Road

Nick Legan takes a quick look at the wheel company's venture into helmets

Nick Legan ferrets out some innovations in Germany

Rumors are flying that Leopard-Trek and RadioShack are poised to fuse their two teams for 2012 under the guidance of Belgian sport director Johan Bruyneel.

Stage

• 1. David MONCOUTIE, (FRA) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, in 4:38:00
• 2. Benat INTXAUSTI ELORRIAGA, (ESP) Movistar, at 1:18
• 3. Luis Leon SANCHEZ GIL, (ESP) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 1:18
• 4. Mathias FRANK, (SUI) BMC Racing Team, at 1:36
• 5. Sergio Miguel Moreira PAULINHO, (POR) Team RadioShack, at 1:43

• 1. Bradley Wiggins, (Great Britain) Team Sky, in 42:50:41
• 2. Christopher FROOME, (Great Britain) Team Sky, at 7
• 3. Vincenzo NIBALI, (Italy) Liquigas-Cannondale, at 11
• 4. Fredrik KESSIAKOFF, (Sweden) Astana, at 14
• 5. Jakob FUGLSANG, (Denmark) Leopard-Trek, at 19

The bid is in and organizers behind the efforts to bring the 2015 world road championships to Richmond, Virginia, are confident. Tim Miller and Lee Kallman told VeloNews that on Tuesday they mailed the application to the UCI and that their bid, which will compete against Oman next month, is well funded and is likely to be well received.

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Three summit finishes over the next five days should do a lot to settle a GC situation that remains very open midway through the 2011 Vuelta a España.

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"... The ever ticking clock continued and more riders came in. Mixed scenes were evident at the finish in the Parisian suburb. Some riders were elated to be finished, others happy that the suffering was over, but the vast majority were still in the zombie-like state that they had to achieve to maintain the constant effort of riding this huge distance. ..."

Jakob Fulgsang is one of those young riders who catch lots of hype early in their careers and reach a certain tipping point. Some live up to the expectations while others seem to crack under the pressure.

Gregg Bleakney will be photographing October's Tour of Beijing for VeloNews.com. He recently returning from scouting out the race route in China as a guest of the organizers and the UCI.

Eurobike 2011 opens Wednesday but exhibitors were busy Tuesday assembling their booths. Here's a quick look at some of the new bike gear that will be on display at Europe's big trade show.

Many riders from the soon-to-close HTC-Highroad squad will be revealing their new squads in the coming days.

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Stage

• 1. MARTIN Tony, HTC-Highroad (thr), in 55:54
• 2. FROOME Christopher, Sky Procycling (sky), at 59
• 3. WIGGINS Bradley, Sky Procycling (sky), at 1:22
• 4. CANCELLARA Fabian, Leopard Trek (leo), at 1:27
• 5. PHINNEY Taylor, BMC Racing Team (BMC), at 1:33

GC

• 1. Christopher Froome, Sky Procycling (sky), in 38:09:13
• 2. Jakob Fuglsang, Leopard Trek (leo), at 12
• 3. Bradley Wiggins, Sky Procycling (sky), at 20
• 4. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale (liq), at 31
• 5. Fredrik Kessiakoff, Pro Team Astana (ast), at 34

"... Today is not about fighting pain, or conquering it, rather it is about accepting it and, for those who wish to win, embracing it ..."

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Christian Vande Velde on his USAPCC

Leipheimer on his USAPCC win

USAPCC stage 6 finish-line analysis

BINGHAMPTON, NY — After 40 laps of racing at the 28th Annual Chris Thater Memorial, Theresa Cliff-Ryan (Colavita/Forno d'Asolo) won another USA CRITS event victory, her third of the five USA CRITS held so far this year. Erica Allar (RideClean p/b PatentIt.com) was able to finish on the podium for the fourth time (out of five tries) this year and remains in the orange USA CRITS Leader's Jersey.

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How Pearl Izumi's Speed Shop made sublimated clothing for the USA PCC category leaders

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Casey B. Gibson catches all the action in the spirited finale to the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

1. Daniel OSS, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 2. Elia VIVIANI, Liquigas-Cannondale, at s.t. 3. Fred RODRIGUEZ, Team Exergy, at s.t. 4. Daniel SUMMERHILL, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at s.t. 5. Frank PIPP, Bissell Pro Cycling, at 00:02 6. Levi Leipheimer, Team RadioShack, at 00:02 7. Sergio HENAO MONTOYA, Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, at 00:02 8. Rory SUTHERLAND, Unitedhealthcare Presented By Maxxis, at 00:02 9. Daniel LLOYD, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at 00:02 10. George Hincapie, BMC Racing Team

Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) sewed up his overall victory in the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge on Sunday as Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale) won the final stage before a packed house in downtown Denver.

Bradley Wiggins is poised to be the next leader of the Vuelta, but Joaquim "Purito" Rodríguez hasn't given up hope.

This year's scorcher of a Vuelta is proving disastrous to more than a few of the favorites going into the 2011 worlds, slated for a sprint-friendly course in Copenhagen on September 25.

Graham Watson hauls his camera bag to the ski station at Sierra de Bejar on Sunday.

Stage 9

• 1. Daniel Martin, Garmin-Cervélo, at 4:52:14
• 2. Bauke Mollema, Rabobank Cycling Team, same time
• 3. Juan José Cobo, Geox-TMC, at 0:03
• 4. Bradley Wiggins, Team Sky, at 0:04
• 5. Christopher Froome, Team Sky, at 0:07

GC

• 1. Bauke Mollema, Rabobank Cycling Team, 37:11:17
• 2. Joaquin Rodriguez, Team Katusha, at 0:01
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0:09
• 4. Fredrik Kessiakoff, Astana, at 0:18
• 5. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0:27

Grand Prix Ouest-France

• 1. Grega Bole (Slo), Lampre-ISD, 6:32:40
• 2. Simon Gerrans (Aus), Team Sky, s.t.
• 3. Thomas Voeckler (Fra), Europcar, s.t.
• 4. Thor Hushovd (Nor), Garmin-Cervélo, s.t.
• 5. Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita), Leopard-Trek, s.t.

Dan Martin (Garmin-Cervélo) wins a thriller of a stage as Rabobank's Bauke Mollema takes the lead at the 2011 Vuelta a España.

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• 1. Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Colavita/forno D'asolo
• 2. Joanne Kiesanowski, Team Tibco/to The Top
• 3. Erica Allar, Ridecleanpbpatentit.com
• 4. Tiffany Pezzulo, Primal/mapmyride
• 5. Laura Van Gilder, Mellow Mushroom

Andy Schleck 'sad to lose the race in the final 300 meters'

Leipheimer's 'another day closer to Denver'

Liquigas-Cannondale's Elia Viviani did it again on Saturday, winning stage 5 of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge in Breckenridge, Colorado.

GP de Plouay-Bretagne

• 1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned), 3:12:28
• 2. Evelyn Stevens (USA), HTC-Highroad, at 0:03
• 3. Marianne Vos (Ned), at 0:46
• 4. Chantal Blaak (Ned), Leontien.nl, at 0:46
• 5. Erinne Willock (Can), Tibco-To The Top, at 0:49

Annemiek van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) cemented her position at the top of the World Cup table with a stylish win at the final round in Plouay, France on Saturday.

Graham Watson captures stage 8 of the 2011 Vuelta a España.

Stage 8

• 1. Joaquin Rodriguez, Team Katusha, 4:49:01
• 2. Michele Scarponi, Lampre-ISD, at 0:09
• 3. Bauke Mollema, Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:09
• 4. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0:09
• 5. Jakob Fuglsang, Leopard-Trek, at 0:12

GC

• 1. Joaquin Rodriguez, Team Katusha, 32:18:16
• 2. Daniel Moreno, Team Katusha, at 0:32
• 3. Jakob Fuglsang, Leopard-Trek, at 0:34
• 4. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0:45
• 5. Michele Scarponi, Lampre-ISD, at 0:51

Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) shot away on a ridiculously steep cobbled climb to win his second stage of the 2011 Vuelta a España on Saturday.

Tyler Farrar called it quits during stage 8 of the 2011 Vuelta a España after twice coughing up blood.