CyclingFans: Women's TT starts at 12:30pm BST (7:30am U.S. Eastern). Men's TT starts at 2:15pm BST (9:15am U.S. Eastern). Live video from Same as above.

VeloNation: Defending champions far from certain after injury hit seasons and road race crashes.

VeloNews: Ken Hanson is a top-flight domestic criterium sprinter, and has been since turning pro in 2006 with the then-UCI Continental BMC Racing. Now, he has the jersey to prove it, but the Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies rider doesn’t want to stop there.

CyclingNews: Roman Kreuziger has been the target of some serious accusations in his home country following the London 2012 Olympic Games road race last weekend.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a Burgos - August 1- 5 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNation: Dreaded climb back after 50 years in 251km course between Bergamo and Lecco.

CyclingNews: Olympic silver medal winner calls on UCI to address inequality.

PEZ: While most makers of carbon bike fames have been building super-light and super-stiff frame sets in recent years, not many have taken up the challenge to create a road frame that is also more aerodynamic. Scott’s FOIL was one of the first to combine all three.

RedKitePrayer: There’s not a cycling event on the planet whose participants exhibit more humor in the approach to the ride than at RAGBRAI.

A 23mm tire mounted on an ENVE SES 6.7 front wheel incorporating the 26mm-wide Smart ENVE System (SES) rim.

TwistedSpoke: The chronology, part one. Gilbert contracted a virus during Tirreno-Adriatico which forced him out of the race. 

CyclingWeekly: The men's and women's time trials around Hampton Court bring to a conclusion the cycling road events for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

VeloNews: Two former world time trial champions and the winner of this year’s Tour de France highlight the list of medal favorites for the 44km Olympic time trial competition, held Wednesday in Hampton Court, outside of London, incorporating sections of Richmond, Kingston-upon-Thames and Surrey.

CyclingNews: American hopes for medal thanks to specific training at home in Colorado.

US riders confident of being in medal contention in Olympic time trial...

merican Amber Neben has lofty goals for Wednesday’s Olympic time trial. Suffice to say, nothing short of a medal — ideally a gold one — will satisfy her.

VeloNews: The seven members of Team USA’s Olympic track team met with the press at the Olympic Main Press Center in London on Tuesday morning to field questions about the upcoming track events.

VeloNation: Would likely accept the right deal to return to Bjarne Riis.

road.cc: UCI President gives his views on equipment rules in cycle sport and explains why those 'approved frame' stickers are A Good Thing.

BikeRumor: For 2013, Raleigh has made minor but significant updates to their Militus, Revenio and Capri road bikes, and we’ll get to those. But the real surprise is the Singulus, an incredibly well spec’d, lightweight alloy triathlon bike that signals their entry into more markets and their continued delivery of bikes that bring excellent spec at really, really good prices.

BikeRumor: To celebrate the London 2012 Olympics, Schwalbe is releasing a limited edition of three popular urban tires with a reflective “London” printed on the sidewalls flanked by two iconic skyline scenes.

VeloNation: Joaquim Rodriguez defending title in five-day Vuelta a España tune-up.

VeloNation: Dutch Vacansoleil-DCM rider speaks for the first time about his horrific Tour de France crash injuries.

MBA: The Challenge will award stipends for the London Summer Olympics medal-winning performances totaling up to $100,000 for any single gold medal, $75,000 for silver and $50,000 for bronze.

RedKitePrayer: Perhaps the most amazing fact to emerge from the first week of the London Olympics was the size of the crowds watching the cycling road races. Last Saturday, the men’s event drew upwards of a million people.

CyclingNews: 2012 keeps getting worse for RadioShack-Nissan, after energy company Enovos announced on Tuesday that it has decided to terminate its sponsorship deal with the Luxembourg outfit. In a statement released on the company website, Enovos said that the poor image projected by the team over the course of the season, culminating with Frank Schleck's positive test at the Tour de France earlier this month had forced it to reconsider its position as a sponsor of the team.

CyclingIQ: Professional riders use them all the time while many manufacturers claim that you will benefit from significant time and power savings, but does that mean a carbon wheelset is good value for money?

BikeRumor: Bianchi is bringing Italian design and long distance comfort to a more competitive price point with the new C2C Vertigo.

Bicycling: As a cyclist, you're bombarded with dangerous UV rays on every ride. Here are 9 ways to protect yourself.

BikeRadar: On the eve of the 2012 Olympic Games, London’s Belgian House at Inner Temple played host to a selection of Belgian bike brands, along with the Belgian Olympic cycling team and the legendary Eddy Merckx. We went along to see what cycling’s heartland has to offer for 2013.

BikeRumor: Speedsleev, which makes the compression tube and/or gel holder that can mount anywhere on your bike, is developing a new saddle mounted version to hold the essentials for a complete ride.

PodiumCafe: Gives insight into just how brutal track racing can be, along with a stark view of the reality of the world as a champion believes and sees it. This book is told in a very matter-of-fact, almost surgical, way.

TwistedSpoke: The chronology, part one. Gilbert contracted a virus during Tirreno-Adriatico which forced him out of the race. Then teammate and fellow classics star Thord Hushovd contracted Gilbert’s virus, went into fever mode, lost power and missed Milan-San Remo, Flanders and his beloved Paris-Roubaix.

CyclingNews: Hosking: I am really disappointed and sorry to have let people down.

CyclingNews: Linda Villumsen has finished on the podium at the UCI time trial world championships for the past three years. It’s the time trial which is her strongest discipline although she’s an accomplished road racer, riding for the Orica-AIS presented by GreenEdge team.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

SingleTrack: Nino Schurter of Scott-Swisspower sealed the 2012 World Cup title with a win at the Val d’Isere World Cup after an exceptionally strong season. Schurter has been racing 650b wheels on his Scott 27.5″ Scale this season.

Aaron Gwin Wins DH World Title.

Bicycling: The American finishes behind Brook MacDonald, but takes enough points to win overall title.

SingleTrack: The final Olympic test took place at the Val d’Isere World Cup. Gunn Rita Dahle Flesjaa (Multivan-Merida) won the French World Cup and Catharine Pendrel (Luna) won the overall World Cup title.

CyclingNews: Neben, Stevens on the attack in London.

PodiumCafe: Part of the festivities at this summers Dealer Camp industry shindig was the Midsummer Cross. Held at the Deer Valley Resort, Park CIty Utah the USAC race was open to all. Up for grabs were a pair of full ride pro contracts to the new Raleigh Clement Cyclocross Team.

VeloNews: Marianne Vos ended years of frustration on the world stage by winning the Olympic road race on Sunday.

VeloNation: Joaquim Rodriguez defending title in five-day Vuelta a España tune-up.

VeloNation: Dutch Vacansoleil-DCM rider speaks for the first time about his horrific Tour de France crash injuries.

InnerRing: There’s a pause in the Olympic cycling program with the time trial not until Wednesday and then activities start in the velodrome on Thursday.

VeloNation: How flexibility saw Lizzie Armitstead take silver, while loyalty to Mark Cavendish saw the World champion miss out.

CyclingNews: Old rivals set to lock horns again on the track.

road.cc: Carbon road bike in a sportive-friendly geometry.

Scott Provides “Aero For All” With Speedster Alloy Aero Bike, Plus New Helmets.

BikeRumor: Scott Sports is pushing the concept of aero bikes, betting heavily on aero being the new light.

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Good sound quality for safety-conscious riders, with mobile phone functionality."

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Offers a tight, nimble but relatively relaxed ride feel combined with classic looks."

CyclingNews: American flatted out of the winning move.

Reuters: Whether Bradley Wiggins is the best cyclist Britain has produced will no longer be questioned if he follows his Tour de France title with Olympic time trial gold on Wednesday.

SingleTrack: Members of the U.S. and Canadian Olympic mountain bike squads are more perplexed than angry at renowned cycling commentator Phil Ligget’s comments that mountain biking and BMX don’t belong in the Olympics.

VeloNews: American Kristin Armstrong will be looking to make one of the greatest comebacks in women’s cycling history on Wednesday as she attempts to return both from retirement, and more recently, a broken collarbone, to defend her Olympic time trial title.

road.cc: UCI President talks about doping, breakaway league, Twitter and his ban from the Olympics.

VeloNews: Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara will fight through the pain of an injured shoulder to defend his Olympic time trial crown on Wednesday.

Bicycling: Garmin-Sharp chases small advantages that add up to big results.

BikeRumor: Colnago has just announced a 135-piece limited edition run of their C59 Italia road bike frame to celebrate Thomas Voeckler’s 135 points in the race for the Climber’s Jersey at this year’s Tour de France.

road.cc: Two brand new models from the Belgium company raise the bar.

road.cc: Belgian hospitality and virtual cycling at Middle Temple for the next fortnight.

VeloNews: Marianne Vos ended years of frustration on the world stage by winning the Olympic road race on Sunday.

CyclingNews: Marianne Vos (Netherlands) took gold at the women’s road race at the London 2012 Olympics with a perfectly timed sprint that saw her home ahead of Lizzie Armitstead (Great Britain) and Olga Zabelinskaya (Russia).

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingWeekly: Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (Endura) won the 2012 Tour Alsace stage race in France on Sunday.

CyclingFans: Sunday's London Olympics Women's Road Race starts at 12:00pm BST (7:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish before 4:00pm BST (11:00am U.S. Eastern). London Olympics Women's Road Race live streaming video should get underway at around *12:00pm BST (*7:00am U.S. Eastern).

CXMagazine: Ryan Trebon gives us a little preview of what may come this season in Utah; Controversy Strikes Midsummer Nights Cross; If you don’t know already, you need to know, a new ’cross book!

BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "Offers a very good spec for the money but there are livelier budget bikes."

CyclingNews: Team USA's Evelyn Stevens has just one chance at an Olympic medal in 2012, and while she is disappointed to not be selected for the time trial, she aims to animate the women's road race on Sunday.

CyclingNews: American flatted out of the winning move.

VeloNews: A day after Great Britain’s much-fancied men failed to deliver an opening gold medal, Lizzie Armitstead’s silver in the women’s cycling road race handed the host nation a welcome boost Sunday.

road.cc: Cardboard bikes and LED laces both waterproof, apparently.

CyclingNews: Mark Cavendish’s comments regarding "negative" tactics of other teams in Saturday’s Olympic road race has sparked a reply from Australia’s sprint hope for the event, Matt Goss. Cavendish had nothing but good words for his Great Britain teammates but felt that some of the other nations didn’t race as they should have.

TwistedSpoke: David Millar is laughing. Ooh, he’s disappointed and upset but he had to be laughing because for all the bullshit and politics and finger pointing about his participation in the Olympics as a former doper, the race was won by unrepentant doper Alexander Vinokourov. Irony stuffed inside an irony stuffed inside pile of horse crap.

VeloNews: A fourth-place finish at the Olympic road race is nothing to be ashamed of for any rider, particularly for a 22-year-old.

road.cc: Belgian hospitality and virtual cycling at Middle Temple for the next fortnight.

VeloNews: Cadel Evans has been ruled out of the Olympic time trial due to fatigue, Cycling Australia announced Sunday.

CyclingNews: The men’s and women's road races at London 2012 Olympic Games each started with one rider fewer than originally planned due to International Olympic Committee rules barring countries from replacing riders who returned positive doping tests.

VeloNation: Samuel Dumoulin (pictured) grabs Coupe de France lead over Julien Simon.

CyclingNews: Recovery from road race will be assessed prior to decision.

BikeRumor: First spotted at Interbike last year being billed as a 2012 model, the Diamondback Podium 7 road bike is at least now rolling toward production with a availability “by late fall or early spring.”

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "A comfortable, stylish and very well-priced leather saddle, if a little on the heavy side."

CyclingNews: Team USA's Evelyn Stevens has just one chance at an Olympic medal in 2012, and while she is disappointed to not be selected for the time trial, she aims to animate the women's road race on Sunday.

VeloNation: Uran and Kristoff take silver and bronze, Cavendish misses out to break.

VeloNation: Astana leader determined to go out on top.

CyclingFans: Saturday's London Olympics Men's Road Race starts at 10:00am BST (5:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish before 4:00pm BST (11:00am U.S. Eastern).  London Olympics Men's Road Race live streaming video should get underway at around *10:00am BST (*5:00am U.S. Eastern).

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNews: Members of the U.S. and Canadian Olympic mountain bike squads are more perplexed than angry at renowned cycling commentator Phil Liggett’s statement that mountain biking and BMX don’t belong in the Olympic Games.

BikeRumor: In business since 1992, Javelin is a US company based in Chicago but all carbon frames are handmade in Italy using tube to tube construction. They offer stock and full custom sizes.

BikeRadar: Louis Garneau's 2013 range will be topped by a new Course limited edition of high-end apparel, which will include jerseys, a vest, shorts, road shoes, and even a helmet.

VeloNews: One hundred and forty riders will take the start line of the Olympic road race Saturday morning at The Mall, London’s historic corridor that includes Parliament and Buckingham Palace, yet only one will make history several hours later as the gold medal winner.

VeloNews: A fourth-place finish at the Olympic road race is nothing to be ashamed of for any rider, particularly for a 22-year-old.

VeloNews: Mark Cavendish said the very strength of the British road cycling team worked against him as his bid for Olympic road race gold ended in failure on the streets of London on Saturday.

InnerRing: With 8km go go both Rigoberto Uran and Alexander Vinokourov attacked at the same time.

VeloNation: World champion critical of rivals’ team tactics as the break stays away.

VeloNation: Belgians proud of team tactics in Olympic road race despite missing out on the medals.

Keirin: Track cycling video event guide...

BikeRadar: Keirin was born out of the aftermath of the Second World War, when Japan’s economy was at an all-time low. In order to help regenerate local economies and to circulate money, the government decided to build over 70 keirin specific racing velodromes around the country, and to license the sport for gambling.

PodiumInsight: Defending champion Eric Young of the BISSELL Pro Team is going into tomorrow’s Herman Miller Grand Cycling Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan with a goal claiming back-to-back USA Pro Crit Championships. The pressure to repeat is increased by the fact that title sponsor BISSELL is headquartered in Michigan and the team has won the race the past three years.

BikeRadar: Less than a year ago on the streets of Copenhagen, Tony Martin signalled the changing of the guard with his World Championship victory. Fabian Cancellara didn’t look like his former smooth self and was relegated to third after a stunning performance from Bradley Wiggins.

Video: Opening Ceremony - London Opens Its Doors.

VeloNews: Colombia’s Rigoberto Uran denied suggestions he’d surrendered to Alexander Vinokourov during a bizarre finish to the Olympic men’s road cycling race that saw the Kazakh triumph virtually unchallenged on The Mall.

‘Uncertain’ for Olympic time trial after crashing in road race...

CyclingNews: Fabian Cancellara of Switzerland had hoped to be on the podium after the men's road race at the 2012 London Olympics, but instead ended up in the hospital on Saturday afternoon. A crash with about 15 km to go crushed his plans and put his ride in Wednesday's time trial into question.

CyclingInquisition:  When Rigoberto Urán was only 14 years old, his father was gunned down in the streets of Urrao, Colombia.

RedKitePrayer: "I’m going to tell you that I’m not really suited to RAGBRAI; I’m not acclimated to triple-digit temps and nearly triple-digit humidity."

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Keeps up with carbon bikes costing a lot more – for the money this bike is hard to beat."

VeloNews: The men’s and women’s U.S. Olympic road teams are aiming for different finales on The Mall in London this weekend.

VeloNews: One hundred and forty riders will take the start line of the Olympic road race Saturday morning at The Mall, London’s historic corridor that includes Parliament and Buckingham Palace, yet only one will make history several hours later as the gold medal winner.

CyclingNews: If Cavendish has any chance of success he'll need to count on the support of his four teammates, and none more so than David Millar.

TwistedSpoke: Philippe Gilbert summed up the Men’s Olympic Road Race by saying it’s everyone against Cavendish.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

Boulder Report: Given that one of the interesting side stories of the first few days of the Tour de France was whether eventual winner Brad Wiggins’ Sky team would switch from Pinarello to Specialized for 2013, it was interesting to see the Mirror newspaper publish photos on Tuesday of Wiggins riding…neither.

BikeBlogNYC: A number of companies make mounting hardware but one particular company also makes a hardcore yet light weight case for the phone, that is highly resistant to the elements and shock.

MBAction: Mountain biking has splintered into some well-defined, and some not-so-well-defined, segments, making it crucial to pick the right bike for the type of enjoyment you want to get out of riding. Following our advice, you will arrive at the trailhead on a bike ideally suited for you.

CyclingNews: Commentator laments changes to track cycling program.

VeloNation: Decision to be made in coming weeks.

road.cc: Richard Moore, author of 'Sky's the Limit' says Cavendish's opportunities limited if he stays there due to GC focus.

BikeRadar: Less than a year ago on the streets of Copenhagen, Tony Martin signalled the changing of the guard with his World Championship victory. Fabian Cancellara didn’t look like his former smooth self and was relegated to third after a stunning performance from Bradley Wiggins.

VeloNation: Canadian WorldTour races and Worlds also scheduled as part of racing return.

road.cc: UCI boss gives his views on Box Hill, Team Sky/British Cycling, his favourite event and more.

PodiumInsight: A month and a half ago, Timmy Duggan posted a very powerful tweet and photo – the tweet simply said: “2012: Check, aaaannndd check. What an honor. #dreamscometrue”

French team coach expects "very open" race.

BikeRumor: Lynskey has just released a 30-bike limited edition run of the Helix OS titanium racing road bike that’s painted to match with the new SRAM Red group.

Bicycling: Versatile aero road helmet will see use in road, track, and triathlon racing.

CyclingNews: There was a huge elephant standing in the middle of the room in the form of the US Anti-Doping Agency's doping procedures against cycling's most celebrated athlete, Lance Armstrong, and his managers, doctors and trainers.

CyclingNews: Winning move could go anywhere.

VeloNews: The men’s and women’s U.S. Olympic road teams are aiming for different finales on The Mall in London this weekend. The men’s squad brings a battered Tyler Farrar for a bunch sprint, but may look to split the race on Saturday, while the women’s squad is rallying behind sprinter Shelley Olds in what may be an extremely aggressive tilt on Sunday.

VeloNation: Popular German rider yet to decide where he will race.

CyclingNews: Champs-Élysées fall could have been much worse for Lampre rider.

iBike: This blog is not for the faint of heart or the casual rider.  This is a shallow dive into the underbelly of aerodynamics.  Reading this blog could lead to; a sudden change in riding position, visions of super human speed, exercise induced euphoria, and consistent visits to the podium.

road.cc: Excellent multitool with most features you'll need on the road plus a few others, just in case.

VeloNation: USA team hungry for success in London.

CyclingNews: It’s been almost three weeks since Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) left the Tour de France after a dramatic crash on stage six from Épernay to Metz. Poels was one of many who went down that day but unlike many others, he was not able to continue. He abandoned the race and left in an ambulance.

PodiumCafe: The Olympics are fast approaching and the cycling calendar speeds onwards towards fall, the Tour de France already becoming distant in the rearview mirror. For some, the transition to focus on other races is easy following a Tour where the GC battle lacked pizzaz thanks to Bradley Wiggins and his Team Sky's dominance. But while the GC racing may have been subdued, there are moments in the race that will continue to stand out in our minds.

CyclingNews: Commentator laments changes to track cycling program.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingWeekly: Jonathan Tiernan-Locke (Endura Racing) has won the second stage of the Tour Alsace, outsprinting Moldovan national champion and former Katusha rider Alexandr Pliuschin (Leopard-Trek).

VeloNation: Decision to be made in coming weeks.

road.cc: Richard Moore, author of 'Sky's the Limit' says Cavendish's opportunities limited if he stays there due to GC focus.

VeloNews: Appears to be confirmation team will continue.

CyclingWeekly: Paolo Bettini sees the Olympic road race coming down to a game of numbers this Saturday. He knows the game well, having won the 2004 Olympic gold medal and now coaching Italy's five-man team.

If you’re open to the idea of disc brakes in cyclocross and looking to buy a new cyclocross bike, the two common questions you might typically ask yourself are: 1) Do I make the switch to discs now or later? and 2) Should I go with 135mm or 130mm rear spacing?

Tour de Wallonie: Nizzolo holds on to overall victory as Napolitano takes final stage.

CyclingNews: There was a huge elephant standing in the middle of the room in the form of the US Anti-Doping Agency's doping procedures against cycling's most celebrated athlete, Lance Armstrong, and his managers, doctors and trainers.

CyclingNews: Winning move could go anywhere.

CyclingNews: US sprinter overcomes untimely injury to make the team.

CyclingWeekly: Tyler Farrar's decision to focus on the classics this season was a "mistake" that has contributed to his dry run according to trade team Garmin-Sharp sports director Allan Peiper.

InnerRing: Scan the start list of the men’s road race for the Olympic Games and you’ll spot several sprinters and fast finishers. Mark Cavendish, André Greipel and Peter Sagan for example. Who is the fastest?

BikeRumor: FFWD’s (Fast Forward) new Ghost wheels use an airfoil shaped carbon fiber spoke with titanium inserts on the ends of the spokes and near the hub flange. This lets you true the wheels or replace a spoke as needed.

VeloNation: Olympic champion decides not to contest home Grand Tour.

CXMagazine: Jonathan Page is back in the US, but no one – including the man himself – knows just how long he’ll be sticking around before skipping back across the pond to his home for the past 10 years, Belgium.

VeloNews: When one cobbles a story, it’s as much a science as a quick art. There’s the initial idea, which is held up by a mortar of quotes and facts and thoughts to verify the story’s existence. It’s all very matter of fact.

Bicycling: In the last games, this acclaimed pursuitist seemed destined to win gold on the velodrome, but failed to medal. Now she’s ready to nail down track racing’s biggest prize—even though her favored event is gone.

VeloNation: USA team hungry for success in London.

CyclingNews: It’s been almost three weeks since Wout Poels (Vacansoleil-DCM) left the Tour de France after a dramatic crash on stage six from Épernay to Metz. Poels was one of many who went down that day but unlike many others, he was not able to continue. He abandoned the race and left in an ambulance.

PodiumCafe: The Olympics are fast approaching and the cycling calendar speeds onwards towards fall, the Tour de France already becoming distant in the rearview mirror. For some, the transition to focus on other races is easy following a Tour where the GC battle lacked pizzaz thanks to Bradley Wiggins and his Team Sky's dominance. But while the GC racing may have been subdued, there are moments in the race that will continue to stand out in our minds.

VeloNews: I stuck some “never slip” grip tape on the underbelly, and I swear by it. It even works great for short distances where you want to pedal without clipping in.

BikeRadar: Ritchey is undergoing a frame renaissance, with road, cyclo-cross, 29er hardtail, and even travel-bike options in both steel and titanium.

BikeRumor: For 2013, the entire Ritchey SuperLogic group, their top of the line spread, gets a new matte black finish with subdued logos. It’s shown above on an existing handlebar and the all-new SuperLogic C260 stem.

BikeRadar: "Ultra-lively and smooth carbon chassis with top-notch spec."

BikeRumor: Combining the elements to run either mechanical or electronic groups is a growing trend, and Parlee has made the switch for both their TT (triathlon) and Z5 (road) bikes.

VeloNews: At 40 years old, Chris Horner makes his Olympic debut this Saturday in the men’s road race in London. Horner, who last week finished 13th overall and won the teams classification with RadioShack-Nissan at the Tour de France, is the elder statesman and road captain for a U.S. National Team packed with young talent.

Tour de Wallonie: Nizzolo holds on to overall victory as Napolitano takes final stage.

VeloNation: Gianni Meersman thinks he’s won but misses out by half a wheel and one single second.

iBike: Is it genetic or guttural? Nature or nurture? No one really knows, but United States Olympic gold and silver medal winner, Steve Hegg, knows one thing for sure; you have to want it and be willing to pay the price for gold.  Are you tough enough?  Does Hegg think this year’s team is tough enough?

BikeRadar: Men's Olympic road race, 250km - July 28. Women's Olympic road race, 140km - July 29.

PodiumCafe: Britain's Mark Cavendish, the reigning world champion and unquestionably the fastest finisher currently riding a bike, will assume the mantle of Britain's most-discussed cyclist from Bradley Wiggins this week... and there's no telling when if ever he'll give it back.

VeloNation: Belgian feels he’s turned a corner in disappointing season.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CXMagazine: At most companies, if you were to propose taking a winter sporting event, hosting it in the middle of summer, in near 90 degree weather at over 7000 feet of altitude, in a sparsely-populated town, on a brand-new, never-been-raced course in the middle of the week, you probably would be fired from your job.

Yahoo!: Belgium launched a fitting promotion for its presence at the London Olympics on Wednesday -- by sending a delegation of its sporting personalities to London by bicycle.

RedKitePrayer: RAGBRAI is the world’s most plastic, malleable, self-reflecting ride. If you’re looking for seven days of big, hard rides, you can do it that way. If you want to drink a beer in as many different towns in Iowa as possible, that’s available.

Bicycling: In the last games, this acclaimed pursuitist seemed destined to win gold on the velodrome, but failed to medal. Now she’s ready to nail down track racing’s biggest prize—even though her favored event is gone.

CyclingNews: It's been revealed that Johan Vansummeren completed the Tour de France while suffering from a cracked vertebra.

VeloNews: With a healthy sponsorship portfolio for the 2012 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, organizers have already begun planning to extend the event next year.

InnerRing: TV audiences in France fell for the Tour de France, in part because there was no big battle for the yellow jersey throughout the race. Meanwhile Bradley Wiggins’ Tour triumph is claimed to have boosted bike sales in the UK. Are both stories true?

CyclingNews: Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) is the new leader of the IG Pro Cycling Index after his emphatic victory at the 2012 Tour de France.

CyclingIQ: There's a fascinating technical solution and a detailed production plan that brings it all to your living room.

VeloNews: Allen Lim is not a stranger to upset stomachs. While coaching many of the top names associated with WorldTour cycling, he heard constant complaints about hotel food, ride food, recovery drinks and drink mixes. At times, it was difficult for his athletes to complete workouts because their stomachs would give out before their legs.

RedKitePrayer: Team boss Dave Brailsford and his legion of behind-the-scenes operatives kept their ambitious goals, but they adjusted their preparations.

CyclingNews: World champion points to Olds as wildcard for women's road race.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Impressive tech and ride quality, with customisation on offer to suit you."

BikeRadar: Faraday Bicycles, a new electric bicycle company, raised $100,000 in a single week via a Kickstarter campaign to fund its first production run of high-end, European-style bikes with a 250w motor.

CyclingNews: Cycling Australia's National Performance Director Kevin Tabotta has told his athletes that getting swept up by the Australia versus Great Britain rivalry that infiltrates any sporting battle between the teams could be detrimental.

TedKing: Epic is a strong word. I believe it should be retired outright, never to be used again. But since that’s not going to happen, I say a hundred-plus mile ride, 75% of which is dirt, over the steep bergs characteristic of the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont is worthy of such a description.

VeloNation: Possible move rumored to Saxo Bank Tinkoff Bank.

CyclingIQ: “Racing is licking your opponent’s plate clean before starting on your own”, said Tim Krabbe in his iconic cycling novel The Rider. Kevin Clyde Sefton raced exactly that way, winning with not an ounce of his own effort wasted. Efficiency and results were what his rivals remember him for, some even jokingly called him ‘Jack’, as in ‘I’m all right Jack’.

BikeRumor: 2013 marks the year with more new bikes from the Spanish brand than ever before. BH brings out new, replacement or trickle-down models for virtually the entire line. We’ve got photos and details on them all, plus actual weights for the complete bikes!

BikeRumor: Really digging SRAM’s latest aluminum and carbon fiber double cranksets but bummed not to be able to run combinations lower than a 26/39 on their 120mm bolt circle diameter, the guys at North Shore Billet got to work.

BikeRumor: Ritchey’s even quick to develop his 27.5″ / 650B platforms, first showing a tandem 650B breakaway folding bike at NAHBS this year, and now unveiling the P-275 steel hardtail.

SteveTilford: Top-quality eyewear offering excellent protection, but you have to pay for the privilege.

InnerRing: In the Tour de France podium ceremonies Thomas Voeckler stood out. Bradley Wiggins and Peter Sagan were futuristic riders, one with scientific approach, the other with the future before him. Voeckler by contrast seems a rider from the old school, you can imagine him with goggles and a tub wrapped across his chest like the early days.

CyclingNews: Nizzolo retains overall lead.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

road.cc: Bigger superlatives needed as whole of Europe heads for Surrey this weekend.

CyclingNews: Montana 100-miler features enormous amount of climbing.

VeloNation: Organiser explains motivation for testing, plans bigger event in 2013.

RedKitePrayer: "It’s strange to me that in the 15 years that have lapsed since I last participated in RAGBRAI one aspect of the ride hasn’t changed at all. Communication with the outside world is nearly impossible while on the ride."

BikeRadar: Assuming you have a decent frame, wheels are the most effective upgrade you can make, offering the greatest real-world gains in any chosen area, whether you want to achieve an aerodynamic advantage, climb faster, increase comfort or decrease weight.

CyclingNews: So you think the Olympic road race course is all about Box Hill? Think again. While all the talk has been about whether or not Mark Cavendish can survive nine ascents of Zig Zag Road, the reality is a lot more complicated.

CyclingNews: McGrath, Anthony take final stage wins.

RedKitePrayer: Bradley Wiggins is Tour de France champion. Let that echo for a minute, as if from a carnival loudspeaker. Let it doppler out to the outer reaches of the crowd and then come rippling back in whispers and muted applause, building to a crescendo. Let Wiggins have his moment.

VeloNation: The importance of getting the third rider home can lead to the abandonment of the team’s overall contender.

InnerRing: The Inner Ring will be looking to the five rings of the Olympics shortly and to start, you can now download a calendar of events for your electronic diary on a phone or computer.

NYVeloCity: We have a pragmatic national champion in Timmy Duggan, a short-haul stageracer with classics endurance and pro tour savvy. He won in Greenville this year by taking a long look at the squabbling gods on the final circuit and deciding their chops were a bluff.

PodiumCafe: [At the risk of beating this subject to death...] Want real action at the Tour de France? Let's quickly sort through the options.

VeloNation: Canadian Giro d’Italia champion wins Roeselare critérium ahead of travel to London.

BikeRumor: Volagi has updated their frames with internal routing for both mechanical and electronic routing. It’s a running change that becomes the second generation Liscio and will start shipping soon.

PEZ: Treviso, Italy’s Northwave heard my complaint about hot feet and decided to send a pair of their latest top line Extreme Tech’s. Here’s to 114 degrees in Arizona!

CyclingNews: First American white jersey winner rates BMC rider's performance.

CyclingNews: Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical companies part of joint agreement.

CyclingNews: Belgian assures that he is back on an interesting level.

BikeRumor: Longtime cyclist and coach (amd current IT guy) Tom Schwoegler has invented a heat shrink bar tape that closes off the upper end of your handlebar wrap withou resorting to electrical tape, colored or otherwise.

VeloNews: At least to hear Phil Liggett tell it, there have been a few embarrassing moments with electronic drivetrains so far at the Tour de France (one just at peak intensity of the stage-ending sprint).  Are Phil and Paul incorrect?

BikeRadar: Diamondback might not land on everyone's shortlist for high-performance road and mountain bikes, but the company are in the midst of a major push to turn that around, with a wide range of well thought-out machines.

CXMagazine: Jamis Bicycles has fully embraced disc brakes for 2013, and their just-unveiled cyclocross line-up includes three brand new disc brake cyclocross bikes.

VeloNation: “There is a lot more potential there, by the look of things.”

TwistedSpoke: The Early, Early Show already has a good solid list of contenders queuing up. What we are seeing is a split in the peloton which only the major big budget teams (Think Sky) truly having the budget, resources, training and logistics to win Le Tour.

CyclingNews: So you think the Olympic road race course is all about Box Hill? Think again. While all the talk has been about whether or not Mark Cavendish can survive nine ascents of Zig Zag Road, the reality is a lot more complicated.

CyclingNews: McGrath, Anthony take final stage wins.

VeloNation: Time bonuses see the yellow jersey move on again in crash-marred finale.

InnerRing: Sky are famous for their “marginal gains” but this time they’ve monopolised the money, especially compared to last year when BMC Racing took €493,990 compared to Leopard Trek next on €395,310.

VeloNation: Marginal gains, plus a massive checkbook, deliver the first ever British winner.

CyclingNews: Tuesday looms as decision day for Cadel Evans regarding his place in the Australian Olympic Road Cycling Team for the London Games. The 35-year-old's recovery from his Tour de France defence, where he finished seventh overall, will be key.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNation: Danish rider battled through hand injury, rewarded with three-year deal; Kreuziger reported to have signed as well.

CyclingNews: Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) couldn’t be happier with the results he has taken in his first grand tour. He won three stages and the points competition by a huge margin and while he was a definite pre-race favourite to win the malliot vert, his experienced rivals were never going to make it easy.

RedKitePrayer: "I’m in Cherokee, Iowa, or somewhere thereabouts, riding RAGBRAI, which for those of you who don’t follow the cross-state rides is the Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa."

CyclingNews: First American white jersey winner rates BMC rider's performance.

VeloNation: Best Belgian in a generation just misses out on the podium again but hopes for more climbing in 2013.

CyclingNews: Manxman deserves a dedicated team around him says Brailsford.

VeloNation: Says several possibilities open, decision about 2013 will be made before Vuelta.

CyclingNews: After completing the full set of Grand Tour podiums by finishing in third place at the Tour de France on Sunday, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) now has his sights set on joining an even more elite group by winning the three great stage races outright.

VeloNation: Belgian Classic specialist set for top summer target.

PodiumCafe: An enjoyable if unchallenging read. Italy ends being its real star. If you liked Breaking Away, you'll like this.

road.cc: Key products from next year’s range, including Athena EPS electronic shifting.

VeloNation: “There is a lot more potential there, by the look of things.”

TwistedSpoke: The Early, Early Show already has a good solid list of contenders queuing up. What we are seeing is a split in the peloton which only the major big budget teams (Think Sky) truly having the budget, resources, training and logistics to win Le Tour. It takes a team and these days, half the contenders don’t have the squad it requires.

CyclingNews: Pua Mata (Sho-Air) and Tinker Juarez (Cannondale) won USA Cycling's Pro Ultra Endurance Tour (Pro UET) this weekend. The Tour consisted of five events, wrapping up in Snowmass, Colorado, this weekend with the 12 hours of Snowmass.

CyclingNews: Alberto Contador must win the Vuelta a Espana whilst Andy Schleck will ride it only for training, if at all, Bjarne Riis said. The Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank team owner is ready to put the Tour de France behind him and look towards the return of his star, who he says “must” win the Vuelta.

VeloNation: Spain remains atop WorldTour nations’ rankings, Sky head teams’ list.

VeloNation: Dutchman ramping up training as body heals.

BikeRadar: Trek recently launched the new Domane and new Madone, but both of those debuts concentrated on the range-topping halo versions. At Trek World in Frankfurt, Germany, we took a look at Trek’s full range of new road models.

VeloNation: World champion takes fourth straight Champs-Elysées victory as Wiggins is officially first British victory.

VeloNation: World champion takes fourth straight Champs-Elysées victory as Wiggins is officially first British victory.

CyclingNews: Bradley Wiggins' victory in the Tour de France is “the beginning of a new era,” said Christian Prudhomme. Not only are new countries moving to the head of the field, but also young riders have shown great promise for the future.

road.cc: Cycling experts pontificate on how a win will change the landscape.

Sprints into the lead...

CyclingNews: Acqua e Sapone Italian takes over leader's jersey from Bouhanni.

VeloNews: A key withdrawal and a pair of crashes played parts in Saturday’s fourth stage of the Cascade Classic.

CyclingNews: Daams victorious on final stage.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingFans: Sunday's Tour de France Stage 20 departs Rambouillet at 2:00pm CET (8:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Paris Champs-Elysees at around 5:19pm CET (11:19am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de France live streaming video should get underway at around *2:00pm CET (*8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Accepts that sprinter will have limited opportunities alongside Wiggins and Froome.

CyclingNews: Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) clinched the best young rider classification at the 2012 Tour de France on Sunday on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, and the 23-year-old American immediately stated his ambition to turn white to yellow over the next few seasons.

SBS: Bradley Wiggins sealed his first Tour de France victory after team mate Mark Cavendish won the final stage on the Champs-Elysees in Paris.

InnerRing: The Tour de France last three weeks but the build-up begins in October when the route is announced. The road to victory isn’t about the finish line, it’s the journey too and so this time there’s more than one racing winning moment.

VeloNation: “It is tough. It is not an easy decision to take.”

RedKitePrayer: "I’m going to let you in on a little secret: For an American cycling journalist, historic pieces on the Tour de France are our stock-in-trade. There’s nothing easier or more fun to write. And they are even easier to sell. Why? Because the story lines are all so straightforward."

CyclingNews: Reigning Olympic time trial champion Kristin Armstrong (Exergy-TWENTY12) decided not to start the stage 4 criterium of the Cascade Cycling Classic Saturday despite leading the overall race by more than two and a half minutes, choosing instead to head home to Idaho and prepare for the upcoming London Olympic Games.

SingleTrack: Alban Lakata and Robert Mennen have claimed this year’s victory at the internationally attended mountain bike stage race Craft Bike TransAlp.

VeloNation: Briton reiterates he might not need to move from Sky to win French race.

Peloton: "Winning the Team Classification (the total of times for the first three riders on each stage) is always special, especially with only six riders left in the race,” said veteran rider Chris Horner.

VeloNation: Gent-born Londoner becomes the first British rider to win the biggest race in sport.

VeloNation: Mutual respect and friendship shown between former rivals.

VeloNation: Spaniard says his career could have ended this year due to atrial fibrillation.

BikeRadar: If you're cycling for longer than an 90 minutes at a time, then consider using an energy drink. Any of you who've 'hit the wall' on a long ride will know what it feels like to run out of gas - it's not fun and is detrimental to your training.

BikeRumor: Louis Garneau has just introduced premium level Course Limited Edition clothing and helmets and, if you can get past the video, the articles themselves look pretty good.

CyclingNews: Entering Saturday's final time trial from Bonneval to Chartres, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) was already all but assured of a podium place but also long resigned to his final standing behind the Sky pair of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

Stage 20 start time: Sunday 14:00 CET (5:00 AM PDT); Earliest live video: 14:00 CET (5:00 AM PDT); Approximate finish: 17:19 CET (8:19 AM PDT).

sbs; Wiggins's time of 1hr 4min 13sec was 1min 16sec more than runner up and team mate Chris Froome. Luis Leon Sanchez (Rabobank), who was the provisional stage leader for over an hour, finished third, 1min 50sec behind Wiggins.

CyclingNews: Frenchman earns leader's jersey.

CyclingNews: Arndt remains in leader's jersey.

VeloNews: Kristin Armstrong and Francisco Mancebo lead the overall standings with two stages remaining.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Wallonie - July 21 - 25 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingFans: Saturday's Tour de France Stage 19, a 53.5km Individual Time Trial from Bonneval to Chartres gets underway at 12:00pm CET (6:00am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider.  Full Start Order and Times here. (subtract 6 hours for U.S. Eastern)  Tour de France live streaming video should get underway at around *2:00pm CET (*8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

SBS: World champion Mark Cavendish has brushed off suggestions his "difficult" Tour de France campaign working for yellow jersey holder Bradley Wiggins means he is unhappy at Team Sky.

CycleSport: A British winner of the Tour de France will be crowned on the Champs Elysées tomorrow.

VeloNews: Brian Robinson, 81, hopes to be among the crowd cheering Wiggins in the French capital, having become the first British rider to win a Tour stage back in 1958.

BikeRadar: Going up hills is an unavoidable part of riding, but if you don’t live at the foot of a mountain, how can you improve? Ric Stern of RST Sports has the answers.

BikeRadar: We've frequently noted numerous little tweaks and upgrades in the past on the bikes of Team Sky captain and current maillot jaune Bradley Wiggins: ultralight custom wheels with Enve carbon rims and Tune or Chris King hubs, full-ceramic bearings, and his trademark O.symetric chainrings. That attention to detail extends beyond his bike, however, as even his shoes are notably lighter than what's used by the majority of the peloton.

CyclingNews: Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-BigMat), whom many see as this Tour de France's biggest revelation, has been able to save his top ten overall placing during Saturday's time trial in Chartres. Under pressure by AG2R's Nicolas Roche (11th overall at the start, trailing Pinot by 1:08) and especially RadioShack's Andreas Klöden (12th), the 22-year-old Frenchman did well enough not to lose his tenth place on the overall classification.

CyclingNews: Tejay van Garderen (BMC) finished off this Tour de France in style by placing seventh in the race's final time trial to Chartres. After 53.5 kilometres of effort on a pancake-flat course, the American crossed the finish line 2:34 behind winner Bradley Wiggins (Sky), consolidating his fifth overall placing and best young rider jersey of this year's Tour.

CyclingNews: Entering Saturday's final time trial from Bonneval to Chartres, Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) was already all but assured of a podium place but also long resigned to his final standing behind the Sky pair of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

VeloNation: Vacansoleil rider almost certainly out for remainder of season.

PodiumInsight: Once again the USA National Team continued their control of the race, shutting down attacks on the 103-km stage 5 at the 44th Tour de l’Abitibi to force a bunch sprint but they were denied on the stage win on Friday. Another American, the reigning USA National road champion Miguel Bryon of the USA Selection A team claimed his second win of the event.

BikeRumor: As further evidence that Surly live in a parallel universe in which suspension never evolved to its current really quite good state, aluminum is suitable only for containing beer, hydraulic disc brakes are something to be viewed with suspicion, and neither skis nor snowshoes were ever invented, we have the Krampus.

Stage 19 start time: Saturday 12:00 CET (3:00 AM PDT); Earliest live video: 14:00 CET (5:00 AM PDT); Approximate finish: 17:40 CET (8:40 AM PDT).

InnerRing: Back in March Bradley Wiggins came to visit the course ahead of riding Paris-Nice. The route has probably been on his mind since October when the route was released. For all the talk of “we’re taking this day by day“, Stage 19 and the road to Chartres has been a fixture. Except today feels like his birthday, a victory parade.

SBS: The Team Sky sprinter benefited from a lead out by team mate and race leader Bradley Wiggins to leave his sprint rivals in his wake.

CycleSport: With Bradley Wiggins’ yellow jersey all but safe, Mark Cavendish was set free to take a stunning sprint win in Brive.

VeloNation: Judith Arndt moves into overall lead with second place in rolling 20.7km test.

PodiumInsight: The Americans simply dominated the double stage day at the Tour de l’Abitibi first with the time trial in the morning where the six riders on the USA National Team finished in the top 7, and then by winning – and taking third – in the short stage in the early evening.

PodiumInsight: With a solo attack in the closing miles of the race, Tyler Wren of Jamis-Sutter Home won the second edition of the Beaver County Travel ‘Crusher in the Tushar.’ In the women’s race, Gretchen Reeves of Tokyo Joe’s won in commanding style and broke the course record set last year by Olympic medalist Clara Hughes.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Pologne - July 10 - 16 (Stages & Results),
Giro d'Italia Femminile June 29 - July 7 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNation: Garmin-Sharp rider previously finished third and fourth in races.

Bicycling: From the right pump to a fully stocked cooler, these often overlooked items separate dialed mountain bikers from the hacks.

CyclingFans:Friday's Tour de France Stage 18 departs Blagnac at 11:05am CET (5:05am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Brive-la-Gaillarde at around 4:30pm CET (10:30am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de France live streaming video should get underway at around *2:00pm CET (*8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

Peloton: Rarely in the history of the Tour de France has a rider in the yellow jersey been so candid about his emotions. Not only open, but also able to express his feelings with passion and conviction.

CyclingNews: Fränk Schleck has announced that the counter-analysis of his anti-doping control B-sample has confirmed the presence of Xipamide, a diuretic banned under the World Anti-Doping Agency code.

CyclingNews: Agency claims Armstrong "clearly understood he was subject to the USADA Protocol."

SteveTilford: I wondered what he called his temper level while he was attempting to hit the family?

PEZ: "Over the past 7-10 days, I had my doubts about Mark Cavendish. The World Champion had a great sprint to win Stage 2 of the 2012 Tour de France, but after that he faded out of the limelight as Peter Sagan and Andre Greipel led the sprinters’ brigade."

PodiumCafe: This tour is memorable for serving as the last - either definitively or probably - for several veterans of the sport. Here is a quick look at four veterans likely on their last lap of France.

BikeRadar: Whether sports drinks and supplements work or not is a question that always sparks debate on BikeRadar, so many of you may have watched Thursday night's BBC Panorama investigation with interest.

SteveTilford: One to make you go faster, one to make you more comfy. Well, two of each actually.

BikeRadar verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Light and nimble, the bike improves upon all of our criticisms of the E5 alloy model."

Mary McConneloug & Mike Broderick: Piling everything into our van/trailer and launching into a "continentally local" three-week race trip felt like coming home for Mary and me. The past months of living out of oversize bike bags had simplified things to a great degree, perhaps near enough to depravity to intensify the desire to equip ourselves with a full range of accessories on this recent New England road trip.

CyclingNews: Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) had a terrible start to his Tour de France this year, but the American sprinter is slowly healing from his injuries and now hoping that he can return to being competitive on the final day of the race, the legendary run into the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

InnerRing: A hearing awaits in Luxembourg and given the two positive A and B samples he is almost certain to be found guilty of an “anti-doping violation.”

VeloNews: Every time Chris Horner takes a doping control test, he’s nervous. Not because Horner’s a cheat, he says, but because he cannot possibly know what exactly goes into his body. Is that a surprise?

Cyclismas: What is Team Sky’s Chris Froome to do? Clearly on stage 17 he could have ridden away from his team leader Brad Wiggins on the final climb. Quite possibly he could have caught Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde and won the stage for himself. Instead he stayed with his leader and they crossed the finish line in 2nd and 3rd place for the stage at 19 seconds back.

Cyclismas: “I’ve always been someone who wishes to move on to new challenges. Now that I’ve conquered my first Tour de France it’s time to attempt a feat that has only been accomplished three times in the history of the Tour. I want to wear yellow from the prologue all the way to the Champs-Elysées next year,” declared Wiggins.

TwistedSpoke: Not that the old ones were not fantastic, right. Although this edition of Le Grand Shindig was been on the dull side in terms of the GC battle, what we have witnessed is the maturation and even wider talents of Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendish of Sky.

CyclingNews: German sprinter may continue pro career in 2013 despite long-term project.

BikeRadar: On Friday in Frankfurt, Germany, Trek launched a wide range of new parts and gear from their Bontrager brand. Highlights include an adjustable saddle, tubeless tires and some ultralight shoes.

Christoph Sauser: "My Leadville 100 focus is on! It is the biggest mountain bike race in America. The course and town area at more-or-less 3000 meters or higher above sea level! That means you definitely want to adapt to the lack of oxygen beforehand."

BikeRadar: If you're looking to step up your cycling training one of the easiest methods you can use is to keep yourself in check is to monitor your heart rate. But before you can start to analyse the numbers, you need a reliable computer to record those beats per minute.

Robert Millar: Looking at Sky's dominance, Voeckler, and the those that called it an easy Tour.

Stage 18 start time: Friday 11:05 CET (2:05 AM PDT);  Earliest live video: 14:00 CET (5:00 AM PDT);  Approximate finish: 16:30 CET (7:30 AM PDT).

VeloNews: Valverde (Movistar) escaped from a breakaway on the hors categorie Port de Balès and rode to the Tour’s final summit finish alone. It was the Spaniard’s fourth career victory on the race, and his first since 2008.

VeloNation: Danish attacker rushed to Toulouse and may not start tomorrow’s stage.

VeloNews: Kristin Armstrong went three-for-three Thursday at the Cascade Classic, while Luis Amaran took a win of his own and the yellow jersey in the stage 2 time trial at the Cascade Classic.

VeloNation: Emma Johansson holds onto overall lead as Specialized-lululemon dominates stage wins.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Pologne - July 10 - 16 (Stages & Results),
Giro d'Italia Femminile June 29 - July 7 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

TwistedSpoke: Tejay van Garderen was the only BMC hire that made sense last year in their wild spending spree.

PodiumInsight: Aggressive from the start of stage 2 at the Tour de l’Abitibi, the USA National team was rewarded for its efforts when TJ Eisenhart outsprinted Olivier Miclette (Equipe du Québec) to win not only the stage but take over the brown leader’s jersey at the 44th edition of the UCI Men junior 17/18 race yesterday.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Superb ride feel and easy speed put Michelin back into the top tire charts."

CyclingNewsAsia: Most riders are willing to spend the big bucks on a top end bike or a top-notch helmet, but many overlook cycling sunglasses as an essential accessory for our sport.  Most cycling veterans will tell you that glasses are a worthwhile investment for amateurs and professionals alike.

BikeRumor: For 2012, Kryptonite is dropping a new chain lock with the same color scheme as their Evolution locks. The Evolution Series 4 comes wrapped in a nylon sleeve to prevent bike scratchage. The chain itself is constructed of 3t manganese steel with 10mm six sided chain links. It’s special because the end link secures the chain to a deadbolt to provide extra protection. Three keys come with, one rockin’ a push button LED light.

CyclingFans: Thursday's Tour de France Stage 17 departs Bagnères-de-Luchon at 12:55pm CET (6:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Peyragudes at around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de France live streaming video should get underway at around 12:45pm CET (6:45am U.S. Eastern).

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

CyclingNews: Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Sharp) had a terrible start to his Tour de France this year, but the American sprinter is slowly healing from his injuries and now hoping that he can return to being competitive on the final day of the race, the legendary run into the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

PodiumCafe: We have borne witness to several incredible acts of selfless team riding in this year's Tour de France.

CyclingNews: Andy and Fränk Schleck are said to have signed for next season with Team Astana, according to Luxembourg media – assuming, of course, that Fränk is not banned for doping. Financial details remain to be worked out, according to lessential.lu, which also disclosed details of the Schlecks' contracts with Leopard SA, which runs the RadioShack-Nissan team.

CyclingNews: Johan Bruyneel received the “phone call every sports director hates to receive,” and he subsequently had to inform Fränk Schleck of his positive test. The RadioShack-Nissan sport director says that while he believes in Schleck's declaration of innocence, “at the moment there's really nothing more to say on Frank's situation.”

PodiumCafe: Has any cycling symbol provoked more ambivalence than the polka-dot jersey of the Tour de France?

Peloton: Nothing demonstrates more clearly the cruelty of the Tour de France than the fall of a champion. When a champion, especially a defending champion, has a bad day like Cadel Evans had on Wednesday, all the world is looking on.

PEZ: What a difference a day makes. Yesterday he looked feisty but today the last big chance for Vincenzo Nibali to have a crack at Wiggins, or even to try to take second from Froome, failed to come to anything after he himself was dropped by the Sky pair. Froome was the strongest guy in the race and let everyone know, and a certain Spaniard with a certain past managed to turn back the clock and bring home the stage win.

Bicycling: Boost comfort and power by dialing in the perfect seat position.

road.cc: The best road, time trial and track wheels in the range.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Predictable braking and super-light responsiveness at an affordable price."

VeloNation: Final decision will be taken after he resumes racing in the Tour de Wallonie.

PEZ spoke to Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank's Michael Morkov on the first rest day about his tenure in 'poids' - the red on white polka dots of the king of the mountains jersey which he made his own during Week 1 at Le Tour.

InnerRing: Christian Prudhomme is an optimist, a romantic and a dreamer. When the Tour de France route was unveiled last October the message from the race organiser was a race where the long time trials and a shortage of climbing would incite the climbers into daring raids, offering Alpine theatre and Pyrenean panache.

TwistedSpoke: Lets give clairvoyant credit to RadioShack-Implosion-Nissan-Trek manager Johan Bruyneel for predicting the final outcome. In a strange, altered universe kinda way.

VeloNews: Transponders are used for timekeeping and scoring. Each rider has one on his race bike. Spare bikes don’t get them, so if a rider gets a bike change it’s important for the team’s director to check that his rider was scored correctly. Fortunately, bike changes are pretty rare.

Cyclismas: It’s been wonderful to see the great debate on women’s cycling gathering pace over the last few weeks. More people are putting the effort and time into entering the discussion on the future of the sport and offer opinions on what’s going wrong (and right) with the sport today.

BikeRadar: A sad part of having a nice bicycle – or even a not so nice bicycle – is that there is a chance someone might steal it. While a good lock will help deter would-be thieves, it won’t actually help get a stolen bicycle back. Registration of your bicycle, engraving your name in the frame or creating other identifiable marks on the bike can help if the police or authorities recover the bicycle.

VeloNation: No title defence for Beijing champion as fractured metacarpal prevents proper braking.

BicycleRetailer: Wheel out Specialized’s sizzling red electric Turbo and it quickly attracts a crowd of dealers tossing out questions, voicing opinions and, in general, wanting take it for a spin.

VeloNews: Vincenzo Nibali showed Wednesday that if he can’t wrestle the maillot jaune away from Bradley Wiggins, he is determined to go down fighting in this Tour de France. He unloaded his rounds yesterday at Wiggins and Chris Froome (Sky) on the final climb, but failed to hit his intended target.

BikeRumor: SwissStop just sent word about their new Black Prince brake pads for carbon rims, taking over the top rung from their Yellow King compound.

road.cc: The changes to the Prevail make it Specialized's best ever helmet. If you're after a seriously light, well ventilated and comfortable helmet with easy adjustment, you won't go far wrong with the Prevail.

CyclingNews: The UCI announced today the provisional suspension for Rasa Leleivyte (Vaiano-Tepso) after the Lithuanian rider returned a positive A-sample for EPO in an out-of-competition control taken on June 12.

SteepHill: Stage 17 start time: Thursday 12:55 CET (3:55 AM PDT); Earliest live video: 12:45 CET (3:45 AM PDT); Approximate finish: 16:59 CET (7:59 AM PDT).

InnerRing: The mountains have long remained a mysterious place where the truth can be as murky as the fog. Before the railways made France accessible, many believed those who lived in the mountains were freakish figures and imagined strange beasts roamed wild. It’s not all false, today you will find bears in the Pyrenees and wolves in the Alps.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Cascade Cycling Classic - July 17 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Pologne - July 10 - 16 (Stages & Results),
Giro d'Italia Femminile June 29 - July 7 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNation: Podium remains unchanged but both riders have put distance into other rivals.

CycleSport: Thomas Voeckler took his second stage win of the Tour in spectacular style in Luchon, while Bradley Wiggins kept a vice-like grip on the race lead.

CyclingNews: French favorite Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) added a second stage win to his 2012 Tour de France account with a masterful performance in stage 16, 197km from Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon. The 33-year-old Frenchman emerged from a massive 38-rider early break to solo to victory on a legendary Pyrenean parcours, taking in the Col d'Aubisque, Col du Tourmalet, Col d'Aspin and Col de Peyresourde, and arrived at the finish with a 1:40 lead over former breakaway companion Chris Anker Sorensen (Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank).

PEZ: Imagine the scenario. You’re tucked up in bed in some dingy French hotel after a hard day in the mountains. You’re racing in The Greatest Show On Earth. You feel good, great even. Your legs are recovering well and you feel stronger by the day. You are, in fact, quite possibly the strongest guy in the race right now. Lee Rodgers delves into the difficult life of super domestique Chris Froome and ponders the big question - attack the boss or no?

VeloNation: Irishman says heat and accumulated fatigue could cause unexpected weaknesses.

Bicycling: Every WorldTour team has access to a treasure trove of high-end parts and accessories, but Garmin-Sharp works especially closely with its component and clothing sponsors to ensure that its argyle-clad racers have the top gear in the peloton.

CyclingFans:Wednesday's Tour de France Stage 16 departs Pau at 11:05am CET (5:05am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Bagnères-de-Luchon at around 5:17pm CET (11:17am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de France live streaming video should get underway at around 11:00am CET (5:00am U.S. Eastern).  So full start to finish broadcast coverage of Stage 16.

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

VeloNation: Former European champion Rasa Leleivyte also positive for same substance.

SBS: After the recent re-ignition of allegations against seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, many in professional cycling had hoped for a quiet year on the doping front. But, it seems, the Tour de France always delivers.

CyclingNews: Stage 16 from Pau to Bagnères-de-Luchon may have put an irreversible end to any of Cadel Evans' dreams of defending his 2011 Tour de France crown or even get onto the podium in Paris, but the day also had its positive side for the American BMC team: Tejay van Garderen was able to consolidate his leading position in the young riders classification, gaining almost two minutes on his closest rival, Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-BigMat).

VeloNews: Garmin-Sharp sponsors will continue their support of the team, says David Millar, even if its riders and manager may be involved in the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency investigation into doping at the U.S. Postal Service.

VeloNation: Emma Johansson holds onto yellow with second place.

VeloNews: Kristin Armstong (Exergy-Twenty12) and Chad Haga (Optum-Kelly Benefit Strategies) took out prologue wins at the Cascade Cycling Classic Tuesday night in Bend, Oregon.

BikeRadar: The current Oltre is being raced by the Vacansoleil-DCM pro team, and carried Thomas De Gendt to third place in this year’s Giro d’Italia. But although it’s an undoubtedly excellent bike, feedback from professional riders and Bianchi’s own development team led to the creation of the Oltre XR.

CyclingNews: Coming into the Tour de France you expect that you're going to crash once or twice - just because it's a numbers game but this year in terms of crashes, I've never seen anything like it.

BikeRumor: Ask anyone who’s been to or knows about Sun Valley, Idaho, and they are sure to regale you with stories of endless ribbons of singletrack that stretch as far as the eye can see, weaving their way through picturesque Idaho mountains. Words like buttery, buff, and flow are used a lot. This is for a good reason, the place is unbelievable. It’s no wonder companies like Scott USA and Club ride would want to keep this as the center of their operations – with something like 400 miles of trail literally out the back door, it’s hard to resist.

VeloNation: No return to racing for third Colombian to win Tour King of the Mountains.

CyclingNews: The UCI announced today the provisional suspension for Rasa Leleivyte (Vaiano-Tepso) after the Lithuanian rider returned a positive A-sample for EPO in an out-of-competition control taken on June 12.

VeloNation: Prudhomme, Becca, Gallopin and Schneider comment on positive test.

VeloNews: Cadel Evans admitted his hopes of defending his 2011 Tour de France crown were now over following a crippling performance on the race’s 16th stage on Wednesday.

CyclingWeekly: RadioShack-Nissan found itself caught in the middle of a hurricane overnight on the Tour de France's second rest day in Pau. Its star cyclist, Fränk Schleck, returned an adverse analytical finding for xipamide, a diuretic drug.

Sipping Wine With Francesco Moser.

RedKitePrayer: The Giro d’Italia-sponsored Gran Fondo Pasadena happens this coming weekend and the big star the organizers have recruited to ride the even is none other than Francesco Moser. Winner of the 1984 Giro; the ’78, ’79 and ’80 editions of Paris-Roubaix, the ’77 world champion and victor in scores of other great races, not to mention the hour record, Moser is a true badass.

Bicycling: Best moments from the second week at the 2012 Tour de France.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "A muscular, aerodynamic and sharp-handling bike that’s always quick to respond."

road.cc: New aero alloy wheels feature in the 2013 range.

road.cc: A tasty and healthy snack, but not the best source of energy for performance-orientated cyclists. And not cheap either.

road.cc: Is this the stage for Nibali? Geraint Thomas thinks it could be & so does IG Sigma's Dan Lloyd who rides the three main climbs and talks tactics and the perils of the rest day.

RedKitePrayer: Someone asked me the other day at the Tour de France what was my favorite climb of all in this phenomenally beautiful country. I said, they’re all great. But I do have a soft spot for the western slopes of the Col du Tourmalet, which this year’s peloton will tackle on Thursday’s stage from Pau to Luchon.

VeloNation: Time bonuses see defending champion Emma Johansson take overall lead.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Thüringen Rundfahrt der Frauen - July 16 - 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Pologne - July 10 - 16 (Stages & Results),
Giro d'Italia Femminile June 29 - July 7 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

InnerRing: Today’s rest day brings to mind Antonin Magne, winner of the Tour in 1931 and 1934 who said “the Tour is won by sleeping”. He didn’t mean he snoozed on his bike, instead that recovery was so important. Many riders today will have been working hard on their rest day, going for the right ride, eating correctly, stretching hard and getting a strong massage.

CycleSport: The climbers’ classification has been reduced almost to irrelevance. It’s time to change the way the polka dot jersey was awarded.

VeloNation: He, David Millar and Dan Martin determined to make most of last days of Tour.

VeloNews: The 99th Tour de France is 18 days old on Tuesday. As riders spin their legs out and lounge in Pau during the race’s second and final rest day, the Pyrénées loom overhead. Sky’s tandem of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome sit atop the general classification with three decisive days of racing remaining.

Bicycling: Team Sky mechanics installed Shimano XT mountain bike cassettes on Wiggins’ wheels for Stage 14. But this created a new problem: In order to accommodate the larger rear cogs (with as many as 36-teeth) a long-cage rear derailleur is required.

VeloNews: Mavic’s neutral service team enters a race like Paris-Roubaix expecting battle. Flats will happen, the peloton will be splintered, and team cars will be nowhere in sight. Neutral service will be the only thing standing between many riders and a DNF.

BikeRadar: Using a heart rate (HR) monitor isn't rocket science, it's just a case of getting in the right zone. Here, Harry Blackwood – who finally cracked HR training after returning to cycling at the age of 50 – explains how to do it.

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

VeloNation: No return to racing for third Colombian to win Tour King of the Mountains.

CyclingNews: Points leader in line to collect on bet made with Liquigas team boss.

VeloNews: Denis Menchov was tipped to win the Tour de France two weeks ago when the race began in Liège, Belgium. He started the race red-hot, avoided early catastrophe and sat fifth overall, but then something went wrong.

CyclingNews: Without a real general classification leader, Bjarne Riis’ men have been hard at work in the breakaways of this year’s Tour. They may not have won a stage but there’s been time in the polka-dot jersey and the most aggressive award as consolidation.

SBS: As the Tour de France enters its final week, riders have already negotiated some of the toughest climbs in Europe, and have some major climbs still to go. So what makes some of those riders successful while others crumble?

Bicycling: How much do you know about the Tour de France's holy grail?

InnerRing: If Peter Sagan was a team, he’d be third in the rankings.

CycleSport: The Team Sky head of performance science explains how he has prepared Bradley Wiggins for his yellow jersey challenge.

BikeRadar: Dietary supplements are big business. You only have to walk into a health food store to see that. However, knowing what to use and when can be a minefield for an experienced athlete, never mind someone stepping up their cycling training. The claims made can be spectacular, almost too good to be true – unfortunately, they generally are.

road.cc: The whole package is an excellent choice if you've decided it's time to base your training on what your legs are really doing.

VeloNation: Final decision yet to be made.

Bicycling: Don't let bike maintenance be forgot, and never brought to mind.

road.cc: 2013 model is lighter and more rigid.

VeloNation: Long distance break caught late as heavy rain falls on Kraków finale.

CyclingNews: Earlier today, the UCI advised Luxembourger Fränk Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan) of an Adverse Analytical Finding in a urine sample collected from him at an in-competition test at the Tour de France on July 14, 2012.

CyclingNews: A report in the Wall Street Journal claims that a registered lobbyist working for Lance Armstrong's Livestrong Foundation approached an influential member of Congress to discuss the actions of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).

CyclingNews: Up to five samples from the Athens 2004 Olympic Games have been found to be suspicious following retroactive testing by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

CyclingNews: Up to one quarter of sum owed not paid for fear of “money laundering.”

VeloNation: Italian happy with place on the podium but aims for more in the final week.

VeloNation: Vinokourov aiming for farewell stage win, Brajkovic wants to secure top ten overall.

road.cc: Italian gruppo to rival Ultegra Di2; like Shimano's newer groupset it's not backwards compatible.

BikeRadar: Felt's Nine 29er carbon hardtail hasn't changed much since its introduction back in 2008 but the 2013 version looks to be worth the wait with huge leaps forward in performance. It's slightly lighter but that's not the big story – claimed stiffness figures jump by up to 50 percent and the geometry is a further refinement over what was already a winning formula.

VeloNation: Country requests replacement with RadioShack-Nissan teammate Laurent Didier.

VeloNation: “Nez de Marmande” wins in the gateway to the Pyrénées as he did in 2010 while the peloton shuts off again.

CyclingNews: Frenchman back on target after suffering from Lyme disease.

SBS: Chavanel, of the Omega Pharma-QuickStep team, has been sick with a chest infection in recent days and had been taking antibiotics.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Pologne - July 10 - 16 (Stages & Results),
Giro d'Italia Femminile June 29 - July 7 (Stages & Results),
Tour of Austria July 1-8 (Stages & Results),
Tour of Qinghai Lake June 29 - July 12 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

CyclingNews: The Tour's internal post office - run by Docapost, a branch of France's national postal service system - reports that whilst Thomas Voeckler is, perhaps unsurprisingly, the local rider receiving most fan mail ahead of Sylvain Chavanel, Alejandro Valverde is currently the leader on the international standings, well ahead of the Frenchman.

VeloNews: Many fans saw stage 14’s tack incident, in which upholstery tacks were apparently spread along a portion of the Mur de Péguère, as a sign that cycling, and maybe humanity, are on the decline.

VeloNews: Cavendish, who won a stage earlier in the race to take his tally to 21, lost his chance of contesting a bunch sprint when Sky and other teams failed to chase down a breakaway that went all the way to the end of stage 15. In doing so, Brailsford reaffirmed Sky’s commitment to winning the bigger prize of the yellow jersey.

CyclingFans: Monday's Tour de France Stage 15 departs Samatan at 1:40pm CET (7:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Pau at around 5:36pm CET (11:36am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de France live streaming video should get underway at around *2:00pm CET (*8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

VeloNation: Long distance break caught late as heavy rain falls on Kraków finale.

VeloNation: World champion misses out on another sprint stage as he works for the Maillot Jaune.

VeloNation: Tales of trouble and strong reactions to the sabotage from the peloton.

CyclingNews: Parcour sabotage, rough night and Leipheimer blame. Frison loses "naked" bet with Greipel.

CyclingNews: Michael Mørkøv likes the idea of riding with fellow Danes Matti Breschel and Jakob Fuglsang again, and hopes that the two return to Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank in the coming season. However, Fuglsang has several suitors for his hand, and it is only sure that he will change teams for the 2013.

CyclingFans: Monday's Tour de Pologne Stage 7 departs Krakow at 3:25pm CET (9:25am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Krakow at around 6:28pm CET (12:28pm U.S. Eastern).  Tour de Pologne live streaming video should get underway at around 5:25pm CET (11:25am U.S. Eastern).

Lezyne CRV 20 multitool.

road.cc: Tough multitool with enough functions to get you out of most roadside bother.

CyclingWeekly: Cycling in Britain has truly arrived: it's going to get its own television show. ITV4 is broadcasting an eight-part 'cycling-based chat show' starting from Monday, July 23.

VeloNation: Former World time trial champion takes early lead in last major pre-Olympic stage race.

PEZ: EuroTrash Monday!

VeloNation: Outcome will determine if US Postal Service investigation will be decided by USADA arbitration panel.

CyclingNews: Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank boss Bjarne Riis has rejected claims in the Swiss media that Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack-Nissan) will once again ride for the Danish team.

VeloNation: 2010 world champion to miss London 2012, Vergard Stake will take his place.

CyclingNews: After their Giro success it would have perhaps been easy for Garmin to sit up and tap gently into Paris due to the bad luck that befell them in this year's opening week of the Tour de France.

BikeRadar: Specialized will bring two new women’s models into the top level S-Works fold for 2013: Ruby (road) and Fate (29er mountain bike).

Fizik unveiled three new Team Edition saddles – Arione, Aliante and Antares. Each comes with 3mm wide matching bar tape with 1mm more padding than Fizik’s other tapes.

BikeRumor: Fulcrum’s first 35mm alloy clincher wheelset. Weight comes in at 1710g in both road and cross versions.  16 aero straight pull steel spokes lace the front, 21 lace the rear. The hubs are sealed cartridge aluminum anti-rotation with adjustable industrial bearings.

InnerRing: This isn’t a page turner that you’d take to the beach, nor an introduction to cycling’s rich past. Instead each page is loaded with facts, quotes and insights that it’s heavy going. It is readable but this is a history book written by a professor and not a collection of “wow facts” narrated back to you.

Stage 14 Results...

SBS: Luis Leon Sanchez brought some joy to the depleted Rabobank ranks after winning an eventful fourteenth stage of the Tour de France.

CyclingNews: Races & Results.
Tour de France - June 30 - July 22 (Stages & Results),
Tour de Pologne - July 10 - 16 (Stages & Results),
Giro d'Italia Femminile June 29 - July 7 (Stages & Results),
Tour of Austria July 1-8 (Stages & Results),
Tour of Qinghai Lake June 29 - July 12 (Stages & Results),
2012 Olympic Games - July 28 - August 12 (Races),
Vuelta a España - August 18 - September 9 (Stages),
More...

VeloNation: Tour de France race leader puts the brakes on the peloton after tacks on the road threaten his rivals.

VeloNation: Likely broken collarbone for Astana rider.

VeloNation: GreenEdge directeur sportif concedes battle is over.

VeloNation: Sky number two admits sacrificing himself is difficult.

CyclingFans: Sunday's Tour de France Stage 14 departs Limoux at 12:20pm CET (6:20am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Foix at around 5:11pm CET (11:11am U.S. Eastern).  Tour de France live streaming video should get underway at around *2:00pm CET (*8:00am U.S. Eastern).

Coverage News...

InnerRing: Each stage is analyzed, each jersey is explained and once more information is available there will be full list of riders and other content that’ll be updated every day so you can dip in and out during the next few weeks.

VeloNation: Time bonuses see Italian snatch back race lead from Michal Kwiatkowski.

VeloNation: Izagirre, Minard no match for multiple stage-winning Spaniard or green jersey Peter Sagan.

CyclingWeekly: The 2012 Tour de France route is producing a 'boring' race this year, according to RadioShack-Nissan's Fränk Schleck. He has been in the top five three times, third last year, but this year he is suffering. It is partly due to crashes and partly due to the parcours.

CyclingNews: The viral infection that has plagued Thor Hushovd all season continues to affect him. The BMC Racing Team rider was forced to abandon the Tour of Poland, and his participation in the 2012 London Olympics is now in question.

This year’s Tour de France has had an intriguing plot line, one which has been caused by two trade teams’ attempts to whip up nationalistic fervour ahead of the London Olympic games. Those two teams in question? Team Sky and Team Orica-GreenEDGE.

road.cc: Disc brakes for Cannondale's flagshop cyclo-cross bike and small updates elsewhere in the 2013 range.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Flex and pedal kickback won’t suit everyone, but ‘extreme’ design creates responsive trail blitze.r"