Ze French are, how you say, not as nice as ze Italians.

Saxo Bank manager Bjarne Riis and team leader Alberto Contador gave a less-than-convincing performance at their pre-Tour press conference.

Germany comes to the Tour de France armed to the teeth with a roster of riders with diverse skills. It’s not a particularly difficult stretch of the imagination to say that it’s entirely possible for Germany to bring home a rider each with a top-5 GC placing, a sprint win, a time trial win, and a stage win.

The contingent from the cold northlands brings a half a dozen talented riders to this year’s Tour de France, with both diverse opportunities to bring home victories and some powerful responsibilities on their shoulders.

For years now, ever since the Festina Affair, there has been much talk about achieving a “drug-free” sport in cycling. While this is certainly a noble cause, how realistic are we being?

Argyle returns for cycling’s top event.

“The Greatest Race” is Mike Powell’s take on the Tour de France. With text written by friend and collaborator Lewis Blackwell (no relation to the publisher), Mike describes the gift book as “an indulgence.”

The 98th edition of the Tour de France begins on Saturday. Although riders from the host country have not won an edition of the Tour since 1985, France continues to hold the record for the number of wins by a two-to-one margin.

In races from Canada to Georgia, Jelly Belly p/b Kenda riders rode their bicycles in top form last weekend.

In a survey of 94 Tour de France team managers and riders conducted by L’Équipe on Tuesday, only three mentioned Levi Leipheimer as a potential podium pick. The three men to choose the 37-year-old American as a potential third-place finisher were two former teammates, Tom Boonen of Quick Step and Vladimir Gusev of Katusha, and his current Team RadioShack cohort Chris Horner. Incidentally, no one picked 39-year-old Horner to finish on the podium.

Speaking Thursday, Armstrong spokesman Mark Higgins says Armstrong will attend the time trial in Grenoble on July 23 before going to Paris on the race’s final day to host a party for Team Radioshack supporters. He also plans to ride in part of the 39th annual RAGBRAI in Iowa, which runs July 24-30.

It was called a “Walkman,” and it was quite popular back in the day. With this amazing little device, you could actually take your favorite tunes anywhere in the world and listen to them through the magic of headphones.

Today's Quote

“A monkey with two left thumbs and a rusty typewriter could write the Tour de France’s recent dope-smeared history, because it does not take a genius to attach a long string of question marks and asterisks to all the dubious and downright discredited results registered at cycling’s premier race over the past 15 years or more. Sadly, this year, again, may be no exception.” - John Leicester  Yahoo!

InnerRing: Where’s Alberto?

Today sees Alberto Contador’s pre race press conference and he has some explaining to do. Now maybe you know what’s been happening during the last year, you are aware of the series of events beginning with his positive tests, the delays, the rulings, the appeals and more. But millions of French citizens aren’t aware of these intricacies, only nobody’s seen him in France.

It may be a bit too soon for Peta Todd to be seen sporting a big ring, but seven months since she and Mark Cavendish started dating, things seem to be going brilliantly for one of the peloton's most recognisable couples.

Spartacus’ Madone. All of the typical elements of the Spartan warriors are there, the helmet, shield, and spear. If you look closely you will also see the Swiss cross, along with 7 spears which represent Fabien’s lucky number.

Why a civil court has jurisdiction over doping controls in a race under multiple international auspices (UCI, WADA)?

TwistedSpoke: BMC, Ochowicz and Schoutteten. A red and black flag?

In light of  BMC team manager Jim Ochowicz’s flip flop of his knowledge of Sven Schoutteten, perhaps it’s worth remembering a few things drawn from the David Walsh book "From Lance to Landis."

Team reactions contradicted by race rosters.

Cycling’s governing body opened its Swiss headquarters to a small group of trade and consumer journalists this week as it looks to improve its image and build a stronger relationship with the industry.

Cash prizes exist for almost every rider who finishes the race when it hits Paris on July 24. The prizes for the final general classification start at €450,000 for the winner, €200,000 for the runner-up, €100,000 for the third spot and on down to €400 for 91st-150th place.

This July will hopefully see more Norwegian triumph in the Tour de France. Recent history shows the small but dedicated Norwegian contingent of professional riders are strong, willing and ready for another Grand Tour with their axes (bicycles) at the ready.

April is the month that traditionally gets Belgian cycling fans the most frenzied, but this year, July has them equally—if not more—excited about the Tour de France. And why not? With a healed, re-signed, and in-form Tom Boonen leading Quick-Step, a 2010 Tour de France top-5 finisher in Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Jurgen Van Den Broeck, and the most dominant one-day rider in the sport in Philippe Gilbert, there’s reason to believe 2011 will be the country’s best Tour de France in decades.

The Giro Donne gets underway in Rome tomorrow, with Emma Pooley aiming to stand on the top step of the podium when the ten-day race ends in San Francesco al Campo next Sunday.

Thursday's 2011 Tour de France Teams Presentation will be held in the Arena at Puy du Fou.  The event is scheduled to begin at 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern), with live television coverage starting at that time as well.

Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) lines up Saturday as an outsider for overall victory in a Tour de France that most expect to see as a battle between Andy Schleck and Alberto Contador. Hanging in the shadows of that duel is just fine for Leipheimer.

We are 6’4″ of pure cycling flab riding a 66.5 cm red Serotta. But this bike right above is far bigger, too big for us.

Tune into your favorite live broadcast of the Tour de France on Sunday, July 3 at 8 AM and then join us here for witty banter with Neil Browne and other cycling fans!

The Tour de France is the biggest race in the world and newcomers to the race are quickly impressed. No doubt within days you'll read one of those "the race is so much bigger than anything else I've ridden" quotes from a young rider, whether they’re referring to the scale of the organisation, the giant roadside crowds or the effort required just to hold position in the bunch.

NBC owns Versus now, which puts them in league with Universal Sports, who have delivered on the Giro and worlds. Versus will still speak its name, and if you were tired of Phil and Paul before, you probably will be again. But as big network takeovers go... these are the people who gave us Hulu and 30 Rock on demand.

 'I ended up flying!' John-Lee Augustyn’s (then with Barloworld) own take on his famous crash descending the Bonette-Restefond during Stage 16 of the 2008 Tour; no sooner had commentator Paul Sherwen uttered the words; "this is a very difficult and dangerous descent,” than the 22 year-old from Port Elizabeth - still on a ‘high’ from having topped the col in first place – disappeared over the edge.

Khazakstan, Poland, and the Ukraine: a rough chunk of Eastern Bloc countries that would at least be geographically contiguous if it weren’t for Russia’s rude penetration south, between Ukraine and Khazakstan, down to the Black Sea and Caspian Sea.

For all the talk of Eurobike vs. Interbike for the place to introduce cool products, let’s face it—many of the coolest new products that enter the world during a given year do so at the world’s greatest annual sporting event: le Tour.

You had to figure that the Canadian manufacturer that was single-handedly responsible for the creation of the aero road bike segment would apply their ultra-high-end manufacturing technology found in their R5 to their aero design.

Cervélo released information today on a new S5 flagship aero road machine set to debut at the start of the Tour de France that the company claim will save riders nearly 37 seconds over a 40km course (at 40km/h) relative to their already slippery S3.

As one of the sport’s traditional superpowers, Italy boasts both depth and breadth in its past cycling contenders. And despite failing to win it, there were positive signs on display at the Giro d’Italia as Italy showed strength in numbers on GC, in field sprints, and from breakaways.

From our friend Patrick Verhoest, keeper of a very, very awesome photo library... The story of the race, a big, big year for Belgium.

American George Hincapie is on the verge of starting his 16th Tour de France - a feat which has only been matched by one other rider, Dutch legend Joop Zoetemelk. While Zoetemelk was one of the more successful Tour riders in history - winning once and finishing second overall six times - Hincapie has been partly responsible for eight Tour victories: seven by Lance Armstrong and one by Alberto Contador.

The Tour de France was created in 1903 as a way for local French newspaper L'Auto (ancestor of the current daily L'Equipe) to sell more newspapers after stagnating sales from competition with Le Vélo. Long-distance bike races had always been a popular means to sell more newspapers, but the suggested distance of the TdF was unheard of.

The UCI could amend its rule on the minimum weight for bikes. Rule 1.3.019 has stated “the weight of the bicycle cannot be less than 6.8 kilograms“. Now this might be changed.

Aging sprinter Alessandro Petacchi has elaborated on his plans to ride for another country in light of the Italian Cycling Federation ruling to block riders who have served a doping suspension.

Today's Quote

“A monkey with two left thumbs and a rusty typewriter could write the Tour de France’s recent dope-smeared history, because it does not take a genius to attach a long string of question marks and asterisks to all the dubious and downright discredited results registered at cycling’s premier race over the past 15 years or more. Sadly, this year, again, may be no exception.” - John Leicester  Yahoo!

Much to the annoyance of organizers, a final judgment by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is still pending. Contador still risks being handed a ban and would be forced to hand back all the victories he has pocketed since and including last July.

Impress your friends with our selection of fascinating number-based facts and stats about the Tour de France.

It’s the swan song of the kazak bad-boy Alexander Vinokourov. For perhaps his final tour and trick, Vino is the undisputed leader of the pale blue and yellow of Astana in the 2011 Tour de France.

PodiumCafe: What are riders saying about the Giro Donne? Part 2!

On Friday, it's the start of the biggest women's race of the year, the Giro Donne.

In the US, you may not have heard of Genevieve Whitson … yet. This racer from New Zealand hit the cyclocross circuit in 2009, racing primarily in Europe, though she hopes to come to the States this season.

Bicycling magazine has revealed the eight winners of its 2011 Editors’ Choice Awards in the mountain bike category, honoring the year’s best new models across a wide range of categories and price points as part of an eight-page feature in the new August issue of the magazine on newsstands this Saturday, July 5.

If you’re looking for a ridiculously light cassette but are hoping it will last more than one season, perhaps you should look into the new 10 speed cassette from KCNC.

Eddy Merckx Cycles are to produce a limited edition steel bike commemorating the 40th anniversary of The Cannibal’s 1972 Mexico City hour record.

New Time RXR Ulteam for sale (size large)(57). The module (frame set, stem) for $2400 or bike as pictured (campy chorus 11, rotor crankset, TRP brakes, FSA carbon bar, and 2011 Reynolds Strike carbon clinchers wheelset all for $4900!  Either is an absolute steal since the frame set alone costs over $5000!

Key in your vitals and get a detailed bike fit for all your different steeds.

French police respond to Wim Vansevenant’s customs seizure.

Former pro Wim Vansevenant alleged to be the recipient.

Retired in 2008, Vansevenant was allegedly to be on the receiving end of a package intercepted at Brussels airport two weeks ago by customs officials. According to reports, the package contained "ultra-modern doping products" designed to increase muscle mass and performance.

RCS Sport will replace Giro d'Italia race director, Angelo Zomegnan, according to a report in today's Tutto Sport newspaper.

Claims former rider ‘barely knows the team guys.’

"Realistically there has to be a network - to protect the anonymity of both sides and to distribute these things. It's more than likely that there's a chain of people involved."

Spaniard’s former rival believes team strength is of secondary importance.

Thomas Nybo Riis has only been riding seriously for 18 months with the small Blue Water Cycling team but has secured a place in the national squad that aims to help emerging riders by giving them a ride in the biggest race on the Danish calendar.

Francisco Mancebo (RealCyclist.com) still leads NRC standings.

I doubt we’ll see generator hubs and lights on Tour de France bikes this summer. Can we even envision a racing bike with lights and fenders?

Specialized is on a roll with single-bike launches this year. First there was the Venge + McLaren aero road bike, now the Tarmac gets a complete overhaul with the new SL4 model and (sshhhhh) there’s a new gravity rig coming in a couple weeks.

The complete route for the 2011 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah has been announced today, comprising 409 miles over six days from August 9 to 14. Now in its sixth year, the stage race was elevated this year by the International Cycling Union (UCI) to a 2.1 ranking and will begin with a new uphill prologue at Utah Olympic Park on Tuesday, August 9.

Cadel Evans is well-rested, no argument there.

Team Garmin-Cervélo will be combining its veteran talent with two newcomers to the Tour de France when the race starts on July 2. World champion Thor Hushovd and GC contender Christian Vande Velde will lead the squad, while sprinter Tyler Farrar and lead-out man Julian Dean will look to get the American his first Tour de France stage victory.

Scot states that Wiggins never showed gratitude for his 2009 Tour support.

Quick Step has extended the contracts of three riders for another year. Dries Devenyns, Kristof Vandewalle and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck will now ride for the Belgian team through 2013.

ITV cycling pundit and How I Won The Yellow Jumper author Ned Boulting talks about the Tour de France and offers a clue as to where the race might end up when the British broadcaster's current contract expires.

Their green theme, called Sky Rainforest Rescue and will be used just for the Tour, stems from a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to help save a billion trees in Brazil. But as far as the team's Pinarello Dogma 60.1 bikes are concerned, it's more than just a new paint job.

Deep Carbon rims will feature on Ag2r's bikes at the Tour... on the back, at least.

With all the hype that surrounded the launch of the Venge a few months ago it could be easy to forget about the new Specialized road race machine, the Tarmac SL4.

“A lot of of the journalism is quite bloggy, opinions rather than facts, and riders try to get in the results to impress those journalists. It’s like when you were an amateur and you had to prove yourself all the time to become professional. Nowadays, it’s like that in the professionals, too.“

So should you keep the factory chain lube? Are there notable differences between 9 speed and 10 speed chain construction?

Everyone has Alberto Contador as the big favorite to win the Tour de France. Rightly so, if you had to pick a rider then the Spaniard would be most people’s choice. But it’s one thing to dominate the Giro d’Italia and another to walk away with the Tour de France. But in case we forget Andy Schleck has come close to winning the Tour de France. Twice.

Riders already looking around for teams - the second rest day of the Tour de France – July 18 – is the day of reckoning for HTC-Highroad, according to team manager Rolf Aldag. The team and riders must know by then if a sponsor has been found for the coming year.

On a balmy Sunday afternoon in quaint Stamfordham, Sky did 'what England expected' and grabbed the first four places in the British elite road race championship over 197 hard Northumbrian kilometers; and the skeletal Bradley Wiggins will start the Tour in the white British champion's jersey after jumping his team mates on the run in; defending champion Geraint Thomas took silver, Peter Kennaugh was third and Ian Stannard fourth.

Giant hasn’t gone and completely redesigned its road line. Model names are the same as before (TCR and Defy for the boys, TCR W and Avail for the ladies). But with subtle changes in materials and design the world’s largest bicycle manufacturer has improved its entire range.

Stage by stage guide to 98th edition of Le Tour.

New Time RXR Ulteam for sale (size large)(57). The module (frame set, stem) for $2400 or bike as pictured (campy chorus 11, rotor crankset, TRP brakes, FSA carbon bar, and 2011 Reynolds Strike carbon clinchers wheelset all for $4900!  Either is an absolute steal since the frame set alone costs over $5000!

Today's Quote

“I prefer that (doping cases) are not decided this way, above all for the delays and slowness of the ordinary courts. In Heras’s case, we’re seeing important changes six years later. And next we have the Contador case and we’ll see how that ends up. I prefer faster procedures of sport justice.” - Javier Guillén VeloNews

Says there’s severe risks of heart problems, strokes and tumor growth.

England's most contentious morning drive show airs another episode.

The UCI seems to be taking no chances with a prompt PR move to answer any of the media’s questions. This should be interesting.

This year Russia will be represented by a formidable contingent of successful attackers riders and breakaway specialists. The most accomplished stage racer without a pending doping appeal will not be racing this year, as Denis Menchov’s Geox team did not get invited to the dance.

While he keep up a long-running and sported battle with Bullwinkle the moose and side kick Rocky the squirrel, nobody would really expect big things of Badenov in the Pyrenees or Alps.

A quick look at the TdF careers of the 2011 Katusha Tour de France squad.

Last year’s Tour de France was headlined by a mountaintop finish on the Col du the Tourmalet (won by Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck over Spain’s Alberto Contador) to mark the centennial of the Tour’s first crossing of the Pyrénées. This year’s race, starting on Saturday, celebrates 100 years of racing through the High Alps, culminating with a stage to the top of the Col du Galibier — which, at 8,678 feet (2,645 meters) elevation, will be the highest stage finish in Tour history.

There are Twenty-three "Category 2", "Category 1" and "Hors Categorie" climbs in the 2011 Tour de France.

Yes, Quick-Step and Omega Pharma to merge, according to a Belgian newspaper.

An amazing trend is emerging this summer -- girls, on bicycles, in heels, looking like it's just the easiest thing in the world.

"Welcome to another installment of Pavé’s Monday Musette. This morning, we’re chewing on a weekend full of National Championship races and eyeing the form of dominant riders as we all head into the Tour de France."

The image above is from France’s regional newspaper Ouest-France (curiously the world’s largest selling French-language newspaper) and depicts officials from a layer of regional government viewing a section of the Tour de France route. “Potholes, gravel on the corners, badly positioned drain covers: nothing escapes them” says the piece.

In spite of an opening ten days filled with potential pitfalls for yellow jersey contenders, Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) believes that the Tour de France begins in earnest on stage 12 to Luz Ardiden.

Despite silver medal yesterday, says he’ll have to wait until race starts to know how he’s going.

David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) believes that Bradley Wiggins (Sky) can finish in the top 10 of the Tour de France, but reckons that a spot on the podium in Paris is out of reach for his fellow countryman.

Nygaard said that fans should expect the unexpected in the three-week clash of the titans that could see either one of the Schleck brothers emerge as the team leader.

"After several years of writing Team-By-Team Tour de France previews, I want to do something different this year, as many of them tend to sound the same from one year to the next and—in many cases—from one team to the next."

Australia’s Tour contingent—while small—might just be the deepest of any nation in the race. A solid mix of youth and experience, look for the Aussies to contend in all phases of this year’s Tour de France.

Katusha has named an all-Russian team for the Tour de France. The squad announced its intention to select only home riders in May, and there were few surprises in Andrei Tchmil’s line-up when it was revealed on Monday.

Will Alberto Contador’s Saxo Bank team have enough horsepower to help him win another Tour de France?

"We’re counting down to the Tour de France, and there’s just four days left to go until Saturday’s opening stage in the Vendée. Every year, I have my little list of riders that I’m looking out for. They’re usually not the top contenders, since I’ll be watching the top guys anyway. These are my stealth undercover guys, the riders who may not do anything of interest, but it's July and you just never know. Here are five riders I want to watch kick ass in July."

The 2011 Tour to France route goes counter clockwise this year, crazy Pyrenees first, pristine Alps second. The question is, which way is Bradley Wiggins going? Up or down, forward or backward?

HTC Highroad competitor beats Garmin-Cervélo rider by one centimeter.

Ireland sees the closest race of the lot - we don't envy the judges having to decide between Brammeier and Martin.

On May 26, 2012, thousands of cyclists will be riding through the challenging and scenic roads of the Niagara region as they take part in GranFondo Niagara Falls. This event is created by GranFondo Canada, the organizers of the RBC GranFondo Whistler.

The Italian saddle maestros certainly think so, hence their new beam system.

New Time RXR Ulteam for sale (size large)(57). The module (frame set, stem) for $2400 or bike as pictured (campy chorus 11, rotor crankset, TRP brakes, FSA carbon bar, and 2011 Reynolds Strike carbon clinchers wheelset all for $4900!  Either is an absolute steal since the frame set alone costs over $5000!

An amazing trend is emerging this summer -- girls, on bicycles, in heels, looking like it's just the easiest thing in the world.

Brim Brothers, a Dublin-based group of engineers bent on producing their own cleat-based power meter, has taken another step toward that goal. The company announced Monday morning that the new meter now has a name, Zone, and released photos as well.

Deal will boost cooperation and combat drug trafficking.

Eddy Merckx has spoken out against the new 'no needle' policy put into place by the UCI at this year's Giro d'Italia. In a long interview published in L'Equipe this Monday, the man once called the 'Cannibal' criticised the new anti-doping rule, labelling it as "foolish and dangerous". He also slammed the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) for letting the doping case concerning Alberto Contador take such a long time, and the Spanish Grand Tour champion for giving away stage victories at the Giro d'Italia.

Spanish cycling federation president Juan Carlos Castaño has revealed that his organization is set to appeal against the revocation of the ban imposed on Roberto Heras after he tested positive for EPO at the 2005 Vuelta. This follows last week’s decision by the Supreme Court of Castilla y León to overturn the two-year ban on Heras on technical details relating to the testing procedure.

Today's Quote

“I prefer that (doping cases) are not decided this way, above all for the delays and slowness of the ordinary courts. In Heras’s case, we’re seeing important changes six years later. And next we have the Contador case and we’ll see how that ends up. I prefer faster procedures of sport justice.” - Javier Guillén VeloNews

"With this year’s Tour de France less than a week away and one of the favorites being Andy Schleck from Luxembourg, I am reminded of Charly Gaul (Pronounced Gowl.) a former TDF winner from that same country."

The Garmin-Cervélo women's team added three more national championships to the one already won by Australian Alexis Rhodes in the team's first victory of the year.

Today's Quote

“I prefer that (doping cases) are not decided this way, above all for the delays and slowness of the ordinary courts. In Heras’s case, we’re seeing important changes six years later. And next we have the Contador case and we’ll see how that ends up. I prefer faster procedures of sport justice.” - Javier Guillén VeloNews

The Elite weekend of the 2011 IMMUNITY-FX Canadian Road Championships powered by Canaccord Wealth Management ended today in Georgetown, ON with the presentation of the Elite Men and Women’s criterium, a popular urban race.

Neo-pro Eric Young (BISSELL) took the first NRC win of his career at the Glencoe Grand Prix, besting Anibal Borrajo (Jamis/Sutter Home) and Ken Hanson (Jelly Belly) in the bunch sprint.

During a very busy weekend in the American racing scene, the Hyde Park Blast in Cincinnati, OH saw top USA CRITS contenders descend upon the Queen City for the fourth stop of the Series. In an exciting finish, Jamey Driscoll (Jamis/Sutter Home) took the win after lapping the field with four other riders, while Luke Keough (Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop) was able to secure the Series lead.

Today (Sunday) are elite men national championship road races for a number of countries including Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.  We are hoping for feeds for Belgium at around 3pm CET and feeds for France at around 3:20pm CET. Live streaming video: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

The Chipotle Development Team went 1-2 in the scorching hot USA U23 National Road Race Championships earlier today in Augusta, Georgia. Rob Squire and Jacob Rathe escaped a select front group with two laps to go and never looked back. Squire claimed the Stars & Stripes.

The USA Cycling U23 national road race championship was a race of attrition. With the sun beating down and the black asphalt reflecting the heat back into the riders the winner of this 168 kilometer race was going to be well deserved.

Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck are excluded from this unscientific analyses of former winners due to the plethora of unasked-for-analyses regarding the truth universally acknowleged that the duo will finish 1-2 for their third time; likewise, Robert Gesink is excluded from the list of potential candidates since his spindly and skinny legs have been pedaling at the forefront for years now.

Today sees the strangest races on the pro calendar. Across Europe it is time for the national road race championships and the format is unlike anything else all year.

He attacks, he’s aggressive, he takes chances, tosses caution to the winds, trusts his instincts, rolls the dice and defies the odds. In short, he’s a French badass.

The cycling world harbors many fascinating personalities - it’s one of the more appealing aspects of our sport, our community. Take Marco Balduzzi. Though his wrench genius is known to only a few, he merits a place amongst the celebrated.

Ligthart takes Dutch title - Schlecks decide on Fränk.

Attack two kilometers from the line leaves Boonen, Devolder, others behind.

Robert Wagner in Germany and Matthias Krizek in Austria the other winners in German-speaking countries.

The French championships were used to determine the final choices of the AG2R La Mondiale team for the Tour de France. Maxime Bouet, Sébastien Minard and Sébastien Hinault will fill out the nine-man team behind leaders Nicolas Roche and Jean-Christophe Peraud.

Riding can be a great excuse to get away from the kids and the other half, but it's also a great way of spending some quality time with your nearest and dearest. Here we look at the best ways to get children onto two wheels and riding safely and confidently.

New Time RXR Ulteam for sale (size large)(57). The module (frame set, stem) for $2400 or bike as pictured (campy chorus 11, rotor crankset, TRP brakes, FSA carbon bar, and 2011 Reynolds Strike carbon clinchers wheelset all for $4900!  Either is an absolute steal since the frame set alone costs over $5000!

In naming Danny Pate to the Tour squad — his second trip to the big show since 2008 — director Sportif Rolf Aldag called Pate a guy who can “ride on the front forever and do it with a smile on their face.” It’s a different scenario for the young Tejay Van Garderen who has earned the Next Big Thing tag in the States.

Did we mention the food in France? We live in foodie-central here about San Francisco and below the Napa & Sonoma wine country. Farmers markets, artisinal cheeses, micro breweries, organic, free range everything, restaurants and winerys galore.Still, you can’t beat France.

Barring the unforeseen, it’s unlikely an American will contest the top step of the final 2011 Tour de France podium. That battle belongs to Spaniard Alberto Contador and Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck. But, this year’s Tour field boasts a deep wealth of Yankee talent.

Last week, a Spanish civil court ruled that there were irregularities in the doping controls that produced a positive test for EPO in the penultimate stage of the 2005 Vuelta, and over-turned a two-year ban.

The 29-year-old Strasser had failed to finish the event in his only previous participation two years ago, but this time around he put in the third fastest average speed ever of 14.94mph, completing the coast-to-coast ride from Oceanside, California to Annapolis, Maryland, in 8 days, 8 hours and 6 minutes.

Danny Pate and Tejay Van Garderen punched their tickets to the Tour de France after HTC-Highroad revealed its nine starting riders for the upcoming grande boucle.

Wiggins had attacked his two team mates on the final lap and it proved to be the decisive move as he quickly built a gap on the two younger riders.

The world of women's race bikes just got a whole lot more serious...

It's that time of year when national championship results are arriving fast and furious. Keep abreast of all the national championship action throughout the globe with this handy reference to road race and time trial events.

Count 'em; one, two, three, four...

It's that time of year when national championship results are arriving fast and furious. Keep abreast of all the national championship action throughout the globe with this handy reference to road race and time trial events.

Shelley Olds narrowly edged Theresa Cliff-Ryan to win the very short criterium at the 2011 USA Cycling Juniors, U23, Elite Road National Championships.

"To actually give out a jersey for less than thirty minutes of racing seems pretty unfair.”

HTC Highroad sweeps podium spots in both men and women's races.

The manufacturer announced they will offer pre-built carbon and alloy wheelsets that incorporate their power meters.

Targets a good performance in the Tour of Austria.

Italian brand Cinelli can always be relied to come up with a clever name for a new product and their latest is no exception. WYSIWYG is a full carbon-fibre time trial frame with a "fully adjustable seat position system" which means it will be pitched as much at triathletes as Dr Hutch's acolytes when released in the 2012 range.

A source close to the negotiations has told VeloNews that RadioShack, Nissan and Trek will all continue to back the U.S-based team through the end of 2013.

It could be as useful as CQ but with a bigger push in the media to make it more widely understood and therefore valued. It’s this legitimacy that both the UCI and CQ rankings have so far struggled with.

Team Raleigh’s British hill climb champion, Dan Fleeman received an unexpected call up for the tough six day Canadian stage race the Tour de Beauce - won by Realcyclist.com’s Spanish star Francisco Mancebo.

A few items are essential if you do more than ride in flat, dry conditions between secure garages. Some will make your ride easier, safer or more comfortable, and some are simply nice to have.

"Effective and easy to use. Lighter than carrying two separate pumps."

Team Sky rider talks about his development, gives predictions for Tour podium.

On Saturday, the Italian cycling site tuttobiciweb.it published a story that Zomegnan met with high-ranking officials within the RCS organization to discuss his future.

Today's Quote

“We can see, for example, a change in the value of certain parameters, which are completely different in 2010 to what they were in 2008 or 2009. Obviously, that leads us to suppose that some kind of manipulation has taken place." - UCI doctor Mario Zorzoli Bicycling

"With little over a week until the start of the 2011 Tour de France, Cyclingnews has picked ten tweeting riders to follow during July. Here’s our pick of the bunch."

Bradley Wiggins is convinced he can be an overall contender in this year's Tour de France after both he and Team Sky learnt from their mistakes of 2010.

New Time RXR Ulteam for sale (size large)(57). The module (frame set, stem) for $2400 or bike as pictured (campy chorus 11, rotor crankset, TRP brakes, FSA carbon bar, and 2011 Reynolds Strike carbon clinchers wheelset all for $4900!  Either is an absolute steal since the frame set alone costs over $5000!

One of the most impressive items that Giant has launched for the 2012 model year is its new WheelSystem. Using DT Swiss internals, every wheel in the four-model line is either tubeless ready or tubeless compatible.

Stating the obvious – I’m no marketing guy. In fact I do things that make marketing guys wince – but regardless – have you seen Nike’s new tee-shirt line? Is this a good concept to run with considering the times athletics are in?

Luis Leon Sanchez won his third national title by taking the 27.5-mile sprint in 27 minutes, 12 seconds. Jonathan Castresana was second with Contador 24 seconds back in third.

Barring the unforeseen, it’s unlikely an American will contest the top step of the final 2011 Tour de France podium. That battle belongs to Spaniard Alberto Contador and Luxembourg’s Andy Schleck.

Confirmation has arrived of yesterday’s story on the blog that Qatar Airways have signed a deal with the Tour de France to provide air transport for the race.  …but what if this deal has more to it?

The three Belgian riders employed by American teams will be allowed to start this weekend in the Belgian national races. The Belgian cycling federation denied media reports that the riders would be banned for unpaid social security contributions.

You get faster and stronger through overload and recovery. This means not only that you have to work hard enough during your intervals to overload your body, but also that you need to rest long enough to give your body time to adapt to the new demands that you place on it.

Edvald Boasson Hagen will not ride the Norwegian road championships this Sunday, and his participation in the Tour de France may be endangered.   The Team Sky rider has been diagnosed with shingles (herpes zoster).

With the Tour de France bearing down on us, riders across the world are flying to their home countries for their respective National Championships, hoping to wear their country’s colors when La Grande Boucle begins on July 2nd. Here’s a quick run-down of who the Pavé staff will have their eyes on this weekend.

What do UCI WorldTour teams do with team cars after races outside of Europe such as the Tour of California or the Tour down Under?

Profiles and concise analysis of each stage, a start list that’s currently a work-in-progress as well as explainer for the different jerseys plus a breakdown of the prizes payout.

While many predicted a strong ride from Christophe Strasser (Austria), few considered him a threat to win. Strasser, however, had come to the USA to settle a score.

The 28-year-old had just finished a 2,989-mile cross-country bicycle race across the US, covering the distance in 8 days, 8 hours, and 6 minutes. That's an average speed of 14.94 mph.

A quick mention of Thomas Dekker. In case you’re not familiar, he was once a promising Dutch rider but got busted for EPO. His ban is coming to an end and now he has a book out. If this sounds familiar, yes it is similar to the case of David Millar given the Scot has been banned, has comeback and also released a book this month.

Not everybody at the Tour de France is riding those 12 grand carbon race bikes. I shot this big-wheeler out the window of my car driving back to Lourdes after stage 17 from Pau to the Col du Tourmalet.

Team Sky sponsor IG Markets has unveiled its first Pro Cycling Index, topped by Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Philippe Gilbert, who also heads the UCI WorldTour Ranking. The Index has been compiled with the help of sports data provider Opta.

The Cult of Mac is reporting a new weather resistant bicycle mount.

Being There: Bike Press Camp, Part 3.

Ridley unveils a new aero road frameset, plus new parts from Cateye and Lazer...

Being There: Bike Press Camp, Part 2.

CycleOps unveils new wheels, plus Enve's latest aero ...

Being There: Bike Press Camp 2011

Have a look at Hutchinson's $500 tires, Cannondale's ...

Stating the obvious – I’m no marketing guy. In fact I do things that make marketing guys wince – but regardless – have you seen Nike’s new tee-shirt line? Is this a good concept to run with considering the times athletics are in?

"Your book The Death of Marco Pantani managed to be critical, but more importantly sympathetic. I found this to be a very fair take on a man who seldom gets a fair assessment from anyone. How do you feel about Pantani today?"

This should be the positive story of the day. The UCI and AFLD working together, the sport’s governing body and the French anti-doping authorities have a deal to help ensure doping controls in the upcoming Tour de France are effective and thorough. Just what we needed to hear. Only a little bit of careless talk by the UCI’s chief doctor Michele Zorzoli has undone this and this morning’s headlines scream “More doping scandals to come“.

Today's Quote

““We can see, for example, a change in the value of certain parameters, which are completely different in 2010 to what they were in 2008 or 2009. Obviously, that leads us to suppose that some kind of manipulation has taken place." - UCI doctor Mario Zorzoli Bicycling

Jean-René Bernaudeau has confirmed Europcar’s interest in signing Thor Hushovd for 2012. The world champion is set to be one of the most highly-sought riders on the transfer market this summer, as his contact with Garmin-Cervélo expires at the end of the season.

"Last week we made a raft of preposterous predictions for the upcoming Grand Boucle in France. It was fun. But as the actual race approached we ought to probably settle in and start the very, extremely serious work of predicting and arguing over what will really happen."

You never forget how to ride a bike, right? That’s essentially true, but coaches who teach cycling to adults say there are a few things that they do forget – or never learned.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) and the French Anti-doping Agency (AFLD) have formalised an agreement to perform the doping controls at the 2011 Tour de France together.

Dutch rider Thomas Dekker will make his comeback to the sport at the 80th Grote Prijs Stad St. Niklaas, a Belgian kermis, on July 6 following his two-year doping suspension.

Profiles and concise analysis of each stage, a start list that’s currently a work-in-progress as well as explainer for the different jerseys plus a breakdown of the prizes payout.

Today's Quote

“Here's Solar's injuries - Brain Edema;skull,scapula, collar bne, ankle all fractured, Lung punctred, 4 ribs brkn,kidney lacerated.Recovering" - Phil Liggett Twitter

Ouija board question for the Tour de France: who will be the GC leader of Radio Shack?

The issue is, the Tour has changed how it gives out intermediate and finish line points. Gone are the traditional ways of awarding points.

Frenchwoman still racing strongly at 52.

The federal council of the Italian Cycling Federation has confirmed that riders who have served suspensions of six months or more for doping infractions will not be able to ride the national championships or represent Italy at international level.

Using their Bike Pack, which includes a water and shock resistant bar mount case with a built-in ANT+ transceiver and separate speed/cadence sensor, their free app records everything about your ride.

Higher-end helmets use a dual-density EPS foam, alloy cage reinforcements and a super-soft rubber occipital pad that uses material similar to that found on Crocs, the popular rubber-like footwear. The adjustable fit system lets users micro-adjust the inner fit band.

Cannondale surprised everyone at PressCamp with the introduction of their helmet line, but the best surprise is the long feature list and reasonably low weights for a small price.

Cycling Australia has imposed a two-year sanction on former Genesys rider, John Cornish. Cornish tested positive for the anabolic agent nandrolone during last year’s Goulburn-Citi Classic in September.

The owner of the HTC-Highroad team says that the team’s trailblazing days in the professional peloton could come to a premature end unless a replacement title sponsor is found before the end of the Tour de France.

Last year is was Garmin’s canuk Ryder Hesjedal who stunned the Tour de France with a 7th place overall. Who’s the next Hesjedahl?

The USA Cycling Elite women's time trial championships will offer a showdown between the nation's top time trialists on June 24 in Augusta, Georgia. Former World champions Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12) and Amber Neben (HTC-Highroad) along with teammate and defending champion Evie Stevens will be among the powerhouse participants who will battle for a nomination to the UCI World Championships held in September in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The phone rings, it’s Vik; ‘what about this mess with Contador?’ I have to think; ‘winning the Giro?’ I stammer. ‘No! No! Riding the Tour, it’s a time bomb, waiting to go off!’ And that’s how I came to be sitting in Vik’s back garden the next day, drinking coffee and asking him the questions about the sport that many are afraid to answer.

Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault will be on hand to trumpet the deal whereby the Gulf airline will become an official partner of the Tour de France. In case you wonder what an airline can do with the Tour de France, note the 575km transfer to Paris after Grenoble’s Stage 20 was supposed to happen via train, now this will apparently happen by plane.

BB30 allows designers the ability to make a BB wider and, therefore, stiffer.

Step by step instructions.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) and the French Anti-doping Agency (AFLD) have formalised an agreement to perform the doping controls at the 2011 Tour de France together.

Dutch rider Thomas Dekker will make his comeback to the sport at the 80th Grote Prijs Stad St. Niklaas, a Belgian kermis, on July 6 following his two-year doping suspension.

After a long hard pull at the front, Mary moved over and let the guys come through. She couldn’t help but notice how much these regular Wednesday evening rides with the local chain gang had really improved her stamina and speed.

Helmet debate rages on Down Under as others claim helmets aren't sole factor at work.

One of the most interesting new products to look for is a new device from the Saris Group’s CycleOps division that resembles a standard heart rate strap-on monitor that calculates a rider’s power output.

With yesterday’s annoucement that Tom Boonen signed a 2-year contract extension with Quick Step, the next logical question surrounds whether or not Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Philippe Gilbert will join him.

Belgian wants national champion’s jersey, then good Tour.

Three Belgian cyclists employed by American teams RadioShack and HTC-Highroad might not be allowed to take the start of their national championships this Sunday because of unpaid social security contributions.

Slim and stylish eye-wear at a fair price, although some riders may find the vents in the lenses are not 100% effective.

Twenty-nine year old Christoph Strasser is on track to not only take his first Race Across America victory, but to also break the long-standing completed RAAM record of 15.4mph set by Pete Penseyres way back in 1986.

More than 1,000 riders, spanning the ages of 10 to over 40 will take to the streets for the USA Cycling Juniors, Under-23, Elite and Paralympic Road National Championships in Augusta for the first time beginning on Wed., June 22 and continue until Sun., June 26.

Only weeks ago, Ireland’s Nicolas Roche was the clear leader of Vincent Lavenu’s Ag2r-La Mondiale squad for the Tour de France. But Gadret‘s renaissance in this year’s Giro has catapulted the introverted climbing specialist into the spotlight.

As the days count down to the start of the Tour de France on July 2, more and more teams are announcing their final nine-rider line-ups for the race.

The 2010 Tour de France was one of the most tightly-fought in the big race's history - overall winner Alberto Contador beat second-placed Andy Schleck by just 39 seconds. Here we take a look back at the closest Tour finishes ever.

“We are all extremely impressed with (Mancebo’s) level of professionalism and leadership. Since we started the pro team last winter, (Mancebo) has been very enthusiastic and wants to continue to help the team improve.

Even in the “off-season,” Georgia Gould is a force to be reckoned with. When we last checked in with her in our first Women’s Wednesday column, we learned that she’s been chasing a win in the Mountain Bike World Cup series, as well as the PROxct series.

Race start: 12:32pm CET (6:32am U.S. Eastern). Live streaming video: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

Leopard Trek manager Brian Nygaard is confident Andy Schleck will be at his best in time for the mountain stages at the Tour de France, in spite of his sporadic performances at the Tour de Suisse.

Considerable overlap with Giro d’Italia squad.

It would be understandable if some Tour de France fans believed there was a shortage of mountains in France. Because the same few climbs seem to show up every Tour. Sometimes twice in a single year.

States videos may not be not necessary to bring charges.

What would Mr. Crab say? Sponge Bob, the cartoon star from Bikini Bottom would surely have shouted “impostor.”

Today's Quote

“Here's Solar's injuries - Brain Edema;skull,scapula, collar bne, ankle all fractured, Lung punctred, 4 ribs brkn,kidney lacerated.Recovering" - Phil Liggett Twitter

"I can count on one hand the number of races I have quit in my cycling career. And I don’t need all the fingers."

RadioShack revealed its Tour Nine on Tuesday, with Leipheimer sharing the spotlight as one of the “four musketeers” to lead the U.S.-registered squad into the Tour. Along with Leipheimer, RadioShack brings Chris Horner, Andreas Klöden and Janez Brajkovic, all riders with podium potential.

London’s SOHO district is bulging with restaurants and bars that all claim “iconic” status as the next big thing – usually closing six months later. But one establishment that puts its money where its mouth is, and has for 60 years, truly claim to be a SOHO landmark is Bar Italia -coffee stop to rogues and Royalty alike. This morning it played host to a cyclist who fits all these descriptions, HTC’s Mark Cavendish.

Belgian is 'fascinated' by ideas for team’s future.

Fignon hated Colombia and the Colombians. So bear that in mind, there was real antipathy there. [While some have suggested that Colombian riders made themselves out to be victims, Jose Beyaert agreed with them based on comments he heard Fignon make.

The 3500 isn’t just Trek’s entry-level option, it’s also the company’s cheapest adult bike of any kind. That’s likely to attract buyers just looking for something to get about on, but the 3500 is very much a mountain bike.

Every now and then the stars align and a brand will rise from relative obscurity to consummate “it” brand of the day. BMC bikes have been around for years, but when the company began sponsoring a team with a heavy American contingent, stateside sales took off like a Bugatti Veyron in the hands of a 16-year-old.

l'affaire Armstrong is taking that familiar path of law enforcement accelerated celebrity disintegration, as previously paved by John DeLorean, Martha Stewart, Barry Bonds, and Lindsay Lohan. Hubris begets tragedy; tragedy begets farce; farce begets complete public apathy to the spectacle as a whole.

Andreas Kloden exits the men's room at the swank Zwischenspeicher Zwischenspeicher only to be impeded by a hand on his ankle.

Italy's Francisco De Bonis lost his appeal to overturn a two-year doping ban based on abnormal testing results as part of the International Cycling Union's (UCI) biological passport system.

Win the Tour de France and you get the porcelain bowl made in Sèvres by the state-owned  pottery company Manufacture Nationale de Sèvres. It’s a unique trophy and has no official title, except it is awarded “in the name of the Presidency of the French republic“. It’s elegant and you probably wouldn’t use it as a fruit bowl. But it’s not that valuable in crude money terms.

Remember in 2007 when Unibet.com was an international level cycling team with Tour de France aspirations? Unfortunately for them, the star-crossed outfit never got the chance to chase the yellow jersey, in part because its title sponsor was an on-line gaming outfit, which was a no-no in the eyes of certain powerful French race organizers.

German riders are having a very good season. Andre Greipel’s a dependable winner and this year Tony Martin’s confirmed his abilities whilst neo-pros John Degenkolb and Marcel Kittel have been highly impressive. And if you want a tip, look out for a guy called Tino Thömel.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) is refusing to do any interview with German television networks ARD and ZDF, saying the public broadcasters are overly focused on doping. The two networks share the Tour de France coverage, and have said that they will not carry the race after this year.

Slaying The Badger author Richard Moore talks about Paul Köchli, Cyrille Guimard and Andy Hampsten. Oh yeah, and Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond too.

I might have moaned and whined about Innsbruck's weather and its difficult terrain during our time in Austria, it became one of our favorite places in the world, and more importantly, it was the point from which all of our adventures emanated.

Experienced domestiques chosen to look after the team’s four veteran team leaders.

There was a time not too long ago when the opening week of the Tour de France was a yawner.

According to race organiser ASO, the broadcasts will all be based on images provided by France Télévisions, and six stages will be shown start-to-finish.

Which team will be the most successful in this year’s edition? Here are the 5 candidates, all of which are managed by former coureur cyclistes.

Riccardo Riccò is back in the headlines in Italy after sneaking into a sportif ride on Sunday to help his friends achieve a better result.

Full team roster to be announced this week.

Janel Holcomb drops to 2nd place.

Rider emerging from coma, fears of spinal injuries subside.

Dave Moulton: Pro Cycling and Helmets.

I am wondering just how much protection does a cycling helmet really give?

Backers remain on board despite uncertainty about Contador situation.

Today's Quote

“The shadow of the ongoing investigation into Armstrong is long and covers riders who may be entirely innocent of any wrong doing. Perhaps Leipheimer is collateral damage in the battle against doping? I hate to think that every victory by RadioShack is tainted as I’ll root for Horner in the Tour." - Neil Browne BrowneEye

If you're looking to bring an old bike out of a long hibernation in your shed or garage, or you've just bought one second-hand, you're going to need to give it the once over to make sure everything is running smoothly and it’s safe to ride.

As the various National Championships around the world start to play out this week, Hong Kong has already crowned its Elite road race champion for the year – Yeung Ying Hon, a 22-year-old Elite 2 ranked rider, who rode just eleven days of UCI-graded races last year, and four the previous year.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) is refusing to do any interview with German television networks ARD and ZDF, saying the public broadcasters are overly focused on doping. The two networks share the Tour de France coverage, and have said that they will not carry the race after this year.

Spanish former-rider talks of his life after cycling and his impressions of the sport today.

Garmin-Cervelo’s Tom Danielson is finally in the our de France. It’s been at least 4 years of lobbying Jonathan Vaughters but at last he makes the cut.

The other day I was listening to one of The Bike Show podcasts and broadcaster Jack Thurston mentioned something like “the age of innocence” with cycling, when a ride was simply about jumping on a bike and enjoying the feelings, whether the wind in your hair or a moment of escapism. I certainly remember the days.

Says ASO wanted a verdict before Tour start.

With the Tour de France just a couple of weeks away invited teams are starting to announce their rosters. Of course the big names have all made their intentions known for either contesting the overall or battling it out for stage wins.

Full team roster to be announced this week.

Janel Holcomb drops to 2nd place.

The 28-year-old rider is in stable condition and his recovery is proceeding as expected, but there are concerns about the extent of his brain injuries and whether he will suffer any lasting damage from his crash during the Tour of Switzerland last week.

Cyclist Ryder Hesjedal is one of the best athletes in Canada. Can he suffer enough to become the best in the world?

It might be mid-summer but there’s a real shortage of racing for the next two weeks. There’s Belgian one day race Halle-Ingooigem on Wednesday and the European nations have their national championships at the weekend. But that’s about it until Saturday 2 July when the Tour de France starts.

Andy Schleck in the Tour de Suisse prologue starthouse. Photo: Gregg Bleakney | www.gbleakney.com.

The French word canicule means oppressive, stifling heat when the air is thick and refuses to move and dogs can’t raise the energy to scratch themselves. There was just such a day in the Tour de France of 1935, when the riders faced a long hot 17th day from Pau to Bordeaux.

It wasn’t until the hours before Sunday’s final-day 32.1km individual time trial that the veteran RadioShack rider believed he had a shot at erasing a 1:59 deficit to race leader Damiano Cunego.

After French teammate John Gadret refused to give him his wheel in stage 15 last year, the Irishman is taking the extraordinary precaution of bring his own spare wheels.

Breukink calls him an ‘absolute leader’ as Dutchman chases podium place.

Alberto Contador admitted that winning the Giro d'Italia-Tour de France double will be “very difficult” because he can still feel the effects of the Italian race and the fatigue from the huge amount of climbing in his legs. However he is confident that he will quickly get into his “Tour rhythm” once the racing begins.

Finally. After losing the overall on the final day of Nature Valley Grand Prix last year, the Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth team prevailed this year with Jesse Anthony winning the overall.

All but one of the top ten solo males were beyond the half-way point of the 2011 Race Across America on Monday morning. This second half of RAAM has a distinctly different flavor than the first.

The Tour de Suisse was a success for Dutch team Rabobank, with stage winner Steven Kruijswijk on the podium as the highest of three riders in the top 10. The team also finished second in the team rankings. Directeur sportif Franz Maassen called his team's performance “magnificent.”

I had the great fortune to drive most of the race course routes on the mountain stages of the 2010 Tour de France. That in itself was an exciting and unique adventure.

Available through King Cage for $35, the Behold uses a tubular stainless steel construction with a ballistic nylon bag that’s been coated for water resistance. It’s designed to hold a road tube, two tire levers, mini tool, CO2 with adapter and a patch kit.

Soon after emerging from police custody, a washed-up David Millar meets Dr Steve Peters, a consultant psychologist for the British cycling team and they talk for hours. It becomes apparent that Millar’s upbringing and past experiences have led him to the edge of self-destruction.

A biography of Greg LeMond, by one of the best American cycling journalists the sport has seen.

Irishman Daniel Martin (Garmin-Cervelo) scored his first win of the season at the one-day Giro della Toscana in Italy on Sunday.

Much talked about, the "entry level" electronic drivetrain is now official...

The second iteration of electronic shifting gets put in the books before Campy’s system gets laid out in full production spec (though they’re close), and it improves upon the higher end Di2 Dura-Ace with a simpler wiring system and slimmer profile. It also improves on the price by coming in under the cost of mechanical Dura-Ace!

Shimano look to have raised the bar once more, with the long-rumoured Ultegra version of their Di2 electronic road groupset due for release this winter. This second-tier group is expected to be around half the price of the flagship Dura-Ace set – which, although lauded for its performance, has been out of reach of most riders due to its prohibitive pricing.

Specialized launched a new and improved S-Works Amira road bike this weekend in the mountainous northern region surrounding the city of Bilbao, Spain. The high-performance, women's-specific machine features two key improvements: increased stiffness and decreased weight.

With the Tour de France just a couple of weeks away invited teams are starting to announce their rosters. Of course the big names have all made their intentions known for either contesting the overall or battling it out for stage wins.

It hasn’t been the best kept secret, with rumors swirling for close to two years. The long wait came to an end today, as Shimano just announced the availability of Ultegra Di2, bringing electronic shifting to the mid-range of their race-worthy component line.

Rudi van Houts, suspended last year by the Multivan-Merida mountain bike team after testing positive for clenbuterol, is back on the squad. Van Houts was able to prove that the clenbuterol came from contaminated meat he ate while in Mexico.

Today's Quote

“The shadow of the ongoing investigation into Armstrong is long and covers riders who may be entirely innocent of any wrong doing. Perhaps Leipheimer is collateral damage in the battle against doping? I hate to think that every victory by RadioShack is tainted as I’ll root for Horner in the Tour." - Neil Browne BrowneEye

“At the end of the day, I don’t care about Spanish or French,” said Vaughters. “They’re nice romance languages but our focus is being the best English Speaking team out there.”

Success at the Tour de Suisse has lifted Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) and Damiano Cunego (Lampre-ISD) into the top 20 of the latest UCI ranking.

Spain tops the national standings by some distance over Italy, while Great Britain in ninth place on 346 points lie 12 points behind Switzerland and 21 ahead of France. It’s a long way back to 11th place Kazakhstan, but the country most likely to present a threat to those currently in the top ten is Luxembourg, currently on 202 points but set for a bonanza should both Schleck brothers perform in France next month.

Amazingly, Beyaert's story—like most in Colombian cycling—remained untold until Matt Rendell chose to write about it. And for that, I thank him.

Niki Terpstra of Quick Step once again finished second in the Ster ZLM Toer behind Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto). And once again, the intermediate sprints on the final stage played a crucial role in determining the race winner.

New Zealand is a long way from Europe, but it hasn’t stopped the likes of Julian Dean (Garmin), Hayden Roulston (HTC), Jack Bauer (Endura) and Jessie Sergent (Radio Shack) from carving out careers half a world away, in Europe. And New Zealanders in the Tour de France are no longer a novelty. But who were the pioneers, the men who first planted the flag? One of them was Eric Mackenzie; his is a story of Tours de France, disappointments and a classic win – well, nearly.

While it's long been accepted that moderate exercise is the key to living a long, healthy life, there's still debate over the long-terms effects of more strenuous activities and the strains of competing at a professional level.

You know how it is: you've taken delivery of your new integrated seat post frame and whoops - you've accidentally lopped too much off it. Plus, the seat clamp that came with it is a bit heavy. Well, help's at hand, thanks to milling meisters KCNC.

Patrick Gretsch won the opener on Wednesday while Leigh Howard claimed his first win on the 2011 season by blasting through a technical final kilometer to cross the line victorious.

A one-two-three punch from the old men from Radio Shack.

Sunday's Tour de Suisse Stage 9, a 32.1km Individual Time Trial at Schaffhausen, gets underway at 2:05pm CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider. Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

According to race organizers, all four of the riders evacuated from the race-ending crash in stage 4 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix were discharged from an area hospital. None of the women started Saturday’s Menomonie Road Race.

Martin out-kicked Mauro Santambrogio (BMC) to take the flowers out of a six-man winning group, with Miguel Angel Rubiano (DAN) crossing the line third. Christophe Le Mevel came through seventh at six seconds back in a strong showing for Garmin-Cervélo.

HTC-Highroad ended the three-day Giro di Trentino stage race on a high note as Judith Arndt fended off her rivals to claim the overall victory on Sunday.

Tough Menomonie stage lived up to its billing. At the end of the 81-mile road race, the yellow jersey had changed shoulders, from Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co TWENTY12) to Amber Neben (HTC-HighRoad).

Chinks, small chinks but chinks none the less, were seen in the UnitedHealthcare armor on Friday evening and the other teams were ready to take advantage of them in Friday’s Menomonie Road Race, stage 5 at the Nature Valley Grand Prix. The Kelly Benefit Strategie-Optumhealth team made it an all or nothing stage and it paid off for them, hoisting Jesse Anthony into yellow after an amazing stage.

Mancebo remains atop general classification.

The orange-shirted, fully inebriated Euskatel-Euskadi fans were a defining and dramatic feature of the Pyrenean stages. When Mayo failed to deliver the goods, it was painfully obvious to see and the Euskatel DS said he wished their bright orange jerseys weren’t so visible.

Shimano look to have raised the bar once more, with the long-rumoured Ultegra version of their Di2 electronic road groupset due for release this winter. This second-tier group is expected to be around half the price of the flagship Dura-Ace set – which, although lauded for its performance, has been out of reach of most riders due to its prohibitive pricing.

The Tour de France is the epicenter of suffering. In the latest issue of Paved Magazine, rider Saul Ruibal calls it a “three week party for sadists and masochists.”

Today's Quote

“The shadow of the ongoing investigation into Armstrong is long and covers riders who may be entirely innocent of any wrong doing. Perhaps Leipheimer is collateral damage in the battle against doping? I hate to think that every victory by RadioShack is tainted as I’ll root for Horner in the Tour." - Neil Browne BrowneEye

When I think back to when I first got into bike racing as a teenager in the late 1980s, one of the first things I noticed about Davis Phinney was that his arms were as ripped as his legs. To this American teenager, Phinney just seemed like a star athlete with his muscular build and charismatic personality. He was the star sprinter for the pioneering 7-Eleven team. He was a two-time Tour de France stage winner.

Says his Rabobank team will repay gesture at Tour de France.

If you didn’t already know, Shimano’s venerable XT group has received a major overhaul for 2012. While the last generation saw the addition of Dynasys 10 speed to the XT group, the construction, design, and performance didn’t really change. Knowing Shimano, that meant they were up to something big, which was revealed shortly before Sea Otter this year.

Tern’s full product line includes 21, 20-inch, 24-inch and 26-inch bikes under the names Verge, Link, Eclipse, Castro and Joe. Hon has also taken BioLogic Accessories to his new company. Bikes begin shipping in September and should be in retail stores by November.

Spanish rider Luis Mate (Cofidis) won the final stage of the Route du Sud in France on Sunday while Vasily Kiryienka (Movistar) secured the overall title.

Ian Bibby took over the lead in the Premier Calendar Series with victory in the Tour of the Reservoir in Northumberland on Sunday.

"A race bike through and through – just be sure you're actually racing."

The Ultegra equipment will not be compatible with the DA system but it will be much cheaper and, Shimano claim, just as reliable.

Hincapie and Bookwalter part of US ProTeam selection.

After spending the first couple of days trading the lead and otherwise staying within shouting distance of one another, a distance of about 60 miles now separates RAAM Solo Male leader Christoph Strasser (Austria) from second-place racer Marko Baloh (Slovenia).

Might these two cycling retirees with so much to lose join forces? Consider the recent past as a thought-starter. According to Tyler Hamilton, Armstrong’s legal team reached out to him with an offer to join forces in fighting the Federal investigation and plan a joint court strategy.

Today is the last round of the Capdet-Raynal Coupe de France Dames 2011, the 5th Classic Féminine Vienne / Poitou-Charentes at Loudon in the west of France.

"Great feel, speed and grip, but too short-lived."

If you’re looking for a lightweight tire that won't puncture every ride, you won’t go far wrong with the Panaracer Type L.

Leipheimer wasn’t the only RadioShack rider to break the top 10 today. Andreas Klöden was second and Nelson Oliveira was fourth for the Shack. Quite the ride for the team.

We make our way to Italy to ride with the Belgian legend...and 2400 other riders...

On the third day of racing race leader Christoph Strasser and chaser Marko Baloh are both on record pace, with Strasser’s overall average speed being 18.31 mph and Baloh holding 17.29 mph.

On June 18, 2006, five years ago today, Jan Ullrich stormed across the finish line of the Tour de Suisse's closing time trial to win the stage and take a come-from-behind race win. That victory confirmed the form he had shown in winning the Giro d'Italia's time trial the month before, and put the T-Mobile rider squarely in the favourite's position to win the Tour de France.

HTC-Highroad’s Judith Arndt has followed teammate Ina-Yoko Teutenberg’s win in the opening stage of the Giro di Trentino in Italy with her own victory 24 hours later.

Gretsch misses break and drops to ninth overall.

Saturday's Tour de Suisse Stage 8 departs Tübach at 1:31pm CET (7:31am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Schaffhausen at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Another stage, another win for UnitedHealthcare at Nature Valley Grand Prix. But tonight at the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium, they had to work very hard to keep it under control.

A horror crash toward the end of stage four of the Nature Valley Grand Prix saw among others, overall leader Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co.-Twenty12), and defending champion Shelly Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara) go down.

Zdenek Stybar is not satisfied with his results on the road, although he can boast of some top finishes in his short career with Quick Step. The reigning cyclo-cross world champion admitted that while he is happy with what he has accomplished, he wants more.

"If it’s good enough for Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins, it’s good enough for us."

Adrie Visser gets second in HTC-Highroad 1-2.

Father’s Day weekend is busy across the country with the National Racing Calendar and USA CRITS series in action, urban track racing on display in New York City, and the historic Nevada City Classic in California.

The orange-shirted, fully inebriated Euskatel-Euskadi fans were a defining and dramatic feature of the Pyrenean stages. When Mayo failed to deliver the goods, it was painfully obvious to see and the Euskatel DS said he wished their bright orange jerseys weren’t so visible.

Doctors said Saturday swelling in the brain appeared to be coming down. “The health status of Juan Mauricio Soler has further stabilized and there are no signs for an intracranial pressure which is considered by the doctors as a positive sign. The medication was able to be reduced. The patient is still in an artificial coma.”

A large and very violent crash at the start of the bell lap forced the cancellation of stage 4, the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium of the Nature Valley Grand Prix.   The pace was already high with the final sprint coming in and many riders, 39 to be exact out of a field of 81 riders, hit the deck hard.  Four were attended to EMS on-site before being transported to the hospital.

Today's Quote

“No one else has ever been in the frame with the Badger. Not even in the frame. [He was] above Merckx. The Badger had the greatest athletic potential of any rider ever. By far." - Cyrille Guimard VeloNation

French teams take longer to change wheels in the event of a front wheel puncture than other teams. It’s because French law requires all bikes, including those taking part in a race, to keep the so-called “lawyers lips” on the fork drop outs.>

Fourth on yesterday’s stage boosts morale.

Who am I as a cyclist?  Why do I do what I do?  Finally, why do I do it in the way that I do? What makes us who we are as cyclists?

Team encouraged, but remains cautious.

On the third day of racing race leader Christoph Strasser and chaser Marko Baloh are both on record pace, with Strasser’s overall average speed being 18.31 mph and Baloh holding 17.29 mph.

On June 18, 2006, five years ago today, Jan Ullrich stormed across the finish line of the Tour de Suisse's closing time trial to win the stage and take a come-from-behind race win. That victory confirmed the form he had shown in winning the Giro d'Italia's time trial the month before, and put the T-Mobile rider squarely in the favourite's position to win the Tour de France.

Legendary French director’s thoughts on equally legendary Tour winner.

The Italian cycling federation has confirmed that all riders who have been sanctioned for doping in the past will be prevented from taking part in the Italian championships and from representing Italy at the world championships.

2010 US professional road champion Ben King (RadioShack) has donated a signed, national champion's jersey to be auctioned off in support of the Ronald McDonald House.

So you’re away on business or on holiday and you’re feeling the itch to get on your bike. You didn't think you could handle the withdrawal symptoms if you ditched your strict training regimen, so you’ve brought along your bike in case you’re able to squeeze a ride in. There’s just one problem – you’re in an unfamiliar land and there’s nobody to ride with.

Adrie Visser gets second in HTC-Highroad 1-2.

Father’s Day weekend is busy across the country with the National Racing Calendar and USA CRITS series in action, urban track racing on display in New York City, and the historic Nevada City Classic in California.

Friday's Tour de Suisse Stage 7 departs Vaduz at 11:17am CET (5:17am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Hilly, Amstel Gold style stage sees constant attacks from Philippe Gilbert.

A day after UnitedHealthcare ran away with the first two stages, Robert Förster left no doubt when he won the Cannon Falls Road Race at the Nature Valley Grand Prix Thursday night.

Giorgia Bronzini showed her world road champion pedigree Thursday, winning her second stage in a row at the Nature Valley Grand Prix.

Liquigas-Cannondale rider aiming for good end of season after Philadelphia crash.

Well we’ve waited quite a while for a proper climby stage race, but now the calendar seems to be packed with them.

The R5CA is a limited edition Cervelo model with a retail price of near $10,000 for the frameset.

Fulcrum have a new range of road wheels for 2012 called Red Wind, made from a combination of carbon fibre and aluminium – and we’ve got hold of one of the first sets for testing.

Team encouraged, but remains cautious.

Everybody at the Tour de France wants the coveted yellow jersey of race leader. This French cow was in yellow for stage three last year, the crazy cobblestone stage that ended in the coal mining town of Arenberg.

Chances are you don’t know of Jean-Paul Brouchon. Most readers here are English speaking and JPB was a French journalist who died today, aged 72. But his departure is a loss to cycling because he was a sort of the guardian for cycling’s history.

A 235km loop, three mountain passes with nearly 5,000 vertical meters of climbing, and beautiful weather. Some of you might know this route as the 3 Peaks, the Audex Alpine Classic, or the Queen of Victoria. Whatever you call it and where ever you start from, it’s always difficult and always rewarding.

Today's Quote

“So now the recent evening takes on a hugely ironic flavor. Hamilton, a doper, is eating dinner at a restaurant owned by marijuana dopers and is being accosted by a guy who is being investigated for doping. Jesus….what type of place is Aspen? From the sound of it, this mountain town blows Venice Beach out of the water!" - Neil Browne BrowneEye

The autobiography of David Millar, bike racer and reformed doper: a tale of the triumph of hype over adversity. Has the potential to become this generation's version of Paul Kimmage's A Rough Ride.

It’s our one day of the year, and if yours plays out anything like Mother’s Day does here at PEZ HQ, you should get to do what you want – for the whole day! I’ll settle for a ride of my choosing thanks very much. But if you’ve scored enough Dad-points over the past year to qualify for an actual gift for being just dear old ‘dad’, here are a few items that will make our special day even better…

Camelbak has two new Better Bottles, the Groove with an inline water taste filter (above) and an insulated version.

Vuelta a España director-general Javier Guillén has knocked back hopes that the Spanish race might be the first grand tour to visit the United States. Speaking to Europa Press, Guillén said that he had studied the possibility of taking the race to New York, but had rejected the idea for time being.

The cycling world this week lapped up the latest twist in the ongoing Lance Armstrong saga, which seemingly sunk to new levels of twisted depravity in an Aspen eaterie.

The Sword of Damocles is an ancient Greek fable that tells of a sword suspended by a horse’s hair above the head of Damocles, a courtier in Athens. At any moment the hair could break and the sword will plunge towards poor Damocles. It’s a tale that says the threat of something looming over us can be as disturbing as the act itself, that we would be unable to live normally with this threat to our life literally hanging over us.

Financial officer Makhmetov also exploring Nibali buyout from Liquigas.

If you follow professional cycling you've probably spotted these distinctively flattened Osymetric chainrings on the bikes of several high profile riders. Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, Alexandre Vinokourov and Bobby Julich are among the pros who've used them and won races with them on.

Spot Brand Bikes starts shipping the Gates Belt Drive Center Track system on bikes this summer.

Anyone who has ventured to ride the roads and trails of Utah knows that what goes up eventually goes down. So while Utah previously climbed to a 23rd place ranking on the League of American Bicyclists ranking of biking-friendly states, this year, it fell 8 places to 31st.

We’re still two weeks away, but screw it, let’s start talking about the Tour de France. Of course, the easiest topic to blab about would be Alberto Contador’s presence in the race thanks entirely to delays in his doping appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. BORING!!!!!!!!!!!

Coryn Rivera is the fastest bike racer you’ve never heard of. She rides for Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty12 and during her years in the junior ranks, she won thirty-two national titles racing road, track, and cyclocross.

Colombian suffers severe head trauma and multiple fractures.

Fractured skull?

Thursday's Tour de Suisse Stage 6 departs Tobel-Tägerschen at 1:16pm CET (7:16am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Triesenberg/Malbun at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Gretsch stays in race overall lead.

Today's Quote

“So now the recent evening takes on a hugely ironic flavor. Hamilton, a doper, is eating dinner at a restaurant owned by marijuana dopers and is being accosted by a guy who is being investigated for doping. Jesus….what type of place is Aspen? From the sound of it, this mountain town blows Venice Beach out of the water!" - Neil Browne BrowneEye

How about this finish in the NRC race last week back East. 1-2-3-4. Excitement galore.

Says hunger, discipline and methodical approach behind the team’s success.

Dry Goods is a spray powder designed to absorb moisture and prevent chafing. Unlike baby powder or Anti-Monkey Butt powder, it sprays on neatly and sticks to whatever you’ve aimed at. This means no powder getting all over or floating around to breathe in.

BikeRumor: 2012 Pinarello ROKH Road Bike Coming.

We just got some lo-res sales sheets leaked our way courtesy of Queen City Bicycles in Charlotte (Thanks, Bart!) on the 2012 Pinarello ROKH carbon fiber road bikes. Priced at $3,600 to $4,100 complete, it’s a “balance between performance and value” that claims to be a full on race-ready machine.

VeloNews tech editor Nick Legan is a former ProTour mechanic who most recently wrenched for Team RadioShack at the 2010 Tour de France and elsewhere.

In the race results bible ‘Velo Plus’ there’s a section ‘Epreuve Du Passé’ or ‘Races from the Past.’ The Harlem criterium was in danger of becoming one of those; a race from the past – until John Eustice got hold of it, that is.

The news this morning, scooped by Richard Moore, is that Mark Cavendish will ride for Team Sky for 2012. I believe the deal was agreed on the first rest day of the Giro d’Italia, that he will be accompanied others from HTC-Highroad and that Sky will also announce other significant signings in due course too.

Briton expected to move from HTC Highroad at the end of this season.

TwistedSpoke: Tour de France countdown. 16 days until 6 foot penis.

Could the first week of the Tour de France be the best?

When you look at the Tour de France route you often tend to skip the first week and look up the mountain stages. For good reason, often the opening days are a parade around the more northerly parts of France where sprint finishes are almost inevitable and nothing of great tactical consequence happens, apart from maybe some crosswinds or every few years, the use of some pavé.

Tour Schedule 2011 is a new iOS app (for iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch) that gives a run down of each day’s stage with notes, maps and more. The kicker is it lets you add any or all stages to your iCal to easily block off the time it’s airing so you won’t accidentally schedule things like work, school functions or special time with your sweetie.

The new set of wheels called the “Bullet” series utilizes a 2-Way Fit system over their new carbon rim with an aluminum brake track.

"Excellent performance for the price, but hubs aren't the smoothest and there's some flex in the front wheel."

The UCI’s management committee on Thursday urged fans and the media to show the “utmost sense of responsibility” toward Alberto Contador at the 2011 Tour de France.

In August of 1982 four cyclists departed from the pier in Santa Monica, California, in a race to the Empire State Building in New York City, New York. None of them knew that the “Great American Bike Race,” as it was called that first year, would still be going on 30 years later and that it would grow to what it is today.

Fine restaurant or crime scene? It depends upon whom one asks.

The UCI announced the major events that will comprise its 2012 mountain bike calendar including the World Cup and world championships venues and dates. Its management committee approved the calendar today in Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Saxo Bank SunGard joins previously-announced UCI ProTeams in Colorado event.

With the largest race in the month of May being the Giro d’Italia, this month’s Rider of the Month award goes deservedly to maglia rosa winner Alberto Contador. ‘El Pistolero’ dominated the race from early on with a savage display of strength on the slopes of Mt Etna, leaving nearly all of his rivals coughing in the volcanic dust from his explosive attack.

Bianchi has been selling 29in-wheeled hardtails for four years, having first experimented with big wheels on mountain bikes way back in 1990. Now that 29ers are really gaining a footing, the Italian company have launched big-wheeled versions of their Methanol SL cross-country race bike and mid-range Jab. The development of these bikes has also resulted in tweaks to some of the rest of their hardtail range.

Car drivers are lucky: They can buy sports cars that are fully equipped to be driven in the rain and even at night. And their fenders rarely rattle loose, their lights don’t fall off, and most car owners think little of driving 1200 km without having to tighten bolts or do other maintenance. The secret to this reliability and performance is a fully integrated design.

The UnitedHealthcare team definitely takes well to the Nature Valley Grand Prix. Last rider to start, defending champion Rory Sutherland was the fastest with a time of 13:08. His teammate Adrian Hegyvary, only the fourteenth rider to start, took second with a time of 13:13. Tom Zirbel (Jamis/Sutter Home) is third with 13:16.

The current US National Time Trial Champion Evelyn Stevens (HTC-Highroad) was 23 seconds slower for second place.  Armstrong’s teammate and last year’s time trial winner, Alison Starnes takes third at 27 seconds down.

Francisco Mancebo (RealCyclist.com) is arguably the most threatening rider to win the overall title at the UCI Tour de Beauce, as the race heads into the ‘queen’ stage three that finishes atop Mont Megantic. The Spaniard is hoping to use the ascent to gain time on his rivals before the stage four time trial.

Martijn Verschoor turned the tide of Team Type 1 podium places Wednesday with the stage 2 win at the Tour de Beauce at Thetford Mines, Québec.

Wednesday's Tour de Suisse Stage 5 departs Huttwil at 12:20pm CET (6:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Tobel-Tägerschen at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

In its infinite wisdom (!), the UCI approved the UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team to race in its title sponsor’s backyard. As a Pro Continental team, the UCI rules clearly state that it is not allowed to race in National level races. Though the rule is archaic and makes no sense in North America, this exception makes even less sense.

Says riders often stop winning when they depart.

'Home of steelpan, calypso, soca and limbo' says Wikipedia of Trinidad & Tobago - there's no doubt that they enjoy themselves down there in 'Trini.' Set in the southern Caribbean just off the coast of the South American continent, Trini has absorbed the colourful island influences from the northern Caribbean, the ethnic variety of the great landmass to the south as well as retaining an echo of its days as an English colony.

Jonathan Vaughters was a team-mate of Lance Armstrong on the US Postal team during the 1999 Tour de France. In the light of L'Equipe's allegations that Armstrong used EPO during that Tour, Vaughters tells Gerard Knapp what he did - and didn't - see.

Team Sky pro Michael Barry’s written an open call for improved rider safety. I’m inclined to agree, especially as there are some easy steps and because dialogue with race organisers can improve a riders understanding too.

One of the best things about covering the Tour de France is the fans along the roadside. Schools empty out, rental campers line the route, families picnic, each and every little town along the way dresses themselves up.

ZLM Tour prologue destroy doubts about form of Garmin-Cervélo rider.

Today's Quote

“So now the recent evening takes on a hugely ironic flavor. Hamilton, a doper, is eating dinner at a restaurant owned by marijuana dopers and is being accosted by a guy who is being investigated for doping. Jesus….what type of place is Aspen? From the sound of it, this mountain town blows Venice Beach out of the water!" - Neil Browne BrowneEye

On some measures HTC-Highroad is the most successful professional team going. At the time of writing they have 29 wins this year, the next UCI ProTeam is Rabobank with 17 wins. It was the same story last year, with the team finishing a long way ahead of Liquigas at the end of the season. And that’s before you include the wins of the women’s team too. Victory wise, this is the equivalent of a solo breakaway, dropping every other team going and finishing far ahead of the pack.

Shimano created some serious waves with their latest-generation XTR group, what with its fantastic brakes, ultra-smooth shift performance and impressively light weight. But not many people can afford it.

A lightweight and low-bulk helmet for race-level performance at a reasonable price.

The powermeter transmits power and cadence data via ANT+ to their SRM PowerControl 7 head unit or any other ANT+ compatible device. The device is made to withstand the mud, water and abuse of mountain biking with a 700 hour battery life and accuracy of +/- 1.5%. It’s available July 1 for $2,399 for the powermeter only or $3,299 for the complete system.

CyclingTips: My Love-Hate Relationship With Speedplay Pedals.

It all goes back to 2004 when I bought my first pair of Speedplays. I spent what felt like an obscene amount of money on them, put them on my bike, went for a ride, and quickly put my old pedals back on. I hated them.

Boulder Report: Pointillism.

The new anti-doping initiative will prevent teams from benefitting from hiring riders fresh off suspension - riders such as Alejandro Valverde - by not allowing those riders to accumulate points toward a team's sporting value for two years after their return to competition.

The New York Times has reported that the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has asked for video surveillance footage from the Cache Cache restaurant in Aspen, Colorado, with a view of determining the precise details of a altercation between Lance Armstrong and Tyler Hamilton.

The BMC team recently lifted Alessandro Ballan’s suspension and like former Lampre teammate Marzio Bruseghin, he is currently riding the Tour de Suisse. However both could soon face another suspension after being summoned for questioning by the Italian Anti-doping Procura as it continues to study details of the police investigation into a possible doping ring in Mantova.

There is a little man who sits at a control panel just behind my eyes. He wears a helmet, because the going often gets rough. His panel is littered with knobs and dials and gauges, like a Jules Verne submarine or a ’50s era space rocket. He has a hard job, that little man.

Alongside snails half-drowned in garlic butter and damsels with armpit hair, another once-off putting item from France that now makes my mouth water is the Osymetric chainring.

"We haven’t tested a chainset that’s as stiff and positive as the Lokomotiv."

VeloNews.com will stream live video of three stages of the NVGP at http://velonews.com/live. The Wednesday, Friday and Sunday criteriums will stream.

Tuesday's Tour de Suisse Stage 4 departs Grindelwald at 12:20pm CET (6:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Huttwil at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Spaniard says he’s going to the Tour to ‘have fun, and with great ambition.’

Former rider criticises UCI for delays in Contador case.

A heart-rate-based power calculator, a 1,250-gram wheelset with a power meter and a power-comparison website are among the upcoming offerings from Saris, the company behind the popular PowerTap and CycleOps brands.

Not something you see very often these days, a cyclo-cross bike designed just for cyclo-cross racing. Blimey.

The screaming yellow shoes seen on cross-country courses are hard to miss, but thankfully Mavic’s high-end Fury also comes in black.

"Aero shape, ultralight, and stunning aesthetics but a backboard-stiff ride and very expensive."

Norwegian Thor Hushovd admitted his focus will now be firmly on the Tour de France after ending his long wait to claim a first victory in the world champion’s rainbow jersey.

At last, I’ve found a source quoting the new rules for the Tour de France points and mountains competitions. These rules have changed after Tour organisers ASO wanted to liven up the race a bit, to ensure the green jersey is more closely correlated with a stage winning sprinter and also so that the mountains jersey goes to a proper climber, rather than a calculator-wielding rider who takes off early on a couple of mountain stages.

Just 21 years old, FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot impressed in the Critérium du Dauphiné, notably with second place on the final stage. After spending half of the stage on the attack, when caught on the final climb he was still able to lead the sprint in front group behind Joaquim Rodriguez.

Today's Quote

“I was like, ‘Let’s step outside and talk away from the crowd, but he [Armstrong] wouldn’t. He said, ‘No one cares.’" - Tyler Hamilton Outside

Philippe Gilbert has narrowed the list of possible teams for next year to five. He will not announce his final selection until August 1, but his agent said that he remains adamant on a three-year contract with good pay and good sporting chances.

Good quality tire, nicely striking the balance between light and tough - ideal for sportives.

Hushovd, who won the world road race title in Australia last September, started the season with big hopes of honoring his rainbow jersey but failed to live up to expectations in the tough northern classics.

Here is the descent from today's Tour de Suisse stage. If you haven't seen it, drop everything and watch it now. If you have seen it, drop everything and watch it again.

l'Affaire Cache Cache. On a side note, can Mr. Armstrong please not douche it up for a week so we can finally get to that Ricco/Commesso Toto?

According to Hamilton. "Armstrong repeatedly asked Hamilton how much he had been paid to appear on '60 Minutes' and that the Texan’s legal team will "(expletive) destroy you," "tear you apart on the witness stand," and "make your life a living (expletive) hell.'"

Federal agents will now decide if what happened could constitute witness tampering. If that is proven, he could face stiff penalties including a possible prison sentence. Aspen restaurant owner denies heated argument took place. 

Dane hopes to have team’s future settled by July.

That's how long it takes to break bad habits—or lock in new good ones.

Last year Garmin bought MetriGear, a small company that had been developing a pedal spindle-based power meter. Garmin has rechristened the product Vector, which works wirelessly with an ANT+ signal.

With a trail of 6.37cm, the Vamoots has roughly a centimeter more trail than many race-oriented bikes for this size. It’s also got a longish wheelbase, but I didn’t have trouble getting the bike to turn thanks to that lower bottom bracket. Compared to a Specialized Tarmac, the BB is 5mm lower.

I live in Southern California, and the cycling scene here is unlike any I’ve encountered anywhere else.

Not long ago, cycling in the UK was looked upon as an anachronistic, idealistic, left-field, road-clogging abomination of a pastime by the majority of our motor vehicle-obsessed inhabitants.

Here is the descent from today's Tour de Suisse stage. If you haven't seen it, drop everything and watch it now. If you have seen it, drop everything and watch it again.

Hushovd, who won the world road race title in Australia last September, started the season with big hopes of honoring his rainbow jersey but failed to live up to expectations in the tough northern classics.

Rabobank sprinter Oscar Freire is expected to abandon the Tour de Suisse after Wednesday's stage in order to return to his home country of Spain for sinus surgery.

Monday's Tour de Suisse Stage 3 departs Brig-Glis at 2:08pm CET (8:08am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Grindelwald at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Bradley Wiggins took a great win in the Critérium du Dauphiné, becoming the third Briton to win the race after Brian Robinson and Robert Millar. Taking the lead in the time trial stage, he rode strongly in the mountains to defend his lead without losing time to his rivals.

Jesse Anthony, of the Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth team, explains his decision to focus on the road over cross racing with a long-term goal of racing full-time in Europe. We discuss his renewed motivation along with how he handles the mental stress of his job.

Britain's Emma Pooley (Garmin-Cervelo) won Saturday's individual time stage of the Iurreta-Emakumeen Bira stage race in Spain, and finished the race in fourth place overall.

Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) secured second place overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné on Sunday, leaving his team director John Lelangue declaring that he is confident ahead of next month's Tour de France.

American Steven Cozza has recovered from the parasitic and yeast infections which forced him to miss the Amgen Tour of California.  The Team NetApp rider says he is “now fit to race and very excited to get back in the action” at the Ster ZLM Toer in the Netherlands this week.

Deda Elementi's Trentacinque alloy stem and M35 carbon bar should be super-stiff.

The eighties was a defining decade in the history of cycling. Where previously drilling out components à la Merck was the cutting-edge of technological innovation the eighties saw bicycles undergo a massive evolutionary leap. Clipless pedals, disc wheels, recessed cables, indexed gearing, tri-bars, ever lighters frames ... the rate of change caught many by surprise.

The Criterium du Dauphiné—the first of two important pre-Tour stage races—wrapped-up yesterday with Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins taking the most impressive road victory of his career.

Rapid progress continues for former runner.

You may remember the Port-a-Shop toolkit - we tested it back in 2009 and it received high praise, tester Simon Hartwell calling it the "ultimate travel tool-kit that's more than good enough to use at home too". Well now it's even more ultimate, as Lezyne have produced a strictly limited HTC-Highroad edition with even more stuff packed inside, and buying one will help a great cause to boot.

As we reach the town’s limits, the peloton dives off a four-lane road into a tight bend. Brakes screech. Our speed drops from 60 to 20 kilometers an hour. The peloton balloons then bottlenecks going into the corner. Over 200 riders funnel onto the narrow street and accelerate towards the maze of the city center.

The NOW & Novartis MS team has been knocking at the door all week, racing aggressively, sending riders off the front in the first two criteriums and this time, it worked for the new team in its fourth race, ever at the St Francis Tulsa Tough.

After a third and second place in the first two crits, there was only way  that Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis/Sutter Home) wanted to go on the final day at St Francis Tulsa Tough, up to that top step.

Wiggins, Evans and Vinokourov all on the rise but no change at the top.

Santos Tour Down Under organisers have announced the route for the 2012 race, the first of the UCI WorldTour, held from January 15-22.

"Not cheap, but an outstanding tire in terms of speed, grip and luxurious feel."

As I watched stage 3 of the Tour de Suisse I found myself actually on the edge of my chair watching intently. There were attacks, great commentary and amazing scenery.

Janel Holcomb remains in first place.

Hamilton says 7-time Tour de France winner berated him at Aspen restaurant, then was asked to leave by owner.

Former US Postal Service team-mates have confrontation in Aspen.

I don't claim to be more advanced or smarter than anyone else simply because I have always been doubtful of celebrities and their image.

Tyler Wren has inherited the queen stage win at the Vuelta Chile. Wren (Jamis-Sutter Home) initially placed second to overall winner Marco Arriagada in stage 9 of the 10-stage race in February, but Arriagada provided a positive doping control for stanozolol metabolites.

Criterium du Dauphine victor Bradley Wiggins believes that Alberto Contador's presence in this year's Tour de France is bad for cycling.

Today's Quote

“I was like, ‘Let’s step outside and talk away from the crowd, but he [Armstrong] wouldn’t. He said, ‘No one cares.’" - Tyler Hamilton Outside

No panic after defending champion fails to retain title.

Motorpoint's rising star Lucy Garner isn't getting carried away about her chances of winning the Johnson Health Tech Women's Grand Prix Series, despite lying in second place overall going into tomorrow's final round in Woking.

With the Critérium du Dauphiné over and the start of the Tour de France just 19 days away, the French teams are finalising their rosters for their biggest race of the season.

Bicycle riding is one of only 12 sports to show a positive trend over a five-year-span—up 11.8 percent during that time period.

I live in Southern California, and the cycling scene here is unlike any I’ve encountered anywhere else.

With the Tour de Suisse on this weekend, it’s worth taking a quick look at Switzerland and cycling. It’s probably Europe’s best kept secret for cycling and here are some random things about riding in the country.

Fumiyuki Beppu (Team RadioShack) is the new Japanese time trial champion.  He covered the 30km course in 37:39 to claim his second national title, after 2006, when he won both the time trial and road races.

Dutchwoman takes title over Emma Johansson and Judith Arndt.

CyclingNews: Wiggins honored to add name to Dauphiné winners' list.

Bradley Wiggins (Sky Procycling) claimed the biggest victory of his road racing career by winning the Criterium du Dauphiné but true to character, he kept his feet rooted firmly on the ground.

Sunday's Criterium du Dauphine Stage 7 departs Pontcharra at 1:20pm CET (7:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at La Toussuire at around 4:46pm CET (10:46am U.S. Eastern). Criterium du Dauphine live streaming video should get underway at around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

First double stage winner at the Dauphiné since Hamilton in 2000.

Euskaltel-Euskadi rider Mikel Landa was brought down by a cow in yesterday's sixth stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

It seemed like deja vu for the men’s race on Saturday night at the St Francis Tulsa Tough. Once again, the skies opened up during the cat 1/2 race held just before the pro/1 men’s start at 9pm. Would it be another crashtastic criterium?

The second day racing at the St Francis Tulsa Tough continued where it had left off, with more attacks.

Leopard sports director Kim Andersen believes there is far more to come from his team on the Tour of Switzerland after the first major selection of the race Sunday.

VeloNews: 2011 Tour de Suisse, stage 2 results.

Sunday's Tour de Suisse Stage 2 departs Airolo at 1:09pm CET (7:09am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Crans-Montana at around 5:30pm CET (11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).

With the Tour de Suisse on this weekend, it’s worth taking a quick look at Switzerland and cycling. It’s probably Europe’s best kept secret for cycling and here are some random things about riding in the country.

American Christian Vande Velde admits that aiming for stage victory on the Tour of Switzerland is not his priority, it’s more about finishing the race in one piece.

Wilier has unveiled a new bike called the 2012 Wilier Zero 7, which uses the new bottom bracket standard developed by FSA and BH. A special elastic film called the SEI Film is sandwiched between carbon layers in the tubes to help reduce vibration without adding much weight.

Andy Schleck has welcomed Alberto Contador’s announcement that he will ride this year’s Tour de France, insisting he has done everything he can to be ready to take on the Spaniard in the battle for the yellow jersey come July.

Bobby Noyes began promoting the idea of a bike park in Boulder in 1996. On June 11, 2011, Noyes stood on stage at the brand new, 40-acre Valmont Bike Park with a big grin. Behind him, riders of all ages rode everything from massive slopestyle jumps to pump tracks to cross-country singletrack.

Wants Code of Conduct to be enforced, riders under disciplinary proceedings to be sidelined.

Why do people like Chris Horner? Because at age 39, he’s not only an amazing rider but he’s generous with his time and has a terrific sense of humor. We talked to him by phone on a Saturday after the Tour of Califronia as part of an upcoming Cyclesport magazine article.

Summer is the time to slow down and crack open a book. And the way this heat is smothering the Southeast, reading a book about cycling might be the best option.

Today's Quote

“After California I wasn’t training much, so it was important to stay on the diet... my first real good day of training, five-and-a-half hours, and I’m impressed with the numbers. I’m ahead of where I needed to be. I thought it would take another 10 days to see numbers like that.” - Chris Horner VeloNews

Briton could take biggest success of his road career today.

Omega Pharma and Lotto are going their separate ways at the end of the season, but the upcoming “divorce” of the two title sponsors is not having an effect on the team's performance, according to team manager Marc Sergeant.

Craig Lewis believes that he can be back on the bike within a month and racing again this season. The HTC-Highroad climber crashed out of the Giro d'Italia on stage 19, fracturing a femur and breaking two ribs. Teammate Marco Pinotti was also involved in the crash and abandoned the race as well.

Light, handmade Italian frame with a solid Campag build results in a fast and efficient road bike.

"Impressively comfortable despite the super-fast, firm-feeling ride."

Scot dismisses media reports of move.

United Healthcare pb Maxxis' Hilton Clarke - who won this race last year, after bouncing out of retirement - did it again today in Arlington, Virginia.  Not only did he lap the field with a teammate, they ended up 1-2 in the final field sprint.

The two beasts, having escaped from their field, trotted along the road blissfully unaware of the mayhem they had caused to the race.

Saturday's Criterium du Dauphine Stage 6 departs Les Gets at 12:05pm CET (6:05am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Le Collet d’Allevard at around 5:44pm CET (11:44am U.S. Eastern). Criterium du Dauphine live streaming video should get underway at around 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).

Bradley Wiggins and team guy worked their posteriors off today in stage six of the Critérium du Dauphiné. He was under pressure as both Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Alexandre Vinokourov (Team Astana) kept the pressure on and the attacks coming.

Jonathan Cantwell came through a number of late crashes at the Blue Dome Criterium to win the opener of the Tulsa Tough omnium Friday night. Cantwell (V Australia) made a late split and took a tight win over Anibal and Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home).

The racing continues on Saturday with the Brady Village Criterium, held on an L-shaped course with 6 corners over 8/10 mile (1.3km) in the historic Brady Arts district. The women start at 6:35 pm and race for 60 min.

A report in Het Nieuwsblad suggests that Langeveld will be riding for GreenEdge in 2012, while adding that Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) and David Millar (Garmin-Cervelo) will also be among the recruits.

As you know, each stage of the TdS challenges the riders with a variety of terrains and cheeses, and it is often said that the latter is where the race is really won. This year will be no exception. I'll break this down by stage.

HTC's Van Gardaren 2nd, Sagan 3rd as Spartacus swoops to stage win.

Saturday's Tour de Suisse Stage 1, a 7.3km Individual Time Trial at Lugano, is scheduled to get underway at 3:46pm CET (9:46am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Tour de Suisse live streaming video should get underway at around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

Today's Quote

“After California I wasn’t training much, so it was important to stay on the diet... my first real good day of training, five-and-a-half hours, and I’m impressed with the numbers. I’m ahead of where I needed to be. I thought it would take another 10 days to see numbers like that.” - Chris Horner VeloNews

Tyler Farrar has revealed that he is not sure if he will ride this year's Tour de France after struggling to come to terms with the death of his best friend and training partner Wouter Weylandt.

Strong performances counterbalanced by a freak prologue accident.

Canadian to target national championships and strong end of season.

Like most riders who come to ’cross from the road, I sometimes struggle with technical skills.

A tasty way to take on board energy during a ride, but not especially convenient if you want to eat on the go.

Farrar, who learned of his friend’s death only after crossing the finish line that day, was devastated. And although he wanted to leave the race immediately and return to his European home in Gent, Belgium, he stayed on for the following stage so that he could participate in the rider’s tribute to Weylandt. And as the pack neared the finish on stage four, Weylandt’s Leopard-Trek teammates asked Farrar to fill the place of his friend as the team symbolically rolled across the finish line ahead of the pack.

It’s no secret that Horner looked super lean in California and has adopted a strict diet, which paid off. But still – missing the Tour de Suisse? That’s a gamble.

Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will ride in next month’s showpiece race, ending speculation he might skip the event, his representative said on Saturday.

The Dauphiné hits the mountains this weekend. The Tour de Suisse starts today. In their own right these are brilliant races, showcasing the Alps, the kind of scenery where cow bells ring and you almost expect Julie Andrews to emerge with an annoying song. Only it’s time for bike racing, with summit finishes, sprints and time trials.

Mark Cavendish of HTC-Highroad has been named a Member of the British Empire.  The British sprinter was awarded the title by Queen Elizabeth II in her official birthday honours list.

‘I’m literally cut from my ankle to my chin.’

The Yorkshire Dales are home to some of the best, most picturesque road and mountain biking routes in Britain. The expansive countryside and rolling roads make it ideal terrain, whether you’re a cross-country mountain biker or a mile-munching roadie.

Two-thirds of French cycling fans would rather defending champion Alberto Contador does not race in this year’s Tour de France as he battles to shake off doping allegations, a poll showed on Friday.

As you know, each stage of the TdS challenges the riders with a variety of terrains and cheeses, and it is often said that the latter is where the race is really won. This year will be no exception. I'll break this down by stage.

Aside from the grand tours, the Tour de Suisse is probably the most prestigious national tour a rider can add to his resume. At nine days, it’s also one of the longest. And while some recent editions have tended to favor riders of a different sort, this year’s difficult parcours favors a true all-rounder—someone who can time trial and survive high alpine passes.

Saturday’s stage is where the Dauphiné hits the mountains with a vengeance. The stage starts with a quick climb, enough to encourage some to start attacking, before taking the scenic Eveaux gorges on the way up to the Col des Aravis.

A matter of heat this weekend in Tulsa, OK. Hot crit racing, loud enthusiastic crowds and big purse this weekend at the St Francis Tulsa Tough, $50K for the pro/1 men and $30K for the pro 1/2 women.

Friday's Criterium du Dauphine Stage 5 departs Parc des Oiseaux (Villars-les-Dombes) at 11:20am CET (5:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Les Gets at around 5:01pm CET (11:01am U.S. Eastern). Criterium du Dauphine live streaming video should get underway at around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Frenchman insinuates Saxo Bank SunGard rider may have broken rules.

The tale of the spectacular Lemond-Hinault rivalry over the roads of the 'greatest ever' Tour de France in 1986 is hardly unknown for most cycling fan - and yet Moore magnificently offers a fresh perspective, bringing alive this supreme tussle.

Ivan Basso (Liquigas-Cannondale) believes that he still has time to find his form before the start of the Tour de France. The Italian has struggled at the Critérium du Dauphiné, as he suffers from the fall-out of a May training crash.

My return to racing and the build up for the Worlds.

"Tour winning performance explains why Contador never takes his off."

California mountain bikers are facing the September closure of State Parks as a result of the state’s budget crisis. Unless some alternatives are found, the State Park Service will close upwards of 70 parks across the state, including Santa Rosa’s mountain bike haven at Annadel.

Farrar, who learned of his friend’s death only after crossing the finish line that day, was devastated. And although he wanted to leave the race immediately and return to his European home in Gent, Belgium, he stayed on for the following stage so that he could participate in the rider’s tribute to Weylandt. And as the pack neared the finish on stage four, Weylandt’s Leopard-Trek teammates asked Farrar to fill the place of his friend as the team symbolically rolled across the finish line ahead of the pack.

Team manager Johan Bruyneel has spoken in favor of defending champion Alberto Contador returning to this year's Tour de France. Despite ongoing doping accusations, which will be settled by a final verdict by the Court of Arbitration for Sport only in August, the current RadioShack manager thinks that his former rider should take the start in France next month.

“The team has faith that I can come into the race good,” Horner said. “It’s what I wanted, to rest more, to train good, to be home all that time and head straight over right before the Tour. I’m very happy. It’s what I wanted.”

British champion tells VeloNation about his anger at the unfounded slur to his reputation.

Today's Quote

“After California I wasn’t training much, so it was important to stay on the diet... my first real good day of training, five-and-a-half hours, and I’m impressed with the numbers. I’m ahead of where I needed to be. I thought it would take another 10 days to see numbers like that.” - Chris Horner VeloNews

Quick Step will start a new talent spotting initiative next week in a bid to scout for the best U23 riders. 11 riders have been invited to a “Quick-Step Training Camp” that will take place in Belgium from June 14-17, with riders travelling from Holland, France, Spain, Norway, Eritrea, Latvia and from across Belgium.

Beautifully designed and executed satchel but style doesn't come cheap.

Luxembourger Andy Schleck‘s final preparations for what he hopes will be a more rewarding Tour de France campaign in July begin in earnest at the nine-day Tour of Switzerland starting Saturday.

Our group ride is of a more casual nature. We start slowly. We chat. We chat more. Occasionally a pace line breaks out, but that’s usually just when we’ve run out of things to talk about.

SteveTilford: NYC – It is amazing it works at all.

NYPD officer (wrongly) insists cyclists must always stick to bike lane; here's why they shouldn't.

Two-thirds of French cycling fans would rather defending champion Alberto Contador does not race in this year’s Tour de France as he battles to shake off doping allegations, a poll showed on Friday.

VeloNews: Phil Zajicek admits doping and cover-up suspended for life.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency has announced the life-time suspension of former Fly-V rider Phil Zajicek after he admitted to a second doping offense for purchasing erythropoietin (EPO), and a third doping offense for providing false testimony at an American Arbitration Association (AAA) panel hearing, as well as encouraging other witnesses to provide false testimony.

Riccardo Ricco received a preliminary ban from the Italian Olympic Committee’s anti-doping court Friday. The move came a day after the Italian cycling federation’s health commission suspended Ricco “for reasons related to the athlete’s own health.”

Investigated riders return in spite of lack of new information.

These days Armstrong seems buffeted by events. Despite employing top lawyers and apparently the best spin doctor in the Western World, his camp seems to have totally lost control of the agenda and struggles to put out a coherent message.

It’s a double weekend for the National Racing Calendar with the U.S. Air Force Classic and Tulsa Tough and the top American sprinter in Philadelphia last weekend is headed west. Ken Hanson and Jelly Belly-Kenda appear to be coming around after a rough May; they’ll be hunting prize money and NRC points in Oklahoma starting Friday night and you can watch it live at VeloNews.com/live.

"If you’ve never met Tim, he’s a mild mannered, likable young man who’s just like anyone else you’d bump into. The fact that he’s a professional athlete on one of the top ranked pro cycling teams in the world is something that doesn’t even occur to him as being out of the ordinary. There were times when it seemed like he was interviewing me more than I was him."

The inductees are: Marty Nothstein (Modern Road & Track Competitor); Ruthie Matthes (Off-Road Competitor); Bobby Walthour, Jr. (Veteran Road & Track Competitor); and Mike Sinyard (Contributor to the Sport).

The world's first female-specific carbon fibre 29er. Designed for cross-country racing, it's likely to find plenty of fans among trail riders too, thanks to its sub-1,200g frame weight and confident handling.

New saddle promises a 'dynamic interface' with your shorts.

Running from Parc des Oiseaux to Les Gets, the stage ends with a climb, but the gradients are steady at around 5%.

German sprinter showing that he can win uphill sprints as well as flat ones.

Thursday's Criterium du Dauphine Stage 4 departs La Motte-Servolex at 12:50pm CET (6:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Mâcon at around 5:03pm CET (11:03am U.S. Eastern). Criterium du Dauphine live streaming video should get underway at around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Worried about Tyler Farrar, a nice guy, a class act, a great sprinter. He and his Garmin-Cervelo guys made a mess of the stage four sprint at the Criterium du Dauphine. C’est insupportable!

British champion speaks about the race so far, the prospects of defending Bradley Wiggins’ lead, and the upcoming British Championships.

David Millar has set an unofficial time trial record for a circuit of Richmond Park in London, clocking 13 minutes and 35 seconds around the 6.7 mile circuit on Tuesday.

Cyclocross Magazine has long experimented with tubeless tires on our cyclocross bikes, in both cyclocross and mountain bike races, and feel that there are now so many attractive options for putting together a reliable system that it doesn’t have to be a risky experiment.

Australian climber determined to return after Omega Pharma Lotto dismissal.

Hoping to make an impression at your local club’s weekly 10-mile time trial? Or just want free speed? Then our 10 go-faster bike setup tips are just for you...

In recent years, the bike industry has realized that most riders don’t race, and so the racing bike has been renamed: It’s now called a “road bike” or a “performance bike.”

Ted King is angry. Fresh off his podium finish at the U.S. Professional National Championships, one of his career-best performances, King's dream of being selected for his Liquigas-Cannondale team's Tour de France squad is now in tatters because of a broken collarbone.

Time to put this to bed so I can focus on how much cooler the Tour de Suisse is than the Dauphine...

It is an individual sport conducted with teams. But it gets more complicated than that, particularly if we look at the history of the sport and where things might be heading at the moment.

Belgian also cites the separation of Omega Pharma-Lotto team sponsors as a factor in his decision.

SteveTilford: NYC – It is amazing it works at all.

NYPD officer (wrongly) insists cyclists must always stick to bike lane; here's why they shouldn't.

Today's Quote

“A man with his ability to lead, suffer, endure, obfuscate, attack and defend could be more than a past Tour Winner. And the times we live in look for such men.  If virtue was added to courage, well, he could be such a one.” - Alexi Grewal AlexiGrewal

Patrik Sinkewitz is going to court over his most recent positive doping control and suspension.He cited the lack of information from the World Anti-Doping Agency and differences in the values of the A and B samples.

"For anyone looking for a multi-position saddle to rival the much-lauded Fizik Aliante, the Zero Nack is a good place to start."

“Stoked to win the sprint eliminator in Jelenia Gora. Great racing and super fun techy course. Finally found my sprint legs!”

Facts4Lance.com is missing, just like any real strategy to Armstrong’s PR plan.

What we take for normal in cycling is close to absurd, even in other sports.

Davide Rebellin has been charged with tax evasion, with police in Italy estimating that he owes up to 6.5 million euro in unpaid taxes. The veteran recently returned to cycling in the colors of Miche-Guerciotti after serving a two-year suspension for CERA use.

Suggestions that Livestrong fundraising could be damaged.

Squad not impressed by parody feed.

Remember the story Martin J. Erzinger, the Denver-area wealth fund manager who struck – and nearly killed – a cyclist alongside the road in Edwards, Colorado, near Vail in July of last year? Erzinger continued to drive, leaving Dr. Steven Milo seriously injured at the side of the road.

The Zipp Sub-9 was paired with Zipp’s 21mm Tangente tire making it the first wheel ever to create forward lift.

The introduction of Campagnolo’s new Bullet wheels marks a massive expansion of the manufacturer’s wheel range for the 2012 season and their first foray into multi-material aerodynamic wheels.

One of the highlights of the Critérium du Dauphiné was today’s time trial stage around Grenoble. The route is identical to Stage 20 of the Tour de France, the crucial final stage before the parade in Paris.

Astana rider defiant after losing yellow jersey.

Wednesday's Criterium du Dauphine Stage 3, a 42.5km Individual Time Trial at Grenoble, is scheduled to get underway at 12:55pm CET (6:55am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider. Full Start Order and Times to come. Criterium du Dauphine live streaming video should get underway at around 3:30pm CET (9:30am U.S. Eastern).

Important test on same course as Tour de France TT.

Since she started racing in 2006, Amy Dombroski has had a remarkable rise to cyclocross fame.

RadioShack rider confident in his form.

Hoping to make an impression at your local club’s weekly 10-mile time trial? Or just want free speed? Then our 10 go-faster bike setup tips are just for you...

Bontrager has unveiled the latest products of their inForm Science of Comfort program — two new team edition saddles developed with feedback from the Bontrager-sponsored Leopard-Trek and RadioShack professional teams.

John Degenkolb (HTC-Highroad) dropped three supers after winning a challenging and technical stage  in the Criterium du Dauphine. He beat a highly motivated and desperate Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis) looking for a home town win on the challenging uphill finish in Lyon.

German has nothing to lose, facing lifelong suspension.

The minus 150 degree cold baths are said in enhance recovery and reduce inflammation but L’Equipe is now reporting that disaster has apparently struck. AG2R rider Yuriy Krivtsov was accidentally frozen.

The UCI has trademarked the rainbow colors associated with the world championships. Any use of these colors on bicycle parts, clothing and more has to be licenced. Payment must be made to the UCI. A genuine way to find gold at the end of the rainbow stripes.

Tyler Hamilton and Genevieve Jeanson have been stripped of their Mt Washington climbing records after race organisers ruled that their results no longer had legitimacy. Both cyclists have admitted to taking drugs during their careers and this prompted the annual bike race to re-write the race record books.

Today's Quote

“A man with his ability to lead, suffer, endure, obfuscate, attack and defend could be more than a past Tour Winner. And the times we live in look for such men.  If virtue was added to courage, well, he could be such a one.” - Alexi Grewal AlexiGrewal

The 36 year-old Omega Pharma-Lotto rider was forced to stop racing in April after a long-standing cardiac arrhythmia problem worsened while making maximal efforts. He considered undergoing minor heart surgery to correct the problem but doctors decided the non-dangerous extrasystoles were too close to the heart to risk eliminating them.

These look and feel like good-quality sunglasses, with really well-made frames that are light and seem tough. "Good-looking, smart and clear lenses; not the best shape or comfort though."

Did Versus really intend to say that the Lance Armstrong years are, or should be, forgotten?

Lance Armstrong’s website www.facts4lance.com has been taken down from public view with immediate effect after his legal team told Cyclingnews that there was ‘no need’ for it to remain up. The website has been set up in a bid to discredit accusations made by Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis.

Investigation into alleged doping appears to be moving forward once more.

Ben Jacques-Maynes is recovering from his fractured left collarbone and is eying a return to racing in July. The Bissell rider told VeloNews that he hopes to be at the start of the Tour de Toona July 5 in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

Kansi are renowned for producing folding bikes that look a little different and the F20 has continued this trend. The bike (price tbc) will be unveiled at the IG Markets London Nocturne this weekend in the Kansi-sponsored Folding Bike Race.

News comes as events in Manchester and York get warm reception.