VeloNation: Another strong sprint win for Lotto Belisol sprinter.

TwistedSpoke: At Liquigas-Cannondale the temptation could be to support Nibali and let the versatile and aggressive Sagan freelance and pick his moments. However, factor in the high probability that Nibali is leaving Liquigas and the scenario becomes more complicated and company loyalties open up for re-evaluation.

CyclingNews: That's the word Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale) used to describe the pace during the Raystown stage, stage number 4 of the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. Only 25 seconds separated Bishop from Barry Wicks (Kona Bikes) at the start of the day. By the end, that lead had ballooned to more than six and a half minutes.

CyclingWeekly: If you were none the wiser, the sight of Chris Froome working tirelessly for Bradley Wiggins during the recent Tour of Romandy could have fooled you into thinking that this season has been business as usual for the Kenyan-born Brit.

Skoda-Tour de Luxembourg - May 30-June3 (Races & results),
USA Road Championships - May 26-28 (Races & results),
Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingNews: Bjarne Riis hopes to tie Alberto Contador to a contract in the next few weeks. The Spaniard was released from his contract with Riis Cycling and Saxo Bank after the Court of Arbitration for Sport handed down a two-year retrospective ban earlier this year for his positive test for clenbuterol at the 2010 Tour de France.

BikeRadar: It's been a busy year for Shimano with the launch of new entry-level road groupsets and electronic Alfine hub gearing, not to mention three new mountain bike groups – but it looks like they may have left the best till last. Officially unveiled today is a new 11-speed version of their flagship Dura-Ace road groupset.

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Light and transferable, but expensive and has some compatibility problems."

road.cc: Performance helmet with an excellent combination of comfort and ventilation at a light weight.

CyclingNews: Timmy Duggan of Liquigas-Cannondale has not had an easy time as a professional bike racer, he's had to overcome a string of injuries which turned his early career into a roller coaster ride.

CyclingNews: After making headlines at the beginning of the Giro d’Italia for his prologue victory and his finishing straight crash in Horsens, Taylor Phinney (BMC) reached Milan looking to bookend his race with a strong showing in the concluding time trial.

SBS: A peek at the course and riders heading to the Criterium du Dauphine starting in France on Sunday make for a mouthwatering prospect for cycling fans, but aside from the fascinatng spectacle ahead, perhaps more importantly the race will serve as an important dry-run for the main event, the Tour de France, in four weeks time.

BikeRumor: HED have expanded the Ardennes wheel range to five models- and those reviewed here are equivalent to the range-topping Ardennes FRs.  Now $1,300, the Ardennes FR have gone to front- and rear-specific rims (lighter and heavier/stiffer, respectively).

road.cc: Flying Scotsman gives the lowdown on the bike he'll use for his tilt at the human-powered land speed record.

BikeRadar: Today's big news is the launch of a new version of Shimano's flagship Dura-Ace road groupset. But its electronic Di2 offshoot hasn't been forgotten – an updated version is in development. It's yet to be officially launched but Shimano did give us some information on what to expect from the new 11-speed Dura-Ace Di2 9070 series.

Cyclismas: "At the end of last week I took my team to Holland to race the in UCI 1.2 ranked event, the Valkenburg Hills Classic.  Run in the same region as the upcoming World Road Race Championships and taking in many of the hills used in the Amstel Gold race, it was never going to be an easy event.  With Marianne Vos at the head of affairs, with her powerful Rabo team riding off against the AA Drinks team of Emma Pooley and several other Brits hunting for points towards Olympic selection, the pace was very high."

Bicycling: Nine short workouts that deliver big results.

BikeRadar: How to perfect your cornering is the second in a multi-part road cycling ŠKODA skills series featuring pro tips from members of the British Continental squad Team Raleigh-GAC. The series is running in conjunction with the 'How to' section from our sister magazine Cycling Plus.

BikeRumor: 3T Team London Olympic Ergonova Drop Bar3T’s getting pumped about the 2012 London Olympics this year with a themed cockpit series. Adding just a little extra flash, 3T kept specs the same as standard components. Available for both road and mountain bike.

VeloNation: Italian wants to do Vuelta, but team sending him to US races.

VeloNews: “I am not counting on going back to the Olympics,” Leipheimer told VeloNews on Thursday. “That’s OK. I need to focus on winning races and not doing the Olympics is a good thing for that.”

CyclingNews: Operacion Galgo, or “Operation Greyhound,” the Spanish investigation into an alleged blood doping ring involving Dr. Eufemiano Fuentes has been closed due to “a lack of evidence.”

InnerRing: There are reports in La Gazzetta Dello Sport that Vincenzo Nibali has signed with Astana for 2013 and beyond. The Sicilian apparently has a €2.3 million contract and will move to the Kazako-Italian team with loyal helpers Alessandro Vanotti and Valerio Agnoli.

VeloNation: Injury sustained on stage 2; Dutch sprinter struggled through to stage 16.

VeloNation: Following his fall on stage nine of the Giro d’Italia, an accident caused during the sprint into Frosinone when he ran into the bike of Matt Goss, Filippo Pozzato yesterday returned to training and is on the road back to competition.

VeloNation: Lappartient admits questions exist, AFLD says rider has not been tested this year.

CyclingNews: 2008 Olympic TT champion more determined than ever following recent clavicle fracture.

The XP/XP City has an available rear blinky light (the City version comes with it) that pops into a rear vent hole.

BikeRumor: In addition to the completely revamped Dura-Ace DA9000 and 9070 Di2 groups just unveiled, Shimano has introduced a refreshed road bike wheel lineup and Dura-Ace hubs, too.

CyclingNews: Evans, Wiggins, Nibali top start list.

CyclingNews: Timmy Duggan of Liquigas-Cannondale has not had an easy time as a professional bike racer, he's had to overcome a string of injuries which turned his early career into a roller coaster ride. After many valleys, his peak came in this weekend's USA professional national championship road race, where he soloed away for over 15km to win the stars and stripes.

VeloNation: Rast and Hivert net second and third.

CyclingNews: Forty seven miles and over 5000 feet of elevation gain on a wide open gravel, paved and dirt roads made for a fast and attack-fueled stage 3 at the NoTubes Trans-Sylvania Epic. The attacks came early and often and left the men's field strewn across the Pennsylvania countryside.

RedKitePrayer: Ryder Hesjedal takes his career as a professional bike race ultra-seriously. He trains obsessively, he never shirks from working hard for his teammates, and whenever he gets a chance to ride aggressively he grabs it without a second thought. That’s why his magnificent performance in the 95th Giro d’Italia—the first Canadian to finish on the podium of a grand tour, let alone win one—didn’t surprise those who know him well. Even if his victory shocked the European cognoscenti.

Skoda-Tour de Luxembourg - May 30-June3 (Races & results),
USA Road Championships - May 26-28 (Races & results),
Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingNews: Organisers of the Tour de Québec announced this week that their July race will be back to its original five-day format, thanks to a partnership with title sponsor Desjardins.

BikeRumor: The InCOG Biketool is a new product by industrial designer Joshua Brassé, not in production yet but available for pre-order. Built to suit bars ranging from drops to flats, InCog claims “to fit the majority of handlebars”, but no detailed specs are provided.

Peloton: Dura Ace Di2 was ushered in as the bellwether of a new era, electronic shifting. While not the first to attempt an electronic drivetrain, or even the first to market one, Shimano was the first to do it successfully. Not only did Di2 work, it delivered startling performance. Of course, at the $4000 price point most riders just get to read about it. It was not a product to open the electronic floodgates.

BikeRadar: A pair of good-quality bib shorts should be top of every rider’s essential kit list. Despite operating in very challenging conditions, well-fitting shorts can keep you comfortable, dry and save you from soreness, however long you ride.

VeloNation: Three-time Tour of Belgium stage winner continues his build up for the Tour de France.

CyclingNews: The day after finishing his debut Giro d’Italia, Cyclingnews sat down with Taylor Phinney (BMC) at his home in Tuscany to discuss the highs and lows of his maiden ride in the corsa rosa.

InnerRing: A Dauphiné preview, Andy Schleck’s private victory ceremony, plus new motivation techniques, a new competition in Switzerland and the Italian doping scandal that was supposed to erupt again this week.

VeloNation: Italian wants to do Vuelta, but team sending him to US races.

VeloNation: Italian to ride his first race on French soil in almost three years.

VeloNews: Team Saxo Bank’s Chris Anker Sørensen has had a difficult start of the season with crashes in Israel and Pays Basque along with a long period of illness. The Danish climber has not been racing since the Tour de Romandie in April.

Bicycling: Find it, reach it—and stay lean for life.

road.cc: "We've had out hands on Magura's new conversion box to go with their slippery hydraulic rim brakes."

BikeRadar: Carbon wheels for mountain bikes are still high-dollar luxury items.The key is to balance a set’s price with their supposedly better durability and lighter weight.

road.cc: An aero aluminium frame with a curious component selection and a riding position that's too sat up for flat-out TT speed.

Fresh Goods from SKS – Snap On Fenders, Pumps & More.

BikeRumor: Sitting around press events gives us a good chance to not just see new products but usually learn a bit about the companies presenting them. SKS is a German plastic molding company that offers a range of cycling products largely aimed at the commuter crowd.

CyclingNews: Evans, Wiggins, Nibali top start list.

Willow’s Wisdom on the Rocks: Staying Sexy in the Saddle.

VeloNews: Kiel Reijnen - "It was a great race, Timmy was a very deserving winner and Frank a very deserving second. I was happy to share the all-Boulder podium with both of those guys. I am really looking forward to Philly next weekend as it can be a similar type of course.”

CyclingNews: As he returns to racing at the Tour of Luxembourg on Wednesday, Fränk Schleck has declared himself “very confident” of earning selection for RadioShack-Nissan’s Tour de France line-up, in spite of mounting speculation that he will not figure in manager Johan Bruyneel’s plans for July.

Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa: "The World Cup race at La Bresse, France last weekend was a genuine thriller. The track was technically challenging with a lot of climbs and descents, so it tasted especially good to go right to the top! Four years have passed since my last World Cup victory, but it was my very first World Cup victory after becoming a mother."

road.cc: Custom 622 combines carbon fibre and titanium and it's a bit of a looker... but it'll cost you.

Genevieve Whitson: Preparing for the ’cross season: the calm before the storm … or so I thought.

BikeRumor: Freelance writer and photographer Mark Johnson was given free access to the team for the whole season, and this large book is the product of many long hours sitting in on team meals and meetings, standing roadside during races, and traveling with various fragments of the team throughout this remarkable season.

TwistedSpoke: The Pro Road ($249) is billed as a lightweight, race-ready road shoe with Mavic’s Energy Full Carbon outsole. While it weights 25 more grams than the top end Zxellium at 275 grams, it shares several technologies includes the carbon outsole, Ergo Lite Rachet and a few other ergos.

BikeRadar verdict: "The group achieves 90 percent of Campagnolo's goal of mimicking the mechancial group's ergonomics and tactile feedback."

Amber Neben: Complete world domination. Well, not really. It was only a bike race, but Specialized-lululemon did have an excellent week of racing at the Exergy Tour. We had a motivated group of fit and prepared riders, we rode tactically well, and we stayed safe. Add that all up, and we were able to finish with top three in GC with two stage wins, the QOM jersey, the sprint jersey, and some miscellaneous other items.

VeloNation: Star-studded field for non-UCI race includes Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert.

Andy Schleck awarded yellow jersey for 2010 Tour de France.

VeloNation: Luxembourg rider officially replaces Alberto Contador as race winner.

USA Road Championships - May 26-28 (Races & results),
Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

Pedal: Cycling fans across Canada were glued to television screens and computers on Sunday morning as Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) did what no other Canadian has done before. He won a Grand Tour claiming the maglia rosa at the Giro d’Italia, the second most prestigious cycling race in the world next to the Tour de France.

CyclingNews: After Sunday's stage 1 time trial that put returning champion Jeremiah Bishop (Cannondale Factory Racing) just over one minute ahead of Barry Wicks (Kona Bikes) in overall GC, all eyes were on the two World Cup veterans to see who would emerge victorious in the treacherous 38-mile second stage of the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic, a stage considered by most to be the hardest and most challenging.

CompetitiveCyclist: "So far this has been my Year of Strava because of how it turns every climb and every interesting stretch of road into a race. Rest days are now an impossibility. I'm better off just staying off the bike. Another casualty has been mid-ride conversation. It's curious that the competitive pressure created by a social network is making riding anti-social."

BikeRumor: While pedaling along with the Ride 2 Recovery Memorial Challenge ride, Shimano brake engineer Wayne Stetina paid a visit to Jason at Freshbikes and let him snap us a few pics of what’s likely to be the forthcoming 2013 Dura-Ace component group.

BikeEurope: The recall involves all 4ZA 31.8 threadless bicycle handlebar stems sold as individual aftermarket components. The stems are black and have the words “4ZA Cycling Performance” painted on the carbon extension between the steerer clamp and handlebar clamp. The recalled stems range in extension lengths from 90mm to 130mm.

BikeRadar: Ritchey has unveiled their 2013 ‘Trail’ range of mountain bike components, including WCS stem and seatpost and both flat and low-rise bars.

VeloNation: No Olympic games for US cyclocross champion as she focuses solely on the winter.

CyclingWeekly: Bradley Wiggins is primed and ready to defend his Criterium du Dauphine title. The British Tour de France hope won the prestigious French stage race last year and will start this year's edition on Sunday, June 3, in the hope of once again finishing in the yellow jersey.

Charly Wegelius: "We have only gone and won the Giro! Who would have predicted that one month ago?  I heard some rampant speculation over the final days as to how much time Ryder could put into 'Purito' in the final TT, but it was actually extremely close, as you all know by now.  Hats off to Rodriguez for pulling off an amazing final stage."

CyclingNews: By all accounts, the inaugural Exergy Tour last week in Idaho exceeded the already high standard set by its predecessor, the Women's Challenge that ran through Boise from 1984 to 2002. Race spokesperson Heather Hill was confident the UCI 2.1 event will return again next year.

RedKitePrayer: Somewhere in the smell of the early morning dew on grass, tar on lumber, the croak of nearby frogs there’s a sense that home is at hand, that the past is around the corner, that long-closed haunts may still be mopping up last night’s spilled beer and cigarette butts. But you know that can’t be the case. In your absence time has allowed a city to grow, prosper, improve and fail, one address at a time.

road.cc: Light, aerodynamic wheels that take over from the RZR 46s as the fastest we've ever used.

Bicycling: New Campagnolo EPS aero shifters, brake lever, and aero crank electrify TT and triathlon bikes.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Versatile knicker-style baggy that performs on the bike and looks good off it too."

BikeRadar: Cero is an in-house wheel brand from UK retailer Cycle Division, and the AR30 Superlight alloy clincher is the debut model in the range. Cycle Division have been developing Cero hoops for the last 18 months, with deep-section carbon wheels among the new items being readied for launch this summer.

VeloNation: Three-time Tour of Belgium stage winner continues his build up for the Tour de France.

VeloNews: As Timmy Duggan took the top step of the podium at the USA Cycling Professional National Championship road race Monday, his Liquigas-Cannondale teammate Ted King stood to the side of the stage, fighting back tears. Not only have the two formed a close bond as the lone American members of the Italian ProTeam, their championship weekend in Greenville, South Carolina, was a real do-it-yourself affair.

TwistedSpoke: Consider this irony: we are a month away from the Tour de France and two of the most famous team managers in modern pro cycling are disappointed with their squads and unsure which — if any — rider will lead in France.

CyclingNews: Mauricio Soler has returned to Europe, and made a point of visiting the Hospital Sankt Gallen, where he lay in the intensive care unit for 20 days after a crash in the Tour de Suisse. The Colombian is continuing his rehabilitation in Pamplona, Spain, and cheered on his former teammates and countrymen in the Giro d'Italia.

EuroSport: With the dust beginning to settle on Ryder Hesjedal's wonderful victory in the 2012 Giro d'Italia, Saddles takes a look back at the 95th edition of the race and divvies out his retrospective awards.

CyclingWeekly: It's only been six months since Campagnolo launched its electronic ESP system and less than a year since the last time trial components, but Campag is now launching time trial-specific ESP bar-end shifters and brake controls. So shifting gears is as easy as pushing a button - anything that helps conserving energy while on the rivet is always a good thing.

StickyBottle: "I just completed the Valkenberg Hills Classic race in Holland – and wow was it a scorcher. The weather was fabulous – which made for a nice change. All the races I’ve done so far this season have been wet, overcast and generally miserable."

Off The Beaten Path: What size handlebar bag is best for you and your bike? Basically, the bag should fill the space between the front rack and the stem. To optimize the bike’s handling, the bag should be as low as possible, and well-supported on a rack just above the front wheel/fender.

CyclingNews: USA Cycling's junior development program has begun to bear fruit, with the team scoring its second overall stage race victory of the year in the Tour du Pays de Vaud. T. J. Eisenhart of Utah claimed the win and the mountains classification in addition to two stage victories in the four-day, five-stage French race.

VeloNation: Holds off chase group containing Van Garderen, Danielson on hot South Carolina afternoon.

USA Road Championships - May 26-28 (Races & results),
Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

Trixi Worrack: Racing in the potato state Idaho – it is famous here for potatoes.

VeloNews: After three weeks of pink jersey hot potato, Sunday’s race of truth put forth its final judgment on the twin leaders of the Giro d’Italia. Ryder Hesjedal’s 16-second final margin is the smallest since 1974, proof positive that every second does indeed count.

CyclingNews: Ryder Hesjedal's victory in the Giro d'Italia is quite an historic milestone in Canadian cycling. While compatriot Steve Bauer came close to a Grand Tour podium for Canada with a fourth place finish in the 1988 Tour de France, Hesjedal not only achieved the nation's first Grand Tour podium finish but claimed the first Grand Tour victory.

CyclingIQ: A reported 120,000 people were clumped and dotted along the seven kilometer circuit hosting today’s final Tour of Japan stage in Hibiya district, Tokyo. A bunch sprint, won by Aisan Racing Team’s Taiji Nishitani, was the perfect finalé for the gathered crowd, following a week of unpredictable and thrilling racing.

road.cc: Excellent freeing spray and not just for carbon goodies.

VeloNation: Claudia Häusler wins fourth stage as Specialized-lululemon dominates the overall classification.

TwistedSpoke: Remember back in 2004 and 2005 when Ivan Basso was the only rider in the Tour de France to come close to challenging Lance Armstrong? Remember back in 2006 when Ivan Basso won his first Giro by something drug crazy like nine minutes?

InnerRing: Many seem to have enjoyed the Giro, especially with the final week and the suspense that went all the way to the last moments of the final stage. Sport offers highs and lows and in reality there can be many moments of boredom. Indeed lest we forget the Giro had its siesta moments too, inevitable during three weeks.

Video workshop: How to fix a broken chain.

BikeRadar: Whether you're in the comfort of a workshop or exposed out on the trails, having the right skills and tools to fix and maintain your bike are an essential part of any mountain biker's armory.

BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "The best glasses get overhauled and continue to lead in sports eyewear."

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CyclingNews: USA Cycling's junior development program has begun to bear fruit, with the team scoring its second overall stage race victory of the year in the Tour du Pays de Vaud. T. J. Eisenhart of Utah claimed the win and the mountains classification in addition to two stage victories in the four-day, five-stage French race. Tyler Williams (Shafter, California) won the points classification.

VeloNation: Hesjedal, de Gendt make big improvements in UCI standings.

Cyclismas: The celebration was marred by the realization of many key Canadians that their hero hasn’t lived in the country for a number of years. In fact, Ryder Hesjedal splits time between Maui, Hawaii in the off-season and Girona, Spain during the racing season.

BikeRadar: Wheel-maker DT Swiss and their tyre partner Schwalbe have just unveiled their 2013 ranges. BikeRadar got hands-on with all the new models, including the brand new Spline wheel and Ultremo ZX tubular and clincher tyres, at their base in Biel, Switzerland.

road.cc: Excellent super lightweight, barely there summer riding mitts - just watch out for the sizing.

CyclingNews: Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) became the first Canadian rider to win a grand tour when he finished 47 seconds ahead of overnight leader Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) to claim the Giro d'Italia title by a mere 16 seconds.

CyclingFans: Sunday's Giro d'Italia Stage 21, a 30km Individual Time Trial at Milan, gets underway at 1:49pm CET (7:49am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around  3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: Italian media are using irony to highlight new Giro d'Italia boss Michele Acquarone's evident inclination for the English language and the internationalization of the event. But they're ready to welcome Ryder Hesjedal as the first Canadian winner of the corsa rosa, should the rider from Garmin-Barracuda confirm tomorrow that he has the power to recover his 31-second deficit from current race leader Joaquim Rodriguez, who is not exactly a time trial specialist.

USA Road Championships - May 26-28 (Races & results),
Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNation: Thomas De Gendt was the surprise winner at the top of the Passo dello Stelvio, the highest peak of the 2012 Giro d’Italia, on the eve of the closing 30-km individual time trial in Milan. He went away on the Mortirolo prior to keeping his momentum over the legendary climb that he has been very familiar with for the past six years.

VeloNation: Rodríguez and Hesjedal under pressure as Vacansoleil-DCM rider turns the race on its head.

Up to four riders are said to have been disqualified from the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia for holding on to the team cars on the stage climbs. It has been confirmed that Robert Hunter (Garmin-Barracuda) was one of them, and stage 18 winner Andrea Guardini of Farnese Vini-Selle Italia has told Italian television that he was also disqualified. The other riders have not been confirmed.

RBAction: The cycling touring company that has made a name for themselves by offering pro-style, weeklong training camps in Southern California has now added the “Cycling Greats” tour September 4th to 14th. Participants will get to experience some of France’s most esteemed climbs, notably the Galibier, Telegraph, and Alpe d’Huez, as well as many other lesser known, but equally amazing, ‘cols’ around the Rhône-Alpes region.

Bicycling: From ultra-light hardtails to downhill-inspired trail bikes, these eight bikes rip.

road.cc: Dan Lloyd rides the Stelvio & talks preparation & strategy while Geraint Thomas talks tactics.

CyclingNews: Astana’s Roman Kreuziger climbed to victory in an epic stage 19 at the 2012 Giro d’Italia, coming home 19 seconds clear of Garmin-Barracuda’s Ryder Hesjedal and going some way towards restoring his reputation after a race that hasn’t gone to plan over the last three weeks.

CyclingNews: Frenchman claims race lead.

Stage 3 start time: Sunday 12:00 MDT (11:00 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 12:00 MDT (11:00 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 3:00 MDT (2:00 PM PDT).

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VeloNews: The race motorcycle ahead of Phinney in the stage 21 time trial missed a turn on the course and led the American off-course. Phinney was forced to turn around and return to the course.

road.cc: Well made with distinctive love/hate looks and a clever lens replacement system.

IndieGroup: “Recovering,” a documentary chronicling how bicycling help troops heal wounds, needs your help.

VeloNews: Defending champion Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) has successfully defended his title the US Pro Time Trial Championship, covering the 20.7 mile course in Greenville, South Carolina in 40 minutes, 41 seconds.

CyclingNews: Thor Hushovd has flown to the US for medical examinations. It is thought that a viral infection may be responsible for his poor performance so far this year. The former world champion abandoned the Giro d'Italia on the sixth stage.

CyclingNews: At the top of the Stevlio with his Giro d'Italia bid all but over, Ivan Basso acknowledged that his performance had fallen short his expectations. The two-time race winner sits 3:18 down on race leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha Team) in seventh place after two difficult stages in the mountains. With just a 30-kilometer time trial to come, Basso has little chance of moving up the overall classification.

CyclingNews: With just one stage remaining in this year’s Giro d’Italia, Sky’s Dave Brailsford has plenty of reasons to be proud. Three stage wins courtesy of Mark Cavendish and overall white jersey on the shoulders of Rigoberto Uran, not to mention the emergence of Sergio Henao in his first Grand Tour have given Sky their best return since debuting in the race two years ago.

PodiumInsight: Arm in a sling, straight out of surgery for a mid-shaft clavicle fracture, Kristin Armstrong (Exergy Twenty12) paid a visit to watch the finish of stage 1 of the Exergy Tour. The message was clear.  Armstrong was there to support the race, her team and to let the world know that she is still determined to race at the Olympic Games and will not let a pesky broken collarbone stand in her way.

Cheryl Sornson: The Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSE) is consuming much of my brain right now. Mostly with things such as "I have to remember this or that"; "I have this to do before..."; "I can't forget to do this when I get back..."; "I also agreed to blog, what was I thinking!"; "I'm never this much of wreck prior to 100s"; "Am I just freaking out due to my poor luck last weekend, duh that's only part of it...Top notch women's field to line up for Trans-Sylvania Epic is the main part".

road.cc: Surprising features on Mio bike computer, try a bamboo frame on for size.

CyclingFans: Sunday's Giro d'Italia Stage 21, a 30km Individual Time Trial at Milan, gets underway at 1:49pm CET (7:49am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around  3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: Italian media are using irony to highlight new Giro d'Italia boss Michele Acquarone's evident inclination for the English language and the internationalization of the event. But they're ready to welcome Ryder Hesjedal as the first Canadian winner of the corsa rosa, should the rider from Garmin-Barracuda confirm tomorrow that he has the power to recover his 31-second deficit from current race leader Joaquim Rodriguez, who is not exactly a time trial specialist.

USA Road Championships - May 26-28 (Races & results),
Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNation: Thomas De Gendt was the surprise winner at the top of the Passo dello Stelvio, the highest peak of the 2012 Giro d’Italia, on the eve of the closing 30-km individual time trial in Milan. He went away on the Mortirolo prior to keeping his momentum over the legendary climb that he has been very familiar with for the past six years.

VeloNation: Rodríguez and Hesjedal under pressure as Vacansoleil-DCM rider turns the race on its head.

Up to four riders are said to have been disqualified from the penultimate stage of the Giro d'Italia for holding on to the team cars on the stage climbs. It has been confirmed that Robert Hunter (Garmin-Barracuda) was one of them, and stage 18 winner Andrea Guardini of Farnese Vini-Selle Italia has told Italian television that he was also disqualified. The other riders have not been confirmed.

RBAction: The cycling touring company that has made a name for themselves by offering pro-style, weeklong training camps in Southern California has now added the “Cycling Greats” tour September 4th to 14th. Participants will get to experience some of France’s most esteemed climbs, notably the Galibier, Telegraph, and Alpe d’Huez, as well as many other lesser known, but equally amazing, ‘cols’ around the Rhône-Alpes region.

Bicycling: From ultra-light hardtails to downhill-inspired trail bikes, these eight bikes rip.

road.cc: Dan Lloyd rides the Stelvio & talks preparation & strategy while Geraint Thomas talks tactics.

CyclingNews: Astana’s Roman Kreuziger climbed to victory in an epic stage 19 at the 2012 Giro d’Italia, coming home 19 seconds clear of Garmin-Barracuda’s Ryder Hesjedal and going some way towards restoring his reputation after a race that hasn’t gone to plan over the last three weeks.

CyclingNews: Frenchman claims race lead.

CyclingFans: Sunday's Tour of Belgium Stage 5 departs Clavier at 10:30am CET (4:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Engis at around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Belgium live streaming video should get underway at around 2:05pm CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern).

VeloNation: Former three-time World champion shows his class against the clock.

CyclingNews: With ExergyTwenty12 team leader Kristin Armstrong out of the race, Specialized-lululemon dominated the Kuna time trial at the women's Exergy Tour in Idaho Saturday, sweeping the podium and putting Amber Neben in yellow.

CyclingIQ: Sure, Friday’s stage up Fujisan was steep, but today’s 146.4 kilometer course was thirteen times longer with three times more elevation gain. Tour of Japan’s fifth stage took place in ”a bicycle theme park sequestered in 1.68 million square meters of natural surroundings”, otherwise known as Izu’s Japan Cycle Sports Center.

VeloNation: World champion takes overall lead after 20.5km test.

Christine Vardaros: "I am just recently back from Benidorm, Spain, where I spent eleven days with my Baboco Team for training camp. It was such a fabulous experience that I am still on a high from it while wishing I was still there!"

Bicycling: Summer starts this weekend, and we hope you are planning a long ride with friends followed by a barbecue and cold libations. If you’re looking for something other than beer to drink (and we like beer, too), here are some speedy cocktails and mixers to consider, all with ingredients that have health benefits. So relax and enjoy. Just be responsible.

Stage 2 start time: Saturday 11:00 MDT (10:00 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 11:00 MDT (10:00 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 13:30 MDT (12:30 PM PDT).

CyclingNews: Bronzini crashes out in final sprint.

VeloNation: Finish marred as first two crash after the line.

CyclingNews: Marianne Vos has suffered an apparent broken collarbone in a crash at the Parkhotel Valkenburg Classic today. The Rabobank captain was taken down on the decent of the Fromberg by a race motorcycle with 63km remaining in the 95km race, according to rabosport.nl.

IndieGroup: “Recovering,” a documentary chronicling how bicycling help troops heal wounds, needs your help.

VeloNews: Defending champion Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) has successfully defended his title the US Pro Time Trial Championship, covering the 20.7 mile course in Greenville, South Carolina in 40 minutes, 41 seconds.

CyclingNews: Thor Hushovd has flown to the US for medical examinations. It is thought that a viral infection may be responsible for his poor performance so far this year. The former world champion abandoned the Giro d'Italia on the sixth stage.

CyclingNews: At the top of the Stevlio with his Giro d'Italia bid all but over, Ivan Basso acknowledged that his performance had fallen short his expectations. The two-time race winner sits 3:18 down on race leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha Team) in seventh place after two difficult stages in the mountains. With just a 30-kilometer time trial to come, Basso has little chance of moving up the overall classification.

CyclingNews: With just one stage remaining in this year’s Giro d’Italia, Sky’s Dave Brailsford has plenty of reasons to be proud. Three stage wins courtesy of Mark Cavendish and overall white jersey on the shoulders of Rigoberto Uran, not to mention the emergence of Sergio Henao in his first Grand Tour have given Sky their best return since debuting in the race two years ago.

PodiumInsight: Arm in a sling, straight out of surgery for a mid-shaft clavicle fracture, Kristin Armstrong (Exergy Twenty12) paid a visit to watch the finish of stage 1 of the Exergy Tour. The message was clear.  Armstrong was there to support the race, her team and to let the world know that she is still determined to race at the Olympic Games and will not let a pesky broken collarbone stand in her way.

Cheryl Sornson: The Trans-Sylvania Epic (TSE) is consuming much of my brain right now. Mostly with things such as "I have to remember this or that"; "I have this to do before..."; "I can't forget to do this when I get back..."; "I also agreed to blog, what was I thinking!"; "I'm never this much of wreck prior to 100s"; "Am I just freaking out due to my poor luck last weekend, duh that's only part of it...Top notch women's field to line up for Trans-Sylvania Epic is the main part".

road.cc: Surprising features on Mio bike computer, try a bamboo frame on for size.

CyclingNews: RadioShack-Nissan team principal Johan Bruyneel has used his regular Telesport column to slam what he sees as his team's poor overall form in 2012 and warned his star riders that complacency won't be tolerated ahead of the Tour de France in a month's time.

SBS: Andy Schleck will receive the winner's yellow jersey for the 2010 Tour de France in a ceremony in the Luxembourg town of Mondorf next Tuesday, it was confirmed overnight.

CyclingIQ: 2012 marks a major milestone for Giant; two decades have passed since the Taiwanese brand first forayed onto the mainland. Following a tour of Giant’s impressive new factory in Kunshan, Cycling iQ sat down with Giant China’s GM of domestic marketing, Kevin Zhu, to get a status update on the company’s progress in China.

SRAM XX1 prototype spotted - this one goes to 11.

CyclingFans: Saturday's Giro d'Italia Stage 20 departs Caldes/Val di Sole at 10:25am CET (4:25am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Passo dello Stelvio at around 5:15pm CET (11:15am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around 1:30pm CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

road.cc: Dan Lloyd rides the Stelvio & talks preparation & strategy while Geraint Thomas talks tactics.

CyclingNews: Astana’s Roman Kreuziger climbed to victory in an epic stage 19 at the 2012 Giro d’Italia, coming home 19 seconds clear of Garmin-Barracuda’s Ryder Hesjedal and going some way towards restoring his reputation after a race that hasn’t gone to plan over the last three weeks.

CyclingNews: Garmin-Barracuda's Ryder Hesjedal lies in second place in the overall GC after 18 stage of the 2012 Giro d'Italia and is just 30 seconds behind the pink jersey holder Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha). The Canadian's superb form and set-your-watch consistency has been one of the big talking points of the race so far and has surprised all but his most ardent fans and those in his inner circle.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingNews: Frenchman claims race lead.

CyclingNews: A dramatic finish to stage 18 of the 2012 Giro d'Italia produced a moment that has become all too rare in the sport of road cycling over the last few years - a defeat for Mark Cavendish in bunched sprint to the line when he has been set up perfectly by his team. The Team Sky rider was beaten into second place and denied a fourth stage win in the race by an astonishing display from Farnese Vini-Selle Italia's Andrea Guardini.

VeloNews: Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) is hoping to end the 2012 Giro d’Italia the same way he started it: with victory in the final-day time trial to complement his opening-day win in Denmark.

CyclingNews: Fabian Cancellara has finally returned to racing, more than seven weeks after suffering a quadruple fracture of the right collarbone. The RadioShack-Nissan rider said that he was “satisfied” with his performance in the Bayern Rundfahrt, where he finished at the rear of the 125-rider strong group with the same time as winner Alessandro Petacchi.

Bicycling: "Take advantage of the summer's fresh fruit and get your next recovery snack from the produce aisle. These five summer fruits are nutritional champs for cyclists."

CyclingFans: Saturday's Tour of Belgium Stage 4, a 20.5km Individual Time Trial from Turnhout to Arendonk, gets underway with the departure of the first rider at 12:43pm CET (6:43am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Belgium live streaming video should get underway at around 2:05pm CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: Bronzini crashes out in final sprint.

VeloNation: Finish marred as first two crash after the line.

VeloNation: The Gorilla is unbeatable as Lotto-Belisol dominates its home race.

VeloNews: In a hard blow to the Exergy Twenty12 team, hometown favorite Kristin Armstrong crashed hard Thursday, halfway through the Exergy Tour’s 3.2km prologue. She was later diagnosed with a fractured collarbone and will undergo surgery on Friday.

CyclingNews: Marianne Vos has suffered an apparent broken collarbone in a crash at the Parkhotel Valkenburg Classic today. The Rabobank captain was taken down on the decent of the Fromberg by a race motorcycle with 63km remaining in the 95km race, according to rabosport.nl.

RedKitePrayer: The first Tour de France, held in 1903, was considered an absolute success. It changed the fortunes of the newspaper that sponsored the event, l’Auto, and united France in following what was arguably the greatest sporting spectacle of the age. The following years didn’t go as smoothly.

When no police are near, we are the Leonardo Da Vinci of inventing parking spots, creatively driving up forested hills in the woods, on sidewalks in town, down the wrong way on one-way streets. With our pink and green press car stickers, we feel invincible. (We are not.)

Prologue start time: Thursday 18:30 MDT (5:30 PM PDT);
Earliest live video: TBA;
Approximate finish: 20:15 MDT (7:15 PM PDT).

BikeRadar: "Running in conjunction with the 'How to' section from our sister magazine Cycling Plus, here's the first in a multi-part road cycling skills series featuring pro tips from members of the British Continental squad Team Raleigh-GAC."

BikeRumor: Friday Roundup – Bicycle Bits And Pieces.

CyclingNews: RadioShack-Nissan team principal Johan Bruyneel has used his regular Telesport column to slam what he sees as his team's poor overall form in 2012 and warned his star riders that complacency won't be tolerated ahead of the Tour de France in a month's time. And despite insisting earlier this week that he understood Frank Schleck's reasons for withdrawing from the Giro d'Italia last weekend, Bruyneel couldn't resist having another veiled dig at the man from Luxembourg.

SBS: Andy Schleck will receive the winner's yellow jersey for the 2010 Tour de France in a ceremony in the Luxembourg town of Mondorf next Tuesday, it was confirmed overnight.

CyclingIQ: 37-year old Fortunato Baliani invested forty minutes and twenty three seconds of his life and got 18 seconds back. Though other riders got better relative returns in today’s 11.4 kilometer mass-start hill climb up Fujisan, the wily Italian moved closer to the biggest prize.

CyclingIQ: 2012 marks a major milestone for Giant; two decades have passed since the Taiwanese brand first forayed onto the mainland. Following a tour of Giant’s impressive new factory in Kunshan, Cycling iQ sat down with Giant China’s GM of domestic marketing, Kevin Zhu, to get a status update on the company’s progress in China.

SRAM XX1 prototype spotted - this one goes to 11.

BikeRadar: "We’d long heard rumblings of a new 11-speed mountain bike group coming from SRAM. We expected it to be an updated XX with a wider range that more closely replicated a conventional triple. Instead, SRAM have developed a progressive, dedicated, single-ring 11-speed group called XX1. The company hope it will change mainstream thinking in terms of mountain bike drivetrains."

BikeRadar: German helmet and sunglasses manufacturer Uvex will offer a new flagship helmet for 2013, called the fp 5. The lid will be available this fall but is already in use by the Argos-Shimano professional road team in Europe. Uvex will also offer an Ultrasonic helmet, and top their stalwart Crow Pro shield-type sunglasses with a pair called SGL 104.

VeloNews: Louis Garneau brought their flagship Carbon Pro Team shoes to the market this past winter. The Carbon Pro Team, like most shoes with “Pro” in the name, sports a high modulus carbon sole and a ratcheting buckle. You can find the Carbon Pro Teams being worn by Europcar, though after some investigation we found that Thomas Voekler opts for LG’s lightest weight Carbon X-Lites that lack a ratcheting buckle in favor of a third Velcro strap.

CyclingNews: The doping case involving former pro rider Wim Vansevenant has taken a surprise turn. An analysis has shown that the “doping products” he ordered did not contain the advertised contents, and that he was scammed by the company from which he bought the products.

CyclingNews: Team Tibco to the Top got off to a rough start before the 2012 Exergy Tour in Boise, Idaho, when thieves made off with the squad's supply of race machines from a trailer in the hotel parking lot early Wednesday morning. But by Wednesday afternoon Boise police announced that all of the bikes had been recovered following a citizen tip.

CyclingTips: It’s one thing preparing your nutrition plan for a single day race. It’s tougher for a week-long stage race. But nutrition for the grand tours is something else. Optimising performance and recovery, and maintaining a healthy gut and immune system whilst constantly on the move for three weeks is a massive logistical challenge for teams and their support staff.

CyclingFans: Friday's Giro d'Italia Stage 19 departs Treviso at 11:15am CET (5:15am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Alpe di Pampeago at around 5:15pm CET (11:15am U.S. Eastern). Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around 1:30pm CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

road.cc: Massive climbs make this a day for the super-light whippet says birthday boy Geraint Thomas.

VeloNation: :“For sure I have to try to drop him.”

VeloNews: Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing) is hoping to end the 2012 Giro d’Italia the same way he started it: with victory in the final-day time trial to complement his opening-day win in Denmark.

CyclingNews: Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini - Selle Italia) won stage 18 of the Giro d’Italia, beating world champion Mark Cavendish with a perfectly timed sprint. Robert Ferrari (Androni) took third. There was no change to the overall classification on the flat 139km stage to Vedelago.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNews: Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) Basso is confident in winning his third Giro d’Italia, but there’s just the problem of dealing with Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda).

CyclingNews: Fabian Cancellara has finally returned to racing, more than seven weeks after suffering a quadruple fracture of the right collarbone. The RadioShack-Nissan rider said that he was “satisfied” with his performance in the Bayern Rundfahrt, where he finished at the rear of the 125-rider strong group with the same time as winner Alessandro Petacchi.

JamesStout: As of late, I've noticed quite a trend towards the use of GPS based pseudo-racing social websites such as Strava. I recently got  a new telephone and joined Strava, I have lots of followers, and 3 rides logged. This isn't because I don't ride very much, I ride every day. For me, there are several reasons why I don't use Strava.

Bicycling: "Take advantage of the summer's fresh fruit and get your next recovery snack from the produce aisle. These five summer fruits are nutritional champs for cyclists."

BikeRadar: Former pro cyclist and current Saxo Bank team owner Bjarne Riis will take part in a Q and A next week in support of his autobiography, Riis - Stages of Light and Dark.

VeloNews: Levi and many others used ice socks under their skinsuits to try to keep a little cool in the blistering, 100+ degree temperatures of the Bakersfield time trial.

Rodriguez wins in pink.

BikeRadar: Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) won a dramatic stage 17 at the 2012 Giro d'Italia, overcoming some of his closest rivals in the general classification as the race headed into the Dolomites for the first time.

Prologue start time: Thursday 18:30 MDT (5:30 PM PDT);
Earliest live video: TBA;
Approximate finish: 20:15 MDT (7:15 PM PDT).

Marco Pinotti: "A lot of things have happened in the Giro d'Italia since we approached the last week of racing. When we left the Riviera in Savona, I learned that the riders from Orica-GreenEdge were warming-up on rollers and eating their gels prior to the start as if it were a time trial. Stage 13 was in theory a good one for an early attack, but Team Sky didn't let anyone go."

VeloNation: First victory in almost exactly two years for former three-time World time trial champion.

VeloNation: German Gorilla does it again in Belgium as his team builds confidence for France.

VeloNation: 1000km between Napoli and Bergamo for the only women’s Grand Tour.

InnerRing: "In a series of food linked to cycling, some things are more obvious than others. Pasta in Italy links local produce with an important source of fuel for the cyclist; coffee is both a stimulant, a source of warmth in the winter and part of the culture in many countries. Ice cream might not seem so related to cycling but it is widely available in Italy and during the summer months can almost replace the espresso as a pick-up."

VeloNews: Dominique Rollin (FDJ-BigMat) is happy to still be in the Giro d’Italia after being hit by a car in Wednesday’s 17th stage. The Canadian rolled across the finish line in Cortina d’Ampezzo with his left arm and leg bleeding and his jersey torn after a spill on the descent off the Passo Valparola.

RedKitePrayer: "The PR machine at Specialized (my God, they are effective—other companies would do well to emulate them) brought these to my attention following a little field trip to Finland they made with a few of my colleagues including peloton‘s Ben Edwards and Bike Radar’s James Huang. So why Finland?"

road.cc: Italian brand adds parts to their EPS system.

BikeRadar: "Running in conjunction with the 'How to' section from our sister magazine Cycling Plus, here's the first in a multi-part road cycling skills series featuring pro tips from members of the British Continental squad Team Raleigh-GAC."

CXMagazine: After an amazing 2011-2012 cyclocross season, with a second place at Nationals and a dominant win in the collegiate race, Kaitie Antonneau should have been able to relax and enjoy her spring semester of college. Of course, she still had cyclocross worlds to contend with, and then a collegiate road season.

CyclingFans: Thursday's Tour of Belgium Stage 2 departs Lochristi at 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Knokke-Heist at around 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Belgium live streaming video should get underway at around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: The doping case involving former pro rider Wim Vansevenant has taken a surprise turn. An analysis has shown that the “doping products” he ordered did not contain the advertised contents, and that he was scammed by the company from which he bought the products.

CyclingNews: Team Tibco to the Top got off to a rough start before the 2012 Exergy Tour in Boise, Idaho, when thieves made off with the squad's supply of race machines from a trailer in the hotel parking lot early Wednesday morning. But by Wednesday afternoon Boise police announced that all of the bikes had been recovered following a citizen tip.

CyclingNews: Omega Pharma-QuickStep financier Zdenek Bakal still dreams of adding Alberto Contador to his team when the Spaniard returns from a doping-related suspension in August. According to all indications, Contador is most likely to return to Saxo Bank and Bjarne Riis, but that hasn't stopped other teams from inquiring.

VeloNation: Pedersen takes fourth stage while Lang continues to lead overall.

Video: Smart ENVE 6.7 Clincher - First look.

BikeRadar: The fruits of the partnership between ENVE and aerodynamicist Simon Smart continue to bear fruit. Last month we brought you an exclusive look at two new additions to their SES range, the time trial-specific 8.9 Tubular and the 3.4 Clincher, and today it's the turn of the 6.7 Clincher.

CyclingIQ: Tour of Japan’s fourth stage has it all. Beginning at 826 metres above sea level, and ending 11.4 kilometres later at 1,963 metres elevation (an average 9.97% gradient, with pinches of 22%), tomorrow’s stage is the hill climb with a difference. Because it’s a mass start. Brilliant! Or, in the words of Bridgestone Anchor’s Ryota Nishizono, “At Mount Fuji, team strength will have almost no meaning”.

BikeRadar: Joining the swell of bike companies offering disc brakes on cyclocross bikes, Ridley choose to spec four of their six cyclo-cross bikes with mechanical discs. Ridley launched their top-end 2013 disc ’cross bike, the X-Fire Disc, at Boulder Cycle Sport in Colorado on Wednesday.

Off The Beaten Path: Sometimes we get a call or an e-mail from a frustrated customer: “I have a brand-new set of your tires, and both wobble when I mount them on my rims.” In most cases, it is not the tires’ fault. Usually the problem  stems from the difficulty of mounting tires on poorly designed rims. However, there are some tricks for mounting tires on these rims.

CyclingNews: For seven years, George Hincapie has had the luxury of competing in his national championships right near his home in Greenville, South Carolina. But after this weekend, the race will move on to Chattanooga, Tennessee for the next two years at least. At 38, going on 39 next month, Hincapie will give it at least one more go to try and secure the stars and stripes jersey in his own backyard.

CyclingTips: It’s one thing preparing your nutrition plan for a single day race. It’s tougher for a week-long stage race. But nutrition for the grand tours is something else. Optimising performance and recovery, and maintaining a healthy gut and immune system whilst constantly on the move for three weeks is a massive logistical challenge for teams and their support staff.

VeloNation: UCI president loses out to AIBA’s Wu.

CyclingFans: Thursday's Giro d'Italia Stage 18 departs San Vito di Cadore at 1:50pm CET (7:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Vedelago at around 5:13pm CET (11:13am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

road.cc: Last chance for the sprinters to shine and there is one left who can… Geraint Thomas gives his view.

Rodriguez wins in pink.

BikeRadar: Spain's Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) won a dramatic stage 17 at the 2012 Giro d'Italia, overcoming some of his closest rivals in the general classification as the race headed into the Dolomites for the first time.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
The Exergy Tour - May 24-28 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Bayern-Rundfahrt - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Belgium - May 23-27 (Stages & results),
Tour of Japan - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNews: Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) walked out of a post-stage press conference in tears after being asked about the one-year anniversary of the death of Xavier Tondo.

VeloNews: Roman Kreuziger lost 11 minutes today and any chance to win the Giro d’Italia. Astana’s Czech captain dropped quickly on the Forcella Staulanza climb and never recovered. Afterward Kreuziger’s team manager had stiff words for him, placing blame for the collapse on his shoulders.

Race Coverage: A work in progress for the inaugural women's Exergy Tour live and delayed coverage. Check back at race time for more links. Feel free to send in additional sources for live video, tv coverage or text updates/tickers as they become known. Highlights and big photos later each day.

VeloNation: The Ale-Jet finally fires in southern Germany after long breakaway pulled back.

Outstanding La Bresse World Cup pays off for Näf and Vogel.

CyclingNews: The most recent UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in La Bresse, France, was the final race that counted toward the nations qualifications for the Olympics. It was also the final race at which riders could qualify for their respective national teams headed to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Enrico Battaglin: "Gutenabend. I say good evening in German because I’m staying in a typical Tyrolean hotel in Kiens in the region of Trentino. Every name here is translated in two languages: Italian and German. Kiens is Chienes in Italian. That’s the beauty of doing the Tour of Italy: we go through the specifics of the different regions of our country. In my previous blog, I was writing from the Riviera on the Mediterranean, which is like another world compared to here in the mountains near the Austrian border."

CyclingIQ: Can a 150 meter climb be a decisive element of a 148 kilometer stage? Surely not! What if those 148 kilometers were the aggregate of a 12.2km circuit completed 12 times, with that same climb featuring on every lap? That might hurt.

JamesStout: One of the main differences between racing and training is that, at the top of the climb, things don't stop, or slow down. As soon as the terrain flattens out you hear the thunk of front deraillieurs, the slap and ring  of chains bouncing  onto 11 tooth cogs and the woosh of carbon wheels gaining speed. Because on the other side of climbs are descents, and descents hurt just as much as climbs.

BikeRadar: You may be familiar with the Wishlist section in our sister magazine Procycling, which uncovers the latest tech the pros are using.

BikeRadar verdict: "Stiff, efficient and fast, the P5 frameset gives a great first impression."

CyclingFans: Thursday's Tour of Belgium Stage 2 departs Lochristi at 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Knokke-Heist at around 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).  Tour of Belgium live streaming video should get underway at around 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: Andre Greipel has won the opening stage of the Tour of Belgium, covering 162km between Mechelen and Buggenhout. The 29-year-old German sprinted to his eighth victory of the season in a very tight finish against runner-up Danilo Napolitano (Acqua & Sapone) and third-placed Kenny Van Hummel (Vacansoleil-DCM).

CyclingNews: Fränk Schleck is to return to hospital today for further medical examinations of the injuries resulting from his crash in the Giro d'Italia, which caused him to abandon the race. The RadioShack-Nissan rider denied that he had planned all along leave the race early, saying “It's not in my nature to give up.” In addition, he and team general manager Johan Bruyneel had a long discussion before he left Italy, and although both are disappointed, they will now work together for good results in the Tour de France.

road.cc: Team Sky rider prepares for cycling's biggest race with altitude training amid island's volcanic landscape.

PodiumInsight: It was an understandably emotional Robbie McEwen (Orica-GreenEdge) that walked up onto the podium to receive the Most Courageous rider jersey at the end of the Amgen Tour of California. After all, stage 8 in Los Angeles was the final race of a storied career that spanned 16 and a half seasons but the 39-year old had to get his jersey and move on, like all the other winners – tv time holds for everyone – so he waved and then took a bow to the delight of the crowd.

Blazin' Saddles: Sunday's splendid stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia, in which Italian youngster Matteo Rabottini dramatically held on to a miraculous solo victory in the Alps, made a mockery of football's Champions League final, which took place the night before.

CXMagazine: Last weekend at DirtFest, endurance world mountain bike champion Rebecca Rusch showed off her skills at several women-only clinics. She and pro downhiller Katie Holden demonstrated proper cornering and body positioning on the mountain bike trails just outside of State College, Pennsylvania, and while the techniques may not be cyclocross-specific, there’s a lot to be learned from these MTB-ers.

Bicycling: A conversation with Barbara Grealish, the team's chef, at the Tour of California.

Adam Bornstein: "It all started with a crazy love letter to eggs. It made some question my sanity, and others wonder what my wife felt of our "close" relationship. (She's cool with it, but is occasional jealous of the Born Scramble.)"

RedKitePrayer: The organization was started by four-time Olympic gold medalist Johan Olav Koss, the long-track speed skater. In broad strokes, Right To Play exists to bring opportunities for sport—and all the lessons that lie therein—to children living in impoverished and war-torn countries.

Bicycling: After a long layoff, our rookie heads out expecting the worst—only to find out that, miraculously, all is not lost.

BikeRumor: Based on the RZR 92, which they call “the fastest wheel in the world”, the new line will be called AERO and use wider rim profiles with a wide inner and outer bead. Word is three depths will be offered and they’ll be introduced officially in June.

VeloNews: According to team captain Meredith Miller, the trailer was parked at the race hotel, the Holiday Inn Express, in Boise and the break-in took place between 12:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. The perpetrators took 14 bikes, including all of the team’s time trial bikes and the road bikes belonging to athletes not yet on-site for the race. Also missing are the team’s spare road bikes and a number of race wheels.

VeloNation: UCI president loses out to AIBA’s Wu.

VeloNews: Ryder Hesjedal was cool as a cucumber after riding shoulder-to-shoulder with the Giro d’Italia leaders and defending his second place through Wednesday’s harrowing mountain stage across the spectacular Dolomites. With only two mountain stages remaining, the Canadian’s GC rivals were not so calm.

VeloNews: Liquigas mechanics weigh Basso's bike before the stage. It came out at 6.82kg, just .02kg over the weight limit. With his light Cannondale SuperSix EVO frame, 2012 SRAM Red and Mavic Cosmic Ultimate wheelset he has to use a cheaper, heavy cassette, aluminum bars, and some added weight to get to the weight limit.

InnerRing: "I’m Ivan Basso. I’m looking for real men who don’t worry about being tired, who are ready to ride many kilometres on the road with the desire to finish first."

CyclingNews: No more space for dopers, says Dr Corsetti. He explained that the “no needle policy” put in place by team doctors in cooperation with the UCI is still in place one year after starting the operation of the “Liquigas laboratorio viaggiante (traveling laboratory).”

VeloNation: Lituanian searching for WorldTour or Pro Conti contract after Geox deal fell through.

Peloton: If you were a young boy in the 80’s chances are you had a poster of a Lamborghini Countach on your wall. Taken from an Italian slang, a sort of adult version of ‘Gee Whiz’, Kenda is now borrowing the term, with the Kenda ‘K’ of course, for its latest road tire, the Kountach.

Willow Rockwell: "I fell in love my Trek Superfly in 2009. I was having a great season and the momentum was still on the upswing. After finishing 2nd at a National race in Vermont, I decided to give the 29er a try at the National Race the next weekend in New York. I won, in spite of two flat tires on the way to the finish line."

road.cc: London-based fixie frame specialist branches out.

BikeRadar: With eight people now having completed the 1000 mile challenge, one competitor, Latimer.Todd (USA) is halfway again towards a leg-sapping 2,000. He spoke to us about the secrets to his mammoth mileage.

BikeRumor: From the picture it appears that only the front triangle will be carbon for now. We’ll let you know more details as we learn them.

BikeRadar: At their factory in Biel, Switzerland, DT Swiss have just launched an array of 2013 mountain bike products, along with tire partners Schwalbe. Headlining the action were the new Spline hubs and 650B tires.

CyclingFans: Wednesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 17 departs Falzes/Pfalzen at 11:55am CET (5:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Cortina d'Ampezzo at around 5:13pm CET (11:13am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around 1:30pm CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

VeloNews: Beñat Intxausti (Movistar) believes there is no better tribute to his former teammate Xavier Tondo than riding well in this year’s Giro d’Italia.

road.cc: Basque rider attacks fellow escapees on final climb to take solo win.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNews: Peter Stetina (Garmin-Barracuda) is kicking himself for not eating enough in Sunday’s wet slog and dropping out of contention for the Giro’s white jersey. Stetina got the bonk Sunday and slipped out of the top 20 overall, down to 38th and 20:07 back.

Pedal: At the 2012 Giro d’Italia Ryder Hesjedal immediately proved that he deserved the designation as team Garmin-Barracuda’s leader, finishing the opening Time Trial with the top time among GC hopefuls.

VeloNation: Belgian attacker sits 12th overall heading into final week.

Cyclismas: "One of the great things about this sport is the people who you meet on the road; bikes are a fantastic equaliser. There aren’t many sports where you could take part in the sport with a top professional and a rank novice at the same time. I mean, it’s not often that Jona Lomu nips down to the park for a spot of touch or Messi comes down to have a kick about behind the bike sheds."

Amber Neben: "On Tuesday, I am going back to where my road cycling career all began: an international, women’s-only race in Idaho. A long, long time ago, back in 2001, before Twitter and Facebook and when DSL was fast internet, I was a broken hearted distance runner-turned-gym rat-turned mountain bike racer/grad student who was invited to race the HP Women’s Challenge with Mr. Safford’s Earthlink team. They were a local team in my Southern California area, and I was excited and up for the challenge."

VelocioSports: Specialized-lululemon doubled up in Gatineau this weekend to win both the time trial event and the road race. Ina-Yoko Teutenberg won GP Gatineau on Monday in a bunch sprint from Rochelle Gilmore and Alona Andruk.

BikeRumor: Packed in the 2012 Charge Mixer is the Shimano Alfine 11-speed internal hub, the bike’s showstopper. It creates clean lines and a virtually maintenance-free system.

BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Amazing comfort for such a stiff frame and a very rewarding ride."

road.cc: A day when the race could be lost and a day for someone who can climb and descend… Geraint Thomas has a name.

VeloNation: Final Olympic gauntlets to be thrown down in Idaho stage race.

VeloNation: 2008 Olympic medallist takes up McEwen's slot on Australian team.

BicycleRetailer: Ridley Bicycle is recalling about 105 carbon fiber threadless temps because they can crack or break. So far the company has received one report of a stem breaking in use, resulting in minor injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

VeloNation: Video interview after long distance break succeeds in reaching finish.

CyclingIQ: Former Giro d’Italia stage runner-up Maximiliano Richeze presented Team Nippo its first Tour of Japan stage win from a clean bunch sprint in Mino city (Gifu Prefecture) today, following the calculated capture of a plucky local duo who gave their utmost to run away with the spoils.

CyclingNews: Lars Bak's win in the twelfth stage of the Giro d'Italia has turned the Lotto Beilsol rider into a much-sought-after man. Bjarne Riis has said that his young Team Saxo Bank riders can learn something from Bak, while Team Sky has admitted it would have liked to have signed him.

BikeRumor: Ok, power lovers, imagine this: what if there was a power meter that was accurate, light weight, fit any of your wheels, you were able to switch back and forth between bikes, and was fairly inexpensive? Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, that’s exactly what Laser Spoke creator Gennady Lubarsky is envisioning with his laser based power meter. Yes, lasers.

VeloNews: When it comes to improving performance, it’s easy to focus on training and equipment. But to neglect nutrition is to assure failure. Dr. Stacy Sims has consulted with Lance Armstrong and Andy Schleck on nutrition, and recently launched her new company, Osmo Nutrition.

road.cc: Go-faster steel all-rounder unveiled.

Off The Beaten Path: Even though Daniel Rebour retired almost 40 years ago, his drawings remain recognizable to many cyclists today. Rebour’s drawings distilled the essence of components and bicycles better than photographs ever can. He managed to make even the most mundane bicycle appealing, and his drawings greatly added to the allure of the wonderful machines made by the great constructeurs.

CompetitiveCyclist: "After mentioning a few weeks back that I was on the hunt for a steel road frame and fork, I went ahead and ordered a Dave Kirk. I'll keep folks posted here about the purchase process. My last email to Dave revealed that there are plenty of questions for us to answer."

TwistedSpoke: This morning Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Bici reports that RadioShack Nissan-Trek manager Johan Bruyneel has terminated the contracts of all the team riders except for classics superstar Fabian Cancellara.

VeloNation: Swiss rider ready to return after bad collarbone break.

Lee Rodgers: "The people hollered and cheered as we careened through the capital’s streets, an invited army in trade colors, various colored helmets and shoes of brilliant hues — some bodies black and some gone blue, yet still we shocked those looking on, so mighty was the sheer speed of our roaring phalanx, rising to over 60km per hour on the weary, battered road. Vibrant. Alive. Hurting."

CyclingNews: For the first time since the Index’s inception, Philippe Gilbert (BMC) has been knocked off the top spot by Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha), the current leader of the 2012 Giro d’Italia. However with only 126 points separating the top three positions, nothing is secure as the Giro heads into the Dolomites and Gilbert lines up for the Tour of Belgium – a race he won in 2011.

InnerRing: How important is cycling to you? You might enjoy riding and following the pro races but what if cycling prevented a civil war? What if two cyclists formed the greatest sporting rivalry of all time? What if cycling was inseparable from politics, religion, the economy and society? Welcome to Italy, at least to various points in Italian history were these claims have been made.

Cyclismas: William Fotheringham answers some questions about his biography of Eddy Merckx: Half Man, Half Bike. Along the way we consider attitudes to doping, the longevity (or not) of cycling marriages, the 1970s critérium circuit and more.

BikeRumor: Extralite has just released their new Ultrapost, a 3D CNC machined alloy post that comes in as light as 99g for the 31.6 x 250mm. There’s also a 300mm length at 138g, both of which rival (or best in many cases) carbon fiber posts in weight.

BikeRadar: It's that time of year again where next year's products precipitously flood into the office and these new Ritchey Superlogic road components from do nothing to stem the tide.

PEZ: Thomson Bike Tours is firmly established as a leading provider of performance cycling tours to the mountains of Europe. Peter Thomson, co-founder of Thomson Bike Tours , has been riding Europe’s most spectacular routes for over 25 years. This season he will lead two trips through the majestic Vuelta á España terrain.

VeloNation: Luxembourg champion has “let the team down” says RadioShack-Nissan manager; no one is guaranteed a Tour spot.

Stage 16 start time: Tuesday 13:00 CET (4:00 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 14:35 CET (5:35 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:19 CET (8:19 AM PDT);

road.cc: Some gentler mountains on this stage ahead of some tougher ones on the next - a day for a break reckons Geraint Thomas.

VeloNation: Two-time winner speaks on Giro rest day; insists Liquigas-Cannondale tactics will pay off in the long run.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
An Post Ras - May 20-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

BikeRadar: A tired Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) reached the summit of Pian dei Resinelli 39 seconds down on Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) but he remained upbeat about his chances in spite of losing the maglia rosa on stage 15 of the Giro d’Italia.

Charly Wegelius: "The Giro is now entering into the final week. After so many days of racing the key element is now the energy reserves each rider has left."

VeloNation: German champion takes Canadian victory in her first road race since April.

SBS: Sky's Edvald Boasson Hagen finished safely in the bunch on the final day of the Glava Tour of Norway, to snag himself the final general classification win over Australian Orica-GreenEDGE rider, Simon Clarke.

VeloNation: Video interviews with stage winner, plus best young rider Lavery.

Monday is a rest day.

Stephen Roche: "Like everyone else I was amazed to see how Mark Cavendish took his third Giro d'Italia stage win in Cervere on stage 13. He’s clearly got something that no other sprinter has in their armory. As for the man himself, I find him less engaging."

CyclingIQ: "12 Tour de France stage wins, 12 Giro d'Italia and 12 Tour Down Under stage wins, 3 green jerseys, 2 Australian Road Championship titles, and the list goes on. Depending how you count them, Robbie McEwen has around 120 wins in his 17 year professional career. If you look at this wikipedia page, his list of palmares is outstanding. Thanks for all the memories Robbie. You did Australia proud!"

SBS: New Zealand cyclist Sam Bewley will fill the place in Orica-GreenEDGE’s team vacated by Australian legend Robbie McEwen after the Amgen Tour of California.

RedKitePrayer: "Last week I attended a mini media camp. It was three days of riding Cervelo bikes and Easton wheels in Sonoma County. All my work should be this hard. As it happened, the get together also included an introduction to a new nutrition company, Osmo Nutrition."

VeloNews: The GC picture is still wide open with six days of racing left, with 10 riders still packed within three minutes of the pink jersey. The hardest, most decisive stages are still to come and the legendary climbs such as the Giau, the Mortirolo and the Stelvio will decide this Giro.

CyclingNews: Philippe Gilbert (Team BMC) will make his return to racing, a month after he signed off his Classics campaign with third in La Fleche Wallonne. The Belgian rider had a relatively poor spring by his standards, failing to win a Classic after the opening months of his season were affected by illness and injury.

CompetitiveCyclist: "After mentioning a few weeks back that I was on the hunt for a steel road frame and fork, I went ahead and ordered a Dave Kirk. I'll keep folks posted here about the purchase process. My last email to Dave revealed that there are plenty of questions for us to answer."

CyclingNews: Timmy Duggan staged an impressive feat of strength in the Amgen Tour of California: together with his teammate Ted King, the Liquigas-Cannondale rider was key in controlling the race in order to set up Peter Sagan for his five stage victories. Duggan rode at the front every day, went into a breakaway on stage four to Clovis and then set a blistering pace on the stage to Big Bear to try and bring back the lone escapee. That ride earned him the Most Courageous jersey award.

PodiumCafe: The penultimate stage of the 2012 Giro will feature the highest mountain top finish in European GT history atop Passo dello Stelvio. Perhaps the greatest cycling climb in Europe. Especially for those that like hairpins.

SBS: Tour de France organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) have been ordered to pay 115,000 Euro in compensation to former head doctor Gerard Porte following his illegal sacking, his lawyer said yesterday.

CyclingIQ: From its roots as a Taiwanese Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) in 1972, Giant Manufacturing Co., Ltd broke ground in China 20 years later, when it opened its first manufacturing facility in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, on October 8, 1992.

Video: Chris Horner is Happy To End a Hard Week of Racing...

BikeRadar: It’s looking like 2012 will be the year that double cranksets – those with twin chainrings instead of the traditional three – begin to dominate. With no outer chainring to catch on logs and rocks, and less chain flapping around, they make sense for more aggressive riders, and with the latest wide-range 10-speed cassettes you shouldn't be short of gears. Here's our pick of the best mountain bike doubles we've tested this year.

road.cc: Well priced, hard wearing minimalist saddle bag that you can look at as an extra jersey pocket.

road.cc: Reasonably priced but doesn't achieve higher pressures with the same efficiency as a midi pump.

VeloNation: Luxembourg champion has “let the team down” says RadioShack-Nissan manager; no one is guaranteed a Tour spot.

TwistedSpoke: The Tour of California, sometimes know as The Pete Sagan Show, is now “done and dusted” as race announcer Dave Tolle likes to shout. Here’s our take on the seventh edition that had thrills, surprises, a French twist and also repetition and dominance.

CyclingWeekly: Mario Cipollini writes a column daily in La Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper during the Giro d'Italia. Lately, he has been critical of Mark Cavendish and team Sky.

InnerRing: It might look inelegant but the photo above from a seller on ebay reveals the ancestor of almost every modern road bike.

The e-bike of the future? If it is there's going to be lots of wheelying.

road.cc: Get a pared down version of SizeMyBike for now.

RedKitePrayer: "As the French Champion and a favorite for Flanders Sunday, Chavanel was, along with teammate Tom Boonen, one of the few riders lucky enough to have the new Red 2012 groupset."

Luke Evans: "A day off. Much needed after two weeks without a break. Well a bit more than that as the first rest day was taken up with travelling from Denmark to Italy after the first weekend of the Giro."

CyclingNews: The relationship between Johan Bruyneel and the Schleck brothers appears to have reached a new low when the RadioShack manager questioned whether Fränk Schleck's injuries had been sufficient enough to pull out of the Giro d'Italia.

CyclingNews: Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) sprinted to his fifth stage win in the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday after a short, fast stage in downtown Los Angeles. His team set him up perfectly for the bunch sprint finish and he crossed the line ahead of Tom Boonen and Gerald Ciolek (both Omega Pharma-Quickstep).

road.cc: Some gentler mountains on this stage ahead of some tougher ones on the next - a day for a break reckons Geraint Thomas.

EuroSport: Italian youngster Matteo Rabottini of Farnese Vini dramatically won stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia atop the Piani dei Resinelli ahead of new race leader Joaquim Rodriguez of Spain.

Peloton: Italian Matteo Rabottini won the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Sunday, the 172km ride from Busto Arsizio.

Sunday' s Stage 15 start time: 12:30 CET (3:30 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 14:00 CET (5:00 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:19 CET (8:19 AM PDT).

VeloNation: Pain too much for Luxembourg champion despite strong finish on Cervinia mountaintop.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages),
Tour de Picardie - May 11-13 (Stages & results),
Tour of Chongming Island - May 9-11 (Stages & results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingNews: Julien Absalon (Orbea) won the elite men's cross country World Cup in front of a home crowd in La Bresse, France. Absalon, who lives about 10km away, rode a smart race tactically and managed to escape the bad luck that affected some of the other favorites. Jaroslav Kulhavy (Specialized) steadily worked his way up throughout the race and made a late bid to overtake Absalon, but finished second.

BikeRumor: The Minimoto is a compact V-brake designed to work with short pull levers, which includes standard drop bar road bike levers. This lets you run your standard brake/shift lever road group and get the right amount of leverage at the brakes without any force amplifying gizmos in between. It’s also way easier to install and set up than traditional ‘cross cantilevers.

road.cc: Another day in the high mountains and one for the big guns to fire says Geraint Thomas, while IG Sigma Sport's Dan Lloyd offers insights in to how they'll do it.

CyclingNews: Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) sprinted to his fifth stage win in the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday after a short, fast stage in downtown Los Angeles. His team set him up perfectly for the bunch sprint finish and he crossed the line ahead of Tom Boonen and Gerald Ciolek (both Omega Pharma-Quickstep).

PodiumInsight: The final stage of the Amgen Tour of California is a parade from Beverly Hills to Los Angeles (L.A. LIVE) where the sprinters take over, hoping to finally beat Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale).

VeloNews: “Today we’re going to attack; we’re going for the stage win.” A 20-year-old kid like Joe Dombrowski doesn’t know any better.

VeloNews: What else would you expect from Chris Horner? The defending champion went on the attack posthaste in Saturday’s queen stage at the Amgen Tour of California, at one point seizing the virtual race lead on the road between the Glendora Mountain Road and Mount Baldy climbs.

Bicycling: Sometimes, bicycle racing can be straightforward. Sometimes, despite tactics, strategy, and luck, the strongest rider does win the race.

road.cc: Sub 10kg road bike build for the re-named and re-engineered Gruber system.

RBAction: "We hired Mike Montgomery who knows all about going over backwards on a bike. We scoured the Internet until we found some clip of a guy on a road bike doing a small back-flip and once we saw that we knew it could be done."

Marijn de Vvries: "I have been on the road since 6.30 am when the start gun sounds for Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik at 2.30 pm. The long journey via train stations, airports and hotels proved to be a real threat to my well-being in general and my legs in particular. Exhausted, I stand at the start line hoping that this feeling will disappear once I hit the pedals and the road."

CyclingNews: The relationship between Johan Bruyneel and the Schleck brothers appears to have reached a new low when the RadioShack manager questioned whether Fränk Schleck's injuries had been sufficient enough to pull out of the Giro d'Italia.

VeloNation: Specialized-lululemon dominates Canadian time trial with four in the top five.

CyclingIQ: First held in 1996, Tour of Japan is less a “tour” of Japan than a series of circuit races taking place in, or close to, major civic centers on the main island of Honshu. The race has followed a fairly consistent format over the years, though a couple of additions along the way, namely the iconic Mt Fuji hill climb (a feature of Tour of Japan since 2005) and a prologue (since 2010), have shifted the balance of power back towards all-rounders – but not so significantly that sprinters are pushed out of the GC game.

CyclingNews: Gunn-Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan Merida) raced to victory at the fourth round of the 2012 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup in La Bresse, France on Sunday. Dahle Flesjaa took over the race lead on the final descent, overtaking eventual runner-up Katerina Nash (Luna). Julie Bresset (BH-Suntour) rode in for third place. It was Dahle-Flesjaa's first World Cup win since 2008 and her 27th career total.  It was also her first World Cup win since having a baby.

BikeRumor: Hammacher Schlemmer is out with a rearview camera to compete with Cerevellum’s Hindsight. Though it may be the epitome of visual bulk, Hammacher’s Bicycle Rearview Camera can be picked up for a tad cheaper than the tech-loaded Cerevellum. It retails at $180 compared to Cerevellum’s $299.

BikeRadar: Fox Racing Shox released information, today, of their new Float iCD electronic suspension project, previously seen in prototype form on the bikes of Geoff Kabush (Scott-3Rox Racing) and Catharine Pendrel (Luna). The new electronic damper will be available for sale in 2013 for both forks and rear shocks.

road.cc: Mail on Sunday speaks to couple involved in countryside altercation.

Sunday' s Stage 15 start time: 12:30 CET (3:30 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 14:00 CET (5:00 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:19 CET (8:19 AM PDT).

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages),
Tour de Picardie - May 11-13 (Stages & results),
Tour of Chongming Island - May 9-11 (Stages & results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

road.cc: Another day in the high mountains and one for the big guns to fire says Geraint Thomas, while IG Sigma Sport's Dan Lloyd offers insights in to how they'll do it.

VeloNews: You couldn’t tell Ryder Hesjedal was wearing a pink jersey under layers of jackets and a Garmin team-issue hat and scarf after staging a perfectly-timed coup to recapture the maglia rosa in Saturday’s soggy summit finish high in the Italian Alps.

CyclingNews: Ivan Basso may be over a minute off the overall lead of the Giro d'Italia, but he and his Liquigas-Cannondale team continued to ride as though they were in possession of the maglia rosa on the first bona fide mountain stage to Cervinia on Saturday.

Pedal: Clara Hughes (Can) led a Specialized-lululemon sweep in the 18.4km GP Gatineau Chrono ITT on Saturday as she topped the field in 23:56.76 with Evelyn Stevens in second and Amber Neben 3rd.

BikeRadar: Victoria Pendleton, one of the UK's leading cyclists, will be going for multiple gold medals at this year's Olympic Games in London. A top favourite for the women's track sprinting events, Pendleton wants to crown her career with success in front of her home crowd.

CXMagazine: Georgia Gould may not have had the best cyclocross season last year, but she’s been more than making up for it in the 2012 mountain bike season as she works to make it onto the Olympic team.

road.cc: A slighty left-field one here: a company that makes covert security earpieces for the FBI, Secret Service, CIA and U.S. Military have developed what they say are the safest headphones available for sportspeople.

CyclingNews: Rabobank's Robert Gesink is back: after breaking his femur last September in training, the Dutch rider has regained his top form and showed it by claiming the stage win on Mt. Baldy and claiming the race lead of the Tour of California. Gesink out-sprinted John Atapuma (Colombia Coldeportes), while Colombian's teammate Fabio Duarte claimed third.

Saturday's Tour of California Stage 7 departs Ontario at 12:00pm PDT (9:00pm CET) and is expected at the finish at Mt. Baldy at around 3:35pm PDT (00:35am CET). Tour of California live streaming video should get underway at around 2:00pm PDT (11:00pm CET).

PodiumInsight: The Queen Stage. This is it, this is the stage where the overall winner of the Amgen Tour of California will be decided with three tough KOMs.

VeloNews: Defending champion Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan), three-time winner Levi Leipheimer (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), promising young rider Tejay van Garderen (BMC Racing) and Garmin-Barracuda teammates Tom Danielson and Andrew Talansky were the riders most widely predicted to stand atop the final overall podium.

TwistedSpoke: Last year at this time minus one day teammates Chris Horner and Levi Leipheimer rode away from everybody and crossed the line together hand in hand like best buds in a beer commercial.

PodiumInsight: Like most of the previous stages at the Amgen Tour of California, the break went off early in stage 6, when Jeremy Vennell (Bissell) attacked – again – less than two kilometers into the 186.3 km stage. Soon seven riders were up the road. What was different this time is that the break stuck when one rider survived to take the win. That rider was Sylvain Georges, a 28-year old Frenchman on the AG2R La Mondiale team.

RBAction: "We hired Mike Montgomery who knows all about going over backwards on a bike. We scoured the Internet until we found some clip of a guy on a road bike doing a small back-flip and once we saw that we knew it could be done."

Marijn de Vvries: "I have been on the road since 6.30 am when the start gun sounds for Gooik-Geraardsbergen-Gooik at 2.30 pm. The long journey via train stations, airports and hotels proved to be a real threat to my well-being in general and my legs in particular. Exhausted, I stand at the start line hoping that this feeling will disappear once I hit the pedals and the road."

Bicycling: Who is the rider hidden beneath the Captain America helmet?

VeloNation: Rivals emphasise importance of recovery prior to Tour, but Cavendish will keep going.

Bicycling: Garmin-Barracuda manager talks tactics, lack of rider radios, and Mount Baldy finale.

CyclingNews: In an exclusive chat with Cyclingnews at the start of this morning's fourteenth stage at the 2012 Giro d'Italia, Orica-GreenEdge rider Fumiyuki Beppu revealed that the Giro d'Italia is one of his favourite races of the season because of the fans.

InnerRing: A double win yesterday for French squad Ag2r La Mondiale. First they won in the Circuit de Lorraine Professionel, a 2.1 stage race on France’s eastern borders thanks to Sébastien Hinault. Then Sylvain Georges doubled-up with a fine solo stage win in the Tour of California.

BikeRadar: As technology advances, the cost of many mountain bikes has gone through the roof. Is it even possible to get a good mountain bike for $1,000 or less? Yes!

Pedal: Following the GP Gatineau team presentations on Friday Specialized-lululemon and Tommy & Lefebvre hosted a great wine and cheese gathering in T&F’s newly renovated store on Bank St.

Enrico Battaglin: "Hello from the start line of stage 13. We’re in Savona on the sea side. The atmosphere is very relaxed but we know that we have harder days to come in terms of racing and weather conditions."

InnerRing: There are names that stand out. Zoncolan. Angliru. Perhaps after the summer the Grand Colombier could join the club after the Tour de France climbs it for the first time. These are all steep climbs that are considered so hard that they are used sparingly in the big races, appearing only once every few years.

Saturday's Stage 14 start time: Saturday 11:35 CET (2:35 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 13:30 CET (4:30 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:18 CET (8:18 AM PDT);

road.cc: A day for the GC contendors as the race heads in to the high mountains says Geraint Thomas.

VeloNews: A pair of mountain stages this weekend might not crown the 2012 Giro d’Italia champion, but it will knock a few GC pretenders off the path to the throne.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages),
Tour de Picardie - May 11-13 (Stages & results),
Tour of Chongming Island - May 9-11 (Stages & results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

road.cc: Team Sky’s Mark Cavendish took another win today in stage 13 – the shortest stage in the 2012 Giro d’Italia this year, a 122 km route from Savona to Cervere.

VeloNews: Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) is ready for more in this Giro d’Italia. Still poised at second at 17 seconds behind Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha), many in the peloton continue to overlook the Canadian who held the pink jersey for three days.

Michal Golas the first Pole in Giro d’Italia mountains jersey.

VeloNation: Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider determined to hold on to blue jersey classification.

CyclingNews: Former HTC-Highroad directeur sportif Valerio Piva has found a new role at Katusha: rather than targeting stage wins with the likes of Mark Cavendish, he now directs Joaquim Rodriguez in defence of the pink jersey at the Giro d’Italia. With nine days to go in the corsa rosa, he gives his Spanish protégé a 50 per cent chance of winning the overall classification in Milan.

road.cc: Lifetime ban bylaw formally rescinded.

Bicycling: You don't need a lot of tools—you just need the right tools. If you have these 16 in your home shop, you'll be able to fix anything.

Bicycling: 25 solutions to vexing problems.

SBS: Sylvain Georges (AG2R) rode the final 35 kilometres of Amgen Tour of California's sixth stage to Big Bear Lake solo, to take a gutsy victory denying the chase of the Liquigas-Cannondale and Garmin-Barracuda teams, which were led home by Peter Sagan some 30 seconds later.

PodiumInsight: Stage 6 at the Amgen Tour of California marks a return of the Big Bear finish, first seen in 2010 – however this year, the stage includes less climbs before the final ascent to the Snow Summit ski area at over 7,000-foot elevation.

PodiumCafe: Yesterday we got a good look at who among the conventionally identified contenders actually arrived in the Golden State to win. We also got a very good look at the human missile that is Dave Zabriskie. The only way he could be faster is if he cut some spiral grooves into his body and managed to get his torso and head spinning like a bullet. That would be faster. Until then,... respect.

VeloNews: Defending champion Chris Horner (RadioShack-Nissan) found himself buried in rubble when the dust had settled after the 29.7km time trial in Bakersfield — BMC Racing’s Tejay van Garderen passed him early on and Horner ended up 2:50 off the winning pace of Garmin-Barracuda’s Dave Zabriskie. In the general classification, Horner now sits 2:50 back as well.

VeloNation: Olympic champion beats mainly domestic field as bid for London qualification continues.

TwistedSpoke: While Chris Horner (RadioShack Nissan Trek) has been openly suspicious of rival Levi Leipheimer’s form post-cracked fibula, the results of today’s stage 5 time trial certainly gave some weight to his “playing possum” claim.

TwistedSpoke: Captain America put on a show in the Bakersfield time trial yesterday. Maybe the best part was the audience: his wife Randi and two sons Waylon and Bo. A lot has been written by journalists about the quirky and idioscycratic Zabriskie but Twisted Spoke thinks there’s always room for real characters.

BikeRumor: Parlee’s Z5 line, which includes this standard model and an SL/SLi option that has full ti hardware, and lighter tubes and fork, is their top of the line “stock” offering. The frames are available in 12 sizes, ranging from XS, S, M, ML, L to XL in both standard and tall configurations.

BikeRumor: Following their introduction of the fully integrated crankset power meter for the new SRAM Red, Quarq has added specific models to work with Specialized and Cannondale cranksets. They’ll be available in both 130 and 110 BCDs for standard and compact chainrings.

Friday's Tour of California Stage 6 departs Palmdale at 10:25am PDT (7:25pm CET) and is expected at the finish at Big Bear Lake at around 3:22pm PDT (00:22am CET).  Tour of California live streaming video should get underway at around 2:00pm PDT (11:00pm CET).

VeloNation: Hinault and Georges turn things around for French squad.

CyclingWeekly: Fränk Schleck is struggling on through the Giro while suffering from a dislocated shoulder, the result of a crash two days ago in Tuscany.

CyclingNews: Matt Goss (Orica-GreenEdge) brought the curtain down on his Giro d’Italia with 6th place in the bunch sprint on stage 13, but the Australian leaves the race with his morale intact and with his sights set firmly on the Tour de France and London 2012 Olympics.

InnerRing: There are names that stand out. Zoncolan. Angliru. Perhaps after the summer the Grand Colombier could join the club after the Tour de France climbs it for the first time. These are all steep climbs that are considered so hard that they are used sparingly in the big races, appearing only once every few years.

VeloNation: Superb ride for veteran RadioShack Nissan rider.

CyclingTips: "We all know that the fork is an important and integral part of the bike, but it's difficult to define what makes various forks different, what's marketing fluff, and how a fork can completely change the geometry and handling of a bike. I had a good long chat with Darren Baum about this topic where I bombarded him with my questions."

PodiumCafe: It was a beautiful day in Montecatini Terme Wednesday, perfect for a family outing.

road.cc: Inexpensive solution to carrying additional bottles on bikes without resorting to frame alteration.

Cyclelicious: "I’ve seen several battery packs on the bikes used for the 2012 Amgen Tour of California, but Liquigas Cannondale, Omega Pharma-Quick-Step and United Healthcare teams have non-electroic SRAM Red. So far, SRAM 2012 Red has been the winningest group during the 2012 Tour of California, with Peter Sagan riding Red to four consecutive stage victories this week. Kristin Armstrong also achieved victory on Thursday using 2012 Red at the women’s time trial in Bakersfield."

Friday's Stage 13 start time: 14:25 CET (5:25 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 14:35 CET (5:35 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:13 CET (8:13 AM PDT).

road.cc: There's mountains, but it's a shorts stage - one for the sprinters says Team Sky's Geraint Thomas.

road.cc: Breakaway carries the day as race heads through spectacular scenery above the Cinque Terre.

VeloNews: The Giro d’Italia celebrates its pink, blue and red jerseys daily, but little attention is given to the other classifications. Categories like the fuga, the super team and the time gaps rankings go unnoticed, only spotted in the daily hand-outs to the journalists in the press room.

CyclingNews: After more than six weeks on the sidelines with a serious knee injury, Vacansoleil-DCM's Bjorn Leukemans made his competitive return to cycling yesterday at the Circuit de Lorraine in France. The 34-year-old Belgian was satisfied with his 15th place in the opening stage of the French race from Rombas to Neuves-Maisons.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages),
Tour de Picardie - May 11-13 (Stages & results),
Tour of Chongming Island - May 9-11 (Stages & results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

Bicycling: 25 solutions to vexing problems.

road.cc: A tough day and one for the break says Geraint Thomas… but there's a nice tight turn at the finish if ends in a sprint.

CyclingNews: Roberto Ferrari (Androni Giacattoli-Venezuela) who caused the major crash on stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia, won the sprint stage 11. Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) was second, with Thomas Vaitkus (GreenEdge) third. Top favourite Mark Cavendish, who lost his teammates to a crash in the final turn, was unable to move up to the front and was fourth.

Fridays's Giro d'Italia Stage 13 departs Seravezza at 1:05pm CET (7:05am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Sestri Levante at around 5:09pm CET (11:09am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

VeloNation: Jens Voigt takes unexpected runner-up slot behind USA TT champ.

PodiumInsight: Defending Champion, Kristin Armstrong (Exergy TWENTY12), dominated the Bakersfield time trial course finishing in under 40 minutes. She easily won the Second Annual Amgen Tour of California Women’s Time Trial Invitational. The women’s field raced the same course as the men’s Stage 5 time trial, 29.7 km with an 8% climb at the end on the China Grade Loop.

PodiumInsight: The race of truth today at the Amgen Tour of California – the time trial. One rider, one bike and a clock. That’s it. And the 18.4-mile (29.7 km) course is definitely for the specialists.

VeloNation: Slovakian plays down time trial chances.

CyclingNews: If the Amgen Tour of California had a jersey for the most popular rider, it would likely go to RadioShack-Nissan's Jens Voigt. The affable German was in a good mood as usual in Sonora yesterday as he prepared for the longest day of the week.

Bicycling: A look at cycling’s rising star, and the winner of four out of four stages at this year’s Tour of California.

PodiumInsight: On stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California, Alex Candelario (Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies) finished a very close fourth in a bunch sprint behind three very fast men, all on ProTeams. But before tangling at the front for the win, the sprinter had to make his way over three climbs as the pack raced 115.3 miles (185.5 km) from San Jose to Livermore.

CyclingNews: The Bontrager-Livestrong development team has made the most so far of its invitation to the Amgen Tour of California, scoring multiple top-10 stage results and placing New Zealander Josh Atkins, who currently sits 10th overall, in the Best Young Rider's jersey.

BikeRumor: ENVE Composites is considered one of (if not the) premier carbon fiber tube and component manufacturers, and we were given a chance to peek behind the curtain at their operation. Well, most of it anyway. There are a few things we couldn’t photograph or mention, but for the most part they opened their doors wide and gave us surprising amount of access.

Thursday's Tour of California Stage 5, a 29.7km Individual Time Trial at Bakersfield gets underway with the departure of the first rider at 1:00pm PDT (10:00pm CET). Tour of California live streaming video should get underway at around 1:45pm PDT (10:45pm CET).

SBS: World road race champion Mark Cavendish (Sky) has openly criticized key leadout man Geraint Thomas at the finish of Stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia in Montecatini overnight, after a mistake from the Welshman ruined his chances of what would have been his third stage win.

PodiumInsight: AEG and SRAM will present the Second Annual Amgen Tour of California Women’s Time Trial Invitational. Ten elite women time trial riders have been invited to race concurrently with the men’s time trial stage in Bakersfield. The women’s course will be the same course as the men’s race, 29.7 km with an 8% climb at the end on the China Grade Loop. Kristin Armstrong (Exergy Twenty12), last year’s winner, is aiming to repeat.

VeloNation: Briton pleased with progress, but doesn’t want to make presumptions.

Off The Beaten Path: Whether it’s wide tires at lower pressures or front-end geometries, some of what we find to work best is not currently used by professional racers. Don’t professional teams do a lot of testing and development of their equipment? Isn’t it safe to assume that their equipment is optimized for the job at hand? I believe the answer is: “Not always.”

road.cc: RadioShack Nissan's two fortysomethings relive the past - and Jens has another story saved up for the grandkids.

BikeHugger: Spotted this LED turn signal prototype on a bike in a rack yesterday. It’s for bicycle running and turn signals.

RedKitePrayer: "So last week I laid my hands on a SRAM 2012 Red group. To use a more colloquial phrasing, you might say that my stock has risen enough with the folks in Chicago that they were willing to provide me with a group for review."

CyclingNews: Following his interview with Men's Journal, Lance Armstrong will also appear on a US talk show, hosted by the California lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom, saying he's "done" answering questions regarding his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs.

RedKitePrayer: "Given the opportunity to talk about ourselves, we make bold statements like, “I am a cyclist” or “I am a writer,” as if those temporary actions derive from some deeper sense of purpose or intention. The bicycle is always a bicycle, unless it is destroyed, but is the cyclist still a cyclist when he stops cycling?"

Thursday's Stage 12 start time: 13:05 CET (4:05 AM PDT); 
Earliest live video: 14:35 CET (5:35 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:09 CET (8:09 AM PDT); 

road.cc: A tough day and one for the break says Geraint Thomas… but there's a nice tight turn at the finish if ends in a sprint.

CyclingNews: Roberto Ferrari (Androni Giacattoli-Venezuela) who caused the major crash on stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia, won the sprint stage 11. Francesco Chicchi (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) was second, with Thomas Vaitkus (GreenEdge) third. Top favourite Mark Cavendish, who lost his teammates to a crash in the final turn, was unable to move up to the front and was fourth.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages),
Tour de Picardie - May 11-13 (Stages & results),
Tour of Chongming Island - May 9-11 (Stages & results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNews: Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) believes his surge into the maglia rosa is more than just confirmation that he is king of the hilltop finales.

VeloNews: Monday passed at the Giro d’Italia with Mark Cavendish (Sky) blocked and unable to unleash his sprint yet again, but the world champion should have another chance on Wednesday in Montecatini.

road.cc: Team Sky star's wife Cath reveals news of break-in on Twitter.

CyclingNews: Apart from the expected final effort of stage winner and new race leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) on the uphill finish to Assisi, the man who impressed in stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia was Tom Jelte Slagter (Rabobank). His effort at the front on the final climb was the sort of effort often put forth by Rodriguez.

BikeRadar: Best helmets for road cycling winner - LAS Victory Limited.

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Light and comfy, but the cheaper Pro version is better value."

Wednesday's Giro d'Italia Stage 11 departs Assisi at 10:55am CET (4:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Montecatini Terme at around 5:17pm CET (11:17am U.S. Eastern).  Giro d'Italia live streaming video should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

PEZ: "Mavic = Wheels. That’s it, right? I mean why even think about big yellow for anything but round stuff… At least that was the thought process when I looked at the size of the box sent from Mavic’s Media mogul (an ex Tech-geek, so he’s OK) Zack V. “What kinda wheel fits in something that small?!” was the thought."

Wednesday's Tour of California Stage 4 departs Sonora at 10:35am PDT (7:35pm CET) and is expected at the finish at Clovis at around 4:04pm PDT (01:04am CET).  Tour of California live streaming video should get underway at around 2:00pm PDT (11:00pm CET).

CyclingNews: The Amgen Tour of California has so far been a stalemate between the top contenders, but that should change on Thursday when the race hits Bakersfield for the 29.7km time trial on stage 5. The stage will finally shake out the general classification, where all the names are clustered at 40 seconds from race leader and winner of all four previous stages, Peter Sagan.

SBS: A last gasp attack by chrono-specialist Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda) would not deny a rampant Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), who took his fourth straight victory at the Amgen Tour of California, in Clovis.

VeloNews: With Thursday’s stage 5 time trial looming on the horizon, followed by stage 6 into Big Bear and the stage 7 summit finish on Mount Baldy, RadioShack-Nissan is preparing for a GC battle at the Amgen Tour of California in defense of Chris Horner’s 2011 title.

VeloNews: The Amgen Tour of California has yet to take shape in the general classification, but one team has begun to assert itself over the peloton, firing the opening salvos in a GC fight that will go all the way to the summit of Mount Baldy on Saturday.

TwistedSpoke: Besides all the racing at the Tour of California, there’s the con jobs, possum playing and sand bagging. It appears that the Spanish lady who broke Levi Leipheimer’s leg is just a pawn in an incredible game of high stakes California poker. It’s a race, it’s Greek drama.

Bicycling: For some, the race has a repetitious feel, despite the difficult climbs that have dotted the profiles of each stage. The opening day alone, around Santa Rosa, included four categorized climbs.

Clara Hughes: This is the seventh time I’ve lived the reality of trying to qualify for an Olympics.  The in-between Games I’ve not been part of were spent either glued to the internet (we don’t have television in either of our home bases) or working for CBC at the Games.  Yes, I am a unabashed Olympic junkie and can’t get enough of sport when it comes time every two years for the build to and then finally, the Olympics themselves.

Cyclelicious: The Colombian team are - Jhon Atapuma, Fabio Andres Duarte, Arevalo Javier Gonzalez Barrera, Victor Hugo!Pena Grisales, Carlos Julian Quintero, Michael Rodriguez, Wilson Marentes Torres, Juan Pablo Suarez.

Cyclismas: The UCI has announced that they will not carry out any equipment or position checks at this year’s edition of the Amgen Tour of California.

CyclingNews: Following his interview with Men's Journal, Lance Armstrong will also appear on a US talk show, hosted by the California lieutenant governor Gavin Newsom, saying he's "done" answering questions regarding his alleged use of performance enhancing drugs.

RedKitePrayer: "Given the opportunity to talk about ourselves, we make bold statements like, “I am a cyclist” or “I am a writer,” as if those temporary actions derive from some deeper sense of purpose or intention. The bicycle is always a bicycle, unless it is destroyed, but is the cyclist still a cyclist when he stops cycling?"

InnerRing: Say “Rapha” and many cyclists will associate this with a London-based company producing semi-retro styled cycle clothing. But this business has appropriated a slice of history as it tries to evoke tales of epic rides and hardened riders for its brand.

CyclingNews: Sebastien Turgot is apparently the next French rider to run afoul of the whereabouts requirements for doping controls. The French sports newspaper L'Equipe reported that the Europcar rider has missed three doping controls within 18 months, and faces up to a two-year ban.

Cyclismas: Amidst the glitz and glamor of the Amgen Tour of California, concern for the whereabouts of Johan Bruyneel began to mount today, as his larger-than-life persona has been absent from the race declared by the organizers as “The greatest stage race in all of the Americas.”

VeloNation: Liquigas Cannondale rider doesn’t rule out trying for overall classification in California.

RedKitePrayer: Over recent years, scientific training methods have brought a sort of parity to pro cycling that allows more and more riders to finish races together, even tough ones. As a result, to avoid too many mass finishes, organizers are making race finales ever more difficult. Just look at the two major stage races taking place this week and the number of riders finishing together at the end of difficult days in the saddle.

Marco Pinotti: "We’ve passed three days of medium mountains since my last blog. This is how the geography of Italy makes the Giro a hard race no matter what. Even without looking for the big climbs and even though the competitiveness of those stages is limited to the last hour of racing, it’s very demanding. We’ve done six hours daily on the bike. Our legs can feel the fatigue of a grand tour."

Rambling Man: Like it or not, cycling is sometimes a contact sport. It’s simple physics—when a hundred bikes careen through a space the size of a sofa, things are bound to get ugly. Elbows flare, profanities fly, and the game of chicken is on.

Peloton: The battle for your bottle is well and truly underway. We have the original players, from Gatorade to GU. This group consists of the brands that really paved the way in the hydration field - the Acccelerades, Hammers, Cytomaxs, to name but a few…

BikeRadar: Campagnolo has announced several additions to their 2013 drivetrains (available now) to cater for riders who want a wider range of gears.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Wonderfully controllable and supremely powerful brake performance from a truly trick machine."

Wednesday's Stage 11 start time:10:55 CET (1:55 AM PDT);
Earliest live video: 14:35 CET (5:35 AM PDT);
Approximate finish: 17:17 CET (8:17 AM PDT).

road.cc: Geraint Thomas and Simon MacMichael get some extra video input from Dan Lloyd and Dario Cioni as they assess whether it'll be a day for the sprinters or the break.

VeloNation: In the most widely predicted stage finish in the race so far, Joaquim Rodríguez (Katusha) outsprinted the rest of the peloton at the top of the climb to the Piazza del Comune in the centre of the Mediaeval city of Assisi. The Catalan winner of April’s Flèche Wallonne was led into the final half kilometre by Katusha teammate Dani Moreno, and managed to overcome counterattacks from a number of other riders to take his first victory in the race.

Giro d'Italia - May 5-27 (Stages & results),
Amgen Tour of California - May 13-20 (Stages),
Tour de Picardie - May 11-13 (Stages & results),
Tour of Chongming Island - May 9-11 (Stages & results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingNews: Whatever happens in the second and third weeks of the Giro d’Italia, Taylor Phinney will remain one of the main stars of the corsa rosa. The winner of the opening time trial has been thrust into the limelight. He’s been such a great talker on Italian TV with the local language he speaks very well – and also the dialect of Veneto where he lived as a teenager – that the tifosi look for him at starts and finishes as much as they do for the Italian stars.