Road

Gregg Bleakney caught the pageantry of stage one at the 2011 Giro d'Italia's first stage.

Casey B. Gibson was on hand with his bag o' cameras to snap the team time trial at collegiate road nationals.

Caley Fretz watches the UCI decide what constitutes a proper time-trial bike — and a legal fit to same — as the 2011 Giro d'Italia gets under way.

Bjorn Selander, the white jersey after day one of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, says he's there for the team.

Team time trial Division 1 Men

• 1. Marian University, 37:51.87
• 2. Appalachian State, 38:47.46
• 3. Lees-McRae College, 38:53.15
• 4. Stanford University, 39:09.43
• 5. Fort Lewis College, 39:24.55

• 1. Marian University, 44:20.34
• 2. University of California-Davis, 44:51.98
• 3. Lees-McRae College, 45:32.07
• 4. University of Wisconsin, 46:14.34
• 5. Fort Lewis College, 46:25.10

• 1. Mesa State College, 38:57.10
• 2. Western Washington University, 39:16.86
• 3. Mars Hill College, 39:17.88
• 4. Duke University, 39:53.62
• 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 41:13.14

• 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 45:35.22
• 2. Whitman College, 49:10.67
• 3. Mesa State College, 49:58.90
• 4. Mars Hill College, 51:01.24
• 5. United States Military Academy, 55:49.78

For the second consecutive year, Marian University sweeps the Division 1 team time trials at the USA Cycling Collegiate Road National Championships. In Division 2, Mesa State College repeats as the men’s winners while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology handily wins the women’s contest.

Ex-pro Richard Geng finds success — and fun — in racing and coaching at the collegiate level.

TORINO, Italy (VN) – Giro d’Italia favorite Vicenzo Nibali (Liquigas-Cannondale) has denied links to controversial Italian doctor Michele Ferrari.

Tens of thousands of retired and active “Alpini” soldiers descended on Torino for an annual convention set to coincide with the 150th anniversary of Italy’s unification — just in time for the start of the 2011 Giro.

Quick results

• 1. HTC-HIGHROAD, in 20:59
• 2. TEAM RADIOSHACK, at 10
• 3. LIQUIGAS-CANNONDALE, at 22
• 4. OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO, at 22
• 5. TEAM GARMIN-CERVELO, at 24

GC

• 1. Marco Pinotti (ITA), Htc-Highroad, in 20:59
• 2. Lars Ytting Bak (DEN), Htc-Highroad, at 0
• 3. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (BLR), Htc-Highroad, at 0
• 4. Mark Cavendish (GBR), Htc-Highroad, at 0
• 5. Craig Lewis (USA), Htc-Highroad, at 0

HTC-Highroad wins the kickoff to the 2011 Giro d’Italia, putting Marco Pinotti into the first maglia rosa.

VENARIA REALE, Italy (VN) – Alberto Contador says he’s not letting his ongoing clenbuterol case distract his attention coming into the Giro d’Italia and defended his right to be lining up for Saturday’s start of the season’s first grand tour.

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Jake Keough and Jennifer Purcell take the flowers in the Spartanburg Regional Classic.

With the Giro d’Italia’s opening team time trial coming up Saturday afternoon, mechanics spent Friday putting the final touches on each rider’s TT bike.

3T has announced its entrance into the wheel business with their new Mercurio line of carbon tubulars.

MADISON, Wisconsin – USA Cycling’s collegiate road national championships opened on Friday with four national titles awarded as both Division I and II male and female riders tackled the more than 6,000 feet of climbing around the road race course at Blue Mound State Park, 30 miles west of Madison.

Canadian Clara Hughes beat Americans Evelyn Stevens and Amber Neben Friday to win the 24.2-mile individual time trial at the Pan American Championships in Colombia.

Division I Men’s Road Race

Division I Women’s Road Race

Division II Men’s Road Race

Division II Women’s Road Race

Division I Team Omnium standings

DII Team Omnium standings

Lennard Zinn takes a closer look at Peter Denk’s latest creation, the new Cannondale SuperSix Evo.

BOULDER, Colo. (VN) — Rory Sutherland is set to lead his UnitedHealthcare squad into the Amgen Tour of California on Sunday May 15. The team on Friday announced its roster for the weeklong stage race that begins in South Lake Tahoe in a little over a week.

Fat tire love, Mavic's neutral support questions and power meter queries.

VENARIA REALE, Italy (VN) - Nine North Americans start the 94th Giro d'Italia on Saturday, all bringing a wide range of experience, expectations and responsibilities to the season's first grand tour.

VENARIA REALE, Italy (VN) — Saturday's 19.3km team time trial will be about team honor and setting the tone for the ensuing battle in the season's first grand tour, as the 2011 Giro d'Italia clicks into gear.

For Lennard Zinn - who might be 'too tall to race' - bad rules, excessive taxes and a silly sticker mean the UCI is out of control.

One theme apparent in this year’s Giro d’Italia startlist is the presence of a number of young Americans. Peter Stetina (Garmin-Cervélo) will make his grand tour debut Saturday alongside teammate Tom Peterson, BMC Racing’s Chris Barton, Chad Beyer and Chris Butler, HTC-Highroad’s Craig Lewis and RadioShack’s Bjorn Selander.

Check out Brian Holcombe's author page.

Garmin-Cervelo is gunning for the pink jersey in Saturday's team time trial to open the Giro d'Italia with hopes of repeating their breakout success in 2008.

• 1 MANCEBO, Francisco Realcyclist.com Pro Cycling Te 08:00.07 5 0.00
• 2 JACQUES-MAYNES, Ben BISSELL Pro Cycling 08:03.13 3 @ 3.06
• 3 VENNELL, Jeremy BISSELL Pro Cycling 08:05.19 1 @ 5.12
• 4 MACH, Paul BISSELL Pro Cycling 08:06.81 @ 6.74
• 5 VAN UDEN, Roman Pure Black Racing 08:14.80 @ 14.73

" Remember watching news stories of Katrina victims, staying on rows of air mattresses and cots in big, open rooms? That’s us right now: disaster relief housing. It’s no Katrina, but nine dudes in one room does qualify as a disaster."

Riding Cannondale's new 695-gram road frame, the SuperSix Evo

Review of high-end race kit from Mavic, Rapha and Castelli. Nice enough to make you want to race unattached.

Following the announcement by the UCI that it has filed a defamation suit against Floyd Landis, the deposed Tour de France winner says he is ready to fight the case in an effort to expose “the corruption within cycling.”

DANA POINT, Calif. (VN) — Brad Huff (Jelly Belly) emerged from an 18-man break to take the fifth annual Dana Point Grand Prix criterium over Rahsaan Bahati (SKLZ p/b Pista Palace) and Ben Kersten (Fly V Australia).

Alberto Contador travels to Italy on Wednesday to take on the Giro d'Italia, where he will line up Saturday as one of the five-star favorites for victory.

The UCI announced on Wednesday that the governing body, as well as its current and former presidents, have filed a defamation suit against deposed 2006 Tour de France winner Floyd Landis.

Women

• 1. Rushlee Buchanan, Colavita-forno D'asolo, in 1:11:38.9
• 2. Theresa Cliff-Ryan, Colavita-forno D'asolo, at 0:03
• 3. Christina Gokey-Smith, Rouse Bicycles, iat 0:03
• 4. Laura Van Gilder, Mellow Mushroom, at 0:04
• 5. Erica Allar, Rideclean Presented By Patentit, at 0:04

Men

• 1. Hilton Clarke, Unitedhealthcare, in 1:35:19.0
• 2. Luca Damiani, Kenda, s.t.
• 3. Carlos Alzate Escobar, Team Exergy, s.t.
• 4. Karl Menzies, Unitedhealthcare, s.t.
• 4. Eric Marcotte, s.t.

PARIS (AFP) ─ The Italian city of Florence officially launched its bid to host the start of the 2014 Tour de France, according to race organizers Wednesday, as part of its celebrations to honor Italian cycling great Gino Bartali.

Four recent rock and mudslides hav forced organizers of the Amgen Tour of California to change the route of its fifth stage, removing some of the race's most scenic vistas on California Highway 1.

Omega Pharma-Lotto brings a mixed squad of stage-hunters as star riders André Greipel and Philippe Gilbert are giving the Giro d’Italia a pass.

Gianni Savio, the debonair Italia director of the modest Androni Giocattoli team, is hoping to pull one more surprise at this month’s Giro d’Italia.

Last year’s Giro d’Italia runner-up David Arroyo will lead his Movistar team for the season’s first grand tour starting Saturday in Torino.

Geox-TMC confirmed its Giro nine, with Denis Menchov and Carlos Sastre leading the formation into the season’s first grand tour.

Roman Kreuziger will lead Astana in a push for the final podium when the Giro d’Italia ends in Milano on May 29.

National Racing Calendar standings, updated May 2, 2011

• 1. Philippe Gilbert, Omega Pharma-Lotto, with 356 points
• 2. Fabian Cancellara, Leopard Trek, with 236 points
• 3. Cadel Evans, Bmc Racing Team, with 232 points
• 4. Harley Goss Matthew, Htc-Highroad, with 203 points
• 5. Andreas KlÖden, Team Radioshack, with 202 points

BMC benches Alessandro Ballan, Mauro Santambrogio as an Italian inquiry gains steam.

Vincenzo Nibali will carry the Liquigas colors after defending champion Ivan Basso decided to skip the Giro in order to prepare exclusively for the Tour de France.

Tiago Machado will lead RadioShack at the 2011 Giro.

• 1. Charles Huff, Jelly Belly
• 2. Rahsaan Bahati,
• 3. Ben Kersten
• 4. Nicholas Brandt-Sorenson
• 5. Kayle Leo Grande, Monster Media Racing Scvelo

Jake Keough and Theresa Cliff-Ryan kick to victory at the Historic Roswell Criterium.

UnitedHealthcare puts two in the top five in Monday’s final stage in the summit finish up the Naranco climb to end the Vuelta a Asturias on a high note.

Dario Cioni, Thomas Lovkvist headline Team Sky’s Giro d’Italia squad.

Cadel Evans climbs to 3rd in UCI rankings; Philippe Gilbert still leads.

Brice Feillu replaces the injured Daniele Bennati on Leopard-Trek’s 2011 Giro d’Italia roster.

The lone French WorldTour team hopes to win a stage and perhaps put John Gadret into the top 10 overall.

With team star Robert Gesink preparing for the Tour de France, Rabobank won’t have a top GC prospect at the Giro d'Italia, so it will be looking to attack and get into breakaways in hopes of winning a stage.

Casey B. Gibson captures the Gila Monster, the final stage of the 2011 SRAM Tour of the Gila.

Race report

Men’s stage 5

• 1. Francisco Mancebo, Realcyclist.com Cycling Team, in 4:23:24
• 2. Lachlan Morton, Chipotle Development Team, in 4:24:36 at 0:01:12 U25
• 3. Joesph Dombrowski, Trek-Livestrong, in 4:24:38 at 0:01:14 U25
• 4. Dale Parker, Trek-Livestrong, in 4:24:38 at 0:01:14 U25
• 5. Alexander Howes, Chipotle Development Team, in 4:24:38 at 0:01:14 U25

Women’s Stage 5

• 1. DONOVAN Kathryn, Missing Link Coaching Syste, in 3:26:22
• 2. ALBRECHT Lex, Team Juvederm-Specialized, in 3:28:59 at 0:02:37 U26
• 3. LOGAN-SPRENGER, Colavita/forno D'asolo, in 3:31:14 at 0:04:52
• 4. PHILLIPS Jessica, Team Ajax Tavern, in 3:31:18 at 0:04:56
• 5. KACHOREK Emily, Primal/mapmyride, in 3:31:21 at 0:04:59

Men’s FINAL GC

• 1. Francisco Mancebo, Realcyclist.com Cycling Team, in 13:42:58
• 2. Dale Parker, Trek-Livestrong, in 13:46:15 at 0:03:17 U25
• 3. Lachlan Morton, Chipotle Development Team, in 13:46:17 at 0:03:19 U25
• 4. Alexander Howes, Chipotle Development Team, in 13:46:41 at 0:03:43 U25
• 5. Matt Cooke, Team Exergy, in 13:46:42 at 0:03:44

Women’s FINAL GC

• 1. Clara Hughes, Pactimo Cycling Team, in 13:19:15
• 2. Mara Abbott, Diadora-Pasta Zara Team, in 13:22:07 at 0:02:52
• 3. Kathryn Donovan, Missing Link Coaching Systems /, in 13:22:30 at 0:03:15
• 4. Andrea Dvorak, Colavita/forno D'asolo, in 13:24:02 at 0:04:47
• 5. Janel Holcomb, Colavita/forno D'asolo, in 13:24:21 at 0:05:06

PINOS ALTOS, New Mexico (VN) — Francisco "Paco" Mancebo and Clara Hughes each put on impressive displays of power while locking up overall victories Sunday at the SRAM Tour of the Gila.

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Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt

• 1. John Degenkolb (Ger), HTC-Highroad , At 4:50:49
• 2. Jérôme Baugnies (Bel), Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, s.t.
• 3. Michael Matthews (Aus), Rabobank Cycling Team, s.t.
• 4. Davy Commeyne (Bel), Landbouwkrediet-Colnago, s.t.
• 5. Laurent Pichon (Fra), Bretagne-Schuller, s.t.

Stage 4

• 1. Victor Cabedo (Esp), Orbea, 4:38:23
• 2. Rory Sutherland (Aus), UnitedHealthcare, at 0:11
• 3. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp), Movistar, at 0:38
• 4. Ruben Perez Moreno (Esp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 0:41
• 5. Rafael Infantino Abreu (Col), at 0:43

GC

• 1. Javier Moreno Bazan (Esp), Caja Rural, 17:02:23
• 2. Constantino Zaballa Gutierrez (Esp), Miche-Silver Cross-Selle Italia, at 0:13
• 3. Sergio Ferreira Sousa (Por), at 0:36
• 4. Hernani Broco (Por), La-Antarte, at 0:52
• 5. Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Esp), Movistar, at 1:45

Rory Sutherland made the winning breakaway and finished second in stage four at the Vuelta a Asturias in northern Spain.

Johan Bruyneel and Pat McQuaid discuss the radio issue, but only one of them feels chatty afterward.

Germany’s John Degenkolb wins the Rund um den Finanzplatz Eschborn-Frankfurt.

Kenny Van Hummel wins the final stage of the Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey as Alexander Efimkin wraps up the overall title.

Stage 8

• 1. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned), Skil-Shimano, 3:22:59
• 2. André Greipel (Ger), Omega Pharma-Lotto, s.t.
• 3. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita), Lampre-ISD, s.t.
• 4. Tyler Farrar (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, s.t.
• 5. Juan Pablo Forero Carreno (Col), Colombia Es Pasion Coldeportes, s.t.

Final GC

• 1. Alexander Efimkin (Rus), Team Type 1, 33:45:48
• 2. Andrey Zeits (Kaz), Astana, at 1:13
• 3. Thibaut Pinot (Fra), Française des Jeux, at 1:33
• 4. Thomas Peterson (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, at 1:50
• 5. Cameron Wurf (Aus), Liquigas-Doimo, at 2:17

Quick Results

• 1. Ben Swift (GBR), Team Sky, in 3:50:51
• 2. Davide Vigano (ITA), Leopard-Trek, s.t.
• 3. Oscar Freire Gomez (ESP), Rabobank Cycling Team, s.t.
• 4. Fabio Sabatini (ITA), Liquigas-Doimo, s.t.
• 5. Enrico Gasparotto (ITA), Astana, s.t.

Final GC

• 1. Cadel Evans (Aus), BMC Racing Team, in 16:51:49
• 2. Tony Martin (Ger), HTC-Highroad, at 0:18
• 3. Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz), Astana, at 0:19
• 4. Marco Pinotti (Ita), HTC-Highroad, at 0:31
• 5. Benat Intxausti Elorriaga (Spa), Movistar, at 0:41

GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) - BMC's Cadel Evans won the Tour de Romandie on Sunday after the fifth and final stage was claimed by Team Sky's British rider Ben Swift.