Road

What do mechanics do on long, boring stages? Will Boardman's hour record be broken? And more

MADRID (AFP) — RadioShack's Markel Irizar (Radioshack) secured overall victory in the Ruta del Sol Thursday after the fifth and final stage, won by Oscar Freire of Rabobank.

Experienced Australian Luke Roberts returns to Riis Cycling. Saxo Bank-SunGard also signs Polish talent Rafal Majka.

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Xavier Tondo is sleeping at 2,300 meters this week in Spain’s high-altitude training facility in the Sierra Nevada mountains, but he probably wishes he could even be further away from the spotlight after a wild week that saw him “outed” as the source in Spain’s latest doping investigation.

In the five months since 1984 Olympic road champion Alexi Grewal announced he was making a comeback to racing at age 50, he has been hard at work. “There’s all the things you’ve got to do if you’re a privateer bike rider,” Grewal told VeloNews ahead of his comeback race this week. “I’ve been busy. Good busy.”

Omloop Het Nieuwsblad preliminary startlist

Past winners of Het Volk/Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Past winners of Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

Official start list for Sunday's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne

South African Darren Lill was third in the fourth stage of his country's home tour on Wednesday.

Stage 4:

• 1. Davide Torosantucci, (DAN), in 03:30:22::
• 2. Kévin Reza, (EUC), in 03:30:40::
• 3. Darren Lill, (DCM), in 03:30:40::
• 4. Johann Rabie, (BNT), in 03:30:44::
• 5. Jempy Drucker, (VWA), in 03:30:44::

• 1. Kristian House, (RCS), in 11:18:14::
• 2. Daryl Impey, (MTN), in 11:20:36::
• 3. Johann Rabie, (BNT), in 11:20:36::
• 4. David George, (LIF), in 11:20:36::
• 5. Rensburg Jacques Janse Van, (VMC), in 11:20:36::

Stage 2:

• 1. Damiano CUNEGO, (ITA) Lampre-Farnese Vini, at 5:21:26
• 2. Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ, (COL) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at s.t.
• 3. Emanuele SELLA, (ITA) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 2
• 4. Peter SAGAN, (SVK) Liquigas-Doimo, at 2
• 5. Ben HERMANS, (BEL) Team RadioShack, at 2

• 1. Damiano CUNEGO, (Italy) Lampre-Farnese Vini, in 8:56:41
• 2. Peter SAGAN, (Slovakia) Liquigas-Doimo, at 2
• 3. Jose Rodolfo SERPA PEREZ, (Colombia) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 4
• 4. Emanuele SELLA, (Italy) Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni, at 8
• 5. Eros CAPECCHI, (Italy) Liquigas-Doimo, at 12

The European racing calendar gets busier with each passing week and this weekend sees the opening of the Belgian racing season with two important semi-classics that will see the top guns sharpening their form with the northern classics just around the corner.

CORDOBA, Spain (VN) – Óscar Freire (Rabobank) stayed clear of a finish-line crash at the end of stage 4 to charge to his first win on the 2011 season and claim his seventh career stage victory at the Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol.

RENNES, France (AFP) — Anthony Charteau, winner of the climber's competition at the 2010 Tour de France, has been sidelined for three weeks by a shoulder injury, his team, Europcar, said Wednesday.

A reader asks if a product long used by pros is only now coming to the market, how can it be 'legal' under UCI rules?

Leopard-Trek has announced the signing of Austrian rider Thomas Rohregger, who last rode for Milram.

Dave Brailsford had a full plate in 2010 as he created Great Britain’s first major professional cycling team. After steering the British track team to dominance in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Brailsford turned his attention to the road.

• 1. Peter SAGAN, (SVK) Liquigas-Doimo, in 3:35:25
• 2. Alessandro BALLAN, (ITA) BMC Racing Team, at s.t.
• 3. Daniel OSS, (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo, at s.t.
• 4. Oscar GATTO, (ITA), at s.t.
• 5. Daniele PIETROPOLLI, (ITA) Lampre-Farnese Vini, at s.t.

Stage:

• 1. Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, (ESP) Movistar, in 4:21:53
• 2. Juan Jose LOBATO DEL VALLE, (ESP), at s.t.
• 3. Davide APPOLLONIO, (ITA) Team Sky, at s.t.
• 4. Giacomo NIZZOLO, (ITA) Leopard-Trek, at s.t.
• 5. Thierry HUPOND, (FRA) Skil-Shimano, at s.t.

• 1. Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, (ESP) Team RadioShack, in 8:51:46
• 2. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 1
• 3. Levi LEIPHEIMER, (USA) Team RadioShack, at 2
• 4. Jerome COPPEL, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 3
• 5. Luis PASAMONTES RODRIGUEZ, (ESP) Movistar, at 8

A look at some new gear from DT Swiss and FSA at the Frostbike show

SRAM adds new color option for its Red groupset

André Greipel is not one for emotional outbursts, but the usually stoic German sprinter was downright ecstatic with his season-debut victory at the Volta ao Algarve on Saturday.

The blogosphere is wondering about another vaunted new team, Leopard-Trek, which up until Monday had not registered a single victory since it debuted at the Tour Down Under just over a month ago.

JAEN, Spain (VN) – A day after losing in a photo-finish, Fran Ventoso (Movistar) got it right to claim victory in Tuesday’s stage 3 at the 57th Ruta del Sol.

El Pistolero’s Shiv

Richmond, Virginia, is competing with Oman and Quebec to host the 2015 UCI road world championships, the UCI announced Tuesday. At the Tour of Oman last week, the Sultanate of Oman announced its bid to host the event; Richmond announced its bid in December.

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The French wave continued Monday as Jonathan Hivert delivered Sojasun-Saur its second consecutive win in a bunch sprint when he out-kicked the fastest of the Spanish armada in the second stage at the Ruta del Sol.

Stage 2:

• 1. Jonathan HIVERT, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, in 4:20:25
• 2. Francisco José VENTOSO ALBERDI, (ESP), at s.t.
• 3. Oscar FREIRE GOMEZ, (ESP) Rabobank Cycling Team, at s.t.
• 4. Stijn DEVOLDER, (BEL), at s.t.
• 5. Serguei IVANOV, (RUS) Team Katusha, at s.t.

• 1. Markel IRIZAR ARANBURU, (ESP) Team RadioShack, in 4:29:53
• 2. Jurgen VAN DEN BROECK, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 1
• 3. Levi LEIPHEIMER, (USA) Team RadioShack, at 2
• 4. Jerome COPPEL, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 3
• 5. Luis PASAMONTES RODRIGUEZ, (ESP), at 8

Caley Fretz takes a look at Hutchinson's Pro Tour tires — just like Lance used —  and examines the benefits of aging tires.

This fall, my neighbor Don Powell and I sat down over a beer, and decided to start a team focused on mentoring young riders and helping them develop into better cyclists and people.

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Andrew Hood sends some snaps from the final stage of the Volta ao Algarve.

“Just being here is a victory,” said Alberto Contador after finishing fourth overall in the Volta ao Algarve.

Sarah Hammer of the United States wins the women’s omnium at the UCI World Cup track cycling meet in Manchester, England.

Jimmy Engoulvent wins the opening time trial by a fraction of a second as the 57th Vuelta a Andalucia Ruta Ciclista del Sol gets under way.

Stage 1

• 1. Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, 9:28
• 2. Markel Irizar Aranburu (Esp), Team RadioShack, same time
• 3. Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel), Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0:01
• 4. Levi Leipheimer (Usa), Team RadioShack, at 0:02
• 5. Jerome Coppel (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 0:03

Stage 2

• 1. Julien Antommarchi (Fra), 5:14:07
• 2. Thomas Voeckler (Fra), same time
• 3. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Esp), at 0:29
• 4. Julien Simon (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 0:29
• 5. David Moncoutie (Fra), Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, at 0:29

Final overall

• 1. Thomas Voeckler (Fra), 9:14:13
• 2. Julien Antommarchi (Fra), at 0:08
• 3. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 0:28
• 4. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Esp), at 0:29
• 5. Rémi Pauriol (Fra), Française Des Jeux, at 0:37

Thomas Voeckler wins the Tour du Haut Var after finishing second in the final stage.

Stage 5

• 1. Tony Martin (Ger), HTC-Columbia, 20:53
• 2. Lieuwe Westra (Ned), at 0:05
• 3. Tiago Machado (Por), Team RadioShack, at 0:26
• 4. Jesse Sergent (Nzl), Team RadioShack, at 0:27
• 5. Andreas Klöden (Ger), Team RadioShack, at 0:30

Final overall

• 1. Tony Martin (Ger), HTC-Columbia, 18:48:45
• 2. Tejay Van Garderen (USA States), HTC-Columbia, at 0:32
• 3. Lieuwe Westra (Ned), at 0:39
• 4. Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp), at 0:41
• 5. Andreas Klöden (Ger), Team RadioShack, at 0:46

Sven Nys (Landbouwkrediet) clinched the overall victory in the GvA Trofee series on Sunday as Belgian champion Niels Albert (BKCP-Powerplus) won the finale in Oostmalle.

Stage 6:

• 1. Mark Cavendish, HTC-Highroad, in 3:39:58
• 2. Denis Galimzyanov, Katusha, same time
• 3. Andrea Guardini, Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, s.t.
• 4. Matteo Pelucchi, Geox-TMC, s.t.
• 5. Francesco Chicchi, Quick Step, s.t.

• 1. Robert Gesink, Rabobank, in 20:24:36
• 2. Boasson Hagen Edvald, Sky, at 1:13
• 3. Giovanni Visconti, Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, at 1:19
• 4. Michael Albasini, HTC-Highroad, at 1:52
• 5. Christian Vande Velde, Garmin-Cervelo, at 2:04

HTC-Highroad's Mark Cavendish scored a sprint victory in the final stage of the 2011 Tour of Oman as Robert Gesink wraps up the overall.

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Eddy Merckx has added his support to Oman's bid to host cycling's annual world road race championships in 2015.

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Sir Chris Hoy escapes a spectacular crash to win the World Cup keirin in Manchester. Azizulhasni Awang takes the overall title and collects a seven-inch splinter in one leg to go with it.

Stage 1

• 1. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra), Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, 4:00:05
• 2. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 0:00
• 3. Thomas Voeckler (Fra), at 0:01
• 4. Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Esp), at 0:01
• 5. Cédric Pineau (Fra), Française des Jeux, at 0:01

Samuel Dumoulin snatches the Haut Var opener from Rinaldo Nocentini.

Stage 4

• 1. André Greipel (Ger), Omega Pharma-Lotto, 3:56:55
• 2. Michael Matthews (Aus), Rabobank, s.t.
• 3. Anthony Ravard (Fra), Ag2r La Mondiale, s.t.
• 4. Tyler Farrar (USA), Garmin-Cervélo, s.t.
• 5. Allan Davis (Aus), Astana, s.t.

Overall standings

• 1. Stephen Cummings (Gbr), Team Sky, 18:27:42
• 2. Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp), at 0:06
• 3. Tony Martin (Ger), HTC-Columbia, at 0:10
• 4. Tejay Van Garderen (USA), HTC-Columbia, at 0:12
• 5. Rein Taaramae (Est), Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, at 0:18

André Greipel wins stage 4 of Algarve while Stephen Cummings leads the overall.

Daniele Pietropolli proves fastest of a 10-man break at the Trofeo Laigueglia.

Trofeo Laigueglia

• 1. Daniele Pietropolli (Ita), Lampre-Farnese Vini, 4:42:20
• 2. Simone Ponzi (Ita), Liquigas-Doimo, same time
• 3. Angel Vicioso Arcos (Esp), Androni Giocattoli-Serramenti Pvc Diquigiovanni, s.t.
• 4. Fabio Taborre (Ita), Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo, s.t.
• 5. Pavel Brutt (Rus), Team Katusha, s.t.

Bart Wellens takes a commanding solo victory at the Cauberg Cyclocross.

Rabobank's Robert Gesink extended his lead of the Tour of Oman on Saturday after claiming victory in the fifth and penultimate stage, an 18-kilometer individual time trial.

Vacansoleil declares that it has no choice but to fire cycling's most obnoxious doper

ALBUFEIRA, Portugal (VN) ─ Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) is picking up where he left off after his break-out rookie season with a strong ride at the five-day Volta ao Algarve in southern Portugal.

Kevin Sireau, the French sprinter, proved Friday at the World Cup meet in Manchester he will be one of the favorites at the London Olympics

Alberto Contador said Friday that he was satisfied with his third place finish in the day's Volta ao Algarve stage.

Stage:

• 1. Stephen CUMMINGS, (GBR) Team Sky, in 4:56:19
• 2. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, (USA) HTC-HighRoad, at 0
• 3. Alberto CONTADOR VELASCO, (ESP), at 0
• 4. Rein TAARAMAE, (EST) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, at 0
• 5. Tony MARTIN, (GER) HTC-HighRoad, at 0

• 1. Stephen CUMMINGS, (Great Britain) Team Sky, in 14:30:47
• 2. Alberto CONTADOR VELASCO, (Spain), at 6
• 3. Tony MARTIN, (Germany) HTC-HighRoad, at 10
• 4. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, (United States) HTC-HighRoad, at 12
• 5. Rein TAARAMAE, (Estonia) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, at 18

LISBON (AFP) — Team Sky's Stephen Cummings on Friday won the third stage of the Tour of the Algarve ahead of Tejay van Garderen (HTC-HighRoad) and two-time winner Alberto Contador of Astana.

Even with a flashing red butt, Caley Fretz says the Castelli tights will let you ride on days you'd probably rather not.

Now that Retirement 2.0 has come, what did Lance Armstrong’s comeback mean for big time American racing? And can the Amgen Tour of California and Quiznos Pro Challenge survive in his absence? One way to answer the question is to look at the effect his presence, or absence, has made on previous events.

Stage 4

• 1. Robert Gesink, Rabobank, in 4:03':58
• 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky, at 0:47
• 3. Dries Devenyns, Quick Step, at 0:51
• 4. Giovanni Visconti, Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, at 0:53
• 5. Christian Vandevelde, Garmin-Cervelo, at 0:53

Overall Standings

• 1. Robert Gesink, Rabobank, in 16:15:18
• 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky, at 0:44
• 3. Dries Devenyns, Quick Step, at 0:57
• 4. Christian Vandevelde, Garmin-Cervelo, at 01:03
• 5. Giovanni Visconti, Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, at 01:03

Perhaps there’s no one beyond the Pyrénées happier to see Alberto Contador back in a racing jersey than SaxoBank-Sungard boss Bjarne Riis.

After a decade-long absence, the Tour of South Africa returns Saturday for an eight-day, seven-stage route that will lay the groundwork for what organizers are hoping will become a fixture on the international calendar.

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