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Ask anyone about the way this weekend's racing will unfold at the cyclocross world championships in Saint Wendel, Germany, talk invariably turns to the thermometer. Above freezing? Below freezing?

Four riders from 2010 return for new season

MALLORCA, Spain (VN) – An angry Alberto Contador vows to fight against a doping ban and reasserted his claims of innocence against charges that he doped to win the 2010 Tour de France.

Ned knows bikes, and guess what size wheel he really likes to roll?

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Stage 6:

• 1. Andrea Guardini, (ITA) Farnese Vini - Neri Sotttoli, s.t.
• 2. Anuar Manan, (MAS) Terengganu Proasia Cycling, s.t.
• 3. Takashi Miyazawa, (JPN) Farnese Vini - Neri Sotttoli, s.t.
• 4. Harrif Salleh Mohd, (MAS) Terengganu Proasia Cycling, s.t.
• 5. Jae Jang Chan, (KOR) Korea National Team, s.t.

• 1. Libardo Nino Corredor, (COL) Le Tua Cycling Team, in 18h14'45"
• 2. Jonnatha Monsalve, (VEN) Androni Giocattoli, at 0:02
• 3. Emanuele Sella, (ITA) Androni Giocattoli, at 0:19
• 4. Dennis Van Niekerk, (RSA) Mtn Qhubeka, at 0:22
• 5. Rahim Emami, (IRI) Azad University Cycling Team, s.t.

After the general classification battles of the past two days, the Tour de Langkawi returned to flatter terrain, and Andrea Guardini (Farnese Vini –Neri Sottoli) clocked up his hat-trick of sprint victories in the race.

Sager and Sonntag back on winning form for stage four

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Showing that he can still compete strongly at 43 years of age, Libardo Nino Corredor (Le Tua) took over the general classification lead at the Tour de Langkawi Thursday. The veteran Colombian rider placed second on the gruelling stage to Genting Highlands, battling wind and rain to finish just behind the victorious Venezuelan rider Jonnatha Monsalve (Androni Giocattoli).

Stage

• 1. Jonathan MONSALVE, (VEN) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 3:33:31
• 2. Libardo NINO CORREDOR, (COL) Letua Cycling Team, at s.t.
• 3. Samad POOR SEIEDI, (IRI) Azad University Iran, at 1
• 4. Dennis VAN NIEKERK, (RSA) Mtn Cycling, at 3
• 5. Rahim EMEMI, (IRI) Azad University Iran, at 3

• 1. Libardo NINO CORREDOR, (COL) Letua Cycling Team, at 15:59:46
• 2. Jonathan MONSALVE, (VEN) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 2
• 3. Emanuele SELLA, (ITA) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 19
• 4. Dennis VAN NIEKERK, (RSA) Mtn Cycling, at 22
• 5. Rahim EMEMI, (IRI) Azad University Iran, at 22

MADRID, Spain (AFP) — Spanish cyclist David Garcia has been handed a two-year doping ban following his positive test at the last Tour of Spain, the Spanish Cycling Federation said Thursday.

Quack! Nick answers questions about Q-factor, tire choices for epic rides and more

Martin Hardie, the Australian law professor representing former Garmin rider Trent Lowe, is rejecting claims made by Slipstream Sports that Lowe demanded €500,000 or he would go public with his 2009 visit to a clinic run by former U.S. Postal Service doctor Luis del Moral.

PALMA DE MAJORCA, Spain (AFP) - Tour de France champion Alberto Contador feels he has been "unfairly punished" by Spain's cycling federation, which has proposed suspending him for one year for a positive doping test, his spokesman said Thursday.

The UCI on Thursday sought to clarify that a one-year ban for Alberto Contador — announced by the rider's spokesman Wednesday — is only a preliminary proposal by the Spanish Cycling Federation.

300 spots up for grabs at unnamed events in California, Colorado and Northeast in June and July

300 spots up for grabs at unnamed events in California, Colorado and Northeast in June and July

Andy Schleck does not consider himself a Tour winner, he told the Dutch paper Wielerland. "For me Alberto is the winner of the 2010 Tour. I would love to win the Tour on my own." Schleck has said previously that he did not want to win the Tour via Contador's suspension.

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64 cyclists to take on Arrowhead 135 Winter Ultra Race

A reader wants to know why an unethical athlete would look to clenbuterol for performance-enhancement.

Now that evidence suggests the metabolites of plasticizers in Alberto Contador's urine samples a reader wants to know if that's proof of doping.

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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.