Road

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Stage

• 1. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, (ESP) Team Katusha, in 3:26:22
• 2. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, (ESP) Team Katusha, at 3
• 3. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 7
• 4. Julien SIMON, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 9
• 5. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (ESP) Geox-Tmc, at 10

GC

• 1. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, (Spain) Team Katusha, in 7:17:29
• 2. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, (Spain) Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 7
• 3. David LOPEZ GARCIA, (Spain) Movistar, at 17
• 4. Sergio PARDILLA BELLON, (Spain) Movistar, at 17
• 5. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (Spain) Geox-Tmc, at 18

Taylor Phinney will skip the opportunity to inherit the leader’s jersey his father Davis last held at the Coors Classic in 1988. Phinney’s BMC Racing team confirmed Thursday that the neo-pro would start his first grand tour, the Vuelta a Expaña, this month, instead of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Bob Stapleton, owner of HTC-Highroad, confirmed Thursday that he was unable to secure a satisfactory sponsorship partner to carry the team forward at the competitive and ethical level that he and his staff wanted.

Amgen, the biotech corporation that has been the title sponsor of the Tour of California since its inaugural event in 2006, will continue with the race through 2013, Sports Business Daily reported Thursday.

PARIS (AFP) - Kazakhstan's Andrey Kashechkin announced Thursday he would race the Vuelta a España this month with former team Astana, with whom he has signed a deal until the end of 2013.

• 1. Peter SAGAN, (SVK) Liquigas-Cannondale, in 4:52:26
• 2. Michael MATTHEWS, (AUS) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0
• 3. Heinrich HAUSSLER, (AUS) Garmin-Cervelo, at 0
• 4. Marco MARCATO, (ITA) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 0
• 5. Peter KENNAUGH, (GBR) Team Sky, at 0

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) will ride a criterium in the hometown of Bjarne Riis on August 12, but whether he'll race again this season remains up in the air.

Dirt road ridin', team chef job opportunities and more

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Italy's Olympic cycling champion Attilio Pavesi has died aged 100 in a retirement home in Buenos Aires, his family announced on Wednesday.

• 1. Sacha MODOLO, Colnago-Csf, in 3:59:21
• 2. Matti BRESCHEL, Rabobank Cycling Team at s.t.
• 3. Michael MORKOV, Saxobank-Sungard at s.t.
• 4. Daniele COLLI, Geox-Tmc at s.t.
• 5. Andrea PASQUALON, Colnago-Csf at s.t.

Liquigas-Cannondale's Slovak phenom, Peter Sagan, won Wednesday's stage 4 of the 2011 Tour of Poland, taking over the race lead from Skil-Shimano's Marcel Kittel, who won the race's first three stages.

Stage 4

• 1. Peter SAGAN, (SVK) Liquigas-Cannondale, in 4:21:15
• 2. Daniel MARTIN, (IRL) Garmin-Cervelo, at 3
• 3. Marco MARCATO, (ITA) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 3
• 4. Paul MARTENS, (GER) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 3
• 5. Fabian WEGMANN, (GER) Leopard-Trek, at 3

• 1. Peter SAGAN, (Slovakia) Liquigas-Cannondale, in 13:16:35
• 2. Marco MARCATO, (Italy) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 5
• 3. Romain FEILLU, (France) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 7
• 4. Daniel MARTIN, (Ireland) Garmin-Cervelo, at 7
• 5. Manuel Antonio Leal CARDOSO, (Portugal) Team RadioShack, at 13

• 1. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi, in 3:51:07
• 2. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, (ESP) Team Katusha, at 0
• 3. Sergio PARDILLA BELLON, (ESP) Movistar, at 4
• 4. Denis MENCHOV, (RUS) Geox-Tmc, at 4
• 5. David LOPEZ GARCIA, (ESP) Movistar, at 4

Two riders back from doping bans return to the pro ranks this week. Thomas Dekker lines up for the Tour of Portugal for the Chipotle development team while Mikel Astarloza returned to action Wednesday with Euskaltel-Euskadi.

In a battle of the cycling nicknames, "Samu" edged "Purito" to win the 175km opening stage at the Vuelta a Burgos in northern Spain on Wednesday.

The UCI has agreed to extend the Tour Down Under's WorldTour licence until 2015, it was announced on Wednesday.

It's transition time in Europe, with some races picking up leftovers form the Tour de France and others serving as platforms for the upcoming Vuelta a España.

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LONDON (AFP) - British rider Mark Cavendish told the BBC on Tuesday that his best chance yet of winning the world road race title would come in Copenhagen in September. He also said he has chosen a team for next year, but declined to identify the team.

Skil-Shimano's Marcel Kittel won his third consecutive stage at the 2011 Tour of Poland on Tuesday, building his GC lead to 24 seconds ahead of three riders: Romain Felllu (Vacansoleil), Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Cervelo) and Alexander Kristoff (BMC).

Riders on the American-registered Team Type 1 squad are sporting brand new kit at the Tour of Denmark this week. The team's title sponsor has changed its name from sanofi aventis to Sanofi, so the team is now officially Team Type 1-Sanofi.

• 1. Marcel KITTEL, (GER) Skil-Shimano, in3:09:29
• 2. Romain FEILLU, (FRA) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at s.t.
• 3. Jonas Aaen JÖRGENSEN, (DEN) Saxobank-Sungard, at s.t.
• 4. Giacomo NIZZOLO, (ITA) Leopard-Trek, at s.t.
• 5. Adam BLYTH, (GBR) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at s.t.

The Quick Step team is fast beefing up for 2012 and beyond. The team announced Tuesday that it has reached deals with three new athletes, the Slovak twins Martin and Peter Velits and Belgian Stijn Vandenbergh. The three have contracts with the team through the 2013 season, according to a team release.

The Dutch sports magazine NUsport is reporting Tuesday that former U.S. Postal Service rider Max Van Heeswijk detailed doping at the team in a June interview, then changed his mind and stole the interviewer’s tape. The full story appears in the August edition of NUsport, which hit newstands Tuesday.

ROME (AFP) — Former Tour of Italy winner Damiano Cunego and former world champion Alessandro Ballan have been called before the Italian Olympic Committee's (CONI) anti-doping prosecutor.

French national champion Sylvain Chavanel’s has extended his contract with Quick Step for two more seasons, the team announced Tuesday.

Ezequiel Mosquera broke his silence Tuesday and demanded that his ongoing possible doping case be resolved one way or another.

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (VN) — For the first time in nearly a decade, Denis Menchov didn't spend the month of July fighting in the Tour de France.

Lennard takes Q's on aging tubulars, tubeless tire maintenance, tire pump gauge accuracy and more.

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I moved to Colorado ten years ago, but it took five guys from Portland (OK, one of them lives in New York City, but he’s originally from PDX) riding black and pink bikes to get me out to explore my adopted home state by bicycle.

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Belgian classics king Philippe Gilbert was none too pleased Monday to learn from the media that his team was merging with Quick Step next year.

A crash late in Monday's second stage of the Tour of Poland knocked BMC's Alessandro Ballan out of the race and prevented teammate Alexander Kristoff from contesting the sprint finish.

It's not taking long for riders and teams to make moves with new transfer limit bumped back to August 1.

Chris Horner is recovering after being diagnosed with a blood clot in his lung. The RadioShack rider was admitted to a Bend, Oregon, hospital Sunday evening after beginning to feel a sharp pain in his side earlier in the day.

Skil-Shimano's Marcel Kittel is undefeated at the Tour of Poland, after winning stage 2 in Varsovie Monday. The German sprinter won the 162km stage ahead of Garmin-Cervelo's Heinrich Hausller and Rabobank's Graeme Brown.

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (VN) - Leopard-Trek sport director Kim Andersen said the team has nothing to regret about its performance at the 2011 Tour de France.

BERLIN (AFP) - Germany's capital Berlin is set to bid to host the prologue of the Tour de France in either 2016 or 2017, it was confirmed on Monday.

Cadel Evans will return to BMC Racing alongside George Hincapie in 2012, the team announced Monday. Fresh off his Tour de France title, Evans extended his contract with the American squad through 2014, while Hincapie signed a one-year extension.

• 1. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing Team (BMC), 574 points
• 2. Philippe Gilbert, Omega Pharma-Lotto (olo), 482 points
• 3. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard (sbs), 471 points
• 4. Michele Scarponi, Lampre - Isd (lam), 348 points
• 5. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver, Katusha Team (kat), 328 points

I write from Salt Lake City, Utah, a place I once tried to forget.

Annemiek Van Vleuten (Nederland Bloeit) won the eighth round of the women's World Cup on Sunday.

The Australian is reporting that veteran Australian Stuart O'Grady, now with the Leopard-Trek team, will join the new Australian GreenEdge squad for the 2012 season. The paper also is reporting that sprinter Robbie McEwen, currently with RadioShack, is set to join the team as well.

Vårgårda World Cup

• 1. Annemiek Van Vleuten (Ned), 3:19:49
• 2. Eleonora Van Dijk (Ned), HTC-Highroad, s.t.
• 3. Nicole Cooke (Gbr), Sc Mcipollini Giambenini, s.t.
• 4. Ina Teutenberg (Ger), HTC-Highroad, s.t.
• 5. Irene Van Den Broek (Ned), Leontien.Nl, s.t.

Graham Watson shoots day one of the 2011 Tour of Poland.

Circuito De Getxo Memorial Ricardo Otxoa

• 1. Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Esp), Andalucia Caja Granada, 3:47:21
• 2. Stéphane Poulhies (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 0:01
• 3. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Esp), Team Katusha, at 0:01
• 4. Antonio Santoro (Ita), Androni Giocattoli, at 0:03
• 5. Diego Milan Jimenez (Esp), Caja Rural, at 0:03

• 1. Marcel KITTEL, (GER) Skil-Shimano, in 2:07:26
• 2. Alexander KRISTOFF, (NOR) BMC Racing Team, at 0
• 3. Francesco CHICCHI, (ITA) Quick Step, at 0
• 4. Heinrich HAUSSLER, (AUS) Garmin-Cervelo, at 0
• 5. Michele MERLO, (ITA) De Rosa - Ceramica Flaminia, at 0

Colavita's Cliff-Ryan and UnitedHealthcare's Jacob Keough prevail at the Presby

Men's

• 1. Jacob Keough, Unitedhealthcare Professional, in 01:55:35.30
• 2. Jonathan Cantwell, Fly V Australia Pro Cycling Tea, in 01:55:35.60
• 3. Alejandro Borrajo, Jamis Sutter Home, in 01:55:35.60
• 4. Demis Aleman, Jamis Sutter Home, in 01:55:35.70
• 5. Andrew Pinfold, Unitedhealthcare Professional, in 01:55:36.40

• 1. Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Colavita/forno D'asolo P/b Coo, in 01:01:04.70
• 2. Laura Van Gilder, Mellow Mushroom, in 01:01:04.80
• 3. Erica Allar, Rideclean P/b Patentit.com, in 01:01:04.80
• 4. Joelle Numainville, Team Tibco/to The Top, in 01:01:04.80
• 5. Lauren Tamayo, Peanut Butter & Co Twenty 12, in 01:01:05.10

Andrew Hood takes some snaps at the Clásica San Sebastián.

Clásica San Sebastián

• 1. Philippe Gilbert (Bel), Omega Pharma-Lotto, 5:48:52
• 2. Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Esp), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:12
• 3. Greg Van Avermaet (Bel), BMC Racing Team, at 0:14
• 4. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Esp), Team Katusha, at 0:14
• 5. Dries Devenyns (Bel), Quick Step, at 0:14

Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) wins the Clásica San Sebastián with a bold attack in the final kilometers.

ROME (AFP) - Italian rider Pasquale Muto was on Saturday banned for two-and-a-half years by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) for doping.

NICE, France (AFP) — Kazach cyclist Valentin Iglinskiy of Team Astana will go before a French judge in September to face drunk driving and speeding charges stemming from an arrest Tuesday, according to a judicial source.

HTC-Highroad's women's team won Friday's Open de Suède Vargarda team time trial in Sweden, the opening event of two-race weekend that is part of the UCI's women's World Cup.

• 1. HTC HIGHROAD WOMEN 53:09
• 2. AA DRINK - LEONTIEN.NL CYCLING TEAM +1:37
• 3. GARMIN - CERVELO +1:43
• 4. AUSTRALIA +1:44
• 5. NEDERLAND BLOEIT +1:55

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain (VN) - An all-star start list headlines the 31st running of the Clásica San Sebastián in northern Spain on Saturday.

BOULDER, Colorado (VN) - The maillot jaune of the Tour de France will feature on the roads of Colorado next month when Cadel Evans starts the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. Race officials have confirmed that Evans (BMC Racing) will take part in the inaugural event, which begins August 22 in Colorado Springs.

Dr. Jason Glowney addresses the common issue of collarbone fractures in cyclists

Change is afoot again in the National Racing Calendar. USA Cycling announced the latest in a number of changes planned for the U.S. calendar this week with the creation of the National Criterium Calendar.

Time trial crank lengths, nature breaks, and more

Tour of Utah organizers on Thursday released the preliminary list of riders for the August event. Headlining the roster are defending champion Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack), George Hincapie (BMC Racing), Tom Danielson (Garmin-Cervélo), Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) and National Racing Calendar leader Francisco Mancebo (Realcyclist.com).

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Avoid these and you will be well on your way toward getting the most out of your device.

Ever wonder why a U.S. company outside of the bicycle industry would invest in bicycle racing? Here’s a hint: it has nothing to do with athletic excellence or a love of the sport. Any marketing executives who buy a sponsorship based on a personal passion for the sport should polish up their resumes, because they’ll be looking for a new line of work.

SYDNEY (AFP) ─ Tour de France champion Cadel Evans would love to ride for Australia at the London Olympics, but only if the course is tough enough.

A look at some of the tweaks that HTC riders suggested for the Specialized Tarmac SL4

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From the magazine: Custom clothing buyer’s guide, plus new online team stores

Editor's Note: Phil Gaimon, 25, is a Velo magazine columnist and third-year pro racer for Kenda-5 Hr Energy Presented by Gear Grinder. He has an English degree from the University of Florida, and owns online stores at podiumcycling.com and sharethedamnroad.com.

At last: Riding gear that's plenty good enough for the trail and doubles as a set of street duds.