"Rock Racing made a big splash earlier this year in announcing a potent line up for 2009. Among the newly signed stars were sprinters Baden Cooke and Ivan Dominguez, and young Australian William Walker. However, all three of the above stars have signed with different teams for 2009, leading to some confusion about the validity of the Rock roster for 2009." - EuroPeloton

"He's definitely someone special and when you're riding around with someone like that (Armstrong) it's hard not to get taken in but I won't be concentrating on him. He's not going to be the big hot favourite for the race. There's going to be a lot of other guys out there who are possible winners before Lance. He's not going to be anywhere near the peak form he would be for the Tour de France." - Stuart O'Grady ESPN

"On the road it happens more easily and I was repeatedly told that one cannot just ride homeward after abandoning a race. Allowing this–although it is very sad for Page–would encourage others to benefit from this example,"  - Sven Nys CyclingNews

"I was hesitating whether to attack and battle for the victory or focus on defending my lead in the World Cup ranking.  Meanwhile Lars preferred to have somebody else win the race rather than having us battle for the win. It was impossible to work together with Boom" - Sven Nys CyclingNews

"No matter how much all-for-one-and-one-for-all talk we hear emanating from the Astana super squad, I have a hard time believing that the former Best Bike Racer on the Planet (and newly expecting father) will gracefully step aside for his anointed successor come the 2009 Tour. Instead, expect an all-out intra-squad battle with Lance playing the role of Bernie Hinault circa 1986, and Contador channeling his inner LeMond" - VeloNews

"The yellow jersey worn by Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre during the last stage of this year's race has been sold for 15,000 euros on an internet auction. Sastre said some of the proceeds from the sale will go to the Victor Sastre Sports Foundation, founded by and presided over by his father and which helps support children in need. A percentage of the sale will be donated to non-governmental organization SID-CAN, which helps cancer and AIDS sufferers." - RoadBikeAction

"After the resignation of the Euskaltel-Euskadi and Cofidis teams from the 2009 Giro, FdJ has confirmed that they will withdraw from the race as well. This may open the door for Carlos Sastre and his Cervelo Test Team to be invited." - BikeWorldNews

"I'm so loyal to (Astana Team manager) Johan Bruyneel, there's no way I'd cross him or race against him. This is a more interesting scenario in terms of our loyalty, the fact that I'm not the clear-cut winner anymore. But I'm a fair person. If I'm not the strongest, I'm not going to expect everyone to lay down. For me, it's more important to be honorable and fair throughout this process." - Lance Armstrong Detroit Free Press

"See some reports I'm racing La Sarthe-Loire (France) in April . Cool race... raced it before ... but no plans to be there in 2009. Thanks." - Lance Armstrong Twitter

"In all, 2008 was another topsy-turvy year for cycling but for fans drama was abundant from the spring one-day classics through the Olympics and the three Grand Tours to the end-of-season world championships." - Justin Davis iolSport

"Patrick Sinkewitz denied mentioning Andreas Kloden during his interrogation with Freiburg prosecutor Wolfgang Meier in connection with doping trips to the University Clinic in Freiburg (the “Rhine convoy”) to prior to the prelude of the 2006 Tour de France 2006." - BikeWorldNews

"A German news magazine is reporting today that Andreas Kloden, now riding for the Astana team, was part of the “Rhine Convoy” controversy supplying doping products to riders prior to the 2006 Tour de France. His name reportedly came up during interrogations of Patrik Sinkewitz when he was testifying in the interest of receiving some leniency in the affair." BikeWorldNews

“While our consumers’ strongest relationships are most often with their local bike shop, their personal satisfaction is our constant focus, and we want to do what we can to provide those cyclists relief from a tight economy and say thank you for their purchase,” - ABG (Litespeed) CEO Peter Hurley BicycleRetailer

"I just don't get the Giro love. Many people were no doubt drooling at the prospect of the 2009 race when the route was announced at the weekend, but the problem the Giro faces is how to regain its credibility after three farcical editions." - Lionel Birnie CyclingWeekly

"Three champions, three disciplines, three countries. Fabian Cancellara (road), Chris Hoy (track) and Sven Nys (cyclo-cross) have been voted the top sportspeople of 2008 in their respective countries: Switzerland, Great Britain and Belgium." - UCI

"The death of Rock Racing had been exaggerated. Spoke to team spokesperson and Rock will continue." neilroad on Twitter

"I had an agreement with Ridley and it just wasn’t coming to fruition. That’s why I switched to Blue Bicycles. I ended on good terms, it just didn’t work out. There wasn’t anything wrong with the bicycles or anything like that." - Jonathan Page cxmagazine

"Compton said she decided she preferred the shifting accuracy and comfort of the Shimano levers to Campy. She has long preferred the Campy parts in part because the Italian parts run the shifter cables under the handlebar tape. The new 7900 group is the first Shimano group to do the same. She is finding the Shimano levers are easier to use in heavy gloves and in bumpy terrain." - VeloNews

"In 100 years, the Giro has never had to take advantage of the name Evans to publicise itself. If Evans wants to come, he will nevertheless be welcomed." - Giro director Angelo Zomegnan YahooSport

"Madiot told L'Equipe last week. "I would never stop anyone from riding a bike. It would be the worst to incite anyone to make Armstrong crash. He has every right to remain in cycling, to promote his foundation against cancer – I would even be ready to help him. All I said was: you cannot build up the future with the past."  - CyclingNews

"I'm a little out of the loop right now on the subject. I don't know if I'm under reacting or if everyone else is over reacting. I still feel comfortable with Michael [Ball] and my relationship." - Rahsaan Bahati CyclingNews

“First of all, I’m happy that I had to chance to prove that I was innocent. I have a lot of respect for the work the Luxembourg Anti-Doping Agency had to do and I have been totally available for all their inquiries. Throughout the whole process I have been confident that I would come out good because I have a completely clear conscience. Now, I can focus on the new season and I’m looking forward to coming back strong.” - Fränk Schleck RoadBikeReview

"According to the Gazet van Antwerpen Tom Boonen not only used cocaine but Ecstasy as well. Boonen tested positive for cocaine at an out-of-competition test the end of May. Boonen denied using the drug, but sportwereld.be reported that a hair-sample test showed that he used the drug "often" over a period of months." - RoadBikeAction

"There may be hope for the riders left off Rock's Continental roster. Riders can transfer onto a Continental team, but only in June. And after August 1, riders younger than 23 can join the team under certain conditions.  And last year Rock Racing added Tyler Hamilton and Oscar Sevilla to its squad after the UCI's December deadline for roster submission, so there appears to be some wiggle room in the regulations." - VeloNews

"If you are around the best, you become the best you can become. Maybe next year or in Tours to come, I will have a chance for myself. It‘s no problem riding for Lance instead of Jan, you know, they are different people but, no problem.” - Andreas Kloden  (VeloNews)

"Armstrong is riding for free in his bid to promote his global campaign against cancer. Bruyneel said he doesn’t know if Armstrong will extend the comeback for another year, but he is ready for any eventuality, including an exit by Armstrong during this season." - ESPN

"I've maintained that I've never doped in my life," Armstrong said. "There's not anything else I can do, except for repeating this and repeating this, and I'm sure I'll have to repeat it all year."  However, Armstrong remains puzzled by the mixed reception, especially after spending the week before Astana's camp in Nice. There, a restaurant gave him a standing ovation and a push to win an eighth Tour title next July. "In my mind, I say what the hell is the problem here?" Armstrong said. "I don't know if it's a regional thing ... France isn't full of haters." - ESPN

"BMC is the only American team that has been awarded a Pro Continental license. "It is an honor to be representing the United States on this list and we are proud of our team's American-Swiss structure," directeur sportif John Lelangue said." - CyclingNews

"Had some questions about training in Astana gear. I'll ride/train in Livestrong kit, race in Astana. Priority #1 is the LS global campaign." - Lance Armstrong (Twitter)

"Francaise des Jeux manager Marc Madiot mocked any concerns that Armstrong might have about safety, and took a not-so-subtle dig at his home state of Texas. "You can tell him simply that France isn't Texas. We're not in the Far West in France," Madiot said. "We are honest and respectful people. That's all." - ESPN

"Just did an interview with AP announcing I am doing the Tour de France in 2009" - Lance Armstrong

"French was banned in 2004 for two years from competition and for life by the Australian Olympic Committee after cleaners found packages of banned substances in his room. But the Court of Arbitration for Sport later overturned the sanctions, ruling that there was no scientific evidence which proved that French had been taking a banned equine growth hormone or that he was trafficking in illegal substances." - ESPN

"The UCI has begun performing baseline tests, and under Catlin's program, Armstrong would presumably be tested the same way. Catlin also wants to freeze samples of Armstrong's blood for tests in the future." - ESPN

"For me, it's a pleasure to be in the same team as a man whom I have always admired." - Alberto Contador (Yahoo)

"The most overlooked advantage to owning a computer is that if they foul up there's no law against wacking them around a little."  - Joe Martin

"The wave of doping cases in cycling may not be over. UCI president Pat McQuaid confirmed that "some" cyclists are being investigated under the results of the biological passport. More recently this month, UCI anti-doping commission head Anne Gripper had already revealed that the UCI is currently examining suspect profiles that could lead to the opening of a disciplinary procedure. McQuaid said that, "Based on conspicuous results from the newly-introduced blood profiles, there will be some positive cases," according to German press agencies." CyclingNews

"Your body is programmed to keep your body in equilibrium. When it senses that you are not eating enough it will regulate your calories burned so that you don’t starve. By skipping meals, not eating when you are truly hungry or simply not eating enough at a meal your body will self-regulate and feel the need to hold on to body fat." - RoadBikeAction

"In my opinion, this trophy is the greatest in the world because it is awarded by the whole specialized press.  Last year, it was already a big surprise but this year I thought it would be very difficult to win it because I did not ride in the Tour de France. Actually, I did not think I would win it," - Alberto Contador (ESPN)

"The hearing was held behind closed doors, and it was not immediately clear whether Kohl had revealed how he got the performance enhancing drug. "I've made my statement and I've been honest," Kohl said without elaborating. "If it's appreciated (by NADA), it will be a good sign for the sport."' - ESPN

"At a fine Boulder establishment, dinner was somewhat different from the rest as the riders provided some of the entertainment of the night by signing a song for the staff, with our mechanic Damo on the electric guitar, Wiggins on lead vocals, which was fitting as he really looks the part of a British rocker, and the rest of the team filling in the chorus. We definitely won’t be up for any awards in the music world but we were at least very entertaining I would have to say." - Christian Meier (Pedal)

"If you’re new to commuting, try a few weekend “shakedown cruises” before you commit. This way, you’ll see how your cargo-carrying system works and you’ve got time to select the best route (fastest or most scenic) without the stress of arriving at work on time." - BicycleTouringPro

"The man who reads nothing at all is better educated than the man who reads nothing but newspapers." - Thomas Jefferson

"With experienced mentors like Olympians Dede Barry and Mari Holden, along with current pros Amber Neben, Tina Pic, Kim Anderson and others, the USWCDP helps young riders like Mara Abbott, Katharine Carroll and many more to race better, find teams and become professional bike racers." - Marisa Asplund, CyclingNews

"Two Colombian Senior riders, Uriel Pérez and Jorge Ramírez, have perished in a crash while racing the Clásica Nacional de Aguazul in Casanare, Central Colombia, on Tuesday this week. According to local authorities, the two riders were hit by a truck coming the opposite way. Fifteen other riders were also involved in the accident, and suffered various injuries." - CyclingNews

"I wouldn’t jump the barriers that were faster to run nor would I jump them in a race with 20 people around unless you are really comfortable. Competitors can mess you up, even if it’s not intentional. They can trip themselves, tangle you in their web and that’s not fun. (It may be funny to watch later on youtube, but it’s gonna hurt, most likely.)" - Jeremy Powers (VeloNews)

"Ivan Basso, who is returning from a suspension, will be the hardest rival to beat. Damiano Cunego? The Italians will all be ready, but Basso was the only one capable to battle Armstrong in two Tours." - Johan Bruyneel (CyclingNews)

"Don't ride too far to the right or weave between parked cars. You're less likely to be seen. And when the road is narrow, riding along the edge can invite unsafe passing." - David Allen (Sacramento Bee)

"Dahms is a cheat. I don't want his dirty money. Dahms lied in my face, although he knew he was broke. If I do get anything from him, then I will donate it to a children's charity." - Jan Ullrich in CyclingNews

"With riders like Riccardo Riccò making it to the Tour de France still bold enough to use new versions of EPO, the UCI's biological passport is seen as the one system which should deter riders from doping. However, even though the agency has collected enough data on the ProTour and wild card team riders to generate complete profiles, and passed a "no start rule" for riders with suspicious values, no rider has even been kept out of competition or punished for doping based on the passport data." CyclingNews

"The UCI's biological passport program should soon reveal the first cases of riders suspected of cheating during the 2008 season. Anti-doping experts are currently examining about 800 medical files of top level pros that have been tested since the inception of the program in the beginning of the year, and are expected to inform the UCI of cases susceptible for doping charges during the month of November." - CyclingNews

"Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the holidays and the beginning of the long difficult road to start training again." - Eric Kenney RoadBikeReview

"It’s a razor-thin line that we as athletes walk between being extremely lean and fit on the one edge, and the precipice of overtraining and increased risk of infections and illness on the other." - Dr. Stephen Cheung, Ph.D. in PezCyclingNews

"And herein is the fear concerning the new cosiness in the relationship between UCI and ASO. A year ago Prudhomme would not have stood idly by as McQuaid displayed his lack of enthusiasm for retroactive testing. And, now, in this less rancorous UCI-ASO world, what do you imagine Monsieur Prudhomme would say if Monsieur Bordry called up and said, "Bonjour Christian, I am sure we now have a foolproof test for autologous blood transfusions, do you want us to re-test samples from the Tours of 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008?  Sadly, I'm no longer sure of the answer either." - David Walsh in CyclingNews

"I don’t need Simeoni’s permission to come back. My intent is pure, it’s a reality, and we are moving forward with it.” - Lance Armstrong in VeloNews

“Everything has an expiration date, but I am still in time, I am active and I am knocking on some foreign doors, especially in Italy, but for the moment, nothing is certain.”  - Roberto Heras in VeloNews

“I don’t accept or recognize Armstrong’s return.  A big champion ought to know when to say enough is enough. It looks like he couldn’t stand this time away from the front pages." - Filippo Simeoni in VeloNews

"World time trial champion Amber Neben got her preparation for the 2009 season off to a bad start when she crashed and broke her elbow on her very first training ride for the new season. Neben's new team, Equipe Nürnberger Versicherung, announced Friday morning that the 33 year-old will only be able to do limited training in the next four weeks" - CyclingNews

"There were a few loose technology tie ins: He (Armstrong) has recently started Twittering (only 10 days into it and eager for followers); and had some things to say about using social networks to drive change in diet, fitness and lifestyle; he also took a shot at Broadcom’s ex CEO Henry Nicholas." - InformationWeek

"He's right, I am older. I raced with Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche, Miguel Indurain and Greg Lemond of all people. I have been around a long time and I don't know who the hell Linus Gerdemann is, but I know that when I rolled up in 1992, I started winning races. And when I roll up in 2009, I am gonna be winning races. He better hope he doesn't get in a breakaway with me because I can still ride hard." - Lance Armstrong SoCalCycling

"He used coke often for a couple of months. Then he stopped. We infer that from the fact that hair grows one centimetre per month and there is no drug trace in the newest hair growth." - CyclingNews

"Just spent a coupla hours with the Navy Seals here in SD. Did the O course (you tube it). Insanity. Don't tell Johan please. Heroes there." - Lance Armstrong on Twitter

"I am frightened that we will not be presented in the press in the same light as before, there have never been any apologies for the reports" - Andy Schleck in CyclingNews

"Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks." - Doug Larson

"Finished with the Tour de Greune TTT. College and I smoked 'em. Won by 3 mins. Felt better today." - Lance Armstrong on Twitter

"Just finished Greune. Hard effort. Been awhile since I've done that!!" - Lance Armstrong on Twitter

"Lance won Tour de Greune TT. not a bad performance but still as long way to go to TDF fitness. Going to the wind tunnel soon!"  Chris Carmichael on Twitter

"I saw Floyd the other day and he looked great. We will see how he holds up when he returns to top levels of training and competition." - Dr. Brent Kay in Bicycling

"Jeannie Longo is celebrating her 50th anniversary today, October 31. The most successful female cyclist ever still races on a competitive level. The French cyclist achieved her first victories in the late 70s, notably taking the first of her 55 French Championship titles in 1979. More than 1,000 victories followed, including 38 world records and a total of 106 medals at the Olympic Games, the Worlds and the French Championships." - CyclingNews

"Spanish newspaper ABC is reporting that documents from the Guardia Civil pertaining to Operacion Puerto and Dr. Fuentes already mentioned CERA. As in, Eufemiano Fuentes was giving CERA to his clients. It was generally assumed that CERA made its appearance this year, but this little news blurb calls that into question." - PezCyclingNews

"It's an embarrassment in this day and age that there is a discrepancy between male and female events. We're not living in the dark ages here." - Victoria Pendleton in YahooSport

"Bike dots – or "bicycle detector pavement markings," as they're officially called – are traffic sensors sensitive enough to detect cyclists stopped at a red light, just like they do for cars." - TheStar

"Landis' position has always been that he didn't do what he is accused of, and he has been trying to find out why the tests have reported incorrect results. The IRMS test is complicated and subject to many possible errors and interpretations that can lead to erroneous conclusions."  "At the same time, the WADA Code's adjudication procedures are not designed to reveal such errors, but to find the accused guilty." - David Brower in VeloNews

“I’m free floating at the moment, but I’m talking to some teams back in Australia and try to sort something out there. A lot of teams in America are closing, but a lot of teams in Australia are starting. There seems to be a lot of money in cycling at Australia at the moment.” - Ryan Sullivan in VeloNews

"Little Cassy Wilson has lived through a cancerous brain tumour and gruelling radiotherapy, but still thinks she can beat champion Lance Armstrong in a bike race." - AdelaideNow

"The situation has now become so serious that only with extreme measures can we have any hope of giving credibility back to our beloved sport and - even more importantly for us - to our cyclists," said ACCPI president Amedeo Colombo in a letter to UCI chief Pat McQuaid." - YahooSport

"This year’s number 1, Carlos Sastre, will have a “reinforced” Evans, a “returned” Contador and maybe even some Texan fella to contend with in 2009, provided his new Cervelo Test Team actually gets an invite to the race!" - PezCyclingNews

"Now looking at the TdF route for 2009. Sure would like to erase those Ventoux dreams/nightmares." -Lance Armstrong on Twitter (lancearmstrong)

"We've been given a gift in the form of a Team Time Trial in the 2009 Tour by ASO. Now we need to say thank you, by winning it." - JV on Twitter (TeamSlipstream)

"I stopped racing the day after the World Championship and took part only in a few criteriums since then. As for now I am running a little bit every day and do some fitness now and then. In two weeks from now I will take my bike again, the mountain bike one in a first time. It is important to rest, most of all mentally for a while before starting training again on the bike." - Alejandro Valverde, Roadcycling Interview

"On October 25th in Guelstein, Germany, Gerolsteiner is organizing an everything must go sale. "Bicycles, frames, clothing, radios, massage tables...it is an ideal opportunity to obtain a special souvenir." For more information, contact Gerolsteiner at Hans-M.Holczer@t-online.de or Tel # (+49) 70.32.95.64.44" - RoadBikeAction

"Lance is already confirmed, Basso is going as well, and now Carlos Sastre says that he is 95% sure that he wants to go for the Giro-Tour double next season.  Saturday's victor in Como, Damiano Cunego, also has his sights set on the 100th Giro" - PezCyclingNews

"China now is the world's major supplier of low-cost bicycles, while Taiwan retains its edge in high-end products such as racing-style, mountain and folding bikes" - AFP

"To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself." - Albert Einstein

"Let’s hear it for Levi. How about the most selfless and egoless rider in the peloton. He is a work horse and is simply happy to be racing. Do you ever hear that guy complain? He didn’t defend his USA Championship jersey so that his teammate might have the fastest triple crown ever." - W. Andrew Corbin, VeloNews

"Jeanne Longo, the greatest women cyclist in history, likes to race in the United States. Maybe she'll show up. Or perhaps Olympic and world titlist Kristin Armstrong will come to town. But where are the Amgen PR reps? Hey, Medalist Sports, what’s shakin? How about you folks at the Sacramento Sports Commission? Is anyone home?" - James Raia, Cycling Examiner

"The only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable."  - John Kenneth Galbraith

"Oddly, teams seem to misgauge the calendar and their rosters year after year. With good form and motivation a rider and his team could perform tremendously in some of the most beautiful races of the year if they only timed their peak fitness a little better." - Michel Barry, VeloNews (article)

"One of Kohl's Gerolsteiner teammates, Markus Fothen, told the dpa agency that he was "speechless" on hearing the news. Especially since Kohl, "had tears in his eyes during the Tour as we all raged against the dopers," because "they are destroying everything'." - CyclingNews (article)

"I should say right now that this is probably going to earn me some hate mail, or maybe stacks of projects on my doorstep to fill my newfound free time. Either way, no sympathy asked for here. The off-season is like being retired, but better:" - Will Frischkorn, VeloNews (article)

"Not having taken part in the Giro was one of my biggest regrets as a rider. Finally I will be able to do it." - Lance Armstrong, YahooSports (article)

"They say fortune favors the brave – it worked out for Gilbert this afternoon, with a well-deserved win for one of the sport’s ‘clean’ riders." - Gordan Cameron, PezCyclingNews (article)

"And I've really decided that I'm walking away from professional cycling – period. I'm just not going to be a part of it. I'm going to still be in the bike business, because I still love cycling, and I'll still go and do Gran Fondos. To me, cycling needs to be more about the purity and the fun and doing your personal best." Greg LeMond, BikeRadar (article)

"La Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting that up to 30 riders are being investigated from the Tour de France for blood anomalies that could indicate blood transfusions. Officials are saying that they hope to catch previously undetectable cases of autologous blood transfusion - when the athlete receives transfusions of their own stored blood." - CanadianCyclist (article)

"Not sure when, but the sooner someone tells the head of French Doping that a Transfusion means blood out, then back in, and is not just a sample - the better. And one would think a guy in that position would have the lingo down… Of course I could be wrong if Bordry's got 35 pro cyclists stuffed in a freezer awaiting testing, and I haven’t seen several of the top pros lately…" - PezCyclingNews (article)

"It is a great honor to be recognized by the AACI, especially in the same forum as a champion of healthcare reform and the war against cancer, Senator Edward Kennedy. AACI members serve on the front lines of this fight and it is thanks to their hard work and dedication that America continues to advance into a time of great hope in the struggle against this disease." - Lance Armstrong, on being named the 2008 recipient of the American Association of Cancer Institutes' (AACI) Public Service and Advocacy Award (article) 

"A thorough approach and the deployment of all possible means are vital if we are to safeguard the interests of those riders who are clean, who make up the great majority of the peloton. Such rigour applies to all concerned. In this respect, the UCI was extremely disappointed to learn of the allegations made recently by several media organisations regarding a number of riders, whose names were mentioned, completely unfairly, in this context." - UCI Press Service in VeloNews (article)

"...Leipheimer is happy where he is. Since moving to Discovery Channel in 2006, he has made great leaps as a rider. He's finished third in the Tour de France, won two Tours of California, scooped overall victory in the Dauphiné Libéré, placed second in the recent Vuelta a España and clocked up three Grand Tour stage wins." - CyclingNews (article)

"Despite his Stanford MBA and supposed sophistication, Amaury's surprising boner when referring to Armstrong was unexpected and disappointing to many who expected the young Frenchman to provide some modern, global leadership to ASO." - RoadBikeAction (article)

"Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi and his LPR team have been forced off next weekend's Paris-Tours race for failing to sign up to the International Cycling Union's new blood passport programme. Organisers of the French one-day classic, ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), said Saturday that two other teams, Mitsubishi and Collstrop, will also be denied a start for the same reason." - BikeRadar (article)

"Danish team CSC Saxo Bank said Schleck transferred the money to the account of Eufemiano Fuentes in March 2006 "to receive training advice by experts who presumably worked with some of the biggest names in the sport."  Schleck admitted making "a serious blunder" and deeply regretted the contact with "these people," the team said." - ESPN (article)

"If Mr. Bordry would now like to re-examine the past," Armstrong stated on Wednesday, "he must start with presenting the issues of the misconduct of the French laboratory, the French Ministry, and WADA before a proper tribunal." CyclingNews (article)

"In 2005, some research was conducted on urine samples left over from the 1998 and 1999 Tours de France," the 37-year-old American (Armstrong) said in a statement on Wednesday. "That research was the subject of an independent investigation and the conclusions of the investigation were that the 1998 and 1999 Tour de France samples have not been maintained properly, have been compromised in many ways and even three years ago could not be tested to provide any meaningful results." - ESPN (article)

"Alessandro Ballan may have taken all the headlines - as well as the rainbow jersey – at this year's World Championships but it could have been so different if he'd not had the help of such a strong team.  Luca Paolini's work paved the way for a Team Italia win with Ballan profiting from the early efforts of his Milanese teammate to win the race solo ahead of Italy's Damiano Cunego and Denmark's Matti Breschel." - CyclingNews (article)

"The most significant potential effect involves a Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standard that requires manufacturers to supply all bikes and helmets with a general assessment certification that shows conformity with CPSC standards with the product on import by Nov. 12. The certificate must be in English and contain identification of each rule applicable to the product; identification of the manufacturer; date and place the product was made; and contact information." - Bicycle Retailer (article)

"Italian Riccardo Ricco, who admitted he took blood booster EPO before this year's Tour de France, could face a 20-month ban after being charged by Italy's anti-doping body on Monday. A statement from the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said a 20-month suspension was being sought by the anti-doping prosecutor and that a tribunal would make the final decision. A two-year ban would normally be requested but his admission meant the prosecutor felt he merited a reduced sentence." - ESPN (article)

"The obligation is on the organisers of the ProTour races to take the ProTour teams. Likewise, the ProTour teams are obliged to ride the ProTour races. But there will be a points ranking system, that will see the top 17 teams automatically selected for the Grand Tours and for the ProTour races." Pat McQuaid, CyclingNews (article)

"Schleck has been called to a hearing by the Duchy's anti-doping authorities over a report which claims he paid 7000 euros into a Swiss bank account held by Eufemiano Fuentes, a doctor at the centre of the 'Operation Puerto' doping affair which erupted in Spain two years ago." - Yahoo Sport (article)

"At the world road race championships late Thursday the UCI announced it had buried the hatchet with the 'renegade' organizers of the three major tours, those of Italy, France and Spain. "This agreement allows us to look forward to working together in a positive fashion in the future, but there is still a lot of work to do," Prudhomme told AFP Friday. "For the Tour, there's no question of letting our guard down (regarding drug testing)." - VeloNews (article)

"Former WADA president Dick Pound was critical of the return of Lance Armstrong into the peloton. Pound has long been at odds with Armstrong. Pound told Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that he wasn't convinced it was a clean return. "With his comeback not all doping accusations go away."  Armstrong has announced that he will work together with anti-doping expert Dr. Don Catlin. Even that couldn't satisfy Pound. "As long as there is no WADA or IOC accredited lab created, his plan is irrelevant," Pound told De Telegraaf." - CyclingNews (article)

"American cyclist Amber Neben won an emphatic victory in the women's time trial at the world road championships in Varese on Wednesday as the favourites fell away. Christiane Soeder of Austria was seven seconds behind and Germany's Judith Arndt took bronze." - ESPN (article)

"However, what is surprising is McQuaid's assertion to Cycling Weekly that the whole issue could be resolved in two weeks flat. Is it really all going to end that fast? “I think a lot of speculation that the ProTour was dead and that the UCI was dead was premature,” McQuaid responded." - CyclingWeekly (article)

"The Europeans rely on the distance of the race, the difficulty of the course and the strength of their teams to forge the gaps between riders. The pushing and bumping that is expected and accepted in American racing can make a rider an outcast in Europe." - Michael Barry, New York Times (article)

"If no one answers the phone at your local bike shop this week, it’s because everyone’s in Vegas at our annual week-long slobber-fest of what’s newest and coolest in bikes" - PezCyclingNews (article)

"Exercise relieves stress. Nothing relieves exercise." - Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata

"Contador's win in the Tour of Spain makes him the fifth rider and first Spaniard to take all three major Tours. Only Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault of France, Eddy Merckx of Belgium and Felice Gimondi of Italy have pulled off the so-called 'grand slam.'" - ESPN (article)

"There’s a lot of speculation in this possible outline of his comeback, but Armstrong says he will confirm many of the plans at the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative on Wednesday, September 24 in New York City. That will include launching his Livestrong global cancer program and perhaps revealing his 2009 team and a preliminary list of races he wants to attend." - VeloNews (article)

"This sanction clearly illustrates that athletes do not need to return a positive test to be found to have violated anti-doping rules," ASADA Chairman Richard Ings said in a statement.  "In this case, ASADA investigators, working in partnership with other government agencies, identified and prosecuted a serious doping violation that could not have been detected through normal testing procedures." - BikeRadar (article)

"After numerous doping scandals surrounding the Tour de France in recent years, the German city of Düsseldorf has withdrawn its bid to host the start of the 2010 race, it was announced Thursday. Düsseldorf mayor Dirk Elbers formally withdrew the city’s candidacy after a meeting in the west German city on Wednesday night. "We had promised ourselves a raised positive profile all over the world through the Tour's coverage, but that is not assured now," Elbers told German sports agency SID." - VeloNews (article)

“Americans have another mentality. He’s a Texan and he’s a strong character. He’s been training, competing in marathons and mountain bike races, and I know that he’s good level.  It’s a challenge to try to do comeback, but to win again, he’s really going to have to train a lot and really work hard to regain the level he had.” - Miguel Indurain, VeloNews (article)

"The cyclists described Roush as angry and condescending, unwilling to partake in a back-and-forth conversation. They said he told them they had disgraced the U.S. delegation. They said he told them they had 2½ hours to draft an apology, lest he take their case to a USOC panel that could expel them from the games. Roush was on that panel." - ESPN (article)

"Lance Armstrong's plans to return to the professional peloton in 2009 may be broader than he originally indicated. Speaking shortly after winning the 12 Hours of Snowmass, his second bike race in three years, the Texan revealed that he is planning on racing all over the world, including Australia and South Africa, in an attempt to increase the global awareness of his Lance Armstrong Foundation." - CyclingNews (article)

"German television broadcaster ARD, which screens the Tour de France in that country in partnership with rival network ZDF, said Sunday it greets Lance Armstrong's planned comeback with skepticism. "For us, Armstrong is a piece of the past we don't want to see again," Rolf-Dieter Ganz, head of communications at ARD, told Sunday's edition of Die Welt. " - VeloNews (article)

"The lines of scientific discourse have been blurred by the fact that both sides of the argument had crossed paths over Armstrong in a lawsuit by SCA promotions, the underwriter of a $5 million bonus for Armstrong's sixth Tour victory. SCA Promotions refused to pay the bonus after his 2004 victory until it could be proven that allegations in David Walsh and Pierre Ballaster's book L.A. Confidentiel of performance-enhancing drug use by Armstrong were false. When Armstrong sued the company for payment, Ed Coyle testified for Armstrong, while Ashenden appeared for SCA Promotions." - Laura Weislo, VeloNews (article)

"If I lose my temper and escalate an antagonistic situation (road rage) - what I am really doing is losing control. I try to equate losing my temper with being defeated, with ‘losing’. For me this is often enough to deter my dark side from emerging." - Bob Mionske, VeloNews (article)

"I feel offended. I didn't deserve this treatment. At this point I exclude the possibility of continuing my career with them. I'll get other teams." - Paolo Bettini, YahooSport (article)

"Just a few days after formally announcing his comeback to the sport of professional cycling, Lance Armstrong will participate in another mountain bike race, the 12 hours of Snowmass in Aspen, Colorado. "Armstrong will race as a member of a three-person team along with local Max Taam and another person yet to be named," said promoter and long-time Subaru / Gary Fisher pro mountain biker Nat Ross." - CyclingNews (article)

"The news only became official on Tuesday but McQuaid said that the planning had been going on before that. "His management (Lance Armstrong's) contacted the UCI three or four months ago to request that he be put into the [testing] system. He's already been on it a couple of months so if he starts racing in February, he'll be in the system for the required six months." - CyclingNews (article)

"The top of the bicycle handlebar stem can crack and cause the rider to lose control, posing a crash hazard. Deda Elementi has received four reports of incidents involving the handlebar stems. No injuries have been reported." - BicycleRetailer (article)

"Lance Armstrong will come out of retirement next year to compete in five road races with the Astana team, according to sources familiar with the developing situation." - Neil Rogers, VeloNews (article)

"Cyclist David Zabriskie said he bought an early version of the Edge long before Garmin signed on as sponsor.  "I was trying to climb 10,000 feet a day,” Zabriskie said. “I used it for that, and when I hit 10,000, I’d go home.” - David Hayes, Kansas City Star (article)

"Astana watches the numbers like music lovers flip to the back page of Rolling Stone to see at what position Conor Oberst debuts. Sure enough, the team of Alberto Contador kicks into gear." - Gregor Brown

"With the 63rd Vuelta a España’s tackling its first summit finish, everyone expected the Spanish mountain goats to take over -- and no one expected Ballan." - VeloNews (article)

"We want nothing more than a successful event, with exciting racing. But above all, it must be credible. The inclusion of three riders (Sevilla, Botero, Hamilton) with such huge question marks hanging over them means that credibility is dented. And the more prominently they feature in the race, the more damage their presence will do." - CyclingWeekly (article)

"Sastre, who had been linked to Oleg Tinkov's new Katusha team, finally opted to sign with the Canadian bike manufacturer (Cervelo) because "it is a new project which fits very well with my way of being. It offers the opportunity to open frontiers and collaborate more actively with our sponsors and their clients. At the same time, we can contribute more efficiently to improving the technology of our materials." - CyclingNews (article)

"Current confirmed new signings for team Katusha are as follows: Alexandre Botcharov (Crédit Agricole), Antonio Colom (Astana), Kenny Dehaes (Topsport Vlaanderen), Joan Horrach (Caisse d'Epargne), Vladimir Karpets (Caisse d'Epargne), Robbie McEwen (Silence-Lotto), Filippo Pozzato (Liquigas), Gert Steegmans (Quick Step) and Stijn Vandenbergh (AG2R La Mondiale)" - PezCyclingNews (article)

"To Hamilton's amazement, controversial Rock Racing team owner, Michael Ball rang and convinced him to once again pick up the pieces and start racing again. Just three months after he retired in September, Hamilton was again on his bike training for the new season ahead. Fast forward nine months and Hamilton has two wins under his belt, the 2.HC ranked Tour of Qinghai Lake in China and the US professional road race, a race he has dreamt of winning many times." - CyclingNews (article)

"You are not trying to hold them up. I don't go out with my bike at rush hour just to **** people off, I wait until it is over. People are very proud, but I wish they were a little more considerate for our cyclists. It can get you down, it can get quite depressing when people are shouting abuse at you." - Victoria Pendleton , Cyclingweekly (article)

"One of the most decorated American cyclists of his generation, Tyler Hamilton (Boulder, Colo./Rock Racing) can now add the title of USA Cycling Professional Champion to a résumé that also boasts an Olympic gold medal and Tour de France stage win. The 37-year-old pro on the verge of retirement outsprinted Blake Caldwell (Boulder, Colo./Garmin-Chipotle) in a photo finish, claiming the Stars-and-Stripes jersey by mere centimeters after 177 kilometers of racing on Sunday." - USACycling (article)

"It feels great to have this win, but it's not like it saves my season or anything. It's me with something to prove time and time again... that I am Dave Zabriskie!" - Susan Westemeyer, CyclingNews (article)

"Daniele Bennati can now proudly don the first gold leader's jersey of the 2008 Vuelta a Espana, as he led his team across the finish line in the best time. Second place goes to Euskalel and third to Caisse d'Epargne." - Susan Westemeyer, CyclingNews (article)

"I worked with my mom to make something better than a cookie that was more energy bar. It was a unique formula then, and no one has really copied the formula; 16 years later our original ClifBar is still one of our best selling products.  Everything is made in Southern California." - Gary Erickson, BikeRadar (article)

"As Newsweek put it, for seasoned cyclists, the stories were more an indication that the daily violence cyclists encounter had finally managed to capture the attention of the public-at-large." - Bob Mionske, VeloNews (article)

"I don't care what it is, when it has an LCD screen, it makes it better."  - Kevin Rose

"Jim Meader, a commercial contractor, civic activist and “admitted redneck car guy” in Pattison, said he and his fellow citizens are “flat fed up” with cyclists who “clog our roads, shut down commerce, violate private property, use our school campuses without permission, overtax our emergency services, cause the elderly undue stress” and, in short, “act like they own the damn place. Their arrogance is amazing. They’ll even strip down to naked right there in the school parking lot to put their little rubber suits on." - Dale Robertson, Houston Chronicle (article) 

"Unlike the European peloton, which recently saw teams sign new title sponsors like Columbia and Saxo Bank, the North American peloton is seeing the opposite occur. Some call it a change, others a market correction – but losing the teams sponsored by Toyota and Health Net, along with the already defunct Symmetrics team, would cause a tidal wave of talent to wash over the domestic peloton in a way not seen in recent years." - CyclingNews (article)

"The 2008 Deutschland Tour is wide open this year, with no one clear favourite and many possibilities, and a varied course that offers something for everyone. After a short prologue, the very first road stage is the Queen Stage, with a mountaintop finish, opening up the possibility of a strong climber claiming the overall victory from the beginning on. The Tour features a strong line-up, actually stronger than might be expected since the Vuelta is running simultaneously, but some very big names are missing, and all can be found in Spain. Andreas Klöden of Astana, Stefan Schumacher of Gerolsteiner and Milram's Erik Zabel all gave preference to the Vuelta this year." - Susan Westemeyer, CyclingNews (article)

"The four Hall of Fame honorees are Cheri Elliott of El Dorado Hills, Calif., Off-Road Competitor; Mike Plant of Atlanta as Contributor; Jeanne Golay of Glenwood Springs, Colo., Modern Competitor; and the late Jimmy Walthour, Veteran Competitor in Six-day races." -  VeloNews (article)

"This final week in August has an incredible amount of racing on the agenda. The Vuelta starts on Sunday the 31st in Granada, the GP Ouest Plouay (that's ProTour) is today, the Tour of Germany starts over the weekend (mountaintop finish on Stage 1!), the Tour of Ireland starts on Wednesday, and the ENECO Tour finishes up later this work week. Whew." - Jered Gruber, PezCyclingNews (article) 

“Rebecca Romero is the first British woman athlete ever to take an Olympic medal in two different sports, and of course Chris Hoy is Great Britain's first triple gold medallist in an Olympics since 1908.” - Alasdair Fotheringham, CyclingWeekly (article)

"In the 22.1-mile men's race, Adam Craig of the U.S. went a lap down just as the race was ending and was officially credited with a 29th-place finish. Todd Wells dropped out a lap earlier, placing 43rd. Neither ever challenged France's Julien Absalon, who held off countryman Jean-Christophe Peraud and Switzerland's Nino Schurter for his second straight Olympic title." - Tim Reynolds, AP (article)

"We would anticipate that ASO will ask to have their races registered with the UCI, the Tour de France and Paris-Nice, which were not registered this year.  I would expect them to ask for them to go into the Historical Calendar, and we will consider that." - Pat McQuaid, CyclingNews (article)

"Cars always will vastly outnumber bikes, he reasons, so allotting more street space to cyclists could cause more traffic jams, more idling and more pollution...the city has been blinded by political correctness. It's an “attempt by the anti-car fanatics to screw up our traffic on behalf of the bicycle fantasy.”' - Phred Dvorak quoting Rob Anderson, San Siego Union Tribune (article)

"Part of the success story as British cycling has gone stratospheric over the past half-dozen is the willingness to dissect success and failure and examine it to see how improvements can be made." - Lionel Birnie, CyclingWeekly (article) 

"Team Columbia manager Bob Stapleton has given a provisional thumbs up to what he sees as progress in improving the relationship between the UCI and the Grand Tour organisers. "The announcement addresses some contentious issues - calendar, race entry, and a stable structure to improve the sport,"' - CyclingNews (article)

"McQuaid said that thanks to a "mediator" from the International Olympic Commitee the UCI has taken a major step towards making its peace with ASO.  But the Irishman - who was snubbed by ASO by not being invited to the Tour de France in July - admitted he had to go one level above ASO, to the company's owner (Amaury Group), in a bid to break the deadlock." - BikeRadar (article)

"Jeff Louder clocks 14:05 to win the Tour of Utah. Blake Caldwell loses the lead with a 14:21" - RockRacing on twitter.com/rockracing

"Michael A. Williams, arbitrator for the case...ruled for USA Cycling, concluding that Quinn “was not deprived of a fair opportunity to compete for an Olympic position.”' - Fred Dreier, VeloNews (article)

"They r together with 1k! This is an epic stage! Louder wins stage. ToU GC: 1. Caldwell, Louder (1 sec back)" - Tour of Utah Stage 4, Neil Browne (Road Magazine) on twitter.com/neilroad

"So his parents - Olympic road race champion Connie Carpenter-Phinney and bronze winner Davis Phinney, both of whom made their trips to the podium at the 1984 Los Angeles Games - will remain the only ones in their Boulder, Colo., household with medals in their collection." - Tim Reynolds, AP (article)

"Escuela wins! Rodriguez 2nd. Successful Living's Ricardo Escuela takes the stage." - Tour of Utah Stage 3, Neil Browne (Road Magazine) on twitter.com/neilroad

"My goal was just to qualify," said Phinney following his performance. "That was the hardest I've ever pushed myself in a pursuit. In training we thought the track would be faster, but it might have been a little colder in here today." - VeloNews (article)

"Ivano Fanini, Team Manager of Amore & Vita-McDonald's and outspoken anti-doping critic, swung at those standing behind the doping cases of Riccardo Riccò and Emanuele Sella. "It is very doubtful that at the base of these teams there is organised doping," said Italian Fanini, according to Agr. He took aim at the team managers of Saunier Duval-Scott and CSF Group Navigare. "Their reasoning is this: 'For us it is not important how you win, we don't control the way you prepare nor with whom you do it, but if they catch you we will fire you and save our ship.'" - CyclingNews (article)

"Any statements coming out of the Spanish federation dealing with doping, I would treat with a certain amount of skepticism," McQuaid added. "Because the Spanish federation have constantly defended athletes who have been involved in doping cases. They have been light in the way they've treated doping cases. How many Spanish athletes have been caught in Spain? I don't think anybody has been charged under that law." - CyclingNews (article)

"Moreno travelled to the Olympics' host city of Beijing on July 30 with team-mates Anna Sanchis and Marta Vilajosana, and Directeur Sportif Mikel Zabala to represent her country in the road race (August 10) and time trial (13). The IOC tested her one day after her arrival, July 31. Before knowing the results, she left China the same evening – 22:00 – due to what she reported as an "anxiety attack." - CyclingNews (article)

"Mattis wins for Cal Giant! Jacques-Maynes 2nd and Rogers 3rd" - SoCalCycling

"Kristin Armstrong, America’s top finisher in 25th place, crossed the line shivering and with blue lips." - VeloNews (article)

"The lack of spectator access is not only concern to the fans, but to the riders as well. Stuart O'Grady was disappointed when his wife travelled all the way to China only to watch on TV. The lack of cheering fans made an already difficult race harder. "It was like silent murder," he told FoxSports." - CyclingNews (article)

"Sánchez took the sprint – and the gold medal – from Rebellin and Cancellara, with Kolobnev in fifth and Schleck rewarded for all his aggression with just fifth. Rogers completed the group and Santiago Botero (Colombia) led the main group home some 12 seconds later." - CyclingNews (article)

“The guys who selected the Olympic riders - at least the ones who left me off the list - are idiots, nobody is that stupid.” - Chris Horner

"At this juncture, I have not made any decisions regarding the 2009 Rock Racing roster. If - or when - Floyd Landis returns to racing, I hope people recognize that he has served his time and should be given the opportunity to showcase the talent that made him one of the world’s top bike racers. He has a right to continue to make a living in his chosen profession.” - Michael Ball

"France's Jeannie Longo will write another considerable chapter in cycling's history books this Sunday when she becomes only the third woman to compete in seven Olympic Games." - Justin Davis, VeloNews (article)

"My theory is that if you look confident you can pull off anything - even if you have no clue what you're doing." - Jessica Alba

"Scott-American Beef will not line up at the start of the 2008 Vuelta a España in Granada. Race organiser Unipublic has announced that the team formerly sponsored by Saunier Duval is not welcome. The squad, which collectively abandoned the Tour de France mid-race after the doping cases of Riccardo Riccò and Leonardo Piepoli, now suffers from a reputation." - CyclingNews (article)

"Writing in the British science journal Nature, Berry argues that the tests performed by the French national anti-doping laboratory (LNDD) that condemned Landis to ignominy and barred him from competition for two years were "non-informative" and potentially subject to error." - Agence France Presse, VeloNews (article)

"You have to laugh at Ricco's comment that he still owes Dr Carlo Santuccione money for the CERA but is refusing to pay because the doctor told him he would never get caught. What a delightful world. And what a disgrace that some in cycling are still enticing young men to inhabit it." - Lionel Birnie, CyclingWeekly (article)

"The perception that Beijing's pollution, which prompted a shutdown of factories and reduction in auto travel during the Olympics, was so harmful that Olympians needed masks on arrival was seen as a slap in the face to organizers." - Agence France Presse, VeloNews (article)

"I don't believe there was any statement trying to be made (US cyclists don masks  - ed.)," said Andrea Smith, spokeswoman for USA cycling. The International Olympic Committee has said athletes have the right to express their opinions, but should not do so in the athletes' village or the sports venues. Beijing's pollution has been a cause for concern for athletes heading for the Games, which begin on Friday." - YahooSport (article)

"Anyhow, so Ricco got the CERA from Santuccione for 700 euros, but apparently didn't pay him when he got it. Don't worry, Carlo, I'll get you later!  Ricco is a pissy little suspended rider now, and he ain't payin: "Logical. He assured me that the products were undetectable. With hindsight, absolutely not true." - Jered Gruber, PezCyclingNews (article)

"One of the race's top riders, Chris Horner, reportedly suffered a broken arm but there were no other serious injuries. Horner, still smiling as workers applied ice to his left shoulder before the paramedics arrived, told Mayor Craig Johnson that he'd be back at next year's race." - Daily Herald (article)

“In cycling, if you upset one person, you have made quite a lot of friends,” Millar said. “It’s very back-stabbing, very two-faced.” - David Millar, AP (article)

"Joel Stein's "No doping, no drama" (7/29) commentary on the Tour de France is among the most offensive pieces of journalism that I have had to endure from The Chicago Tribune." - Robert G. Higgins, Chicago Tribune (article)

"Shimano has formally announced plans to release Dura-Ace Di2, a new electronic shifting option for the all-new 7900 series Dura-Ace, in January." - Lennard Zinn, VeloNews (article)

"We have exercise in a pill," said Ron Evans, an author of the study. "With no exercise, you can take a drug and chemically mimic it." - YahooNews (article)

"Following the Olympics, Sastre will concentrate on winning his own home-town Grand Tour, the Vuelta, where his recent progression has been: 5th in 2004, 2nd (after Heras’ DQ) in 2005, 4th in 2006 and then 2nd last year." - PezCyclingNews  (article)

“I think I've done the right thing by admitting my mistake. I haven't asked for clemency, I had a weight on my mind and wanted to get rid of it. At the moment my thoughts are for the staff of the team and my team mates who have lost their jobs because of me.” - Ricardo Ricco, BikeRadar (article)

"I will not take a place in Beijing if everything doesn't go according to plan," said Evans who would not elaborate on the details of the injury. "I don't want to go into the details, I just want to focus on overcoming it so I can race in China." - VeloNews (article)

"This is to confirm that all tests results of 2008 that are known to UCI show that the blood values of Thomas Dekker ... did not exceed any limits which would have required the imposition of a declaration of incapability under UCI's current regulations." - Dr. Mario Zorzoli, CyclingNews (article)

"Over 100 new rental locations should be set up by the time the Games begin bringing the rental fleet to around 50,000 bikes. There will also be the option of electric bike rental" - Richard Peace, BikeRadar (article)

"Andersen admitted during a press conference he had "taken six EPO pills," a strange admission, since EPO is injected and not taken orally." - Agence France Presse, VeloNews (article)

"As I was unable to defend my yellow jersey, the best thing that could happen is for a compatriot to win the race," - Alberto Contador, YahooSport (article)

"The evening after a TT we all walk around with an even more pronounced shuffle than normal. One of the doctors joked the other day after hearing a couple of us slide our way down the hotel hallway that he thought for a moment he was in a retirement home." - Will Frischkorn, VeloNews (article)

"Favorite to come out on top is Cadel Evans (Silence-Lotto), who rode the course a few months ago. He says the hills on the zigzagging course are power climbs suited to a strong time trialist like himself rather than the more lightly built Carlos Sastre, the race leader, who starts the day with a 1:34 advantage on the Australian." - John Wilcockson, VeloNews (article)

"When I said yesterday that you could tell which directors weren't pleased with their teams' races, today you could tell who was f-ing pissed. If it weren't for the fact that they made the day one of the most painful I've ever raced I'd actually feel bad for the guys on Liquigas, and a couple of others to a lesser degree. As is the only sympathy is the fact that there were a lot of really, really hurting guys out there today and we all shared in it together." - Will Frischkorn, VeloNews  (article)

“Two vehicles were searched: one in which nothing was found; and from the other—the one of Frank Schleck’s father—some products were taken for verification, It turns out that this was not about forbidden products, but medicines that are totally normal to possess.” - Raphael Grandfils, VeloNews (article)

"I’m just suffering enormously now. I came in here at one hundred percent and to try and get the yellow jersey in the time trial so I knew there was a risk of losing form over three weeks. I’m exhausted right now and I have to be realistic in what I can do for the remainder of the race. That means supporting Christian as best that I can. Our team still has great morale though. Christian was really unlucky and he’s still racing for the podium. We’re hoping he up there today." - David Millar, CyclingNews

“It's not over by any means, there's a lot of guys suffering and I wasn't far off. I was at 35 second and then I had the crash but it just compounded things. Anything can happen tomorrow.” - Christian Vande Valde, CyclingWeekly (article)

"I went over the barrier and I saw ... I had a vision from high above. I saw myself in the air and hit my head. I thought I was going to die and hoped to feel nothing. To be unconscious when I hit the ground." - Oscar Pereiro, BikeRadar (article)

"Once the break was established, it was a matter of keeping pace to stay away from the main field, and the 4 riders took turns at the front to keep the speed high. For Danny Pate, this meant holding an average of 296 watts, or 4.21 watts/kg for the entire 183 kilometers. Perhaps even more impressive is the averages that Pate was able to maintain on the two major climbs of the day. For the twenty-three-and-a-half uphill kilometers from the Chateau Queyres to Col Agnel, his 347 watts put him at an average of almost 5 watts per kg. Then, even after 163 kilometers of hard riding, Pate averaged 355 watts for the final 20 kilometer climb from Villanova Mondovi to the Finish - an average of over 5 watts per kg." - CycleOps Power (article)

"Felt says the AR will offer a two percent energy savings “over a standard road bike when in identical conditions,” which roughly translates into a 75-second lead over a one-hour ride.   “I try to get the guys to ride the new bike all the time because it’s faster,” said Garmin-Chipotle Sports Physiologist Allen Lim." - BikeRadar (article)

"I just told the truth and I won't retract any of it. When people ask me if there's a risk of organized doping at Saunier Duval, I say 'yes' because I believe it, I feel it. I obviously don't have any formal proof, but there are certain signals which don't lie. I might be proved right in the future." - Stéphane Heulot, BikeRadar (article)

"Pereiro has a broken shoulder and femur, but never lost consciousness." - Shane Stokes, Cyclingnews

"To say that we are disappointed would be an understatement. Cycling has been overshadowed for some time with doping issues which have negatively affected the reputation of the sport. Whilst we have continued to operate within this environment we have always made our position clear on drug use and have acted accordingly." - Chris Fisher, head of corporate marketing at Barloworld, (article)

“It’s not their right to assault a cyclist or to run a cyclist off the road because they get impatient,” sheriff’s Lt. Pete Kelting - MSNBC (article)

"Prosecutor Antoine Leroy said Riccò had been remanded for "using a substance classed poisonous under the terms of the public health code. Riccò is placed under arrest and is banned from contacting other members of the team,” he added.  Leroy said Riccò had told the examining magistrate what he had earlier told police - namely, that he is innocent.  "The racer strongly denies having used EPO and can offer no explanation as to why EPO was found in his urine sample on July 8. He denies taking this substance or any other substance banned in France and as such denies the accusations levelled against him." -VeloNews(article)

"You see that Christian [Vande Velde] is third overall and he is doing it without injection, without anything. He is as clean as can be and he is third overall. If you can't do it like Christian then you are not good enough and you don't need dope, and it is as simple as that." - David Millar, Cyclingnews (article)

"Wow. I'm stunned. I'm amazed they're saying it's Micera, simply because there's no validated test for that yet. The World Anti-Doping Agency is working on a test, but it certainly doesn't exist yet." - Professor Michel Audran, Bike Radar (article)

"I hope that a couple isolated idiots aren't enough to swing the momentum back in a negative direction and that everybody can stay focused on the beauty, the drama and the quality racing that goes down on the level day in and day out." - Will Frishkorn, VeloNews (article)

"Police found banned substances in the hotel room of cyclist Moises Duenas Nevado on Wednesday, the Spanish rider’s team manager said." “He seems to have secretly used banned substances, hiding everything from everybody else in the team. He has been taken into custody and will be presented before the investigating judge tonight,” Patrice Lamielle, a colonel in the French gendarmerie, told Reuters. (article)

"Other race organisers were worried about their events (after a split from ProTour).  “If it happens, 30 percent of the teams’ staff will be without a job,” Thierry Cazeneuve, organiser of the Dauphine Libere, told Reuters. “It means that the 150,000 euros ($239,300) guaranteed to the teams by their sponsors for being in the ProTour will be taken back.”  Richard Chassot, the Tour of Romandie director, told Reuters: “It’s bad news for cycling and teams who will have to reduce their staff. “If the three big Tour organisers share the cake between them, they have enough races without us. We might as well die.” - Yahoo Sports, (article)

"The founder of Chipotle and one of their head chefs came over a few days ago and have sourced local ingredients for a special Tour burrito. I spoke with them this morning before the start, joking that it would be bathed in a bechamel or beurre blanc, but sounds like it's going to be pretty similar to those at home, with slightly different beans — and I can't wait!" - Will Frischkorn, VeloNews (article)

"It's important for me to win another stage on the Tour because I don't have any doubt at all about my form, attacking is the only way I know how to do things and so I went on the attack to win. I'm happy with the victory. I am riding really competitively at the moment and I have really good legs." - Ricardo Ricco, Yahoo Sports (article)

“We’ll be a bit sad of course at the start but it’s alright, it shows that the system is working and that the cheats are being caught,” - Jonathan Vaughters, Yahoo Sports (arrticle)

"According to Friday's edition of French newspaper Le Monde, 10 riders competing in the Tour de France have been given letters from the Agence francaise de lutte contre le dopage (AFLD) warning them they have "assez troublantes” or very worrying blood values." - CyclingWeekly (article)

"I came here with excellent form and tried to get a victory. I have the green jersey and now the yellow. I am very happy with this. We will try to control the race with Team Columbia and I am very confident for the next days." - Kim Kirchen Cycling News (article) 

"I lost time, I crashed because Kim swerved and I had no chance, I couldn't avoid it. I am not injured, it is not much. That is not the problem, I am just really disappointed with what has happened." - Stefan Schumacher, Cycling News (article)

"Italian Riccardo Riccò took his first Tour de France stage victory atop the climb at Super Besse, besting Alejandro Valverde and Cadel Evans in the uphill sprint. The finish was overshadowed by a crash from yellow jersey wearer Stefan Schumacher, who touched wheels and fell within the final kilometre. The judges do not apply the same time for crash victims on hilltop finishes, so the German lost his overall lead to Kim Kirchen (Columbia) who finished fifth." - CyclingNews(article)

"It's still the mentality sometimes in Great Britain that they don't want to appreciate that they have somebody so good, I have seen myself as not just beating good people but being one of the best for the last year or so." Mark Cavendish, CyclingNews.co.za(article)

"Ohhh... Feillu in trouble on that climb. His gear is too big. He's glued to the tarmac. Poor him.  Feillu is gooone..." - Bjorn Haake, CyclingNews (article)

"Somehow I managed to score the most aggressive rider classement (which often seems to be a 'popularity with the press contest' — thanks guys! — but I figured would go to a French rider) and standing on the Tour podium, shaking hands with the legends up there, and savoring the look down was an amazing experience I'll never forget. And three days in to my first Tour! What a way to start." - Will Frischkorn, VeloNews (article)

"Well, Prudhomme the diplomat managed to calm the protesters and the peloton passes without incident. We wonder if the group on the road was UCI, but their flyers seemed to be reading more something like IGR." - Bjorn Haake, CyclingNews (article)

"The UCI is just there to stamp licenses and make the regulations. The solution for cycling is very simple: organizers and riders should create their own federation and take over the sport." Greg LeMond, Reuters(article)

"I recently read an interview with Davis (Phinney) and he thought that Taylor could become a good classics rider. I say, screw that! He’s winning pursuit and time trial events against guys who are 10 years older than he is. That’s what I was doing. I won the Circuit de la Sarthe at 18 against professionals. Your genetic potential does not change in your career. It’s there at 17, 18, the only thing that changes when you race professionally 100 days a year is that you’re trying to figure out how to be at your peak." Greg LeMond, VeloNews (article)

"I think it's impossible to take the yellow jersey from Valverde, I'm only one second behind him but I don't think he'll lose it until the time trial on Tuesday.” - David Millar, CyclingWeekly (article)

"The biggest difference is honestly the crowds. They're unreal — and dangerous as all getout; people poking their heads out, camera in front of their face, trying to grab that shot; kids peeling between parents legs; baby strollers and wheelchairs sticking out a bit too far; flags that get swung a bit low; and then, the worst, the spectator who turns to follow their favorite rider as he passes, not realizing that they are sliding out into the road, their backs to a charging peloton. Scary. Unreal scary. You waste more nervous energy looking out for spectators than you do paying attention to the race." - Will Frischkorn in VeloNews (article)

"Jens Voigt, a 10-year veteran of the Tour de France, believes dope testing in his sport has gone as far as humanly possible. “To go one step further, you would have to move into my house and live with me,” the 36-year old German, who won two Tour stages in 2001 and 2005, told a news conference on Friday." - Yahoo Sports (article)

"Jean-Pierre de Mondenard, a top anti-doping expert whose exhaustive 'Dictionary of Doping' is a widely respected work in the field, has saluted the sport's most recent efforts to rid the sport of drugs cheats. But he believes the cyclists, and indeed other top athletes, are ultimately two steps ahead of the scientists and anti-doping controllers because of the "20 or so undetectable products" that he says can be used to enhance performance, and which are not targeted in current tests." BikeRadar (article)>

"The damages awarded Wednesday include a $630,000 bonus Rasmussen would have been awarded by the team had he won the Tour de France." - YahooNews (article)

"They certainly can't afford any more [doping issues], which nobody can guarantee when you put together a team of 25 grown men. You certainly can't monitor them 24 hours a day. But Johan just needs to be consistent and strong all year, and then come back. I mean, there's no doubt Contador is the best cyclist on the planet today for the Tour de France." - Lance Armstrong CyclingNews (article)

"A verdict in the ongoing court case between Rasmussen and Rabobank, in which the Dane is claiming damages of 5.5 million euros from his former employer, is expected tomorrow in Utrecht, The Netherlands." - CyclingNews (article)

“They work inside these fancy buildings where there’s this inexplicable hostile attitude towards bicycles. It’s an arcane policy that says bikes are like the bubonic plague.” - Robert Kotch New York Times(article)

"The panel found that despite Landis’s claims, there was “no evidence” of misconduct on the part USADA in prosecuting the case." - VeloNews (article)

"You know, I don’t know. … I’m pretty sure that if it would be a clear-cut case there would already be a decision. And the fact that it’s not clear … there must be something there. I don’t have enough information to know what happened. But all I know is that I don’t know if Floyd is guilty or not. But one thing I know is if, when he was in the situation to win the Tour and he knew he won that stage and he definitely knew before the stage that he was going to do something to take that jersey back, he also knew he was going to be tested. And, to me, it just doesn’t make sense to do something stupid like that if you know you’re going to be trying to win the race, and in a way like that. That’s all I can say about it. So I don’t know afterwards what happened with the testing or with the procedure, I don’t know. But it’s certainly something that doesn’t make sense." - Johann Bruyneel (articile)

"...Police Services conducted a mini bicycle blitz in the downtown core. They were targeting cyclists riding on the sidewalks and issued 3 $65 tickets for “Riding a Bicycle on a Sidewalk” (hands up if you knew that was a ticketable offense…anyone?) A provincial offense charge was also laid for a separate liquor related offense. (yep, you can be nailed for impaired cycling…)" - Lisa MacColl (article)

"...you look at a guy like Floyd Landis — he was good at mountain bike racing but not great. He wasn’t even good enough to get a contract. He turns to the road and he wins the Tour de France. I mean, granted there’s a lot of controversy around his road career, but he went a long way. Now I’m not saying I’m the next Floyd Landis, but stuff like that gets me thinking. Who knows, maybe I’d be better on the road than at mountain biking." - Todd Wells in VeloNews (article)

“A locked bike, if it’s going to get stolen, is going to get stolen at night,”  - Woody Boughton (article)

"The USADA arbitration panel acknowledged several areas in which the French lab's handling of the test sample was improper but said the carbon ratio isotope test that showed Landis testing positive outweighed those issues." - VeloNews (article)

"Bruyneel, who is touring the USA to promote his new book, We Might As Well Win (co-written with Bill Strickland), says ASO is punishing him and his team "because Lance won too much."  That's a sin, Bruyneel says, "because the French love the loser more than a winner." - USA Today (article)

"The anti-doping authorities remind me of little boys whistling in the graveyard." - Charles Yesalis article New York Times article

"...he (Miguel Indurain) hopped on a bike, settled into it quickly pedaled up the Croce's sharp switchbacks and steep face, up to nearly 17 percent in spots, with grace and fluidity that I could only hope to achieve. This man is all class." - Bicycling article

“The big problem for me is they (RAAM officials) promised me something and they didn’t do it. It wasn’t about being right or wrong, it was about being fair to a rider.” - Caroline van den Bulk article

"My favourite for the Tour is Cadel Evans, he's a solid rider who can really make time differences count in the time trials," Contador told AFP. "It should be quite an open Tour, with Evans, [Alejandro] Valverde and [Denis] Menchov the main favourites." - Alberto Contador article

"Team Garmin-Chipotle presented by H30 today announced its much-anticipated Tour de France roster, which features three of only four Americans in the entire Tour peloton." Pedal article

“It is better to look good than to ride good.” - PezCyclingNews article

"Campy says they consider tubeless to be the future of road cycling because of the increased performance (rolling resistance and grip), increased comfort, better snake bite resistance, more safety (they stay on rim when they flat). Expect more road tubeless wheels from Campy in the future. Campy also measured the rolling performance of tubeless versus tubular and found them to about equal. In terms of benefit to a riders performance, Campy says that tubeless is a greater performance benefit than ceramic bearings. However, ceramic bearings are still a tremendous performance advantage over standard bearings according to Campy."- Bicycling article

"Bristol and the 11 other towns have each won a share of the record £100 million (US$197.4 million) investment package to pioneer innovative ways to increase cycling in their areas." - Environment News Service article

"The U.S. Forest Service manages 145,000 trails, 70 percent of which are already open to mountain biking." - Bicycle Retailer and Industry News article

"The deep, dark truth about Assos' cream is this: Its popularity isn't due to the fact that it's remarkably better than the other chamois cream options in the marketplace. Rather, up to now it's been the only cream that consistently stays in stock at its distributor." - The Competitive Cyclist

"The crashes came about in a rare rapid succession. From June 8 to June 14, seven cyclists were injured or killed." - DANIEL MONTEVERDE  The Dallas Morning News

“The 31-year-old Dane, who was not identified, told the court how he guessed Rasmussen’s password to access e-mails that had information on the cyclist’s whereabouts when he missed random drug tests before the 2007 Tour de France." - Yahoo Sports

“I think [bicyclists] need to be pressed to obey existing laws more than they need more special privileges that make them even more dangerous,” - San Francisco cabdriver Bud Hazelkorn

“I’m proof that you don’t have to ride hills to do well on hills,” - Christian Vande Velde

"Unfortunately for Schleck, he missed a turn badly on the final descent, hit the guardrail, flipped over, and the day not only seemed lost but probably some serious broken bone-age. Fortunately, Schleck managed to escape with only some small wounds, but is otherwise perfectly ok." - PEZCyclingNews

"Some good news... like the swallows returning to Capistrano, Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee are back together. They are filming on location as we speak." - Jimmy Kimmel

"Campagnolo believed the features presented by Hutchinson in its release of tubeless road tires (Comfort, resistance to pinching and safety if punctured) were impressive, but what convinced it to participate is the improvement in rolling resistance. Campagnolo believes tubeless tires reduce a wheel’s rolling resistance by 31 percent." - VeloNews

"With three weeks left before the start of the 2008 Tour de France there are still riders who have not been paid their prize money from the 2007 edition. "We are still waiting for the payments from last year's Tour," noted President of the Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA), Cédric Vasseur." - CyclingNews

"A Swiss newspaper wrote that I had offended the land. That is not true. I love Switzerland!" - Robbie McEwen

"The Australian sprinter (Robbie McEwen) called Betschart (who manages the Tour de Suisse awards ceremony)  a "***king idiot" and called the race a "***king organisation," Blick reported. It added that last year, after his Tour de Suisse stage five win in Giubiasco, McEwen also applied that same title to the country, calling it "***king Switzerland." - CyclingNews

"Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara of Team CSC told Blick that "McEwen is a very unpopular rider. I can't understand why the Tour de Suisse organisers didn't take any action." Expanding his comments, Cancellara told CyclingNews, "It's all a question of respect for the race, for his colleagues, his sponsors and the organisation. If people don't know how to behave themselves, they're better off being sent home." - CyclingNews

"It places AEG and the Tour of California firmly on the side of ASO in an ongoing battle for control of professional cycling with the Union Cycliste International (UCI), the international cycling federation and organizer of the top-level ProTour. The pact with ASO has the potential to eventually bring the California race to grand tour status." - Sal Ruibal, USA TODAY

"A routine stress test, performed using a combination of a treadmill and electrocardiogram, can disclose heart rhythm abnormalities that occur during exercise when blockages prevent the heart's blood supply from meeting its growing demand. Nuclear and ultrasound stress tests produce cloudy images and information on heart function. CT heart scans, a series of rapid-fire X-rays, reveal calcified blockages in the coronary arteries. None reveals an imminent heart attack. "  - Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY

"That's simply a decision they took (leaving Astana out) as a Johan Bruyneel/Lance Armstrong penalty. And if that's the way they want to run their event, they're going to be managing a very small group of people real soon. You can't make those decisions in world sport." - Lance Armstrong on the ASO in BikeRadar

"It's my biggest ever stage race win, it shows that my form is even better than I expected right now. It's looking very good for the Tour." - Caisse D'Epargne rider Valverde

"Looking on the map it might have seemed relatively easy but the climbs were very hard. They weren't long but the final one was especially steep and I had dig deep and suffer to make sure I was up there for the sprint.," - Oscar Freire in ESPN Cycling

"Right now, I don’t care (about the Tour de France) because I’m focused on racing here. I’m sure when the Tour’s on, it’s going to hurt. I’m just going to try to focus on riding my bike and doing something different. It’s the first time in eight years that I will be home for the Fourth of July. Maybe I will have a barbecue and watch some fireworks" - Levi Leipheimer in VeloNews

"The sanctions mean the French federation, according to the UCI, cannot participate in the next UCI Congress, will be unable to put forward candidates for elections, cannot work on committees or commissions, and will forego, or not be allowed to organise a world championships." - BikeRadar

"Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme told AFP that Boonen would not be at the Brest start line on July 5 because his positive test, while not performance-enhancing, damaged the reputation of the race." - Yahoo Sport

"Tom Boonen (Quick Step) will not be allowed to start the Tour de Suisse, race organisers announced Tuesday. The decision follows the Belgian sprinter's positive anti-doping control for cocaine on May 25 and could see the entire team thrown out of the Suisse event, in addition to placing a question mark over Boonen's Tour de France start." - CyclingNews

"Paris-Roubaix champion Tom Boonen, one of Belgium's biggest idols, is standing in hot water following the confirmation of a positive anti-doping control for cocaine on May 25. " - CyclingNews

"If you're riding in a car with a passenger, think about having to have that person ride behind them in the back seat for the whole day. It takes away from the ride," -  Mark Najarian

“I would like to win again. The Dauphiné is a very prestigious race. To have a good result here would take away from some of the disappointment of not racing the Tour this year.” - Levi Leipheimer

"Despite the nation's current economic conditions, retailers appear to be positive about the health of the bicycle industry" - Bicycle News Wire 6-8-2008

"Normally, Levi should go well in the first part of the week. But he might struggle a bit more after that. You need to be fresh to do well in this race. The Giro was especially difficult and the Dauphine will be hard too." - Alain Gallopin

"Invention is the mother of necessity" - Thorstein Veblen

“This climb was probably a grade of 18 percent, and I got over it by willpower alone" - Chad Haga

"Politics is perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary."  - Robert Louis Stevenson

"The news (ASO buying 49% of the Vuelta) will not be welcomed at the UCI headquarters at Aigle, where there have been frequent accusations that ASO are plotting to start a new alternative cycling league. Gaining such a big influence over the Vuelta could be seen as additional proof for such conspiracy theories." - CyclingWeekly

"Give (results) to ASO and the next day you can read medical files of people in l'Equipe" - Philippe Maertens, press officer for Astana, reported in Bicycling

“Nothing is beyond repair, but what we cannot have is one set of rules for France and one set for the rest of the world.” - Pat McQuaid

"With the Giro and the Tour de France under my belt, I can justifiably consider myself one of the greats of cycling, even if there still remains a lot of work to be done to reach the level of the legends." - Alberto Contador

"Prudhomme did not rule out the possibility that Astana might be re-admitted to the Tour in 2009 “if there are no problems and good results in 2008.”  - Cycling Weekly

"Riders and teams by competing will expose themselves to sanctions through the fault of ASO leaders. ASO have shown that they intend to follow their own rules in the framework of a structure created by themselves. This year they are going to deprive the titleholder (Alberto Contador) of defending his title. UCI regards the fight against such tendencies as fundamental" - UCI Statement

"The Dura-Ace (7900)  badge will also make its way on to a compact offering for the first time. Shimano will offer that version in a single 50/34T gear combination although standard BCD models will be available in 53/42T, 52/39T, 53/39T, 54/42T, 55/42T and 56/44T. Just as before, Dura-Ace cranks will be available in a wide range of lengths from 165-180mm in 2.5mm increments." - CyclingNews

"When climbing I have seen him do things that only Armstrong knows how to do.  Alberto has the mentality of a champion and an extraordinary confidence in himself. We don't yet know his limits." - Johan Bruyneel in the Gazzetta dello Sport

“This is my Tour de France for me this year. I prefer to win this Giro than win a second Tour." - Alberto Contador

"He is a great athlete...but a small man" - Emanuele Sella referring to Riccardo Riccò in BikeRadar>

"Each man was in his own pain locker as the end neared. Di Luca stayed ahead of Contador and finished 4'40" behind the winner. Ricco came in 1'07 behind Di Luca, and a battered and exhausted Contador slipped across the line with just enough to keep the pink jersey by a thin margin. How thin? 4 seconds." - Dave Aldersebaesin PezCyclingNews

"Serving on the World Bicycle Relief Board is an opportunity to give back to the world through something that has given me so much in life. To the world’s poor, time lost to walking destroys much of their productive day. A bicycle represents a leap in efficiency that magnifies everything they do. We often forget that the bike is used for more than sport; for many people it’s an invaluable part of everyday life.” - Johan Bruyneel

"Government statistics show that about 66% of adults are overweight or obese, which increases their risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some types of cancer. New data out Wednesday show that 32% of children and teens in the USA weigh too much." -Nanci Hellmich USAToday

“There are two very important days, Friday and Saturday. We’ll focus on keeping the jersey. It’s going to be huge for us if we win this race. Under the circumstances of how we were invited so late, I cannot think of anything more satisfying.” -  Levi Leipheimer in VeloNews.

"The winning time by Pellizotti saw an average speed that didn't even cross the 20kmh mark - we're talking the world's best here, not to mention the fact that the intermediate time check saw riders well over the 20kph mark, and then...that final section, that 24% bit, took not just power, heartbeats, and heavy breathing, but life." -  Jered Gruber in PezCycling News

"It’s like a gift. If they had told me 20 days ago when I was on the beach that I would be in the maglia rosa, I wouldn’t have believed it. I came here thinking about stages, but little by little, my condition improved. The people around me animated my spirits and they convinced me to keep fighting. The sensations improved and it’s for them that I am in the maglia rosa. My preparation wasn’t very good, so it’s nothing short of a gift to have this jersey." - Alberto Contador in VeloNews

“I didn’t have the day I was hoping for. I’ve been struggling with allergies and it really affected me today, the legs couldn’t respond as they normally would have. To be five seconds from the maglia rosa is disappointing. I’m not happy with how things went at all.” - Alberto Contador in VeloNews

"The whole day I was careful – always leaving gaps – but on this one descent six or seven riders crashed and there was nowhere for me to go. I went over Piepoli and I hit [the asphalt] pretty hard, straight on my face. However, the problem is my [right] elbow; I can't really move my arm much. Hopefully, it will get better. I have two days now where I hope I can just relax and get better." - Levi Leipheimer in CyclingNews

"As I said before, Victor (Hugo Pea), Tyler and Sergio (Hernandez) are the ones to get in breakaways and go for stage wins. So for Tyler it was an excellent day. He was the aggressor and the one who created the breakaway. He's been persistent enough and, who knows, he might get one." -  Rock Racing Team Director Mariano Friedrick as reported in VeloNews

"For the moment I am the best German time trialist. Of course I want to represent my country. It is not because cycling is not so popular any more in Germany, that I am not proud to defend the colours of my country. If I am selected, of course I will go"- Andreas Klöden

"I didn’t cheat or break the rules. I failed the test and was banned because I had a health problem." - Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi

"It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it." - Arnold Toynbee

"This is guilt-free recovery that will yield significant results. You’ve trained and raced hard. You deserve this break and you’ll be faster for having taken it." - Rick Crawford in Training: The importance of a mid-season break

"I made a new rule; no more RV Parks for me. I think in order for you to enjoy your stay in these places you have to be 65 or older, smoke, have a small yappy dog, and go bug your neighbors every waking moment! I’ll be the first to admit that I’m anti-social but give me a break, how many times can I talk about the weather in one day?" - Neil Shirley, the Neil Shirley Mt. Hood Diary >

"I really wish I could tell you that I won the final stage.  But I can’t." - Neil Shirley, the Neil Shirley Mt. Hood Diary 

"I averaged 340 watts. That's a lot. What's even freakier is I averaged 154bpm heart rate for the five hours, in December an hour and a half at that intensity would have had me on my hands and knees! That means I was at 82% of my max for five hours. This is a crazy sport" David Millar - The Miller Diaries.

"I went through 18cans of coke. Small cans, but still, that's a lot of coke, As for the Cliff Bloks, I think I went through a packet every 25 minutes, as I was determined not to blow." David Millar - The Millar Diaries.

"Riccardo Ricco will be even worse after today; he made some comments yesterday that annoyed Alberto Contador, so let us see who he will annoy today? The fact that RAI now refer to him as “Super Ricco” will make his already swollen head even bigger!" Alastair Hamilton reporting on the Giro for Pezcyclingnews.