Will ASO try to block his participation?

Regardless of their backgrounds, the top stars of professional cycling all share one thing in common — a story of fulfilled promise.

Matthew Busche (Radioshack) wins US Pro Road Race in photo finish sprint.

George Hincapie is one of the best men in the world out of a small group sprint. The 37-year-old BMC Racing veteran has proven it with wins in classics, tour stages and national championships over his nearly 18 years in the professional peloton.

Van Garderen. A bit star already and it shows.

Over the year, and especially in the months leading up to the start of ’cross season, here at Cyclocross Magazine, we get a lot of questions from novice racers and people who are excited to be trying their first race in the fall. The main question we hear: “how do I get started?”

"Benchmark shades: lightweight, superb optics and can be customised."

With the news that Christina Watches-Onfone will ride the Tour of Denmark, the small Danish team is preparing to go on a shopping expedition. And team captain Michael Rasmussen has been told that he might be allowed to ride the world championships in Copenhagen this fall.

In development for about two years, the Access Stealth 29er carbon fiber mountain bike is a budget conscious weight weenie’s dream come true.

While watching the Giro d'Italia have you ever wondered how the riders manage to sit in the saddle for 4 - 6 hours per day without getting 'uncomfortable'? We've been riding the Selle Italia SLR Gel Flow and we're feeling pretty comfortable with how they manage to do it.

Recent Amgen Tour of California winner Chris Horner attributed his impressive climbing at the race, in part, to his ability to shed weight prior to the race, and told VeloNews his biggest concern heading into the Tour de France will be how to stay lean while in Europe.

Riccardo Riccò may return to racing for the Italian Continental Amore & Vita squad at the upcoming Giro delle Toscana, a 196km one-day race from Sesto Fiorentino to Arezzo on June 19, provided the embattled Italian rider adheres to several conditions from team owner Ivano Fanini.

Over the course of my cycling career, from the rookie, clueless beginnings until now, I have actually seen or done some pretty crazy stuff.

A year after his cardiac arrest, Luxembourg rider reflects on health issues.

Geox TMC has second chance to take a Grand Tour.

The Venge, which will retail for £6,000/US$8,000 once it goes on sale next month, is Specialized's entry into the growing aero road bike market.

The world's best cyclists use these foods and nutrition methods to fuel their riding.

 It’s hard enough being a Pro cyclist, but to also be a Pro cyclist with type 1 diabetes and compete with some of the best rides in the peloton is quite an undertaking. Due to a chance meeting I heard all about the trials and tribulations of an athlete with Type 1, and it left me with a lot of admiration!

Today's Quote

“What I was asked to talk about was the process of taking samples from athletes. I pointed to the example of Marion Jones. She had hundreds of tests, they all returned negative and yet she cheated for seven, eight years and then admitted it. What I think is very plain is that the scientific process - urine and blood analysis - is not perfect and it can be beaten, and has been beatenm and we know that. So what we need to do is figure out how we can get evidence in other ways.” - David Howman CyclingNews

Carroll Composites is a small brand based near Boone, NC, with a wide assortment of frames, parts and accessories from designer Donovan Carroll.

Italian Cycling Federation president Renato Di Rocco has announced plans to bar riders who have been suspended for past doping infractions from participating in the national championships.

"Give Saxo Bank’s Alberto Contador some credit for winning what many consider to have been the hardest grand tour in quite some time. Contador’s greater than 6-minute margin of victory was the largest since Ivan Basso’s 9-minute win in 2006. Let’s just hope he’s not forced to take a “break” similar to Basso’s."

Many races in June share a common theme, the results are there to be viewed against the backdrop of the Tour de France. Can form in the Critérium du Dauphiné stage race starting this weekend last into the back of July? Can riders dominant in Europe’s fourth longest race, the Tour de Suisse also stay fresh for Le Tour?

A beautiful short film from Peloton Magazine, which highlights six of the most recognized names in Italian cycling companies.

The road to the Tour de France heads through Switzerland for the Schleck brothers and time trial star Fabian Cancellara.

My scaphoid bone is broken. It’s only a very little bone inside the hand, and even though it was constantly causing me pain I was able to finish two stages of the Tour of California with it broken. But the doctors put it this way: If I don’t get the break fixed, maybe 10 years from now I won’t even able to lift a glass of milk. That’s why I had to leave the race, fly home, and get some surgery on my left hand—so I could drink milk when I’m old.

Australian athletes’ overseas competition often means hotel rooms, rushed itineraries and plenty of time spent away from home. With the advent of the European Training Centre (ETC), the nation’s best athletes will have somewhere to call home – when they’re far from it.

The day after stressfully completing my final exams of my freshman year at Marian University in Indianapolis, I packed up my gear and boarded our team bus and headed to Madison, Wisconsin. I had competed in two previous Collegiate National Championships earlier in my first year of college, so I had some idea of what to expect.

Morningside Rim Rench.

Believes second in Giro was possible had he not lost time on stage five.

Is it possible the screaming hometown fans can simply will local boy Hincapie to the win and one final glory before his impending retirement? A sweet story book ending with three ambitious and talented and hungry riders in his way.

Matthew Busche (RadioShack) stunned with an upset victory of the hometown hero, George Hincapie in a photo finish at the USA Cycling Professional Road Championships in Greenville, South Carolina.

LIVE video starts at 11:00am ET.

The National Road Race championship is slated to start at 11 a.m. (ET) on Monday, provided by the event sponsors, the Greenville Hospital System.

Contador was giddy on the winner’s podium in front of thousands of cheering fans in Milano’s dazzling Piazza del Duomo. And he should be. The man from Pinto rolled to third in the final-day time trial to cap his best-ever performance in a grand tour that also included two stage victories, the points jersey and second in the mountains jersey.

Cadel Evans (BMC) attended the presentation of the European training centre of the Australian Institute of Sport that will also be the administrative headquarters of the GreenEDGE team on Monday. At the event he confirmed that he will not join the new Australian team next year.

Welshman celebrates turning 25 last week by taking his maiden stage race win.

Tom Boonen is no longer the number one Belgian rider, ending his Spring programme with a disappointing Tour of Belgium. The Quick Step rider finished 36th overall, more than 20 minutes behind winner and new Belgian superstar Philippe Gilbert.

"Aggressive riders will want a different cockpit but the fantastic frameset and shock create a true all-round trail bike."

"Solid HD 1080p camera with genuine off road survivability."

RadioShack rider quickest of four man break in Greenville.

Nutrition for cycling (and more broadly endurance sports) has moved forward in leaps and bounds in the last ten years, on the back of some incredibly well conducted research in the UK, Canada, South Africa and Australia.

The director of the Giro d'Italia Angelo Zomegnan used three, carefully selected, numbers to describe the 2011 Giro d'Italia but refuted criticism that this year's was too hard and claimed he was happy to see Alberto Contador win the Giro despite his ongoing appeal after his Clenbuterol positive at the 2010 Tour de France.

Since the inaugural edition in 2006, the Greenville Hospital System USA Cycling Professional Championship has unfolded differently every year, with the winner emerging from a different move every time; from a long solo attack from a break, to a late attack from a select group in the finishing circuits, to an a blistering attack on the climb up Paris Mountain.

Contador’s win moved him from 17th to second on the individual rankings, just seven points behind Philippe Gilbert. Likewise, Spain moved up from the third to first on the national ranking, and Saxo Bank moved from tenth to second, behind HTC-Highroad.

Italian rider’s troubled season with Katusha continues.

Alex Rasmussen saw his dream of winning the closing time trial of the Giro d'Italia disappear near the end with a flat tire. The HTC-Highroad rider finished second, only seven seconds behind stage winner David Millar of Garmin-Cervelo.

Today's Quote

“What I was asked to talk about was the process of taking samples from athletes. I pointed to the example of Marion Jones. She had hundreds of tests, they all returned negative and yet she cheated for seven, eight years and then admitted it. What I think is very plain is that the scientific process - urine and blood analysis - is not perfect and it can be beaten, and has been beatenm and we know that. So what we need to do is figure out how we can get evidence in other ways.” - David Howman CyclingNews

Power sandwich: Choose breads that have a low glycaemic index so your blood sugar level remains constant throughout the afternoon – good choices include rye, spelt, wholemeal and multi-seeded varieties of breads or bagels. For an extra punch of omega 3 fats, excellent for helping with muscle soreness, try walnut bread.

Cyclists tend to get injured by crashing and the main injuries tend to be skin trauma and joint contusion. It's also common to see knee strains in cyclists. Obviously if you're seriously injured you need to seek the advice of a doctor or medical expert.

Lightweight and simple pump that provides good emergency back up.

No official notice give to team in Mantova doping investigation.

With the 94th edition of the Giro d'Italia done and dusted, Saddles takes a look back at some of the pivotal moments during what proved to be a completely brutal three weeks in the saddle.

Cervélo co-founder Gerard Vroomen’s written a sort of apology to some cycling writers, after previously stating the media “had shown absolutely zero critical attitude towards the misgivings of cycling“.

"As a fellow South American of scant stature, I can certainly sympathyze with Rujano's plight. He looks like a toddler riding his bike, and when Contdador won a stage ahead of him, it was as though the Spaniard was literally taking candy away from a baby. Even when standing on top of a podium, Rujano was roughly the same height as the champagne-bearing models beside him."

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) director-general David Howman has told Cyclingnews that he will respect the CAS decision to grant Alberto Contador more time to prepare for his hearing. The case was due to be held on June 6, 7 but Contador's legal team were granted more time, with a new hearing set to be announced soon. However, a new proposed date could be set for July - during this year's Tour de France - or later in the season.

You might not gamble with a bookmaker but in fact you probably do it every day. Ride a bike? Consciously or not you’ve worked out the risks and the benefits and decided to go for a spin.

Slovenian will ride race as preparation for July.

I spend so much time assembling test bikes, testing components, etc., that I have little time to work on my own bikes. Fortunately, my Alex Singer (above) has been very reliable, even though it is 38 years old and has been ridden at least 200,000 km (120,000 miles) in its lifetime, mostly under its first owner.

"Super-light package, among the tightest and smoothest wheels we’ve ever tested."

The 159 riders who crossed the finish line Sunday at the Giro d’Italia looked battered, bruised and tired. There was universal agreement that the 94th Giro was hard, not only on the bike with eight summit finishes, but off the bike as well. Long transfers and a hyper-demanding parcours had riders grumbling that the Giro was simply too difficult.

Sunday's Giro d'Italia Stage 21, a 26km Individual Time Trial from Milan to Milan, gets underway at 2:10pm CET (8:10am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider. Click for full Start Order and Times. Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:50pm CET (8:50am U.S. Eastern).

Alberto Contador has reiterated that his consistency and concentration was the key factor in securing victory at the Giro d'Italia, the sixth grand tour victory of his career.

Tomorrow, Milan, and the end of the torture in the hardest Giro that impresario Angelo Zomegnan has yet to devise.

The original time trial route started at the Sforzesco castle in the center of the city and finished at Milan’s historic cathedral (Piazza del Duomo), also in the city center.

British national road race champion Geraint Thomas (Sky) successfully defended his lead in Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany on Sunday to win the five-day race overall.

André Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) wins the final stage of the Tour of Belgium.

LIVE video from 2:05pm CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern).

"Nice looking and nice to look in, with just minor fog issues."

Zabriskie took the stars and stripes in the 20.7-mile ITT — three laps of a 6.9-mile course at CU-ICAR —in 40:23, 31 seconds ahead of Tom Zirbel (Jamis-Sutter Home). Matthew Busche (RadioShack) rounded out the podium in third a further 28 seconds back.

Bradley Wiggins won the individual time trial stage of Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany on Saturday, with Sky team-mate and fellow Brit Geraint Thomas finishing fifth and taking the overall lead.

Only 8 months ago, the 2010 championships held in September, was ruled by the Trek-Livestrong team when then teammates Phinney won the time trial and King took the road race in a gutsy solo attack from the early break.

With the recent focus on the alleged doping practices of Lance Armstrong, both the Premier of South Australia where the Tour Down Under is held and race director Mike Turtur, have reaffirmed their support for the now-retired American.

As always, the Giro raised more questions than it answered, and just a few of those questions were:
1) Was the Giro too hard this year?
2) Was Sky even in the race, and if so were they wearing invisibility skinsuits?
3) So what does Mario Cipollini use in his hair anyway?

Five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain has called for a resolution to the Alberto Contador Clenbuterol case, saying that the delay of the Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing is good neither for Contador nor for cycling.

Today's Quote

“What I was asked to talk about was the process of taking samples from athletes. I pointed to the example of Marion Jones. She had hundreds of tests, they all returned negative and yet she cheated for seven, eight years and then admitted it. What I think is very plain is that the scientific process - urine and blood analysis - is not perfect and it can be beaten, and has been beatenm and we know that. So what we need to do is figure out how we can get evidence in other ways.” - David Howman CyclingNews

World Anti-Doping Agency director-general David Howman has told Cyclingnews that his agency, along with the help of Interpol, helped facilitate meetings between the FDA and several parties across the globe in the investigation understood to involve Lance Armstrong and his former US Postal team.

When Winston Churchill wrote “history is written by the victors“, he didn’t count on long term storage of anti-doping samples, judicial investigations and eventual confessions.

Tomorrow, Milan, and the end of the torture in the hardest Giro that impresario Angelo Zomegnan has yet to devise.

The original time trial route started at the Sforzesco castle in the center of the city and finished at Milan’s historic cathedral (Piazza del Duomo), also in the city center.

Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard), was not worried during the final mountain stage, a gruelling 242km run with just Sunday's 26km time trial in Milan.

Saturday's Giro d'Italia Stage 20 departs Verbania at 10:45am CET (4:45am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Sestriere at around 5:17pm CET (11:17am U.S. Eastern). Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:50pm CET (8:50am U.S. Eastern).

Team will focus on the positive aspects of the race.

The apparently immortal and indestructible Ned Overend (Specialized) won his fifth Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race on Saturday in Silverton, Colorado.

The Enve 6.7, the first wheelset in Enve's new aero wheel range developed in conjunction with Simon Smart, is set to go on sale in June. Over the past year, Procycling has tracked the development progress of these wheels from start to finish. Here's the inside line on what's gone into them to make them so fast.

The difficulties — or, rather, the over-the-top difficulties — of this month’s Giro d’Italia conclude this Saturday with a final gnarly mountain stage that features the dreaded Colle delle Finestre and a concluding climb to Sestriere for the eighth summit finish in two weeks. And the riders are still talking about last weekend’s three stages that reinforced the argument that this grand tour has been far too tough.

Zabriskie took the stars and stripes in the 20.7-mile ITT — three laps of a 6.9-mile course at CU-ICAR —in 40:23, 31 seconds ahead of Tom Zirbel (Jamis-Sutter Home). Matthew Busche (RadioShack) rounded out the podium in third a further 28 seconds back.

Bradley Wiggins won the individual time trial stage of Bayern Rundfahrt in Germany on Saturday, with Sky team-mate and fellow Brit Geraint Thomas finishing fifth and taking the overall lead.

Only 8 months ago, the 2010 championships held in September, was ruled by the Trek-Livestrong team when then teammates Phinney won the time trial and King took the road race in a gutsy solo attack from the early break.

Today's Quote

“What I was asked to talk about was the process of taking samples from athletes. I pointed to the example of Marion Jones. She had hundreds of tests, they all returned negative and yet she cheated for seven, eight years and then admitted it. What I think is very plain is that the scientific process - urine and blood analysis - is not perfect and it can be beaten, and has been beatenm and we know that. So what we need to do is figure out how we can get evidence in other ways.” - David Howman CyclingNews

Local favorite Philippe Gilbert cemented his Tour of Belgium lead after taking Saturday's fourth stage in Eupen.

LIVE video from 2:05pm CET  (8:05am U.S. Eastern).

The 2011 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, held on August 9-14, will be shown nationally on FOX Sports Network (FSN). All broadcast partners will air a one-hour recap show each evening and a two-hour feature and recap show following the final stage on Sunday August 14. Also, daily live web casting will be provided via the official event web site, www.tourofutah.com.

Comfortable and effective on the bike, cool and stylish off the bike.

World Anti-Doping Agency director-general David Howman has told Cyclingnews that his agency, along with the help of Interpol, helped facilitate meetings between the FDA and several parties across the globe in the investigation understood to involve Lance Armstrong and his former US Postal team.

When Winston Churchill wrote “history is written by the victors“, he didn’t count on long term storage of anti-doping samples, judicial investigations and eventual confessions.

Two months since his return to racing, on the eve before the big test, the US Pro Time Trial, Tom Zirbel (Jamis/Sutter Home) was relaxed and ready.  Zirbel had been suspended for two years by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) after testing positive for the steroid DHEA. He accepted the ban but continues to maintain his innocence. In March, USADA reduced his sentence by six months after Zirbel provided assistance in two separate anti-doping cases.

George Hincapie says a television report of what he told a US grand jury about Lance Armstrong has weighed on his mind ahead of the US Pro Cycling Championships.

Swiss drug-testing laboratory director Martial Saugy has agreed to cooperate with a US federal investigation into Lance Armstrong and doping in cycling, the Washington Post reported Friday.

The difficulties — or, rather, the over-the-top difficulties — of this month’s Giro d’Italia conclude this Saturday with a final gnarly mountain stage that features the dreaded Colle delle Finestre and a concluding climb to Sestriere for the eighth summit finish in two weeks. And the riders are still talking about last weekend’s three stages that reinforced the argument that this grand tour has been far too tough.

Craig Lewis and Marco Pinotti crashed out of the Giro d'Italia during stage 19 after hitting a traffic sign in the middle of the road.

Friday's Giro d'Italia Stage 19 departs Bergamo at 11:25am CET (5:25am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Macugnaga at around 5:13pm CET (11:13am U.S. Eastern). Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

Boasson Hagen third, retains leader’s jersey.

This year's Giro seems to lack a bit in drama as Alberto Contador has ruled the GC battle with an iron fist.

Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale) at the finish.

The Liquigas pre-race instructions were presumably pretty clear ahead of Thursday's stage 18: a win at all costs from one of their men.

"I wonder if this year’s Giro d’Italia has passed as quickly for the riders as it has for the fans? Regardless, the season’s first grand tour ends this weekend with what looks to be a spectacular mountain stage and long individual time trial in downtown Milan."

Andy Schleck’s preparations to win this year’s Tour de France are going fantastic.

Lithuanian Aidis Kruopis (Landbouwkrediet) nabbed the biggest victory of his budding career with a well-timed kick to the line in Ieper to best Stefan Van Dijk and Pim Ligthart in a bunch sprint.

Friday's info will be updated here with the best and latest live feeds at broadcast time - LIVE video from 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Michael Rasmussen and his team Christina Watches-Onfone continue to dream of being at the start of the Giro d'Italia in Denmark next year. The controversial Dane also claimed that his squad had ambitions of signing big name riders in a bid to strengthen their prospects.

Competition season is here, and one thing is for certain: a speedy recovery will always be beneficial. Part of a good recovery plan from races includes re-feeding the body with the proper nutrients at the right times.

Sometimes epic days in the saddle call for unconventional eats. Even spam has it's place in cycling nutrition. For more ride foods, check out the 19 foods that heal and how to literally "beef up" your ride.

George Hincapie says a television report of what he told a US grand jury about Lance Armstrong has weighed on his mind ahead of the US Pro Cycling Championships.

Swiss drug-testing laboratory director Martial Saugy has agreed to cooperate with a US federal investigation into Lance Armstrong and doping in cycling, the Washington Post reported Friday.

Martial Saugy, the current director of the renowned Swiss Anti-Doping laboratory in Lausanne, has confirmed that four of the urine samples taken at the 2001 Tour de Suisse were labeled "suspect" and that he later met with former US Postal sports director Johan Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong to discuss details of the early EPO test method. It is the first time Saugy has reacted publicly to last week's accusations made by Tyler Hamilton, according to which the UCI and the Swiss laboratory covered up "suspect" samples of the seven-time Tour de France winner.

Postponement of appeal is blow to Tour de France.

For all the talk of Contador being persona non gratis in July, every other race has welcomed him. But the Tour is different and there might be greater pressure to exclude him.

CyclingNews: Riis defends Contador's right to ride the Tour de France.

Bjarne Riis has defended Alberto Contador's right to ride the Tour de France following a postponement of his Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing from June until later in the summer.

Today's Quote

“For the short term future, I’m sure that cycling is going to go through some turbulence. But I guarantee in the long term, people will come back and thank me for doing this.” - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

I hate tandems. To me, tandems represent the opposite of what I love about cycling, the independence. Who would want to have someone else doing the steering? Ugh. I can’t even imagine it.

This year's Giro seems to lack a bit in drama as Alberto Contador has ruled the GC battle with an iron fist.

Eros Capecchi (Liquigas-Cannondale) at the finish.

Thursday's Giro d'Italia Stage 18 departs Morbegno at 1:30pm CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at San Pellegrino Terme at around 5:16pm CET (11:16am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

The Liquigas pre-race instructions were presumably pretty clear ahead of Thursday's stage 18: a win at all costs from one of their men.

The Norwegian burst onto the scene in 2006, taking three stages of the Tour de l'Avenir, a race generally regarded as a crystal ball for future stars.

While joking that he’ll be eligible for Medicare next year, former US President George W. Bush took to the saddle to ride across Big Bend, Texas with 15 US soldiers who were seriously injured in Afghanistan or Iraq.

"Incredibly good lenses for the price, if a bit drafty when it’s windy."

Earlier in the Giro d’Italia we saw a dispute between Mark Cavendish and Alessandro Petacchi, and it was a moment for me to cite the relevant rules on sprinting, both written and unwritten. But there’s a great video from Cosmo Catalano that sets everything in visual clarity.

Post stage polemics follow Italian champion’s relegation.

Well, it's fair to say that the Giro race commissaries have had to make some harder decisions in their time than the one which demoted Giovanni Visconti to third place in stage 17 on Wednesday.

“I’ll fix that guy,” was probably what Alberto Contador’s mechanic as thinking when he doored a spectator who tried to punch his rider during the uphill time trial. Instead, he got himself into a fix.

The headline event in the States this weekend is the USA Cycling Professional National Championships in Greenville, South Carolina. Not to be lost in the shadows, however, are the oldest race on the National Racing Calendar, the Tour of Somerville, the 40th Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and the final stop on the Nature Valley Pro Ride.

Leopard Trek riders on Alpine training camp.

Alberto Contador on the Zoncolon last weekend, with a 32-tooth rear cog.

Omega Pharma-Lotto sprinter André Greipel prevailed in the first full stage of the Tour of Belgium. Greipel topped Skil-Shimano's Kenny Van Hummel to win the stage, and in doing so stripped Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil) of the race leader's jersey.

Thursday's info will be updated here with the best and latest live feeds at broadcast time.

Belgium's transfer market is busy as two of the country's most successful riders could change teams at the end of this season. Philippe Gilbert, dominator of the Ardennes Classics, is currently looking at a massive number of proposals, whilst Tom Boonen, always among the favorites on the cobbles, could also move away from his Quick Step team.

The bike is so light that it comes with its own weights to keep it above the UCI weight limit of 6.8kg. The frame alone weighs a claimed (and verified) 695g, and even when equipped with an SRM power meter and the Evo model’s most elaborate and heaviest paint scheme, the bike is nearly half a kilo under the limit. That means a special set of weights have to be inserted within the frame's seat tube to make it 'legal'.

Redline shows off its cyclocross expertise with a race-ready spec on the aluminum Conquest Team.

Esta Thé is a sweet tea soft drink. It’s made by Ferrero, the Italian food giant that makes Nutella and more. It’s name is a play on words, estate is Italian for summer, Esta Thé is pronouned the same way and té means tea, hinting at “summer tea”.

This is the first of several essays VeloNews will publish regarding doping in cycling.

Wants to believe assurances given to her by Tour winner.

ASO head man Christian Prudhomme has a screaming migraine headache.

Potential headache for ASO as Spaniard's legal team reportedly gets hearing postponed.

Michael Marckx, is perhaps best known as the chairman of the board of the Surfrider Foundation or as the president of SPY Optics. What's perhaps less known is that he's a poet, a drummer and a Cat. 1 cyclocross racer. And to his friends, he's an endless source of mirth and pain.

Today's Quote

“For the short term future, I’m sure that cycling is going to go through some turbulence. But I guarantee in the long term, people will come back and thank me for doing this.” - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

Is there a better in-race tactician than Saxo chief Bjarne Riis? A better builder of teams? A more successful DS?

Dr. Michael Ashenden, an independent member of the UCI's panel of experts that reviews the blood passport data of professional cyclists, has welcomed possible investigations into alleged corruption within the sport’s governing body. These surround allegations in which the UCI is accused of covering up a positive EPO test from Lance Armstrong during the 2001 Tour de Suisse.

By the time 60 Minutes aired Sunday night, I had digested every element of the show I could in advance. I’d parsed quote upon quote and laughed at Lance Armstrong’s attempts to discredit the single most storied broadcast news magazine on the planet.

Earlier in the Giro d’Italia we saw a dispute between Mark Cavendish and Alessandro Petacchi, and it was a moment for me to cite the relevant rules on sprinting, both written and unwritten. But below there’s a great video from Cosmo Catalano that sets everything in visual clarity.

Post stage polemics follow Italian champion’s relegation.

Well, it's fair to say that the Giro race commissaries have had to make some harder decisions in their time than the one which demoted Giovanni Visconti to third place in stage 17 on Wednesday.

Wednesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 17 departs Feltre at 11:20am CET (5:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Tirano at around 5:13pm CET (11:13am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

“I’ll fix that guy,” was probably what Alberto Contador’s mechanic as thinking when he doored a spectator who tried to punch his rider during the uphill time trial. Instead, he got himself into a fix.

Race director Angelo Zomegnan witnessed incident.

"Easily swapped between bikes, but expensive, as are all power meters."

"Super-smooth, stiff wheelset; the tires need some running in."

Another day, another mountain stage at this Giro d’Italia. This final week of racing is all about the climbing, and stage 17 sticks to the pattern.

Alberto Contador's personal mechanic Faustino Muñoz has been expelled from the Giro by a panel of judges after hitting a spectator during the uphill time trial from Belluno to Nevegal. Muñoz opened the door of the Saxo Bank-SunGard team assistance car to punish the person he believed tried to punch the wearer of the pink jersey.

Two speak about their roles on the race.

Garmin-Cervélo time trial specialist goes all out in the mountain time trial to prepare for the flat one on the final day.

In Italy, where cutting edge technology is unheard of outside of the worlds of fast cars, nimble derailleurs, high fashion, and espresso, there are a people who deploy unspoken gestures of the face (and other body parts) with the best of them.

The Vacansoleil rider finished one second ahead of classics king Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma), with another Belgian, Dominique Cornu, in third at 02sec adrift.

Wednesday's Tour of Belgium Prologue at Buggenhout gets underway with the departure of the first rider at 1:00pm CET (7:00am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Belgium live streaming video should begin from around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Sky won the mass sprint of the first stage of the Tour of Bavaria. The Norwegian narrowly beat Andre Schulze of CCC Polsat Polkowice, with Garmin-Cervelo's Heinrich Haussler placing third.

Esta Thé is a sweet tea soft drink. It’s made by Ferrero, the Italian food giant that makes Nutella and more. It’s name is a play on words, estate is Italian for summer, Esta Thé is pronouned the same way and té means tea, hinting at “summer tea”.

US-based bicycle accessories company BioLogic has released a new version of its BikeBrain iPhone App packed with new features to help you get the most out of your cycling. The original free app is still available as BikeBrain Lite with the new version, BikeBrain Plus, available as an in-app purchase.

Round two of the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup saw new riders don the leader's jersey in all three races that took place on Sunday.

Regardless of their backgrounds, the top stars of professional cycling all share one thing in common — a story of fulfilled promise.

The Tour of Belgium has the potential to be a top-tier race, if only it didn’t have to compete with the Giro d’Italia for attention. While the race’s pancake-flat stages may not be the most exciting,  the middle stages are usually run on parcours familiar to spring classics fans.

Cycling is the most beautiful sport in the world. No other competition transforms small towns, back roads, and mountain tops into stadiums, so naturally connects with it’s fans, and brings out so much emotion.

Will be fondly remembered by the cycling community.

Is there a better in-race tactician than Saxo chief Bjarne Riis? A better builder of teams? A more successful DS?

Dr. Michael Ashenden, an independent member of the UCI's panel of experts that reviews the blood passport data of professional cyclists, has welcomed possible investigations into alleged corruption within the sport’s governing body. These surround allegations in which the UCI is accused of covering up a positive EPO test from Lance Armstrong during the 2001 Tour de Suisse.

By the time 60 Minutes aired Sunday night, I had digested every element of the show I could in advance. I’d parsed quote upon quote and laughed at Lance Armstrong’s attempts to discredit the single most storied broadcast news magazine on the planet.

Lance Armstrong's attorneys suggested that their client and Tyler Hamilton put up a joint defence in the federal investigation led by Jeff Novitzky, Hamilton's attorney said. He declined the offer, and said that recently Armstrong's advisers have done all they can “to drag Tyler through the mud.”

While allegations of corruption and covered-up dope tests cause seismic shifts through the cycling world, a much smaller tremor could in fact lead to far greater reform and revolution from within the sport.

Today's Quote

“For the short term future, I’m sure that cycling is going to go through some turbulence. But I guarantee in the long term, people will come back and thank me for doing this.” - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

When news broke that Italian police had searched the Radio Shack hotel rooms on the Giro d’Italia rest day, many people got a mistaken impression.

I became interested in the sport of cycle racing in the early 1950s. It was common knowledge that the top European professional cyclists competing in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia took dope.

Another day, another mountain stage at this Giro d’Italia. This final week of racing is all about the climbing, and stage 17 sticks to the pattern.

Alberto Contador's personal mechanic Faustino Muñoz has been expelled from the Giro by a panel of judges after hitting a spectator during the uphill time trial from Belluno to Nevegal. Muñoz opened the door of the Saxo Bank-SunGard team assistance car to punish the person he believed tried to punch the wearer of the pink jersey.

Bruyneel's Warm Welcome, The low-down on Rujano, Omega on the naughty bench, more...

Vincenzo Nibali may be called the shark but he’s not a stupid shark. There’s a brain mounted above the razor sharp teeth.

Two speak about their roles on the race.

Garmin-Cervélo time trial specialist goes all out in the mountain time trial to prepare for the flat one on the final day.

Tuesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 16 is a 12.7km mountain time trial from Belluno to Nevegal.  The TT gets underway at 1:30pm CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  The last rider to depart will be race leader Alberto Contador at 4:45pm CET.  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

In Italy, where cutting edge technology is unheard of outside of the worlds of fast cars, nimble derailleurs, high fashion, and espresso, there are a people who deploy unspoken gestures of the face (and other body parts) with the best of them.

Race leader opts for cheaper components in the mountains.

Tuesday’s climbing time trial up to the base of the Nevegal ski area present Alberto Contador with another chance to tighten his grip on the maglia rosa.

The Giro d'Italia has produced plenty of action in its first two weeks, as Alberto Contador has gradually tightened his grip on the maglia rosa, the pink race leader's jersey.

The Tour of Belgium has the potential to be a top-tier race, if only it didn’t have to compete with the Giro d’Italia for attention. While the race’s pancake-flat stages may not be the most exciting,  the middle stages are usually run on parcours familiar to spring classics fans.

Cycling is the most beautiful sport in the world. No other competition transforms small towns, back roads, and mountain tops into stadiums, so naturally connects with it’s fans, and brings out so much emotion.

Here are some final riders’ thoughts from the Amgen Tour of California that we found were too good not to share.

Women: 1. Janel Holcomb, Colavita/forno D’asolo, with 368 points.
Men: 1. Francisco Mancebo, Realcyclist.com, with 575 points.

PodiumInsight: Colavita Forno D’Asolo Dominating Women’s Prestige Cycling Series.

Women's Prestige Cycling Series jerseys after 2 events: Heather Logan-Sprenger (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo) in red, Andrea Dvorak (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo) in orange leader and Denise Ramsden (Juvederm/Specialized) in white.

All it takes to develop blow-their-legs-off power is one hour—one brutal, agonizing, endless hour of astounding misery and pain. Just one.

For racers, and many recreational riders, tracking ones training is a standard part of each days routine. We jump on the bike with our power meter, heart rate monitor, GPS and speedomet looking to document, and later interpret, what we’ve done. But what measures truly matter?

A history of Italian cycling - focused very much on the era of Alfredo Binda, Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi - that tries to place the sport within the context of changes in Italian culture, economics and society.

“Maglia Rosa – Triumph and tragedy at the Giro d’Italia,” is a new book by Herbie Sykes, an Englishman living in Turin, Italy. Sykes has generously allowed VeloNews to present this excerpt. The book can be purchased at Rouleur.cc.

When news broke that Italian police had searched the Radio Shack hotel rooms on the Giro d’Italia rest day, many people got a mistaken impression.

I became interested in the sport of cycle racing in the early 1950s. It was common knowledge that the top European professional cyclists competing in the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia took dope.

Lance Armstrong “never, never, never” used any doping product or method, according to former UCI president Hein Verbruggen. And there was never any cover-up of a positive doping test for the seven-time Tour de France winner, he said.

Ekimov, who rode with Armstrong as he won the Tour from 2000-05 and is now RadioShack's team manager, referred to Hamilton as a "liar" and suggested he has ulterior motives in making his revelations now.

Today's Quote

“For the short term future, I’m sure that cycling is going to go through some turbulence. But I guarantee in the long term, people will come back and thank me for doing this.” - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

If Hamilton has given an account of his time at US Postal, what of his time at CSC and Phonak? This would be a good time to clear up matters from Operation Puerto. If he saw Lance Armstrong use EPO, what did he see other riders do whilst on other teams.

Dutchman insists UCI didn’t hide positives.

Pasquale Muto's B-sample has also tested positive for EPO, the Italian Olympic Committee has announced. The Miche-Guerciotti rider had tested positive during the Giro dell'Appennino in April.

For all the debate over two-niners, Kulhavy’s win aboard a Specialized S-Works Epic 29er, the first victory for the big wheels at a cross-country World Cup — ever, is the shot that wasn’t heard around the world.

The Cipollini bicycles used by the Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli team in the Giro do use Mario Cipollini’s name and image to market them. He has had a hand in their design, and he may share some ownership in the company with Federico Zecchetto of the Giordana and DMT brands.

Lightweight, strong and stiff chainset with a smooth and reliable bottom bracket.

Stage 16 start time: Tuesday 13:30 CET (4:30 AM PDT)
Earliest live video: 15:05 CET (6:05 AM PDT).
Approximate finish: 17:10 CET (8:10 AM PDT).

Tuesday’s climbing time trial up to the base of the Nevegal ski area present Alberto Contador with another chance to tighten his grip on the maglia rosa.

It’s a rest day in the Giro d’Italia today. With two weeks of racing you’d imagine there are some tired riders by now but yesterday saw riders doing seven to eight hours across the mountains, with 6,500 vertical metres in one go. I think it was the most mountainous stage of any race ever seen at pro level.

Ireland's Philip Deignan (RadioShack) proved he is on the way back to his best by getting in the early breakaway of stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia.

Boonen makes his return following the Classics.

Horner has been riding his bike professionally for a very long time, yet in all of those years he has never once been given the chance to ride as a leader for a grand tour. Thanks to his victory in California this year, that is all set to change.

Mechanical Mondays: Off-Season Storage and Maintenance.

If your bike looks like this , this article is for you!

"Rock solid, widely adjustable layback post, but currently only available in limited sizes."

Horner is aiming for a top five in the Tour de France. In order to properly prepare for the sport’s most important race, the demands of flying from the west coast to the east coast, then to Michigan and returning to Europe don’t lend themselves to optimal training.

Today's Quote

“For the short term future, I’m sure that cycling is going to go through some turbulence. But I guarantee in the long term, people will come back and thank me for doing this.” - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

Team devastated by news of his death.

Spanish pro rider dies in freak accident at home.

PEZ: California 2011 Stage 8 - Goss Sizzles, Horner Rules.

Milano-Sanremo winner, Matt Goss, proved fastest on the final day in Southern California, whilst Chris Horner got through the last stage unscathed to take the huge win.

Levi Leipheimer (USA), a three-time winner of America’s biggest race, finished second overall only 38 seconds back, while Thomas Danielson (USA) of Team Garmin-Cervelo, finished two minutes and 12 seconds behind to claim third place.

The Tour of California has ended and HTC-Highroad’s young talent Tejay Van Garderen is not in the golden jersey. He won the white jersey for best young rider and that wasn’t the wardrobe plan.

After enduring two weeks of state testing, students at E. Hale Curran Elementary School in Murrieta were pumped up and ready to enjoy some bike tricks on Friday at the "Go Big BMX Stunt Show."

The Amgen Tour of California concludes on Sunday with a circuit finish in Thousand Oaks. The mountains are over for this year, and the final day is for the sprinters. Team Sky won two stages with Ben Swift and Greg Henderson, while Liquigas-Cannondale took the third sprinters’ stage in Paso Robles with Peter Sagan. Sagan also currently leads the points classification. Several teams have missed out, and now just one chance remains for the sprinters.

South Australian Premier Mike Rann has reaffirmed his support for Lance Armstrong as the cycling star continues to battle doping allegations. On Monday, Rann released a statement praising Armstrong and the contribution the cyclist has made to the Tour Down Under.

Giro d’Italia director Angelo Zomegnan says police have carried out a search at the RadioShack team hotel.

Hamilton said he saw Armstrong take performance-enhancing drugs, EPO and testosterone and also saw him receive a banned blood transfusion in 2000.

Fabiani claims journalistic standards not met.

With fresh scandal erupting like an Icelandic volcano, with a jet stream of new allegations blowing over big names in the sport and a cloud of ash hanging over the top officials, you’d think the President of the UCI would be very careful with his words when his organisation is on the receiving end of incredibly serious accusations.

Lab director has testified to FBI about incident.

Are you training as hard or harder than your buddy, and not seeing the same gains in fitness?

Extra exercise leaves your body demanding more fuel, and it makes sure you know about it. Yet many cyclists struggle with knowing how much to eat.

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) shook his fist in a mix of celebration, satisfaction and determination after pulling on the pink jersey at the end of the marathon stage of the Giro d'Italia to Gardeccia.

Sunday's Giro d'Italia Stage 15 departs Conegliano at 10:40am CET (4:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Gardeccia-Val di Fassa at around 5:12pm CET (11:12am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:15pm CET (8:15am U.S. Eastern).

Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) lost more time to Alberto Contador at the end of the toughest mountain stage of the Giro d'Italia to Gardeccia but was proud of his performance in the heart of the Dolomites after attacking on the descent of Passo Giau and then fighting all the way to the finish of the 229km stage.

50,000 water bottles handed out at start of stages.

The Katusha line-up for the Tour de France is set to be composed solely of Russian riders. With Joaquim Rodriguez focused on the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España, and Filippo Pozzato seemingly irrevocably out of favour, the path was clear for team manager Andrei Tchmil to field a wholly Russian team.

Today's destination is the heart of Dolomiti ski country. The Val di Fassa, from this cute little old map, is apparently littered with ski lifts.

There can be no gripes with the cycling, but didn't race organisers make a complete hash of Saturday's supposed queen stage in the Giro?

An Italian enthusiast rider argues with race officials, who'd shut down the Zoncolan climb at only 100 meters from the top to prepare for police and Giro offical cars to pass. He did not make it to the top today.

"We're not mountain bikers, we're road riders," said David Millar when I went to see him this morning for a discussion about the removal of the Monte Crostis climb from the Giro.

Sunday's Tour of California Stage 8 is scheduled to depart Santa Clarita at 12:00pm PDT (21:00 CET) and is expected at the finish at Thousand Oaks at around 3:11pm PDT (00:11am CET Monday).  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 2:00pm PDT (23:00 CET).

The Amgen Tour of California concludes on Sunday with a circuit finish in Thousand Oaks. The mountains are over for this year, and the final day is for the sprinters. Team Sky won two stages with Ben Swift and Greg Henderson, while Liquigas-Cannondale took the third sprinters’ stage in Paso Robles with Peter Sagan. Sagan also currently leads the points classification. Several teams have missed out, and now just one chance remains for the sprinters.

Alex Candelario (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) is aiming for a sprint win, or at least a podium placing, during the eighth and final stage of the Amgen Tour of California. The American is not alone, however, as a handful of top domestic sprinters look forward to a bunch sprint on the streets of Thousand Oaks.

While a few were battling at the front for glory on the Queen Stage of the Amgen Tour of California, for most, it was a matter of surviving the tough and hard stage to not be time cut and be able to fight one more day. Standing alone, the course was a hard one with more than 15,000 ft of climbing. over the 75.8-mile course from Claremont to the top of Mt Baldy. But to make it even more difficult, it came after some hard days of racing that included crashing for some.

We like this United HealthCare squad a lot. There’s no Radio Shack or Garmin or Leopard attitude, no ProTeam looking down the nose when a writer asks a question or tries to get access to a star rider. Team DS Mike Tamayo has been more than accommodating with us, team physiologist Inigo San Millan is a gentleman and a scholar, assistant DS Eric Greene can’t help but tell revealing stories about the team and team leader Rory Sutherland always makes time for questions, win or lose.

There’s an exciting new generation in US cycling coming in fast. It’s just that nobody told 37 year old Levi Leipheimer and the geriatric 39 year old Chris Horner of Radio Shack they needed to pull off to the side of the road.

Claims secret white lunch bags carried doping products.

If someone, whether an athlete or a team manager, has made a career out of doping then what would motivate them to come forward?

With all the talk of Lance Armstrong’s former team mates singing to the media and the ongoing investigation, one thing to remember is that this isn’t the trial of Lance Armstrong. Instead it’s an investigation into a potential misuse of public funds in the US.

"Good quality and range of lenses for the price; just check they’re OK for you in a tuck."

Today's Quote

"Last summer, I received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury. Until that moment I walked into the courtroom, I hadn't told a soul. My testimony went on for six hours. For me, it was like the Hoover Dam breaking. I opened up; I told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And I felt a sense of relief I'd never felt before -- all the secrets, all the weight I'd been carrying around for years suddenly lifted. I saw that, for me personally, this was the way forward." - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case." - Lance Armstrong Facebook

"Simple, but clever, double-density control- and comfort-enhancing tape for full-drop bars."

Brent Bookwalter (BMC Racing) put in a consistent performance at the Amgen Tour of California after a broken collarbone set him back six weeks prior to the marquee stateside event. The American is now turning his attention to two big goals; winning a stars and stripes jersey at the USA Cycling Professional National Championships next weekend in South Carolina, and, more importantly, his preparations for the Tour de France in July.

At first blush, it appears that Hincapie has taken former teammate Tyler Hamilton’s lead and made a public confession. But that’s not what happened.

I don’t blame people for wanting to believe. Sporting heroes play an important part in the lives of so many. They offer an escape from the mundanity of the nine to five, make us feel that, no matter what difficulties we face ourselves, we can rally behind someone else’s quest to conquer the Alpe d’Huez of life.

The Legend is dead, the Myth is destroyed and now it’s just a matter of watching how and when the building collapses.

Today's destination is the heart of Dolomiti ski country. The Val di Fassa, from this cute little old map, is apparently littered with ski lifts.

Saturday's Giro d'Italia Stage 14 departs Lienz at *12:00pm CET (6:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Monte Zoncolan at around 5:10pm CET (11:10am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:15pm CET (8:15am U.S. Eastern).

There can be no gripes with the cycling, but didn't race organisers make a complete hash of Saturday's supposed queen stage in the Giro?

An Italian enthusiast rider argues with race officials, who'd shut down the Zoncolan climb at only 100 meters from the top to prepare for police and Giro offical cars to pass. He did not make it to the top today.

"We're not mountain bikers, we're road riders," said David Millar when I went to see him this morning for a discussion about the removal of the Monte Crostis climb from the Giro.

The verdict: "It's almost impossible."

UCI officials ruled Friday evening that the Crostis would be removed from Saturday’s 14th stage, forcing organizers to re-route the stage over a second-category climb instead of the Crostis summit, which was supposed to be the showcase of this year’s Giro. A seething Zomegnan said on RAI TV that sport directors had hijacked the UCI and defended the safety of the Crostis descent.

If Monte Crostis is off the menu following a ruling from the race jury last night, today still sees the climb up Monte Zoncolan. This is probably the hardest climb used in any major race. It’s just 10km long but averages 12% and has sustained sections of over 20%.

Today's Quote

"Last summer, I received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury. Until that moment I walked into the courtroom, I hadn't told a soul. My testimony went on for six hours. For me, it was like the Hoover Dam breaking. I opened up; I told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And I felt a sense of relief I'd never felt before -- all the secrets, all the weight I'd been carrying around for years suddenly lifted. I saw that, for me personally, this was the way forward." - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case." - Lance Armstrong Facebook

The UCI commissaries at the Giro d'Italia have announced that the Crostis climb has been cut from Saturday's fourteenth stage because the measures put in place by organiser RCS Sport do not adequately protect the sporting aspect of the race.

Saturday's Tour of California Stage 7 is scheduled to depart Claremont at 11:45am PDT (20:45 CET) and is expected at the finish at Mt. Baldy at around 3:18pm PDT (00:18am CET Sunday).  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 2:00pm PDT (23:00 CET).

David Zabriskie made up for his disastrous day on Sierra Road by crushing the Solvang time trial in a new course record. The Garmin-Cervélo man who was second overall in last year's race boosted his team's fortunes with the stage 6 victory, topping Levi Leipeimer (RadioShack) by 26 seconds and best young rider Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) by 40.

Jonathan Vaughters is expecting his Garmin-Cervélo riders to animate the race on the lengthy finishing ascent on Mt Baldy, on the penultimate stage of the Amgen Tour of California. According to the team boss, the climb is one of the last chances to move onto the podium or maybe even into a position to win the overall classification.

Rory Sutherland (UnitedHealthcare) is fully prepared to contest Saturday’s daunting second mountaintop finish this week on Mt. Baldy, the penultimate stage of the Amgen Tour of California. The Australian goes into the ‘queen’ stage in third place overall and is confident that he will maintain a podium position through to the event’s conclusion on Sunday in Thousand Oaks.

Young American impresses on Sierra Road.

“He definitely had an extra gear than what the other guys had,” said Sutherland of Horner’s astonishing climbing prowess.

The Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12 recently announced that it would not be participating in the UCI-sanctioned Liberty Classic, and has instead opted to compete in the four-day Mt Hood Cycling Classic held over the same weekend near Portland, Oregon.

At first blush, it appears that Hincapie has taken former teammate Tyler Hamilton’s lead and made a public confession. But that’s not what happened.

In the clearest indication yet that the UCI and several teams look set for a collision course over the possible formation of a breakaway league, UCI President Pat McQuaid has threatened at least one team with financial repercussions if they push ahead in their discussions.

I don’t blame people for wanting to believe. Sporting heroes play an important part in the lives of so many. They offer an escape from the mundanity of the nine to five, make us feel that, no matter what difficulties we face ourselves, we can rally behind someone else’s quest to conquer the Alpe d’Huez of life.

The Legend is dead, the Myth is destroyed and now it’s just a matter of watching how and when the building collapses.

The 20-year veteran bicycle designer came to Cannondale after a 12-year tenure with Scott Bicycles as their top engineer and bicycle designer. Prior to that he owned his own company, Hot Chili.

Former lieutenant says he and Armstrong supplied each other.

The UCI commissaries at the Giro d'Italia have announced that the Crostis climb has been cut from Saturday's fourteenth stage because the measures put in place by organiser RCS Sport do not adequately protect the sporting aspect of the race.

The 2011 Giro d'Italia says goodbye to Austria tomorrow and hello to Hell, a two-pronged uphill horror show known as Monte Crostis and Monte Zoncolan, separated by the most treacherous descent in the race. This is likely the main event of the Giro.

Friday's Giro d'Italia Stage 13 departs Spilimbergo at 12:45pm CET (6:45am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Grossglockner at around 5:15pm CET (11:15am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

Alberto Contador now knows when he will have his hearing in court. His case will be pleaded from June 6 to 8 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, three and a half weeks prior to the start of the Tour de France.

Yesterday saw the last flat stage for the sprinters in the Giro and predictably Mark Cavendish won. Perhaps equally predictably several sprinters have left the race overnight, Cavendish included. Every single remaining stage of the Giro now contains some serious climbing… except the final time trial stage in Milan.

Francesco Chicchi (Quick Step) has admitted he took a tow from his team car on the slopes of Mount Etna but has claimed it was only for a few seconds and that he managed to finish the stage inside the time limit thanks to his own legs.

"A capable speed machine for hardcore racers but limited appeal otherwise."

"Fast aero lid that's better suited to fast time trials than triathlon transitions."

By most accounts the Giro d'Italia starts tomorrow, on this first of several major mountain stages. The stage is notable for a few items: vast natural beauty and the Giro's only foray out of Italy. But will it be decisive?

The clip is of Italian singer Paolo Belli, supported by the band QBeta, and his song “Faccio Festa” (“I party”) which is the official song of the Giro d’Italia.

.Cavendish wins an epic stage with the help of Renshaw’s legendary leadout and we get to see Robbie Hunter get agro with Sacha Modolo. We all know Hunter is a bad-ass mofo who grew up in the hood of Johannesburg so I have no doubt who would come out on top of this one.

Blazin' Saddles: Contador composed.

It's not every day that you're awarded with a niche musical instrument for leading a race nobody else apparently wants to win.

CyclingNews: Amgen Tour of California Women's International Time Trial Challenge - Armstrong smashes first Amgen women's time trial,

Olympic champion Kristin Armstrong resumed her place at the top of the women's time trial circuit, laying claim to the top prize in the first Amgen Tour of California women's international time trial challenge.

Friday's Tour of California Stage 6 is a 24km Individual Time Trial at Solvang.  It is scheduled to get underway at 12:45pm PDT (21:45 CET) with the departure of the first rider.  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 2:00pm PDT (23:00 CET).

AEG Sports, organizers of the Amgen Tour of California, will host 13 of the strongest female time trialists in the world at the inaugural California Women's International Time Trial Challenge on Friday, May 20 in Solvang, California.

Will require an operation before returning to the peloton.

Liquigas-Cannondale's Slovakian sensation, Peter Sagan, stormed to the win in Paso Robles on Thursday, but he was pushed hard in a tight sprint with two other stellar young fastmen.

Vanderkitten-Focus riders enjoyed the experience today being a part of the fandom and hype that is not only #ATOC, but bike racing in general- all  over the world.

“I think in my career I’ve been underappreciated, certainly when you arrive here at the Tour of California. I found it quite insulting not to be invited to the press conference.

Today's Quote

"Last summer, I received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury. Until that moment I walked into the courtroom, I hadn't told a soul. My testimony went on for six hours. For me, it was like the Hoover Dam breaking. I opened up; I told the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And I felt a sense of relief I'd never felt before -- all the secrets, all the weight I'd been carrying around for years suddenly lifted. I saw that, for me personally, this was the way forward." - Tyler Hamilton VeloNation

"20+ year career. 500 drug controls worldwide, in and out of competition. Never a failed test. I rest my case." - Lance Armstrong Facebook

Did you watch stage seven of this year’s Giro when Belgium’s Bart de Clercq just managed to stay ahead of the field on the final climb to take the first win on his pro career? Chances are, you read about it. De Clercq was riding a Canyon Ultimate CF SLX.

Very tasty, easy to eat, good value and highly effective energy bar.

Former lieutenant says he and Armstrong supplied each other.

From left, Russia's Viatcheslav Ekimov, silver medal, gold medalist Tyler Hamilton of the U.S., and fellow-countryman Bobby Julich, bronze medalist, show off their medals on the podium after the men 's road individual time trial of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

Someone accuses Armstrong of doping. We get the “most tested athlete” response from the man. Then cycling fans rally. Many loyal ones point out that no court and no sporting body has ever convicted him. On the other side fans dredge up a variety of circumstantial evidence. We go nowhere.

The other shoe has not dropped. It is actually raining shoes now. Tyler Hamilton’s doping confession, grand-jury induced or 60-Minutes inspired, is just the latest drop in the Armstrong-eroding downpour.

In American cycling, the proverbial other shoe seems to keep dropping. Tyler Hamilton’s revelation that yes, in fact, he did use EPO, that everyone was using EPO, that he saw EPO in Lance Armstrong’s refrigerator, that he saw Armstrong inject it, ought to be the bombshell of all bombshells.

“I don’t have an opinion. I wasn’t there,” he said. “I don’t want to comment on something that’s that outrageous of a statement. It’s too bad that something like that would be said. I have no idea. It’s a pity.”

A former teammate in the US Postal team from 1998 to 2001, Hamilton claims Armstrong used performance enhancing drugs such as EPO and testosterone. He confessed these things for the news show 60 Minutes which plans to air the segment this Sunday. Federal investigator Jeff Novitzky says it’s a must-see.

"I hope he finds what he's looking for and what he says in the letter. I wish him the best. He's a person that got caught in a bad situation and although it can be hard for people to understand from the outside, I hope they try. That's all you can ask for really."

Written ad mission accompanies “60 Minutes” confession.

"I cannot now and will not ever admit to something that I did not do. I have been honest and I will continue to fight to vindicate my name". - Tyler Hamilton, June 26, 2006.

By most accounts the Giro d'Italia starts tomorrow, on this first of several major mountain stages. The stage is notable for a few items: vast natural beauty and the Giro's only foray out of Italy. But will it be decisive?

The clip is of Italian singer Paolo Belli, supported by the band QBeta, and his song “Faccio Festa” (“I party”) which is the official song of the Giro d’Italia.

. Cavendish wins an epic stage with the help of Renshaw’s legendary leadout and we get to see Robbie Hunter get agro with Sacha Modolo. We all know Hunter is a bad-ass mofo who grew up in the hood of Johannesburg so I have no doubt who would come out on top of this one.

Blazin' Saddles: Contador composed.

It's not every day that you're awarded with a niche musical instrument for leading a race nobody else apparently wants to win.

road.cc: 2011 Giro d'Italia Stage 12 Results.

CyclingNews: 2011 Giro d'Italia Stage 12 Results.

CyclingFans: 2011 Giro d'Italia LIVE - Stage 12.

Thursday's Giro d'Italia Stage 12 departs Castelfidardo at 12:55pm CET (6:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Ravenna at around 5:17pm CET (11:17am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S.).

The key mountain stages in this year's Giro d'Italia are on the horizon but with his main rivals already over a minute behind, Alberto Contador seems to have everything under control.

HTC Highroad rider answers questions prior to leaving race.

Since 2004, the town of Gatineau in the Canadian province of Quebec has been hosting an annual cycling festival and Gran Fondo, "La Grande Visite de Gatineau". Last year they added a couple of UCI women’s events: a time trial, the Chrono Gatineau, to open the festival, and a road race, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Gatineau, to be the centrepiece.

We spent two days on the bike riding in the hills around Torino, Italy. But this was no production model – instead it was a ‘launch spec’ EVO outfitted with components from the Liquigas-Cannondale team sponsors.

You might expect that a team leader would start a grand tour he’s already won — and wants to win again — on a new machine. However, 2009 Giro d’Italia winner Denis Menchov (Geox-TMC) has this year brought the bike he’d been training on in the months prior to the race, his 2011 Fuji Altamira.

Lightweight, highly adjustable and well ventilated, this helmet sets a new standard at the top end of the market.

Written ad mission accompanies “60 Minutes” confession.

Thursday's Tour of California Stage 5 is scheduled to depart Seaside at 9:30am PDT (18:30 CET) and is expected at the finish at Paso Robles at around 3:11pm PDT (00:11am CET Friday).  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 1:45pm PDT (22:45 CET).

13 riders specializing in road, track and triathlon, who ride for American-ish teams, representing 5 countries and racing for a $10,000 pot - and it will apparently be featured as part of the Versus TV coverage - with the feed shared with all the other TV companies as usual, so we should all get to see it.

At the ripe old age of 39, with 17 pro seasons under his belt, Horner may finally get the recognition he’s long-deserved with his win atop Sierra Road in stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California.

Today's Quote

"I think we should look at the rules and get them rewritten. Who knows how Sunday's stage would have turned out if Contador was not there. He has the right to be here and compete as the rules now stand. But it is so annoying that if, in three weeks, they rule that he must be suspended and his performance should be deleted. It is so wrong." - Thomas Lövkvist  CyclingNews

Vegan, free spirit, nutball Zabriskie finished 4 minutes and 40 seconds behind winner Chris Horner of Radio Shack. Would things have been worse if he’d hit the drive-thru at In & Out Burger for a double bacon cheese burger? A fair question, methinks.

Leopard Trek's Andy Schleck surprised himself on the climb up to the mountaintop finish on Sierra Road, finishing second place to stage winner RadioShack's Chris Horner in stage four of the Amgen Tour of California. The Luxembourg native came into the race with unknown form having taken time of the bike following the spring Classics.

Team Sky will target another win as sprinters and breakaway opportunists alike vie for victory in stage five of the Amgen Tour of California.

BB30 cranksets are supposed to be more stiff due to their larger diameter spindle, however they still rely on essentially a standard 68mm bottom bracket shell. This is even as other manufacturers were modifying frames to accept regular spindles, yet with an 86-92mm shell. The wider shell allowed for a wider down tube and chainstay junction, which seems to be just as important as increasing the diameter of the spindle. So the question remained, why not increase the width of a BB30 bottom bracket shell and get the best of both worlds?

Tires are the most important component of your bike. Supple high-end tires roll faster and are more comfortable. A set of great tires transforms your bike’s feel. The down side is that high-end tires can be more fragile than sturdy utility tires.

Tyler Hamilton, who was allowed to keep his Athens Olympics gold medal despite failing a doping test, has confessed to cheating and accused other top cyclists, including Lance Armstrong, of doing the same.

Maybe one of these yellow shirts for Chris this year?

BBC’s brief interview with UCI President Pat McQuaid mentions the prospect of banning riders involved in doping scandals from working in the sport.

After years of anticipation, the Italian company unveils the EPS shifting group.

The quarter ended with revenue of $200.4 million, up from $181.6 million during the same three months last year. Operating profit improved by 17.9 percent.

After years as co-CEOs of Cervélo, owners/founders Gerard Vroomen and Phil White have decided that White will now assume sole CEO status for the Canadian bike manufacturer. Vroomen will continue in his role on the board.

In the pantheon of cycling's most recognisable baldies, John Gadret is right up there with the late Marco Pantani.

Let me tell you what I have learned about the publishing business; it is a crap shoot. Some 288,000 new titles are published in the US each year; another 206,000 are published in the UK.

"Mid pack running performance, but obscured vision for our riders."

Every cyclist knows the sensation: You ride along, feeling at one with your bike and the world. Suddenly you notice your tire going soft, often accompanied by a hissing sound. Like Icarus, who flew too high and got singed by the sun, your euphoria is dashed as you come to a wobbling halt on the side of the road.

Not just any team bikes either, special edition Shepard Fairey Madone 6.9SSLs.

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-SunGard) tried to let Christophe Le Mevel (Garmin-Cervelo) take the maglia rosa on the rolling roads to Castelfidardo in the Giro d'Italia but with other teams trying to win the stage, and perhaps even keep him in pink and so under pressure, he was again obliged to use up precious recover time to attend the podium ceremony and consequent obligatory press conference.

Mark Cavendish finds himself enmeshed in scandal more often than other racers, it seems.

Several team managers met with Giro d’Italia officials before the start of Wednesday’s stage to express concern about the Monte Crostis descent set for stage 14 on Saturday.

“Mark is being mismanaged. I do not believe he’s 100 percent devoted to his profession and, in fact, he’s fat. How is it possible that someone as talented as him has only won three races this season?”

This is the sprintiest of sprinter stages, a promenade along the Adriatic with no hills to speak of. None. At. All.

Christophe Le Mevel of Garmin-Transitions got into the breakaway in a bid to take the overall lead.

Wednesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 11 departs Tortoreto Lido at 1:35pm CET (7:35am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Castelfidardo at around 5:16pm CET (11:16am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

BMC’s Chris Butler first Grand Tour didn’t quite end as he would have liked. Exclusively to Carolina Cycling News, Butler gives us the scoop on his injury and how he is recuperating back home in Greenville, South Carolina.

Today's Quote

"I think we should look at the rules and get them rewritten. Who knows how Sunday's stage would have turned out if Contador was not there. He has the right to be here and compete as the rules now stand. But it is so annoying that if, in three weeks, they rule that he must be suspended and his performance should be deleted. It is so wrong." - Thomas Lövkvist  CyclingNews

Spaniard will surpass Merckx, Astana director says.

After questions on tire pressure and my favorite chain lube, the most popular question I’m asked is how to become a pro team mechanic. There is no simple answer because it’s a combination of calling, personality and skill.

After a hard training camp in Italy the whole Horizon Fitness RT was ready to start racing. We were all ready and excited to do our first race of the season together as a team and see all the hard training we've done was going to work in the races.

PodiumCafe: The Story of the Giro d'Italia, by Bill and Carol McGann.

Fans of the bikeraceinfo.com website will know who Chairman Bill is and will probably be familiar with the McGanns' two-volume history of the Tour de France.

Wednesday's Tour of California Stage 4 is scheduled to depart Livermore at 11:45am PDT (20:45 CET) and is expected at the finish at San Jose at around 3:14pm PDT (00:14am CET Thursday).  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 1:45pm PDT (22:45 CET).

Will Dugan will not start Wednesday’s stage 4 in the Amgen Tour of California. Dugan (Team Type 1-Sanofi Aventis) suffered a head injury in a crash late in stage 3 and a team spokesperson told VeloNews that he would return home to Vermont to recover.

US national champion Ben King of RadioShack has been attracting plenty of attention at the Amgen Tour of California, and it's not just because he's a fast racer - it's hard to miss him with his stand-out stars and stripes jersey and bike.

Stage 3 at the Amgen Tour of California played out as expected, the early break was reeled in by the charging peloton, ramping up the speed for the final bunch sprint. But there’s a lot more to it than that, let’s take a closer look at the tactics of the breakaway, with insights from Christian Meier (UnitedHealthcare) and Andy Jacques-Maynes (BISSELL).

Australian Ben Day of the Kenda/5-Hour Energy p/b GearGrinder team, has raced all but one of the Amgen Tour of California since the inaugural race in 2006.

Chris Horner is expecting a round of attacks to be fired at his RadioShack team on Sierra Road, the decisive climb that will end stage four of the Amgen Tour of California on Wednesday. Horner and his teammate, three-time overall winner Levi Leipheimer will start the race with a 15-second advantage in the overall classification, ahead of other notable climbers.

Amgen Tour of California's third stage from Auburn to Modesto was bittersweet for the Professional Continental Team NetApp. Breakaway rider Jan Barta secured the Breakaway from Cancer Most Courageous rider jersey, however two of his teammates Jesus Del Nero Montes and Andreas Schillinger, crashed and sustained an unknown degree of injuries.

"Sexy aero pedals that perform like a dream, but they’ll cost you a pretty penny."

We all know how independent bike shops hate competing with the big chain stores of the world. Afterall, how can you outsell Wal-mart’s 99¢ Clif Bars when that’s almost your wholesale cost?

Garmin’s new Montana series of GPS units will mostly appeal to adventurous mountain bikers who want a tough, versatile navigation device.

A thing of beauty which should be a joy forever… especially if you swap the bars.

The Tour of California is blessed with a celebrity appearance.

Didn't I stash a burrito in here?

CyclingNews: Cycling world pay their respects at Weylandt's funeral.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has introduced guidelines to help national anti-doping organisations (ADOs) work more closely with local law enforcement agencies, and prevent doping in sport by targeting those involved in the sales and distribution of substances banned in sports.

Why were high-risk riders not tested adequately during the 2010 Tour?

Garmin-Cervélo rider David Zabriskie has finished second three times at the Tour of California (2006, 2009 and 2010) and is hoping to finally win the event this time around. If all goes according to plan, Zabriskie will do so aboard Cervélo's slippery S3 carbon aero road machine.

Garmin-Cervélo rider Sharon Laws is one of those riders who cycling fans love to love.  She’s a killer mountain domestique – for the past two years, you know it’s a hard race when you read about how Laws was in an early break, forcing the peloton to chase her down… ready for Emma Pooley to attack just as they’re rela_dsc0052_mediumxing over neutralising the threat – she always seems like a team player, ready to kill herself for her team-mates, regardless of if it’s her kind of terrain or not.

I had the pleasure of trying Dogfish Head Squall IPA the other day. Unfiltered, bottle conditioned, and dry-hopped with 6 different types of hops? An unfiltered 90 minute IPA?! That’s enough to make my hophead spin!!

It starts in winter. In anticipation of snow, the cities and towns put down salt and sand. Every storm calls forth the sanders. When the spring comes, such as it is, the roads show multiple layers of sand and gravel, and over the initial weeks of the thaw, all that mess finds its way to the shoulders of the road.

Mark Cavendish won in the Giro today but the post-race TV debate on the RAI coverage saw even Eddy Merckx get sucked into a debate over riders getting help to finish a climb. The TV show is called the Processo alla Tappa which translates several ways, including the “trial of the stage”.

Mark Cavendish had a few choice words for sprint rival Francisco Ventoso after breaking his Giro duck.

Bumpy ride from the beaches of Abruzzo to the hills of Le Marche. This is purely meant as a transitional stage, and the endless ups and downs should fit the billing. The climbs aren't especially long or hard, but they exist, and the last 3km should sort out the pack pretty significantly.

road.cc: 2011 Giro d'Italia Stage 10 Results.

A three-man breakaway spent most of the day out in front of the race before they were finally reeled in with around 11km of the 159km stage left to race, with the sprinters’ teams fully aware that this was the last but one opportunity to set up a bunch finish in this year’s race.

CyclingNews: 2011 Giro d'Italia Stage 10 Results.

Mark Renshaw (HTC-Highroad) expects two opportunities for the sprinters on the second week of the Giro d’Italia. The Australian also outlined how the finales of Giro stages are often more technically demanding than at the Tour de France.

Tuesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 10 departs Termoli at 1:30pm CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Teramo at around 5:17pm CET (11:17am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

Stage 10 start time: Tuesday 13:30 CET (4:30 AM PDT); Earliest live video: 14:30 CET (5:30 AM PDT); Approximate finish: 17:17 CET (8:17 AM PDT).

Expect the Giro d’Italia peloton to get considerably lighter in the coming days as sprinters will begin to slowly fade out of the picture. With opportunities running out ─ and no final-day sprint stage waiting for them in Milan ─ sprinters will likely start to abandon or become time cut as the Giro turns north into the brutal climbs waiting in the Dolomites.

Controversy hits the race as sprinters point fingers at one another.

Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) suffered a crash while training on Mount Etna on Tuesday morning, but the Italian’s participation in the Tour de France is not in doubt.

Cadel Evans has taken a thinly-veiled swipe as the sport's controversial anti-doping document that was leaked to the media.

Just how far would you be willing to go, to ensure that nearly every part on your bicycle was able to be protected from thieves? Would you be willing to replace, or modify nearly all the exposed fasteners on your bike? That seems the be the question Atomic22 is posing, with their soon to be released infiniti3D security system.

TwistedSpoke:  2011 Tour of California Stage 3 Results.

VeloNation:  2011 Tour of California Stage 3 Results.

VeloNews:  2011 Tour of California Stage 3 Results.

Tuesday’s breakaway contained some familiar faces. Jamey Driscoll (Jamis-Sutter Home), who took the Most Aggressive rider award for his performance in the big break Monday, joined the stage 3 break straight away. He was accompanied by Bissell’s Andy Jacques-Maynes — twin brother of Ben Jacques-Maynes, who was in Monday’s break.

Tuesday's Tour of California Stage 3 is scheduled to depart Auburn at 10:15am PDT (19:15 CET) and is expected at the finish at Modesto at around 3:06pm PDT (00:06am CET Wednesday).  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 1:45pm PDT (22:45 CET).

“The problem in racing some of these ProTour teams is that, when they feel they have a breakaway and they’re done following attacks and want to sit up, HTC is really good at it, they’ll go to the front and set up a wall, and it’s really lame because what they do is sit across the road, bar to bar.”

Ben Swift (Sky Procycling) savors his victory.

Jamey Driscoll (Jamis/Sutter Home) in his first Amgen Tour of California spent most of the shortened 76-mile (123km) stage 2 in a four-rider break. The 24-year old was awarded the Breakaway From Cancer Most Courageous Rider jersey.

The Rabobank team was left wondering what could have been following the dash to the finish line in Sacramento at the second stage of the Amgen Tour of California.

We caught up with a few riders to get their thoughts on the last 24 hours.

It's hard not to think of a more appropriate name for a sprinter. Ben Swift once again lived up to the best name in cycling with a resounding win in the first road stage of this year's Tour of California.

Gran fondo fever has taken the cycling world by storm and there seem to be enough events to fill a the calendar for a lifetime. Here are some of the popular ones I’ve heard so much about that I absolutely have to do one day.

Clever cable lock with its uses, but keeping an expensive bike safe isn't one of them.

UCI president expresses anger and confirms judicial enquiry over leaked documents.

Video found by Lisa Rothemund of Moonlight Velo.

CyclingNews: Lövkvist critical of anti-doping rules affecting Giro d'Italia - why is Contador here?

Thomas Lövkvist has criticised the anti-doping regulations that have allowed Alberto Contador to compete before a final verdict has been decided on his doping case by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Today's Quote

"I think we should look at the rules and get them rewritten. Who knows how Sunday's stage would have turned out if Contador was not there. He has the right to be here and compete as the rules now stand. But it is so annoying that if, in three weeks, they rule that he must be suspended and his performance should be deleted. It is so wrong." - Thomas Lövkvist  CyclingNews

This Saturday’s Stage 14 of the 2011 Giro d’Italia, which features a tricky descent of the Crostis ahead of a summit finish on the Zoncolan, is set to go ahead as planned after riders approved safety measures put in place by race organisers.

The video is the descent of Monte Crostis, planned for stage 14 of the Giro, the one that finishes on the infamous Zoncolan. The climb is hard enough, averaging over 10% for 14km, with an 18% section. Now that’s hard enough but then comes the descent.

The 2011 Tour of Austria will cover 11,710 meters of climbing, in what the race organizers call a “very good mix” of stages. The race runs July 3-10, from Dornbirn to Vienna, and hopes for another Austrian winner.

I’m partial to any occasion that gets people into a bike shop for a reason other than pure commerce. Bike shops have always been a part of my sense of community, even if that shop is 100 miles away. The best shops find ways to make themselves part of the social fabric of the cycling community and when it does happen, the benefits can be profound and unexpected.

During raids in Madrid, Andalusia and elsewhere in Spain, police recovered 700,000 doses of banned performance-enhancing substances including human growth hormone (HGH) and erythropoietin (EPO).

The current issue of VeloNews features an in-depth comparative review of four endurance bikes that distills the results of two lab tests plus the feedback from four testers who rode the bikes for a few weeks in Belgium and France, including in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix cyclosportifs.

GoPro have outfitted a number of teams and riders in this year's Tour of California peloton with their tiny high-definition video cameras to provide fans with a rare in-the-peloton look at the race from a rider's point of view.

"Well-shaped sunnies with good dark lenses; check fit as can seem wide."

"Purposeful fixie offers a taste of La Dolce Vita."

This Rest Day is a perfect chance to review the last 9 days...

Monday's Tour of California Stage 2 is scheduled to depart North Lake Tahoe-Squaw Valley at *10:15am PDT (19:15 CET) and is expected at the finish at Sacramento at around 3:28pm PDT (00:28am CET Tuesday).  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 2:00pm PDT (23:00 CET).

Uncertain weather conditions necessitate new start location and time. Stage 2 Start Now Scheduled for 12:15 p.m. PT in Nevada City, California.

Today we celebrate one of those elements of the Giro d'Italia that truly makes it special -- the long transfer.

How happy is Ivan Basso that he skipped the Giro d’Italia? After yesterday’s smack-down by Alberto Contador on Mount Etna, the race for the final maglia rosa came into tighter focus. It has a distinctly Spanish appearance.

There was a time when the brand made accessories, not bikes; they were a competitor to Rhode Gear, not Trek. And while large-diameter tubing aluminum bikes weren’t solely their domain, the company named for a train station achieved greater market penetration than Klein ever did. In the 1990s, I recall the company as being a repository for talent, fresh ideas and ambitious marketing. Actually, the company wasn’t just ambitious in its marketing, it was as ambitious as any bike company had ever been.

The front of the facility is occupied by a variety of offices but the rear two-thirds is where mechanics tend to the team's enormous stock of bikes and other equipment – and they now have the luxury of being able to load all of the gear onto the team trucks indoors.

Rather than assuming every rider has the incredibly aero position of a Dave Zabriskie, teams will be able to tweak their helmet to fit the rider.

"Slightly flexy, but more predictable braking than most carbon sets and light for the price."

Saddle fit is the holy grail of ride comfort, but advances in technology mean finding your perfect perch should no longer be an endless crusade.

Despite paralleling along the spine of Abruzzo and following a few road signs for the Grand Sasso d'Italia, Tuesday's tenth stage of the 2011 Giro d'Italia favors the sprinterly-inclined... provided they have a little extra kick in them.

PEZ: EuroTrash Monday!

Following the start from Broad Street in Nevada City at 12.15pm - a time that has also been modified - the riders will travel approximately 61 miles to Sacramento, picking up the original stage two route. The peloton should enter Sacramento at approximately 3pm and complete three circuit laps before finishing in front of the Capitol Building between 3.30 and 3.45pm.

Delay to start and shortened course fail to save day as organisers put rider safety first.

For Europeans, California brings up all sorts of images. From Hollywood to the goldrush, from Los Angeles to San Francisco, not to mention eccentric people and many creative industries.  Even the countryside, from the parks to the coastlines, are known. But snow isn’t one of the more obvious associations.

Today's Quote

"The UCI are the heads of cycling, they can do what they want and we can't do anything. Everyone sees, cyclists cannot do anything, they can't protest, nothing." - Yaroslav Popovych  CyclingWeekly

Super-fast aerodynamic machine - it could be the most aero bike out there; if not, it's certainly right up there - with excellent adjustability and a top spec sheet.

Even with new wheels popping up seemingly every day, it still seems that 3T believes that they can not only be competitive in the high end wheel market, but can be dominant above all else.

Tifosi has added a few new frames to their lineup, including the more fashion-forward Slope (left) and Mast above, as well as upgraded their Fototec photochromic lenses with NXT’s technology that transition from 75% to as little as 15% light transmission in the sun, and they do it pretty quickly.

Snow means great skiing for those coming in from Reno and the San Francisco bay area and major tourist dollars for this resort destination. Snow is happiness and health and prosperity and fun.

Component maker SRAM has announced it is going to float on a US stock exchange, that its current owners are selling the business and new shareholders will be able to buy a slice of the company.

VeloNation: Giro d’Italia: Monte Crostis to remain in Zoncolan stage.

Dangerous descent will stay on the course, says Angelo Zomegnan.

Judging by the weekend, Alberto Contador's going to take some beating in this year's Giro d'Italia. In fact, it seems he'll take some beating in any race – full stop.

Liquigas-Cannondale team hoping to step up in the race’s second part and put Spanish rider into difficulty.

According to Reynolds, their RZR 92s are the most technologically superior bike wheels ever made. They come with a completely new rim shape, an innovative 'torque flange' on the rear hub and a host of other features designed to push the performance beyond that of anything else out there.

Rule 1 when mentally preparing the morning of a race: don’t allow anything to disrupt your focus and always keep your thoughts positive.

Some mechanics may have grumbling a bit about mounting Go Pro video cameras to their team bikes, but Andrew Messick, President of AEG Sports, is enthusiastic about showing ATOC viewers “what bike racing looks like from inside the peloton.”

What would strike you about Tejay is how laidback and relaxed and, well, ordinary he looks. Not a killer bike racer with plans to win the Tour of California at age 22. But he just might do it and why bet against him?

Feillu entered the third stage one second behind overall leader Egidijus Juodvalkis (Landbouwkrediet) after winning stage two on Saturday.

Steegmans will have to take a 3 day rest before he can start training again. His participation in the Tour of Belgium depends on how his injury evolves clinically.

Sunday's Giro d'Italia Stage 9 departs Messina at *12:10pm CET (6:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Etna at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern).  *Note that this is earlier than the originally scheduled stage start.  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

With temperatures steady in the low 50’s, wind gusts exceeding 20 miles an hour and a steady drizzle to dampen the roads, the racers faced challenging conditions on a challenging six-corner circuit.

Todays 136.3km race featured two sprints and two gentle mountains at 80meters altitude. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg of HTC-Highroad Women continued her momentum from 2010 and seized her second World Cup win in China.

The French Women’s Cup (CDF) today reaches the fourth round with the GP Fémin'Ain d'Izernore, a slightly hilly circuit race through Izernore and Samognat at the foothills of the Rhone Alps.

Liquigas-Cannondale have gone one better than a swanky team bus: a chopper. In order to speed the key riders to the hotel after a stage, the Italian squad used a helicopter yesterday. Vincenzo Nibali and key helpers like Sylwester Szmyd are airlifted to their hotel, allowing for maximum recovery time ahead of today’s crucial stage with the double ascension of Etna.

Psychological blow or not? In stage eight of the Giro, that last uphill ramp to the finish in Tropea, Alberto Contador, El Pistolero, world’s best stage racer, favorite son of the Spanish Cycling Federation, opened up the after-burners. Just making sure there was no dust on the thrusters. A pre-eruption before Etna.

When we see social media done right, we feel the need to shine a spotlight on it. We hope others in our sport will catch on and join in the fun. First up, Jonathan Vaughters, CEO and Director Sportif, Garmin Cervelo.

Decision on first stage at noon PDT. Shortened route would take the peloton up the west side of Lake Tahoe.

Sunday's Tour of California Stage 1 is scheduled to depart South Lake Tahoe at *10:30am PDT (19:30 CET) and is expected at the finish at North Lake Tahoe/Northstar at Tahoe Resort at around 3:35pm PDT (00:35am CET Monday).  Tour of California live streaming video should begin by around 2:00pm PDT (23:00 CET).

The Amgen Tour of California website will offer live video-streaming of the race with Tour Trac

"As everyone is aware, there is a storm front predicted to reach the area," explained the release. "Therefore race organizers, in conjunction with the commissaires, teams and public safety organizations, have developed a number of contingency plans with the safety of the riders and fans being the number one priority."

Thirteen riders have raced in every edition of the Amgen Tour of California  since the inaugural race in 2006. One of these riders is Chris Horner, of Team Radioshack, who shares some memories with us including his best and worst days.

"Light, adjustable, value glasses, but not quite the best in their price bracket."

Contador rode for Specialized last year as well, only he did so for his old Astana squad. Some of the small details on his bike have remained the same, pointing to a few personal preferences, but a few of the small mechanical and aesthetic touches used on his Astana SL3 last year are gone.

Some of the world’s best female cyclists will be competing in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women’s International Time Trial Challenge presented by Specialized and SRAM in Solvang, California, on Friday, May 20.

I love it when Chris Horner gives an interview. He says it like he thinks it.

“A leak of this kind is highly irresponsible and unacceptable. The UCI will consult WADA in order to launch an in-depth investigation of the matter.”

A major cyclists' agency in Belgium is considering legal action against the International Cycling Union (UCI) for its leaked “suspicious” list of riders at the 2010 Tour de France.  Celio Sport & Image, along with the riders involved, will look at the possibility of suing for defamation of character and asking for damages.

Today's Quote

"The UCI are the heads of cycling, they can do what they want and we can't do anything. Everyone sees, cyclists cannot do anything, they can't protest, nothing." - Yaroslav Popovych  CyclingWeekly

What would strike you about Tejay is how laidback and relaxed and, well, ordinary he looks. Not a killer bike racer with plans to win the Tour of California at age 22. But he just might do it and why bet against him?

An attempt was today made to sabotage the Etape Caledonia, held this morning in Highland Perthshire, for the second time in three editions, with screws, tacks and drawing pins strewn along a five-mile section of the course, in what police say was a “reckless and completely irresponsible” effort to cause disruption to the event.

Riccardo Riccò could make a comeback with the small Amore e Vita if accepts an offer from team owner Ivano Fanini to join the battle against doping.

Psychological blow or not? In stage eight of the Giro, that last uphill ramp to the finish in Tropea, Alberto Contador, El Pistolero, world’s best stage racer, favorite son of the Spanish Cycling Federation, opened up the after-burners. Just making sure there was no dust on the thrusters. A pre-eruption before Etna.

Some pointers ahead of Stage 9 from Team Sky's Geraint Thomas.

Stage 9 of the Giro d'Italia will feel like stage 1 to the favorites, as the race finally starts pointing up, way up, this time on the slopes of Europe's most active volcano, Sicily's Mount Etna.

Saturday's Giro d'Italia Stage 8 departs Sapri at 11:40am CET (5:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Tropea at around 5:13pm CET (11:13am U.S. Eastern). Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

This week was the Tour of ChongMing Island Tour - a three-stage Tour on the 80-km island in the Yangstze delta, in China.

Belgian didn’t believe he could actually win.

Hopes to return in time for the Vuelta.

When we see social media done right, we feel the need to shine a spotlight on it. We hope others in our sport will catch on and join in the fun. First up, Jonathan Vaughters, CEO and Director Sportif, Garmin Cervelo.

The Amgen Tour of California website will offer live video-streaming of the race with Tour Trac

Some of the world’s best female cyclists will be competing in the inaugural Amgen Tour of California Women’s International Time Trial Challenge presented by Specialized and SRAM in Solvang, California, on Friday, May 20. Held in conjunction with Stage 6 of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, the race will feature a 13-person field comprised of world champions and Olympic medalists battling it out on the same course that their male counterparts will also be competing on later in the day. The women will be racing for a $10,000 prize pool.

US National TT Champ looking forward to testing himself against the best.

The US is the world’s largest consumer market and pro cycling is all about promoting goods and brands. These two imperatives will meet in California. Indeed several US teams exist thanks to this race, the media coverage gained from participating in this race is the deciding factor for some sponsors.

I love it when Chris Horner gives an interview. He says it like he thinks it.

“There was a intention by both parties that USADA and the UCI would be able to come to terms on a protocol that would give USADA oversight and control of the in-competition testing,” said Messick. “Ultimately they weren’t able to come to an agreement.”

Yes, It’s official. The Tour of California bike race is going to happen tomorrow, Sunday in Lake Tahoe. Weather permitting.

Today's Quote

"The UCI are the heads of cycling, they can do what they want and we can't do anything. Everyone sees, cyclists cannot do anything, they can't protest, nothing." - Yaroslav Popovych  CyclingWeekly

David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) described himself as "shocked and incredibly disappointed" at the leaking of the UCI's "index of suspicion" of the 198 riders who competed in the 2010 Tour de France. The list, which detailed the level of priority for riders to be target tested at the Tour, was published in L'Équipe on Friday.

Rider reaction to the leaked UCI “index of suspicion” from the 2010 Tour de France ranged from anger to shrugged shoulders.

Riccardo Riccò could make a comeback with the small Amore e Vita if accepts an offer from team owner Ivano Fanini to join the battle against doping.

This video is from part of the Red Bull “Road Rage” series, the round held in Saint Lary Soulan in the French Pyrenees. Watch as, fittingly, the pink jersey wins and bonus points if you recognize the winner.

Saxo Bank-SunGard manager Bjarne Riis revealed that Alberto Contador's late attack on stage 8 of the Giro d'Italia was not premeditated and dismissed the idea that Contador had landed psychological blow to his rivals’ morale in Tropea.

On the eve of the Amgen Tour of California, George Hincapie is back with his BMC Racing team and the squad’s youth movement is keeping him going.

Andy Schleck said Friday that he is struggling with the death of friend and teammate Wouter Weylandt and that his team would honor the fallen Belgian on Sunday and the rest of the season.

VeloNews: Giro notes - Short stages and Etna’s ashes.

The helicopter shot showed a single file line of riders blasting up hill. The motorcycle shot showed a man losing speed and hope.

Friday's Giro d'Italia Stage 7 departs Maddaloni at 2:25pm CET (8:25am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Montevergine di Mercogliano at around 5:18pm CET (11:18am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

Tour de France boss defends biological passport.

The 25 year old Belgian rode his bike for fun as a student at the University of Ghent, making the decision to give racing a try only near the end of his studies. Three years later, he’s in his first season as a pro and is already a grand tour stage winner.

VeloNation 2011 Giro d'Italia Stage 6 Results.

Mark Cavendish got Cycling Weekly's attention when he Tweeted the other day: "Got a new 'minder' (ok, bodyguard) for the Giro... but he's got ginger hair... can i really have a ginger bodyguard?"

While it’s been overshadowed by the death of Wouter Weylandt, the first several stages of the 2011 Giro have had plenty of excitement to offer.

Despite forecasts to the contrary, the first stage of China’s Tour of Chongming Island was a cold and wet affair, as Garmin-Cervélo’s Elizabeth Armitstead scored her first international stage victory and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (HTC-Highroad) grabbed the overall lead on the strength of sprint bonus times.

The Amgen Tour of California website will offer live video-streaming of the race with Tour Tracker.

It’s been a heavy week. The death of Wouter Weylandt will overshadow the Giro and leave an indelible mark on the whole season. He won’t be forgotten, more so since the Giro has taken the number 108 out of the race for good. A nice touch but I’d like to see a more lasting and positive tribute, not just a missing number amongst many but a positive way to commemorate the young Belgian.

The UCI has reacted angrily to doping tests that are set to appear in Friday's edition of L'Equipe. The tests are believed to have been taken at the start of last year's Tour de France. It is not known how the information was leaked to the French publication or the level of detail involved.

Today's Quote

"The UCI are the heads of cycling, they can do what they want and we can't do anything. Everyone sees, cyclists cannot do anything, they can't protest, nothing." - Yaroslav Popovych  CyclingWeekly

In what is universally acknowledged as the toughest Tour of California in the six year history of the race, with two hilltop finishes and a mean Solvang time trial — and maybe even snow for the Tahoe stages — this edition will take a potent blend of awesome sauce to win.

The race will now be known as USA Pro Cycling Challenge for Millennium Promise, according to an article on SportsBusiness Journal by Fred Dreier.

Organisers of the Giro d’Italia have been quick to play down fears that Sunday’s Stage 9 which features a twin ascent of Mount Etna is in jeopardy following a upsurge in activity by the volcano.

 "A report by the Australian Sports Commission showed women's sport receives only 1.2% of all air time devoted to sport; in newspapers the coverage was 4.5%."

The RadioShack team has responded to the list of riders leaked to L'Equipe today, reportedly showing how the UCI ranked the riders of the 2010 Tour de France for targeted testing.

CyclingWeekly: Riders react with anger to publication of UCI 'suspicion' list.

It shows an internal UCI ranking of riders according to levels of “suspicion” relating to strange values gathered under the bio passport scheme. The higher the score, the greater the suspicion. The list was formulated by the UCI on the eve of the 2010 Tour de France.

We caught up with Team Type 1's Will Dugan on the eve of the ToC, and discussed dragons, racing and all things bike.

The triple-butted front triangle and chainstays are alloy with carbon fiber seatstays, and the fork is BMC’s disc-only carbon Capt Ahab model. It’s decked out with Easton cockpit bits and a full SRAM drivetrain with Avid hydraulic stoppers.

Boulder Report: Ice and Fire.

VeloNews: UCI hits out at Tour de France doping test leak

The International Cycling Union (UCI) criticised the decision by respected French sports daily L'Equipe to publish results from dope tests taken on the eve of the 2010 Tour de France.

So far, rides are confirmed in 11 towns and cities, with others potentially set to join them.

VeloNation 2011 Giro d'Italia Stage 6 Results.

Thursday's Giro d'Italia Stage 6 departs Orvieto at 11:50am CET (5:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Fiuggi at around 5:14pm CET (11:14am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:45pm CET (8:45am U.S. Eastern).

Mark Cavendish got Cycling Weekly's attention when he Tweeted the other day: "Got a new 'minder' (ok, bodyguard) for the Giro... but he's got ginger hair... can i really have a ginger bodyguard?"

While it’s been overshadowed by the death of Wouter Weylandt, the first several stages of the 2011 Giro have had plenty of excitement to offer.

Despite forecasts to the contrary, the first stage of China’s Tour of Chongming Island was a cold and wet affair, as Garmin-Cervélo’s Elizabeth Armitstead scored her first international stage victory and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (HTC-Highroad) grabbed the overall lead on the strength of sprint bonus times.

Today's Quote

“Today, our team mate and friend Wouter Weylandt passed away after a crash on the 3rd stage of the Giro d’Italia. The team is left in a state of shock and sadness and we send all our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wouter. This is a difficult day for cycling and for our team, and we should all seek support and strength in the people close to us.” - Brian Nygaard EuroSport

Riders ok, with Tom-Jelte Slagter off the worst, suffering a broken eye socket.

Gets replica of first Giro Maglia Rosa in post-race presentation.

The race will now be known as USA Pro Cycling Challenge for Millennium Promise, according to an article on SportsBusiness Journal by Fred Dreier.

Organisers of the Giro d’Italia have been quick to play down fears that Sunday’s Stage 9 which features a twin ascent of Mount Etna is in jeopardy following a upsurge in activity by the volcano.

Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, saw a sharp increase in activity last night between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. local time according to Agenzia Giornalistica Italia. The Giro d’Italia is scheduled to climb Etna twice during stage 9 on Sunday.

 "A report by the Australian Sports Commission showed women's sport receives only 1.2% of all air time devoted to sport; in newspapers the coverage was 4.5%."

These perform at least as well the other budget glasses we've tested so far this year, and are the lowest priced. The wraparound lens protects your eyes and the top of the frame, which looks bulky, didn’t make an appearance in our line of vision when riding. The big nosepiece in the corners of your eyes was irritating, though.

Boulder Report: Ice and Fire.

VeloNews: UCI hits out at Tour de France doping test leak

The International Cycling Union (UCI) criticised the decision by respected French sports daily L'Equipe to publish results from dope tests taken on the eve of the 2010 Tour de France.

There may be a team and rider protest against stage 14 of the Giro d'Italia, which includes the descent of the Monte Crostis on its way to the steep mountaintop finish of the Zoncolan. Alex Rasmussen of HTC-Highroad said the Crostis descent on narrow, steep gravel roads was very dangerous.

The price is expected to reach €4,000-6,000 this afternoon.

Next to the new mountain bike and TT/Triathlon/Cyclocross parts, FSA had some new carbon road wheels and a redesigned chain to go with their forthcoming Metron road group.

So far, rides are confirmed in 11 towns and cities, with others potentially set to join them.

Riders ok, with Tom-Jelte Slagter off the worst, suffering a broken eye socket.

Wednesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 5 departs Piombino at 12:25pm CET (6:25am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Orvieto at around 5:18pm CET (11:18am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 3:05pm CET (9:05am U.S. Eastern).

Gets replica of first Giro Maglia Rosa in post-race presentation.

As anticipated, Stage 4 of the Giro was neutralised with the peloton paying their respects to Wouter Weylandt. After the horrific news of Weylandt yesterday I couldn’t help but wonder which professional sport claims the most deaths. Cycling surely must be up there.

The Tour de France puts on a pretty good show too, you know. Even I, as one of the head cheerleaders for the Giro, can admit that the Tour does its minor jersey competitions very, very well.

Stage winner and new race leader speaks.

After winning the overall at Joe Martin, Janel Holcomb (Colavita/Forno d’Asolo) jumps from fourth to the top of the women’s individual standings.

Each time I try to picture Wouter Weylandt’s wife and the pain she must be experiencing, I’m immediately derailed by thoughts of my own family.

In a harrowing scene just two days following the death of Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt (Leopard-Trek), the 21-year-old grand tour rookie lie motionless after slamming hard on the pavement after it appeared that he crossed wheels while riding in the front group.

The race leaves the Mediterranean, heading inland to use the strade bianche, white roads, of Tuscany as well as some climbs. But it’s impossible to forget Wouter Weylandt, any battles on dusty roads today just won’t have the same urgency or importance as they might normally get.

Golden cycling race times in Golden State.

McKay won gold at both the 1992 and 1996 Olympics with the "Oarsome Foursome" has been working in the corporate sector and sport since his retirement from Olympic competition.

Today's Quote

“Today, our team mate and friend Wouter Weylandt passed away after a crash on the 3rd stage of the Giro d’Italia. The team is left in a state of shock and sadness and we send all our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wouter. This is a difficult day for cycling and for our team, and we should all seek support and strength in the people close to us.” - Brian Nygaard EuroSport

Canari has been growing at a rate of about 20 percent per year for the last two years, led by the custom division, which has seen 20 to 33 percent growth annually.

Mark Cavendish received his Specialized McLaren Venge just before Milan San Remo and in the past two months it's become his bike of choice. On stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia, he finished second to Alessandro Petacchi of the Lampre-ISD outfit on it.

Investigators in the United States conducting an inquiry into doping in professional cycling centered on Lance Armstrong and his former US Postal Service team and described as being “about corruption to the core” have made a formal request for co-operation from the appropriate authorities in France.

Battered, bloodied and bruised, David Millar crossed the finish line in Orvieto almost three minutes down on stage winner Pieter Weening to bring to an end a draining 48 hours in pink.

Slipstreaming behind press motorbikes. Dirty deals. Partisan fans. Chauvinistic reporting. The need for a home victory. That just about sums up the Giro d'Italia. But while the Corsa Rosa has earned its place in the annals of cycling for chicanery, upsets and tears, one day in one race stands head and shoulders above almost anything the Italians can offer. And that day happened twenty-six years ago this week. And it happened not in Italy, but in Spain, during the Vuelta a España.

The front wheel represents 7% of total drag, the frame and both wheels add up to 20% with the rider contributing a hefty 80% of drag. Thus the need for guys with narrow shoulders and the ability to hold a tight aerodynamic position.

High quality helmet with excellent fit and winter and summer pads.

American sprinter devastated at loss of “brother” Wouter Weylandt.

After winning the overall at Joe Martin, Janel Holcomb (Colavita/Forno d’Asolo) jumps from fourth to the top of the women’s individual standings.

A top cast will take the road in the Sierras on Sunday for the kickoff to the 2011 Amgen Tour of California, headlined by three-time champion Levi Leipheimer and world champion Thor Hushovd.

While the gear snafu is unfortunate, maybe the no-show decision was based on the terrible weather conditions forecast for the start of the race in this Sunday in lake Tahoe.

After a day of mourning, the Giro d’Italia returns to the bike racing. Wednesday’s stage runs southeast from Piombino to Orvieto. We’re in Umbria now, as the Giro makes its way south toward the first week’s finale in Sicilia.

As Giro d'Italia race leader, Scot David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) helped organised a tribute to Wouter Weylandt this morning in Genova. The 26-year-old Belgian of team Leopard-Trek died during yesterday's leg to Rapallo.

Tuesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 4 departs Genova Quarto dei Mille at 12:00pm CET (6:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Livorno at around 5:16pm CET (11:16am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:35pm CET (8:35am U.S. Eastern).

Bjørn Selander of RadioShack spent two days in the white jersey of the best young rider on general classification, and his parents have been able to see it in person for it. Dag and Heidi Selander had been planning to come visit their son in his new home in Italy for some time, and those plans were accelerated when they found out that their son would be riding the Giro.

Daryl Impey will return to the European peloton with Team NetApp.  He is expected to make his debut with the German Professional Continental team at the end of this month at Bayern Rundfahrt.

"It helps when you can work on the pain together, but we also have to understand that they are thinking about their family at home. It's not just emotions, but it's something on the psychological level. We will talk and find the right solution for everyone."

“This is not a day to be alone.” That was Leopard-Trek manager Brian Nygaard explaining many things.

Teams will each lead the peloton for 10km with Leopard Trek honored at the finish.

Tragedy hit cycling yesterday, with the death of Wouter Weylandt at the Giro d’Italia. The sport, to its credit, dealt with the terrible events with maturity and respect, symbolised by the race leader David Millar.

Today's Quote

“Today, our team mate and friend Wouter Weylandt passed away after a crash on the 3rd stage of the Giro d’Italia. The team is left in a state of shock and sadness and we send all our thoughts and deepest condolences to the family and friends of Wouter. This is a difficult day for cycling and for our team, and we should all seek support and strength in the people close to us.” - Brian Nygaard EuroSport

Here’s what was on our minds prior to yesterday’s tragedy at the Giro d’Italia.

Like any industry, the bicycle sector is a broad one and international, with sophisticated supply chains going around the world. There are so many companies from garage artisan frame builders to corporate giants quoted on several stock exchanges at once.

Wilier are introducing a new high-end road bike called the Zero.7 that will be built around their lightest ever frame. It will not be used by Wilier’s pro team, Lampre-ISD, so doesn’t need to conform to the UCI’s minimum weight limit of 6.8kg. The medium frame, fully painted up, will weigh less than 800g, according to the Italian brand.

Apparently, Giant has something up their sleeves for some type of evolution to one of their carbon road bikes. Clearly not a whole lot of info, but a cool video walk through of a new frame.

American sprinter devastated at loss of “brother” Wouter Weylandt.

With the Giro d’Italia underway, our biggest party of the year, the Spring Classics, is over. We thought it would be fitting that in lieu of bestowing Rider of the Month (which we have probably already made quite clear) and Team of the Month, as we are accustomed to publishing, we could commemorate such a spectacular set of races with a series of awards. We published Part 1 last week. Here are the remaining picks for Pavé’s Classics Awards:

Race Face Performance Products reopened their doors yesterday after a former employee stepped in to save the ailing company, which went into receivership in March.

The Matador Travel website recently came up with a suggested list of 15 cities. Five are in the good old U.S. of A., but not all are at the top of the League of American Bicyclists list of "platinum-level" bike friendly cities.

Neat and tidy, but not really strong enough for lengthy lock-ups.

Already producing a range of chain oils, grease, bike cleaner, mountainbike brake fluids and suspension oil the Juicy boys from the west country now want to lube your body with a chamois cream.

A better way to remember Wouter Weylandt.

Monday's Giro d'Italia Stage 3 departs Reggio Emilia at 12:55pm CET (6:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Rapallo at around 5:14pm CET (11:14am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should begin at around 2:35pm CET (8:35am U.S. Eastern).

Few will ever forget the harrowing images of Malaysia’s top track sprinter, Azizulhasni Awang, as his leg was skewered right through by a huge wooden stake-sized splinter of the Manchester Velodrome during the keirin event at the Track World Cup earlier this year.

Blazin' Saddles: Cav turns a corner.

VeloNews: Mark Cavendish says commissaires, officials biased against him.

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) says his success in the sprints has fermented a bias against him among race commissaires and officials regulating the races and suggested he is being “singled out.”

While the mad blood is flowing during these hot days of the Giro d'Italia's opening bunch skirmishes, Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo) displayed admirable calm after a frustrating finale to stage two in Parma.

German wins four out of five stages, but overall goes to Thomas Voeckler.

VeloNews: Wouter Weylandt dies after stage 3 crash at the Giro d’Italia.

Weylandt, 26, was left bloodied and unconscious and requiring a cardiac massage after a crash that occurred on the descent of the Bocco mountain pass around 25km from the finish line.

Riders shall be strictly forbidden to deviate from the lane they selected when launching into the sprint and, in so doing, endangering others.

Today's Quote

“I hope that Contador is innocent, because otherwise it would be a disaster. I don’t know all the details of his case, but his defense of the meat with the clenbuterol doesn’t convince me. We hope he is right in the end.” - Eddy Merckx  VeloNews

This is the first stage which raises the possibility of the attackers outdueling the sprinters... but it's tough to predict.

A good four day for Colavita. Holcomb held on to win the overall, her first overall at an NRC stage race, her teammate Vzesniauskaite won the sprint jersey and the squad won the team classification.

A better way to remember Wouter Weylandt.

CyclingInquisition: Secrets of Colombian Cycling, Part 2 - Bocadillo.

Briton apologises to Petacchi after post-race complaints.