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Danilo Di Luca keeps chipping away at Denis Menchov’s grip on the maglia rosa, but he keeps running out of asphalt. And now he’s running out of time. Carlos Sastre (Cervélo TestTeam) climbed to his second sublime stage victory Friday in the 164km 19th stage, ending atop the brooding Mont Vesuvius. But all eyes were on the showdown between Menchov and his slender 26-second advantage to Di Luca.

Video: Lance Armstrong interviews Ted King at the 2009 Giro

The sporting world's top court on Friday doubled a one-year ban on Italian cyclist Marta Bastianelli for doping, ruling in favor of the UCI, which had sought a tougher sanction than the one originally handed out by her national federation. CAS ruled in favor of the UCI, noting that Bastianelli's positive test was "attributable to her own fault and negligence, which in the circumstances, is significant." The three-member panel ruled that she should serve a two-year ban starting from July 5, 2008.

Australia's Michael Rogers has lurked near the top of the Giro standings all month, and currently sits seventh, just over 7 minutes behind race leader Denis Menchov. His hopes for a podium spot are over, but a top performance in Sunday's time trial finale could help the rider leave Italy on the upswing. For the final-hour showdown in front of the Roman coliseum, Rogers is expected to pull out an ace in the hole: the new Scott Plasma 3 time trial bike.

Australian sprint star Robbie McEwen has ruled himself out of taking part in the Tour de France after undergoing surgery on a fractured tibia. The 36-year-old Katusha rider underwent surgery on Thursday after suffering a heavy fall on the second stage of the Tour of Belgium in Knokke-Heist. "I had an accident today in tour of Belgium, broke my tibia," McEwen said on his Twitter account late Thursday. "Operation, two screws in it. Luckily the tendon is ok. Hit a barrier. "Thanks everyone for your support. I promise you this, I will be back."

Six top collegiate women racers will race as an All-Star team at the Nature Valley Grand Prix next month, continuing a three-year old program that has helped nurture several professional careers. The women were chosen based on the final omnium results at the collegiate road nationals in Fort Colllins, Colorado, earlier this month. Women who are not members of a professional or elite amateur team were eligible.

With 18 stages now logged in the books at this year's Giro d'Italia I'm finding my creative juices running a bit dry. After the last rest day, this final week is slightly strange since it's only five race days and features yesterday's mere 83km stage and Sunday's concluding 15km time trial. So it's tough not to peek towards the light at the end of the tunnel, but like a good grand tour rookie, I'm still taking it just one day at a time.

Australian Robbie McEwen will likely be unable to start the Tour de France after he suffered a heavy fall at the Tour of Belgium on Thursday. “Now Robbie is in the hospital. His knee joint is OK, but he cut his ligaments under his left knee and the doctors are rebuilding it. It’s almost impossible his participation at the Tour de France," a team statement said. "Robbie hit a tub of flowers and fell. He went off to hospital for analysis, said the racer's sporting director Jef Braeckevelt.

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is presenting competitive cyclists with a seemingly irresistible challenge: race 4,784 feet to the top of Brasstown Bald Mountain in Ellijay, Ga., to help raise awareness about childhood obesity and create excitement for the return of Tour de Georgia, which in on hiatus this year.

Craig, Decker win rally race

OUCH-Maxxis is the latest team to confirm it will race in this September's Tour of Missouri, the race announced Thursday. The OUCH joins an event roster that includes Astana, BMC Racing, Cervelo TestTeam, Columbia-High Road, Garmin-Slipstream, Jelly Belly, Liquigas, QuickStep and SaxoBank. Five more team will be added soon and individual race rosters will be announced in August.

Lance Armstrong interviews Michael Barry at the Giro d'Italia.

Danny Pate (Garmin-Slipstream) and Jason McCartney (Saxo Bank) went on the hunt for stage victory in Thursday’s 182km hilly 18th stage from Sulmona to Benevento, in what turned out to be a breather for the GC favorites ahead of Friday’s showdown on Mont Vesuvius. The U.S. pair worked into a huge, 24-rider breakaway across the hilly Campagna region that atrophied to a seven-man winning effort.

Astana's Levi Leipheimer entered this year's Giro d'Italia playing down predictions that he could contest for the win, telling interviewers that he was going to take it “day by day, kilometer by kilometer,” and naming Ivan Basso as the top favorite.

USA Cycling named a new director of media and communications on Wednesday, filling one of two key positions left open last week after the departures of former media director Andy Lee and national events director Justin Rogers. USA Cycling CEO Steve Johnson said that Andrea Smith, who previously served as communications manager, has been promoted to fill the post vacated by Lee.

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Aerodynamic, deep section wheels have become a staple in the wheel quiver for most road racers. Flat to rolling road races and time trials call for a wheelset that is aerodynamic, rolls fast, and handles well.

Giro d’Italia leader Denis Menchov on Wednesday distanced himself from an alleged blood doping ring operated in Vienna, Austria, but officials from Rabobank team said Austrian authorities have recently approached the team.   “The team has been approached by Austrian justice officials,” Rabobank team spokesman Luuc Eisinga told VeloNews on Wednesday. ‘We have replied that we will fully cooperate.”