News

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."

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

Viatcheslav Ekimov could find himself with a gold medal following startling admissions by Tyler Hamilton that he doped to win the 2004 Olympic time trial championship.

Stage 5

• 1. David Zabriskie (USA/Garmin) in 30min 36secs
• 2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) at 14
• 3. Tejay Van Garderen (USA) 40
• 4. Peter Velits (SVK) 48
• 5. Maarten Tjallingii (NED) 49

Overall

• 1. Christopher Horner (USA/RadioShack) in 17hr 17:01
• 2. Levi Leipheimer (USA) at 38
• 3. Rory Sutherland (AUS) 01:38
• 4. Christian Vandevelde (USA) 01:39
• 5. Thomas Danielson (USA) 01:44

Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervélo) won stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California. Levi Leipheimer (Radioshack) and Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) rounded out the podium, with Chris Horner putting in a fast enough time to hold onto the race lead.

SOLVANG, Calif. (VN) — Peanut Butter & Co.'s Kristin Armstrong put the 'I' in individual time trial Friday, dominating the Tour of California women's invitational, ahead of three HTC-Highroad riders: Amber Neben (second), Charlotte Becker (third) and Evelyn Stevens (fourth).

Frank Overton analyzes Rory Sutherland's power data from stage 5 of the Amgen Tour of California.

Alberto Contador's fate will be considered just days after he's set to conclude racing in the Giro d'Italia.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (VN) - George Hincapie and Jim Ochowicz of BMC Racing were two of embattled Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong’s closest companions for much of his career. Ochowicz Thursday night called former U.S. Postal Service rider Tyler Hamilton’s accusations that he witnessed Armstrong use EPO “outrageous,” while Hincapie reserved comment.

an email Tyler Hamilton sent to friends and family explaining his "long overdue" confession to doping

VIDEO: Muesli vs oatmeal: the culture shock of racing in the U.S. and Europe

When push came to shove on the steeps of Sierra Road, Garmin-Cervélo had no less than five riders near the front of the race, while HTC-Highroad had Tejay Van Garderen. One of the many outcomes of the splintering day was Garmin's Andrew Talansky riding into the white jersey by finishing 15 seconds ahead of his fellow young American Van Garderen.

Let’s not beat around the bush: 478 watts normalized for 18 minutes and two seconds for a power to weight ratio of 6.3 watts per kilogram. That’s the bottom line of Rory Sutherland’s very impressive 3rd place in stage 4.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (VN) — Although he ended up in seventh place, Canadian Ryder Hesjedal not only earned stage 4’s most aggressive rider award but he also dynamited the race with his preemptive attack coming off the hors-cat Mount Hamilton climb that enabled his Garmin-Cervélo team to pack five riders into the top 12 of this sixth Amgen Tour of California.

Rory Sutherland’s third place on the mountaintop stage-four finish may have surprised many fans, but flying form in California has been the plan for 2011 for the 29-year old since his seventh overall finish last year. His third place behind Chris Horner and Andy Schleck on the very selective stage also serves as a return to the top level of the sport for the pragmatic Australian.

Check out Brian Holcombe's author page.

VIDEO: Race highlights from stage 4 of the Amgen Tour of California

Taylor Phinney checks in with Brian Holcombe on the literal ups and down of the Amgen Tour of California.

From stage 3 of the Tour of California, we have analyzed the power data from UnitedHealthcare’s GC leader, Rory Sutherland.

MODESTO, Calif. (VN) — A clear stratification of teams often exists at races the size of the Tour of California. The WorldTour teams more or less run the show, with the smaller teams forced to fight for scraps. With the overall win all but off the table, the little guys go for stages and TV time.

Race highlights from stage 3 of the Amgen Tour of California

Winning on American soil is nothing new for Greg Henderson, Team Sky’s Amgen Tour of California stage 2 winner in Modesto.

Is it possible for riders to have top form to race the Tour of California and the Tour de France in the same year? We ask the big names of the sport.

Stage3

• 1. Gregory Henderson, Team Sky , in 05:14:29
• 2. Juan Jose Haedo, SaxoBank-Sungard, at s.t.
• 3. Thor Hushovd, Garmin-Cervelo, at s.t.
• 4. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Doimo, at s.t.
• 5. Leigh Howard, HTC-Highroad, at s.t.

GC

• 1. Gregory Henderson, Team Sky , in 08:01:31
• 2. Ben Swift, Team Sky, at s.t.
• 3. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Doimo, at 00:00:04
• 4. Juan Jose Haedo, SaxoBank-Sungard, at 00:00:04
• 5. Thor Hushovd, Garmin-Cervelo, at 00:00:06

A five-minute video highlight of stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California.

Ben Swift (Sky) took the first stage Monday, but weather remained the big story for at the Amgen Tour of California. Monday’s stage covered just 61 miles from Nevada City to Sacramento after winter weather forced changes to the race for the second consecutive day.

BMC's Mike Sayers talks about his emotions upon returning to his hometown of Sacramento in the Amgen Tour of California.

Taylor Phinney California diary, stage two

After a commanding last-lap leadout from Team Sky, 23-year-old Ben Swift launched off the wheel of teammate Greg Henderson to take his fifth stage win of the year. After the finish, the young man from Rotherham, England was quick to track down his teammates for bear hugs.

Ten days after riding the May 7 L’Etape du California — the organized, mass-participation ride covering the stage 7 route of this year’s Amgen Tour of California — I’m still trying to wrap my head around the difficulty of the final 5km climb to the Mount Baldy Ski Area, where the stage finishes.

With the effects of yesterday's snowstorm lingering over the Lake Tahoe area, organizers of the Amgen Tour of California moved the start of stage 2 from Squaw Valley to Nevada City. Also the start will be delayed until 12:15 from 10:15.

Brian Holcombe talks to bundled-up riders at the Amgen Tour of California about their feelings on riding and racing in foul weather.

BMC's Taylor Phinney is checking in with Brian Holcombe of VeloNews every day from before the start of the Amgen Tour of California. Here is the first video.

Outspoken RadioShack rider Chris Horner believes he comes to the Amgen Tour of California with some of the best condition of his near 20-year career, and he predicts that either he or his teammate, Levi Leipheimer, will win this year’s race.

Following up on the popular success of the first bike test issue in April, the VN Bike Lab returns with four endurance bikes tested head to head. For this review, we lab tested bikes for torsional stiffness and vibration damping, and then we took them to Europe to ride and race in the cyclosportifs of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. We then ranked the bikes in eight categories. Subscribe today!

Team Type 1 is flying high following the dramatic overall victory at the Tour of Turkey in what's the team's first win of the season and the most important success in the squad's history.

Colombian UCI Continental team Movistar will not be attending the Amgen Tour of Calfornia, race organizer AEG Sports told VeloNews Monday.

A reader wants to know why Floyd Landis is being sued in Switzerland and what would happen if he lost.

Quarq, makers of the CinQo crank-based power meter, announced today that it has been bought by SRAM.

Collective currently has 14 members (see list below). This small group of leaders within the custom frame building community has reached an agreement with the UCI to reduce the cost of the frame and fork approval process.

Women's stage 4

• 1. Clara Hughes, Pactimo Cycling Team, in 1:07:02
• 2. Lauren Tamayo, Peanut Butter & Co.twenty12, at s.t.
• 3. Patuzz Eleonora, Diadora-Pasta Zara Team, at s.t. U26
• 4. Heather Logan-Sprenger, Colavita/forno D'asolo, at s.t.
• 5. Modesta Vzesniauskaite, Colavita/forno D'asolo, at s.t.

Men's stage 4

• 1. Joseph Lewis, Trek-Livestrong, in 1:34:14 at s.t. U25
• 2. Alejandr Borrajo, Jamis Sutter Home P/b Colavita, in 1:34:14 at s.t.
• 3. Aaron Kemps, V Australia Pro Cycling, in 1:34:14 at s.t. U25
• 4. Dan Summerhill, Chipotle Development Team, in 1:34:14 at s.t. U25
• 5. Anibal Borrajo, Jamis Sutter Home P/b Colavita, in 1:34:14 at s.t.

Women's GC

• 1. Clara Hughes, in 9:47:43 Pactimo Cycling Team
• 2. Mara Abbott, in 9:49:36 at 0:01:53 Diadora-Pasta Zara Team
• 3. Rhae Shaw, in 9:50:51 at 0:03:08 CycleU
• 4. Janel Holcomb, in 9:51:08 at 0:03:25 Colavita/Forno d\'Asolo
• 5. Alison Starnes, in 9:52:00 at 0:04:17 Peanut Butter & Co.TWENTY12

Men's GC

• 1. Francisco Mancebo, in 9:19:44 Realcyclist.com Cycling Team
• 2. Ben Day, in 9:20:59 at 0:01:15 Kenda/5-Hour Energy Pro Cycling p
• 3. Luis Amaran, in 9:21:24 at 0:01:40 Jamis Sutter Home p/b Colavita
• 4. Dale Parker, in 9:21:37 at 0:01:53 Trek-LIVESTRONG
• 5. Lachlan Morton, in 9:21:47 at 0:02:03 Chipotle Development Team

The UCI has called on the Spanish Cycling Federation (RFEC) to open disciplinary proceedings against Vuelta a España runner-up Ezequiel Mosquera.

Costa Rican Andrey Amador will miss next month’s Giro d’Italia after cracking his left collarbone in Thursday’s first stage at the Vuelta a Asturias in northern Spain.