosquera, runner-up to Vincenzo Nibali in last year’s Vuelta, has confirmed that world cycling’s governing body, the UCI, has passed his file to teh Spanish national federation, the RFEC, to open disciplinary proceedings against him in respect of his failing a doping control during that race.

There’s a new Swiss sports event management company called Global Cycling Promotions SA. Big deal you might say, after all there are many sports promotion businesses around the world. But there’s difference here: GCP is owned by the UCI.

Thomas Dekker has labelled the possibility of returning to cycling as part of the Garmin-Cervélo set-up as “a dream,” but the Dutchman underlined that he has reached no agreement with the American team at this time.

The EA90 SLX wheels feature 18 spokes front and 24 spokes rear, making truing especially difficult; the fewer the spokes, the harder it is to true a wheel and the more important equal tension becomes. A single spoke of high or low tension can pull an 18-spoke wheel out of true.

Current National US Road Champion Mara Abbott (Diaodora -Pasta Zara) showed that she had found her climbing legs on the way to Mogollon.

Francisco Mancebo (RealCyclist.com) did it again at stage 1 of the SRAM Tour of the Gila. He put in an attack with 2km to go on the steep climb to Mogollon and outclimbed everyone to win the stage and take over the GC and KOM lead.>

To appreciate how big a deal it was for Luis Alberto (Lucho) Herrera to win the 1987 Vuelta, it’s best to read the passage in Lucy Fallon and Adrian Bell’s book, ‘Viva la Vuelta’ where they talk about the closing stage into Madrid. "Back home in Colombia, the radio commentary and TV coverage had the population mesmerised. With the entire country at a standstill, it made sense to declare the final day of the Vuelta a national holiday."

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

Francisco Mancebo (Realcyclist.com) powered to a solo win in the first stage of the SRAM Tour of the Gila Wednesday, taking an early overall lead in the mountainous Southwestern stage race. Tyler Wren (Jamis-Sutterhome) was second and young Joe Dombrowski (Trek-Livestrong) was third.

For the second straight day at the Tour de Romandie an unlikely figure took both the stage victory and top position on general classification. While unheralded Jonathan Castroviejo (Euskaltel-Euskadi) was the surprise prologue winner yesterday, today's honour went to Pavel Brutt (Katusha).

Wednesday's Tour de Romandie Stage 1 departs Martigny at 12:45pm CET (6:45am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Leysin around 5:22pm CET (11:22am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de Romandie live video streaming should begin at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Alessandro Petacchi is back in business, winning the queen stage in the world heritage site of Pamukkale at the end of a hilly and wet day at the 47th Presidential Tour of Turkey. After losing three bunch sprint finishes to riders of a lesser fame than his, Andrea Guardini, Valentin Iglinskiy and Manuel Belletti successively Petacchi has shown his form is coming good leading up to the Giro d'Italia, which starts at the end of next week in Turin.

Wednesday's Tour of Turkey Stage 4 departs Marmaris at 10:35am EEST (3:35am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Pamukkale around 4:18pm EEST (9:18am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Turkey live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm EEST (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

For years, Romandie was the final piece of the pre-Giro puzzle for anyone hoping to contend for the maglia rosa in the season’s first Grand Tour, but lately—thanks largely to the Giro’s earlier start date—more of the Italian race’s top favorites have chosen to pass on this 6 day event in the French-speaking region of Switzerland in exchange for the shorter, harder Giro del Trentino two weeks before the start of the Italian Grand Tour.

At the Redlands Bicycle Classic where the temperatures hovered in the high 90s under cloudless sunny days, staying hydrated became even more important for the racers. For most, it was the first hot spell of the year and the heat took a toll, some suffered from muscle cramps that forced to stop and drink during the second stage.

Internal gear hubs (or IGHs as they’re often referred to), contain all of the shifting components within the hub. As such, they’re visually clean, they require minimal maintenance, and all of their gears are usable and controlled with only one shifter instead of the usual two found on most modern derailleur drivetrains.

VeloNation: Contador case - WADA and UCI doping appeals to CAS remain separate.

No merging of cases in appeal against RFEC Clenbuterol decision.

Does anyone really think that Vincenzo Nibali and Michele Scarponi are going to challenge Alberto Contador for victory in the Giro d’Italia? Me thinks not.

With the year almost a third of the way through, it may come a surprise to some to hear that the number one ranked UCI race winner of the 2011 season to date is Iranian rider Mehdi Sohrabi of the Tabriz Petrochemical Team.

Multiple bones broken for Leopard Trek sprinter.

Jonathan Vaughters has confirmed to Cyclingnews that he is in the process of testing Thomas Dekker with a view to possibly signing him to Garmin-Cervélo’s development team, although no contract has yet been discussed between the two parties.

This 2011, Bianchi offers a brown short sleeve cycling jersey and shorts that are constructed from 90% polyester and 10% lycra. These top quality materials gave the cycling garments a net weight of 0.5kg. Such features guarantee comfort during any weather.

Today's Quote

“I had two positive tests for pregnancy the day before the World Cup in South Africa. I am six weeks along. With my team’s support, I chose not to start the World Cup.” - Willow Koerber SingleTrack

This is FSA's top-of-the-line (deep breath!) Plasma Integrated Compact Handlebar and Control Centre. As you can see it's an integrated stem and bar ('the ultimate in integration', according to FSA) constructed using a continuous monocoque process.

ComtetitiveCyclist: The Stalingrad Moment.

The sporting element of a team is determined by a points-based ranking system that has been kept secret… until now.

The former president is riding a Trek (Fisher Collection) Superfly 100, a full-suspension 29er, through the desert of West Texas. Bush took up mountain biking in 2003 when a knee injury put an end to his running. From all accounts of people who have gone riding with Bush, the former president rides fast and has gained more technical skills over the years.

SRAM Automatix automagically upshifts when a certain speed is reached and downshifts when slowing down. There are no shifters, cables or thinking required.

I didn’t take up cycling to learn anything. I didn’t take it up to get fit, to prove that I was faster, stronger or smarter than anyone else, that I was special. I didn’t take it up as a means of self-expression. I took it up because it was fun. Oh, and I dig bikes.

You’re halfway home on a Friday evening and looking forward to a quick pint at your local, when disaster strikes. Slowing down at a set of lights, a momentary lapse of attention by the rider behind you sees him edge his front wheel into the rear of your bike, catching your derailleur in his spokes. The consequences are a buckled front wheel for him, and a broken rear mech for you.

The Flying Scotsman is a bleak book and you're never more than a few pages from a new trough of despair in the life of a champion cyclist who was suffering from bipolar disorder. It's a book that starts with a rough childhood and ends with two suicide attempts. The bits in between aren't much of a barrel of fun either.

Meredith Miller leads a small but strong squad at the SRAM Tour of the Gila. The five-day stage race is part of the NRC and Women’s Prestige Series and includes three road stages, a criterium and a time trial. Weather, altitude and technicality combine to make the race one of the most challenging on the calendar.

New this 2011 is the Giro Prolight SLX Ultralight Shoes. Compared to most standard shoes, these road cycling shoes give a significant weight savings. Its 6.5mm high-modulus Easton® EC90 SLX outsole maximizes power transfer.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

Cycling Weekly will be bringing you free online video highlights of some of the biggest races of the year, including comprehensive daily coverage of the 2011 Tour de France.

Tuesday's Tour de Romandie Prologue at Martigny starts at 4:01pm CET (10:01am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Tour of Romandy live streaming video should begin from around 5:55pm CET (11:55am U.S. Eastern).

Prologue start time: Tuesday 15:55 CET (6:55:00 AM PDT); Earliest live video: 17:55 CET (8:55:00 AM PDT); Approximate finish: 18:59 CET (9:59:00 AM PDT).

Tuesday's Tour of Turkey Stage 3 departs Bodrum at 11:50am EEST (4:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Marmaris around 4:14pm EEST (9:14am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Turkey live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm EEST (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

After Philippe Gilbert’s impressive win in Liège-Bastogne-Liège the atmosphere in the Omega Pharma-Lotto team was one of celebration but it seems the long-term future of the Belgian team is in doubt, with the sponsors reportedly on brink of splitting up at the end of the season. Gilbert is also on the wish list of a number of rival managers.

The Arenberg Forest is the most infamous road — if you can call it a road — in professional cycling. Its storied stones offer venue to both spectacular heroics and tragedy. Words cannot do service to the sheer violence a rider faces when crossing these 2.4 kilometers of cobbles. The reality is, a cyclist must experience it to truly know. Recently I rode Arenberg and it made an everlasting impression.

Marty Jemison is a former professional racer back in the US Postal days. The 1999 national champion remarked that he’d had fond memories from Liege.

A familiar name in the professional cycling world crossed the finish line first once again as Rick Zabel, son of former-professional Erik Zabel, won the U19 edition of the Rund um Köln on Monday in his native Germany.

As is the case for many cycling fans, it all started with Lance. The locals remind you of it, the other pros living here remind you of it and there’s an inescapable presence of the man, who for many, is the greatest cyclist ever.

National and International Professional Cycling return to Missouri with the Tour de Grove. Featuring three days of racing in three historic neighborhoods across the City of St. Louis, the Tour de Grove is comprised of three events; Friday evening May 13th, the Midtown Rally Grand Prix in the Locust Business District, Saturday May 14th, The Tour de Grove in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood and the Dutchtown Classic in South St. Louis on Sunday, May 15th.

A lingering knee issue flared up several weeks ago and he was removed from the team’s roster for Paris-Roubaix. He had won the U-23 version twice, so he knows the cobbles well and it was a set back for the 20-year old.

SingleTrack Life as a Bike Jockey: Talk to Yourself.

If vespa is Italian for wasp, then note ape means bee, you say “ah-peh”.

Today's Quote

“I had two positive tests for pregnancy the day before the World Cup in South Africa. I am six weeks along. With my team’s support, I chose not to start the World Cup.” - Willow Koerber SingleTrack

Top professional mountain biker Willow Koerber admitted yesterday that she has tested positive for a baby. According to UCI regulation 8937.K.55, this is considered a pregnancy.

Confusion surrounds the status of banned Italian rider Davide Rebellin who was rumored to be making a return from suspension with Spanish Continental level team Andalucia-Caja Granada.

"An excellent out-of-the-box race bike for the money."

Easy to stow, light and secure: a great lock to keep in your bag.

Shimano didn’t waste anytime updating both their XT and XTR groups.

Classics king overwhelmed, while the Cannibal thinks the Tour is a possibility.

Geox-TMC Grand Tour winners impressed with difficulty of upcoming Giro.

Dr Michele Ferrari has announced that he is willing to meet with the Italian magistrate Benedetto Roberti who is investigating the doctor's links to numerous professional riders, as well  as his involvement with the US-based Federal investigation into Lance Armstrong and the US Postal Service team.

Digital television channel British Eurosport will be broadcasting live coverage of this year's opening Grand Tour - the Giro d'Italia, from Saturday May 7 to Sunday May 29.

Filippo Pozzato and fellow Italian Luca Paolini have been dropped from the Katusha line-up from the Giro d’Italia after the team opted to build the final starting line-up around leader and overall contender Joaquim Rodriguez instead of targeting stage victories.

My record is 7 races straight. Obviously, those races are not even close to being on the same level as the last 4 Phil won, but it was still winning nearly a month straight, racing Saturday/Sunday, for 4 weeks.

Sutherland competed against the greats of Australian cycling in the early 1950s including the Rowley brothers, Geelong's Russell Mockridge, Sid Patterson, Peter Panton and John Young.

Your choice of bike for the ride to work will depend on your own tastes and on the distance, terrain and varying surfaces you’ll encounter on the journey. For longer tarmac commutes, experienced riders tend to favour drop-bar bikes of one sort or another for their extra turn of speed. Many people are happy with the more upright position that you get with a flat-bar road bike or mountain bike with slick tyres, though.

Among the sure signs of spring is California’s Sea Otter Classic. The first major industry event of each season draws cyclists of all creeds, from burly gravity riders to lean, leg-shaving roadies. Add to the mix bike companies eager to show off new wares and you get one of the season’s best bike parties. We spent four days trolling the aisles, here are eight of our favorite finds.

Shed fat, build bone, lower blood pressure and ride better.

The UCI confirmed today that it will hold to the original terms of Belgian Iljo Keisse's ban for doping, which is set to expire on August 6 of this year.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

Prologue start time: Tuesday 15:55 CET (6:55:00 AM PDT); Earliest live video: 17:55 CET (8:55:00 AM PDT); Approximate finish: 18:59 CET (9:59:00 AM PDT).

Becker Law Office of Madison, Wisconsin, has signed on to be the presenting sponsor of the Women's Pro 1/2/3 and Women's Cat 3/4 Series within the 2011 Tour of America's Dairyland presented by Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, June 16-26.

Valentin Iglinsky claimed the second stage of the Tour of Turkey in a bunch sprint in Turgutreis.

Monday's Tour of Turkey Stage 2 departs Kusadasi at 11:35am EEST (4:35am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Turgutreis around 4:13pm EEST (9:13am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Turkey live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm EEST (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

During my time in Belgium, I started to think about the American companies who make all kinds of cycling-related objects, and their use Belgian iconography as of late.

The 2nd round of the Trek Shanghai Series was held in Ling Kong Industrial Park, near Shanghais' outer ring road. In the Elite race Team Triace rode head and shoulders above the rest.

In a surprising and classy twist to the show young 20-year-old Hong Kong national team rider Ki Ho Choi turned the tables on his elders, and highly experienced rivals, to take the overall victory in this year's Tour de Korea, a UCI Asia Tour race.

BikeRadar: Santa Cruz Highball 29er.

"The Highball is top-of-class in terms of weight and stiffness, which make it extremely fast, but the chassis lacks built-in comfort."

Roadside Report, Part One: On a perfect day in the Ardennes, we chased our final Monument of the spring. The oldest classic of them all, La Doyenne, a figure eight from Liege to Bastogne and back, proved that picking a favorite race of the first part of the year is about as easy as buying a yacht.

Aaron Gwin and Tracy Moseley led the Trek World Racing team to a double victory in the opening downhill UCI Mountain Bike World Cup on Sunday in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Who’s happy at Katusha about their underwhelming results in Liege-Bastogne-Leige? Not Alexandr Kolobnev who admitted that he missed the biggest move on the race on the Cote de la Roche aux Faucons because he “wasn’t very focused.”

Hopes to improve prior to Giro d'Italia.

Today's Quote

“I had two positive tests for pregnancy the day before the World Cup in South Africa. I am six weeks along. With my team’s support, I chose not to start the World Cup.” - Willow Koerber SingleTrack

"A secure but comfortable shoe if the ratchet is right for you."

Well made but just too heavy, Hope's Pro3 RS-SP 3.0 wheels look better bet on price and weight.

Having concentrated primarily on his road range recently, Storck Bicycles namesake Marcus Storck decided it was time to refocus on the mountain bike side of things for 2012 with all-new hardtails in both 26" and now 29" varieties plus revisions across the range.

"Not for everyone, but any aggressive trail rider will appreciate this design immensely."

Rise, Philippe Gilbert. As Red Kite Prayer put it, he’s “done what was truly unthinkable.”

I’m not sure what to say following Liege-Bastogne-Liege. A few things are obvious; some, less so.

I’ve rarely seen a race like Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Philippe Gilbert started as the race favourite… and Belgium’s favourite star too. Warm weather brought big crowds to the roadside but they’d come to see their son shine.

Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) has moved to the top of the WorldTour rankings at the end of a week that saw him complete the hat-trick of Ardennes Classic victories.

Never has anybody in cycling made anything so difficult look so easy. Philippe Gilbert’s victory in La Doyenne netted the Belgian an Ardennes triple crown.

Philippe Gilbert has done what was truly the unthinkable.

road.cc: Bontrager Oracle Helmet.

High-quality helmet with a low profile and masses of ventilation.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

Never has anybody in cycling made anything so difficult look so easy.

People never give the day's first climb, the Col de St. Roch, much credit, but it's a mean, evil, nasty piece of asphalt.

Alexandre Vinokourov, who confirmed Friday that he will retire at the end of the year aged 38, looked highly disappointed after his finish in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. "There's nothing to say, I only had bad luck", he told Cyclingnews. A winner of the race in 2005 and 2010 was well-positioned when he broke two spokes on his back wheel with about 20km to go.

Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege departs Liege at 10:00am CET (4:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Ans around 4:38pm CET (10:38am U.S. Eastern).  Liege-Bastogne-Liege live streaming video should begin from around 2:05pm CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews live report of coverage of Liège - Bastogne - Liège - Elite men.

The Feed Zone is back! Sunday (4/24) we’ll be open from about 8:15am EST to cover the last of the Spring Classics, Liège-Bastogne-Liège!

The 2011 Liège-Bastogne-Liège is Sunday April 24, 2011.

Italy's Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini-Neri-Sottoli) won taken the first sprint at the Presidential Tour of Turkey, beating Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo) and several other big-name sprinters.

Sunday's Tour of Turkey Stage 1 departs Istanbul at 9:30am EEST (2:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Istanbul around 12:19pm EEST (5:19am U.S. Eastern).

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

With the sunny weather and temperatures in the 60s, Saturday was one of the best days for a bicycle ride in western Washington this year.

For the world’s top men cross-country racers, 2011 started off where 2010 ended with Nino Schurter standing on the top of the podium and Julien Absalon a step below.

Today's Quote

“I had two positive tests for pregnancy the day before the World Cup in South Africa. I am six weeks along. With my team’s support, I chose not to start the World Cup.” - Willow Koerber SingleTrack

Liège–Bastogne–Liège began in 1892 and is the oldest of the monuments of cycling. The race follows a 95 km route from Liège to Bastogne, and a winding 163 km route back to Liège with some killer hills in between.

Both are over their training crashes.

With a new, more contoured pattern design, the 2011 Assos climaJet Breaker is made to become more lightweight and compact than ever before.

With Ryan Trebon signed on, and teasers on Twitter, it was never a question of ‘if’ but rather ‘when’ Felt’s new cyclo-cross bike would be ready. The answer: Felt will offer a new cyclo-cross line for 2012 which will be highlighted by the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 equipped F2X, and available in August.

"Lightweight but durable pedal that shrugs off mud – but a massive investment."

For a subject that started as a spat over the use of two-way radios in races the breakdown in communication between the UCI and the major teams is not without its irony. The teams say radios are crucial for safety and strategy, but communication between teams and the UCI is broken down.

Irishman recovering after Wednesday crash.

Russ Roca and Laura Crawford are living their dream. They've packed in the daily grind of the nine to five and restarted life as full-time touring cyclists. They called their original tour — and website — The Path Less Pedaled, and will continue with a second tour, Big Adventure, Small Wheels.

Great-tasting energy drink, with carbs and essential minerals - ideal for long rides on hot days.

North Face launches MTB clothing line.

Leopard Trek manager believes there was nothing his riders could have done.

For sometime now, I have been in the market for a decent set of non carbon wheels. To be honest, its not been an easy task.

Sunday's Liege-Bastogne-Liege departs Liege at 10:00am CET (4:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Ans around 4:38pm CET (10:38am U.S. Eastern).  Liege-Bastogne-Liege live streaming video should begin from around 2:05pm CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern).

The Feed Zone is back! Sunday (4/24) we’ll be open from about 8:15am EST to cover the last of the Spring Classics, Liège-Bastogne-Liège!

The 2011 Liège-Bastogne-Liège is Sunday April 24, 2011.

Sunday's Tour of Turkey Stage 1 departs Istanbul at 9:30am EEST (2:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Istanbul around 12:19pm EEST (5:19am U.S. Eastern).

This race was first held as a professional event in 1894; and that’s a long time ago.

Pollen affected him on Wednesday.

Values his Gent-Wevelgem win and concedes strength of Gilbert.

It's a bottle opener. It opens bottles. Just.

Strong promise show by versatile Briton.

Striking a psychological blow against overwhelming favorite Philippe Gilbert, Frank schleck and Alexander Vinokourov  beat the Belgian to the race presentation, consumed all the drinks and food and left him with nothing.

I’ve trying not to be biased as I have some Italian relations but for me, there’s no finer country for cycling than Italy. Belgium has some great races, the weather on a variety of Spanish islands is consistently good and Switzerland is Europe’s best kept secret. France has some superb terrain… but it also has some dull areas so as a whole it’s doesn’t win. No, for me Italy is the most consistently good place for cycling.

American rider continuing to make good progress.

The 24 year-old Texan admitted he is climbing a step learning curve in his full season in Europe but is able to take in the drama and passion of racing in the sports biggest hilly classics.

Today's Quote

“It’s not a big surprise that they’re using the race radio issue against the UCI. We are aware that meetings are taking place. One or two of those big team owners are actively discussing a breakaway league with venture capital to put the money up. This is a bit of a red-herring. There’s a lot of talk about democracy, but that’s bullshit. The teams talk about the long-term vision of the sport, but their vision only goes as far as their nose. The teams are only interested in their own self-interest.” - Pat McQuaid VeloNews

"Fast, engaging, exciting, inspiring – the Scenero has got the lot."

Jens Voigt has called on his Leopard Trek team leaders Andy and Fränk Schleck to ride a brave and aggressive race on Sunday, believing carefully controlled aggression at the crucial moment of the race is the key to beating Philippe Gilbert and the other big-name favorites.

The 2011 Amgen Tour of California promises to be the most difficult and most exciting edition yet, and Cyclingnews asked peloton insiders Chris Horner (RadioShack) and Mike Tamayo (director of United Healthcare) to pick apart the course and offer up their predictions.

Giro d’Italia director Angelo Zomegnan has called on race organizers to take a more severe stand against riders whose doping past might damage their races. With the start of this year's Giro d'Italia just two weeks away, he has revealed that he has been in regular contact with anti-doping investigators in Italy, as the Mantova, Padova and other cases progress.

‘Solid case’ reportedly being built by investigator.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

Forget Easter eggs this Sunday: Belgium's Philippe Gilbert hopes to serve himself a fourth course of succulent Ardennes pate with victory in Liege-Bastogne-Liege.

The Feed Zone is back! Sunday (4/24) we’ll be open from about 8:15am EST to cover the last of the Spring Classics, Liège-Bastogne-Liège!

The 2011 Liège-Bastogne-Liège is Sunday April 24, 2011.

Sunday’s Liège–Bastogne–Liège marks the end of the spring classics season and the transition to stage racing and soon, the summer. We’ve had races like Paris-Nice or the Tour of the Basque country and the scenic Giro di Trentino is on right now. But eyes have been on the spring classics in Belgium.

Roman Kreuziger (Astana) outsprinted Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli) to win the final stage.

Friday's Giro del Trentino Stage 4 departs Andalo at 11:15am CET (5:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Madonna di Campiglio around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

This is a shaky cam peek into the world of Mavic during the Queen of the classics. A hors category stress day for everyone from the riders on down to the guys handing out the best French fresh wheel on cobblestones.

A rite of spring for 20 years returns this weekend with the opening round of the 2011 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup.

PEZ LBL Redux: Barry Hoban Remembers La Doyenne.

‘La Doyenne’, a French term of respect meaning, ‘oldest member’ – it’s how we refer to Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the oldest of the five ‘monuments’ in cycling. First run in 1894 the roll of honour reads like a ‘who’s who’ of cycling – Ferdi Kubler, Rik van Looy, Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Moreno Argentin, Michele Bartoli and of course Eddy Merckx.

There may be a new champion in the making in French women's cycling, still dominated by the 52-year-old Jeannie Longo. Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, just 19 years of age, took an impressive seventh in the Flèche Wallonne Féminine on Wednesday, with the victory going to Marianne Vos.

Belgian is overwhelming favourite for la Doyenne but takes nothing for granted.

The oldest of the monuments, La Doyenne is arguably the most tactical.

Team Sky rider Morris Possoni is one of three Italian cyclists whose homes have been searched by law enforcement officials reportedly investigating links between professional cyclists and the controversial sports doctor Michele Ferrari. The other two cyclists involved are Italian champion Giovanni Visconti and his FarneseVini-Neri Sottoli team mate, Diego Caccia.

If it’s been hard to nail riders and their “doctors” for doping because they’ve often been one step ahead of the testers, constantly refining techniques to avoid detectikon, one area where people might slip up is the money.

Today's Quote

“It’s not a big surprise that they’re using the race radio issue against the UCI. We are aware that meetings are taking place. One or two of those big team owners are actively discussing a breakaway league with venture capital to put the money up. This is a bit of a red-herring. There’s a lot of talk about democracy, but that’s bullshit. The teams talk about the long-term vision of the sport, but their vision only goes as far as their nose. The teams are only interested in their own self-interest.” - Pat McQuaid VeloNews

Riders explain tactics in Flèche Wallonne.

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

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

If the Tour of Flanders is in your heart and Paris-Roubaix is in your head, then Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a race that is clearly in your legs.

’crossers are still alive during the off-season, and some are even mixing it up at the front of their respective “other” projects. This week Katie Compton survives a near-death experience only to hop on a plane and head to South Africa; Marianne Vos just can’t stop winning bike racers; arguably the two most dominant ’cross racers of both the 2009-2010 and the 2010-2011 seasons are putting in some miles together in Mallorca.

Trying to lose weight? Try Chris Carmichael's most effective calorie-torching ride.

The new Pro Maxi Seatpack is a perfect companion for riders looking for a dependable storage pack for long rides on their bikes.

Michele Ferrari’s in the news again.

SteveTilford: How Screwed Up is This?

We've only got one week left of the women's Spring Classics season, and over the Easter weekend we have FOUR UCI-rated races!

Philippe Gilbert will win Liege, and Belgium may form a government.

The race that leaves from Liege, travels to Bastogne, snaking along the Luxembourg border, and then back to Liege, is this Sunday. It’s the oldest of the Classics, the doyenne, as they say. Lots of really skinny guys in funny clothes will be there, pedaling as  quickly as they can over the roller-coaster course. Up and down. Short and sharp. It’s sure to be very exciting.

Two year ban for Slovenian.

Tensions between the UCI and the top pro teams are reaching a breaking point over the heated debate about the use of race radios in elite professional races. Things got so bad that teams walked out of a meeting last week in Belgium what was supposed to be a sit-down between the major players to hammer out an understanding. Instead of reaching a common ground, both sides seem further apart than ever.

Don't Do This! Ever! An ex-pro lets you in on four stupid--yet stupendously effective--ways to become super fit.

He may be no Eddy Merckx, but Philippe Gilbert has a chance to cap what has been a golden spring classics campaign for divided Belgium’s kings of cycling with victory in Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

When tested on various bikes, the RePlay XD was found to be easy to use and can be mounted on any type of handlebar or even on helmet. This small camera also looks good with its ruggedly handsome alloy construction. Definitely a great buy for riders looking for a great and handy camera.

Kill Phil. The Quentin Tarantino sequel to his violent opus Kill Bill, is the story of several depserate and deranged bike racers in Liege who attempt to knock off an invincible guy named Philippe Gilbert. Alert the race doctor: there will be blood.

Since I had the scanner out, I saw these two photos also. So, why not?

It’s a Classic. It’s an extremely hard course. The climbs are very difficult. They are long, or steep, or long and steep. But it’s not just the hills and the distance that make it a hard race. The way the riders race makes it a day of suffering.

In the Imagined California, the sun always shines, the palm trees blow gently in the breeze and beautiful women lounge on the white sandy beaches. What? You mean it's not actually like that here?

Scarponi remains in leader's jersey.

CyclingFans: 2011 Giro del Trentino LIVE - Stage 3.

Thursday's Giro del Trentino Stage 3 departs Molina di Ledro at 11:00am CET (5:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Fai della Paganella around 3:28pm CET (9:28am U.S. Eastern).

There are eight stages in this race starting on the Aegean Sea (west coast of Turkey) in Istanbul and then working south to Alanya on the Mediterranan Sea.

Astana’s defending champion of Liége-Bastogne-Liége ground out a fourth-place result atop the Mur de Huy and said afterward that the ride gave him much confidence ahead of Sunday’s Ardennes finale.

Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Cervélo) is hoping to cap his spring campaign with a run for the podium at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday.

if the surgery goes well and his problems are solved, Aerts hopes to make it into the Tour squad after all. One week after the operation, he will be able to start training again. "It will still be tight to take him to the Tour, but it's not impossible," team doctor Jan Mathieu told Het Nieuwsblad.

After our recent tour of Orbea, we decided to set off again to the local bike mecca. Kunshan is 25 mintues away from Shanghai by train, and is densely packed with  bike factories and OEMs (Original Equippment manufactories), including Taiwan bike companies like Giant and Kenstone Group who have set up their Chinese offices in this city.

Riders looking for class and elegance for their bikes should look no further because the new Limited Edition 2011 Maserati Single Speed bike, dubbed the Montante, has it.

SRAM is not only coming out with a shiny new option on its XO line, it’ll be a little easier to pedal as well.

Testing our Editors' Choice bikes proved a fun challenge, but not nearly as difficult as deciding on our winners. We rode, debated, cast our votes, called in the election lawyers, and recounted. Finally, we decided on these winners.

Full Speed Ahead has developed a new crank, bottom bracket and frame system that they reckon will become the standard for high-end frame and drivetrain component design.

Has Victor Hugo Ramírez been taking a internet course in Beginning McQuaid?

Irishman okay after Flèche crash.

Today's Quote

“I don’t know, I was just following the big master Fabian. Normally you can trust him blind and follow him with your eyes closed. I can trust him and be confident with and everything. He actually felt sorry afterward. He just crashed in front of me. I don’t know how it happened but I just tumbled over him.” - Fränk Schleck  CyclingNews

By the time a pro starts Roubaix, the season is well underway. The saddle time accumulated by then is impressive. So to put this subtly, their backsides are “well-trained.”

I’ve hardly ever been accused of using drugs or having to defend myself again things that are unprovable. I hate it where this whole thing has taken us. I hate dwelling on it, but it is always there. Especially when you witness these remarkable feats.

It’s so obvious now. Of course Philippe Gilbert was always going to win Flèche Wallonne. The Belgian is currently the world’s finest puncheur and he is in absolutely sparkling form.

Puerto Rico, Colombia, Massachusetts and onto South Africa.

Trek Bicycle, today, announced an ambitious carbon fiber recycling program designed to help stem the production of composite waste that was previously deemed very difficult to recycle or re-task for other uses aside from stuffing landfills.

The International Association of Professional Riders (CPA) issued a press release today which seems to indicate that a compromise with the International Cycling Union (UCI) over the race radio ban could be in the works.

Thursday's edition of the Gazzetta dello Sport has revealed more information concerning the ongoing investigation into infamous sports doctor Michele Ferrari and his possible links to Lance Armstrong and allegations of doping during the years of the US Postal Service cycling team.

I don’t know where to start, but Philippe Gilbert is surely the most impressive rider of the spring. Cancellara was strong but couldn’t deliver a win; Nuyens and Goss were clever. But for raw power uphill, Gilbert is looking invincible.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

Sep Vanmarcke knows it's not as easy as he sometimes makes it look. The Garmin-Cervélo classics hope will be the first to tell you that success -- true, lasting success -- is years of hard work away, even when it appears to have already arrived.

About one year ago at this time, the entire cycling world was aghast at the capabilities of Fabian Cancellara. Fast forward to 2011 and a different name is on the tip of everyone's tongue: Philippe Gilbert.

Dutch rider Rudi van Houts will start the first World Cup race of the season Saturday in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa a month after being cleared for a positive clenbuterol test.

Six bad habits you didn't know you had and how to change them.

Seven ways that duct tape can save your ride.

There are eight stages in this race starting on the Aegean Sea (west coast of Turkey) in Istanbul and then working south to Alanya on the Mediterranan Sea.

VeloNews Video: Timmy Duggan on the Mur.

Evelyn Stevens is the current U.S. National Champion in the time trial. She rides for the powerhouse HTC-Highroad squad and boasts results from some of the biggest races in cycling.

The great news is that it’s a straight prize pool, no battle of the sexes gimmick as President of AEG Sports, Andrew Messick told cyclingnews. For listening to the fans, we applaud the organizers and we throw our complete support behind the event.

In what was one of the most unusual decisions by race organisers in recent cycling history, 66, of a total of 96 riders, were disqualified from the Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay after protesting about poor weather conditions.

It’s not until you see the names in print that you realize how stupid and unreal the history books are going to be with winners of Classic races. Man, you don’t realize it until it stares you right in the face.

After his performance at the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey, California, Specialized’s Max Plaxton has a 10-point lead over Jeremiah Bishop in USA Cycling’s 2011 Pro XCT standings.

The 2012 Para-cycling track world championships will be held at Home Depot Center’s velodrome on Feb. 10-12.

Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloueit) was the strongest on the Mur de Huy and a tough 100-kilometer circuit Wednesday. The Dutch master of most trades was triumphant at La Flèche Wallonne Féminine, finishing a handful of seconds ahead of Emma Johansson. Judith Arndt (HTC-Highroad) came third after her American teammate Evelyn Stevens spent much of the day solo off the front of the race.

All the heads of state, the big stars, the heavy hitters, the big guns ready to fire. They hit the Mur de Huy, 9.3 per cent gradient, 1.3 kilometers of searing pain leading to potential glory.

Andy Schleck admitted he was not feeling good during Flèche Wallonne and so opted to sacrifice his own chances in order to help his brother Fränk try and take on Philippe Gilbert on the Mur de Huy.

Barredo crashes hard, Gesink not as hot as expected.

A few brave men, that's how one could describe the riders who tried to avoid the massive bunch sprint up the darn steep Mur of Huy. One of them was Tejay Van Garderen, the young American who races for the HTC-Highroad team.

Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne departs Charleroi at 11:20am CET (5:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish on the Mur de Huy around 4:24pm CET (10:24am U.S. Eastern).  Fleche Wallonne live streaming video should begin from around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

The four-day Trentino tour continues Thursday with the 170km third stage from Molino di Ledro to Fai della Paganella. The mountainous course includes three first-category climbs, with 11km final summit finish with ramps as steep as 7 percent. Scarponi will be under the gun to fend off Nibali in the decisive stage.

Wednesday's Giro del Trentino Stage 2 departs Dro at 10:45am CET (4:45am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Ledro Bezzecca around 3:36pm CET (9:36am U.S. Eastern).

2005 National Track Champion, Zhang Li (Chinese KUNG-CCN Team) takes a commanding sprint victory over Liu Min (Triace Cycling Team).

The Tour of the Americas was an important race for European and American teams. Greg LeMond was having a break out race after being accidentally shot by his brother-in-law the year before.

The finish is cruel, a fast blast down the valley in 53×12 before suddenly turning right and hitting the Mur de Huy, a vicious climb of just 1.3km with an average gradient of 9.8% that maxxes at 20%.

Lausanne-based researchers are continuing efforts to devise a validated test for plasticizers in urine samples in a bid to curb the practice of performance-enhancing blood transfusions.

Today's Quote

“I don’t know, I was just following the big master Fabian. Normally you can trust him blind and follow him with your eyes closed. I can trust him and be confident with and everything. He actually felt sorry afterward. He just crashed in front of me. I don’t know how it happened but I just tumbled over him.” - Fränk Schleck  CyclingNews

How perfect is the name Mona for the monthly sexapoolosa known as the CyclePassion calendar? April belongs to the Easter Bunny and tight vinyl and PVC gear.

According to the website This Is Money, Assos persuaded regulators at the European Union’s Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) that consumers could become confused due to the similarity between the two brand names.

Included in the 2012 major update of the Swiss company BMC’s TrailFox is a full carbon fiber version of the 150mm full suspension bike. The updates include a tapered headtube, cleaner cable routing, 12×142 bolt-thru rear axle, post-style rear brake mounts, and provision for a dropper seatpost.

Santana Cycles has been perfecting a foam cutout packing system for tandems for some 10 years now. They seem to have it down. The system not only packs the tandem safely, it makes the process nearly foolproof.

Answer to a mechanic's prayer - hardy enough for the rigors of a busy bike shop but within the reach of home mechanics.

Call off the search for magic foods to melt fat. Establishing healthy nutrition habits will serve you and your waistline better in the long run.

For 2012, Campagnolo now offers complementary components to its derailleurs for time trial bikes. The time trial line consists of time trial-specific bar-end shifters, base-bar brake levers, cranksets and brake calipers, in both 10-speed and 11-speed configurations.

"Decent mid-weight, mid-power performance with excellent feel but occasional fettling issues."

"A great buy for comfort in all positions at a decent price."

In the final extract of our four-part exclusive into the story of Trent Lowe versus Slipstream Sports, Anthony Tan investigates the repercussions of Matt White’s dismissal and what’s next for all concerned.

Monday's team walk-out at a UCI meeting held in Brussels was the biggest indication yet that the sport could face the possibility of a breakaway league.

Oscar Freire sums it up, the “Tour de France” is boring. From the perspective of North Americans watching it on TV, the same: it is boring.

Liquigas-Cannondale manager Roberto Amadio has revealed that it was the team managers themselves who requested that information about riders with suspect biological passports be made more freely available during a fractious meeting with the UCI in Brussels on Monday.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

American rider satisfied with how season is going.

German buoyant prior to start of Ardennes Classic.

Irishman gunning for good result.

La Doyenne is now the only Ardennes classic Gilbert has not won. It is also the race he covets most. The route of oldest classic runs near the town where the Walloon grew up and its roads have been Gilbert’s frequent training grounds. The Mont Theux climb is an 11-kilometer ride from Verviers.

A good pair of glasses should disappear the moment they’re put on. No slipping, no fogging, no uncomfortable pressure on the side of your head. Optics should be perfect, lenses should be damn near unbreakable, and frames should be light and durable.

How many of you can name the current holder of the Hour record? Or even hazard a guess as to what the record stands at?

The climb of Sa Calobra in Mallorca promised to be a day to remember. During my first taste of riding outside of the British Isles, the magnificent 10km climb was to prove the highlight of my short stay on the Balearic island. Having never ridden a major climb before, my legs and heart were tingling.

Cyclo-cross industry icons Redline may have been late to the carbon fiber game but their upcoming Conquest Carbon frame looks like it may have been worth the wait.

Wednesday's Fleche Wallonne departs Charleroi at 11:20am CET (5:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish on the Mur de Huy around 4:24pm CET (10:24am U.S. Eastern).  Fleche Wallonne live streaming video should begin from around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Last year’s third place not on top form after suffering from a cold.

The women's race is 109.5km, around 100km shorter than the men's, and starts and finishes in Huy, unlike the men, who start in Charleroi.

VeloNews: Andreas Kloden claims 2011 Giro del Trentino opener.

Trentino marks his fourth win so far along with the overall in the Tour of the Basque country, 2nd overall in Paris-Nice and a victory in stage 3 of the Critérium International.

Stage 1 is a dead flat 13 km time trial that starts on gorgeous Lake Garda () and then meanders to the finish in Arco to the north. Stage 1 start time: Tuesday 13:45 CET (4:45:00 AM PDT). Approximate finish: 17:00 CET (8:00:00 AM PDT).

Pave': 2011 Fleche Wallonne – Preview.

There should be more to it, but recent years have seen the race reduced to just a sprint up the Mur de Huy. Since there are about three riders capable of winning such a sprint, you’d think that more teams would do more to try and take the race away from them, although it’s obviously more complicated than that.

Today's Quote

“I don’t know, I was just following the big master Fabian. Normally you can trust him blind and follow him with your eyes closed. I can trust him and be confident with and everything. He actually felt sorry afterward. He just crashed in front of me. I don’t know how it happened but I just tumbled over him.” - Fränk Schleck  CyclingNews

With three kilometers to go in Stage 4 of the Tour of Korea, Jelly Belly p/b Kenda seized the moment. All six riders were working together as they swooped to the front and led Ken Hanson to a second-place finish in the stage Monday.

Pangasinan, Philippines – Golakhour wins stage three. With a big smile Miramad Pourseyedi Golakhour (AZAD University) crosses the finish line after surviving an early break and onto the stage win on the third stage of the ongoing Le Tour de Filipinas.

The 2011 Tour of Britain route was unveiled on Tuesday, with the inclusion of a short time trial and a central London circuit race on the final day of the race.

The start of the 1988 racing season, pretty much worldwide, was the Tour of the Americas in the middle of February.

Literally: suppleness, softness, flexibility, adaptability, fluidity. On the bike: smoothness, a one-ness with the machine. Think of a climber dancing away on that steep section that leaves everyone else pushing squares and threatening to rip their handlebars off.

With all the talk of doping investigations in Italy, with the ongoing Contador-CAS saga and more, it’s almost gone unnoticed that teams and riders reputed to be the strictest supports of anti-doping measures are winning.

Seven years ago this week, while scouting the 2004 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, I had to scratch my head when I saw a name painted on the pavement dozens of times up the iconic slopes of the Côte de La Redoute: “PHIL … PHIL … PHIL …”

The veteran Aussie says Schleck is a racer who isn’t afraid to throw down when the odds are stacked against him.

Although listed as a participant on the race’s official website in the run-up to the event, the Cofidis team will not take part in the Giro del Trentino, which begins on Tuesday. While race organisers claims that the French squad withdrew at the last minute, Cofidis manager Eric Boyer insists that his team had never formally confirmed its participation in the Italian stage race.

Thule's 60-liter rolling upright bag with detachable race pack has won the prestigious Gear of the Year award for bags by Outside Magazine. The 16th annual awards selected products that were the most innovative, most durable and most stylish available on the market.

"Café Racer is an icon of Australian cycling. It’s not only a place where cyclists meet before and after their morning ride; it’s a fundamental part of the vibrant cycling culture we enjoy here in Melbourne."

Was this a good movie? It was overwhelming. A film that was probably supposed to be about endurance sport ended up having more of a morality message for me, and it’s still hanging around me.

"Quality setup, beautiful ride – all at a reasonable price."

"An option if you’re a light rider without a history of breaking stuff. Otherwise, avoid."

He was on business but took a break from corporate dealings to get a ride in, heading along the coast near Cape Town, only to succumb to a heart attack.

road.cc: Wipperman Chain tool.

As a concept it's a really nice idea, but in reality the Wippermann chain-tool doesn't work very well at all.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

After yesterday’s extraordinary and petty email from UCI president Pat McQuaid to Jonathan Vaughters on the subject of the radio ban, the stylish head of Garmin-Cervelo struck back.

More work lies ahead for anti-doping scientists.

For all the years in the sport, can you tell me what Lampre is, do you own or use any Lampre products or services? Well, they make pre-coated steel, or in plain English the white metal that encases washing machines and refrigerators. It’s also found on other things like air conditioning units, coffee machines and so on.

Proof that the Dutch bike craze has fully permeated American consumer culture and is now simply another mandatory accoutrement for happiness and meaningful trendy living. Yaaaay!

After winning the 2007 Tour of Portugal, the 32-year-old Tondo finally broke through to win another stage race despite nipping at the edges of success the past few seasons.

Not only was Chris Baldwin showing good form at the early season races but he was also having a good time racing his bike. Both were very obvious to see. Baldwin, racing for Team juwi solar/First Solar had a stellar start to the season where he finished 3rd overall at the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

Classy and likeable steel all-rounder that's decent value and different alternative to a standard commuting iron.

Kansi launched a new UK-designed mid-range folding bike called the 2011 3twenty. Aside from being a folding bike that rides well, the 3twenty is one the bikes that Kansi claims to fit into the modern riders’ lifestyles and reflect their personalities.

Shift action is silky smooth and utterly linear throughout the travel range. The system is also fully sealed so, at least in theory, once it's set up it'll stay that way with virtually no bleeding or other maintenance required aside from cleaning.

Stage 1 is a dead flat 13 km time trial that starts on gorgeous Lake Garda () and then meanders to the finish in Arco to the north. Stage 1 start time: Tuesday 13:45 CET (4:45:00 AM PDT). Approximate finish: 17:00 CET (8:00:00 AM PDT).

After experiencing a near-fatal bee sting during the Sea Otter Classic’s women’s elite cross-country race on April 16, Katie Compton said she’s thankful for quick-acting spectators who likely saved her life.

In an otherwise conservative race, Philippe Gilbert’s panache and strength at Amstel Gold were too much for his rivals.

CyclingNews: Dempster sprints to victory in Tesco Rutland-Melton Cicle Classic.

Contrary to previous years, the Cicle Classic wasn’t decided in the first kilometres by a huge breakaway that the peloton would never see again. Instead, the bunch was whittled down in an elimination race through the twisty and undulating roads of the East Midlands countryside, which give the Cicle Classic a Tour of Flanders’ look.

With Sunday’s Amstel Gold hogging the spotlight, Jaan Kirsipuu took the flowers halfway around the world in the fourth stage of the Tour of Korea. Kirsipuu’s win was the first UCI-ranked win for his Champion System team.

Ben Hermans was in the lead group that fought for the victory in the Amstel Gold Race after taking advantage of a leadership role at RadioShack for the Dutch race. The 24 year-old Belgian has impressed in recent races and grabbed the opportunity with both hands.

"It's not up to us to decide guilt, that's the prosecutors' to evaluate," Lampre's press officer, Andrea Appiani told Cycling Weekly. "We have faith in our riders and our staff, we have nothing to hide."

Sam Schneider closed out the Sea Otter Classic with another sprint to second, and Meredith Miller, as she has done for Schneider’s last three podiums, provided the lead-out.

The iconic Gavia Pass picture from 1988. I was unable to ask Andy this question, but I have always wondered: what jersey is he wearing in this shot? Certainly not 7-Eleven. Was he leading a competition at that point in the race? The mountain classification jersey wasn't blue then.

"Slimline race shoe with a professional image and pricetag."

"I was worried beforehand that I wouldn’t cope, but I felt so encouraged by everyone, and my fears were totally unfounded."

Vanderkitten-Focus Pro Women's Cycling is revamped and ready to take on a full season of National Racing Calendar (NRC) events. This year's nine-woman squad will look to its young and opportunistic rider from New Zealand, Emily Collins, to bring the team ample podium success.

A club champion cyclist from Lancashire is appealing to fellow bike riders to keep an eye out for two high-spec bikes stolen from his home.

British riders Mark McNally and Andrew Fenn placed second and fourth in Sunday's Zellick-Galmaarden in Belgium. The An Post-Sean Kelly team pair rode strongly throughout the 173.9km, UCI 1.2-ranked race that is part of the UCI's Europe Tour.

Was CEO of company owning Nutella and Ferrero Rocher.

For each of us an hourglass upends at the finish line beginning a new countdown. It’s already late in the afternoon. As the sand drains, we race to recover for the next stage. Rather, the staff races to recover us. Despite the dire tone and urgent mission, our minds, fatigued by a thousand snap decisions, crash avoidance, and hours of quarrelling with our legs over oxygen and energy, tune to a blank station. White noise.

Today's Quote

“I don’t know, I was just following the big master Fabian. Normally you can trust him blind and follow him with your eyes closed. I can trust him and be confident with and everything. He actually felt sorry afterward. He just crashed in front of me. I don’t know how it happened but I just tumbled over him.” - Fränk Schleck  CyclingNews

Phillipe Gilbert! What an incredible rider he is: in order to win his second consecutive Amstel win, he chased Andy Schleck’s solo move in the final 10 kilometers, lead himself out, and sprinted for a very dominant win.

Vacansoleil rider angry over harsh ruling from a fellow Limburger.

Mario Aerts has decided to undergo a heart operation in the middle of the cycling season. The Omega Pharma-Lotto rider has been struggling with cardiac arrythmia for years, but now the problem has become worse.

Leopard Trek rider says he felt better than he had all spring at Amstel Gold Race.

Up next for Contador ─ who has been cleared to race after the Spanish cycling federation declared him innocent on clenbuterol charges in February ─ are Flèche Wallonne and then the Giro d’Italia. “I am going to try to recovery as fast as possible from my cold, even though I doubt there will be time before Flèche,” he said. “I will still go, at least I will be able to help my teammates.”

It doesn’t hurt THAT badly. Getting a metabolic assessment where you cycle to your max with a weird mask strapped to your face is never going to be particularly pleasant, but I’ve known worse.

After having been released by his Omega Pharma-Lotto team, Matt Lloyd has announced that he is looking for another squad to return to racing. Without commenting on the circumstances which led to his contract termination - with the two parties still negotiating - the Australian climber said he wanted to overcome his recent setbacks.

Brilliant concept bag sabotaged by a lack of stabilising strap and, in some cases,  poor customer service.

"There was nothing we could do against him," said Oscar Freire after he had crossed the line in sixth position at Sunday's Amstel Gold Race, which saw a spectacular Philippe Gilbert repeat his 2010 victory. The Belgian took matters into his own hands in the race finale and overpowered late escapee Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) on the final climb of the Cauberg, leaving Rabobank riders in awe of his superiority.

Fresh from a two-week training camp on the slopes of Mount Etna, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) returns to racing at the Giro del Trentino on Tuesday as he continues his build-up to the Giro d’Italia.

Don’t waste time looking for your cycling socks when you could be out riding – follow Rapha Condor Sharp rider Ben Greenwood’s tips on getting from bed to shed at speed.

He had a point, really. I’d rather engage a conversation of why to use the term “sportif” instead of “gran fondo” but just what distinguishes a gran fondo or sportif from a century isn’t as clear to riders as it ought to be, and blame there rests on event organizers.

Not every bicycle tour has to be an epic adventure across blazing deserts or the frozen tundra.

Last week, we left the cobbles behind, but not without a few backward glances. We watched Tom Boonen get stuck in the Arenberg and wondered what exactly happened. We chatted about Garmin-Cervélo team tactics and about Cancellara's choices. We watched an artsy video. But then, it was time to say good-bye.

In the second extract of our four-part exclusive into the story of Trent Lowe versus Slipstream Sports, Anthony Tan investigates the Dr del Moral visit, Lowe’s ongoing health problems, and the breakdown in communication between Lowe and Vaughters.

A full-color graphic novel of our story for an app for the iPad, iPhone, Xoom and the various other new tablets coming on the market. And the MOONTRAP 2 app will be FREE to all.

The radio issue is, on its face, a trifle, but McQuaid appears to be in a rage that the teams would continue to press what in his mind is a closed and decided issue.

Managers from many of the leading teams in the peloton walked out of a UCI meeting in Brussels on Monday afternoon in protest at the UCI's refusal to discuss the use of radio earpieces.

This is a story of an aggrieved junior world champion cyclist from Victoria that once had the world at his feet. Instead, Trent Lowe is claiming, among other things, unfair dismissal by his former team, defamation of character, and a breach of duty of care that amounted to a three-year struggle and has left him without a career.

Imagine a fancy hotel where you return from a ride or race to hand your bike over to mechanic. You could mention a creaking bottom bracket or you maybe you want a different cassette on the back for tomorrow. It’s done, not only that but the bike gets cleaned and even the bar tape looks new. Well that’s exactly what a pro rider gets.

UCI president Pat McQuaid has warned 'certain team bosses' that their plans to set up a breakaway league are doomed unless they gain favour from Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO), RCS and other race major organisers. McQuaid, who has two-and-a-half years left on his second term as president has also suggested that he may stand for re-election in 2013.

Fränk Schleck’s (Leopard Trek) hopes of victory at Amstel Gold Race on Sunday were ruined when he crashed along with his teammate Fabian Cancellara. The Luxembourg champion was directly behind Cancellara when he came down, and Schleck was unable to avoid riding into him.

Philippe Gilbert is one of Belgium’s most talented young one-day racers. He is less well-known and less successful so far than Tom Boonen, perhaps, but possibly more versatile, given he can win both cobbled Classics like Het Volk (twice) but is equally at home in the hillier one-day races.

With their country often highlighted, together with The Netherlands, as providing a model to which others should aspire when it comes to bicycle use, you’d forgive the Danes if they rested on their laurels. After all, the Scandinavian country already has among the highest usage figures of bicycles in the world.

Engineers over at Cornell University have designed and built a riderless bike which seems to have no other purpose than to debunk the theory that the gyroscopic precession of a spinning wheel, and caster action of the front wheel has nothing to do with the self-steering properties of a bicycle.

Racing legend Ned Overend won the US national singlespeed championship last summer aboard a mid-range Specialized Rockhopper SL SS 29er and he continued the trend at this year's Sea Otter Classic, racing the men's elite cross-country event on an as-yet-unreleased 29in-wheeled alloy hardtail called Carve.

Illness means Geox TMC rider is behind in his preparation.

Here is an item that most “real-world” riders need. Leather washers keep your metal fenders quiet and prevent the bolts from vibrating loose.

The latest helmet from Giro was launched a couple weeks ago in Kortrijk, Belgium. Instead of rushing to press, I wanted to ride the helmet extensively before reviewing it. After many rides, one seven hours long and several other over three hours, I have to say that the Aeon disappears once you put it on. And that’s a really good thing.

23 laps of non-stop aggression. The attacks kept on coming in the fourth and final stage of the men’s Sea Otter Classic Stage Race with BISSELL the main aggressor. In the end however, Brazilian Raul Cancado (Passion Bikes) was able to win the stage out of a splintering break. Andy Jacques-Maynes (BISSELL) was second and Cesar Grajales (RealCyclist.com) third.

Sunday's Amstel Gold Race departs Maastricht at 10:15am CET (4:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish on the Cauberg around 4:45pm CET (10:45am U.S. Eastern).  Amstel Gold Race live streaming video should begin from around *1:00pm CET (7:00am U.S. Eastern).  *to confirm.

The only woman to break the 19 minute barrier, Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12) flew on the 7.8 mi (12.6 km) hilly course. The Olympic Gold TT Medalist stopped the clock at 18:55 and claimed her third victory in a row at the Sea Otter Classic.

The RealCyclist.com team continued to dominate the Sea Otter Classic. Francisco Mancebo clocked the fastest time in stage 3, the time trial to win his second victory and the third for the team. Mancebo now has a commanding lead in the omnium.

Sunday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 5 departs Madrigal de las Altas Torres at 12:01pm CET (6:01am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Medina del Campo around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

Jade Wilcoxson (Landshark/Flywheel) avoided a crash in the final sprint to the line to win the Sea Otter Circuit Race ahead of Sam Schneider (TIBCO/To The Top) and Flavia Oliveira (Project Cycling Women).

CyclingNewsAsia: Global Cycling News.

Ryder Hesjedal finished second in last year's Amstel Gold Race and was the team leader for Garmin-Cervelo this year but stomach problems wrecked his race, even causing him to stop and use the toilet in a house along the race route.

World champion Emma Pooley won’t be able to repeat her 2010 victory at Flèche Wallonne this year due to a broken collarbone, Garmin-Cervélo reported Sunday.

In the rain-soaked women’s four-lap race, several of the world’s top women took part, including former world champion Irena Kalentieva, Lene Byberg, Esther Suss and Mary McConneloug (USA).

"Compton was stung by a bee and went into anaphylaxis immediately after the sting."

While Emily Batty won her first ever elite cross-country race Saturday at the Sea Otter Classic Pro XCT, it was another story altogether for Katie Compton at her first national XC event of 2011.

You might see the racing on TV but there’s so much more around the race than the leading riders.

Okay, we have another bottom bracket standard to consider. Lennard Zinn explains why it might make sense.

Today's Quote

“Carlos Barredo is as mad as a hatter, a real gem. Together with Oscar Freire, they form a real comic duo.” - Robert Gesink VeloNation

Storck’s new Rebel Nine is their first 29er, and it’ll be ready in July or August as a frame only. Price is TBD. Their rep said they spent a lot of time on the geometry because they wanted to make it handle like their 26″ bikes.

While it's a good week to pay a visit to a national park for a bike ride, mountain bikers in the state of Washington are finding that they won't have to share trails in two national forests with all-terrain vehicles until late in the spring.

Britain's Ben Swift (Sky) has taken the final stage of the five-day Tour of Castilla y León in a bunch sprint, ahead of local fastmen Francisco Ventoso (Movistar) and Ruben Perez (Euskaltel-Euskadi).

Zambales, Philippines. Kazuo Inoue steals Stage Two of Le Tour De Filipinas for the people of Japan! Inoue (Team BGT) crossed the finish shouting with joy as he won the charging group sprint that really started to gain some legs around 500 meters to go.

Sunday's Amstel Gold Race departs Maastricht at 10:15am CET (4:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish on the Cauberg around 4:45pm CET (10:45am U.S. Eastern).  Amstel Gold Race live streaming video should begin from around *1:00pm CET (7:00am U.S. Eastern).  *to confirm.

Contador wins race against the clock; Mollema's honorable effort falls short.

Saturday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 4 is an 11.2km Individual Time Trial at Zamora.  It is scheduled to begin at 2:47pm CET (8:47am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Nederland Bloeit captain shows the World who is this year’s superteam.

Live Video available (Dutch narration).

With a charging Kristin Armstrong off the front, Emily bested a select group of climbers that included Fenix rider Flavia Oliviera and athletes from Primal-Map My Ride, TIBCO and Peanut Butter and Co TWENTY12.

With the cobbles rapidly fading into memory, the hills of the Ardennes rise into view. VeloClassic's Peter Easton takes a closer look at Sunday's opening festivities in Holland's Limburg region and the country's biggest one day classic, the Amstel Gold Race.

Lloyd was released from his Omega Pharma-Lotto team this week with the Belgian outfit issuing a statement citing “recent incidents” and behaviour for the discontinued collaboration adding it “had nothing to do with the use of forbidden products.”

On 1 August 2010, Vin Cox triumphantly rolled into London to become the fastest person to cycle around the world, beating the previous records set by Mark Beaumont, James Bowthorpe and Julian Sayerer.

Good home workshop stand for wheel building and fettling.

It has 100mm front and rear travel, which means this is their first 100mm 29er fork (they are 90mm on their hardtails). It borrows the SAVE seatstays from the 26″ scalpel and pivotless dropout, but it does get a pivot at the front of the chainstays.

Tom Zirbel has returned to US domestic racing, after serving a reduced suspension for an anti-doping infraction, and he is scheduled to compete at the National Racing Calendar (NRC) SRAM Tour of the Gila held from April 27 to May 1 in Silver City New Mexico. The time trial specialist will ride under the Hotel San Jose/ACME team, according to race promoter Jack Brennan.

Dutch talent says his emotions are in check, hopes for Rabobank glory on Sunday.

Today's Quote

“Carlos Barredo is as mad as a hatter, a real gem. Together with Oscar Freire, they form a real comic duo.” - Robert Gesink VeloNation

Eyebrows were raised when Rasmus Guldhammer decided take a step down from the professional ranks with HTC-Highroad last season but the 22-year-old has found his feet in the U23 ranks again and believes he could return to the pro ranks in the future.

Shimano unveiled a few new technologies to its top two groups in its mountain bike lineup that may be of interest to some cyclocross racers and perhaps of particular interest to the monster cross crowd.

The Scott Foil is one of the most eagerly awaited bikes of the year. Prototypes were first seen at the 2010 Tour de France, but when Specialized launched the Venge a month ago Scott were almost foiled before they’d started.

It’s not about the beer, it’s the cake. Fränk Schleck turned the big 30 on Friday and hopes to celebrate his birthday with a second victory at the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday.

Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport claims that Giuseppe Saronni is ready to step down as team manager at the troubled Lampre-ISD team as the sponsors look to make sweeping changes after riders and staff were embroiled in a doping investigation in Mantova.

Stuart O’Grady (Leopard-Trek) always talks from the heart, but nothing gets his heart racing more than Paris-Roubaix.

There are UCI rules restricting the events a pro cyclist can ride meaning that if one wants to join a local event they could fall fowl of the rules and risk a suspension.

Felt Bicycles took the lessons learned about lightweight, stiff carbon construction making their F1 road bikes and applied it to their all-new FX2 carbon cyclocross bike.

Comprehensive cleaning kit that matches petrochemical types on price and performance.

Ask any city cyclist about the ‘rules of the road’ they see broken on their daily commute and you’ll find yourself in a lengthy conversation. If there’s one commuting issue that’s sure to provoke debate it’s this, but the line between rule and myth is often blurred.

Walter Rutt was one of Germany's great track cyclists of his day, it's likely that he competed against America's Major Taylor on the world circuit in the early years of the 20th century. Both raced in the grueling six-day cycling events and other track competitions in Europe, Australia and the U.S.

BH bicycles in conjunction with FSA officially introduced another bottom bracket standard labeled BB386 EVO today at the Sea Otter Classic, while FSA officially announced its new cantilever brake that offers the ability to change configuration from low profile to wide profile, like the Avid Shorty Ultimate.

Saturday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 4 is an 11.2km Individual Time Trial at Zamora.  It is scheduled to begin at 2:47pm CET (8:47am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

After her teammates softened up the field, Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12) attacked with less than 2 laps to go and simply flew away from the field at the Sea Otter Classic Road Race.

It’s mid-April. That means it’s Sea Otter Classic time in Monterey, California.

Bauke Mollema takes overall lead as Contador denied by technical problems.

Friday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 3 departs Benavente at 12:46pm CET (6:46am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Laguna de los Peces around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter&  Co Twenty12) took her first win since returning from her short retirement.

Cole House (RealCyclist.com) outkicked the decimated field to win the Sea Otter Criterium, the first stage of the Sea Otter Classic Stage Race. Andres Diaz (Team Exergy) took second while House’s leadout Francisco Mancebo held on to third.

Alison Powers is better than jam on toast. Powers, who is entering her 5th season as a professional cyclist, has an impressive list of results that indicate that not only is she talented but that she is also versatile. In taking a look at her results I was struck by how she has been able to compete at the highest levels and produce results in dramatically different venues.

Britain's only UCI-ranked one-day race.

Yes, the notorious Arenberg forest section of the fabled bike race once again had a major role to play in the outcome of the spring's most revered classic.

The cobbles of the Paris Roubaix always tell a fascinating story, whatever angle you look at them from. And we've put together this quick roundup of interesting vids looking at some aspects of the racing.

Week in, week out, there’s racing to be had around the world where we can catch up on what ’crossers do in their spare time.

Three new carbon cyclocross bikes caught our eye today: the Redline Conquest Team and Pro, the Felt F2x and the Norco Threshold. All three race bikes were unveiled today at the 2011 Sea Otter Classic.

"High spec all-rounders with speed to burn."

Alberto Contador's defence team has selected lawyer Ulrich Haas as their member of the three-person tribunal for the appeal case over the Spanish star's positive for clenbuterol in last year's Tour.

Sure, you can knock Sunday's Amstel Gold Race for being the new kid on the block of "Ardennes" races. You can knock it for not actually being in the Ardennes. You can knock it for being sponsored by, um, not your favorite beer. [I'll take it over Oranjeboom any day.] But you can't say it's devoid of character, far from it.

The biggest one day bike race in the Netherlands takes place on Sunday.  The country is cycling crazy. Not sport, but transport. Many move around by bike, it is not a lifestyle choice nor a statement but just a simple means to get about.

Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race officially opens the final week of the Spring Classics with 260 kilometers and 32 smooth, but absurdly steep climbs.

In Italy the Classics have beautiful names; ‘Primavera’ and ‘Race of the Falling Leaves’ – in France they simply name them after places, Tours, Paris, Roubaix – in Belgium it’s newspapers and road numbers, Het Nieuwsblad and E3. But in Holland, its beer.

Today's Quote

“Lance Armstrong should be able to take on all responsibility, as Laurent Fignon had the courage to do so, acknowledging that he had taken performance-enhancing drugs and that they were probably the cause of the disease which he suffered.” - Chantal Jouanno VeloNation

Cycling Australia national performance director Kevin Tabotta will speak to colleagues in Europe tonight to determine if the governing body can help sacked professional Matt Lloyd.

Sjef De Wilde hopes to leave hospital next week, and is expected to spend six to eight weeks recovering from neck and spinal injuries suffered in a crash at the Scheldeprijs earlier this month. If all goes well, the Veranda's Willems-Accent rider may be able to race again in four months.

The Swiss rider has been working at Mapei Sport in Italy as he continues his comeback. He currently visits the centre once to twice a month and goes through a series of medical and health checks as well as undergoing surprise tests run by the centre at which Aldo Sassi worked before his death.

"One of the safest, smoothest trail rides around and now with extra bite if you push it."

Lance Armstrong and a banned Italian physician have met repeatedly in Europe since severing formal ties in 2004, including as recently as last year before Armstrong's final Tour de France, a high-ranking Italian law enforcement official told The Associated Press on Friday.

Kolobnev, Karpets and Ignatiev amongst five named.

The Anti-doping police in Italy have been super busy this week. No Spring break for them.

The Lampre-ISD team has confirmed that the Italian Nucleo Antisofisticazioni (NAS) police searched Michele Scarponi and his room during an altitude training camp at Mount Etna in Sicily.

While watching the video of Philippe Gilbert methodically dispatching of Bjorn Leukemans to win Wednesday’s Brabantse Pijl, a thought occurred to me: is Gilbert about to become the Ardennes equivalent of Fabian Cancellara?

The first part of the spring has centered around the hard men of cycling, those riders who use brute power and strength of character to beat their opponents on some of the toughest races courses the world over.

Since Johann van Summeren hoisted the winner’s cobble in the Roubaix velodrome on Sunday, much has been made of Garmin-Cervelo’s tactical approach to the problem that is Fabian Cancellara. Much less has been made of Leopard-Trek’s tactical failings.

Geraint Thomas has been reflecting on what for him turned out to be a particularly hellish version of the race.

I don’t care how long you’ve been riding a bicycle, you haven’t ridden everywhere. You haven’t ridden everything. There are always things to try, to strive for,  and to dream of.

You know that getting eight hours sleep a night is good for you. But factor in a working day, a bit of training or riding, an hour or two travelling, an hour eating and changing, dashing around as the kids’ taxi service, and a couple of hours of just being and – well, you do the math. Struggling to make it add up?

From ravenous dogs to flat tires to moldy bottles, extreme challenges call for extremely creative solutions. Here are some of our most unforgettable reader tips from the past five years.

An organization of state highway departments wants to erode a federal directive that would put bicycle and pedestrian traffic on an equal footing with motor vehicles in state and metropolitan transportation plans.

Le Tour de Filipinas is on! 15 teams were presented during the team presentation at the Palacio de Maynila facing beautiful Manila Bay. A total of 7 top foreign teams will be joining the 2011 edition of le tour including GIANT KENDA CYCLING TEAM boasting defending Champion David Mc Cann of Ireland, still a favourite to win the Le Tour.

Friday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 3 departs Benavente at 12:46pm CET (6:46am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Laguna de los Peces around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

VeloNews: Women’s Amgen time trial, invitation-only, offers $10,000 purse.

The organisers of the Amgen Tour of California today announced the details of the new Women's International Time Trial Challenge, presented by Specialized and SRAM, which will take place in Solvang, California on May 20.

Details on two races for the future.

Francisco Ventoso won the second stage of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, boosting his position at the top of the overall standings after taking the opening stage.

What determines the order the team cars are in when following the peloton. Surely all teams would want their cars at the front or as close to the front of the line as possible. Do teams with riders high up in GC get preferential treatment ahead of non-contending teams?

The man who lives and breathes his team. You know the one. As soon as you enter the property he’s enthusiastically showing you a photo of when he met his favourite team member. His grandson, only two years old and in his highchair, happily repeating the name over and over.

Thursday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 2 departs Valladolid at 11:56am CET (5:56am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Salamanca around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

According to Spanish media reports, Isabel María Franco, a Portuguese member of the race jury, insisted on seeing the valid racing licenses of Contador and two of his Saxo Bank-Sungard teammates, Benjamín Noval and Jesús Hernández. Noval had his original license, but Contador and Hernández could only produce photo-copies.

DO YOU CONSIDER THE AMSTEL GOLD RACE TO BE A TRUE CLASSIC? It’s certainly not in the same league as four of the five monuments (Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège) but I’d put it on a par with the Tour of Lombardy which, though a beautiful race, suffers slightly these days because it’s held at the butt-end of the season when there are really only about two dozen fully-fit, fully-motivated riders.

Dutch police have launched an investigation after finding tacks on the route of Sunday's Amstel Gold Race in Limburg, Netherlands. The parcours located around the city of Maastricht has been the target of one or several "local residents", according to De Telegraaf, protesting against the "nuisance" that cyclists bring to their homes.

Cytomax has reformulated to remove all artificial sweeteners and replaced them with Stevia.

"Seriously good airline-friendly protection for your bike but at a price."

Feng Kuanjie, from the newly formed Triace Team, shows his dominance on the China National MTB circuit for his second year in a row, comfortably winning over Champion System’s Lu Xiaoyong.  Robert Daniel from South Africa came in a very solid third place.

The 2011 Giro d'Italia will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy, with a mountainous route that looks set to exalt a possible duel between Vincenzo Nibali and Riccardo Ricco.

Law enforcement officers in Sicily have carried out a search at a hotel on the island being used as a training base by Lampre-ISD rider Michele Scarponi, while colleagues in Brescia have requested biological passport information from Katusha regarding five riders, one of whom is no longer with the Russian team, according to Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Two days after a call from the Italian Olympic Committee president for "strong action" against doping in cycling, Tuttobiciweb.it reports that an anti-doping operation by Italian police is taking place across Italy.

Bicycling's distilled guide to the Tour champion's allies, enemies, and those whose ultimate impact on him remains uncertain.

PEZ: Euro Trash Thursday!

In times past I’ve often found the various incarnations of the Lotto team to be rather chaotic, surviving from one month to the next, often with ability to lose a race by strategic bungling and above all, some chaotic recruitment (eg here and here) and man-management skills. That’s harsh but for years they’ve been a distant second to national rivals Quick Step.

Team captain Philippe Gilbert has a contract to 2012 but has been offered a deal by Astana says the GVA, which could be in place if his current team stops. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen the Kazakh team mentioned and note that Gilbert and Alexadner Vinokourov are near neighbours in Monaco.

Today's Quote

“Lance Armstrong should be able to take on all responsibility, as Laurent Fignon had the courage to do so, acknowledging that he had taken performance-enhancing drugs and that they were probably the cause of the disease which he suffered.” - Chantal Jouanno VeloNation

The drops, the stays, the cable routing – none of them seem quite right for a Focus – or certainly not a carbon one. Also curious is the interface between the down tube and head tube – is there a just noticeable bulge that comes from joining a larger down tube to a headtube that’s slightly smaller?

No regrets, but World champion wishes he knew then what he knows now.

Thor Hushovd looks surprisingly like the judge in the music video of the Yes song Owner Of Lonely Heart. Have you ever seen the judge from the Owner Of A Lonely Heart video and Thor Hushovd in the same place, at the same time? I haven't. Coincidence?

You had to know it was coming. Just a year after upgrading the current XT M770 drivetrain to Dynasys 10 speed, Shimano has taken the wraps off of the entirely new M780 XT group that borrows heavily from XTR’s bag of tricks. Completely redesigned brakes, more than one color choice, wheels, pedals, oh my!

As if their Haven Carbon wheels weren’t light enough, Easton has just unveiled their latest and greatest wheelset – The EC90. First things first: Weights are claimed at an astoundingly light 1,285g for the 26″ pair and 1,416g for 29er.

We recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Gavin Lin from UCC bike. Gavin is the General Manager of UCC Bike Company.

A few random thoughts on Sunday’s second CicLAvia, in no particular order.

DaveMoulton: Actually going somewhere.

In Italy, Renato di Rocco, president of the Italian cycling federation, said that he would like to prevent Contador from starting next month’s Giro d’Italia while his doping case remains unresolved.

Reason #7391 why we love the French: Their national sports minister ins’t some rumpled, over-weight functionary who’s been on the cocktail circuit too long. Or related in some way to UCI president Patrick McQuaid.

Fabian Cancellara wins Tour de France prologues with regularity (2007, 2009 and 2010) placing him in the yellow jersey for quite some time before the mountains reshuffle the classification and he loses the jersey for good. Who holds the record for the most number of days in the maillot jaune without ever winning the Tour de France?

First two episodes from Garmin-Cervelo.

A LOT of money, but for one hell of a lot of bike... although you might also want to consider the SuperSix Feminine 105 for £800 less.

"Stiff ride, but the R5 seems to descend (and climb) better than just about anything else out there."

Riccò is without a team and is under investigation for doping. "We fired him immediately," Vacansoleil team press officer, Frank Kwanten told Cycling Weekly. "He's off the list at the UCI, we sent a dismissal letter to him and the UCI.

Use these 15 tips from master mechanics to cure all your bike's ills.

Garmin-Cervelo’s bruised, battered and filthy Tyler Farrar looking far from triumphant at the finish in Roubaix. Farrar hit the deck at the Scheldeprijs just a few days before Paris-Roubaix, and then had his day in France ended prematurely by a further crash.

There is still much discussion (criticism, praise, etc.) of Garmin-Cervelo’s tactics and results in the Ronde and Paris-Roubaix.  A forward-looking question is whether their breakthrough spring season will continue as we switch gears to the Ardennes.

Every man who endured the ‘Hell of the North’ on Sunday and then slumped down on the dry grass in the track centre with a well earned can of Coke has a story to tell.

If you started to follow professional cycling in the post-Festina era, there are a few truthisms that are universally-accepted.

The southeastern United States is filled with great riding and with its multiple mountains contains plenty of solid climbing as well.

Lightweight, stylish and extremely comfortable helmet let down slghtly by finer detailing.

Even with the dust barely settled, and mud barely washed off the brake calipers, the Ardennes week is upon us. Few are the contenders who could charismatically challenge both the cobbled and hilly classics in this 2-month block of spring classics.

The four-day race opens on Thursday with a 50-minute criterium for the professional women and is followed by a 6 lap, 47.6 mile road race on Friday. An eight-mile time trial on Saturday should shake up the general classification before the race concludes with a 120 minute circuit race on Sunday.

The 28-year-old – runner-up on the Pijl in 2008 – finished the 201.1km race in four hours, 40 minutes and 39 seconds, leaving Frenchman Anthony Geslin (FDJ) in third place, one minute and two seconds back.

The 28-year-old Spaniard finished the 108mile race in four hours, 12 minutes and 57 seconds for his third stage victory of the year, and the fourth stage victory of his career on the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon.

Wednesday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 1 departs Medina de Rioseco at 12:38pm CET (6:38am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Palencia around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Wednesday's De Brabantse Pijl (or La Flèche Brabançonne) departs Leuven at 12:30pm CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Overijse around 5:23pm CET (11:23am U.S. Eastern).  La Flèche Brabançonne live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around *2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern) but may actually begin a bit later.

The dust has settled – literally – on a hot and dry northern classics. With Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix now in the rear-view mirror, the brawny cobblestone specialists are heading toward a well-deserved break following what’s been some intense and unpredictable racing in the opening half of the spring classics calendar.

The Ardennes Classics begin on Sunday with the 46th running of the Amstel Gold Race (April 17).

First year pro Ben King (RadioShack) was a last-minute draft for this year’s Paris-Roubaix after Robbie Hunter was ruled out. The first-year professional admitted that he was scared of the race before the start on Sunday but the US road champion finished the race in 76th place having spent the first half the race working for his team and surviving until the finishline.

Sandy Casar finally won the Paris-Camembert after some near-misses in the past.

To visit one of the battlefields, you might want to consider doing so on a bicycle. I found that riding my bicycle in those places gave me a better feel for the human scale of the battle and the horror faced by the soldiers.

The man who many expected to win - mulleted Kiwi Shane Archbold, came away with the silver medal; he took time to talk omniums to PEZ once he was safely back in the land of the long white cloud.

He abandoned the Tour of the Basque Country last week due to a "health problem". "It was probably just that the he was sick and worn out," team manager Roberto Amadio told Cycling Weekly today. "He'll make his return in Flèche Wallonne and in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, then we will re-evaluate."

Amber Neben and her HTC-Highroad team sit atop the Women’s Prestige Cycling Series standings after the first event, the Redlands Bicycle Classic.

I like to call my configuration “the grad student” because you can carry books (lots of them), laptop, food, dishes (because you are poor and can’t eat out), and groceries. As well as travel easily on public transit.

Before Paris-Roubaix fades into a distant memory, here’s a quick roundup of some of the bikes and kit the pros were using to get them across the pavé. Even when the weather is as good as it was on Sunday, the Hell of the North challenges equipment more than any other race on the calendar.

Dr Rune Elvik, an expert in risk analysis and cost benefit analysis from the Institute of Transport Economics says that wearing a helmet reduces the risk of head injury by 43%, much lower than the reduction of at least 60% he says that earlier research has claimed.

Today's Quote

“Lance Armstrong should be able to take on all responsibility, as Laurent Fignon had the courage to do so, acknowledging that he had taken performance-enhancing drugs and that they were probably the cause of the disease which he suffered.” - Chantal Jouanno VeloNation

Team Sky’s co-sponsor IG Markets are going to launch a new rider ranking, the “IG Markets Pro Cycling Index” and it will attempt to reward panache ahead of anonymous consistency.

Sometimes I laugh so hard I cry.   Last week during the behind-the-scenes moments of the Redlands Bicycle Classic, my teammates did a good job of helping me with my core training through laughter.

Alberto Contador will line up at the start of stage one of the Vuelta a Castilla y Leon as the defending champion but a recent cold may affect him as he aims to win his third stage-race title of the season.

When a rider wins a race or a general is victorious in battle, it is often easy to ascribe physical supremacy and tactical brilliance. We align a series of facts from the day into a story, the narrative of victory becomes self-evident. Only what of luck?

What a difference a year can make. The second edition of the Gran Fondo Colnago San Diego was the wettest ride of my entire life. Almost six hours of nonstop rain.

A lecture run by an expert in wound management used a lot of examples of cyclist wounds. I don’t like giving medical advice but this information he passed onto me is consistant with what I’ve heard many times before and has worked very well in my experience.

Any hill in a predominantly flat country takes on a special significance. Holland is flat, but one corner of it, Limburg in the far southeast, jutting into Belgium and bordering Germany, is the exception. Its highest point, Valsenberg, is only 322 metres above sea level, but Limburg occupies a lofty place in Dutch cycling.

During a short chat with Ina Yoko Teutenberg (HTC Highroad), at this year’s Merco Cycling Classic, Teutenberg identified Erinne Willock as a rider to watch.

I’ve been running mechanical discs on my daily commuter for about a month.

Mountain bikers can look forward to lower prices, sharper looks and more braking power as Shimano roll-out upgrades to their second-tier Deore XT groupset to mark its 30th birthday. In line with tradition, the new XT will inherit many of the changes introduced to XTR last year, but despite the updated technology, Shimano say we can expect the price of the complete groupset to drop by around 10 percent.

Marin Bikes is celebrating their 25th year of making bicycles, and to celebrate, they’re raffling off a Team Titanium 29er mountain bike.

"Fast, lightweight and well-balanced all-rounder with a unique ultra-control shock advantage"

Like your bike but feel there’s something not quite right about it? Could it be the cables? Is their unadventurous silver colour just not doing it for you? You’re in luck; you can now kit it out with Teflon-coated coloured cables from KCNC, available in a range of different shades.

The modified Giant TCR Advanced SL machines that Rabobank typically use at Paris-Roubaix can already accommodate big 27mm-wide tubular tires for extra cushioning on the pavé. But for former cyclo-cross world champion Lars Boom, bigger is better.

Throughout the 19km, it was mostly gradual climbing with two major climbs that kicked up to about 7-8% in gradient. After halfway point, it was a challenge to keep the speed on 40km/h as the road wound its way up through the valley on a 1% gradient and a stiff headwind before finishing on a painful 2km climb.

Frontier Airlines officially announced that bikes fly free on their planes starting today.

The race was going well up until just before the Arenberg when Geraint crashed. We waited and had to chase like hell to get him back on before the forest then he crashed again at the entrance. Again I waited, chased like hell made contact and we all crashed again on an oil patch on the cobbles.

Riccardo Ricco, the man who keeps rotten blood in his fridge, says he wants back into professional cycling because he’s not really guilty of anything.

Italian suggests his illness was caused by a virus.

Wants AFLD to work on this year’s Tour.

UCI and WADA choices add to confusion about seemingly "suicidal" moves.

Swarzman was riding with his fiancé and another rider when he was hit by a pickup truck.

You've seen and read plenty about Zipp's 303 rim profile... A few major publications called it the best all round carbon tubular rim currently on the market (and "best" isn't a frequently used term mind you). But there's a little more to be said about the hoops and more to the hubs than most realize.

Todd Wells (Specialized) is auctioning the bike he used to win the 2010 cyclocross nationals, to raise money for victims of the recent disaster in Japan.

Tour of the Battenkill. The name alone sounds menacing enough. It conjurs up images in my head of some American Civil War battlefield that they thought would well suited for a bike race  The race is only four years old, but has all the makings of a “Classic”. Early spring, dirt roads, bad weather – a real hardman’s race.

Vin Denson's name crops up in a lot of cycling books. As a GB team-mate of Tom Simpson's he's forever associated with events on the Ventoux in 1967. As a domestique to Jacques Anquetil, his name sometimes crops up when it comes to telling the story of Anquetil's 1965 epic double of the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and Bordeaux-Paris.

CorePerformance: Should I Carbo-Load the Night Before a Big Race?

Eating extra carbohydrates won't help you go faster or longer for races less than 90 minutes. But for longer races you'll want to make carbs the focus of your nutrition strategy in the weeks leading up to the race.

Kurt-Asle Arvesen was determined to make it to the finish line in the velodrome in what was probably his last Paris-Roubaix, but the Sky rider was not ready to do so by riding on the cobblestones without a saddle. A crash with about 60km to go broke his saddle and it eventually fell off entirely and he was forced out of the race.

Gears are the components that define the evolution of the mountain bike. Don’t believe us? Take a look back in history, to Marin County, California where it all began. The legendary Repack started as a downhill race for beach cruisers in 1976, and the riders used a truck to get them to the top. Later that year, over in Colorado, those same pioneers pushed their klunkers around the first Pearl Pass Tour to Aspen.

Kenney has been working indirectly with Apple for years, according to an Apple news website. In fact, Apple filed a carbon fiber patent (click on above link) with his name on it in 2009.

Scott's previously team-only Project F01 aero road bike finally has a name – the Foil (F01L) – and it's available to buy, with prices starting at €3,200 (approx £2,850) and a cheaper entry-level build on its way later this year.

The rear wheel is barely touching the ground. To counter this forward weight transfer, the rider pushes his body backward.

Wednesday's Vuelta a Castilla y Leon Stage 1 departs Medina de Rioseco at 12:38pm CET (6:38am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Palencia around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta a Castilla y Leon live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Wednesday's De Brabantse Pijl (or La Flèche Brabançonne) departs Leuven at 12:30pm CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Overijse around 5:23pm CET (11:23am U.S. Eastern).  La Flèche Brabançonne live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around *2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern) but may actually begin a bit later.

Julian Dean's wife Carole has revealed the Garmin-Cervelo rider suffered a frightening ordeal following his crash on the final stage of the Volta a Catalunya, his first "real race of the season."

Dutch video clip from Paris-Roubaix. Shot with a Weisscam, a German-made high speed digital camera capable of 4,000 frames per second, it captures surprising details in slow motion. You can see tubs deform on the cobbles and specks of dirt flying off the wheels.

This is a pretty nerve-plucking view of a star in distress.

The Spring Classics change terrain this week, switching from the cobblestones to the Ardennes hills, and the teams' line-ups for the Brabantse Pijl on Wednesday reflect that change. Quick Step, BMC Racing Team and RadioShack have all announced their lineups for the Belgian race.

Italian pro team Liquigas have had a semi-permanent base on the slopes of Mount Etna this year.

This morning, Jonathan Vaughters commented that he liked Birnie's analysis except for one thing. The British writer had missed the moment when Vaughters pulled Garmin-Cervélo rider Rasch back from the break to help with the chase. What? Help with the chase? Why was Garmin-Cervélo helping with the chase with Van Summeren in the break?

The Tour of Turkey will again be one for the sprinters this year, and André Greipel of Omega Pharma-Lotto will look to repeat his successes from 2010. He will be facing many of the other top sprinters in the peloton, though, who will look to beat him across the line.

The dust storming field had just rolled through Sector 27 in Troisvilles. 26 more sectors lay ahead of them, and we were off to get hold of as many cobbled views as we could before a winner was crowned in the velodrome on a heavenly Sunday afternoon in Hell.

UCI Continental team V Australia's Jonathan Cantwell is on his way toward another successful season after capturing his first National Racing Calendar (NRC) victory at the Sunny King Criterium held last weekend in Anniston, Alabama.

"Comfort and performance in perfect harmony – an ideal all-day bike."

Converting a 3x9 to 2x9 can look like this... bash guard in place of the big ring (slippers optional). Photo by Patrick.

Contador clear favourite for Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, but says he’s been suffering with a cold.

Spaniard has already won two stage races in 2011.

Twisted Spoke is wondering about what happened to the American’s in this year’s Hell of the North. The result sheet wasn’t particularly impressive or promising.

"I had the chance to talk to Andrew Messick, President of AEG Sports, about the proposed women’s time trial."

The fight for the signature of one of cycling's biggest talents sure to heat up as year progresses.

It is silly how many guys don’t have a chance to win this race because of no air in their tires.

RadioShack’s Sebastien Rosseler will be out to defend his title in the Belgian semi-classic Fleche Brananconne Wednesday as the peloton say a weary goodbye to the cobbles in anticipation of the hillier Ardennes classics.

I have a lot of events in mind for 2011, l'Eroica continues to dominate as the best single day one. Not surprising when you watch this video of the 2010 ride.

Italian riders head home from the cobbled classics empty handed yet again this spring, forcing the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper to analyse what went wrong for their riders on the pave.

Last Sunday’s Paris-Roubaix was the first edition that Patrick Lefevere’s Quick Step-Innergetic team failed to net a single rider in the top ten since its inception in 2001, when they split from the powerhouse Mapei team.

So, how fit can you get in six weeks? That’s how long I’ve had to prepare for the East Surrey Hardriders Time Trial, under the guidance of Professor Greg Whyte of 76 Harley Street.

"Great looking flat pedal trail shoe that works well with the right pedals. One for the fashionistas as much as riders "

CyclingNewsAsia Tech: Colossi and Xinqiwen launch Mountain Test Bike.

The goal? To build a tight, good looking, stiff frame to dangle all our most recent test bits from (both secret and for public consumption)!

Garmin-Cervélo's Roger Hammond and Renaud Dion of Bretagne Schuller are out of the hospital today after being patched up from their crashes in Paris-Roubaix.

Today's Quote:

“How do you stop Cancellara? You have to outnumber him. Have people who can go with every move. Be active in every phase of the race. Work as a team against an individual and hope to improve your chances.” - Jonathan Vaughters. CycleSport

Sitting at home, I was finding it very hard to believe that Garmin-Cervelo’s endgame was to sacrifice Hushovd’s chances to give Johan van Summeren a shot at victory in the velodrome, but that’s exactly what happened.

Back home after Roubaix, it’s time to look through photos from the weekend. With all the special equipment and fantastic racing, it was hard to wade through them all. Here’s a gallery from the day, start to finish with both a technical and racing perspective.

These athletes, like their Redlands Classics counterparts before them (Neben, Thornburn, Jackson and Pryde, to name a few) are lasses. Not big burly blokes like your Schlecks and Van Summerens smashing down the road, but dainty two wheeled princesses bumping shoulders, attacking bergs and doing all the other things that Bike Racing calls of from its athletes.

Quick Step rider could have final verdict by April 26th.

Nearly 40 different builders attended, joined by another 26 industry exhibitors. With the new location the extra space created an impression that the show was a bit smaller than years past, even though the overall number of exhibitors was up.

If there's ever a day for sponsors to look away, it’s Paris-Roubaix. The race is like no other in terms of the abuse it doles out to both rider and machine, and it requires special measures to give the racers some semblance of control and comfort.

Good quality, well thought out, no nonsense seatpack.

Known for building bikes almost exclusively in steel, it should come as no surprise that for the company’s first 29′er, they have eschewed the carbon bike trend. Instead, they have chosen to build with a material that is like steel in many ways, with the exception of being lighter, more responsive, and impervious to rust. That material, is of course Titanium.

Although they are confusing licensing (a person) with registration (a vehicle/bicycle), this is clearly an anti-bicycle proposal.  In fact, many motor vehicles on the road today are not charged fees this high!

Race one on Thursday is the Dwingeloo 8. so called because it follows a figure of eight pattern. It is repeated three times for a total race distance of 142km.

Sunny King winner Jonathan Cantwell moved up to third on the individual rankings and women’s winner Janel Holcomb (Colavita/Forno D’asolo) moved up to fifth. Her team also took over the lead of the women’s team rankings. Realcyclist.com leads the men’s team rankings.

The route of De Ronde is legendary. About 50 miles in length with thousands of feet of climbing, it tackles several of Portland's steepest hills, including some with inclines as steep as 26%.

Cannell, 37, or North Carolina, accepted a two-year suspension after testing positive for a banned substance. Because he also admitted previous use of the substance, his results since February 2007 have been disqualified. During that period Cannell won three national masters titles.

Your guide to the Classics.

For a whole year, the cycling world has agreed that stopping Fabian Cancellara in Paris-Roubaix would involve ganging up on him. Yesterday, Garmin did just that.

"If I had stopped for coffee, they would have done the same."

When I was a kid listening to the Tour on the radio, nothing would strike fear in me like the word "pavé". When one of those cobble-filled, dreadfully flat stages started, Colombia collectively hung its head low, me included. We knew what the pavé meant for our diminutive riders.

Greipel also ruled out by misfortune.

abobank's Maarten Tjallingii was perhaps the happiest man in the Roubaix velodrome right after the winner of this year's 'Hell of the North', Johan Van Summeren (Garmin-Cervelo). Finishing third, the Dutchman was able to receive podium honours in his favourite race, and even if he missed out on the victory by only 19 seconds, it was an enormous accomplishment for the 33-year-old.

Since taking up bicycling, I've become knowledgeable -- though by no means expert -- in quite a few fields. Among these are bicycle parts and maintenance, physical fitness and conditioning, highway design, fabrics, aerodynamics, weather prediction (quite easy in the Pacific NW) and road kill.

Reaching your target weight is one of the best ways to get more from training. Henry Furniss, personal trainer and co-founder of Wyndymilla Bespoke Cycling, uses diet and nutrition alongside his limited exercise time to keep in peak physical condition. We spoke to him for his top tips for losing weight and getting lean.

The Bicycle Technical Committee of the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) will mainly handle the all businesses related to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and other technical related issues such as standards and regulations.

Cylists can get sense of cycling form including balance, bike fit, and cadence from riding rollers.

The Welshman will be visiting the headquarters of near his home town of Cardiff and he has good reason to rally his compatriots to the cause, having himself received transfusions which effectively saved his life.

"Outstanding ventilation, keen styling, comfortable fit and reasonable weight, but expensive for a shared-mold helmet and retention system feels a little cheap."

Praises effort of Garmin-Cervélo team.

Today's Quote:

“How do you stop Cancellara? You have to outnumber him. Have people who can go with every move. Be active in every phase of the race. Work as a team against an individual and hope to improve your chances.” - Jonathan Vaughters. CycleSport

Rast got edged out for a podium spot, with Fabian Cancellara (Leopard-Trek) taking second and Maarten Tjallingi (Rabobank) nipping him for third.

Thor Hushovd had gone into Paris-Roubaix with the intention of winning the race, but instead saw Garmin-Cervelo teammate and outsider Johan Van Summeren take the honors. But far from being disappointed, the world champion called it a great day and that he was overjoyed.

The third edition of the Gran Fondo Colnago San Diego was highly successful as more than 2,500 cyclists experienced a piece of Italian culture at a mass-start group ride held on April 10 in San Diego, California. The social ride was followed by a late-lunch where riders were treated to quality foods and wines of Italy.

The San Diego Custom Bicycle Show wrapped up its third year over the weekend in the heart of the city for three days. It was a feast for the eyes—not the ears—as legendary framebuilders such as Brian Baylis and Bruce Gordon showed off their handmade creations. Baylis is the show’s organizer as well.

Strava, a new app and online training social network, looks like it’s going to make Garmin Connect a little less tasty by serving up a health dose of social networking and friendly competition.

First seen in prototype form on Terenzo Bozzone at the 2010 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii last October, Oakley's new Fast Jacket glasses are now ready to hit the shops.

"Featherweight, stylish wheels for mile-eating gram counters."

Lack of a racing base means building form is difficult.

High quality and pleasing to use multitool, slightly let down by missing the 8mm Allen key opportunity.

The Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor has confirmed it will begin to investigate the accusations of doping sparked by the police investigation in Mantova involving past and present riders and staff from the Lampre team.>

Italy best nation, RadioShack is top team.

The mania for medieval roads is over. There might be one or stretches to come in the weeks and months, but gone are the races where cobbled climbs and farm tracks are the strategic points. Now the races begin to head to the hills and by the end of the month, the mountains.

David Veilleux (Europcar) made the most of his Paris-Roubaix debut with an impressive top-25 finish after riding in the day’s main breakaway in Sunday’s battle across the cobbles.

Johan Van Summeren, professional cyclist, hopeless romantic. You’re in love and spring has sprung in Northern France, it’s Paris-Roubaix, the queen of the classics and you’re flying over the cobblestones.

BMC has defended its decision to field Alessandro Ballan at Paris-Roubaix in spite of the allegations of blood doping that were levelled against the Italian by the head of the same Mantova-based anti-doping investigation that saw him withdrawn from the race twelve months ago.

I never blow through stop signs without slowing. If it is a busy intersection and there is other traffic present, I will make a complete foot down stop, and wait my turn before proceeding.

This year's events proved, once again, the intricacy and immediacy of one-day racing, as well as displaying the brutal, beautiful, physical odyssey of these unusual roads. Anything can happen in the classics, including races where nothing happens or the favorite wins. But this time around, surprise was the main course.

Le Beau Velo bike shop in Shoreditch, London, was broken into last night and many high-end Italian bikes and frames worth thousands of pounds were stolen.

Castelli say Johan Van Summeren was helped over the line in yesterday’s Paris-Roubaix by a piece of kit they've dubbed  “possibly the fastest bit of clothing ever created for road racing”.

Two Canadian women are in the midst of a 8,000-mile bicycle journey from Turkey to India on the fabled Silk Road.

Norco is the largest bike company in Canada, they’ve been in business for over 40 years, and they offer 140+ bike models, with 52 in their “urban” line-up alone. The Ceres is their top-of-the-line commuter.

He triumphed over the odds, avoided the crashes, outlasted the powerful and won the queen of the classics.

Spare a thought for Andreas Schillinger of Team Netapp. The German rider finished 17 minutes down in 108th place as the last rider. He, along with all the other finishers, have finished the most brutal race of the year.

Spare a thought for Andreas Schillinger of Team Netapp. The German rider finished 17 minutes down in 108th place as the last rider. He, along with all the other finishers, have finished the most brutal race of the year.

Quick Step trainer talks of problems keeping riders hydrated in hot, dusty Paris-Roubaix.

Visser holds on to win overall classification.

Meersman victorious in general classification.

Sella, Laverde round out top three.

Sunday's Paris-Roubaix departs Compiègne at 10:10am CET (4:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Roubaix around 4:47pm CET (10:47am U.S. Eastern).  Paris-Roubaix live streaming video should begin from around 12:30pm CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern).

Janel Holcomb (Colavita Forno D'Asolo) soloed into her first National Racing Calendar (NRC) victory at the Sunny King Criterium on Saturday in Anniston, Alabama. She broke away in the final third of the race and finished 30 seconds ahead of the bunch sprint won by Samantha Schneider (TIBCO-To the Top) in second and her teammate Kelly Benjamin in third.

Tom Soladay (Kelly Benefit Strategies) was off the front with five seconds and six laps to go. A lap later he was back in the bunch as it chased a $100 preme and teams started jockeying for what looked surely like a bunch sprint.

Happy with performance, will wait to decide his future with the race later.

f Alessandro Ballan’s preparations for Paris-Roubaix were overshadowed by allegations of blood doping by an Italian judge, it certainly didn’t affect his performance. The BMC rider was one of the select few able to live with Fabian Cancellara’s searing acceleration on the cobbles at Mons-en-Pévèle.

American rider remains ambitious at 37 years of age.

Today's Quote:

“Since San Remo, and then at Flanders, people have seen the amazing side of cycling. What people want is all the favorites at the front early. But for us racing, it was pretty tough, the hardest season so far.” - Fabian Cancellara. VeloNews

"I think it's a special way to do it. Some people give a ring when they propose, I gave her a rock.”

In 1985, a young American from Nevada battled a handful of cyclocross legends out on the course in one of the muddiest Paris Roubaix races to date. This American also happens to have cyclocross bikes bearing his name and has built his very own cyclocross course in his backyard.

"Heavy, but very adjustable and low-position-friendly."

VeloNation: Paris-Roubaix: The Queen turns her back on Quick Step.

Belgian team has worst luck ever in Hell of the North.

He triumphed over the odds, avoided the crashes, outlasted the powerful and won the queen of the classics.

The IG Index is designed to reward "moments of brilliance rather than months of consistency" – although on the official release this has changed to "alongside months of consistency" which is a slightly different concept. Rider rankings will be decided by a panel of experts, ex-professional cyclists and cycling commentators tand will be calculated on a rolling 12 month basis going live for this year's Tour de France.

"On-One’s updated Ti 456 frame’s still the undisputed super value, sweet riding technical singletrack king."

"Great looking lace-up shoe that will suit gravity riders more than those looking to pedal for miles."

You can enjoy your favorite foods with all their flavors and still slim down if you employ these strategies.

Sunday's Paris-Roubaix departs Compiègne at 10:10am CET (4:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Roubaix around 4:47pm CET (10:47am U.S. Eastern).  Paris-Roubaix live streaming video should begin from around 12:30pm CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern).

BrowneEye: Paris-Roubaix Live Chat.....

Live streaming video coverage of the Sunny King Criterium, Saturday April 9 11am – 9pm Central Time.

The general classification was reshuffled by the 24 kilometre Zalla test.

The 2011 Terry Larrazabal Bike Festival, despite heavy rains in the lead-up, was a huge success with over 400 participants taking part in the weekend long festival.  As promised by Festival Director, Atty. Gregorio "Goyo" Larrazabal, the 2011 TLBF was filled with plenty of action and fun for all participants.

Saturday's decisive time trial begins at 2:25pm CET (8:25am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider. Live streaming video for Saturday's Tour of the Basque Country Stage 6 Time Trial at Zalla should begin from around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Spaniard relegated to 47th place on stage 5.

No-nonsense carbon cage, which will keep the weight down without emptying your wallet.

There are lots of hubless bike concepts that we’ve posted, but this one was actually made, has a belt drive, was ridden and has a cool video to prove it. Plus, just based on looks, it could ever so easily be made into a folding bike for campus and city livin’.

Irish road race champion looking forward to debut in race.

Aussie Saxo Bank leader hoping for amazing day in Paris-Roubaix.

It’s more than time to take a closer look at the races on the 2011 USA Cycling National Racing Calendar or NRC. The pro road season opened up in the USA with a stage race, the 27th annual Redlands Bicycle Classic last week in California and ends with a criterium, the CapCrit p/b WCSA in Washington DC.

"It looks like on paper I will win Paris-Roubaix," a modest Cancellara said this week. About his third-place in the Tour of Flanders, the Leopard Trek maestro bigged up his near-flawless performance: ''I am not frustrated. I am not disappointed. I have done an amazing race. I don't see any mistakes. I was targeted by 95 per cent of the bunch. That still makes me happy to finish in third.''

They are not favorites but that’s no reason to ignore them. Paris-Roubaix is the only one of the five Monuments in France so I thought I’d take a look at the French teams and their chances and options for tomorrow.

Today's Quote:

“Since San Remo, and then at Flanders, people have seen the amazing side of cycling. What people want is all the favorites at the front early. But for us racing, it was pretty tough, the hardest season so far.” - Fabian Cancellara. VeloNews

The Hell of the North has claimed its first victim.

Avid cyclist and inventor Lou Tortola has just unveiled his Roundtail bicycle concept. Born from hearing stories of too many cyclists complaining of back pain or other ailments, the idea is simple: remove the straight-to-the-tailbone seatstay design and replace it with something that’ll soak up more of the road’s bumps.

The book Smart Move is now out of print. We have a few copies with slightly bumped corners, which are for sale at 20% off the normal price.

"Distinctive look, tweakable hold and light weight, but pricey for an alloy cage and bottle insertion can be tricky."

The slow hand of justice in Spain seems finally to be moving. Nearly six years after police uncovered the Operación Puerto doping ring, officials are pressing for jail time for the leading protagonists.

Team BMC boss Jim Ochowicz is learning Italian, specifically Italian justice. A Berlitz Doping version.

BMC rider accused of blood transfusion by Mantova investigation.

Alessandro Ballan (BMC) has been accused by investigators in Mantova of undergoing an autologous blood transfusion in 2009. According to reports in Italy, the former world champion is one of 32 people who could face charges following the conclusion of a lengthy inquiry, but his BMC team says that he will line up as normal at Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.

After taking a podium place at its first attempt in 2010, Team Sky comes to Paris-Roubaix full of confidence ahead of tomorrow’s race and in Juan Antonio Flecha, who was third last year and Geraint Thomas the team possesses two of the contenders.

It’s a blog — that doesn’t look like a blog — and is respected in and outside of Portland as a true news source.

Los Angeles and San Francisco are throwing street parties on Sunday, and motorists are not invited. In fact, cars and trucks are strictly forbidden.

Lightweight, long-fingered glove offering serviceable performance for three-season use.

The Gran Fondo USA will kick off with the first of four Italian-style mass-start group rides at the 3rd annual Gran Fondo Colnago San Diego on Sunday, 10 April.

"No licence holder may participate in an event that has not been included on a national, continental or world calendar or that has not been recognised by a national federation, a continental confederation or the UCI."

The stream will begin at 11am Central Time and continue until 9pm. Five TV cameras around the race course will catch full course racing action, including slow-motion replays of finishing sprints and any mishaps on the course.

As excited as I am for Sunday’s race, I often feel a bit sad in the days leading-up to Paris-Roubaix as I know it signals the end of the cobbled classics campaign. That said, everything looks set for a terrific race Sunday—even if the “epic” conditions many crave don’t look to be in the forecast.

On any given World Cup race day, one of the three Luna Pro Team mountain bike athletes — or combination thereof — is likely to be standing on the podium.

Swiss national time trial champion ready to show off jersey in his hometown.

The Vuelta al Pais Vasco will be decided in Saturday’s 27km time trial around Zalla. Ten riders are within ten seconds in the overall classification, making it a wide open race.

Anthony Roux collected his first overall victory in a stage race as he maintained his lead in the Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire on the fourth and last day with the help of a very dedicated FDJ team. Daniele Bennati claimed his third stage win out of five in the French event as he won the final bunch sprint ahead of French neo-pro Nacer Bouhanni.

David Millar admitted he did not expect to finish on the podium in the Circuit de la Sarthe, which finished this afternoon.

The season’s first standalone National Racing Calendar criterium in Anniston, Alabama  will see a top field and will feature live video coverage on VeloNews.com. That’s not to say, however, that Battenkill is any worse off with thousands of amateurs set to take to the dirt roads around Cambridge, New York, this weekend.

Friday's Tour of the Basque Country Stage 5 departs Eibar at 12:50pm CET (6:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Zalla around 5:15pm CET (11:15am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of the Basque Country live streaming video is scheduled to begin from around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Friday's Circuit Sarthe Stage 5 departs Abbaye de l'Epau at 10:40am CET (4:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Bonnetable at around 2:55pm CET (8:55am U.S. Eastern).

Sprint for the first intermediate sprint bonus at the Men’s Sunset Road Race at Redlands Bicycle Classic. Listen to the DS telling the riders what had happened due to race radios being banned. Also Chicane with 4 laps to go.

Norwegian powerhouse Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) is hoping to continue the upward trend of 2009 and 2010 with a top-step finish at this year's Paris-Roubaix. Sure to help things along is the same basic formula bike sponsors Cervélo have employed for several years to great effect, now applied to their revamped R3 chassis.

"Santa Cruz's new Blur TRc is super-fun and supremely versatile. However, the price reflects its premium status."

Excellent stylish casual jersey for recreation, commuting or touring, but would benefit from a zip pocket.

The team started the season with a bang at San Dimas last month. Ben Day, who’s mostly appreciated for having the second-funniest accent on the team (behind Luca Damiani), proved his other talent: winning time trials (I finished ninth).

Paris-Roubaix must be the only race where the washing facilities make up part of the legend. The showers inside the velodrome are as much a part of the ritual as is the photo of the winner lifting the cobbled trophy in the air.

UCI President joins his predecessor in pan-sport body.

A small section of Hell. Haveluy, pave #17,  2500m of bone breaking, rim-snapping pain. The appetizer for the next stone torture, coming next, Roubaix’s infamous Trouee d’Arenberg.

Today's Quote:

“Since San Remo, and then at Flanders, people have seen the amazing side of cycling. What people want is all the favorites at the front early. But for us racing, it was pretty tough, the hardest season so far.” - Fabian Cancellara. VeloNews