Late attack yields just seven seconds for the Catalan rider but earns him more confidence for future stages.

Young Frenchman first leader in Italy.

Wednesday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 11 departs Verin at 12:40pm CET (6:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Estación de Esquí Alto de la Manzaneda at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Michael Creed (Kelly Benefit Strategies - OptumHealth) season has come to a premature end after the American crashed out of Schaal Sels with a broken left collar bone. Despite the setback Creed is already in discussions to renew his one-year deal with Kelly Benefit Strategies - OptumHealth.

"When we saw Radio Shack’s Kiwi, Jesse Sergent win the stage four time trial at the Eneco Tour we decided we’d best have a word – but by the time we’d contacted him and prepared this interview, he’d gone and won the time trial and GC in the Tour du Poitou Charentes."

"We were told 29er mountain bikes were going to be everywhere at this year's Eurobike tradeshow, but it was only when we saw one on Colnago's booth that we really began believing the hype."

The Vector system has a four-sided range of strain gauges mounted inside the pedal spindle that supplies data to an external transmitter.

De Rosa has many flashy carbon bikes, but the styling of the Corum is simply beautiful. The TIG welded frame has an integrated headset and is offered in 30 sizes, both tradtional and sloping.

Carbon-Ti makes a full spectrum of chainrings for road and mountain bikes.

Believes it would become ‘impossible’ for him to win a Grand Tour.

Signatures boost likelihood that Mark Cavendish will also race with British ProTeam.

Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) and Tony Martin (HTC-Highroad) have signed with the new Belgian outfit Omega Pharma-Quickstep for the 2012 season, according to a report on Het Nieuwsblad.

Today's Quote

"I am glad that Quickstep will have Tony Martin into the team. Leipheimer has had one of his best seasons with a second place finish in the Tour of California , an overall victory in the Tour de Suisse and a fresh first place in the U.S. Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado. He seems like a very likeable rider.” -  Brian Holm  VeloNation

This year Nationals were held in Aguascalientes, the very fast track where Sarah Hammer broke the Individual Pursuit World Record and she broke another WR with her teammates Lauren Tamayo and Dotsie Bausch in the team pursuit.

Aerodynamics in cycling seems to be one of the most debated subjects surrounding our sport for the past several years.

SRAM president Stan Day spoke publicly for the first time Wednesday about the component company’s plans to go public, saying the move would lay the financial foundation for future growth, improve transparency in the industry and ensure SRAM’s existing management would steer the company’s fate in the long term.

Mavic will jump into the crowded bicycle helmet market with the introduction of three road models for 2012: the top-end Plasma SLR, the mid-range Plasma and the Syncro.

Cadel might have ended up in yellow, but many people's hero of the Tour de France was Vacansoleil's Jonny Hoogerland.

SRAM have unveiled an updated, 10-speed version of their X5 mountain bike groupset ahead of this week's Eurobike trade show. We'll bring you the full lowdown from the show, but for now here are some pictures and brief details.

"As I’ve written already, mergers are all the rage. All sorts of team combination are being talked about. Currently there don’t seem to be any rules regarding team mergers. Should we stand back and let teams deal unhindered or is it worth ruling on this?"

Italian head coach in hospital for tests but thought to be unhurt.

Laurent Fignon passed away one year ago today. A talented and exciting rider, the Frenchman would go from the neo-pro shown above to win grand tours and classics alike.

It’s not easy to contest a major cycling stage race on a shoestring budget, but two Colombian teams did well at it at the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge. In order to accomplish it, they did some things you never see professional teams do, like sharing bikes between riders, sharing the same truck between teams, and sharing mechanics chores between teams as well.

New Dogma more asymmetrical than before… but less glittery.

An ultra-efficient machine for those who want a more traditional-looking ride.

"Great for riders who like a precise bar and stem setup at the cost of a little comfort."

Add up to five years to your life expectancy by getting regular intense exercise. And not crashing.

"Ready for sportives, racing or a bit of both, and good value too."

As the result of a project that was started back in 2008, Ibis has finally unveiled their newest bike: the 120mm travel full suspension Ripley. Rather than just stuff 29 inch wheels into a stretched out Mojo SLR frame, Ibis reached out to suspension guru Dave Weagle to create a platform that would do the big wheels justice.

Italian also hasn't counted out Rodríguez, names other favorites as well.

Jakob Fulgsang is one of those young riders who catch lots of hype early in their careers and reach a certain tipping point. Some live up to the expectations while others seem to crack under the pressure.

Sky rider takes Vuelta race lead by staying with the contenders.

Following the mountain ride of his life on the Covatilla on Sunday and a strong time trial performance on Monday, Bradley Wiggins says he could not be happier with how things have gone over the last 48 hours, both for himself and for Team Sky.

Zipp has totally redesigned the workhorse of their wheel lineup with the new 303 Firecrest. It remains 45mm deep, but gets the bulbous Firecrest rim profile.

Halifax brand already offer urban models, threatening tourer too.

Four riders walk into the finish check point to get their final stamp on their route card. It is clear by their eyes red from the wind, their faces weathered by the hours they have been in the elements and their hollow cheeks due to the fatigue, that these riders have been truly tested.

Teams RadioShack and Leopard-Trek will merge next season according reports in newspapers L'Equipe and La Gazzetta dello Sport. The teams, however, have yet to announce or confirm any such plans.

After making it through to the first rest day in his first grand tour Taylor Phinney (BMC) is aiming to complete the Vuelta and position himself for a strong showing at the Worlds next month.

The Colavita/Forno D'Asolo Pro Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light brought a formidable squad including Rushlee Buchanan, Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Lauren Hall, Janel Holcomb, and Kristin Sanders.

It could be good, it could be rubbish. How do you know?

It’s not often that companies take the time to re-think something as ubiquitous and established as the tire lever.

The frame uses BallistTec hi-mod carbon, which appears to be pretty tough, and uses an integrated stem and headset with the Lefty fork.

"During my training rides and races, the Ordu proved to be efficient and fast. It also climbed well for a tri bike and responded quickly when I wanted to stand and accelerate out of the saddle."

It is unfortunate that most “road” and even “hybrid” bikes are sold with tires so narrow that you cannot cross streetcar tracks at an oblique angle without risking a fall.

Aaron Gwin’s mechanic, “Monkey,” probably doesn’t even know which bike the Overall World Cup champion will be riding at this weekend’s World Championships, in Champéry, Switzerland, but our bet is that he’ll be on Trek’s new Session 9.9 Carbon frame.

While Fast Freddy Rodriguez has missed the first ten stages of the Vuelta a Espana and is now over 38 minutes behind leader Chris Froome (Sky), the American sprinter still believes a podium finish is possible.

The UCI announced today that it has received the results of the final anti-doping controls taken during the Tour de France, and all have been declared negative. The UCI's Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF) was the recipient of the complete dossier from the Châtenay-Malabry, Lausanne and Cologne testing laboratories.

Italian investigators apparently hope to convict Michael Rasmussen on doping charges based on recordings from hidden microphones from a pharmacy in Mariana Mantovana. They claim the recordings contain the sound of an ampoule being broken and thrown away, which indicates that the Danish cyclist underwent “infusion therapy” about one month before the end of his suspension in 2009.

InnerRing: Chris Froome’s journey from Nairobi to Salamanca.

Yesterday Chris Froome took the overall lead in the Vuelta a España, the first time he’s lead a stage race in the pro ranks. But it’s not the first time he’s worn a red jersey in a grand tour.

This Vuelta appears to have been anything but a good warm-up and form-check for the upcoming pancake-flat Worlds.

No need to break (remove) the chain from your mountain bike to clean it and lubricate it. Singletrack.com’s Lennard Zinn explains the basics of a grit-free ride in this video.

Today's Quote

"I may be getting old, but I still got it."  -  George Hinccapie Twitter

Weight loss for athletes (an non-athletes) remains a minefield of fact, fiction, best sellers and diet plans.

I would like to tell you not to come and ride D2R2 (The Deerfield Dirt Road Randonee). It is not the most organized cycling event you will attend. The route is sadistically hard. It is dangerous in many spots, and you do NOT have the right bike for it, no matter what bike you have.

Monday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 10, a 47km Individual Time Trial at Salamanca, gets underway at 1:09pm CET (7:09am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider. Full Start Order and Times here. Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:15pm CET (10:15am U.S. Eastern).

After an understandably timid first week in sweltering Spain, Britain's Bradley Wiggins came alive in a thrilling finale to Sunday's stage nine to the ski resort of La Covatilla.

Bauke Mollema of Rabobank finished third on stage of the Vuelta a España to move up to ninth place overall.  The Dutchman crossed the finish line in San Lorenzo de el Escorial only nine seconds behind stage winner and new overall leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).

These punchy ramped finishes are proving something of a trademark for Joaquim Rodriguez, who now has two such victories in this year's Vuelta.

Purito takes his second stage of the race on Flèche Wallonne style finish to move into the lead.

Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) won his third overall title of the season at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The American admitted that a mixture of unfortunate injuries and near-wins played a role in fueling his motivational fire for success at the seven-day event that concluded on Sunday in Denver, Colorado.

Past winners Gerrans and Voeckler go close, Gilbert out of results.

Yoann Offredo (FDJ) lines up at the GP Quest France-Plouay on Sunday looking to make amends for his injury-hit spring classics campaign. The young Frenchman impressed at Het Nieuwsblad and Milan-San Remo, but a finish line crash at Gent-Wevelgem ruled him out of the remainder of the classics.

TwistedSpoke: Bissell’s Baldwin goes down on Swan Mountain.

Chris Baldwin of the Bissell Cycling team was 200 meters from the top of Swan Mountain on stage five of the US Pro Cycling Challenge when the insanity of the huge crowd got to him.

Greenedge will unveil their new jersey but last night there was a storm in teacup over the design.

Today's Quote

"I may be getting old, but I still got it."  -  George Hinccapie Twitter

Leopard Trek rider enthusiastic about first year of Colorado race.

Popular mountain bike destinations Moab and Whistler will each get a new mountain bike stage race in 2012. Race organizer Furious3, which hosted its first ever three-day mountain bike stage race in Fernie in British Columbia, Canada this summer, will add two more such races to its calendar for next year.

What began as a class project at Princeton University for mechanical and aerospace engineering student Nick Frey turned into much more than the one-off frame project he and a few classmates created.

After an understandably timid first week in sweltering Spain, Britain's Bradley Wiggins came alive in a thrilling finale to Sunday's stage nine to the ski resort of La Covatilla.

Sunday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 9 departs Villacastin at 12:40pm CET (6:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Sierra de Bejar. La Covatilla at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Bauke Mollema of Rabobank finished third on stage of the Vuelta a España to move up to ninth place overall.  The Dutchman crossed the finish line in San Lorenzo de el Escorial only nine seconds behind stage winner and new overall leader Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).

These punchy ramped finishes are proving something of a trademark for Joaquim Rodriguez, who now has two such victories in this year's Vuelta.

Purito takes his second stage of the race on Flèche Wallonne style finish to move into the lead.

Today's Quote

"I may be getting old, but I still got it."  -  George Hinccapie Twitter

Nederland Bloeit completes domination of 2011 competition after Emma Pooley tries for a hat trick in Breton race.

Sunday's USA Pro Challenge Stage 6 departs Golden at 10:45am MDT and is expected at the finish at Denver at around 1:30pm MDT. USA Pro Challenge live video streaming should get underway at around 10:35am MDT.

Past winners Gerrans and Voeckler go close, Gilbert out of results.

Yoann Offredo (FDJ) lines up at the GP Quest France-Plouay on Sunday looking to make amends for his injury-hit spring classics campaign. The young Frenchman impressed at Het Nieuwsblad and Milan-San Remo, but a finish line crash at Gent-Wevelgem ruled him out of the remainder of the classics.

The final stage takes us along another highly anticipated route – the climb up and the descent down the treacherous Lookout Mountain, where the overall King of the Mountain winner will be decided.

TwistedSpoke: Bissell’s Baldwin goes down on Swan Mountain.

Chris Baldwin of the Bissell Cycling team was 200 meters from the top of Swan Mountain on stage five of the US Pro Cycling Challenge when the insanity of the huge crowd got to him.

One day after blasting home first into Steamboat Springs, Italian road and track rider Elia Viviani once again showed his speed to outpace Jaime Alberto Castaneda Ortega (EPM – UNE) plus the rest of a 50 man lead group at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Leopard Trek rider enthusiastic about first year of Colorado race.

Popular mountain bike destinations Moab and Whistler will each get a new mountain bike stage race in 2012. Race organizer Furious3, which hosted its first ever three-day mountain bike stage race in Fernie in British Columbia, Canada this summer, will add two more such races to its calendar for next year.

What began as a class project at Princeton University for mechanical and aerospace engineering student Nick Frey turned into much more than the one-off frame project he and a few classmates created.

Fred Rodriguez has recently returned to the professional level of cycling with Team Exergy at the ripe age of 37.

BikingBis: Where old-time cyclists used to find support.

CyclingNews: CAS fix Contador hearing dates for November.

Precise dates finally set for anti-doping hearing.

Saturday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 8 departs Talavera de la Reina at 12:55pm CET (6:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at San Lorenzo de El Escorial at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Fallout continues from yesterday’s sprint pileup.

Nederland Bloeit completes domination of 2011 competition after Emma Pooley tries for a hat trick in Breton race.

Today's Quote

"I may be getting old, but I still got it."  -  George Hinccapie Twitter

“You explode really quick and you don’t recover anymore. It’s a little bit of a slow motion race.”

Whisper Plus helmet – the only helmet that’s being sold in the US at the moment, the rest will be available in the next two months. It’s the top of the line helmet with their trademark Dual Flow swiss-cheese hole pattern for maximum cooling effect.

Friday's USA Pro Challenge Stage 4 departs Avon at 12:30pm MDT and is expected at the finish at Steamboat Springs at around 4:03pm MDT. USA Pro Challenge live video streaming should get underway at around 2:00pm MDT.

The penultimate stage starts in Werner Mountain, where the cyclists will take off under the watchful eye of Steamboat’s primary ski hill.

Eleven seconds doesn’t sound like much but maybe it’s every thing, a deciding factor, an insurmountable barrier.

Professional-level road races are springing up across the United States of America and attracting some of the biggest names in the sport. The question is whether UCI-sanctioned events such as the Amgen Tour of California, Tour of Utah and the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge help improve the overall state of road racing, from the amateur-elite level up.

Jens Voigt (Leopard Trek) draws a crowd wherever he competes, and his presence at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado is no exception.

BikingBis: Where old-time cyclists used to find support.

CyclingNews: CAS fix Contador hearing dates for November.

Precise dates finally set for anti-doping hearing.

Thüringer Energie is a Germany subsidiary of power company EON. The team is based in the Thuringa area of Germany, roughly in the center of the country and well-known for its forests.

Canadian mountain bike company Rocky Mountain Bicycles have been developing and making frames in their Vancouver factory for nearly 30 years. Although they've moved much of the manufacturing offshore, the designing, prototyping and testing still happens at the main HQ.

Denver, Colorado native Danny Summerhill got the call-up to Garmin-Cervélo from their Chipotle Development Team at the Tour of Utah earlier this month, and now the 21-year-old is on home roads at the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

With over half the US Pro Cycling Challenge over, a quick look at the team competition is a victory for Colombia. Chapeau — or in this case, a sombrero vueltiao.

Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo) was transported to a local hospital via ambulance after a high-speed crash late in Friday’s seventh stage at the Vuelta a España.

French champion survives the carnage at the end of stage seven but expects to lose the race lead on stage eight.

The second week of the Vuelta a Espana takes place deep in the mountains, but fits in a rest day and a Time Trial to give the non-GC riders a bit of a break.

Reigning U.S. champion Matthew Busche (RadioShack) says racing the Vuelta a España is more important in the big picture of his career than competing this week at Colorado’s USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

VeloNation: 2011 Vuelta a España results, stage 7.

Friday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 7 departs Almadén at 12:55pm CET (6:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Talavera de la Reina at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:10pm CET (10:10am U.S. Eastern).

Alex Dowsett soloed to his first professional victory in the final stage of the Tour du Poitou Charentes in Poitiers this afternoon.

A growing cottage industry has started up in the US based around hacks of Shimano's Dura-Ace Di2 electronic groupset. Small companies have created a whole range of products, from prototype wireless systems to mountain bike variants, as well as devising cunning ways to hide batteries and cabling.

D2R2 is an event like few others. A long, dirt road ramble. An adventure race. A scenic romp over hill and dale. A giant cyclo-festival that is most certainly and explicitly NOT a race, that boasts beer and barbecue and lots and lots of fist bumping.

Nevermind the Slice, Cannondale just leaked this image of a prototype TT/Triathlon bike they’re working on. With razor sharp edges, it eschews the flowing lines of recent aero bikes but goes with the integrated brake arms that seem to be trendy.

It's a bumper week and we're not even at Eurobike yet.

Rebecca Rusch is a three-time solo 24-hour world champion and women’s course record holder at the Leadville 100. Here’s her advice for all-day events.

While all the noise and dramatic quotes after stage three were about Levi Leipheimers lack of cojones on the wet descent of Independence Pass, it was Andy Schleck who was the big loser.

"Tour of Utah recovery merged with Tour of Colorado taper. We crashed at the TLS U23 house in Boulder, Colorado. One day we splurged on burgers and ice cream. One day we trained hard. Each of the seven days we tapped our fingers waiting for the familiarity of racing to settle our nerves."

Friday's USA Pro Challenge Stage 4 departs Avon at 12:30pm MDT and is expected at the finish at Steamboat Springs at around 4:03pm MDT. USA Pro Challenge live video streaming should get underway at around 2:00pm MDT.

The rolling terrain of Stage 4 will provide spectators with one of the more interesting and dramatic days of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Stage 4 could be the day that a break makes it to the finish.

Leipheimer Wins Vail Time Trial. Beats Vande Velde by a hair, takes lead from Van Garderen.

Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervelo) has come heartbreakingly close to two stage wins with runner-up finishes in both the prologue and stage 3 time trials at the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge, but the 35-year-old American is buoyed by his general classification position and the possibility of overall victory.

Today's Quote

"I may be getting old, but I still got it."  -  George Hinccapie Twitter

"I love the US; I like riding here. It’s been a difficult season for me, in the bad period I tried to regain my condition. I arrived in Colorado in good condition but not super, super good."

Yesterday's USA Pro Cycling Challenge stage 3 time trial wasn't your average race against the clock. Though the course climbed a significant 530m (1,738ft) over its 16.1km (10.0mi) length, the first half was only mildly uphill and many riders were treated to a healthy tailwind – making it neither a blisteringly fast individual effort nor a pure hill climb. Not surprisingly then, many of the bikes used were novel hybrids tailored specifically to the day.

Says appeal was necessary under circumstances.

Theo Bos to lead Rabobank, Breschel listed as reserve for team.

I must admit, begrudgingly, that Colorado makes a pretty spectacular backdrop for a stage race. From the mammoth climbs, to the sprawling vistas, to the dedicated outdoor community who line the roads to cheer the riders, the US ProCycling Challenge has looked really great. And adding altitude to the test of extreme climbing gives the race a wrinkle that few others can offer.

With over half the US Pro Cycling Challenge over, a quick look at the team competition is a victory for Colombia. Chapeau — or in this case, a sombrero vueltiao.

Michal Golas of Vacansoleil-DMC and Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo) were the principal victims of the mass crash at the end of Friday's stage at the Vuelta, but they brought many others down, including a number of big names overall contenders.

Marianne Vos is cycling’s woman for all seasons. She races year-round and wins on all terrains. "Everything is Vos territory," quipped Ina-Yoko Teutenberg recently. And rightly so. Vos, who races for Nederland Bloeit, has won World Championship titles on the road, on the track, and in the mud and snow of cyclocross.

New Aussie team Green Edge is patiently naming its riders. In a story on cyclingnews.com, it appears they are aiming for a full house of 28 riders and so far they have confirmed 11 riders.

Genius is a bastardized word. Allen Lim, the genius team physiologist for Radio Shack, will be the first to tell you that. He’s brilliant and dresses like a hipster with pork pie hat and swing dance shirt but he simply loves bike racing and working with the most dedicated bike racers in the world.

Michael Rasmussen has described the Italian doping investigation into his relations with a Mantova pharmacist as a “witch hunt” and claimed that there is no evidence against him. The Dane is scheduled to be questioned by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) in Rome on Monday.

Alexander Kolobnev has been in Russia since he tested positive in the Tour de France. We’ve not heard much more. Under the anti-doping rules the deadline for his hearing has expired and the Russian cycling authorities risk a fine for any more delays.

Team RadioShack’s Jesse Sergent (23) took his 2nd 2011 overall victory by winning the Tour International du Poitou-Charentes on Friday. Teammate Michal Kwiatkowsi finished 3rd overall. The last stage win in Poitiers went to Alex Dowsett (Team Sky).

PBP itself was exciting as always. A bit too exciting for me, as I was involved in an unfortunate crash early on, one of many crashes caused by excited riders on racing bikes with compromised hangling due to some adventurous bag arrangements.

Some of you may have caught wind of a mysterious "Secret Drink Mix" website that popped up a few months ago that confidently touts a formula that would "better hydrate our athletes and friends without making them sick".

An informative introduction to the world's second best loved Grand Tour.

"After a successful climb up to Sierra Nevada, I was confident that I would be able to be in the front groups on the following stages to help Christophe and Dan as much as possible. However, I found myself struggling a bit when the going got tough the past two days."

The 40th edition of the 200km race around the town of Carnago, just outside Milan, which was won last year by Ivan Basso, attracted a field of 144 riders.

Taylor Phinney (BMC) was close to riding into the day’s main breakaway in Thursday’s scorcher across Andalucîa when he pulled clear in the opening kilometers of the 193.4km stage.

Slovak admits Liquigas would have preferred Nibali to take bonus seconds, but says he had no choice.

VeloNews: 2011 Vuelta a España results, stage 6.

Thursday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 6 departs Úbeda at 12:30pm CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Córdoba at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).

Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Sky) pulled out of his final grand tour due to injuries from a high-speed collision with a young boy in Wednesday’s fifth stage.

Danish rider had been confirmed today as ‘undisputed leader’ of world championship team.

Rochelle Gilmore (Lotto-Honda) is hoping to finally return to racing at the Holland Ladies Tour which gets underway on the 6th September, after an extended period off the bike with a broken pelvis.

Anne Samplonious (Now and Novartis for MS) took home a stage win in the finale of the Aspen Womens Stage race, while Kristin Armstrong Savola (Peanut Butter & Co 2012) claimed the overall title.

Each frame is hand built in Sweden to order with the statement that nothing they make comes from a “low cost environment.”

Garmin-Cervelo’s Tom Danielson tweeted that he felt ill on the eve of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge’s decisive stage three time trial held in Vail. Team doctor Kevin Sprouse stated that the rider was treated for his condition through the night and was well enough to start the 16km uphill event.

Thursday's USA Pro Challenge Stage 3, an Individual Time Trial at Vail, gets underway at 1:00pm MDT with the departure of the first rider. USA Pro Challenge live video streaming should get underway at around 12:50pm MDT.

Italian injured wrist in crash yesterday, but hopes to keep racing.

Today's Quote

"I may be getting old, but I still got it."  -  George Hincapie Twitter

Italian airlifted to Denver hospital, examination reveals plastic surgery required.

Tejay Van Garderen and his HTC-Highroad teammates will have their hands full defending the yellow jersey during the final four stages at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The young American is leading the general classification heading into the stage three time trial held in Vail and he is confident in his ability to win the 16km uphill event.

Attacks up and down Independence force reshuffle of general classification.

Wednesday's second stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge promised a whole lot of high altitude drama, and that's what we got, along with a friendly dash of inclement weather to make sure things were kept appropriately suspenseful.

American recovered from broken femur.

Says Vinokourov has a contract until the end of 2012 and points will count towards team’s total.

US federal prosecutors are asking a judge to prevent cyclist Lance Armstrong’s lawyers from seeing documents which detail the grand jury case into allegations he used performance-enhancing drugs.

"With both the Vuelta and the US Pro Cycling Challenge underway, we take a look at the progress made by riders in these two races."

"The razor-sharp handling is down to the frame and fork, proving that metal – especially aluminium – can still cut it."

Today's Quote

"I may be getting old, but I still got it."  -  George Hinccapie Twitter

In part one of this feature we looked at the US road bike market, where sales are flat – up in price but down in volume – and there are warnings of a price bubble. On the mountain bike side, things are looking rosier, with 29ers fuelling growth and riders buying multiple bikes for different types of riding.

Walk into a bike shop in America and you’ll be sure to find plenty of introductory bikes along with the latest high-end road and mountain machines. In metro areas, however, a new category is seeing growth – mid-priced commuter bikes with quality components that are meant for daily treks, light exercise and keeping owners out of their cars.

Irish rider hit by 40 second fine for pacing back on after toilet break.

Movistar rider outnumbered four-to-one by Liquigas-Cannondale on the way to the finish of stage six.

Tinker was back for a second year of competing in his favorite race—and posted a course record (9 hours 36 minutes) on his way to winning the 100 mile open class.

Wednesday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 5 departs Sierra Nevada at 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Valdepeñas de Jaén at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

Today's Quote

“Way to represent Created Butte! My ears are still ringing. The @USAProChallenge is really an incredible race.” -  Tom Danielson Twitter

The Custom Paint Program allows customers to create their own paint and decal schemes for the high-performance Felt F1 frameset, and will later be offered for the Felt DA frameset.

Canadian aiming for WorldTour return.

"Gore Ride-On’s new Ultra Lite cables seemed to cause a bit of a stir over their “fiber optic” construction. Shortly after our original post, I got a set in to try out."

"It may not swallow boulders whole, but the Rockhopper Comp is a seriously good trail bike."

Andrei Tchmil is set to be replaced by Hans-Michael Holczer as team manager of the Katusha team as the former classics rider targets a key role in the politics of international cycling as the president of the European Cycling Union (ECU).

Five riders crashed cattle guard at USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Tuesday's USA Pro Challenge Stage 1 departs Salida at 11:45am MDT and is expected at the finish at Mt. Crested Butte at around 4:00pm MDT. USA Pro Challenge live video streaming should get underway at around 2:00pm MDT (22:00 CET).

The Queen Stage is the crown jewel of the seven stages. The journey from Gunnison to Aspen will be the hardest, longest and highest of the race, summiting two 12,000-foot peaks in one day.

Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) is heading into the ‘queen' stage two with a small lead ahead of his main competitors at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The American is sitting in yellow, four seconds ahead of Colombia's Sergio Henao (Gobernacion de Antioquia) in second and Luxembourg's Frank Schleck (Leopard Trek) in third. He believes, however, that additional contenders will arise over the two decisive ascents Cottonwood and Independence Pass, both positioned above 12,000 feet of elevation.

Garmin-Cervelo is a top ProTour team with some serious talent on and off the bike. At any moment in time, you can see the machine in operation: riders winning races, mechanics cleaning bikes, Vaughters choosing wardrobe and in this case, Garmin cleaning up.

It was a case of déjà vu for Brad White (UnitedHealthcare) and Jay Thomson (Bissell) today in Colorado, for just as the pair made the early break on stage 1 at the Tour of Utah, nearly two weeks later they found themselves on the attack and off the front for nearly the entire opening road stage at the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

PEZ: Colorado Stage 1 - Levi Storms Crested Butte.

Stage two, Gunnison to Aspen, Colorado. Does that sound scary? It does to plenty of riders in the year one edition of the US Pro Cycling Challenge.

"I know we’ve had our differences and words were exchanged. I suspect that the ugliness might have been influenced by a couple of late night Michelob Ultras."

Timing of resignation from team queried with UCI.

Holcomb was able to get free about half way through the race only to have Kristin Armstrong Savola bridge across on the subsequent lap. The pair proceeded to build a lead of 2 minutes over the field which was patroled by PB&Co's Kristin McGrath and Allison Starnes.

The inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge kicked off on Monday with a stacked field composed of some of the biggest international teams and top talent in the sport. Despite the late slot in the calendar, even the Europe-based teams brought over most of their best equipment to tackle the high-altitude mountains of Colorado.

Transitions Optical, official eye wear sponsor of Team Garmin-Cervelo, have paired up with Oakley to improve the already well loved Jawbone glasses.

Seven new cycling sunglasses have been released by Tifosi for 2012. Some of the existing models were replaced by these new ones. The Tifosi Seek, Seek FC (Full Coverage), Jet, and Core replace Scatto, Scatto FC, Forza, and Czar respectively.

Right in the middle of summer, Revo sends us a pair of their Abyss frames with polarized lenses. They’re stylish, a sort of casual-sporty, and fit me great. However, it’s far more complicated than that.

Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co.-Twenty12) soloed to victory in Tuesday’s 35 mile stage 2 road race to take the overall lead in the 2011 Aspen/Snowmass Women’s Pro Stage Race. Janel Holcomb of Colavita/Formo D’Asolo finished second, at 40 seconds.

Tuesday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 4 departs Baza at 12:45pm CET (6:45am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Sierra Nevada at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm CET (10:00am U.S. Eastern).

The 2011 Tour du Poitou-Charentes (France) runs from August 23-26 and there will once again be live streaming video.

The battle for the 2011 Vuelta a Espana's overall starts with a vengeance on stage four of the race on Tuesday, with no less than 50 kilometres of classified climbs and a summit finish at more than 2,000 metres above sea level.

While the boys rode down hill in their prologue in Colorado Springs today, the women got serious and rode an uphill Chrono to start off the Aspen Women's Stage Race.

At some point during his final descent into Totana, Pablo Lastras must have had some serious thoughts about how he was going to celebrate his victory.

Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) is keen to put his Tour de France exploits behind him as he returns to competitive action for the first time in over a month at the four-day Tour du Poitou-Charentes stage race which begins on Tuesday.

Tuesday's USA Pro Challenge Stage 1 departs Salida at 11:45am MDT and is expected at the finish at Mt. Crested Butte at around 4:00pm MDT. USA Pro Challenge live video streaming should get underway at around 2:00pm MDT (22:00 CET).

No disclosure as to nature of their reply.

Alejandro Valverde is building up for his comeback to the pro peloton. The photo above comes from newspaper La Opinión de Granada. The Spaniard has been suspended for his involvement in the blood doping network uncovered by Operation Puerto but is training hard for his return with Movistar next year (note the team issue Pinarello with Campagnolo and the Nalini clothing).

Team size issue continues, governing body told domestique is no longer part of lineup.

"We’re bound to learn more at Eurobike, but Cannondale had the new version of its Slice time trial bike available for Ivan Basso. Though Basso ended up using his old bike for the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge prologue, mechanics were working furiously before the start of preparing the bike."

Today's Quote

“We are looking towards a golden era. We are certainly coming out of a dark period, and we’re not yet through everything. From the anti-doping point of view, we must not take our foot off the pedal.” -  Pat McQuaid Yahoo!

As a first year pro team, Team Exergy is the new kid on the block in the pro peloton. Getting a start in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge surprised many in the cycling world. But with up and coming names and seasoned pro Freddie Rodriguez guiding the way, Team Exergy is looking to impress.

Waking up this morning, knowing that today would be the first test in the Vuelta for those hoping to stand on top of the podium in Madrid, I have to admit I was slightly intimidated. From a glance at the race book we had quite a stage in store: 3,700 meters of climbing, two large mountain passes, one right at the start and the other serving as the summit finish, with rolling roads in between that were sure to offer little or no respite.

A quick precision on the rules. This afternoon Mark Cavendish has abandoned the Vuelta a Espana this afternoon. With Matthew Goss leaving the race, it’s not ideal for the team nor the riders concerned, especially since both want their say in the World Championships in Denmark.

There’s the awesome fashion sense of team boss Jonathan Vaughters working the runway that goes from the Garden of the Gods into downtown Colorado Springs. Those shoes were no doubt specifically designed to work the pedal of a team car along a race course.

"I think Brad Roe, Tim Schamber, Adam Reek et al are doing a very fine job with peloton. It’s easily the magazine I was hoping to produce when I started Asphalt in late 2002 and in fact, is better."

Today, as the Vuelta a España prepares for its first summit finish at Sierra Nevada, it will be three months exactly since Xavi Tondo died in tragic circumstances during an altitude training camp at the same resort. Tondo, sixth in last year’s Vuelta, would almost certainly have been one of the riders to watch on today’s stage, and it is fitting that the Vuelta’s red leader’s jersey will be on the shoulders of his Movistar teammate Pablo Lastras as Spain’s national tour heads up the mountain that towers above Granada.

"Roadside: It’s still hot here in Spain and the racing doesn’t look like it will cool off either. It’s not all fun and games following a bike race you know!"

Danny Pate (HTC-Highroad) secured the USA Pro Cycling Challenge Most Aggressive Rider Jersey after placing eleventh in the opening prologue on Monday. The Colorado Springs native was accustomed to the 8.2km parcours having grown up training on the same roads.

Belgian rider impressed by relaxed approach to negotiations by BMC Racing Team.

Monday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 3 departs Petrer at 1:25pm CET (7:25am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Totana at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 4:10pm CET (10:10am U.S. Eastern).

The HTC-Highroad women kept their momentum from the stage one victory on Saturday to win the team time trial on Sunday morning, before putting Charlotte Becker in the leader's jersey with a stage three victory in the afternoon. The team took an aggressive approach to the third stage after four girls emerge as GC contenders from the TTT.

Pave' Monday Musette: Vuelta, Vattenfall, and Crit Victory.

This weekend saw four notable races – the first two stages of the Vuelta a España as well as Sunday’s Vattenfall Cyclassics and the USA Pro Criterium National Championships.

Spanish sprinter is in negotiations with four teams.

Kazakh appeared to have ridden last race when he crashed out of Tour, but may be back for one last ride.

"I’d say he’s a few pounds heavier than when he stopped racing. The seventies were always an odd era, with flares and tank tops and silly sunglasses and long hair and Janssen is no less embarrassed about it than anyone else. He smiles wryly at a picture of himself looking like George Best. He ticks off riders like Robert Millar and Phil Anderson with their long hair now."

This evening's portion of bike porn is bought to you by the makers of Ibis bikes.

Paul Budnitz, better known as the creator of Kidrobot toys, has just launched a line of high end titanium urban bicycles. The frames are built around a split toptube design with flex designed into it to offer a smooth ride. They also design the titanium handlebars, stems and seatposts, all of which are made alongside the frames at Lynskey’s Tennessee factory. Budnitz has been building bicycles for himself since 2006, and Paul Budnitz Bicycles was founded this year to offer “top-end bicycles for daily use.”

Monday's USA Pro Challenge Prologue gets underway at 1:15pm MDT with the departure of the first rider.  USA Pro Challenge live video streaming is scheduled to begin at 1:15pm MDT.

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge begins on Monday with the opening prologue in Colorado Springs. At 8.2km, the route is a little longer than a traditional prologue and there may well be some significant time gaps at the end of the day.

While five of the top-10 finishers of the 2011 Tour de France are poised to start the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge on Monday, including the top three of Cadel Evans (BMC), Andy Schleck (Leopard Trek) and Fränk Schleck (Leopard Trek), the highly touted ProTour riders pointed to the Colombians of UCI Continental squads Gobernacion de Antioquia and EPM-UNE at Sunday's pre-race press conference as the riders expected to excel.

Christian Vande Velde tipped his hat to the USA Pro Cycling Challenge prologue held in Colorado Springs on Monday. The American is confident that his Boulder-based Garmin-Cervelo team will put forth a strong performance in the opening day's 8.2km prologue time trial and carry that through the seven-day even held from August 22-28.

Riders signed to support team leaders.

Today's Quote

“We are looking towards a golden era. We are certainly coming out of a dark period, and we’re not yet through everything. From the anti-doping point of view, we must not take our foot off the pedal.” -  Pat McQuaid Yahoo!

Riders from team sponsored by Oakley and Ana Nichoola showcase riding around London.

BikeRadar Race Tech: Cannondale's new Slice time trial bike

Cannondale are finally set to replace their long-running Slice time trial bike with a striking new model that will piloted by Liquigas team captain Ivan Basso in today's inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge. A far cry from its predecessor, this latest Slice not only sports a more aggressive, angular shape but also a higher level of component integration and presumably a lower drag coefficient for faster times.

At 6’5″ tall and 200 pounds, Jens Mouris, the most recent signing to GreenEDGE Cycling, is one of the biggest cyclists in the professional peloton.

PR manager hints German rider might make doping confession at some point in future.

No movement at the top as big names rest.

CyclingInquisition: Selling the family home to buy a bike. The financial realities of Colombian cycling.

Following yesterday’s story of Astana hiring Andrei Kacheckin in breach of the UCI’s rules, it seems there’s been some behind the scenes work to fix things. A rider has vanished the list of Astana riders overnight.

There is a sidebar item on Bicycling.com's Cult of Jens videos, I am sure they're full of awesome. But it did make me think, poor Jens, the guy can't go a day without someone wanting to record him acting like, well, Jens.

"In 2009 I finished Tour of Utah, because, well, I’m not sure. Our team had gone into survival mode. The altitude and heat broke my mind along with my body. Hoping to qualify for the U23 world championships, I had trudged through each stage consumed in acidic misery, until other U23s like Alex Howes toppled my ambitions on Mount Snowbird. I ached to board that red-eye out of Salt Lake."

If you read Ben Delaney’s article in the March issue of VeloNews, on the basics of training with a power meter, you might have already borrowed a meter, established some baseline data and possibly become a little interested in learning more. And now you’re in the market for some hardware. Quarq’s Cinco Saturn might just be what you’re looking for.

"OK people, it’s August, races are coming up quick, and ’cross prep is happening around the country. Now that you’ve dialed in the bike parts, shaved some weight off of your frame (bike or otherwise), gotten the tubies set to roll, what’s left? "

As usual, Trek World 2011 served as a meeting place for Trek dealers so that they could see what Trek has in store for 2012. Looking beyond 2012 though, for the second year in a row Trek offered a glimpse into what their design teams were currently working on in the forms of pure concepts.

For 2012, Scott Bikes is moving a little further into the urban and commuter segment with a variety of new bicycles.

On Saturday it was all doom and gloom, but Sky put things right with wins in both Spain and Germany 24 hours later.

Fifty kilometres from the finish of stage two of the 2011 Vuelta a Espana, Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) finally decided enough was enough and opted to quit the race, suffering from a severely upset stomach.

German too quick for Vos, Johansson.

Sunday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 2 departs La Nucía at 1:05pm CET (7:05am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Playas de Orihuela at around 5:40pm CET (11:40am U.S. Eastern). Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around *4:30pm CET (10:30am U.S. Eastern). *This is when coverage is scheduled to begin on Eurosport. There is some chance we will have a live feed a bit earlier, but no guarantees.

The 2011 Classic de l'Indre (France) is today.  Live streaming video: 3:15pm CET.

For Sale: NEW 2011 Focus Izalco Team 2.0 size 57 (same frameset as Team Katusha rode in the tour) SRAM Red group with compact crank 3T Doric seatpost, and 3T Ergonova handlebar DEDA 100 Stem (size 110) Easton EC 90 Aero carbon tubular wheelset with Continental 4000 tires TACX Tao cages There are only 15 miles on this bike.

Warming up yesterday before the team time trial, the excitement that I had waited so long for finally began to set in. The realization that the biggest race of my life was about to begin brought butterflies to my stomach and a determined smile to my face. In typical, spectacular, grand tour fashion, the start ramp was literally on the beach, with a few meters of boards placed over the sand until we hit the pavement.

"Wow it was hot today… The old SRM read 46 degrees Celsius at one point, may have even been hotter!"

Summit County will show off more than just its spectacular scenery at the USA Pro Cycle Challenge (USPCC) this week. One of its own athletes, Timmy Duggan, who grew up ski racing with Team Summit, will be among the best riders in the world racing across Colorado.

Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Sky won the Vattenfall Cyclassics on Sunday to follow up his win in the Eneco Tour last Sunday.

Sunday's Vattenfall Cyclassics gets underway at 11:10am CET (5:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at around 4:29pm CET (10:29am U.S. Eastern).  Vattenfall Cyclassics live video streaming should get underway at around 3:15pm CET (9:15am U.S. Eastern).

Romain Sicard (Euskaltel-Euskadi) returns to racing for the first time since March at the Classic de l’Indre on Sunday. The young Frenchman has been plagued by muscular problems in his right leg throughout the season.

The stage standings of the opening team time trial of the Vuelta a Espana had several teams in unexpected places: teams that have previously dominated the discipline or had high aspirations like Garmin-Cervélo, Team Sky and RadioShack were nowhere near the winners Leopard Trek, while Liquigas-Cannondale, which took 15th in the Tour de France test, came a close second overall.

The headliners for the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge are obvious. The entire Tour de France podium — Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) and Andy and Fränk Schleck (Leopard-Trek) — will be at the start in Colorado Springs on Monday. So too will be three-time Tour of California best young rider Robert Gesink (Rabobank), former Tour de France podium finisher Levi Leipheimer(RadioShack) and top American finisher at this year’s Tour, Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervélo).

Vinokourov left hospital recently brandishing a medical note saying he’s fit for competition and yesterday declared he’s aiming to ride the Tour of Lombardy. Whether he does or doesn’t, Vino is clearly signalling “I’m fit to ride, I’m part of the team“.

Leopard Trek rider wants to seize chance for double success.

Italian rider will miss German race.

Today's Quote

“We are looking towards a golden era. We are certainly coming out of a dark period, and we’re not yet through everything. From the anti-doping point of view, we must not take our foot off the pedal.” -  Pat McQuaid Yahoo!

TwistedSpoke: Crazy wooden bike. The Waldmeister.

Bikes made out of wood are just one of those things that impresses us.

“The exams revealed that I’m recovering very well from my injury after my crash in last Tour de France,” Vinokourov said. “The doctors told me that if I wish, I could start training in the coming days. So, if everything goes well, I may compete for Tour de Lombardie, which is the last race of the season and could be the last race to end my career.

Neo-pro Eric Young took the biggest win of his young career at the Herman Miller Grand Cycling Classic earlier today in wild and wooly weather conditions when he crossed the line first to win the USA Pro Criterium Championships.

Second win for Miche rider at Italian race.

The Luxembourg outfit, was led splendidly by a Fabian Cancellara in rainbow stripes.

Saturday's Vuelta a Espana Stage 1, a Team Time Trial at Benidorm, gets underway with the departure of the first team at 5:02pm CET (11:02am U.S. Eastern).  Vuelta live video streaming should get underway at around 5:00pm CET (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

The final 2011 USA National road title, the USA Pro Criterium, will be awarded today (Saturday), as part of the Herman Miller Grand Cycling Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The national championship race begins at 11:45 a.m. ET and will be streamed live.

Team Type 1 – SANOFI rider Jure Kocjan closed out the Tour du Limousin with a bang on Friday, finishing the fourth stage on the podium in a mass sprint and rising to sixth in the overall classification after a hot, hilly week in French cattle country.

"Amongst the sweltering heat, blue skies and arid terrain of the Vuelta a Espana, you'd expect an Irishman who grew up in Birmingham to look a little out of place. But that shouldn't be the case in this year's race - the Garmin-Cervélo leader in Spain is Dan Martin and the team have thrown all support and belief behind him."

The lightest frame Wilier have ever made. The first bike in the world to incorporate SEI (Special Elastic Infiltration) technology which absorbs road shock to give an exceptionally smooth ride with super light weight, stiffness & efficiency.

The stage standings of the opening team time trial of the Vuelta a Espana had several teams in unexpected places: teams that have previously dominated the discipline or had high aspirations like Garmin-Cervélo, Team Sky and RadioShack were nowhere near the winners Leopard Trek, while Liquigas-Cannondale, which took 15th in the Tour de France test, came a close second overall.

After a disastrous Vuelta in 2010, Andy McGrath vowed never to return. He’s back this year.

The Inner Ring Vuelta guide is online. Similar to the Tour de France guide, it contains profiles of every stage, a list of riders and more info.

As originally speculated in June, Jurgen Van den Broeck will ride for the new team to be sponsored by the Belgian national lottery following Lotto's split with Omega Pharma.

As Cycling fans we go to see the races for several different reasons. Many go to just see their favorite rider, others go for the excitement of the race or maybe the play of team tactics in a deciding move. I have heard some explain that just the physical feats that the riders are capable of leave them stunned and only want to witness it live.

Housed inside Colnago's headquarters in Cambiago, just outside of Milan, is a museum charting the history of the company since it was founded in 1954. On display are dozens of bicycles, including many bearing the Ferrari name on their down tube along with lashings of red paint.

For Sale: NEW 2011 Focus Izalco Team 2.0 size 57 (same frameset as Team Katusha rode in the tour) SRAM Red group with compact crank 3T Doric seatpost, and 3T Ergonova handlebar DEDA 100 Stem (size 110) Easton EC 90 Aero carbon tubular wheelset with Continental 4000 tires TACX Tao cages There are only 15 miles on this bike.

It’s been a tough year for Daniel Holloway with an injury,serious saddle sores and a staph infection. The combination of all these made it difficult to do his job with his Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth team.

“The exams revealed that I’m recovering very well from my injury after my crash in last Tour de France,” Vinokourov said. “The doctors told me that if I wish, I could start training in the coming days. So, if everything goes well, I may compete for Tour de Lombardie, which is the last race of the season and could be the last race to end my career.

Quick Step manager Patrick Lefevere has expressed his dismay at Philippe Gilbert’s decision to sign for BMC for the 2012 season. After a protracted transfer saga, the Belgian champion announced his new team on Friday.

BMC Racing’s existing Belgian Classics man hopes he will be able to follow his own ambitions.

Today's Quote

“We are looking towards a golden era. We are certainly coming out of a dark period, and we’re not yet through everything. From the anti-doping point of view, we must not take our foot off the pedal.” -  Pat McQuaid Yahoo!

With the end of the HTC-Highroad team, New Zealander Hayden Roulston is left looking for another team to continue his career, but is undecided as to whether he will be on a ProTeam in 2012. The New Zealand road champion said he has options despite having a less-than-stellar season.

Walk into any bookshop and - if they stock any cycling books - you'll find a selection of titles telling the history of the Tour de France. This year, the Giro d'Italia became the star of three different books telling its history. But the runt of the Grand Tour litter ... well the poor little Vuelta a España is somewhat neglected, except for one attempt to tell its history: Viva La Vuelta!

One true pleasure of summer is sipping a cool beer with friends after a long ride. Sure, it may not replenish your glycogen stores like a lemon-lime Gatorade, but sport drinks can’t compare to barley and hops when it comes to flavor.

While BMC have dominated the transfer headlines in August through their big-name signings, one man leaving the team for 2012 is Alexander Kristoff. The Norwegian champion has signed a two-year deal with Katusha.

A new cross team, the SmartStop/Mock Orange Bikes presented by Ridley Professional Cyclocross Team is going to tackle some of the biggest US races this season while at the same time look to develop some young talent. A new team but not new names to the cross scene this year.

Rabobank controls the Dutch semi-classic and former track World champion wins with ease.

'Winning isn't everything, but the will to win is everything,' The words of Vince Lombardi, arguably the most successful American Football coach in the history, his quote applies directly to the 66th Tour of Spain - who wants it most?

"Years ago, when I first got onto into the blogging world on the Internet, I was asked to enter a brief description of myself to inform potential readers of the content of my site. I wrote: “Taking it day by day, doing all I can to turn dreams into reality.” Now, I can happily and proudly say, that those words were truer than I ever could have imagined when I first wrote them."

What is wrong with the Vuelta a España? No. Seriously. What is wrong with this race? It’s a grand tour for crying out loud.

With great bike racing go great coffee and food.

Jessica Phillips assembled a decorated women’s peloton at her inaugural Aspen Women’s Pro Race, held in conjunction with the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, from August 22-24 in Colorado. Former double world time trial champion and Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co Twenty12) and French legend Jeannie Longo are among the high quality field expected to participate.

Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth Pro Cycling will head to Brussels, Belgium later this week following the USPRO Criterium Championship to tackle a six race series of grueling one-day events.

Team TIBCO/To the Top begins its second European campaign of the 2011 season this Saturday with the Trophee D’Or in France, a five-day, six-stage race that includes an unusual team time trial on day two.

Garmin-Cervelo and Team Sky will start as favourites for Saturday's opening stage of the Vuelta, a testing 13.5-kilometre team time trial around Benidorm.

Tour de Pologne victor will be a protected rider on Liquigas-Cannondale team.

This year’s most dominant one day rider, a classics superstar, Philippe Gilbert has joined world champion Thor Hushovd and Tour de France winner Cadel Evans at BMC. That’s a yellow jersey, rainbow stripes and a man who wore the green maillot in the Tour for a few days.

"If the headlines are about Gilbert, I just wanted to ask some questions about the move and the future of the BMC Racing team. Because if the answers are hard to come by, thinking aloud does allow some reflection on the matters ahead."

A year on from finishing runner-up to Vincenzo Nibali in the Vuelta a España and then finding out that he had tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch (HES) in an out-of-competition test done just prior to that race, Ezequiel Mosquera is the big absentee from this year's race. Having finished in the top five in each of the last four Vueltas, the Vacansoleil rider will be watching this edition at home as he continues to wait for a verdict to be delivered on that test.

American Brent Bookwalter and classics lynchpin Marcus Burghardt are among Cadel Evans’ support staff to re-sign with BMC Racing for 2012.

"Slick new GPS-enabled computer for less data-intensive riders."

It seems like there is always a lot going on in the world of professional bike racing and bike racing in general.

Nice to see aluminium not forgotten in the Sexier Frames Dept.

For Sale: NEW 2011 Focus Izalco Team 2.0 size 57 (same frameset as Team Katusha rode in the tour) SRAM Red group with compact crank 3T Doric seatpost, and 3T Ergonova handlebar DEDA 100 Stem (size 110) Easton EC 90 Aero carbon tubular wheelset with Continental 4000 tires TACX Tao cages There are only 15 miles on this bike.

The Vuelta a España begins on Saturday. Like last year, it opens with a short and sweet Team Time Trial – 13.5 kilometers through Benidorm. This opening TTT is not where the race can be won, but it can be lost for a GC contender if his team’s performance puts him behind the 8-ball too early.

"This year’s Vuelta is ripe with young talent – some getting a shot at Grand Tour success, and others being put in in the hopes that they’ll gain a bit of experience that will aid their racing come 2012."

When Thor Hushovd was left out of the Garmin-Cervélo squad for the Vuelta a Espana, the controversy was obvious - a defending world champion denied the chance to ride the prime preparation race for his title defence.

Buoyed by victory in the recent Vuelta a Burgos, where he had a significant edge on everyone on the climbs, Joaquim ‘Purito’ Rodríguez (Katusha) says that his clear goal going into the Vuelta a España is to win his national tour.

"I have to admit, I have a hard time getting fired up about the Vuelta. It always seems to come so quickly after the Tour de France. And quite frankly, how is it going top this year's Tour? Well, we've decided to do something about that. What we need is a good ol' fashioned tipping competition."

The route of the 2011 Vuelta a España has been officially unveiled in Benidorm, confirming rumors of a return of the Angliru climb and a visit to the Basque Country for the first time in 33 years.

Today's Quote

“We are looking towards a golden era. We are certainly coming out of a dark period, and we’re not yet through everything. From the anti-doping point of view, we must not take our foot off the pedal.” -  Pat McQuaid Yahoo!

"Simple usage and maximum mobility have always been at the core of Bigfish folding bikes. Now the popular existing model will get a significant technological upgrade and will be joined by a new addition, the Bigfish Line."

"The photo above is from the National Museum of American History’s collection of artifacts. It was sent to us as a new project from the Smithsonian Institution called the Smithsonian Snapshot - “a weekly peek into the Smithsonian’s collection."

Seemingly without a whole lot of fanfare, Shimano’s newest SPD-SL pedal is about to make its debut. It’s light, it’s wide, and it’s carbon for a whole lot less.

A stage full of breakaways finishes in a bunch sprint.

Manuel Belletti denied repeat win after crash disrupted finale.

German sprinter, John Degenkolb will ride for Skil-Shimano for the next two years. The 22-year-old won six times this year with HTC-Highroad, including two stages of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

The noise and attention at the US Pro Challenge in Colorado centers on the big stars. There’s Cadel Evans who may or may not aim for the win, the Brothers Schleck who might want to rock in the Rockies and guys like Colorado resident Tom Danielson, brimming with confidence after a top ten in the Tour de France.

A strong field of American-only sprinters will be participating in the USA Cycling Pro Criterium Championships held on a brand new course on August 20 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Daniel Holloway (Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth) is confident that he will be able to defend his title, noting that his team has several cards to play.

Given his exploits in the yellow jersey at the Tour de France, it’s no surprise that Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) has been a man in demand in his home country in August.

Team hoping Förster will increase win tally for the season.

Former Omega Pharma-Lotto director finds team after long search.

The Dog Days of August got you down? I can't quite say so; more like the Greyhound Days of August, where you sprint like mad or someone threatens to withhold your dinner or something.

You've made gradual component upgrades to the point where your bike is now pretty nicely specced and you're simply upgrading your frame. Or maybe you're freshening up your current rig with a new steel frame in preparation for some cycle touring in far-flung places.

For Sale: NEW 2011 Focus Izalco Team 2.0 size 57 (same frameset as Team Katusha rode in the tour) SRAM Red group with compact crank 3T Doric seatpost, and 3T Ergonova handlebar DEDA 100 Stem (size 110) Easton EC 90 Aero carbon tubular wheelset with Continental 4000 tires TACX Tao cages There are only 15 miles on this bike.

Former Team GB pro mechanic Spike Taylor - who now runs Pro Tool School bike mechanic courses - guides you through one of the simplest, but for many most dreaded, bike maintenance skills - how to change a flat tire. In this case he does it without tire levers, which means there's less risk of damaging the rim or pinching the tube.

Fabian Cancellara (Leopard-Trek) joined his teammates in Benidorm on Thursday a day late after being hospitalised by a severe allergic reaction to a bee sting hours before he was originally due to fly.

All quiet on the Texan front. The scent has grown cold on the Armstrong doping trail. No leaks, no case updates, no mention of new witnesses, more leads, impending events, crazy bar fights in Aspen, naked girls. Just made that last part up.

Today's Quote

“We are looking towards a golden era. We are certainly coming out of a dark period, and we’re not yet through everything. From the anti-doping point of view, we must not take our foot off the pedal.” -  Pat McQuaid Yahoo!

There are four jerseys in the Vuelta a España.

Since its move to be the last Grand Tour of the season, the Vuelta has had the perhaps-unenviable position as the GT of last resort. It’s a last chance for GC contenders, teams, sprinters, and stage-hunters alike to pull in results. Its schedule just ahead of the World Championships also serve as a springboard for preparation, and for a final showcase to convince the team selectors of the riders’ form. Who are on the hot seat as we begin the 2011 Vuelta a Espana and how might they perform?

The season’s third grand tour clicks into gear Saturday with a team time trial in this seaside summer resort that’s already packed to the gills with tourists seeking sand, sun and sex. How many of those are here for the Vuelta a España is not exactly clear, but the Spanish tour will start with no shortage of contenders for overall victory when the race roars into Madrid on September 11 for the final sprint.

To race the Vuelta a Espana as a neo-pro is pretty unusual and Andrew Talansky knows that. However, the 22-year-old Garmin-Cervelo will compete in his first Grand Tour starting Saturday in Benidorm after a good preparation.

This year’s Vuelta is shaping up to be an exciting race. A ripe General Classification battle is set to take place, featuring several big names who were either left out of their teams’ Tour de France selection, or crashed out in the attrition-riddled first half of the race.

RadioShack lines up for the Vuelta a España with a strong team centered around Jani Brajkovic and Andreas Klöden. Each crashed out of the Tour de France and enter the Spanish tour cautiously optimistic they can make an impression, if not in the GC, at least with a stage victory.

Santa Rosa, California (Bicycling.com): Five riders on the BMC Racing Team who helped Cadel Evans win the Tour de France have been re-signed, the team said in a statement Thursday.

Five big-name riders to watch, and five from smaller teams who could surprise.

After years of doping scandals in which the very legitimacy of his sport was questioned, Pat McQuaid says cycling’s best days await.

GPS computer specialists Garmin have announced details of their Vector pedal based power meter. It's designed to work with their Edge 500 and Edge 800 cycle computers, will be compatible with LOOK KéO pedals, is easily swappable between bikes and will be available in March 2012 for US$1499.99.

Things are starting to come together for GreenEDGE Cycling. They've lodged the first steps of the paperwork to the UCI, they've announced eight riders, and they have a couple technical sponsors on board. They're part way there, but there's lots left to do...

The Spanish equivalent of sunflowers at the Tour de France. Just as the Tour de France has pretty clichés of riders rolling past fields of sunflowers, for me the Vuelta a Espana has hilltop bovine hoardings. There’s a story behind this. It starts with vino de Jerez, the fortified wine from the city of Jerez that’s known as sherry in English…

HTC-Highroad, which is folding the men’s squad at the end of this season, wants to go out with a bang. The squad lines up with a heavy sprint team and a strong lineup for success in Saturday’s TTT opener.

Belgian Classic star’s agent confirms talks continue.

Australian leaves Sky Procycling after two seasons.

When Johan Vansummeren and Fabian Cancellara staged their famous pursuit match in the final kilometers of Paris-Roubaix on a hot, dusty, dry April day in Hell, the Belgian had something special on his side against the Swiss powerhouse - a critical piece of kit that might have been the difference between sweet cobble kissing victory and a late catch by the dominant force on the pave this spring - the Castelli Sanremo Speedsuit.

UnitedHealthcare mechanics put fresh tape on team bikes before the start of the 2011 Tour of California. Photo: Nick Legan.

When I first came across the Smart Wallets in Lezyne’s catalog, I thought that they were a neat idea.  Designed to be loaded with a phone, ID, and money, the Smart Wallet is a tool case (the Loaded version comes with tools similar to those shown) that is meant to slip into a rider’s jersey pocket.  Ever since mine arrived, it’s been in use- though not exactly as Lezyne intended.

Coverage begins on VERSUS on Monday, August 22, at 4 p.m. ET, with the final stage set to air live on NBC on Sunday, August 28, at 2 p.m. ET.

The 2011 Vuelta a Espana begins Saturday with a team time trial in Benidorm and runs a 3,321 kilometer route through Spain until Sunday, September 21st with a closing stage to Madrid.

The Vuelta a España dominates a busy week across Europe that sees stage racing in France as well as one-day classics across Italy and Germany.

Levi Leipheimer said Wednesday that he was never in danger of being dropped when Sergio Henao put in a race shattering attack on the final climb of the Tour of Utah last weekend. In an interview with KPCW community radio in Park City, Utah, Leipheimer (RadioShack) described the uneasy truce he made with Henao (Gobernacion de Antioquia) on the road to Snowbird resort on Sunday.

American in talks with Liquigas-Cannondale about his future.

ThisJustIn: BMC to Race Its First Tour of Spain, Phinney in First Grand Tour.

BMC Racing Team has announced its roster for the 66th Tour of Spain, which starts Saturday in Benidorm. It will be the American squad’s first time in the race.

Sixth place for former world and Olympic champion. After finishing his first-ever Leadville 100 this weekend in Colorado, Bart Brentjens (Milka-Trek) was impressed by the difficulty of the event.

"Three models will be offered, all with 100% CNC-machined aluminim screw-cap enclosures, Cree LED bulbs, USB rechargeable Li-Ion batteries and adjustable handlebar mounts. Lezyne says the use of the high-end LEDs combined with their “engineered design” mirror polish parabolic reflector and front lens provide category leading brightness and beam pattern." [Ed. It is unfortunate that Lezyne has such poor customer service.]

"On a recent trip to Germany we bumped into the guys from Ceradure, a Benelux based engineering company with a great reputation in pro motocross and motorsport for making lightweight sprockets and disc rotors proven in such races as the Paris Dakar rally."

Today's Quote

“[Pepe Martí was] nothing more than a known drug-trafficker. During my time as a rider at US Postal he sold me growth hormones, EPO and other illegal substances.” - Floyd Landis CyclingNews

Last month we showed a brief glimpse of the 2012 range from Focus. We’ve since travelled out to Germany to get the low down on the full line-up.

Skil-Shimano has added to its stable of young talent by signing John Degenkolb on a two-year contract. The German neo-professional joins the squad from HTC-Highroad, which will cease operations at the end of the season.

A warranty is a contract between you, the original purchaser, and the bike company. It’s not between you and the dealer (or retailer) where you bought the bike. The dealer is actually caught in the middle. The retailer goes back with the claim to the importer, and the importer goes back to the bike company to validate the claim to see if they can replace the item.

Just a month after finish of the Tour de France, the final Grand Tour of the 2011 season, the Vuelta a España will begin on Saturday in Benidorm. The 66th edition takes in the entire length and much of the breadth of Spain, from the Mediterranean coast to the Basque country then back to Madrid for the traditional finish.

UCI announces qualification criteria for all events in road race and time trial.

Top-ranked Spain will be able to bring 14 riders with the maximum of nine starters in the elite men’s road race, with Italy, Australia, Belgium, Germany, USA, Holland and France all receiving maximum allotment for the world title race.

Tony Gallopin (Cofidis) overcame searing heat to win a hilly second stage of the Tour du Limousin from St Hilaire Peyroux to Allassac.

After winning the Tour of Utah on Sunday, Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) is confident in his chances of securing overall victory at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge taking place August 22-28 in Colorado. The 37-year-old American will have his hands full, however, with a stronger field that includes Tour de France podium finishers Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) along with Andy and Fränk Schleck (Leopard Trek).

PEZ: New Orleans - An Unlikely Top Ride.

"Riding a bike in New Orleans is like nothing else I've ever experienced. I was prepared for the worst, instead, I found something amazing. I hear your incredulous cry: New Orleans?! Yes, New Orleans. I'm not advocating making New Orleans the venue for your next training camp, but I am proposing that if you ever get a chance to get down to the Crescent City - bring your bike - and enjoy."

Canadian brand famous for its mountain bikes has always made clever niche models for the road.

Everyone will have a different idea about what it’s worth spending on a frame renovation. A rational spend based on end value has to be offset against the impossible to quantify emotional attachment that some frames attract.

While at the Allegheny Gran Fondo last month, I noticed the organizer of the event had a cordless handheld air pump. It looked exactly like a cordless drill.

"As cyclists, most of us apply all manner of things to our skin before, during and after our rides. Here are a few we’re recently tried or found."

This is the UCI’s idea of targeting testing? 40 year old Davide Rebellin, back from his two year doping suspension, told Gazzetta dello Sport that since his return he’s been tested just three times. “Once at my home in Monte Carlo, and twice at races.”

Taylor Phinney will be making his grand-tour debut with a BMC team looking to win stages and sneak into breakaways at the Vuelta a España.

Italian rider hoping for a change in fortune in 2012.

People wonder if Lagardère could bid for ASO, the sports management business that runs the Tour de France but also the French Open golf tournament and the Paris Marathon amongst other events.

The Univest Grand Prix returns in September for its 14th year with a new professional cycling classification, a revamped road race course and the same Pennsylvania community pride and support that makes it one of the most spectator-friendly cycling weekends in North America.

Trek World US has now come and gone, and while the beer, food, and political unrest of Madison are in the rear view mirror, this was the first opportunity for US dealers to get the big picture of what Trek has in store for 2012.

Tim Johnson has moonlighted as a professional road racer during the spring and summer months. But this year – his first as a full-time cyclo-cross-only racer for Cannondale-cyclocrossworld.com – the American has had a less-than-conventional off-season, taking on epic rides both on and off road, using his cyclo-cross bike and Flash 29er hardtail mountain bike.

Very comfortable and well-made shorts, great for serious all-day riding - not cheap, but good value for the quality.

Rumors have flown. Videos have teased. Now we’ve got the first formal image of the upcoming (and official!) Cane Creek DBAir Double Barrel Air shock.

Coverage begins on VERSUS on Monday, August 22, at 4 p.m. ET, with the final stage set to air live on NBC on Sunday, August 28, at 2 p.m. ET.

Italian veteran takes second victory in first race of Trittico Lombardo thirteen years after his first.

The 2011 Tre Valli Varesine (Italy) is today.  There is live streaming video.  Live streaming video: 2:30pm CET.

The 2011 Tour du Limousin is August 16-19.  There is live streaming video (geo-restricted but available to many countries). Live streaming video: 3:45pm CET.

Bradley Wiggins has been told by his coaches that a podium finish in the Vuelta is possible - and he feels his form is as good as it was going into the Tour de France.

Today's Quote

“[Pepe Martí was] nothing more than a known drug-trafficker. During my time as a rider at US Postal he sold me growth hormones, EPO and other illegal substances.” - Floyd Landis CyclingNews

Leipheimer clawed his way back time and time again on the long, brutal, vicious final 12-km to the finish line. “After maybe 5 kilometers to go, I felt more confident but you never know until you cross the finish line.”

"The Aliante, Arione and Antares have been a huge success. We take a comparative look at the shapes that make up the spine concept and get a peak at both the new Kurve base and Fizik's HQ."

Katusha rider hoping that blood injections will cure problem.

"Good looks, light weight and great shifting – Shimano XT is the groupset to beat."

"Last week, we rode along with Ted King and Tim Johnson as they pedaled 200 miles on highway 100 in Vermont. Ryan Kelly joined the two pros for their 200 mile jaunt across Vermont, and got run over by a "dumptruck full of awesome." With the help of some chocolate milk, Kelly lived to tell the tale and ride his bike another day."

This edition of the Helta Skelta Vuelta looks like it could be epic. Not Giro or Tour de France sized massive, but maybe epic junior. Mucho Fantastico Galore.

Hincapie leads BMC and Evans onto the Champs-Élysées on the final stage of the 2011 Tour de France.

Three grand-tour rookies all keen on making their mark. Taylor Phinney (BMC), Matt Busche (RadioShack) and Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Cervélo) will each toe the line. Tyler Farrar Farrar (Garmin-Cervélo) is also expected to race.

Lawson Craddock wouldn’t let a little car/bike collision dampen his moment at last week’s Tour de Guadeloupe. The Trek-Livestrong rider was hit from behind by an official’s car immediately after he won the race’s eighth stage.

“At the bottom of Sundance climb, we let the race ride away from us and I had my teammates there to support me all the way to the finish. We had to dig pretty deep just to come in under the time cut so I could win the jersey, I can’t thank my teammates enough.”

"Nutrition is one of the lesser discussed aspects of cyclocross, so for today’s Training Tuesday, we sought out an expert in the field to give us some advice for the upcoming season."

"Well-priced kit for aspiring mechanics to start off with, or a good one to keep in the trunk (boot) for parking lot (car park) fiddling (fettling)."

"Light, neat and a choice of faceplate colors. Noticeable give when you pull on the bars, though."

Cav is going to Sky. Why do I know he’s going to Sky and not GreenEDGE?

"Last week I was fortunate to spend a few days at the USA Cycling Western Regional Development Camp meeting and working with some of the new school. This is an annual camp offered by USA Cycling to give young riders the chance to learn the craft of racing while offering USA Cycling a look at the next crop of rising talent. It is the perfect first step in the pipeline to becoming a pro."

Danish directeur sportif to play important team role.

"Thor Hushovd won’t be riding the Vuelta a España with Garmin-Cervélo. Nor should he. The reigning world champion has had a strong 2011, topped by an amazing Tour de France (during which the multiple stage winner was a part-time bearer of the maillot jaune and a full-time badass). But that wouldn’t have made Jonathan Vaughters any less a fool to drop him into the team’s Vuelta mix."

When it comes to big tires for the road, the only limiters on size these days are your frame and fork. Because tire selection and pressure can dramatically improve or detract from your bicycle’s handling characteristics, choosing wisely can make or break your next ride.

GT a brand best known for BMX and mountain bikes nevertheless runs fast road-going options in its range and always has in some form.

A set of Shimano’s latest Ultegra 6700 road wheels have arrived at BikeRadar, courtesy of UK distributors Madison. These aluminium hoops have received a cosmetic upgrade for 2012 in the form of a new “Glossy Gray” finish to match the latest version of Shimano's second-tier groupset.

Pretty much all of them have adjustable temples, nosepieces or both, all using a hydrophilic rubber so they won’t slip when you get sweaty. Most have several additional frame and lens color options, and all use interchangeable lenses.

"Twisted Spoke is thrilled to hear that Radio Shack has renewed his contract for another two years. This means that one of the funniest men in the peloton, a man even more quotable then Jens Voigt, will still be in action."

American team places Bajadali twelfth overall

The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah wrapped up its first year as a UCI sanctioned event, and the general consensus of the top-level field and the race committee was that it was a smashing success, both in sporting terms and organization.

Jacob Rathe has gone in one year from Jelly Belly amateur to stage winner in one of the toughest mid-level stage races in Europe. The 20-year-old Chipotle Development rider is set to move again in five months when he joins the top level of the sport with the Garmin-Cervélo ProTeam.

Road champion takes second driekleur in incredible season; Liesbet De Vocht takes women’s title from teammate Grace Verbeke.

Monday's Tour of Portugal Stage 10 gets underway at 1:05pm Lisbon time (8:05am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at around 5:25pm Lisbon time (12:25pm U.S. Eastern). Tour of Portugal live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm local (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

"The polemica over Vaughter's decision to exclude Thor from the Vuelta rages on, and it will likely continue for awhile with more and more people from the sport weighing in on the matter. The debate is actually quite interesting, amusing, yet simple. At least, I plan to make this poll simple."

BMC’s Cadel Evans retained a six-point lead ahead of Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma) in the UCI WorldTour rankings, updated following the conclusion of the Eneco Tour Sunday.

"Many riders have surnames that are also nouns. I apologise if this ruins your TV viewing, those once exotic Euro names can actually prove a bit dull but here are some more of the peloton’s names translated from their home language into English."

First year American pro ambitious about career, rules out Tour de France contention.

Today's Quote

“[Pepe Martí was] nothing more than a known drug-trafficker. During my time as a rider at US Postal he sold me growth hormones, EPO and other illegal substances.” - Floyd Landis CyclingNews

A flat tire. It all began with a flat tire. It’s difficult to comprehend that the legend that is Campagnolo began out of icy frustration on the steep slopes of the Croce d’Aune far above the Bellunese towns of Fonzaso and Feltre. It was November 4th, 1924.

If you are making the trip to Colorado for the USAPCC, you’ll want to get the biggest bang for your racing buck as you line the roads to watch cycling’s most elite riders.

Three-time world champion Oscar Freire has revealed that the Copenhagen course for next month's World Championships is easier than he had been expecting it to be. The Spaniard competed on the course during last week's Tour of Denmark, and has told AS that only if it rains will the Worlds be a tough race.

"One of the greatest lessons I learned from my first bike shop boss was that as a mechanic, I have the rider’s safety in my hands and I must consider that in every service function I perform."

Italian Marco Pinotti is looking for a new team post-HTC-Highroad and planning for the Olympics. A crash at the Giro d'Italia in May put him bed for six weeks, only allowing him to returning to training on the road this month.

A solid start on problem free stage.

"Twisted Spoke is thrilled to hear that Radio Shack has renewed his contract for another two years. This means that one of the funniest men in the peloton, a man even more quotable then Jens Voigt, will still be in action."

Nearly 140 riders will start the USA Pro Cycling Challenge next Monday, but only one can win. Here’s a look at five that pose the biggest threat to take victory in Denver.

FatCyclist: 2011 Leadville 100 Race Report: Part 1.

Dionette Cherney, who was hit by a cyclist while crossing a San Francisco street, has died from her injuries.

Floyd Landis is back in the headlines with his claims that cycling coach Pepe Martí sold him doping products, saying “Pepe Martí was my dealer“. A big headline but it’s actually old news.

Last year's Tour of Spain runner-up Ezekiel Mosquera will not line up at the start of the 2011 event on August 20 in Benidorm. The Spaniard's Vacansoleil-TCM team is maintaining the 'inactive' status of the rider, as his doping case is still pending. Mosquera tested positive for hydroxyethyl starch at the race last year.

Belgian champion to take a break; WorldTour lead will have to wait at least another week.

Functional, stylish, durable and seriously good cycling glasses for a wide range of light conditions.

Phinney crashes but keeps fourth overall.

Sunday's Eneco Tour Stage 6 departs Sittard-Geleen at 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Sittard-Geleen at around 4:30pm CET (10:30am U.S. Eastern). Eneco live video streaming should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

Sunday's Tour of Portugal Stage 9 gets underway at 12:50pm Lisbon time (7:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at around 5:30pm Lisbon time (12:30pm U.S. Eastern). Tour of Portugal live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm local (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

Live streaming video Sunday: 2:30pm U.S. Eastern (20:30 CET)

Hard luck Dutchman gets first season win, runner-up overall.

Back in May, five riders from the Garmin-Cervelo women's team arrived to the northwestern Italian town of Tirano. Located in the beautiful Valtelline valley, the town would be the crux of this year's Giro Donne. We had a chance to follow the Garmin women around for a few days and, afterwards, sit down with 25-year-old former Australian double national champion, Carla Ryan.

Millar and Phinney close gap somewhat on penultimate day of racing.

The 36-year-old Moncoutie finished one minute ahead of Poels to snatch overall victory from the Dutchman.

Brajkovic third on stage and in overall standings.

Sunday's Tour of Utah Stage 5 gets underway at 11:00am MDT and is expected to finish at around 3:30pm MDT. Tour of Utah live video streaming is scheduled to begin at 11:00am MDT.

"After a bit of to and fro on twitter over the past month I managed to get a meeting with Alain Rumpf (@alainrumpf) who heads up the UCI’s GCP (Global Cycling Promotion) group and is the former manager of the ProTour (rebranded as the WorldTour since the start of this season)."

Levi Leipheimer holds onto the overall race lead after a high paced circuit race around the Capitol Hill area of Salt Lake City. Temperatures in the mid nineties played a role nearly as important as that of the riders.

Overall battle set for tomorrow's Queen Stage.

Today's Quote

“I said: 'Look Jim [Ochowicz], you want to bring a sprinter to the team, I don't want to ride with a sprinter, because I've done that and I've done my share. 'If I do the Tour I want to do it for the win.' - Cadel Evans VeloNation

Giro is the only brand of helmet I’ve been able to wear without fail for the last 20 years.

Basso, Sagan and Nibali will again lead team.

American praises young teammates for their help in London.

The RadioShack rider started his season with a build-up to the Amgen Tour of California, which he dominated, taking the lead on the summit finish in San Jose on Stage 4 and never letting it go. Earlier in the spring, he scored second overall at the tough Vuelta a Pais Vasco.

Mark Cavendish picked up another prize winning the dress rehearsal for the Olympic road race in 12 months' time.

He’s discreet about it but Tour de France winner Cadel Evans does plenty of work behind the scenes to help charities.

A walking tour of UCI headquarters in Switzerland.

Bike stolen and recovered just in time for World Cup.

Attractive, comfortable and nicely featured best suited to recreational and fitness riders.

Millar and Phinney close gap somewhat on penultimate day of racing.

Saturday's Eneco Tour Stage 5 departs Genk at 12:00pm CET (6:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Genk at around 4:30pm CET (10:30am U.S. Eastern). Eneco live video streaming should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

Saturday's Tour of Portugal Stage 8 gets underway at 12:05pm Lisbon time (7:05am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at around 5:30pm Lisbon time (12:30pm U.S. Eastern). Tour of Portugal live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm local (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

The 36-year-old Moncoutie finished one minute ahead of Poels to snatch overall victory from the Dutchman.

Don't miss the rare opportunity to watch to watch the big mountainstage on what Will promises is the best climb ignored by the TdF. The GC is close so it should be a huge battle.

Rabobank rider endured the worst of the conditions to finish fifth in Roermond test.

Saturday's Tour of Utah Stage 4 gets underway at 1:00pm MDT and is expected to finish at around 4:00pm MDT. Tour of Utah live video streaming is scheduled to begin at 1:00pm MDT.

Last year, Radioshack’s Levi Leipheimer was also in yellow going into the final weekend of the Larry H Miller Tour of Utah. With no teammates, he was able to successfully defend to win the overall but it’s a whole new ballgame in 2011.

TJ Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) turned 23 yesterday. To celebrate he finished 6 seconds ahead of Levi Leipheimer (Radioshack) to win the stage 3 Chrono at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele Utah.

"A worthy – and comfy – successor to the Spoon."

The Astana team announced that it has fined Valentin Iglinskiy 10 percent of his annual salary after being stopped by French police for speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol.

Filippo Pozzato’s difficult season and his hopes of securing a place in the Italian national team for the road world championships have taken another blow after the Katusha rider slipped on the stairs at home, needing eight stitches in a head wound.

During the month of July, Veeral Patel and I took over 10,000 photos of all 21 stages of the Tour de France. What to do with all those images?

"Aussie director sportif Allan Peiper will be joining Garmin for the 2012 season. I think this is a wise signing, the team was struggling for managers earlier this year after Matt White got booted out."

Today's Quote

“I said: 'Look Jim [Ochowicz], you want to bring a sprinter to the team, I don't want to ride with a sprinter, because I've done that and I've done my share. 'If I do the Tour I want to do it for the win.' - Cadel Evans VeloNation

Rabobank rider endured the worst of the conditions to finish fifth in Roermond test.

Friday's Eneco Tour Stage 4, a 14.7km Individual Time Trial at Roermond, Netherlands, is scheduled to get underway at 1:25pm CET (7:25am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider. Eneco live video streaming should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

Friday's Tour of Portugal Stage 7, a 35.3km Individual Time Trial, gets underway at 2:30pm Lisbon time (9:30am U.S. Eastern) with the departure of the first rider. Tour of Portugal live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm local (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

The Dutch cyclist from Vacansoleil DCM beat French climbers Pierre Rolland and David Moncoutie to the line at the Monts Jura ski resort after a tough 129.1km stage from Nantua.

"Remember, tomorrow's hors categorie, mountain-top finish, final stage should be available live via France 3 (Rhone-Alpes region) on the internet (or on TV at my house).  Should be very exciting."

Cavendish and other big names also scheduled to take part.

Reigning world champion Thor Hushovd will not be racing the Vuelta a España with Garmin-Cervélo, a decision that team boss Jonathan Vaughters strongly defended as “what’s best for the team.”

Nicole Cooke and Lizzie Armitstead will ride in the British team cars for Sunday's London Surrey Cycle classic. The pair are likely to be joint leaders for the women's Olympic road race next year but without a test event for women, they don't get to preview the route.

The silly season is upon us, and, with the demise of HTC-Highroad, there are a lot of top riders on the market.

"A terrific feat of materials application - at a terrific price."

The announcement comes as Henao sits atop the general classification in the Tour of Utah, riding for his Gobernacion de Antioquia team.

Don't be a tool. Have the right gadgets to get it done.

Friday's Tour of Utah Stage 3, a 14.5km Individual Time Trial at the Miller Motorsports Park, gets underway at 5:00pm MDT and is expected to finish at around 8:00pm MDT. Tour of Utah live video streaming is scheduled to begin at 5:00pm MDT.

The Tour of Utah’s overall classification is separated by a mere 21 seconds between the top five overall contenders, led by Sergio Henao (Gobernacion de Antioquia), heading into the stage three time trial. The high-quality peloton boasts a series of time trial specialists that are hoping to move closer to the yellow jersey while others vie for a stage win.

The Australian paper reports that Cadel Evans expects his BMC team to work 100 percent (or nearly so) for a Tour de France overall repeat next July — meaning new recruit Thor Hushovd would have to fend for himself if he wants to go for stage wins.

This weekend sees the culmination of two races on opposite sides of the globe, the Eneco Tour, and the Tour of Utah. Both wrap-up on Sunday.

“When I compete in a race it’s difficult for me not to try and win so it would be better if I continue my training during the period of the next Giro.”

Retired Pro Santiago Botero has taken a position as manager of the Colombia-based UCI Continental team Gobernacion de Antioquia. He is currently directing his riders Sergio Henao and Oscar Sevilla into the top two places in the mid-race overall standings at the Tour of Utah.

160 km around mostly flat Utah county was the scenario presented for stage 2 of the Larry H Miller Tour Of Utah. A pair of break aways were established and reeled back, the final break of three holding out into the final 10 km. After Stage 2 the overall remains Henao, Sevilla and Leipheimer.

The FOIL doesn’t look like an aero frame. There are no slender tube shapes or wheel cutouts, and no ultra-narrow head tube. In fact, Scott has had to use paint to show just how they’ve made it aerodynamic at all.

Clinger, 34, tested positive for clenbuterol in a sample collected last June 29 in an out-of-competition test.

UCI goes on the attack, but riders’ agent states large gaps in testing did exist.

"In a few hours, I went from thinking I was going to be exceptionally well prepared for the Tour of Colorado, to a two night and two day stay in the St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, Oregon.  With a pulmonary embolism (i.e., a blood clot in my lung), the season quickly went from an exciting and positive one (for the most part), to an abrupt end."

Uh oh, what have BMC gotten themselves into?

BMC Racing Team president clarifies Evans’ earlier comments.

Today's Quote

“I said: 'Look Jim [Ochowicz], you want to bring a sprinter to the team, I don't want to ride with a sprinter, because I've done that and I've done my share. 'If I do the Tour I want to do it for the win.' - Cadel Evans VeloNation

Speaking during a crowd-thronged celebratory homecoming in Melbourne, Tour de France champion Cadel Evans has suggested that he won’t work with world champ Thor Hushovd during next year’s race.

There’s news that Jan Ullrich is riding amateur events under a false name. He’s calling himself Max Kraft in order to ride smaller events, apparently to avoid the limelight… although obviously he’s been rumbled now and the Belgian media are all over it meaning an end to his privacy. Note Kraft is the German for power so his name is Max Power.

Allan Peiper will join Garmin-Cervelo for 2012. The Australian, who has been an instrumental part of HTC-Highroad's success over the last few years, is a former professional rider and joins on a two-year deal. Next season he will base himself in Girona, Spain, where Garmin has their European headquarters.

Reigning world champion Thor Hushovd will not be racing the Vuelta a España with Garmin-Cervélo, a decision that team boss Jonathan Vaughters strongly defended as “what’s best for the team.”

The FDJ rider came out on top of a three-way sprint to the line at the end of the 154km stage from Parc des Oiseaux to Bellignat, beating Rein Taaramae (Cofidis) and Wout Poels (Vacansoleil) to take the victory.

Belgian cycling star Philippe Gilbert is edging closer to signing for American team BMC, according to Belgian press reports quoting the rider’s manager Vincent Wathelet.

Belgian champion King of the Ardennes once more with yet another solo victory.

Thursday's Eneco Tour Stage 3 departs Heers at 11:55am CET (5:55am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Andenne at around 4:40pm CET (10:40am U.S. Eastern). Eneco live video streaming should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

Thursday's Tour of Portugal Stage 6 gets underway at 12:00pm Lisbon time (7:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at around 5:30pm Lisbon time (12:30pm U.S. Eastern). Tour of Portugal live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm local (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

One of the soon-to-be-defunct HTC-Highroad team's biggest talents has already secured a new team, but Tejay Van Garderen is not going to reveal where he will land for the 2012 season until September 1.

Sergio Luis Henao Montoya has signed a two-year contract with the Sky Procycling, beginning in 2012. The Colombian climber is currently racing with the Gobernacion de Antioquia squad at the Tour of Utah, where he is leading the overall classification mid-race.

Manuel Belletti sings for Europcar while Gibert narrows bidding teams to two.

Thursday's Tour of Utah Stage 2 gets underway at 11:00am MDT and is expected to finish at around 3:00pm MDT. Tour of Utah live video streaming is scheduled to begin at 11:00am MDT.

TwistedSpoke: Renshaw signs with Rabobank. A new Bos?

Mark Cavendish’s lead out man to work for himself as well as helping Theo Bos.

Today's Quote

““The team has had unmatched athletic success. The dedication shown by our athletes, management team and staff year after year has been exceptional. Together they created one of the most successful teams in cycling's history.” - Bob Stapleton VeloNation

With a brutal 50 miles to go and temperatures in the mid-90s, Jesse Anthony launched a solo attack trying to bridge a gap to a group of four leaders a few minutes up the road. He called it “the dumbest suicide move” he could think of.

Oscar Freire has confirmed that he will compete for another season, apparently with his sights set on the road race title at the 2012 London Olympics.

Cadel Evans has arrived back home in Australia, following his Tour de France victory last month. The BMC rider touched down in Melbourne ahead of a celebratory parade in his honor through the southern capital.

With a few decent rides in the Swiss Alps and plenty of time tinkering with the stuff, I am confident in saying that, in fact, Ultegra Di2 is better than Dura-Ace Di2. That’s right, better. For half the price.

Salt Lake City native Jeff Louder is looking to catch the eye of a new team while racing at the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, as it he is likely to not renew his contract with BMC, he told Cyclingnews today. The American will turn 34 in December, and has spent the past four seasons racing with BMC.

Federation Square is going to be nuts today with thousands of giddy Cadel fans in yellow looking over each other to see this overnight success story.

Anne Gripper left the UCI and was replaced by an Italian, Francesca Rossi in early 2010. Only have you heard of her?

Gobernacion de Antioquia's Oscar Sevilla is sitting in second place overall at the UCI 2.1 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah after Stage 1 and some have begun to wonder why he is permitted to compete after producing a positive A-sample at the Vuelta a Colombia in August last year. According to the Spaniard, he is still waiting for the Spanish Cycling Federation to come to a decision with regard to his case, which will likely happen in November of December.

"It became so complicated that I decided to create a little family tree to remind me the begat, begat, begat sequence of the companies."

"I’m curious about pro saddle choice, namely the almost wholesale rejection of seats with cutouts."

The route is easy to follow, yet it doesn’t see a lot of traffic. There is a nice bike path after you ride past the Chateau of Versailles.

We need fat, but there's a difference between butter and margarine.

German sprint specialist André Greipel of Omeg-Pharma claimed his second successive stage victory on the Eneco Tour, finishing ahead of American Tyler Farrar (BMC) and Norway’s Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) Wednesday.

Wednesday's Eneco Tour Stage 2 departs Aalter at 12:30pm CET (6:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Ardooie at around 4:45pm CET (10:45am U.S. Eastern). Eneco live video streaming should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern).

Racing in France and Holland dominate the action in Europe this week. The Eneco Tour, which began Monday with the prologue victory of Taylor Phinney (BMC), is the week’s main event while the Tour de l’Ain will see the return to action of Tour de France phenomenon Pierre Rolland.

Explains earlier start and why he understands the absence of Alberto Contador.

"Paul Fournel's Need For The Bike is like no other work on cycling that I know. It's not a technical manual, not a hagiography of a few racers. The focus is not on the machinery nor on heroes whose very virtue is that they cannot be emulated. Instead Fournel presents a world, a very personal one, whose axis is the bicycle. It's a world of communication, of connection, where all people and things pass by way of the bike."

"So….I got a call from my fella, Tom, on Friday while I was driving to a race in Snowmass, Colorado."

"We only had the chance to spend two days in the Lake District last year, but just a hike and a bike and a couple evenings made it clear - there's a reason why this is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the United Kingdom."

"It only took a few races for me to fully convert all my wheels — both training and racing — to the tubeless system. Tubeless is by far superior and I would highly recommend it."

Updates abound across Shimano’s shoe line, from the second-tier R241 down to the RT82, designed for touring cyclists. Availability for all three new models is set for this fall, likely sometime in September.

"I could never really comprehend these events and the people who do them. Where do they draw the line? How far can they push it? I can almost understand a 24hr solo mountain bike race, but a 24hr road race? Or even worse, the 1200km Paris-Brest-Paris? My goodness….my attention span hardly gets me through a 1hr crit."

Wednesday's Tour of Utah Stage 1 departs Ogden City at 11:00am MDT and is expected at the finish at around 3:45pm MDT. Tour of Utah live video streaming is scheduled to begin at 11:00am MDT.

The pain cave. Breathing through a straw. The deep dark red.

Utah has a nice history of producing top-level cyclists.

Experienced Italian directeur sportif Valerio Piva will work for the Katusha team in 2012, according to media reports in Belgium. Piva has been a valued part of the HTC-Highroad team in recent years but has been snapped up by the Russian team after the demise of HTC-Highroad.

Liverpool rider broke into top flight with US team this year after recovering from horrific accident in 2007.

Today's Quote

““The team has had unmatched athletic success. The dedication shown by our athletes, management team and staff year after year has been exceptional. Together they created one of the most successful teams in cycling's history.” - Bob Stapleton VeloNation

Saxo Bank Sungard officials confirmed to press today that Alberto Contador will race a Danish criterium in the hometown of Saxo Bank Sungard boss, Bjarne Riis on August 12th. However people are asking what he will do after the Danish crit if anything. Officials told press that the Danish crit was the only confirmed race remaining on the Spaniards race program.

"It’s a few years now since Vik and I met up with Kiwi Tim Gudsell in his immaculate white F des J gear on the evening before Gent-Wevelgem; since then, he’s been through the mill with injuries."

Cervélo co-founder claims a large gap in testing may have existed.

One rider agent has denounced the “dictature of UCI points” when it comes to teams hiring riders. I’ve long suggested these ranking points are important, to the point of twisting incentives within the sport. But teams will recruit for other factors too. Obviously they want to hire riders capable of winning, or if not then good helpers. There are several other factors at play here. But one is nationality.

According to De Telegraaf, Renshaw will head to next year’s Tour de France as Rabobank’s appointed sprinter. The report cites the Dutch bank’s growing interests in the Australian market as a catalyst for the 28-year-old’s recruitment.

Former track world champion will boost team in various areas.

"The first year was quite hard and a bit of a shock," said Kennaugh. "You find yourself doing a lot more teamwork rather than going for results yourself."

Shimano invited us to the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, to test ride the new Ultegra Di2 electronic shifting group. As expected, it worked amazingly well and, at half the price of it’s Dura-Ace brother, is set to change the landscape of bicycle drivetrains.

"Blends the light weight of the Prolight with the features of the Ionos."

Officine Firenze Milani has created exquisitely designed wooden bike handlebars for 2011. Individually selected materials were used in order to come up with wooden handlebars of the highest caliber on the market.

Organisers of races in Limburg hope to provide live tracking of riders in next year's event.

Thor Hushovd has signed a three year contract to ride for BMC Racing in 2011. Exact details were not announced other than noting that the contract stipulates that Johan Van Summeren isn’t invited along.

The speculation is over. World road champion Thor Hushovd will join BMC Racing for three years beginning in 2012, the team announced Tuesday.

André Greipel (Omega Pharma) won the first stage of the Eneco Tour Tuesday, as prologue winner Taylor Phinney (BMC) retained the leader’s jersey.

Tuesday's Eneco Tour Stage 1 departs Oosterhout at 11:50am CET (5:50am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at Sint Willebrord at around 4:30pm CET (10:30am U.S. Eastern). Eneco live video streaming should get underway at around 2:30pm CET (8:30am U.S. Eastern). *Eurosport's coverage is scheduled to start at 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern)...

Tuesday's Tour of Portugal Stage 5 gets underway at 1:35pm Lisbon time (8:35am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish at around 5:30pm Lisbon time (12:30pm U.S. Eastern). Tour of Portugal live video streaming should get underway at around 4:00pm local (11:00am U.S. Eastern).

"I first met Jeremy Powers in 2008, when he was living in a huge barn-looking house in Hadley, Massachusetts, with a wide assortment of cyclocross racers, amateur teammates of mine, and their significant others."

Mikel Landa went into the Vuelta a Burgos with his role very much one of working for Euskaltel-Euskadi team leader Samuel Sánchez. However, when the exertions of the last month and a half caught up with Sánchez on the key final stage to Lagunas de Neila, 21-year-old Landa was given the chance to show what he can do and delivered an impressive demonstration of his talent.

Liquigas-Cannondale rider disappointed with his Tour de France but staying optimistic.

The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is one of three stage races to attract the sport's top teams in 2011, and together with the Amgen Tour of California and the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado it has brought about the "heyday" of cycling for the United States, according to USA Cycling CEO Sean Petty.

The five day Tour de l'Ain stage race starts tomorrow.

The Tour Of Utah kicked off last night with the official team presentations. The event was held in Park City at the foot of the hill containing the Olympic Village and Tuesday's opening prologue that runs the course of the Bob Sled run.