Road

CHIETI, Italy (VN) ─ Michele Scarponi landed the first blow in the GC battle, his Lampre-ISD teammate Damiano Cunego close behind, in stage 4 of Tirreno-Adriatico. Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) nearly closed a 10-second gap on the 19-percent ramp into Chieti, but came up just short, with Cunego passing him and both taking same time in the final meters.

WASHINGTON, D.C. ─ Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) has criticized the ongoing federal probe into seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong and allegations of doping.

The UCI cleared the way for the new Danish Christina Watches-Onfone team, featuring Michael Rasmussen, by approving its bid for a continental license.

TERNI, Italy (VN) — It’s not time to hit the Mark Cavendish panic button just yet. So says HTC-Highroad sports director Valerio Piva.

Stage 3

• 1. Juan José Haedo (ARG), Saxo Bank Sungard, 4:39:45
• 2. Tyler Farrar (USA), Team Garmin-Cervelo, s.t.
• 3. Daniel Oss (ITA), Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.
• 4. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA), Lampre-Isd, s.t.
• 5. Mark Renshaw (AUS), HTC-Highroad, s.t.

Overall, after Stage 3

• 1. Tyler Farrar (USA), Team Garmin-Cervelo, 9:53:51
• 2. Juan José Haedo (ARG), Saxo Bank Sungard, at 0:05
• 3. Lars Boom (NED), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:06
• 4. Oscar Freire Gomez (ESP), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:08
• 5. Thomas Leezer (NED), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:08

Or maybe not. The UCI clarifies its rule on time trial shifters, causing some team mechanics to get creative

PERUGIA, Italy (VN) — J.J. Haedo (Saxo Bank-Sunguard) overcame a final-kilometer acceleration from Thor Hushovd (Garmin-Cervélo) to steal a win in stage 3 of Tirreno-Adriatico. Hushovd’s teammate and overall leader Tyler Farrar finished second, followed by Italian Daniel Oss (Liquigas-Cannondale).

Stage

• 1. Tony Martin, HTC - Highroad, in 33:24
• 2. Bradley Wiggins, Sky Procycling, in 33:44
• 3. Richie Porte, Saxo Bank Sungard, in 33:53 at 00:29
• 4. Andréas KlÖden, Team RadioShack, in 34:10 at 00:46
• 5. Jean-Christophe Peraud, Ag2r La Mondiale, in 34:19 at 00:55

GC

• 1. Tony Martin, HTC - Highroad, in 24:59:47
• 2. Andréas KlÖden, Team RadioShack, at 00:36
• 3. Bradley Wiggins, Sky Procycling, at 00:39
• 4. Rein Taaramae, Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne, at 01:10
• 5. Jean-christophe Peraud, Ag2r La Mondiale, at 01:14

AIX-EN-PROVENCE, France, March 11, 2011 (AFP) - German Tony Martin of HTC-Highroad hammered home his victory intentions in the Paris-Nice by winning the sixth stage time trial to take command of the race lead on Friday.

PERUGIA, Italy (VN) ─ Two weeks ago, Rabobank’s Sebastian Langeveld was the star of the opening classics weekend. With Milan-San Remo and the Belgian cobbles around the corner, the Dutchman is staying low key on his talent-rich team at Tirreno-Adriatico.

Charlie Wegelius brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to UnitedHealthcare, but it appears that it’s Wegelius who is getting more out of the bargain.

Vuelta a España officials said they will release their wild-card invitations to the 2011 edition in May and suggested it may follow the lead taken by the Giro d’Italia, which recently invited five extra teams to the corsa rosa.

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Frames from five manufacturers are the first to get UCI approval

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Nick talks about flying with bikes and takes a few questions about shoes and cleats.

RadioShack’s Andreas Kloden positioned himself for overall victory at Paris-Nice after taking a stage victory in Thursday’s 193km fifth stage ahead Samuel Sanchez.

Tyler Farrar's major pro wins

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Alberto Contador strongly defended himself against claims that his clenbuterol positive was triggered by a possible blood transfusion during the 2010 Tour de France.

Christian Vande Velde isn’t going to tempt fate yet again and is steering clear of the Giro d’Italia this year as he prepares for a peak in form for the 2011 Tour de France.

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The German Pro Continental squad NetApp earned a wild card invite to Paris-Roubaix, the race announced earlier this month. Team director Ralph Denk said the squad, which includes American Steven Cozza, was "euphoric" over the team's first selection for a WorldTour event.

The results of the weekend speak for themselves: three stage wins, 1-2-3 GC and the points jersey. What I most happy about is that three different riders won a stage. We rode like a TEAM, all for one and one for all.

• 1. Rabobank, 16.8km in 18:08
• 2. Garmin-Cervelo, at 0:09
• 3. HTC-Highroad, at 0:10
• 4. Saxo Bank-Sungard, at 0:11
• 5. Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0:22

The heavy sprint corps at Tirreno-Adriatico may be without Andre Greipel after the Omega Pharma-Lotto rider crashed hard during a pre-ride of the course and injured his face.

A day after just falling short in a breakaway effort, French national champion Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) got in right with victory in Wednesday’s 191km seven-climb fourth stage at Paris-Nice when a four-man breakaway stayed clear of the fast-chasing peloton.

Must Reads: London Olympic TT courses finalized; Queally eyes Olys return

Rabobank takes team time trial at Tirreno-Adriatico, Lars Boom in lead

Taylor Phinney is taking it slow in his rookie pro season and that’s just the way BMC wants it.

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Franco Pellizotti reacted angrily to Tuesday’s decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport and said he would not mount a comeback when his two-year ban concludes.

Denis Menchov's Team Geox Fuji

MARINA DI CARRARA, Italy (VN) _ Organizers have released the starting order for the opening team time trial at the 2011 Tirreno-Adriatico.

Quick Step's Nikolas Maes was taken to the hospital for x-rays after being involved in a multi-rider crash in the final meters of Tuesday's Paris-Nice stage. The X-rays indicated no broken bones, and Maes was diagnosed with trauma on his pelvis, the team said. he will decide on Wednesday whether to start stage 4.

MARINA DI CARRARA, Italy (VN) — Fabian Cancellara is confident. But who isn’t? The classics leader for Leopard-Trek will start Tirreno-Adriatico with the stage 1 team time trial on Wednesday. He told reporters Tuesday that he sees no reason that he can’t repeat his double feat of Tour of Flanders/Paris-Roubaix wins from 2010.

At a time when the major professional teams have become unified in their position opposing the UCI ban on two-way radios, all three of the past week’s semi-classics saw dramatic, unpredictable racing.

PRESS RELEASE: THE COURT OF ARBITRATION FOR SPORT (CAS) IMPOSES A TWO YEAR BAN ON THE ITALIAN CYCLISTS PIETRO CAUCCHIOLI AND FRANCO PELLIZOTTI

MARINA DI CARRARA, Italy (VN) _ A coalition of riders and teams says the UCI has 20 days to begin talks with on the radio ban. If they refuse, riders will begin wearing race radios on March 26. That was the message at a joint press conference with representatives of the sport's events, riders and teams Tuesday night.

Lennard takes questions on the safety of breathing carbon fiber dust and premature bottom bracket wear

Stage 3

• 1. Harley Goss Matthew, HTC - Highroad, in 5:16:41
• 2. Heinrich Haussler, Team Garmin - Cervelo, at s.t.
• 3. Denis Galimzyanov, Katusha Team, at 00:00
• 4. Joaquin Rojas Jose, Movistar Team, at s.t.
• 5. Geraint Thomas, Sky Procycling, at s.t.

GC

• 1. Harley Goss Matthew, HTC - Highroad, in 14:22:34
• 2. Gendt De Thomas, Vacansoleil-Dcm, at s.t.
• 3. Heinrich Haussler, Team Garmin - Cervelo, at 00:06
• 4. Gregory Henderson, Sky Procycling, at 00:06
• 5. Galimzyanov Denis, Katusha Team, at 00:08

KANSAS CITY, Kansas, March 8, 2011 (AFP) - Lance Armstrong's foundation Livestrong has signed a naming rights deal for the new $200 million stadium of Major League Soccer's Sporting Kansas City, the club said Tuesday.

Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) snagged the yellow jersey after he sliced his way past a crash to win Tuesday’s third stage at Paris-Nice.

Tejay Van Garderen (HTC-Highroad) will eventually get to the Tour de France, but the question now for the second-year pro is when.

GENEVA (AFP) - The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Tuesday banned Italian cyclist Franco Pellizotti, third in the 2009 Giro d'Italia, for two years, overturning an earlier ruling by Italy's anti-doping committee.

Must Reads: Operation Puerto's Dr. Fuentes is back

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2011 Tirreno-Adriatico startlist

Monday’s second stage at Paris-Nice saw scores of crashes, including one that sent Sebastian Haedo (Saxo Bank) packing after he was hit by a police motorcycle from behind. Kevin De Weert (Quick Step) also crashed and was taken to the hospital after the stage ended; his team will decided Tuesday if he will continue in the race.

ROME (VN) — Take two time trials and split them with two days for the sprinters and another three in the mountains, two of them at 240km each, and you get a new-look Tirreno-Adriatico. The race of the two seas opens Wednesday and many of the top classics riders and Tour de France and Giro d'Italia contenders are set for a showdown in the heart of Italy.

• 1966 Dino Zandegù (ITA)
• 1967 Franco Bitossi (ITA)
• 1968 Claudio Michelotto (ITA)
• 1969 Carlo Chiappano (ITA)
• 1970 Antoon Houbrechts (BEL)
• 1971 Italo Zilioli (ITA)
• 1972 Roger de Vlaeminck (BEL)
• ...

Stage:

• 1. Gregory Henderson, Sky Procycling, in 5:00:56
• 2. Harley Goss Matthew, Htc - Highroad, at
• 3. Denis Galimzyanov, Katusha Team, at at 00:00
• 4. Heinrich Haussler, Team Garmin - Cervelo, at at s.t.
• 5. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale, at at s.t.

• 1. Thomas De Gendt, Vacansoleil-Dcm, in 9:05:48
• 2. Gregory Henderson, Sky Procycling, at
• 3. Jérémy Roy, Fdj, at at 00:07
• 4. Harley Goss Matthew, Htc - Highroad, at at 00:08
• 5. Tony Gallopin, Cofidis Le Credit En Ligne, at at 00:08

AMILLY, France (AFP) - New Zealand's Greg Henderson of the Sky team won a sprint finish on Monday to take the second stage of Paris-Nice.

Angelo Zomegnan wants the 2011 Giro d’Italia to be bigger than ever and it will be, at least this year.

The debate over the race radio ban heats up as the race director at the Vuelta a Murcia blamed the absence of race radio for several crashes during the three-stage race in Spain.

MURCIA, Spain (VN) – A huge smile creased across the typically somber face of Bjarne Riis when Alberto Contador celebrated his first victory of 2011 at the Vuelta a Murcia by pointing proudly at his Saxo Bank-Sungard jersey.

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Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Stage 2

• 1. Niko Eeckhout (Bel), An Post-Sean Kelly Team, 4:31:24
• 2. Jimmy Casper (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, s.t.
• 3. Dominique Rollin (Can), Française Des Jeux, s.t.
• 4. Bert De Backer (Bel), Skil-Shimano, s.t.
• 5. Sébastien Chavanel (Fra), Europcar, s.t.

Final overall

• 1. Jesse Sergent (Nzl), Team RadioShack, 8:33:02
• 2. Sébastien Rosseler (Bel), Team RadioShack, at 0:10
• 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (Pol), Team RadioShack, at 0:10
• 4. Dominique Rollin (Can), Française Des Jeux, at 0:15
• 5. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra), Française Des Jeux, at 0:18

RadioShack sweeps the GC podium as RadioShack's Jesse Sergent wins the Three Days of West Flanders.

• 1. Thomas De Gendt, Vacansoleil-Dcm, 154.5km in 4:05:06t
• 2. Jérémy Roy, Fdj, same time
• 3. Heinrich Haussler, Garmin-Cervelo, s.t.
• 4. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.
• 5. Gregory Henderson, Sky, s.t.

Stage 3

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp), Saxobank-Sungard, 14:10
• 2. Jerome Coppel (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 0:08
• 3. Denis Menchov (Rus), Geox-TMC, at 0:12
• 4. Alex Dowsett (Gbr), Team Sky, at 0:19
• 5. Vasili Kiryienka (Blr), Movistar, at 0:26

Final overall

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Esp), Saxobank-Sungard, 9:27:18
• 2. Jerome Coppel (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 0:11
• 3. Denis Menchov (Rus), Geox-TMC, at 0:17
• 4. Wouter Poels (Ned), Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 1:46
• 5. Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col), at 1:47

Alberto Contador calls the Giro d’Italia his first major goal of the season as he waits to learn whether he'll be able to try for a fourth Tour de France title July 2-24.

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Ina-Yoko Teutenberg (HTC-Highroad) wins stage three of the Merco Credit Union Cycling Classic as Alison Starnes (Peanut Butter & Co.) holds the overall lead.