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Swart memorial, Dowsett set for Qatar debut, Armstrong for Greenville? and more

MADRID, Spain (AFP) - The Spanish Cycling Federation will inform Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of the results of its investigation into his positive drugs test from the 2010 race very shortly, a spokesman for the federation told AFP on Wednesday.

Two weeks ago, (UnitedHealthcare) was looking for miles in the saddle ahead of the Tour of Langkawi. On Thursday he’ll be looking for the leader’s jersey when the race hits the brutal slopes of the Genting Highlands.

The curious case of Trent Lowe’s 2009 visit to Spanish doctor Luis del Moral, which cost Garmin-Cervélo director Matt White his job Sunday, added a bizarre chapter Tuesday when Slipstream Sports, the management group behind the Garmin team, issued a statement claiming that Lowe had threatened to blackmail the team for €500,000 (US$670,000) over potentially damaging information.

Marin County-based development team boasts 18 mountain bikers

Stage:

• 1. Takeaki Ayabe, (JPN) Aisan Racing Team, 3h42'15"
• 2. Libardo Nino Corredor, (COL) Le Tua Cycling Team, same time
• 3. Amir Zargari, (IRI) Azad University Cycling Team, s.t.
• 4. Thomas Bonnin, (FRA) Skil Shimano Cycling Team, s.t.
• 5. Christopher Jones, (USA) United Healthcare Pro Cycling, s.t.
GC:
• 1. Takeaki Ayabe, (JPN) Aisan Racing Team, at
• 2. Libardo Nino Corredor, (COL) Le Tua Cycling Team, at 0:04
• 3. Amir Zargari, (IRI) Azad University Cycling Team, at 0:06
• 4. Hossein Askari, (IRI) Tabriz Petrochemical Team, at 0:09
• 5. Thomas Bonnin, (FRA) Skil Shimano Cycling Team, at 0:10

Asian riders showed their improving strength Wednesday when riders from that continent took the top spots on the first mountain stage of this year’s Tour de Langkawi, putting Japan’s Takeaki Ayabe into the overall lead.

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Event on Lance's Texas ranch now a Category 1 UCI race

LZ weighs in on the when's & why's of saddle replacement

Sager and Sonntag take commanding lead after winning the first two stages

No one’s happier about growing speculation that a decision in the “caso Contador” could come as soon as Thursday than Alberto Contador.

More than two and a half years after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Alexander Kolobnev will finally receive his bronze medal.

South African Daryl Impey, who rode for RadioShack last year and had planned to join the troubled Pegasus team for 2011, has signed with Team MTN Qhubeka.

The event's lawyer, in a letter sent to the cycling bodies Thursday, said their recent move allowing top teams at National Racing Calendar criteriums — but not at road races like Battenkill — is "exclusionary and monopolistic."

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USA Cycling has released the selection procedures that will be used to determine the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team across all four Olympic disciplines — road, mountain bike, track and BMX.

The Fondriest Cross Carbon reviewed — smooth frame, annoying fork and lots of F words from the reviewer

BRUSSELS, Belgium (VN) — Less than a week before the cyclocross world championships prospects for America’s elite women and men look perhaps as bright as they have ever been.

Jamis' Sonntag and Sager claim day 1 at South American epic

Skil-Shimano's Marcel Kittel’s bronze medal at last year’s U23 world championship time trial marked him as a big talent against the watch, but he showed his sprinting skills in taking the third stage of the Tour de Langkawi.

Stage:

• 1. Marcel KITTEL, (GER) Skil-Shimano, in 3:14:18
• 2. Anuar MANAN, (MAS), at s.t.
• 3. Andrea GUARDINI, (ITA), at s.t.
• 4. André SCHULZE, (GER) CCC Polsat Polkowice, at s.t.
• 5. Boris SHPILEVSKY, (RUS) Petrochemical Tabriz Cycling Team, at s.t.

• 1. Andrea GUARDINI, (ITA), in 8:43:44
• 2. Anuar MANAN, (MAS), at 7
• 3. Marcel KITTEL, (GER) Skil-Shimano, at 18
• 4. Deon LOCKE, (AUS), at 20
• 5. Hamid SHIRISISAN, (IRI), at 21

The Czech Republic's world cyclocross champion, Zdenek Stybar, will join the Quick Step road team March 1 and may make his road debut with the team at the Tour of California or the Tour of Belgium, the team announced Tuesday

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Forget carbon molds, how about a little soul? Making of a Soulcraft

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will reportedly face a one-year suspension as a result of his positive doping test at last year's event, Spanish newspapers said Tuesday.

Chainring flex, mid-foot cleats, bottom bracket drilling and more

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Men:

• 1. Niels Albert, Bkcp - Powerplus, with570 points
• 2. Kevin Pauwels, Telenet - Fidea, with499 points
• 3. Sven Nys, Landbouwkrediet, with484 points
• 4. Bart Aernouts, Rabobank-Giant Offroad Team, with392 points
• 5. Francis Mourey, Fdj, with369 points

• 1. Sanne Van Paassen, with 310 points
• 2. Katherine Compton, with 300 points
• 3. Marianne Vos, Nederland Bloeit, with205 points
• 4. Sanne Cant, with 203 points
• 5. Hanka Kupfernagel, with 198 points

• 1. Cameron Meyer, Team Garmin-Cervelo, with 106 points
• 2. Harley Goss Matthew, HTC-HighRoad, with 93 points
• 3. Ben Swift, Sky Procycling, with 82 points
• 4. Michael Matthews, Rabobank Cycling Team, with 70 points
• 5. Laurens Ten Dam, Rabobank Cycling Team, with 52 points

Organizers of the Nature Valley Grand Prix have announced the establishment of the "Carla Swart Sportsmanship Award" as a memorial to the racer, who was killed after being hit by a truck in South Africa last week.

Movistar's Vendoso scores the first big win on Campy's electric shifters

USA Cycling will announce Monday a new team designation, “Domestic Elite,” which national events director Micah Rice hoped would bring improved organization to elite teams in the men’s and women’s pelotons. The new category is effective immediately and will affect National Racing Calendar points standings and criteriums on the circuit.

You’ve probably never heard of Robbert De Kock or the World Federation for the Sporting Goods Industry, but pay attention. As the secretary general of the WFSGI, De Kock may be the man to unite the cycling industry and give it real power in its dealings with the UCI.

The UCI rocked the cycling industry in December when it announced that a new bicycle approval process would be implemented on January 1, 2011. The UCI later delayed the program by a month.

Alberto Contador rejoins his Saxo Bank-Sungard teammates this week with a training camp on Mallorca as he waits to hear word on his ongoing doping case.

Johan Bruyneel says there’s “nothing new” to the latest round of doping allegations leveled at Lance Armstrong, who raced his final international cycling event with Sunday’s conclusion at the Tour Down Under.

Hell yeah them boys are doped!

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130 riders from 18 countries will take on six days and 450km in South America

• 1. Andrea Guardini, (ITA) Farnese Vini - Neri Sotttoli, in 3:26:26
• 2. Boris Shpilevsky, (RUS) Tabriz Petrochemical Team, s.t.
• 3. Anuar Manan, (MAS) Terengganu Proasia Cycling, s.t.
• 4. Vidal Celis Zabala, (ESP) Le Tua Cycling Team, s.t.
• 5. Marcel Kittel, (GER) Skil Shimano Cycling Team, s.t.

Italian rider Andrea Guardini showed that his Stage 1 victory was well deserved when he took another impressive sprint victory in the Tour de Langkawi.

Garmin's Matt White has been fired for violating a team rule concerning riders and outside medical care.

Dan Seaton shoots the finale to the men's cyclocross World Cup in the Netherlands.

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Dan Seaton shoots the finale to the women's cyclocross World Cup in the Netherlands.

Marco Arriagada (Chile) secured the overall title at the Tour de San Luís after finishing safely in the bunch in Sunday’s seventh and final stage.

Stage 6:

• 1. Hector AGUILAR FIGUEIRAS, (URU), in 3:45:55
• 2. Marcos CRESPO, (ARG), at s.t.
• 3. Mauro Abel RICHEZE, (ARG), at s.t.
• 4. Bernardo RICCIO, (ITA), at s.t.
• 5. Roberto FERRARI, (ITA) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at s.t.

• 1. Marco ARRIAGADA, (CHI), at 25:51:54
• 2. Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ, (COL) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 38
• 3. Enzo MOYANO, (ARG), at 1:49
• 4. Eros CAPECCHI, (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo, at 1:50
• 5. Miguel Angel RUBIANO CHAVEZ, (COL), at 2:42

• 1. Niels Albert (BEL), BKCP-Powerplus, at 1:04:21
• 2. Kevin Pauwels (BEL), Telenet-Fidea, at 0:06
• 3. Sven Nys (BEL), Landbouwkrediet, at 0:32
• 4. Zdenek Stybar (CZE), Telenet-Fidea, at 0:37
• 5. Klaas Vantornout (BEL), Sunweb-Revor, at 0:38

Katie Compton wins the finale as Sanne Van Paassen claims the 2010-11 World Cup.

• 1. Katherine Compton (USA), 40:59
• 2. Hanka Kupfernagel (Ger), 41:17
• 3. Marianne Vos (Ned), 41:30
• 4. Sanne Van Paassen (Ned), 41:50
• 5. Katerina Nash (Cze), 42:00

• 1. Andrea Guardini, (ITA) Farnese Vini - Neri Sotttoli, s.t.
• 2. Sungbaek Park, (KOR) Korea National, s.t.
• 3. Harrif Salleh Mohd, (MAS) Terengganu Proasia, s.t.
• 4. Luca Barla, (ITA) Androni Giocattoli, s.t.
• 5. Kenny Van Hummel, (NED) Skil Shimano, s.t.

Niels Albert wins the finale in Hoogerheide and clinches the World Cup title.

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Stage 6:

• 1. Ben Swift, Sky, in 1:53:47
• 2. Greg Henderson, Sky, s.t.
• 3. Matthew Goss, HTC-HighRoad, s.t.
• 4. Robbie McEwen, RadioShack, s.t.
• 5. Juan Jose Haedo, Saxo Bank Sungard, s.t.

• 1. Cameron Meyer, Garmin-Cervelo, in 17:54:27
• 2. Matthew Goss, HTC-HighRoad, at 0:02
• 3. Ben Swift, Sky, at 0:08
• 4. Michael Matthews, Rabobank, at 0:09
• 5. Laurens ten Dam, Rabobank, at 0:10

Equaling the closest-winning margin 10 years ago, Cameron Meyer and his Garmin-Cervélo team held off all and sundry in Sunday’s final stage to win the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under.

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Garmin-Cervélo team manager Matthew White says the 2011 Santos Tour Down Under has come down to one of two men: his charge and current leader, Cameron Meyer, or Matthew Goss of HTC-HighRoad,

VeloNews editor in chief Ben Delaney takes a look at HTC-HighRoad's time trial bike.

• 1. Rob Peeters (Bel), 58:50
• 2. Zdenek Stybar (Cze), 58:57
• 3. Sven Nys (Bel), 59:01
• 4. Klaas Vantornout (Bel), 59:23
• 5. Jonathan Page (USA), 59:29