All Content

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

PARIS (AFP) — Italian rider Michele Scarponi said he will look to legendary sprinter Alessandro Petacchi for inspiration after Lampre announced that he will lead their challenge on the Tour of Spain.

Fat and fun road tires, if you don't mind the occasional flat

Today was the third stage of the Breck Epic, and it was Epic.

PARIS (AFP) — Dutch outfit Vacansoleil will line-up in this year'sp Vuelta a España without last year's runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera. The 35-year-old Spaniard took second place while riding for Xacobeo, but it was later revealed that he had tested positive for the banned substance Hydroxyethyl Starch, also known as HES, during an in-competition test at the race.

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

Davide Rebellin bolted back into the winner's circle with victory in Tuesday's Tre Valle Varesine (1.HC) in northern Italy.

After being left out of the Tour de France and riding to a sub-par Giro d'Italia, it's all-in for Geox-TMC during the upcoming Vuelta a España.

Three grand-tour rookies are part of a slim North American contingent for this year's Vuelta a España that will likely include only four starting U.S. riders.

Bradley Wiggins hopes to erase the bad memories of his disappointing Tour de France with a strong comeback performance in the Vuelta a España.

More photos from the 2011 Leadville 100 MTB race

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

LEON, Spain (VN) — Tom Boonen and Sylvain Chavanel headline Quick Step for the upcoming Vuelta a España.

LEON, Spain (VN) — Defending champion Vincenzo Nibali and grand tour rookie Peter Sagan headline a deep Liquigas-Cannondale team for the Vuelta a España.

2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge teams

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Earlier this year VeloNews tech editor Nick Legan rode with the Rapha Continental team to scout the stages of the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado. VeloNews and Rapha partnered to produce videos about the stages. Today we are sharing the fourth video from the ride, focusing on stage 5, from Steamboat Springs to Breckenridge (see map below the video). Watch for the rest of the videos to be posted over the next week and a half.

Today was the second stage of the Breck Epic stage race. It was about 40 miles long and included a giant section of the Colorado Trail, which is for mountain bikers what a four-scoop chocolate ice cream Sunday is to my daughter.

Rebecca, Gretchen and Pua really burnt up the Leadville course with record breaking finish times.

Specialized is trotting out a fat line of new gear for 2012: LZ has the scoop...

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

• 1. Philippe Gilbert, Omega Pharma-Lotto, in 46:31
• 2. Ben HERMANS, Team RadioShack, at at 10
• 3. Dominique CORNU, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at at 18
• 4. Jan GHYSELINCK, HTC-Highroad, at at 27
• 5. Thomas DE GENDT, Vacansoleil-Dcm, at at 38

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

SALT LAKE CITY – Recovery time is over. Cadel Evans is ready to get back to work.

More race action from the 2011 Leadville 100 MTB race

Lots of photos from 2011 Leadville MTB 100

The name of Schwalbe's Hans Dampf tire translates into English as "Jack of all trades." Yep.

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

This is the third year I have raced the Breck Epic stage race. The last two seasons I have really enjoyed racing here. By "really enjoyed racing here," I mean that I suffered like a beaten dog, and then about a week later when the pain had faded from my memory, I thought about all the pretty singletrack I rode, and decided I wanted to come back next year. It's funny how bike racers don't really remember pain.

Check out Brian Holcombe's author page.

Stage

• 1. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya, (COL) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, in 4:20:13
• 2. Levi Leipheimer, (USA) Team RadioShack, at s.t.
• 3. Janez Brajkovic, (SLO) Team RadioShack, at 00:00:18
• 4. Thomas Danielson, (USA) Garmin-Cervelo, at 00:00:50
• 5. Oscar Sevilla Ribera, (ESP) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, at 00:01:25

• 1. Levi Leipheimer, (USA) Team RadioShack, in 15:53:12
• 2. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya, (COL) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, at 00:00:23
• 3. Janez Brajkovic, (SLO) Team RadioShack, at 00:00:45
• 4. Oscar Sevilla Ribera, (ESP) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, at 00:01:54
• 5. Thomas Danielson, (USA) Garmin-Cervelo, at 00:03:49

SNOWBIRD, Utah (VN) — After winning the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah as a solo rider last year, Levi Leipheimer brought his RadioShack teammates with him for 2012.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Trying to get a leg up on the competition (and over obstacles) 35 cyclocross racers attended the FasCat Coaching-Jeremy Powers Cyclocross Camp August 12-14 in Boulder, Colorado.

Todd Wells Leadville bike setup

Mountain bike racing is traditionally a solo endeavor. But this year's Leadville 100 may buck that trend thanks to a quartet of Team Cannondale pros lining up at the start on August 13.

Stage 6

• 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor), Team Sky, 4:53:06
• 2. Manuel Antonio Leal Cardoso (Por), Team RadioShack, s.t.
• 3. Lars Boom (Ned), Rabobank Cycling Team, s.t.
• 4. Grega Bole (Slo), Lampre-ISD, s.t.
• 5. Damiano Caruso (Ita), Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.

Final GC

• 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor), Team Sky, 22:54:22
• 2. Philippe Gilbert (Bel), Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0:22
• 3. David Millar (Gbr), Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:28
• 4. Taylor Phinney (USA), BMC Racing Team, at 0:35
• 5. Jos Van Emden (Ned), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:57

Graham Watson captures the action at the 2011 London-Surrey Cycle Classic, the official test event for the 2012 Olympic road race.

2011 LT 100 Mens finish and post race interviews. Finish live video and sound with Todd Wells and Albin Lakata M's 1st and 2nd.

2011 LT100 Womens finish and post race interviews. Finish line video and sound from Rusch, Reeves, W's 1st and 2nd.

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) won the final stage and the overall at the Eneco Tour on Sunday.

Great Britain's Mark Cavendish won the Olympic road race test event in London on Sunday.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Stage

• 1. Javier Alexis Acevedo Colle, (COL) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antiquia, in 2:56:18
• 2. Javier Megias Leal, (ESP) Team Type 1, at s.t.:05
• 3. Rubens Bertogliati, (SUI) Team Type 1, at s.t.:06
• 4. Francisco Mancebo Perez, (ESP) Realcyclist.Com Cycling Team, s.t.
• 5. Chad Beyer, (USA) BMC Racing Team, s.t.

• 1. Levi Leipheimer, (USA) Team RadioShack, in 11:32:59
• 2. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya, (COL) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antiquia, at s.t.:23
• 3. Janez Brajkovic, (SLO) Team RadioShack, at s.t.:27
• 4. Oscar Sevilla Ribera, (ESP) Gobernacion De Antioquia - Indeportes Antiquia, at s.t.:29
• 5. Christian Vande Velde, (USA) Garmin-Cervelo, at 01:18

SALT LAKE CITY (VN) — By the end of the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah’s stage 4, the sweat – if there was any fluid left in the peloton – was dripping in buckets.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

2011 Leadville Trail 100 results, top 50 men and women

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Rebecca Rusch's nickname is the Queen of Pain, but perhaps the Diesel Diva would be more fitting.

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Todd Wells is a different rider than he was last year. Eight pounds different to be precise. And that's not including a lighter bike.

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Todd Wells and Rebecca Rusch (both on the Specialized team) won Saturday’s Leadville Trail 100. Rusch shattered the women's record she set last year, while Wells made up for a frustrating ride last year in which an early mechanical kept him out of the hunt for the top of the podium

LEADVILLE, Colo. (ST) — Todd Wells and Rebecca Rusch (both on the Specialized team) won Saturday's Leadville Trail 100 on a sparkling clear warm day in the Rockies.

Stage 4

• 1. Thibaut Pinot (Fra), Française des Jeux, 3:45:17
• 2. David Moncoutie (Fra), Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, at 0:03
• 3. Leopold Konig (Cze), Team Netapp, at 1:04
• 4. Darwin Atapuma Hurtado (Col), Colombia Es Pasion Coldeportes, at 1:04
• 5. Wouter Poels (Ned), Vacansoleil-DCM, at 1:08

Final GC

• 1. David Moncoutie (Fra), Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, 14:05:55
• 2. Wouter Poels (Ned), Vacansoleil-DCM, at 0:43
• 3. Leopold Konig (Cze), Team Netapp, at 1:31
• 4. Maxime Mederel (Fra), Auber 93, at 1:48
• 5. Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez (Col), Colombia Es Pasion Coldeportes, at 3:26

Flu knocks Jesse Anthony out of the Tour of Utah.

Stage 5

• 1. Matteo Bono (Ita), Lampre-ISD, 4:12:14
• 2. Sergey Renev (Kaz), Astana, sams time
• 3. Artem Ovechkin (Rus), Team Katusha, at 0:03
• 4. Tomas Vaitkus (Ltu), Astana, at 0:06
• 5. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel), Omega Pharma-Lotto, s.t.

GC

• 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor), Team Sky, 18:01:26
• 2. Philippe Gilbert (Bel), Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0:12
• 3. David Millar (Gbr), Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:18
• 4. Taylor Phinney (Usa), BMC Racing Team, at 0:25
• 5. Jos Van Emden (Ned), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:47

Matteo Bono (Lampre-ISD) won the fifth stage of the Eneco Tour here on Saturday as Edvald Boasson Hagen (Sky) retained the overall lead.

Saxo Bank-Sungard has confirmed that it will have no Spanish riders in its line-up for this year's Vuelta a España, which starts next Saturday in Benidorm.

Gallery of the 2011 Leadville 100 MTB Start

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Video of Ken Chlouber talking with racers at the Leadville 100 pre race meeting.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Pre race interview with Pua Mata

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Among a handful of fast women set to face-off with Rusch are top riders such as Jenny Smith, Kelli Emmett, Gretchen Reeves and Sari Anderson.

Stage

• 1. Tejay Van Garderen, (USA) HTC-Highroad, in 17:34
• 2. Levi Leipheimer, (USA) Team RadioShack, at :06
• 3. Patrick Gretsch, (GER) HTC-Highroad, at :10
• 4. Alexander Wetterhall, (SWE) Endura Racing, at :18
• 5. Christian Vandevelde, (USA) Garmin-Cervelo, at :19

GC

• 1. Levi Leipheimer, (USA) Team RadioShack, in 8:35:03
• 2. Janez Brajkovic, (SLO) Team RadioShack, at :27
• 3. Oscar Sevilla Ribera, (ESP) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, at :29
• 4. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya, (COL) Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, at :56
• 5. Jesse Anthony, (USA) Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth, at 1:24

TOOELE, Utah (VN) — Happy Birthday, Tejay Van Garderen. You are finally a professional bike race winner.

Pro rider Nate Whitman gives us the daily update on the Leadville Trail 100 from the Herbalife24 Basecamp. Hear the latest weather and trail conditions.

Cadel warns Thor off the Tour; an attitude adjustment; Boxer comes clean on Armstrong comment & more

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (VN) — David Clinger was issued a lifetime doping ban by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) on Friday after testing positive during a random test while serving a prior doping ban.

How many Olympic gold medalists are racing the 2011 Leadville 100 on Saturday? One for sure. That's Bart Brentjens, winner of the first ever Olympic cross country mountain bike race at Atlanta 1996. Bart-man also won bronze at Athens 2004, plus a ton of World Cup races during his long and prestigious pro career.

Go time is near. The start of the 2011 Leadville 100 is less than a day away. Soon you'll be on your bike, facing down a 100 miles (actually 103) of high-alpine mountain biking along with about 1,800 of your new best friends.