News

Juan Antonio Flecha and the Union Jack.

British hopes of claiming an historic yellow jersey in the shadow of Big Ben took a nosedive into the river Thames as CSC’s Fabian Cancellara sped to victory in the Tour de France prologue Saturday. England's reigning world and Olympic track pursuit champion Bradley Wiggins, who had been targeting victory on home soil, finished in a disappointing fourth place at 23 seconds behind winner Fabian Cancellara (CSC), who won in 8:50. Wiggins crossed the finish line visibly upset, and later lamented his failure to claim an historic win on the streets he used to ride as a teenager. "I gave it

Rogers' name badge is a bit more subtle, notice the seat collar engraving from yesteryear.

Discovery's Gusev flies into the best young rider jersey.

Weather: Sunny to partly sunny all day, highs low to mid 80s Stage winner: Fabian Cancellara (CSC) takes second prologuewin in four years with a dominant 13-second margin of victory over second-placeAndreas Klöden (Astaná). When he won in 2004 in Liège,Belgium, he became the first rider born in the 1980s to win a Tour stage.He becomes the first rider wearing the world time trial champions jerseyto win the Tour’s opening prologue. His average speed of 53.660kph becomesthe third-fastest prologue in Tour history (Chris Boardman holds the recordwith 55.152kph in 1994 and

Internal cable routing

One of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards keeps on eye on the proceedings.

American George Hincapie was disappointed after failing to cap some arduous preparation for the Tour de France prologue by pulling on the race's yellow jersey here Saturday. Hincapie finished third at 23 seconds behind Swiss racer Fabian Cancellara (CSC) and 10 seconds behind Germany's Tour de France hopeful Andreas Klöden (Astana), both of whom are famously strong in the race against the clock. That fact can only add some silver lining to Hincapie's performance, but he admitted he had hoped to score an upset against the specialists. "I'm always up there with all of them -

Selle Italia’s custom TT saddle.

The start ramp at Whitehall.

The pre-everything is finally over. As of Friday evening, there had been little biking, a ton of bus riding, two press conferences, health controls, team presentations, sponsors... enough! So today getting ready for the race was a nice change. But before we go into any of these bike related things, I have something much bigger in my life than the Tour de France: I became a father last week. Leah gave birth to Uma last Wednesday night. Both girls are great and I am more than proud of my wife and the fact that I am now a father! So, the last week was a bit crazy at home and not your

The big Swiss time machine rips it up in London

Leipheimer says he's in a three-week bike race.

Sympathy is not something Predictor-Lotto’s Robbie McEwen is usually known to offer his rivals. But on Thursday the Australian sprinter admitted he felt sorry for one of his main rivals, Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi. But in almost the same breath McEwen called for glorious sporting achievements at this year’s Tour de France to replace months of lurid headlines about doping in cycling. Petacchi, who faces a one-year ban for an unusually high level of salbutamol during the Giro d'Italia, will not race the Tour this year. He also missed last year’s edition due to a knee

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Pereiro says it's been hard to concentrate on riding lately

The scenery was gorgeous, if you had time to look

David Millar hopes his tortured past and uncertain present doesn’t spell demise for his immediate future. The Scot is battling ghosts of his doping past and suffering through pangs of doubt over his form at the eve of the most important race of his career. The repentant Saunier Duval-Prodir rider - who served a two-year ban for taking banned performance-enhancing products before returning to competition in 2006 – admitted he’s not at his best ahead of the 7.9km prologue to put the Tour de France into gear Saturday. “I’m riddled with self-doubt. I don’t have the same confidence I normally

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

The crowd takes in the TDF video on big screens above Trafalgar Square.

The course traveled up the Cheakamus Canyon.

Despite rumors that Americans Floyd Landis and Lance Armstrong were to attend this weekend’s start of the Tour de France, neither is expected to show up. Landis is in the U.S. on a tour promoting his new book, “Positively False,” and is refusing interview requests from cycling media. He also is awaiting a ruling on charges that he doped en route to winning last year’s Tour. A decision from the three-member arbitration panel is expected in the coming weeks. Discovery Channel officials confirmed that Armstrong will not be in London this weekend.

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Tour director Christian Prudhomme and London Mayor Ken Livingstone address the crowd.

A classic day of B.C. riding.

Spanish riders Oscar Pereiro and Alejandro Valverde outright refused to answer questions about Operación Puerto in face of heated queries from journalists during a tense press conference Friday. Despite a request from team manager Eusebio Unzue that journalists only ask queries about sport, one German journalist directly challenged Valverde to comment on a document from the Puerto files that allegedly made inferences to “Piti,” a code name that some insist could link Valverde to the Spanish doping scandal. When Valverde stoically refused, journalists yelled out, “Answer the question – it’s

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

David Millar is happy to be home, but nervous about performing well.

The final base camp.

The 2007 world road race championships, scheduled for Stuttgart in September, could be called off due to the wave of doping scandals hitting cycling, a German government minister has warned. "The world championships in Stuttgart are in a critical situation and it's not inconceivable that the organizing committee will have to reconsider everything," Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble was quoted as saying in Saturday's edition of Tagesspiegel. "Perhaps we'll have to reach the conclusion that a spectacular cancellation (of the championships) would herald the new start cycling

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Levi models the new kit.

The rule now hinges on the angle of the extension and the rider’s arm. Sastre is okay.

The Tour de France is ready to roll on Saturday afternoon in London, but on Friday night riders and fans celebrated the coming three-week spectacular with a formal opening ceremony in Trafalgar Square. Our man Casey Gibson was on the scene.

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Hincapie is wearing his own kit.

Vande Velde and his “bike shop” bars.

One of the charming local residences the race will pass by.

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

George can still make the ladies smile.

Leipheimer’s bike on Thursday — illegal.

The route

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

This guy on the rooftop was not photographing cyclists, a reminder of what else is in the news in London this week.

Pre-prologue rule 'clarification' sends mechanics scrambling

Prologue - London, 7.9km

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

A young fan waves a flag in support of

Gusev’s bike had yet to be changed and was still illegal, as Discovery mechanics interpreted the rule.

No yellow jersey, no No.1, but Pereiro will be the last out of the start house on Saturday

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Cadel Evans rolls onto the stage to big cheers. Aussies very popular here.

The UCI’s bike schematics that supposedly help clarify the TT position problems.

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Prudhomme and Mayor Livingstone in front of the London banner.

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Discovery Channel team on stage.

COURSE: The prologue starts in theheart of London, goes past Downing Street (residence of Britain’s PrimeMinister), the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey to BuckinghamPalace (residence of Queen Elizabeth II). The course then climbs Constitution Hill, passes through Wellington Arch and loops around The Serpentine, a lake in Hyde Park, before heading back downhill to the Victoria Memorial and to the finish on The Mall, London’s grandest avenue, with Buckingham Palace as the backdrop. HISTORY: This is the first timethat the Tour has started in London, although the race has visited

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

The Sherlock Holmes pub just outside Trafalgar Square is rocking, just a half block from the opening ceremonies.

Enrico Degano – an Italian on the Barloworld wild-card team – will be the first rider out of the gate in Saturday’s prologue start to the 94th Tour de France. Degano will role down the start ramp at 3 p.m. London time in the 7.9km course through the heart of downtown London past such landmarks as Big Ben, Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace. The 189-rider start list was released Friday ahead of the traditional prologue, with last year’s runner-up, Oscar Pereiro, starting last at 6:08 p.m. Pereiro snagged the No. 11 start bib after Tour officials decided to not award the traditional No.

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

The sun is finally out on the River Thames, and it looks great!

Predictor-Lotto’s Cadel Evans and T-Mobile's Michael Rogers are leading a two-pronged Aussie bid for top finishes in the race's general classification, with Evans considered the best bet for success. The soft-spoken former mountain biker last year became Australia's highest-ever overall finisher when he came in fifth overall. Rogers placed a respectable 10th - although both he and Evans could be moved up a notch if American champion Floyd Landis is eventually disqualified for doping following his positive test for a skewed testosterone-epitestosterone ratio. In the meantime,

Pereiro will start with bib No. 11

The smiles quickly faded as reporters continued to ask doping questions.

Negotiating the trash trail

Shimano’s prototype carbon crank.

This prototype lever displays the refined DoubleTap mechanism.

A close look at Shimano’s prototype crank reveals and aluminum spider.

The back of the new Red cassette prototype.

Before, Specialized’s 2006-7 Transition.

The front of the Red cassette prototype.