The UCI released its preliminary list of starting-lineup allotments for next summer’s Games on Monday and the U.S. men’s team will only be receiving one starting position for the time trial race.

"I found myself forcing down giant salad bowls of cereal because, along with some friends, I’d finally decided it was time to take on the fabled Two-Hundred on One-Hundred. This regional legend gets its name from the 200 or so miles of Route 100 that span the length of Vermont from Canada, at the northern border, to Massachusetts at the southern border."

Astana rider was due to target new mark at upcoming World Cup.

Clinton Avery (Ascot Park Hotel) avenged his defeat in last year's corresponding stage, sprinting home first in the lead group of six to take the stage. After enduring 160km of energy-sapping crosswinds, the Rotorua rider denied the closing chasing group to claim the win in Lumsden.

"In the scheme of things I think Invercargill gets a bad wrap. Coming back down here for the fourth year in the same awesome set up with KIA motors team and by far the most enthusiastic set of staff I’ve ever had is pretty exciting. The Tour of Southland is a great race and I'm happy to be here with a great bunch of people."

"As we mentioned in our several weekend previews, it was a pretty big weekend for cyclocross. European racing saw thirteen races scattered throughout the long weekend, stretching to Tuesday, so we’ll wait until the end of that shakedown (following Tuesday’s Koppenbergcross in Oudenarde) to provide a wrap-up of the action over there, but for now, let’s take a look at a weekend of North American racing that saw an action-packed field in Colorado and a set of storm-snowed mudfests on the East Coast."

Nikki Thiemann felt so good winning her first UCI race at Saturday’s Beacon Cross, she went out and did it again on Sunday at HPCX.

Belgian Ben Berden and U.S. national champion Katie Compton emerged as winners Sunday at the C1 Victory Circle Graphix Boulder Cup cyclocross race, the inaugural UCI event held at Boulder’s new Valmont Bike Park.

"The second week of the 2012 Giro takes in a big swing south to the ankle of the boot, hangs a quick U-eee and starts a 6 stage run north that eventually lands in the northwest corner within sight of the Swiss border. Tapping into over 51 Giro’s worth of knowledge, here’s a look at what you don’t already know about the Week 2 corsa…"

While it may have been dismal racing conditions in the US this weekend, it was sunny in Belgium at Superprestige Zonhoven. Dutch racer Sanne van Paassen handily won the sandy race, with UK racer Nikki Harris (Telenet-Fidea) taking second and Sabrine Stultiens (Brainwash) taking third.

Irish pro on his mental approach, winning attitude and more.

"We look back with great pleasure and pride at our past cooperation," said Kurt Moons, CEO of Eddy Merckx Cycles. "We worked together for two fantastic years and put our brand on the global map. What's more, we have proven that the Eddy Merckx Cycles products are amongst the most high-tech and well balanced bicycles in the peloton today, which for us is an important confirmation for the future expansion of the company. That's why we are certainly not ruling out sponsoring at the ProTour level."

Danilo Di Luca is in talks with Acqua & Sapone with a view to signing for the team ahead of next season. The 35-year-old Italian failed to make a significant impact with Katusha in 2011 after returning from suspension for CERA use.

Following an abnormally slow start this year, former national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson said he could leave Colorado content with a third-place finish at Sunday’s C1 Victory Circle Graphix Boulder Cup.

UCI states that files sent to licence commission but bank guarantee not paid as yet.

The German sprinter took eight wins this season, including a stage in his debut Tour de France, but his own ambitions often had to take second place to those of the rampant Gilbert. Although Greipel feels that he passed up a number of victories, he acknowledged that Gilbert’s form meant that the team was justified in working for him.

"Recent investor interest in social media, and the proliferation of GPS-enabled phones with reasonable amounts of processing power has resulted in a bloom of social fitness sites. The results aren’t universally good—my disdain for the unusable, boggy, UI carnage of MapMyHumanaRide is well documented—but generally speaking, the situation is a lot better than it was. And of all the options out there, I think Strava is the most thoughtfully crafted."

In its shape, Selle San Marco's Aspide Carbon FX saddle is a direct descendant of the Aspide Superleggera, their high-end super-light racing perch.

Watching all the readouts on our computers, measuring everything, we riders often forget the simple joys of cycling. These days fewer riders take time to look at the scenery or chat with their mates. Everyone is busy comparing power readouts and Strava KOM records.

Today's Quote

“Actions speak louder than words. I remember something JV tweeted to me a long time ago, ‘Hang in there…bullies have a special place in my little black heart.’"  - Tyler Hamilton Cyclismas

BikeRadar verdict: 5 out of 5 stars. "Well-designed tool to pull dents out of your battered rims."

Cannondale says they were able to make their Speed SAVE design work better on this frame because they didn’t have to reinforce areas for cantilever brakes. The Speed SAVE design creates a “micro suspension” with wide, flat seat stays and intentional flex built into the fork.

More of the latest and greatest cycling apparel...

Here's a selection of some of the latest and greatest.

Advertisement

Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years

"Les Woodland climbed aboard his old Carlton bike to take a nostalgia trip across Belgium and Holland to visit some of cycling's greatest riders. "Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years" tells the story of that journey he took in the early 1990s and the time he spent with some of the finest riders from the 1950s, '60s and '70s."

Looking for a little something to get into the mood? Bicycle Design has a spooktacular compendium of the halloween-ish bikes he’s seen over the years. Above, Eric Tryon’s completely ridable Skeletal Bicycle.

Australia, Great Britain and United States join the big cycling nations with five spots apiece.

When Joe Lewis looked at his 2011 schedule with development team Trek-Livestrong, he fully expected to be racing with them well into August and perhaps even September. As a final year under 23, showcasing his talents on a world stage in the bigger races that feature at the end of the American racing calendar were crucial to launching him on the road to a professional career in 2012.

"I got to catch up with Chris Horner a bit. He is still on blood thinners, from his Tour de France crash, but is feeling fine and training like normal."

At the suggestion of seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Bruyneel is revamping the Schleck’s program of personal skin care products. “Johan wants them to project an image of strength,” said director sportif Dirk Demol. “Lance looked tough, he projected power, he smelled like a winner.”

Astana reported deterred by large wage.

Mario Cipollini believes that Andrea Guardini must work on his weaknesses if he is to continue his development into one of the top sprinters in cycling. Guardini (Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli) enjoyed a sparkling debut season as a professional, but Cipollini warned that he still has margin for improvement in many departments.

Team aiming to take part in Grand Tours next season.

"Of all the cycling garments made I need to be honest and say that long sleeve jerseys are my least favorite. They hold plenty of promise, at least in terms of concept. Don a single garment to be worn over a base layer, no messing with arm warmers. They never work out that way, though."

A single company, Amazon, now controls almost 50% of the entire U.S. book business.

Advertisement
Cogs and Cables Women's Bicycle Jacket

A floral arrangement of bicycle cogs and cables, with the finishing touch of a grease-coloured background, so the garment won't squeak when you wave your arms about. The cables make for clean-stemmed cogs, but the cogs have the thorns. Or maybe they are just long-stemmed pricks.

Belgian champion dominates hilly, sandy course.

Amy Dombroski (Crank Brothers) was top American in ninth.

Promises to be fully committed for Australian team.

BikeRadar verdict: 3 out of 5 stars. "Traditional race-style ’crosser with a firm feel but added versatility."

Former multiple-time US cyclo-cross champion, Tim Johnson (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) is aiming for stronger and more consistent performances during the second half of the domestic racing season. 

After the team imploded and their clothing went on blowout sale, Rock Racing all but disappeared from our collective consciousness in 2010. The company, inactive for eight or nine months after Italian businessman Roberto Tronconi purchased the Rock Racing brand from Michael Ball, has been quietly developing an all-new, three-model 2012 road bike line up.

Likely to make Grand Tour debut in the Giro d'Italia.

The Crocodile Trophy is known globally as “the world’s longest and hardest mountain bike adventure for professionals and amateurs”. 2011 saw riders pedal from the 18th through to the 28th of October in search of the title "Toughest Mountain Biker on the Planet!" Legends such as Sir Bart Brentjens, Rene Haselbacher and 'the hulse' Kevin Hulsemans took part and suffered equally as bad as your average weekend warrior over 10 days and 1200 kilometers through the outback and rainforests of Northern Australia.

Team Christina Watches-Ofone wants to eventually turn itself into an all-star Scandinavian team, “that can win the Tour de France.” To further this goal, the team has signed a new Norwegian “star rider” and “major spons.

Fatter is faster? Wilier think so, and here's the bike they made to prove it.

Today's Quote

“Actions speak louder than words. I remember something JV tweeted to me a long time ago, ‘Hang in there…bullies have a special place in my little black heart.’"  - Tyler Hamilton Cyclismas

Well designed super lightweight helmet with a top safety rating too.

It's gone midnight, the stands are almost empty and only the hard core drinkers remain at the track centre tables. But just like on the Titanic, the band plays 'til the bitter end - there's no singer this year, just one of many little cost cuttings we've noticed - but as long as Contis and Schwalbes rumble on the hardwood, the boys in the band keep it pumping.

Spaniard says he’ll have a unspecified future role in the sport.

BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "Engaging adventure book/travelogue from the man who cycled the world." - Purchase this book here.

Advertisement

Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years

"Les Woodland climbed aboard his old Carlton bike to take a nostalgia trip across Belgium and Holland to visit some of cycling's greatest riders. "Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years" tells the story of that journey he took in the early 1990s and the time he spent with some of the finest riders from the 1950s, '60s and '70s."

Nathan Haas has had an amazing month. After winning the Tour of Tasmania, Herald Sun Tour, Japan Cup and finishing it off by signing with Garmin-Cervelo, we spoke with Nathan about how he got into cycling, what his short but eventful journey has been like, and what's next for him.

BikingBis: Meet and greet Tyler Farrar and other pro cyclists at events in Renton and Seattle in November.

Veteran Italian wants to improve on quiet 2011 season.

More HTC-Highroad personnel will be joining Omega Pharma-Quick Step in 2012, as Rolf Aldag will be an advisor to the team and Jan Schaffrath will join as a directeur sportif. Two physiotherapists from the American -based team are making the move, as are five riders, including ime trial world champion Tony Martin.

Reigning and seven-times US National Cross Champion Katie Compton (Rabobank Giant) did it again at the Colorado Cross Classic, another solo win for the champion in her hometown. Third after the holeshot, Compton took the over the front on the first lap, applied pressure and was able to solo away for the win.

Ryan Trebon (LTS/Felt) continues to show great form as he took another win, this time he solo’ed to claim the Colorado Cross Classic after dropping US Cross Champion Todd Wells (Specialized) with less than four laps to go.

Advertisement
Shut Up Legs Men's Apres Velo Bicycle T-shirt

We don't condone swearing but AAAAARGH, the pain! Lactic acid burn ... sometimes a mild cuss is acceptable.
-Crew neck tee shirt with contrast coloured repair stitching.
-Graphics on front and back with badge on sleeve.
-Enzyme washed 100% cotton jersey for a soft comfy feel.

Inspired by the OccupyWallStreet movement, Hamilton decided to focus on a menu that features organic and natural products for under $10, catering to those who want a quality dining experience but can’t afford one based on current economic conditions in the United States.

2011-2012 Cyclocross season action continues Sunday with Superprestige Cyclocross at Zonhoven. Live streaming video: Elite Men: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

Former multiple-time US cyclo-cross champion, Tim Johnson (Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com) is aiming for stronger and more consistent performances during the second half of the domestic racing season. The New England native is hoping that his planned slow start will pay off with a win at the national championships held from January 4-8 in Madison, Wisconsin, and even further down the line at the 2013 UCI Elite World Championships in Louisville, Kentucky.

After the team imploded and their clothing went on blowout sale, Rock Racing all but disappeared from our collective consciousness in 2010. The company, inactive for eight or nine months after Italian businessman Roberto Tronconi purchased the Rock Racing brand from Michael Ball, has been quietly developing an all-new, three-model 2012 road bike line up.

Likely to make Grand Tour debut in the Giro d'Italia.

The Crocodile Trophy is known globally as “the world’s longest and hardest mountain bike adventure for professionals and amateurs”. 2011 saw riders pedal from the 18th through to the 28th of October in search of the title "Toughest Mountain Biker on the Planet!" Legends such as Sir Bart Brentjens, Rene Haselbacher and 'the hulse' Kevin Hulsemans took part and suffered equally as bad as your average weekend warrior over 10 days and 1200 kilometers through the outback and rainforests of Northern Australia.

Besides the benefit of better brakes, Cannondale says that they can make their Speed SAVE micro suspension work better without having to accommodate for cantilever calipers on the seatstays.

Grace Verbeke's injuries are not serious enough to keep her from riding in the coming season, but she has started a controversy as to where she will ride in 2012. The Belgian was hit by a light truck this week while training.

"Assos new Zegho shades, shown above, are designed in their Switzerland offices and made nearby in Italy using Carl Zeiss lenses. They’re very expensive."

Advertisement
Shut Up Legs Men's Apres Velo Bicycle T-shirt

We don't condone swearing but AAAAARGH, the pain! Lactic acid burn ... sometimes a mild cuss is acceptable.
-Crew neck tee shirt with contrast coloured repair stitching.
-Graphics on front and back with badge on sleeve.
-Enzyme washed 100% cotton jersey for a soft comfy feel.

Spaniard beats Juan Jose Cobo and others in farewell event.

Appointment would likely lead to differing reactions at home and abroad.

Today's Quote

“Actions speak louder than words. I remember something JV tweeted to me a long time ago, ‘Hang in there…bullies have a special place in my little black heart.’"  - Tyler Hamilton Cyclismas

Team manager Johan Bruyneel, how presiding over the merged Radio Shack and Leopard-Trek squads, has already made his first authoritarian move. At the first team get-together in Francorchamps, Belgium, Bruyneel laid down the law: no scarves on the new RadioShack-Nissan formation.

"What if on your final year of your professional cycling career you decided to try and fix your body to go for that elusive National medal? What if you decided to share the journey, the good, the bad and the ugly, with everyone? What if you decided to open that curtain to show the injuries and aftermath that can happen in cycling?"

"The Giro d'Italia will make a welcome return to Verona in 2012 after a year hiatus. Let's take a look back at the last time the Corsa Rosa passed through Verona - it was the final stage of the 2010 Giro."

Hot off the heels of Shimano's excellent Dura-Ace carbon-bodied road pedals come the new Ultegra 6700-C variants, which are just barely heavier at 260g per pair (plus 75g for cleats and hardware) but US$50 cheaper at $299, offering better bang for the buck.

Defending Olympic women's road race champion Nicole Cooke received a boost to her 2012 London Games preparations when she won Saturday's Subaru Noosa GP in Queensland, Australia.

The Mid-Atlantic Cross (MAC) series heads to New Jersey this weekend after a weekend off following Justin Lindine’s domination in Granouge. Most of the top New England riders, including Lindine seem to be taking a week off, leading the race in Bridgeton, NJ to be a wide open affair.

Inspired by the OccupyWallStreet movement, Hamilton decided to focus on a menu that features organic and natural products for under $10, catering to those who want a quality dining experience but can’t afford one based on current economic conditions in the United States.

Visit a motorshow and you’ll soon see the concept cars, with their futuristic designs and science fiction comic book looks. Designers have done the same with bikes but I think we’re at a point were imagination and extrapolation aren’t necessary, in that the technology of tomorrow’s road bike is appearing now.

"Not sure how this stacks up to Gore’s new fiber-optic based cable housing, but Power Cordz is claiming their new Prime cable set is the lightest cable and housing system in the world."

Is the fact more true now because the people writing for the reliable sources are qualified journalists and I am not? I know cycling journalists who have no journalism qualification. I know bloggers who have been paid to write about cycling.

Lovely things, Passoni bikes. Check them out...

BikeRadar verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. "Engaging adventure book/travelogue from the man who cycled the world." - Purchase this book here.

Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Philippe Gilbert was honored as the winner of the 2011 UCI WorldTour on Thursday during the fifth Peace and Sport International Forum held in Monaco.

"We're hoping this catches on. Gearbox bikes have largely been restricted to downhilling until now, but German gear-meisters Pinion are bringing that technology to the masses. The moneyed masses for now, anyway. But hopefully it'll be the first of many."

Flavors and ingredients seem whacky at first, but these energy gels certainly do the job - in an all-natural and earth-friendly way.

Advertisement

Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years

"Les Woodland climbed aboard his old Carlton bike to take a nostalgia trip across Belgium and Holland to visit some of cycling's greatest riders. "Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years" tells the story of that journey he took in the early 1990s and the time he spent with some of the finest riders from the 1950s, '60s and '70s."

The big dogs are back from Europe and while the Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross series hosts an East Coast showdown in New Jersey, Boulder is the center of the U.S. ’cross scene this Halloween weekend.

Today's Quote

“He [Johan Bruyneel] had been depicted to me as being very firm and authoritarian in his management, but I have to say that up to now the atmosphere has been very cool and relaxed at this first meeting.”  - Maxime Monfort CyclingNews

Gilbert accomplished things no other rider had ever done in his magical 2011 season. He became the second rider in history (and in all probability the first clean one) to run the table in the Ardennes, winning Amstel Gold, La Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege in succession.

UCI WorldTour points have proved a valuable commodity for riders searching for teams in the final weeks of the season, but Geoffroy Lequatre believes that the fabric of the sport risks being irrevocably damaged unless changes are made to the current system.

With ten races taking place over five days in Europe this extended weekend, UCI points will be up for grabs across the continent. The two big races are round two of the Superprestige in Zanhoven, Belgium and the first round of the GVA Trophy on, and around, the infamous Koppenberg climb.

Specialized rider Todd Wells has had a stellar past 12 months. He didn’t win a lot of cyclocross races during the 2010 season, but he won the one that matters most, the national championship.

Alex Rasmussen must continue to wait until November 17 to see what sanction he will face after receiving three warnings in an eighteen-month period for missing out of competition doping controls.

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has requested a suspension for Damiano Caruso (Liquigas-Cannondale) for allegedly attempting to procure banned substances.

Rabobank team satisfied with his progress, emphasis is on ensuring full recovery.

BikeRadar verdict: 35 out of 5 stars "Not the ultimate mud tire, but well made and versatile – worth a look."

"Assos new Zegho shades, shown above, are designed in their Switzerland offices and made nearby in Italy using Carl Zeiss lenses. They’re very expensive."

Advertisement
Shut Up Legs Men's Apres Velo Bicycle T-shirt

We don't condone swearing but AAAAARGH, the pain! Lactic acid burn ... sometimes a mild cuss is acceptable.
-Crew neck tee shirt with contrast coloured repair stitching.
-Graphics on front and back with badge on sleeve.
-Enzyme washed 100% cotton jersey for a soft comfy feel.

Here are our favorite gadgets and goods to spice up your Halloween riding.

The Mid-Atlantic Cross (MAC) series heads to New Jersey this weekend after a weekend off following Justin Lindine’s domination in Granouge. Most of the top New England riders, including Lindine seem to be taking a week off, leading the race in Bridgeton, NJ to be a wide open affair.

"It’s been one hellish day after another for the past three weeks here in Aigle. Depositions, lawyers, end-of-the-season events, Pan Am Games, holiday in the Caribbean, and back home. I’m exhausted."

In 1992, the UCI began its mission of reuniting the amateur and professional sides of cycling by officially combining the formerly separate organizations of the FIAC (amateur) and FICP (professional), along with relocating the UCI headquarters to Lausanne.

Increased budget would improve ProTeam licence chances.

"We can now look back on an incredibly exciting season, with top results and a good feeling. Now we're all set to start placing stone upon stone in the build-up towards an unforgettable Olympic season in 2012."

"On a detail-by-detail basis the Izalco is perhaps one of the more unusual bikes I’ve ever seen."

Some of the most dangerous car versus bike interactions come when drivers make assumptions about bikes, and the most dangerous assumption may be about a rider's speed. Brady Clark and Mykle Hansen have developed a product called Speed Vest, which broadcasts a cyclists speed to motorists using a vest that doubles as a Neon billboard.

The wheels are currently built on White Industries The One 24-hole hubs while Zipp develops it’s own hubs for this application. Their running on the Firecrest 303 tubular rims, but Zipp PR manager David Ripley says the wheels will be available in both clincher and tubular when they are official.

This week the Court for Arbitration in sports announced that it would hear the Alberto Contador doping case on November 21st through the 24th. Today, they took the unusual step of setting the dates for the postponement of the verdict in the high profile case.

To her classmates and teaching staff, Lara Kroepsch is another student, regularly assisting in heart surgery during elective rotations as part of her physician’s assistant training at the Yale University School of Medicine.

"Last weekend was kind of like an average World Cup for me. That’s what I should be doing all the time, at the very least. I did kind of mess up the start a little, but again, I was making up time and I was bringing people back the whole race."

Former White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs has been retained by Team Radioshack-Nissan-Trek as their new Media Manager, charged with the responsibility to redirect the team’s social media focus.

As well as the international award, Vélo Magazine offers a domestic prize to the best French rider of the year. For 2011 the choice was obvious, Thomas Voeckler.

"We're hoping this catches on. Gearbox bikes have largely been restricted to downhilling until now, but German gear-meisters Pinion are bringing that technology to the masses. The moneyed masses for now, anyway. But hopefully it'll be the first of many."

"Saddles never thought the day would come, but he has to admit that both Andy Schleck and his brother have this week soared in his estimation."

We continue our round up of our 'men in the Flatlands' 2011 seasons with Englishman Dan Patten. Some good results have helped him move up from the well known but low budget Flanders team to Soenens-Construkt Glas, one of the best organised amateur teams in Belgium. We caught up with him at home in Essex, savouring his winter break.

Flavors and ingredients seem whacky at first, but these energy gels certainly do the job - in an all-natural and earth-friendly way.

"Three food/drink manufacturers have new product out that has caught my attention. After years of eating and drinking the same flavors, it’s always nice when something new comes along. Here are three that my taste buds are liking."

Energy bars have improved in a big way since they first became a jersey-pocket staple. Here's how to choose the right one for your ride.

From musette staple to postride meal, a sandwich can always be stacked in your favor.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Forget the stats, just ride it. We think it’s supe-ccomfy."

BikeRadar verdict: 35 out of 5 stars. "Van Dessel haven’t brought groundbreaking technology, but their solid blue-collar bike helps show the promising future of disc brakes in cyclo-cross."

Advertisement

Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years

"Les Woodland climbed aboard his old Carlton bike to take a nostalgia trip across Belgium and Holland to visit some of cycling's greatest riders. "Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years" tells the story of that journey he took in the early 1990s and the time he spent with some of the finest riders from the 1950s, '60s and '70s."

After flogging my road bikes around town all summer and early fall, the change in the weather has me thinking about the perfect everyday bike. Of course, where you live has a lot to do with what you ride.

Alain Rumpf has confirmed that the Tour of Beijing has netted an unspecified profit for the UCI and that the GCP is looking to roll out another World Tour event in 2013. The prospective event would most likely be held in Brazil, Russia or India.

He won five of the 10 stages, rallied when it was most needed and he made himself popular with riders and race staff alike. There’s no doubt that the 33-year-old Milka-Trek rider deserves to be the overall winner of the 17th Crocodile Trophy.

Riccardo Riccò met with the Modena Procura on Wednesday and reiterated his claim that he infused an iron solution before being hospitalised with kidney problems in February. At the time, the Italian was alleged to have told medical staff that he had undergone a blood transfusion.

A two-year ban has been proposed for Ezequiel Mosquera for his 2010 Vuelta a España doping case. The prosecutor in the case has made her recommendation to the Spanish Cycling Federation, according to the Spanish media.

After successful campaign at the UCI World Cup openers in the Czech Republic, American cyclo-cross talents have returned home to resume the domestic calendar at the Colorado Cross Classic and Victory Circle Graphix Boulder Cup, both held in Boulder Colorado this weekend. The elite women will showcase recent World Cup #1 winner and UCI world standings leader Katie Compton (Rabobank-Giant Offroad).

Pauwels is, without a doubt, the strongest in the world right now. More importantly, his performance over the past few weeks shows he can perform in several ways. He rode away from a strong chase group in Tabor, aided by a Stybar flat tire. Lest you think he couldn’t have won without Stybar’s misfortune, don’t forget that he outsprinted Stybar the previous weekend – and has a reputation for unleashing a devastating sprint in bunch finishes. He takes a commanding lead of the World Cup series.

J-Pow’s got to be fairly pleased with his trip to the Czech Republic. It netted him a top ten in a UCI World Cup race, raking in points with signs pointing toward his increasing form.

Advertisement
Shut Up Legs Men's Apres Velo Bicycle T-shirt

We don't condone swearing but AAAAARGH, the pain! Lactic acid burn ... sometimes a mild cuss is acceptable.
-Crew neck tee shirt with contrast coloured repair stitching.
-Graphics on front and back with badge on sleeve.
-Enzyme washed 100% cotton jersey for a soft comfy feel.

France may jump from one to two first division, WorldTour teams for next season. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) released its "evaluation of sporting criterion" list on Tuesday, which included Ag2r La Mondiale, FDJ and Europcar.

Advertisement

Like good friends spooning on the couch post-race, the Apres Velo team have returned from the “Pair-a-knees” with a grand plan to bundle some of our espresso fuelled gear together in the one love-fest. Sure to leave the packing temple faster than an angry peddler flying his way down the Mare de Déu del Mont we present our most requested combinations designed to give good love to our COGregation.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has set specific dates for hearing the UCI and WADA’s appeal of Alberto Contador’s doping case. The hearing is set for November 21-24, CAS announced Wednesday. CAS had previously said the hearings would be held in “late November.”

Today's Quote

“He [Johan Bruyneel] had been depicted to me as being very firm and authoritarian in his management, but I have to say that up to now the atmosphere has been very cool and relaxed at this first meeting.”  - Maxime Monfort CyclingNews

Grace Verbeke (Topsport Vlaanderen-Ridley 2012) was hit by a vehicle in Gistel, Belgium while on a training ride this morning and suffered serious injuries, according to Sporza.

Philippe Gilbert has won the prestigious Vélo d’Or award for 2011, after a season that saw him dominate the Ardennes Classics and pick up no fewer than 18 wins.

This weekend, we have a double weekend in New Jersey, with Beacon and HPCX taking place hours away from each other on Saturday and Sunday. Molly Hurford will be racing and reporting, so stay tuned for those reports.

“Do you love essential design?  Are you looking for a customizable, hand-made in Italy, high-quality unique bicycle? Look no further – Cicli Maestro is a new web-based bike store where users can easily create their custom made bike through an elegant and intuitive interface.”

Focus is one of those bike brands that has fascinated me since they first appeared on my radar five or so years ago. The company is more than 15 years old and was started by a German PRO mountain biker, Mike Kluge. He was one of the gods of cross country back in the early ’90s.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Offers more coverage than average cross-country lids, with no more weight."

Cyclo-cross racing's surge in popularity Stateside has brought with it an increasing use of tubular tires. Road racers have long touted sew-ups for their smoother ride, more predictable cornering and improved safety relative to most clinchers, but for 'cross racers, it's all about grip.

The Ass Saver is a sweet little plastic fender that clips onto saddle rails.

This is part 3 of a series written by Martin Hardie which originally appeared in Spain’s el Pais covering the 2011 Play the Game conference held in Cologne, Germany at the beginning of October. It has been translated for us by the author.

Maxime Monfort was one of 26 riders on hand at the first gathering of the 2012 RadioShack-Nissan team, which took place over three days in Francorchamps, Belgium this week.

Global wristwatch giant Timex isn't about to let Garmin walk away with the GPS cycling computer monopoly, launching its new RT3 as a direct competitor to Garmin's popular Edge 500.

There is Doug Ellis (pictured left). The Chairman of Slipstream Sports and a very wealthy entrepreneur, he helped Jonathan Vaughters found the squad several years ago. But it means the team now joins the Sugardaddy club of squads dependent, partially or wholly, on wealthy backers.

Japanese robot enthusiast Dr. Guero’s tiny Kondo KHR-3HV humanoid robot riding has mechanical doping written all over it.

Anthem Sports has announced that the 8th edition of "America's Queen of the Classics", the Tour of the Battenkill, has secured a spot on USA Cycling's National Racing Calendar (NRC) for 2012.

Sauser and Stander return to defend their title.

Look back at advice, stats, and predictions from the magazine's first 50 years.

“Any well-made carbon component should be removed and inspected periodically for damage (especially after crashes, shipping or any trauma) but barring any damage, carbon does not have a fatigue life like alloy components and does not fatigue over time."

Advertisement

Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years

"Les Woodland climbed aboard his old Carlton bike to take a nostalgia trip across Belgium and Holland to visit some of cycling's greatest riders. "Cycling Heroes: The Golden Years" tells the story of that journey he took in the early 1990s and the time he spent with some of the finest riders from the 1950s, '60s and '70s."

Cycling sales totaled 28.7 million euros ($40.8 million) in the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with 25.2 million euros ($35.8 million) a year earlier. In the first nine months of the year, sales for the segment are up 12 percent, from 79.6 million euros ($113.1 million) to 91 million euros ($129.3 million).

As the Garmin GPS in my car likes to say, “Recalculating.” The Argyle genius Jonathan Vaughters thought he had a major team co-sponsor in the French company BigMat but the deal fell through at the last minute.

Have you ever wondered how the UCI values, and weights teams to evaluate them for sporting and UCI ProTeam status? A team’s sporting value is partially determined by the results it obtained in year previous and the riders which are included in the current (in this case 2012 team’s squads).

One burning question: where did they dig up this gravelly voice over guy?

One of the good warriors of the US women peloton has decided to retire this year. After 11 years of racing, training, and traveling, the very talented sprinter, Kelly Fisher-Goodwin (formerly Kelly Fisher Benjamin) of Colavita/Forno D’Asolo, announced her retirement.

Genesys team-mate Steele Van Hoff to Chipotle-Sugarlabs.

Next week follow the series south to San Diego for another two days of racing. First will be SPYclocross, Spy Optic’s title event and benefiting San Dieguito River Park. Day two will be hosted by Celo Pacific & Adams Avenue Bicycles at the San Diego Velodrome in Balboa Park, an always entertaining event with the Paris Roubiax style velodrome finishing lap.

German has one year-deal with US squad.

Jayco-2XU’s holding company, Eclipse Pro Cycling (EPC), has announced it will be extending its existing partnership with Felt Bicycles until at least the end of the 2012 season.

"Lombardia has been won and lost, Sven Nys is still the Dorian Gray of the mud and just in case there's any doubt that it's winter time - the sixes have started. We won't make it to every race, but we'll do our best to give you a flavour from all of the season 2011/12 'races to nowhere.'"

Fight airline baggage fees and fly with your bicycle—without going broke.

However RUSADA appears to confirm 1500 Swiss franc fine and warning.

The final results of analysis carried out on samples by the WADA laboratory in Cologne were forwarded to the UCI on Tuesday, with no adverse analytical findings reported. The Vuelta ended on September 11, and was won by Juan José Cobo (Geox-TMC) ahead of Sky duo Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins.

Complex saga continues with rider now able to race abroad but not at home.

Despite last month’s announcement that Garmin had failed to lodge their paperwork with the UCI’s licence commission, the team was on Tuesday included among the sport’s elite 15 teams and guaranteed a WorldTour licence for 2012.

"Spy has a dozen more technologies that I could use to try to convince you these are great glasses, but I’ve got a better way to recommend them. If you’re ready for a fresh look and a great value, check these out."

"Because Chris King were out of their steel Kogs in my preferred 19t size, I set out to find an alternative- and found Homebrewed Components’ 2-Piece Cog.  It would be easy enough to justify Homebrewed’s cog on the basis of its broad base (better to protect aluminum freehub bodies), American manufacture, or light weight- but the fact of the matter is that I wanted a purple one to match my bottle cage and headset."

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars."A strong, but safe, effort for Felt's first all-carbon ’crosser, the F3X uses the same frame, but a Felt made fork (not ENVE), when compared to Trebon's bikes or Felt's frame only option."

Cyclists are innovators, constantly hunting for an edge. Over the last half-century, we've tried thousands of methods to become stronger, faster, and smarter on a bike—many of which have been discarded through the years. These have endured.

Today's Quote

“I remain optimistic, I always was. Therefore, I appeal to businesses, trademarks, sponsors, who are willing and want to be number one in profitability as we always have been, to join us and create, dream, illusion, passionate, enjoy. .. To commit to us as we're going to do with them, hopefully in the near future. We want to realize this dream, and work harder than ever to get it.”  - Joxean Fernández Matxin CyclingNews

Irishman opens up in frank interview at end of 2011 season.

The world's top rider talks about settling down, the rainbow jersey, and 2012.

Flashback to July and Alexander Kolobnev tested positive in the Tour de France. It was the only doping scandal of the 2011 race and the media besieged the Château de Salles, the Katusha team’s overnight accommodation. Some riders and team staff went to police station, adding to the tension.

Olympian Rachel Heal will keep the reigns of the Colavita-Forno D’Asolo women’s squad when the team transitions to new management and sponsorship in 2012. Heal and new team owner Charles Aaron, the man behind the men’s Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth squad, told VeloNews that the back-to-back National Racing Calendar champions would enjoy solid financial backing and improved technical support moving forward.

Giro Prolight, 1985.

I feel like finding good ’cross form and putting together a great race is like trying to fill an old leaky bathtub full of water. Training and good rides on the bike represent pouring water into the tub, while sickness, injuries and weaknesses or holes in fitness and skills represent, well, holes in the tub that water leaks out of.

"The best way of telling you about the book is to inventory Woodland's heroes. They are: Jacques Anquetil; Federico Bahamontes; Louison Bobet; Beryl Burton; Fausto Coppi; Jan Derksen; Shay Elliott; Barry Hoban; Jan Janssen; Hennie Kuiper; Peter Post; Raymond Poulidor; Brian Robinson; Tom Simpson; Wim van Est; Rik van Looy; Keetie van Oosten-Hage; Rik van Steenbergen; and Graham Webb."

Advertisement
Sprocket Science Apres Velo Bicycle Polo Shirt

For cyclists who enjoy a good wine/whine and a wholesome night spent assembling a new bike or REassembling (after dismembering) their rusty steed.
Polo shirt with front, rear and sleeve graphics.
Rib trim collars and cuffs; woven badge patches on the front and rear, contrast coloured pink stitching.
Enzyme washed cotton/elastine pique.

USA Cycling announced today the addition of the Tour of the Battenkill to its National Racing Calendar (NRC). The one-day race which includes a mix of dirt and paved roads in upstate New York will take place on April 15, 2012 and will be NRC for men only.

Tired of schlepping his Xtra Cycle in and out of his NYC apartment, Fast Boy Cycles founder Ezra Caldwell has been toying with the Nose Bike for a while now. In fact, this is version two and has been his main bike for the past month.

The UCI released its second cyclo-cross rankings of the season on Tuesday, following a weekend in which all categories - elite men, elite women, under 23 men and junior men - raced a World Cup round in Tabor, Czech Republic.

RAAM co-founders going strong 30 years later: Lon Haldeman, Michael Shermer, John Marino and John Howard placed 3rd team overall at the 2011 Furnace Creek 508.

The Garmin-Cervélo women's team will look very similar in 2012, and will again have a roster of ten riders.

"The two half brothers are already working hard to make up for lost time. Hinault has been diligently listening to Noah’s hit singles Donne-moi une vie and Aux arbres citoyens and spending hours watching Noah’s electrifying win against Mats Wilander in the 1983 French Open."

Footage showcases 'the toughest race in the world's most beatiful place' as Giro uses social media to keep fans engaged.

Advertisement

This sweater only looks second hand. It's actually eighth hand, an Apres Velo family heirloom. Suitable for those who hate people asking, "Is that new?" Instead they might ask, "Is that old?"

GreenEdge officials will be on their edge of their seats in the coming days as the team waits for news if it earns a ProTeam license for its debut season next year.

In the first part of our interview with Australian ace Don Allan we discussed his road career, for the second part we talk about his 107 six day starts - that's 642 days on the boards; 92 weeks.

"More companies have been stepping up with shaving creams, gels and oils targeted to athletes, with phrases like, “for men AND women” printed right on the label. I’m going to compare and contrast four of the top choices; Brave Soldier Shower Shave, DZ Nuts Bald, Sportique Shaving Oil and Leg Lube."

Stage 19 of the 2011 Tour de France was a kind of good news-bad news scenario for Europcar. That was the day the magnificent yellow jersey fight by Thomas Voeckler came to an end on Alp d’Huez. However, it was also the day that teammate Pierre Rolland signaled that he finally realized his true potential with a triumphant win on the final mountain stage of the Tour.

New Zealand rider says team will allow him to target London Olympics.

Considerable 2011 success not enough to secure necessary supplier backing.

Garmin concedes that using a smartphone is fine for most people. The new Garmin Fit app for iPhone and Android tracks speed, pace, distance, time and calories with mapping along with heart rate and cadence too if you have the Ant+ accessories.

In the wake of the news late last week that riders Arnaud Papillon and Miguel Agreda Rojas had independently sought out and used the banned performance-enhancing drug EPO, David Veilleux (Europcar) and with Louis Garneau have decided to publicly come out in defence of clean cycling.

A lavishly illustrated and beautifully produced peak into the world of bicycle design.

For 2012, Pinarello revamped a number of their high end bikes to be Di2 compatible with internal wiring and, in some cases, hidden battery compartments. They’ve got a full range of road, commuter and time trial bikes on hand.

To mend muscles and fix fractures more quickly, look no further than your local market.

Among the bikes winning design awards at the ExpoBici bike show in Padua, Italy, was one that demonstrated thinking way out of the box as well as an obvious fascination with and talent for making all kinds of widgets out of carbon: the foldable carbon monocoque GrigioCarbonio bike. Essegi Compositi, a composites subcontractor to Formula 1 teams and helicopter makers in Milan, held nothing back when building its super-trick folding bike.

John Profaci, Colavita USA, LLC Vice President of Marketing and owner of UCI-sanctioned Colavita-Forno D’Asolo Women’s Professional Cycling, has announced that his team will not continue next season largely due to a lack of sufficient support from companies within the cycling industry.

Russian Alexandr Kolobnev, the only rider in the 2011 Tour de France to test positive for a banned substance, has been recommended a warning and fine by the Russian anti doping agency (RUSADA). The final decision is due in the next two weeks.

Final decision in December, last three spots set to be contested by FDJ, AG2R, Europcar, Geox and Euskaltel. While the registration process is not yet complete, it does provide a very strong hint of those that will be awarded or retain that status, and with it the right to participate next year in all races on the World Tour Calendar.

"Riis is putting the cash together to bring in that help Contador will need against the RadioShack-Nissan juggernaut of the Brothers Schleck and Johan Bruyneel."

"There are calls to improve the women’s side of the sport with ideas like compulsory women’s teams for every World Tour squad or for big race organisers to put on a women’s race too, with Gerard Vroomen making some great arguments. I like these ideas… but maybe there’s more to be done?"

Alain Gallopin is confident that Andy and Fränk Schleck will have the strongest Grand Tour team in the world at their disposal next year following the merger of the RadioShack and Leopard Trek teams. The Frenchman previously worked with the Schleck brothers as a directeur sportif at the CSC team from 2004 to 2007, and they will renew acquaintances with RadioShack-Nissan next season.

Today's Quote

“I remain optimistic, I always was. Therefore, I appeal to businesses, trademarks, sponsors, who are willing and want to be number one in profitability as we always have been, to join us and create, dream, illusion, passionate, enjoy. .. To commit to us as we're going to do with them, hopefully in the near future. We want to realize this dream, and work harder than ever to get it.”  - Joxean Fernández Matxin CyclingNews

Philippe Gilbert has firmly established himself as the world's most successful rider, finishing at the top of the Union Cycliste Internationale's 2011 WorldTour ranking after taking a series of high-profile wins throughout the season.

The dropper seatpost market is becoming crowded, with new options from RockShox, Giant and X-Fusion joining established names like Gravity Dropper, CrankBrothers, Specialized and KS, and Fox working on their own post too.

A performance bike that's designed for comfort too: the best of all worlds?

The court decided that Floyd and his former trainer Arnie Baker knew the information they were using was fraudulent but could not prove the two evil scofflaws were the origin of the computer hacking. The Mad Mennonite eludes the French authorities once again.

Controversy hovered over the Elite men’s race for the second week in a row Sunday at Cross Crusade #4 in Hillsboro after Canadian national champion Chris Sheppard (Rocky Mountain Bicycles/Shimano) crossed the line a minute ahead of Aaron Tuckerman (Corsa Concepts) and Molly Cameron (MetaFiler/Portland Bicycle Studio) but was eventually relegated to third for improper number placement, ceding Tuckerman his third-straight series win.

Doesn’t appear threatened by big name additions.

A conversation with Rachael Lambert of Specialized.

"More companies have been stepping up with shaving creams, gels and oils targeted to athletes, with phrases like, “for men AND women” printed right on the label. I’m going to compare and contrast four of the top choices; Brave Soldier Shower Shave, DZ Nuts Bald, Sportique Shaving Oil and Leg Lube."

BikeRadar: Zipp's carbon brake pads go platinum,

Zipp has developed a new carbon-specific pad compound with the folks at SwissStop that they claim is better able to pull heat away from carbon rims under extreme braking conditions, particularly on long descents in hot and dry weather. SwissStop's latest-generation pad shape includes deeper channels, too, so wet weather performance should be improved as well.

Today's Quote

“I remain optimistic, I always was. Therefore, I appeal to businesses, trademarks, sponsors, who are willing and want to be number one in profitability as we always have been, to join us and create, dream, illusion, passionate, enjoy. .. To commit to us as we're going to do with them, hopefully in the near future. We want to realize this dream, and work harder than ever to get it.”  - Joxean Fernández Matxin CyclingNews

Colombian rider says he can see light at the end of the tunnel.

Round #4 of the MABRAcross Super 8 Series marked the midpoint in the schedule of the high profile racing series.  Noted as being Washington D.C.’s only Cyclocross race, the event brings in sold-out fields, vendors, wild spectators, and major, major talent.

Theo Bos says he’s looking forward to the arrival of Mark Renshaw to Rabobank and says he’s mulling a return to the track for another shot at Olympic gold next season.

MFG Cyclocross presented by Raleigh kicked off their fourth race of the season, Raceway Cross, at Marymoor velodrome in Redmond, WA with some slip-sliding racing.

A professional cyclist’s work is seasonal and from now until early 2012, the rhythm of work changes given that the racing season is over. What happens in the off-season?

John Profaci, Colavita USA, LLC Vice President of Marketing and owner of UCI-sanctioned Colavita-Forno D’Asolo Women’s Professional Cycling, has announced that his team will not continue next season largely due to a lack of sufficient support from companies within the cycling industry.

That beautiful carbon frame is easily repaired, provided the cure is administered by the right hands. In fact, repairing carbon is easier and more effective than any of its metallic brethren. The repair itself will be stronger than the surrounding frame, adds just a tiny bit of weight (we’re talking the equivalent of a decent sized loogie here), and, if you’re willing to pay for it, can be made almost invisible.

"Peanut Butter GU, made with natural crushed peanuts, offers athletes a savory alternative to the vastly sweet dominated gel landscape, while Peppermint Stick GU provides a crisp zing of minty-fresh fuel. Both new flavors of GU contain GU’s proprietary Amino Blend (Leucine, Valine, Histidine, Isoleucine) as well as Potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin E and a touch of Herbal Blend (Chamomile and Ginger)."

Advertisement

This sweater only looks second hand. It's actually eighth hand, an Apres Velo family heirloom. Suitable for those who hate people asking, "Is that new?" Instead they might ask, "Is that old?"

Standing atop the podium of the 2011 Pan American Games on October 15, Heather Irmiger didn’t realize that her cross country gold was the first gold awarded in the games. The realization made the gold taste even sweeter when she bit into her medal. After winning, Irmiger tweeted, “turns out I LOVE GOLLLLDDDDD!”

Cyclo-cross. Many consider it a steeplechase with modified road bikes on a 2km course over hill and dale; others consider it muddy hell. Its roots can be traced to the early 1900s, when French army private Daniel Gousseau would ride his bicycle along horseback-riding friends through the woods.

With over 51 Giro’s under our belts, we’ve logged many thousands of kilometers chasing Italy’s greatest race from one end of the boot to the other, with visits at most points in between. That’s a lot of local knowledge – the kind you just don’t get from the race guide, or anywhere else.

British-based WorldTour squad Sky has all but finalized its roster for the 2012 season, and looks set to be one of the strongest teams on the top-tier race circuit.

BikeRadar verdict 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Outstanding blend of efficiency, versatility and fun at a great value price."

The court decided that Floyd and his former trainer Arnie Baker knew the information they were using was fraudulent but could not prove the two evil scofflaws were the origin of the computer hacking. The Mad Mennonite eludes the French authorities once again.

“Have you seen Contador’s legal documentation? It’s close to a thousand pages long,” said CAS Judge Serge Belein. We had to get a jump on all that reading and Ullrich is just a pudgy, depressed retiree at this point. We have priorities.”

Samuel Sanchez has confirmed that the future of Euskaltel-Euskadi is far from secure. The team's current sponsorship contract runs out at the end of next season, and further backing is still being negotiated.

Lance Armstrong declared his intentions for “Comeback 3.0″ after what he described as a “disappointing conclusion” to his Xterra World Championships performance today in Maui, despite the fact that any other mere mortal would have been thrilled with the result.

The Grand Cru Long-Reach Brakes offer great braking power and excellent modulation. They are among the best long-reach brakes we have tested.

They retail for $65 a piece, and weigh in just under 30g, making them comparable to a lot of the other popular carbon cages on the market. There’s no doubt that they could probably be cheaper or lighter, but that would compromise security and lead to a sentence like this one found on a competitor’s site: “Recommended for use with small water bottles and on-road use only.”

Concerns that the Tour of the Mediterranean might have been lost for 2012 have proved unfounded, even though the race did not appear on the first UCI calendar for next season.

"The big race of the weekend was the World Cup race in Tabor – stay tuned for a special wrap-up of the World Cup race, and until then, take a look at what else happened around the world."

Advertisement

EmpireCovers: Waterproof Bicycle Cover.

"This top of the line bike cover is made out of premium nylon that is both 100% waterproof as well breathable, so you'll never have to worry about leaving your bike out in the rain agan! This cover is great for both indoor and outdoor use and is designed to protect against rain, snow, sun, dust, and rain."

Texan fades in run section after hitting head in MTB crash.

It’s time to set aside our doubts and misgivings and embrace electronic shifting. Shimano’s Di2 platform has eclipsed all expectations and the Italians are slowly ushering their version to market, so where's it all headed?

Four new leaders emerged in the UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup after the second round for elite men and women, and the opening round for under 23 men and juniors.

Belgian solos away after Stybar bike change.

2011-2012 Cyclocross season action continues Sunday with UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Tabor, Czech Republic. Live streaming video: Elite Men: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern).

Toro Park, California — Late October and racers had another California-cyclocross day. The central coast was a cloudless blue sky with afternoon temperatures in the eighties. The dusty and elongated course at Toro Park had one long slightly inclined section with corners and barriers. At the end of this was an uncompromising steep uphill road that led into fast, downhill single track.

CXMagazine: Downeast Day 1 Goes to McNicholas, Smith.

Frenchman heads home after RadioShack-Leopard merger. Brice Feillu is hoping to put a dismal year at Leopard-Trek behind him when he rides for French squad Saur-Sojasun next season.

Australian rider fastest in sprint to the line.

After finishing on the podium of three UCI cross races in the United States, American Meredith Miller (California Giant/Specialized) traveled to the Czech Republic to race in the first two World Cups of the season. Her goal is to get points and to make onto Team USA for the World Championships held in Koksijde, Belgium at the end of January.

Today's Quote

“I remain optimistic, I always was. Therefore, I appeal to businesses, trademarks, sponsors, who are willing and want to be number one in profitability as we always have been, to join us and create, dream, illusion, passionate, enjoy. .. To commit to us as we're going to do with them, hopefully in the near future. We want to realize this dream, and work harder than ever to get it.”  - Joxean Fernández Matxin CyclingNews

Belgians Iljo Keisse and Kenny De Ketele took the European Madison title in Apeldoorn today, just hours after completing the Amsterdam Six Day the night before on separate teams.

Ladies First Racing took the entire podium for the Elite Women’s race, with top spot going to Andrea Smith, followed by Elle Anderson and Crystal Anthony.

Days after the 2010 Candian Under 23 champion Arnaud Papillon admitted doping and was handed a two year ban for EPO use, another rider from the Garneau-Club Chaussures team has also made a public confession of wrongdoing.

"We were determined to solve the inevitable, essentially unknowable mystery of what made this quiet, unassuming son of a shopkeeper into the greatest cyclist of all time. So we just asked him."

Judgement had been due last week.

"This is a must-have, essential cookbook for any endurance athlete. Ex-Radio Shack sports physiologist Allen Lim has hooked up with pro chef Biju to create The Feed Zone Cookbook."

The legendary passes in the high Italian Alps are admired, feared and respected by all that ride them. And the biggest of them all, the Passo dello Stelvio, has it all.

BikeRadar verdict 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Exquisite frame and fork - but not everyone will agree with De Rosa's idea of 'entry-level'"

Advertisement

A floral arrangement of bicycle cogs and cables, with the finishing touch of a grease-coloured background, so the garment won't squeak when you spin your legs about.

Former professional cyclist Joe Papp has been sentenced to three years probation, including six months of house arrest for distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs on behalf of a Chinese drug distributor via the internet. The news comes after Papp was handed an eight-year ban from USADA.

EmpireCovers: Waterproof Bicycle Cover.

"This top of the line bike cover is made out of premium nylon that is both 100% waterproof as well breathable, so you'll never have to worry about leaving your bike out in the rain agan! This cover is great for both indoor and outdoor use and is designed to protect against rain, snow, sun, dust, and rain. Cover is fully breathable to protect against mold and mildew. Made out of heavy duty nylon."

CXMagazine: Downeast Day 1 Goes to McNicholas, Smith.

Conditions dominated at the first day of the Downeast Cyclocross Weekend at Pineland Farm in New Gloucester, Maine. A week of heavy rain topped by two dry days meant the low-lying course had plenty of time to go from soup to bog.

The 2011 Track Cycling European Championships are being held October 21-23. Live streaming video: 8:00pm CET (2:00pm U.S. Eastern).

The 24 Hours of Moab is one of the best known and most popular 24-hour races world-wide. On October 8-9, 2011, the 16th edition of the race was run for what may be the last time. Granny Gear Productions, which promotes the event, is in process of deciding the future of the event.

“Vingt-et-un en tête!” – I don’t know a world of French but Italian is not so different and I start to think what can it mean. The old guy is looking at me while I proceed on my first cobbled sector of the day, checking a nice place for make photos. He repeats “Vingt-et-un en tête!”

To say Shamrock Cycles racer Rebecca Zink has had her best seasons on both the road and on the trail this year would be a gross understatement.

What’s an aging Russian stage racer to do? Denis Menchov, ranked 9 out of 10 on the UCI “suspicious” list and still reeling after police seized 2.4 million euros from his bank account during their Ferrari doping investigation, is looking for a new team.

After a “pretty disappointing season”, Janez Brajkovič is preparing for his move from RadioShack to Astana, and has told Cyclingnews that he is excited about the challenge that lies ahead.

Imagine, for a moment you are Juan José Cobo, Vuelta a España winner who confirmed on Monday that he would remain with his Geox-TMC squad for another year.  It could be argued that only Muammar Gaddafi has had a worse week that Cobo.

Days after the 2010 Candian Under 23 champion Arnaud Papillon admitted doping and was handed a two year ban for EPO use, another rider from the Garneau-Club Chaussures team has also made a public confession of wrongdoing.

Baby was conceived during the Tour de France.

Alberto Contador has asked Saxo Bank-Sungard to get more riders to help him in the mountains in the coming year. Team Geox-TCM is folding, leaving noted climbers 2011 Vuelta a Espana winner Juan Jose Cobo and Giro d'Italia and two-time Vuelta a Espana winner Denis Menchov available for 2012. The perfect solution to the Danish team's problem? No, because Riis' real problem is that he has no more money.

Today's Quote

“I remain optimistic, I always was. Therefore, I appeal to businesses, trademarks, sponsors, who are willing and want to be number one in profitability as we always have been, to join us and create, dream, illusion, passionate, enjoy. .. To commit to us as we're going to do with them, hopefully in the near future. We want to realize this dream, and work harder than ever to get it.”  - Joxean Fernández Matxin CyclingNews

Joxean Fernández Matxin, Sport Director for Geox-TCM was “in China, far away from home”, hen he got the shocking news that the team's sponsor was withdrawing.   He is not willing to give up his dream and has appealed for others to step up and take over the sponsorship.

Joe Papp has been handed an eight-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs on behalf of a Chinese drug distributor via the internet. It was Papp's second anti-doping violation and the 36-year-old will be unable to compete until August 31, 2015.

The opening week of the Tour de France was marked by several crashes that took out many riders including several favorites for a podium spot. Nobody wants this.

Former professional cyclist Joe Papp has been sentenced to three years probation, including six months of house arrest for distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs on behalf of a Chinese drug distributor via the internet. The news comes after Papp was handed an eight-year ban from USADA.

The AG2R team, in conjunction with the AIGCP, announced the “Roche and Gadret-Peraud Peace Summit” to be held on neutral ground in Geneva, Switzerland, commencing Sunday, October 23rd, 2011 at an undisclosed location.

Three training camps to take place between now and January.

Soon Vélo Magazine will publish the winner of the Vélo d’Or award (“golden bike). In football the Ballon d’Or prize is one of the most prestigious awards and this sister prize too must be one of the best awards in cycling.

One hundred years ago, Orbea were manufacturing gun barrels at their factory in Mallabia, Spain. Having switched from barrels to bicycles in the 1930s, they now have two facilities making their product – one in Taiwan for high-end carbon bikes, and one in Portugal for their less expensive models.

Black gloves sold separately. (As are drugs, prostitutes and weapons.) Oh Brother, where art thou? The art is on the back. The other side is just a front. This jacket is specially designed to cover your tattoos.

EmpireCovers: Waterproof Bicycle Cover.

"This top of the line bike cover is made out of premium nylon that is both 100% waterproof as well breathable, so you'll never have to worry about leaving your bike out in the rain agan! This cover is great for both indoor and outdoor use and is designed to protect against rain, snow, sun, dust, and rain. Cover is fully breathable to protect against mold and mildew. Made out of heavy duty nylon."

Alberto Contador has revealed that he has asked Saxo Bank-Sungard team boss Bjarne Riis to sign another climber with next year’s Tour de France in mind. Speaking to sport and physical education students at the University of Alcalá de Henares in Madrid, Contador admitted that he is particularly concerned by the strength of the team brought about by the fusion of the RadioShack and Leopard squads.

Imagine, for a moment you are Juan José Cobo, Vuelta a España winner who confirmed on Monday that he would remain with his Geox-TMC squad for another year.  It could be argued that only Muammar Gaddafi has had a worse week that Cobo.

Court states that Geox and team owners would need to have a prior arrangement.

We received the news this week that Geox, the Italian shoe company, elected at the very last moment to remove their financial backing of Mauro Gianetti’s Geox-TMC pro team.

Belgian gives his opinion on rider contracts, teams and more.

The European Track Championships start today in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The competition should be fierce, as points from the Championships count towards Olympic qualification - and with only one rider per nation allowed to compete in each event, some riders from the strong European track nations, like France, Great Britain and Italy, will be seeing as much competition from their teammates for precious places on the Olympic squads as they will from other countries.

Motorpacing is an integral part of training for the pros. It sharpens leg speed, simulates race conditions where a rider needs to hold the wheel, and provides motivation to push the intensity a little bit higher.

Today's Quote

“One [Andy Schleck] appears to walk funny, the other is the brother. They’re too skinny, and frankly, in the grand scheme of all things European, they are a minor irrelevance popular only in a country of 500,000 inhabitants [referring to Luxembourg].”  - Yannick Noah Cyclismas

If you know your six day stats then you'll be aware that the Australian pairing of Danny Clark and Don Allan is the ninth most successful ever, based on wins, with 15; but fifth most successful ever based on points from top four finishes - 15 wins, 15 second places, 11 third places and 12 fourth places.

That win at Spooky Cross on Saturday night was a long time coming for French National Cyclocross Champion Caroline Mani. 279 days long to be exact since she won Le Tricolore in Lanarvily.

Hoy, Olympic sprint, keirin and team sprint champion, has put his training up a gear in bid to replicate Beijing success.

Joe Papp has been handed an eight-year suspension by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs on behalf of a Chinese drug distributor via the internet. It was Papp's second anti-doping violation and the 36-year-old will be unable to compete until August 31, 2015.

The opening week of the Tour de France was marked by several crashes that took out many riders including several favorites for a podium spot. Nobody wants this.

Black gloves sold separately. (As are drugs, prostitutes and weapons.) Oh Brother, where art thou? The art is on the back. The other side is just a front. This jacket is specially designed to cover your tattoos.

A case of mistaken identities in cycling. Ben and Andy Jacques-Maynes are twin brothers on the Bissell Pro Cycling team. With budget cutbacks forcing hard choices, the domestic squad decided they could only afford one brother.

“A lot of the guys going to the team are the same ones I’ve raced with this year and I have complete trust in them. I am young, looking to improve and I am looking forward to working to help guys, so this is the best place for me right now.”

Round two of the World Cup brings the world’s best to Tabor, in the heart of the Czech Republic. Almost two years ago, Zdenek Stybar dominated the field on home soil to capture his first World Championship, in heavy snow. Conditions will be much better this time around with weather expected to be in the mid to upper 40s and no precipitation is expected.

The international mountain bike stage racing spotlight has been steadily focused on Malaysia, South Africa and Australia this week, but the action is soon to start in the Brazil with the Brasil Ride beginning Sunday, October 23 through Saturday, October 29. Topeak-Ergon's Sonya Looney and Jeff Kerkove are headed back for the second edition of the race.

The Union Cycliste International held a joint press conference today with representatives from Mercatone Uno and Castorama to announce the intentions of both companies to have WorldTour teams for the 2012 season.

Shown here from front to back are: 70mm Italian Threaded Pinarello, BB30 BMC and Look BB65 (which works with their ipack system that use a one-piece crankset with a ~50mm carbon fiber spindle and 65mm outside diameter bearing…it doesn’t refer to the BB width like most of the standards’ names).

Alberto Contador has revealed that he has asked Saxo Bank-Sungard team boss Bjarne Riis to sign another climber with next year’s Tour de France in mind. Speaking to sport and physical education students at the University of Alcalá de Henares in Madrid, Contador admitted that he is particularly concerned by the strength of the team brought about by the fusion of the RadioShack and Leopard squads.

 For the first time in over a month, there’s only one UCI race in the US, Downeast Cyclocross in New Gloucester, ME.

1. Sven Nys - as they say, age before beauty. Nys used the cunning of deep cyclocross experience to make a late, savvy pass around Stybar to open a gap and claim a World Cup win.

Developed with SwissStop, the silver brake pads were designed to offer reliable stopping power in super dry and soaking wet conditions. The compound also handles heat well under heavy braking on hot days.

Selle Italia's Monolink single-rail saddle-seatpost interface was greeted with expected skepticism when it went into production a year ago.  For 2012, they've not only persevered with the concept but expanded it to several new saddle models. It's gained impressive acceptance within the industry too, with various partners now offering their own Monolink products.

It is a truly remarkable collection of races and documentaries. Any race you can think of from pretty much any year is up there available for download for free.

EmpireCovers: Waterproof Bicycle Cover.

"This top of the line bike cover is made out of premium nylon that is both 100% waterproof as well breathable, so you'll never have to worry about leaving your bike out in the rain agan! This cover is great for both indoor and outdoor use and is designed to protect against rain, snow, sun, dust, and rain. Cover is fully breathable to protect against mold and mildew. Made out of heavy duty nylon."

Cannondale Bicycles and Junk Food Clothing have teamed up to design two unique bikes for Antenna Magazine’s upcoming ReMix Lab.

Hoy, Olympic sprint, keirin and team sprint champion, has put his training up a gear in bid to replicate Beijing success.

"It looks like it cost us about $125,000 and paying for hotel rooms for the riders and support personnel and other added costs for 2012 probably would have brought the total to about $150,000."

Uncertain future as Geox doesn’t pay required UCI bank guarantee.

Spaniard nearing end of lengthy ban, lays out 2012 targets.

Today's Quote

“One [Andy Schleck] appears to walk funny, the other is the brother. They’re too skinny, and frankly, in the grand scheme of all things European, they are a minor irrelevance popular only in a country of 500,000 inhabitants [referring to Luxembourg].”  - Yannick Noah Cyclismas

Continuing the season wrapup it's time to nominate your candidates for best female rider and best women's team of 2011.

Jeremy Powers – After taking a trip to Plzen and nabbing a top-ten in a World Cup race, Jeremy Powers not only rakes in the UCI points (which will assist his starting position in future international races) but starts to suggest that an impressive international result is just around the corner.

Ryan Trebon (LTS/Felt) came into the fourth and final race of the UCI series Cross After Dark with a chance at taking the overall with series leader Jeremy Powers (Rapha-Focus) racing in Europe. But he wasn’t the only one, Ben Berden (Ops Ale-Stoemper) also had his eye on the overall win.

The 2012 Cannondale Slice RS prototype has been spotted here and there, but it saw some track time at the Ironman World Championships in Kona recently under Michael Weiss. His race bike is shown here and shows off some of the unique -and triathlon specific- features. Notice there’s virtually no cables visible anywhere on the bike? Internal cables aren’t new, but Cannondale’s approach is novel…

In your quest to be a better cyclist, one sure way to get a leg up is by honing your appreciation of the arcane and sometimes intimidating art of shaving.

Updates coming for Dura-Ace Di2. It’ll get the revised (ie. improved) wiring layout as the Ultregra Di2, which in theory means you’ll be able to swap parts and you’ll be seeing Ultegra/Dura-Ace Di2 blends on OEM bikes to compete at various price levels. It will also most likely be moving the brains of the operation to the module on the upper section of the front derailleur, just like on Ultegra Di2.

According to FSA's people, "Counterfeit parts originating in China pose a pervasive safety problem for the bicycle industry as such parts fail to meet industry quality standards in addition to our strict manufacturing specifications, and are untested and made of inferior materials."

Somehow, someway, Bjarne Riis always ends up on top with the last hardy-har-har.

Giro d’Italia winner hoping for stronger support in the mountains of next year’s Tour de France.

22-year-old Colombian climber in demand from both teams who both claim they have contracts.

For many places in France the passage of the Tour de France is the highlight of the year or even the decade. In a great piece Le Monde today reports on the importance of a stage visiting French towns. There are 36,000 mayors, from Paris down to tiny villages, and most of them would love to see the race visit their corner of France.

Philippe Gilbert does not believe that working for Cadel Evans at the 2012 Tour de France will have a negative impact on his Olympic Games aspirations. One of a number of marquee acquisitions for BMC ahead of next season, the Belgian insisted that he is prepared to put his shoulder to the wheel in support of Evans’ defence of his title.

The power meter market is exploding for 2012 and the latest company to join the fray are Germany's Power2max. First seen at Eurobike, their chainring spider based system is compatible with cranks from SRAM, Rotor, Lightning, TA, Tune and Bor.

Though they get relatively little attention in a time of freakishly light aluminum and freakishly expensive carbon fiber wheelsets, Mavic really do deserve a look when shopping for mountain wheels.

PEZ Talk: Catching Up With Hamish Haynes.

Haynes came late to sport but has been racing and winning in in the Flatlands since 2003. In the last decade the 37 year-old Haynes has ridden for the DFL, Cyclingnews, Maestro and Jartazi pro teams, but more recently with solid Belgian amateur teams such as Yawadoo.

"Road tubeless is incredible and I’m a big fan. But I’m a bigger fan of big tires."

CCA president: ‘This is not a victimless event.’

In this sixteenth and concluding part of our series looking at aspects of the revenue-sharing debate, we close where we began, with the Amaurys. And in so doing we try to put a pretty ribbon around the positions being taken by two of the debate’s key players, ASO and the UCI.

Three-time world champion Oscar Freire has signed a one-year deal with the Russian Katusha team, in the process rebuffing offers from Omega Pharma-Quick Step, Lotto-Ridley and Geox, who were also interested in securing his services for the 2012 season. The deal between Freire and his new team was signed just hours before the deadline set for the registration of ProTeam riders with the UCI.

BikeRadar verdict 4.5 out of 5 stars. "Progressive geometry and superb suspension make the EVO a demon descender but it's suprisingly competent on the climbs, too."

Plenty of people are buying home trainers at this time of the year but usually to use in the garage and purely for a sweaty workout while the snow piles up outdoors. Dan Young, an IT worker from Cleveland, Ohio has been using his at work, however, and the special tall desk he designed to allow it is now on sale for like-minded office-bound cyclists.

Ride your bike & declare war on EVERYTHING: traffic, the great obesity epidemic, global warming, bad coffee & white lycra bike pants. 

The constant quest to ride waves of green lights in New York City, inspired Cooper Union's engineer student, Maxwell von Stein, conceptualize a method to harness a bike's braking energy when stopped at a red light and then return it on command to help give riders a boost when green flashes.

Fear is a hairy beast with razor claws and dripping fangs. It is there in the dark, and it is there in the light, and it is there in the rain, sun, sleet and snow.

AWL is a French carbon fiber rim manufacturer that’s been building carbon aerospace components for years before turning some attention to cycling in 2008.

Young rider admits taking unspecified substance.

Today's Quote

“One [Andy Schleck] appears to walk funny, the other is the brother. They’re too skinny, and frankly, in the grand scheme of all things European, they are a minor irrelevance popular only in a country of 500,000 inhabitants [referring to Luxembourg].”  - Yannick Noah Cyclismas

Having seen the leaked Tour de France route last week Johan Bruyneel was expecting the worst when he arrived at the Palais des Congres in Paris to witness the full and official unveiling of the 2012 route.

"I had been wondering where Erik Zabel would land following the demise of HTC. I don't think there was anyone who would have thought that he would be going with Cavendish to Sky. No disrepect to either Brailsford or Zabel, I just couldn't see it happening. But Katusha?"

Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) and Katie Compton (Rabobank-Giant Off-Road Team) picked up where they left off last 'cross season, at the top of the UCI rankings.

"4 out of 5 stars. Great quality, high performing groupset for fans of triples."

Unlike all the fancy steel bikes and carbon wheels, Hammer Nutrition makes products cyclists and other endurance athletes actually need!

Designed to be a cyclo-cross race bike first and foremost with the necessary attacking stance, tapered head-tube and flattened top-tube but with added utilitarian bike rack and guard mounts for workaday action rather than a Sports Utility Cross that you might race once or twice the Pro6 can be an Aggressive Racer, Fast Tourer or Pro Commuter.

Once again, the Northeast has had a rainy lead-up to the weekend’s racing. The Pittsburgh region has had several days of non-stop rain which finally let up late Friday afternoon, just in time for promoter J.R. Petsko to layout a mud-riddled, tight and technical course in Morgantown, WV.

Stefan Schumacher will face fraud charges in the German courts. The regional appeal court in Stuttgart has ruled that the case concerning three months' salary from 2008 should be heard.

Both the Podium Cafe World Rankings and the CQRanking charts include a nice little breakaway up the road, consisting of Leopard-Trek, HTC and Sky, with Garmin, Omega Pharma, and Rabobank close on their heels.

The hotly-anticipated Sky showdown of the Green Jersey vs. Yellow Jersey began in earnest today at the presentation of the 2012 Tour de France route. Recent addition to Team Sky and current world road champion Mark Cavendish was in attendance, with the requisite dour mood contractually obligated of all Team Sky überstars.

After unveiling the 2012 Tour de France route earlier this week, race organisers ASO have moved swiftly to announce the two stages which will play host to next summer’s Etape du Tour.

“Finding inspiration in vintage track racing catalogs and archival images, Francesco Bertelli builds gorgeously minimal bicycles in his NYC workshop Biciclette Assemblate. The Italian transplant’s one-of-a-kind creations combine new, dead stock and vintage components found at flea markets, collectors, trusted suppliers, and of course, eBay. This scavenger style of sourcing parts allows Bertelli to stockpile choice components and later pick and choose the perfect parts for each individual build.”

Based on their John Henry 29er, Siren’s new Twinzer uses a curvaceous twin top tube to create a stunning bike that can be built up for mountain biking, cyclocross, randonneuring or, heck, even road riding.

Energy bars have improved in a big way since they first became a jersey-pocket staple. Here's how to choose the right one for your ride.

"The real tragedy of tubeless cyclocross set-ups: when they work, they’re awesome. The problem is that for racers, they don’t reliably work. There are plenty of instructions out there, and lots of positive stories. Unfortunately, I can’t say this is one of them."

Ag2r-La Mondiale are in the UCI World Tour. This status guarantees the French team entry to all the big races. But this position is under review given their low rankings.

Rumors began to circulate after this autumn's Eurobike and Interbike trade shows that Shimano's next generation Dura-Ace Di2 group – set for release in the 2013 model year – will feature not only a jump to 11 sprockets out back but also hydraulic master cylinders integrated into the STI lever bodies.

Ride your bike & declare war on EVERYTHING: traffic, the great obesity epidemic, global warming, bad coffee & white lycra bike pants. 

It’s mid-season now, a time to re-evaluate, to reflect, and to make a list of every darn thing I’m doing wrong. Which, admittedly, is a lot. After all, I’ve only been racing in the elite field for a month — there’s got to be a learning curve … Right?

Over the next nine months we will hear endless stories about the Tour de France route.  Here are  5 "minor" facts that might get less press elsewhere.

BikeRadar verdict 4 out of 5 stars. "Another excellent Lezyne pump that packs a big punch from a small build."

Tristan Schouten, one of our oft-mentioned “Working Men” of pro cyclocross found time in his busy schedule, between work, training and racing, to sit down to answer a few questions for us.

Prototype products used by Team Movistar now ready for general release.

"I’d been lamenting the race’s lack of innovation, the tendency to take the same climbs again and again but 2012 sees the inclusion of several new climbs, including some double-digit gradients. As much as there will be 96km of time trials, there will also be slopes so steep they will prove fatal for the ambitions of many a time trial specialist. All the same the climbing is reduced and concentrated to a few stages, as Christian Prudhomme said – and I wrote last week – this will force the climbers to attack rather than wait for the last 3km before showing."

Perfect for covering up such bike injuries as shin bruises, knee scabs and bloodstains. Does a better job than Ajax in making grease markings disappear. As worn by Miss Universe. No, not Jennifer Hawkins, but a more accomplished Miss Universe: Miss Universe of 1938..

VeloNews: A year to learn, a year to burn - A conversation with Matt Lloyd.

Matthew Lloyd, a prodigious climber with raffish charm and eccentricities galore has experienced a year he’d rather forget. But as he tells Anthony Tan, more memorable experiences are just around the corner.

Skyde is a small French titanium frame builder that makes everything from road to mountain to cyclocross to commuter and touring bikes. Above, an internal gear hub bed belt drive mountain bike that used a miniature looking S&S coupler on the seat stay to break the frame open for the belt.

"Another weekend has come and gone, so let’s take a look at International Cyclocross action from the past week:"

Both the Elite Men and Women races saw the winner take the race after building up good leads over their competition. Both races also saw close fields during the early laps. To gap the field, Karen Brems (Team Rambuski Law), winner of the Women’s race, said, “I just attacked really hard on the climb then just tried to go as hard as I could for about two laps.”

Are you in the market for a strong set of wheels - both from a budget and durability perspective? We've had the Novatec Speedy wheel offering for a long term test so read on to find out if they're the right wheelset for you.

Called F69, it’s a steel, single-legged fork with an internal carbon fiber reinforcement tube. That’s just the beginning. The carbon tube has an alloy sleeve mounted to the bottom that the brake posts bolt to, and the whole thing slides between two keyed slots to adjust the axle and brake mounts for either 26″ or 29er wheels.

Defending champion Cadel Evans was cautiously optimistic over his chances of defending the Tour de France yellow jersey in 2012 after the race route was unveiled here on Tuesday.

Saxo Bank-SunGard manager feels that unveiled route suits Evans and Contador, but will force Andy Schleck to attack.

Rivals are taking a wary approach to the merger between the Schleck brothers and veteran sport director Johan Bruyneel for next season.

Though the Olympics road race takes place just five days later, Mark Cavendish is adamant that he will go all the way to Paris at the 2012 Tour de France. The Manxman also dismissed the idea that Team Sky would have to choose between his green jersey challenge and Bradley Wiggins' tilt at overall honours.

World champion “comes home” to the team where her career began.

BikeRadar verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. "Great shape, rigid and flex-free combination ideal for big riders."

Meredith Miller, for the second year in a row, is putting on her pink skinsuit once again and fundraising for Breast Cancer Awareness, this year through a silent auction, t-shirts through Stomach of Anger and a raffle on BikeReg.com.

"As we rolled off the start line in Beijing, my legs ached from flying half way across the world, or from fatigue, or both. In early October, after eight months of racing, training and travel, I was worn out along with rest of the peloton. The nervous energy that sparks the barrage of attacks for the first hour of the race was absent."

Reports that FIFA and WADA decline to take action on soccer players due to food contamination.

Spain's Alberto Contador insinuated over the weekend what we had always suspected: that he is in fact some kind of robotic and entirely inhuman being.

Floyd Landis faces trial this week on charges that he attempted to hack the computer of the French anti-doping agency, in an apparent attempt to change the data in his 2006 Tour de France doping case. Neither Landis nor his coach Arnie Baker, who is also named in the case, are expected to attend but international arrest warrants were issued in January 2010.

Anyone who rides a bicycle knows that it isn’t a good idea to take their eyes off the road even for a second, especially at high speeds. Yet given all the data that we now collect for training, many riders probably spend far too much time looking at the screen on their cycle computer, heart rate monitor or powermeter. A company named 4iiii could change this; they have developed a simple but innovative heads-up display that attaches to virtually any pair of sunglasses.

Today's Quote

“It’s [the Giro] good for me and if it was just what my heart said, I’d be there. Next year I am going to think about different objectives, above all the Tour de France. Although you can never say never, next year I will not be back.”  - Alberto Contador VeloCast

“Bro, this rocks. I am gonna kill that skinny Spaniard Contador — if his ass isn’t’ already suspended.”

"On hearing that Contador, in all likelihood, won't be riding at the Giro d'Italia next year, it suddenly struck me what a desperate shame for the race that it will be denied the spectacle of a rider defending his title."

"Is world champion Mark Cavendish really the world's 27th best road cyclist? Let us know your thoughts..."

Luxembourg brothers concede that they will have to attack in 2012 to step up from 2011 second and third places.

The Black Smith Tool Case is a hand stitched in-the-USA handlebar mounted satchel that’s large enough for your wallet, phone and a few other doodads.

"What’s the best way to ensure correct chain tension (and secure rear wheel) on a track bike that doesn’t have a built-in adjuster in the rear dropouts? A separate chain tensioner?"

Tuesday's 2012 Tour de France Route Presentation is scheduled to be broadcast live starting around 11:30am CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern).

Crit racing style, fitness requirements, and tactics are much different than what’s required in road racing. They’re shorter, faster, more technical and often a lot more fun. Here are a few things to keep in mind while going around in circles for an hour +3 laps.

Martin and Neben bring 2011 victory total to 121 wins.

He may not have raced as much as he’d like to this season, but Cameron Meyer says he’s parting ways with his incumbent employer, Garmin-Cervélo team manager Jonathan Vaughters, sans acrimony.

Race takes place this coming Sunday.

With a number of teams bidding for WorldTour status in 2012, Skil Shimano's new formation 1T4i, is one bid that seems to be ticking all the boxes. A raft of high quality signings have already been announced by the team including revelations Marcel Kittel, John Degenkolb, Alexandre Geniez, Patrick Gretsch and Tom Veelers.

When it was first run in 1905, the Giro Di Lombardia was originally called Milan-Milan, only changing to the name we know today two years later. In its 106 year history to date, it has witnessed the legendary Fausto Coppi win the title five times (1946-1949, 1954).

Mild conditions met riders on Sunday morning for the Qian Dao Hu road cycling race about 4 hours from Shanghai. Sunny skies and gradually increasing winds would take riders around the course.

road.cc resident shoe…er, specialist, Vecchiojo gets up close but not too personal with next year's hot shoes.

5 out of 5 stars. "No quirky flourishes, just a top quality frame-fitting pump."

"The race starts Sunday with a short, 8 mile prologue followed by a 90 mile day. The travel plans are less than optimal – we will arrive in Salvador at 6 in the morning, hop on a bus at 7:30 and take an 8 hour bus ride to Mucuge. The race starts the next day."

Reports that FIFA and WADA decline to take action on soccer players due to food contamination.

Spain's Alberto Contador insinuated over the weekend what we had always suspected: that he is in fact some kind of robotic and entirely inhuman being.

This year the brilliant and sartorial Jonathan Vaughters set the bar high for his team. Mission statement: be the number one ranked ProTour squad in the world. He didn’t want to win best dressed or the team with the funniest tweets or biggest thighs or best tan lines or most doping cases or flat tires or coolest team bus. He wanted the big enchilada: top squad, most points, numero uno.

The route was leaked but unlike the Tour de France people were not talking about the Giro as much last week, perhaps because fewer details emerged via the leak and also because RCS, the Giro organisers, had already printed some information the Gazzetta dello Sport, their house journal.

36 Big Photos from the 2012 Giro d'Italia route presentations with many stars in attendance.

2011 winner will concentrate fully on Tour de France rather than racing in Italy.

Amanda Miller is fresh off a season with the top level HTC-Highroad women’s team. The 25-year-old American spent the past year racing in Europe and the United States alongside elite riders like Amber Neben, Judith Arndt, and Ina-Yoko Teutenberg.

"I have a confession to make: I was unable to watch Saturday’s Il Lombardia as my wife and I picked this weekend to move into our new home. Luckily, I know there are many of you who enjoyed the race as it unfolded."

Justine Lindine came out victorious on both days of action at the beautiful DuPone estate in Granouge, DE, at a race that many consider to be the best cyclocross course on the East Coast.

The first cyclo-cross World Cup race of the season had a bad start as a TV cameraman was still standing on the course as the riders took off in Plzen, Czech Republic, on Sunday. The cameraman was still filming the riders in the front row, which ended on the left with top favourite Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) and French champion Francis Mourey (FDJ), but UCI officials nevertheless gave the start signal. Riders on the left were blocked while the other riders sped away.

"In the penultimate part of our series looking at some of the key aspects of the revenue-sharing debate, we try to address some of the practicalities – and impracticalities – of sharing more revenue with the teams. And we look to the future and the role fans have in the debate."

The 17th annual Crocodile Trophy is up for grabs in the outback of North Australia. The race is ten days, more than 1,200 kilometers, and features upwards of 90 mountain bike riders who have chosen to battle the rainforests of Far North Queensland.

Taking into account his 18 victories this season, it was no surprise that Philippe Gilbert was once again honored as the 'Flandrian of the year' on Sunday, for the third consecutive year. While the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider admitted that his season has been "fantastic", he also evoked some difficulties he had had within the team.

Initially revealed last year at Interbike, A’ME’s heated road underwrap is finally ready for prime time. Due to the fact that Bob and the A’ME crew were still putting the finishing touches on the heated road tape, the inner workings couldn’t be shown. Until now. Tired of cold hands for your winter training rides?

"Today’s post is less about a specific failure and more about a broken philosophy: the idea that any clincher with knobs on it is somehow race-appropriate componentry for cyclocross."

This is BIG news!  There were rumblings at the end of the summer that Diadora Pasta Zara were going to be collapsing at the end of the 2012 season, but then a month or so back, some frankly gleeful tweets started to come from the team that indicated they were doing no such thing....  and I can see why - Giorgia Bronzini is coming back (again) to join them for 2012!

Perfect for covering up such bike injuries as shin bruises, knee scabs and bloodstains. Does a better job than Ajax in making grease markings disappear. As worn by Miss Universe. No, not Jennifer Hawkins, but a more accomplished Miss Universe: Miss Universe of 1938..

Today's Quote

“You can try but it’s gambling and it’s tricky for both the riders and the managers. One thing is obvious, if they believe that Wiggins can go for yellow they can’t compromise and give Cavendish four guys for the sprints. If they stretch it and think both riders have chance of achieving their goals, then honestly they don’t really believe in Wiggins.”  - Rolf Aldag TwistedSpoke

Russian team tipped to be adding Erik Zabel to management team.

There is a HUGE amount of training advice out there, both free and expensive. So much so that it is very daunting for a new cyclist (or even an experienced one). If you’re new to cycling, the best thing you can do is to just get out and ride.

Super light, firm but comfortably supportive road saddle with width fittings to suit most riders.

The Giro di Lombardia was the last classic of the year and the last race for two ProTour teams. Leopard-Trek finished with a stirring and unexpected win by Oliver Zaugg, their first and last classic.

Neben and Armstrong take US double win in women's race.

LIVE video from 11:15am CET (5:15am U.S. Eastern).

What's next for the 22-year-old youngster?

Haas holds on to overall lead, takes big stage race win.

Following the conclusion of the Giro di Lombardia, twenty- seventh race of the 2011 UCI WorldTour, which took place in Italy on the 15th October, the UCI has announced the final UCI WorldTour Ranking for the 2011 season.

Dan Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) gave a further demonstration of his class with a fine second place finish at the Tour of Lombardy on Saturday, lifting himself into the top ten of the final WorldTour rankings in the process.

Swiss rider Oliver Zaugg won today’s race in Lombardia, taking everybody by surprise. But his win wasn’t a lucky break or a fluke, he made the lead group and attacked on the steepest part of the day’s final climb to Villa Vergano and held off any chasers.

2011 winner will concentrate fully on Tour de France rather than racing in Italy.

In the first race of the day, Compton took the solo win ahead of Van Paassen and Nash after taking advantage of a split formed by Wyman at the start of the race. Compton rode a confident race and went on to make her winning move on leading into the stairs by gapping Nash and Van Paassen.

2011-2012 Cyclocross season action continues Sunday with UCI Cyclocross World Cup at Plzen (Pilsen), Czech Republic. Live streaming video: Elite Men: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern)

French National Champion Caroline Mani jokingly made a cut-throat gesture to Sue Butler (River City Bicycles) on the start line on Saturday night. Was she really joking however?  Mani simply never gave a chance to her competitors at SpookyCross, the finale of the Cross After Dark series.

The Cross After Dark series finale was a game of tactics in a winner take all scenario at Saturday night’s SpookyCross. The duel was on between Ryan Trebon (LTS/Felt) and Ben Berden (Ops Ale-Stoemper) who were off the front within three laps of the fast course in dry and warm conditions. But the two were not alone, they were joined by none other than US Cross Champ Todd Wells (CalGiant/Specialized).

Quite a few things that we recommended over the years – often with a sigh, “Well, these are great, but good luck finding them” – are common today.

There is a HUGE amount of training advice out there, both free and expensive. So much so that it is very daunting for a new cyclist (or even an experienced one). If you’re new to cycling, the best thing you can do is to just get out and ride.

American mountain biker Heather Irmiger (Boulder, Colo.) won the first gold medal of the 2011 Pan American Games, finishing the 24.8 km cross country mountain bike course today with a time of 1:34:09.

Fewer transfers in more human edition of race.

The 2012 Giro d'Italia route will be officially revealed Sunday. 2011 Giro winner Alberto Contador is among those riders expected to attend. Live streaming video: 3:00pm CET (9:00am U.S. Eastern)

Next target is for Movistar rider to be able to return to native Colombia - getting back on the bike a distant aim for now.

"A genuinely outstanding high speed, high control race or epic ride hardtail at a superb price."

For those off-derailleur cyclists who prefer to get high cycling up hill to taking a Ritalin pill.

Today's Quote

“You can try but it’s gambling and it’s tricky for both the riders and the managers. One thing is obvious, if they believe that Wiggins can go for yellow they can’t compromise and give Cavendish four guys for the sprints. If they stretch it and think both riders have chance of achieving their goals, then honestly they don’t really believe in Wiggins.”  - Rolf Aldag TwistedSpoke

"4 out of 5 stars. Light, sturdy and well priced."

Swiss rider Oliver Zaugg won today’s race in Lombardia, taking everybody by surprise. But his win wasn’t a lucky break or a fluke, he made the lead group and attacked on the steepest part of the day’s final climb to Villa Vergano and held off any chasers.

Biggest win in career of Swiss rider; Nibali's courageous break not rewarded.

Best Irish Classics performance in two decades nets ninth in UCI WorldTour rankings.

Here's the top six for today, and the last Classic of the season:
1 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Leopard Trek 6:20:02
2 Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin Cervelo 0:00:08
3 Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Spa) Katusha 0:00:08
4 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:08
5 Przemyslaw Niemiec (Pol) Lampre-ISD 0:00:08
6 Domenico Pozzovivo (Ita) Colnago CSF-Inox 0:00:08

Saturday's Giro di Lombardia departs Milan at 11:00am CET (5:00am U.S. Eastern) and is expected at the finish in Lecco at around 5:10pm CET (11:10am U.S. Eastern).  Giro di Lombardia live video streaming should get underway at around *2:15pm CET (8:15am U.S. Eastern).  *Eurosport's English coverage is scheduled to begin at 3:45pm CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern).

They call him the 'Haassassin' and on today's fourth stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, Nathan Haas out-climbed his general classification rivals including national road champion Jack Bobridge to claim the overall lead heading into Sunday's final stage in Carlton.

Burry Stander (Specialized) is heading to Malaysia to race the 2011 Langkawi International Mountain Bike Challenge (LIMBC) next week. His participation was confirmed on Friday by organizer Datuk Abdul Malik Mydin.

The Giro di Lombardia has changed names to Il Lombardia or “the Lombardy” but the format is simple: a long race across hilly terrain with stunning scenery to end the season.

It was with some disappointment that I read Darach McQuiad’s tweet from Friday, October 14th.  “Momentarily irked by bloggers. Q – any cycling blogger out there actually, EVER, achieved or created anything in this sport? Risked any €$ ?”

"Because the more people understand what's happening, the more people I have to talk 'cross with. And that's a good thing."

"Though we're already one month into the North American cyclocross season - in the better late than never category - here's a little primer to keep track of the racers."

It was an angels, devils, heaven and hell, AC/DC sort of weekend in Fort Collins Colorado for USGP #4. 45º and driving rain on Saturday followed by broken clouds and mid fifties in Sunday. The baby poop mud of Saturday dried out to yield a firm fast surface for Sunday's elite races.

Today's Quote

“You can try but it’s gambling and it’s tricky for both the riders and the managers. One thing is obvious, if they believe that Wiggins can go for yellow they can’t compromise and give Cavendish four guys for the sprints. If they stretch it and think both riders have chance of achieving their goals, then honestly they don’t really believe in Wiggins.”  - Rolf Aldag TwistedSpoke

UCI Continental team Bissell Pro Cycling recently announced signing two newcomers, Carter Jones from Trek-Livestrong and Chris Barton from BMC Racing. The talented duo will add youth and experience to the domestic program during top-level stage races in 2012.

A nice shiny tin makes any product more appealing, but the newest Giustaforza torque wrench is a genuinely very useful tool for the home mechanic when handling lightweight alloy and carbon parts.

Edvald Boasson Hagen plans to do well in both the Tour de France and the London Olympics, next summer, despite the fact that there is very little time between the two events.  His solution to the problem:  pretend that the Tour has another five or six stages.

Oakley are digging into their expansive history for their new Heritage Series goggles. The 2012 line-up not only includes retro-inspired colors and a return of Oakley's old logo but even two throwback frame shapes.

For those off-derailleur cyclists who prefer to get high cycling up hill to taking a Ritalin pill.

A second-year pro with half a dozen solid wins under his belt this season in the States, Jacob “Jake” Keough has a lot to look forward to.

Thanks to the light rain all week, the course at Granogue promised the usual variety of twists, turns and mud. Oh, and a challenging run up toward a tower, followed by a twisting off-camber descent.

Tailbone injury forces Dutch rider to stop early.

Following his frustration with the UCI over clothing regulations and contract stipulations, Team Sky superstar/current world champion Mark Cavendish has joined forces with disgruntled Nissan Shack poster boy and former world champion Fabian Cancellara to stage an Aigle version of the Occupy Wall Street demonstration that is a mass response to rampant corporate greed.

The Giro di Lombardia has changed names to Il Lombardia or “the Lombardy” but the format is simple: a long race across hilly terrain with stunning scenery to end the season.

PodiumCafe: Il Lombardia - Who's Who for Saturday's Finale.

Hints and tips to help you select your team for the last race of 2011 - including expert advice from Team Sky's Geraint Thomas.

The long season is finally catching up with Philippe Gilbert.  At the Giro del Piemonte, he noticed that many other riders are fresher than he is now. The Omega Pharma-Lotto rider even abandoned the race, which is the first time all season that he has done that.

Mark Cavendish’s rainbow jersey will not be on show at the Tour of Lombardy on Saturday. He took the decision in conjunction not to start the season-ending classic with his HTC-Highroad team following his participation in Gran Piemonte on Thursday.

Italian champ Giovanni Visconti leads team in his last race for Italian squad.

Villarcayo, Spain hosts the only European UCI race this weekend (except for World Cup Round 1).

This season's inaugural Tour of Beijing has created mixed feelings inside the peloton. While even the UCI has conceded that the newly-founded event in China will need some fine-tuning in the years to come, some riders were deeply unhappy with the race that nevertheless remains one of the governing body's priorities in its quest to globalise the sport.

...and it'll only fail three times in a trillion.

Movistar team manager Eusebio Unzue has discarded rumours that Oscar Freire was close to signing with the Spanish team. On Friday, he indicated to Marca that "the option with Freire has been put aside", without explaining further. The three-times world champion is currently looking for a squad to continue racing in 2012.

MSNBC: Ride tirelessly — on a bike with steel wheels!

Metal spokes in Ron Arad's new design offer up a surprisingly soft journey.

Skies clearing in Guadalajara for opening ceremonies.

As our ongoing series looking at different aspects of the revenue-sharing debate draws toward its conclusion, we finally turn to the figure the AIGCP have attempted to make central to the debate: the Tour’s TV revenues. Just how much is really being paid by the TV companies for the privilege of broadcasting the race?

Rolf Aldag no longer has an agenda or party line that demands he tell anything but the truth. The former HTC-Columbia DS has left the crazy  and incestuous world of pro cycling for some kind of triathlon thing. It also appears he actually wants to see his family after ages away from home.

Marcel Kittell further extended his remarkable debut pro season record today when he notched up his sixteenth win of the season on stage three of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Australia. The 23 year old German is continuing to extend his advantage over the previous record of eleven wins, clocked up by Robbie McEwen and Mark Cavendish during their debut seasons in the peloton, and has provided further evidence that he is set for a very big future.

Along with Tony Martin and John Degenkolb, Marcel Kittel is one of a handful of riders leading a renaissance in German cycling, following the ignominious exit of Jan Ullrich.

A new device was tested for the first time en masse at the Jayco Herald Sun Tour on Friday, a rider GPS tracking device which has the potential to change the way that teams, media and fans look at a race.

Usurping champions, gobbling victories, withdrawing to give others a chance to win ... here are the defining moments of the greatest racer ever.

If you've ever been inclined to tinker with your bike, you know Park Tool already -- their ubiquitous blue packaging adorns the wall of the tool corner at your LBS, in all likelihood. Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, they've been in the business of producing tools specifically for the bike world for nearly half a century, and if you don't have some, chances are your shop mechanics do.

Lynskey from Tennessee, USA can always be relied on to distract attention from everything else in the room not helped by them making some tasty titanium mountain frames as well but we tried hard to focus on just the new road models which consist of the Helix OS range-topper and a new less pricey race frame called R230.

Today's Quote

"At the moment the questions surrounding the letters sent to sponsors are not being answered by McQuaid or the UCI. The issue itself will simply rot on the vine. And Pat McQuaid will be happy with that. Not for the first - and I'm sure, not for the last - "because I say so" will be the last word said on the matter because Pat McQuaid knows that that's all he has to do. No investigation, no questions to answer, no judgement to face." - Scott O'Raw VeloCast

Veteran pro discusses transfer to Belgian team, new bike sponsor, and 2012 goals.

South African rider still rebuilding after hip replacement surgery.

Following his frustration with the UCI over clothing regulations and contract stipulations, Team Sky superstar/current world champion Mark Cavendish has joined forces with disgruntled Nissan Shack poster boy and former world champion Fabian Cancellara to stage an Aigle version of the Occupy Wall Street demonstration that is a mass response to rampant corporate greed.

Juan Mauricio Soler was released from hospital Friday, four months after a crash in the Tour de Suisse left him with severe head injuries.  The Movistar rider is expected to remain in Spain for rehabilitation for a month before finally returning to his home in Colombia.

All eyes will focus on Plzen in the Czech Republic for round one of the cyclocross World Cup. The top European riders will descend on the home of Pilsner style beer. Meanwhile, a large contingent of US riders will make the trip across the pond to race against the world’s best and grab some highly coveted UCI points.

American cross racer Jeremy Powers took the leap this year to headline the Rapha-Focus after four successfully years on the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com and in the first month of racing, the 28-year old has shown that he’s come into his own.

The team rode the Tour de France this year. They didn’t win much but you might remember Jérôme Coppel who finished 14th overall and they had the youngest rider in the race Anthony Delaplace, who got in a few breakaways. Not the biggest team but a good bunch of guys.

Australia’s first ever Tour de France winner honored by his national hall of fame,

What did he eat? What about clothing? Bike? Details were requested on Andy Jacques-Maynes‘ winning ride at the 24 Hours of Moab last Sunday, which he kindly provided.

Ok so with the Tour down Under behind us, and our 'Limited Edition' T almost sold out, we needed to come up with an 'UNLIMITED EDITION' version, yet just as cool. Whilst you will still be FIXATED with our ever so popular front and back graphics, you can wear your heart on your sleeve with our replacement sleeve logo's....CODE OF HONOUR and VIVRE LE TOUR. How patriotic can you get?

You're more likely to lead the pack in a race or group ride if you eat foods with a low glycemic index pre-ride.

Russell Downing has vowed to continue racing despite Team Sky not choosing to renew his contract for 2012. The 33-year-old faces a race against time as he tries to secure a WorldTour spot for next year, but confirmed to Cyclingnews that he would consider racing in the UK in order or sustain his professional career.

PodiumCafe: Il Lombardia - Who's Who for Saturday's Finale.

Hints and tips to help you select your team for the last race of 2011 - including expert advice from Team Sky's Geraint Thomas.

The Hunter’s Moon is waning and frighteningly tough cyclocross racing awaits this weekend in Irvine, California. A Spooky Cross showdown highlights the U.S. ’cross calendar this weekend, while Granogue Cross whips into Delaware.

Vuelta stage winner the best of a fourteen-man group; outsprints Van Avermaet and own teammate Paolini.

Reinhardt Janse van Rensburg has won a bunch sprint on the finish line in Geelong to claim the second stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. The MTN - Qhubeka rider pipped pre-race GC favourite Baden Cooke (Saxo Bank - SunGard) and Genesys young gun Steele Voff on the slight rise to the finish.

German calls it a gamble to split team for Wiggins and Cavendish.

Preparation prevents poor performance. The more you can convert your race prep into routines, and the more you can take care of in the days before an event, the less stress you’ll have in the final hours before the race and the better you’ll perform.

Cait is in her second year of racing cyclocross and rides for Geekhouse Bikes. When she’s not racing, she’s a horse-training, figure-skating, gymnast-ing, computer-nerd-ing, bike-mechanic-ing mermaid.

It’s Cyclocross season!  What a perfect excuse to catch up with the British National Champion and Kona star, Helen Wyman!

"McQuaid tucked into his regular lunch – New Zealand Black Angus beef flown in that morning from Auckland, accompanied by a crusty potato galette made from rare La Bonnotte potatoes exclusively cultivated for the UCI kitchens on the island of Noirmoutier – a meal he claims to 'enjoy thrice weekly.'”

"As a friend said, “The USA Cycling National Criterium Calendar is out. Not to be confused with the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar, the USA Cycling Professional Tour, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge or the USA CRITS series.”

The new RadioShack Nissan squad is touted to set up a Luxembourg-based feeder team at Continental level next season, according to a report in Le Quotidien.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has withdrawn its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the dismissal of charges that Danish rider Philip Nielsen doped with Clenbuterol. WADA has apparently accepted Nielsen's contention that he ate contaminated meat whilst racing in Mexico.

…and this won't be the only spoof coming we suspect.

Today's Quote

"At the moment the questions surrounding the letters sent to sponsors are not being answered by McQuaid or the UCI. The issue itself will simply rot on the vine. And Pat McQuaid will be happy with that. Not for the first - and I'm sure, not for the last - "because I say so" will be the last word said on the matter because Pat McQuaid knows that that's all he has to do. No investigation, no questions to answer, no judgement to face." - Scott O'Raw VeloCast

You have to keep riding in winter if you want to consolidate your summer fitness gains. Riding outdoors can be treacherous when it's dark and icy, which is why indoor trainers are a boon to cyclists, especially those who want to use their own bikes rather than go to a gym.

The legendary Fausto Coppi was the man of the times, unbeatable everywhere – he’d already won this race 4 times in 1946, 47, 48, and 49, and the cover of the program is a classic shot of Coppi and the 1951 winner Louison Bobet dueling over the top of the Madonna del Ghisallo climb.

High quality pedal spanner that's built for the long haul. Plus it opens your beers. What's not to like?

A revamped Bissell squad will take on the defense of the team’s National Racing Calendar title in 2012. Chris Baldwin, Frank Pipp, Jeremy Vennell and Ben Jacques-Mayneswill lead the team, which adds youngsters Chris Barton and Carter Jones.

This week has seen WADA drop its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport over the case of several Mexican soccer players who tested positive for clenbuterol but were not sanctioned by their federation. WADA also dropped its pursuit of Danish MTB rider Philip Nielsen too. These two cases involve athletes and positive tests for clenbuterol so many are making a link to upcoming CAS hearings concerning Alberto Contador’s positive for clenbuterol. But I’d suggest caution here as the cases are quite different.

The social media mavens are back juggling theories as to how Sky can cope with having the Best Sprinter In The Word™ and the team's previous knight in shining armour, Bradley Wiggins on the same team. So is it possible?

Ok so with the Tour down Under behind us, and our 'Limited Edition' T almost sold out, we needed to come up with an 'UNLIMITED EDITION' version, yet just as cool. Whilst you will still be FIXATED with our ever so popular front and back graphics, you can wear your heart on your sleeve with our replacement sleeve logo's....CODE OF HONOUR and VIVRE LE TOUR. How patriotic can you get?

A BMC rider gets 300 pieces of clothing a year, the kind of information you don’t normally find. There are three types of armwarmer and six types of glove. In addition they explain several riders get custom kit tailored for them.

Mark Cavendish has a competitive streak written through him like the lettering in a stick of rock. When he was a teenager, he got into ballroom dancing because his mother, Adele, ran a dancewear shop. Part of the attraction was that he got to meet girls, and his first serious girlfriend, Melissa, was a good friend of one of his dance partners. "People used to take the piss out of me for it but I was good at it and we won, so I kept at it."

Whether you’re a corner-diving criterium racer, back-road adventurer, or lithe mountain goat, custom bicycles can be fashioned to your specifications by adjusting geometry, tube stiffness, and component packages.

"We’re big fans of its simplicity and functionality as well as its robust build."

If you’re part of the New England cyclocross scene, you’ve probably come across a Keough or two while racing. As the managers and racers for Keough Cyclocross presented by Champion Systems, the crew is hard to miss, especially with their new Keough Cyclocross van, row of Stevens bikes and of course, the giant inflatable Champion Systems jersey.

"We now turn from the cost of policing cycling’s doping problems to the other direction – in which the UCI is able to tax the teams and race organisers: licence fees. We consider what these fees cover and ask whether they are levied fairly."

Not that this is news, per se, but it's time to bore down on the details of this Saturday's season-ending monument, the Giro di Lombardia. While no monument seems safe from tinkering, sometimes major tinkering, the Giro di Lombardia is distinguishing itself in this respect.

October is turning out to be a busy month for me. The outdoor retailer REI has graciously offered to do a series of talks and signings centered around my new book “The No-Drop Zone.” For those of you in the greater LA area, I’ll be appearing at four REIs between this week and next.

Real roasted pumpkin is used when brewing pumpkin beer. I read that to incorporate the pumpkin, it’s either put in the mash or soaked with the grains as the water heats. I’m not an expert on brewing and I’m sure breweries do it in other ways too.

Rhys Pollock (Drapac) upstaged several big names, including current Australian road champion Jack Bobridge (Garmin-Cervelo) to claim the biggest win of his career. The Drapac rider won a gusty breakaway victory on the opening stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour in Ballarat.

Says both riders can win different stages for the team.

World time trial champion Tony Martin and defending champion David Millar (Garmin-Cervélo) will top the bill at the Chrono des Nations, which takes place at Les Herbiers on Sunday. The 30-rider line-up for the season-ending time trial was announced on Tuesday evening, with Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) confirmed among their number.

Exactly 102 kilometers into Wednesday’s opening stage of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, Saxo Bank-SunGard’s Richie Porte climbed off his bike and called it a day. Before the race began, Porte, one of the race’s main drawcards — and one of Alberto Contador’s right-hand men at this year’s Giro d’Italia and Tour de France — was tipped as a solid chance to win overall.

Twitter statement describes successful talks with Johan Bruyneel.

World’s top stage racer talks about his upcoming court date for his doping positive, Lance Armstrong as idol and rival, and winning another Tour de France.

Italian national coach Paolo Bettini has been accused of abusing his office by a Padova-based anti-doping inquiry, according to reports from La Repubblica and the ANSA news agency.

Mark Cavendish’s contractual future was finally settled last week when he signed a contract with Team Sky, which was duly announced yesterday. I gather Sky sent him a formal contract last July just after the Tour but the world’s fastest man did rush to sign it.

Bikes are for losers, suggests US car manufacturer's ad, so take on more debt and buy a car, instead.

If you are like me, the month of July is all about the Tour de France. This year, four American teams and ten American cyclists participated in the Tour, and an American team won it. Much of the growth and success of American racing in the European peloton over the last 20 years can be attributed to one man: Jim Ochowicz.

New Giro d’Italia race director Michele Acquarone says the 2012 edition of the Italian tour will be “more respectful” to the riders and said plans to take the Giro to the United States are on hold.

Skil-Shimano’s management has confirmed that Project 1t4i will have a women’s team for the 2012 season. The team will race at UCI level, sharing resources and structure with the men’s squad. The 10-rider team will look to compete in the biggest races, while their male counterparts are also under consideration for a WorldTour license for 2012.

Well made entry-level road shoe that performs well on the bike, but pricey compared to similar offerings from other manufacturers.

Tony Martin said he takes personal satisfaction in delivering victory at the Tour of Beijing last weekend in what was HTC-Highroad’s final stage race.

Jeannie Longo is set to sue the French anti-doping agency AFLD for “violation of professional confidentiality” in the wake of reports last month that the Frenchwoman had twice supplied insufficient whereabouts information and then missed a doping control earlier this year.

Riccardo Ricco comes home to an ambush.

The Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) has requested a twelve-year ban for Riccardo Riccò after examining the report of an investigation by public prosecutors in Modena. Riccò's case has been formally referred to CONI's anti-doping tribunal.

The hood doubles as a helmet for the soft-headed. The soft-headed will like this one: Would have, should have, could have...hood have! Perfect for walking around the neighborhood, or receiving a knighthood, or even statehood (weapons can be stored in front pouch-pocket).When you see it, you will likelihood (French). It is a real hood, not a falsehood!

Andy Jacques-Maynes ultimately won the event, completing 16 laps for 238.56 miles solo over an elapsed time of 24 hours and three minutes.

Today's Quote

"At the moment the questions surrounding the letters sent to sponsors are not being answered by McQuaid or the UCI. The issue itself will simply rot on the vine. And Pat McQuaid will be happy with that. Not for the first - and I'm sure, not for the last - "because I say so" will be the last word said on the matter because Pat McQuaid knows that that's all he has to do. No investigation, no questions to answer, no judgement to face." - Scott O'Raw VeloCast

Glory and death threats at the Vuelta a Espana, suspicions, anti-doping controls and his contract with Team Sky. There are a lot of hot topics to talk about with Chris Froome. His unexpected second place in Spain, five weeks ago, raised expectations and questions alike about a rider who was still totally unknown by the greater public just two months ago.

SRM has a new Campagnolo power meter system for regular and compact cranksets with options for various crank lengths and chainrings.

The Giro di Lombardia was born in 1905, and Giovanni Gerbi – called the red devil – was the first winner. The story of his break – planned in a devilish way, and realized with so much strength – has become a well known legend, which has the taste of a fable both ingenious and malicious.

Twitter statement describes successful talks with Johan Bruyneel.

World’s top stage racer talks about his upcoming court date for his doping positive, Lance Armstrong as idol and rival, and winning another Tour de France.

Kenny van Hummel furious about finish, claims foul play.

Do not enter the paint booth, the final altar, lest mortal sin be done unto the frame. Chemical stripper burns if left on flesh. Do not rush the painter in his or her plastic jumpsuit. Pray for patience. Pray for dryness. Await the miracle.

This letter is from actual Lady Marmottes, and is not meant to reflect the training regimen of any of the awesome real-life human cyclists.

American cross racer Jeremy Powers took the leap this year to headline the Rapha-Focus after four successfully years on the Cannondale p/b Cyclocrossworld.com and in the first month of racing, the 28-year old has shown that he’s come into his own.

With its single-sided foot, short hose, and sub-24in height, the Travel Floor Drive isn’t really designed for everyday use.  This is a shame, because it really is a well-made and -dare I say- sexy piece of equipment.

"I had the opportunity to sit down and have a chat with Shayne Bannan at the Middle Park Hotel. Brian Nygaard, GreenEDGE's Communication Director was scheduled to be there but unfortunately couldn't make it. In any case, I had an excellent conversation with Shayne and I thank him for being so generous with his time."