Road

Nick Legan takes a look at fi’zi:k's new Kurve saddles

MONTREAL, Canada (VN) — In front of an enthusiastic home crowd, Ryder Hesjedal finished in eleventh place and took the honors of top Canadian at Sunday’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.

LONDON (AFP) — The Tour of Britain second stage was canceled Monday for safety reasons due to high winds in the north west of the country.

Bauke Mollema won the points jersey ahead of a sick Joaquim "Purito" Rodríguez in a final-day showdown in Madrid.

Team Sky officials said they had no regrets as the team rode to an historic second and third at the Vuelta a España with Chris Froome and Bradley Wiggins sharing the podium with surprise winner Juanjo Cobo.

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1. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale in 2:20:59 2. Daniele Bennati, Leopard Trek at 0 3. Alessandro Petacchi, Lampre-ISD at 0 4. John Degenkolb, HTC-Highroad at 0 5. Nikolas Maes, Quickstep Cycling Team, at 0

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MONTREAL (VN) — Canada’s top professional cyclists were in a tough battle with the best riders in the world at Sunday’s Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal.

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On a day when all eyes were on the podium finishers from Friday’s Grand Prix Cycliste Québec City, Portugese rider Rui Costa of Movistar upset the favorites by powering a late-race move in Montréal to win a two-up sprint against Frenchman breakaway mate Pierrick Fedrigo (FDJ).

Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) made a winning start to the Tour of Britain with a classy sprint victory in the opening stage in Scotland on Sunday.

Peter Sagan burst down the middle of the road in the final 150 meters to blow past a fading Alessandro Petacchi (Lampre-ISD) and Daniele Bennati (Leopard-Trek) to round out a superb Vuelta that also included two wins in the first half of the race.

Juan Jose Cobo (Geox-TMC) claimed the first grand-tour win of his career when he won the Vuelta a España

• 1. Mark Cavendish, (GBR) HTC-Highroad, in 4:41:06
• 2. Mark RENSHAW, (AUS) HTC-Highroad, at 0
• 3. Theo BOS, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0
• 4. Barry MARKUS, (NED) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 0
• 5. Geraint THOMAS, (GBR) Team Sky, at 0

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Stage 6

• 1. Simon Yates (Gbr), 3:25:59
• 2. Filippo Fortin (Ita), same time
• 3. Thomas Palmer (Aus), s.t.
• 4. Nikias Arndt (Ger), s.t.
• 5. Jordi Simon Casulleras (Esp), s.t.

GC

• 1. David Boily (Can), 24:53:37
• 2. Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col), at 0:07
• 3. Vegard Stake Laengen (Nor), at 0:21
• 4. Mattia Cattaneo (Ita), at 0:31
• 5. Georg Preidler (Aut), at 1:29

Juanjo Cobo says he cannot breathe easy yet despite only having a short, sprinter-friendly stage standing between him and a surprising Vuelta a España victory.

Graham Watson captures the penultimate stage of the 2011 Vuelta a España.

Daniele Bennati (Leopard-Trek) dashed to victory Saturday just in time to confirm his candidacy for leadership of the hyper-competitive Italian squad ahead of the world road cycling championships.

Paris-Brussels

• 1. Denis Galimzyanov (Rus), Team Katusha, At 4:51:35
• 2. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr), Française des Jeux, s.t.
• 3. Anthony Ravard (Fra), Ag2r La Mondiale, s.t.
• 4. Stefan Van Dijk (Ned), Veranda’s Willems-Accent, s.t.
• 5. Takashi Miyazawa (Jpn), Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, s.t.

Stage 20

• 1. Daniele Bennati, Leopard-Trek, 4:39:20
• 2. Enrico Gasparotto, Astana, same time
• 3. Damiano Caruso, Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.
• 4. Sep Vanmarcke, Garmin-Cervélo, s.t.
• 5. Koen De Kort, Skil-Shimano, s.t.

GC

• 1. Juan José Cobo, Geox-TMC, at 82:38:32
• 2. Christopher Froome, Team Sky, at 0:13
• 3. Bradley Wiggins, Team Sky, at 1:39
• 4. Bauke Mollema, Rabobank Cycling Team, at 2:03
• 5. Denis Menchov, Geox-TMC, at 3:48

Leopard-Trek's Daniele Bennati sprinted to victory on Saturday in the 20th stage of the 2011 Vuelta a España. Juan Jose Cobo (Geox-TMC) continues to lead with one stage remaining.

For a rider who has made things look so easy this year, the remainder of Phillipe Gilbert’s 2011 dream season is surprisingly unclear.

Mark Cavendish makes a long-awaited return to the Tour of Britain on Sunday, determined to make his mark on the event after a four-year absence.

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A look at Pat McCarty's Argon 18 Galium Pro, a Canadian bike in a Canadian race

• 1. Philippe Gilbert, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, in 5:03:08
• 2. Robert Gesink, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:01
• 3. Rigoberto Uran, (COL) Team Sky, at 0:09
• 4. Fabian Wegmann, (GER) Leopard-Trek, at 0:14
• 5. Levi Leipheimer, (USA) Team RadioShack, at 0:15

Stage 5

• 1. Romain Bardet (Fra), 4:37:03
• 2. Jesper Hansen (Den), at 0:03
• 3. Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col), at 0:12
• 4. Warren Barguil (Fra), at 0:26
• 5. Tim Wellens (Bel), at 0:33

GC

• 1. Romain Bardet (Fra), 4:37:03
• 2. Jesper Hansen (Den), at 0:03
• 3. Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col), at 0:12
• 4. Warren Barguil (Fra), at 0:26
• 5. Tim Wellens (Bel), at 0:33

BILBAO, Spain (VN) - Igor Antón delivered a dream-come-true victory in Friday's emotional return to the Basque Country after a three-decade absence with an impressive solo victory.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (VN) — Citing schedule conflicts, financial constraints and rider burnout, organizers of the Capital Criterium have canceled the October 2 event in Washington, D.C.. The race was scheduled to be the final stop of the 2011 USA Crits Championship Series.

Rory Sutherland and Robert Förster are back with UnitedHealthcare in 2012. According to a team representative, the U.S.-based Pro Continental squad will announce the return of their top GC rider and the veteran sprinter Friday.

Monique Ryan answers a reader question on the correct timing for meals throughout the day

Stage

• 1. Igor ANTON HERNANDEZ, (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi, in 3:53:34
• 2. Marzio BRUSEGHIN, (ITA) Movistar, at 41
• 3. Dominik NERZ, (GER) Liquigas-Cannondale, at 1:30
• 4. Haimar ZUBELDIA AGIRRE, (ESP) Team RadioShack, at 1:30
• 5. Chris SÖRENSEN, (DEN) Saxobank-Sungard, at 1:31

GC

• 1. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (Spain) Geox-Tmc, in 77:59:12
• 2. Christopher FROOME, (Great Britain) Team Sky, at 13
• 3. Bradley Wiggins, (Great Britain) Team Sky, at 1:41
• 4. Bauke MOLLEMA, (Netherlands) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 2:03
• 5. Denis MENCHOV, (Russia) Geox-Tmc, at 3:48

BILBAO, Spain (AFP) — Basque rider Igor Anton (Euskaltel) on Friday won the 19th stage of the Tour of Spain, a 158.5km ride from Noja to Bilbao in his native Basque country.

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• 1. Nikias ARNDT, (GER), in 4:08:32
• 2. Romain BARDET, (FRA), at 0
• 3. Simon YATES, (GBR), at 0
• 4. Raymond KREDER, (NED), at 0
• 5. Jordi SIMON CASULLERAS, (ESP), at 0

PARIS (AFP) - The fine given to the RadioShack team on the final day of the 2010 Tour de France has been paid to a French cancer institute, the French cycling league announced on Thursday.

NOJA, Spain (AFP) - Italy's Francesco Gavazzi of the Lampre team Thursday won the 18th stage of the Tour of Spain, but Spain's Juan Jose Cobo kept the leader's jersey with just three stages left.

Carbon brake surface repair, team mergers and more

BILBAO, Spain (AFP) — When the Vuelta a España reaches Bilbao on Friday, the cycling-mad Basques will finally get to see the Vuelta in their own land after 33 years' absence.

"It's not over yet," said Sky sport director Servais Knaven. "We still have three stages to try to take it to Cobo. It won't be easy, but we're motivated to keep fighting. It's a grand tour. We are going to fight right to the end."

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PENA CABARGA, Spain (VN) — Only two HTC-Highroad riders remain without contracts as the team enters the final days of its last grand tour.

PENA CABARGA, Spain (VN) — Movistar lost three riders Wednesday as a stomach flu wiped out the team; meanwhile injury derailed Purito Rodrîguez in the final week of the Vuelta a España.

PENA CABARGA, Spain (VN) — There was a very tense moment about 500 meters from the finish line in Wednesday's 17th stage when it appeared Juanjo Cobo's dream Vuelta a España was turning into a nightmare.