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MACUGNAGA, Italy (VN) – Alberto Contador is so strong at this Giro d’Italia he can start gifting stage victories.

The difficulties — or, rather, the over-the-top difficulties — of this month’s Giro d’Italia conclude this Saturday with a final gnarly mountain stage that features the dreaded Colle delle Finestre and a concluding climb to Sestriere for the eighth summit finish in two weeks.

QuickResults

• 1. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA), Astana, in 5:26:27
• 2. Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP), SaxoBank-Sungard, at 0:00
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0:03
• 4. John Gadret (FRA), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 0:06
• 5. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (ESP), Team Katusha, at 0:06

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard, 77:11:24
• 2. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 5:18
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Cannondale, at 5:52
• 4. John Gadret (France), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:53
• 5. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Belarus), HTC-Highroad, at 9:58

The Blunt SL builds off the proven P35 and Blunt rims — in 650b, too.

Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) won stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia on Friday, crossing just ahead of race leader Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard), who rocketed out of a dwindling chase in the final kilometer to shadow the Italian across the line.

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An essay by LeMond Fitness CEO Mark Handfelt

The headline event in the States this weekend is the USA Cycling Professional National Championships in Greenville, South Carolina. Not to be lost in the shadows, however, are the oldest race on the National Racing Calendar, the Tour of Somerville, the 40th Iron Horse Bicycle Classic and the final stop on the Nature Valley Pro Ride.

Singletrack.com's Lennard Zinn explains how to take apart, adjust, and install a threadless standard headset.

Stage 2

• 1. André GREIPEL, (GER) Omega Pharma-Lotto, in 3:38:14
• 2. Kenny Robert VAN HUMMEL, (NED) Skil-Shimano, at 0
• 3. Maxime VANTOMME, (BEL) Team Katusha, at 0
• 4. Tom BOONEN, (BEL) Quick Step, at 0
• 5. Nikolay TRUSOV, (RUS) Team Katusha, at 0

GC after stage 2

• 1. André GREIPEL, Omega Pharma-Lotto, in 3:44:49 Germany
• 2. Philippe GILBERT, Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 2 Belgium
• 3. Dominique CORNU, Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 3 Belgium
• 4. Maarten WYNANTS, Rabobank Cycling Team, at 8 Belgium
• 5. Tom BOONEN, Quick Step, at 10 Belgium

Joe Dombrowski knows how to speedily spin over mountains, but these days he’s even more adept at navigating his way up the pro ranks. Last spring, the 20-year-old Virginia native was a USA Cycling Category 3, mixing it up with the locals at office park crits and rural road races around the mid-Atlantic. This year, he’s earned podium spots at pro domestic and European stage races, quickly emerging as one of Trek-Livestrong’s best weapons in the mountains.

TERMINE, Italy (VN) – Peter Stetina calmly stepped out of his pedals and sipped an energy drink after finishing the 18th stage of the Giro d’Italia. From the look of his reaction, you would have never guessed he’s just days from finishing his first grand tour in what many are calling one of the most grueling Giros ever.

SAN PELLEGRINO TERME, Italy (VN) – Sometimes the best racing in the Giro d’Italia happens before RAI begins to broadcast the race. That was certainly the case in Thursday’s short but explosive 151km 18th stage from Morbegno to San Pellegrino Terme.

Road rash treatment, skewer placement, vans in the caravan and more

Stage 18

• 1. Eros Capecchi (ITA), Liquigas-Doimo, 3:20:38
• 2. Marco Pinotti (ITA), HTC-Highroad, s.t.
• 3. Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL), Quick Step, s.t.
• 4. Gianluca Brambilla (ITA), Colnago-CSF, at 1:20
• 5. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA), Astana, at 1:20

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard, 71:45:09
• 2. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 4:58
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Doimo, at 5:45
• 4. John Gadret (France), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:35
• 5. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Belarus), HTC-Highroad, at 9:12

Singletrack.com's Lennard Zinn talks setting sag on a Fox fork for optimal performance.

Singletrack.com's Lennard Zinn shows us how to cut and install new Avid Juicy brakes.

SAN PELLEGRINO, Italy (VN) — Apparent delays in Alberto Contador's hearing in his ongoing doping case could open the door for him to race this year's Tour de France despite having the risk of disqualification from last year's victory.

A reader asks about the validity of Floyd Landis' whistleblower lawsuit against Lance Armstrong and whether Postal Service sponsorship of the old cycling team can really be called 'federal funding'

When we say the "long haul" it doesn't mean just a road trip, it means spending a year with the Küat NV rack. Did we like it?

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Igor Anton’s Orbea Orca GDi2

• 1. Lieuwe WESTRA, (NED) Vacansoleil-DCM, in 6:36
• 2. Philippe GILBERT, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 1
• 3. Dominique CORNU, (BEL) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at 2
• 4. Sebastian LANGEVELD, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 5
• 5. Maarten WYNANTS, (BEL) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 7

This weekend brings in the U.S. Professional National Championships in Greenville, South Carolina, and the story is as much who will be there as who won’t.

• Jesse Anthony, Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth, Beverly, MA
• Kai Applequist, Team Exergy, Boise, ID
• Andrew Bajadali, Kelly Benefit Strategies-OptumHealth, Boulder, CO
• Andrew Baker, Bissell Pro Cycling Team, Easley, SC
• Christopher Baldwin, Bissell Pro Cycling Team, Boulder, CO

Stage

• 1. Diego Ulissi, Lampre - Isd, in 5:31:51
• 2. Pablo Lastras Garcia, Movistar Team, at s.t
• 3. Giovanni Visconti, Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli, at s.t.
• 4. Jan Bakelants, Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 4
• 5. Fabio Taborre, Acqua & Sapone, at 8

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard, in 68:18:27
• 2. Michele Scarponi, Lampre - Isd, at 4:58
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 5:45
• 4. John Gadret, Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:35
• 5. Kanstantsin Sivtsov, HTC-Highroad, at 9:12

Tyler Hamilton's attorney Chris Manderson said what has surprised him is the quality of the response from Armstrong and his attorneys following his client's appearance on CBS, one he characterized as “lashing out at the messenger, rather than addressing the charges.”

FELTRE, Italy (VN) ─ Neil Stephens had a front-row seat during the Miguel Indurain era as a racer and he's seen the rise of Alberto Contador as a sport director working in the peloton. The ex-pro said the two Spanish riders have very different racing styles that result in the same thing: winning stage races.

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Specialized's Jaroslav Kulhavy rides a 29er — full suspension, no less — to a World Cup win — the first ever for a big-wheeled bike.

LZ fields questions on Mario's bikes, disc brake rotors, seized bottom brackets and power meter drag

Millar says CERA made 2008 Giro harder than this one, Contador has little to say on Hamilton, final TT shortened

Stage 16

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard, at 28:55
• 2. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 34
• 3. Michele Scarponi, Lampre - Isd, at 38
• 4. José Rujano Guillen, Androni Giocattoli - C.i.p.i, at 39
• 5. Stefano Garzelli, Acqua & Sapone, at 46

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard, at 62:43:37
• 2. Michele Scarponi, Lampre - Isd, at 4:58
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 5:45
• 4. John Gadret, Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:35
• 5. José Rujano Guillen, Androni Giocattoli - C.i.p.i, at 9:18

Alberto Contador solidified his lead in the 2011 Giro d'Italia Tuesday, after dancing to a 34-second win over Vincenzo Nibali in the stage 16 uphill time trial.

At an incredible 278 grams including rotor, Magura's MT series of brakes offer great modulation, power and resistance to heat, drag and squeal.

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Police carried out a search at the RadioShack team hotel in Falcade on Monday, a day after former Lance Armstrong teammate Tyler Hamilton accused him on "60 Minutes" of participating in a sophisticated doping program, according to The Associated Press

The Showers Pass VelEau 42 is a specially shaped 1.25L container that fits inside a formed, under-the-saddle bag.

Photographer Gregg Bleakney piggybacks on a leg of a Thomson Bike Tours trip to the Giro d'Italia.

Men

• 1. Francisco Mancebo , Realcyclist.com, with 575 points
• 2. Jacobe Keough , Unitedhealthcare, with 297 points
• 3. Benjamin Jacques-Maynes , Bissell Pro Cycling Team, with 222 points
• 4. Michael Northey , Pureblack Racing, with 194 points
• 5. Christopher Baldwin , Bissell Pro Cycling Team, with 170 points

Women

Roman Kreuziger looks set to top his ninth-place finish at last year’s Giro, and he’ll do so riding a Specialized Tarmac SL3.

Frank Overton analyzes Rory Sutherland's power data from the final stage of the Amgen Tour of California.

In a statement on its website Monday the UCI said it "categorically rejects" the allegations made by Tyler Hamilton on Sunday's episode of the CBS News program "60 Minutes."

Spanish cyclist Xavier Tondo died in a freak accident on Monday, crushed between his car and a garage door at a ski resort in southern Spain.

BELLUNO, Italy (VN) – Tuesday’s climbing time trial up to the base of the Nevegal ski area present Alberto Contador with another chance to tighten his grip on the maglia rosa.

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BELLUNO, Italy (VN) – Vicenzo Nibali vows to go down fighting in the Giro d’Italia and has no regrets about going on the attack despite losing time in Sunday’s epic trek across the Dolomites.

There was both irony and hope in the confluence Sunday afternoon of CBS’ “60 Minutes” exposé on doping in cycling and the finish of the sixth Tour of California.

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Lance Armstrong was part of a sophisticated doping program, according to former teammate Tyler Hamilton, who told "60 Minutes" that a positive test was made to "go away."