Road Racing

MACUGNAGA, Italy (VN) – Alberto Contador is so strong at this Giro d’Italia he can start gifting stage victories.

The difficulties — or, rather, the over-the-top difficulties — of this month’s Giro d’Italia conclude this Saturday with a final gnarly mountain stage that features the dreaded Colle delle Finestre and a concluding climb to Sestriere for the eighth summit finish in two weeks.

QuickResults

• 1. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA), Astana, in 5:26:27
• 2. Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP), SaxoBank-Sungard, at 0:00
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0:03
• 4. John Gadret (FRA), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 0:06
• 5. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (ESP), Team Katusha, at 0:06

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard, 77:11:24
• 2. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 5:18
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Cannondale, at 5:52
• 4. John Gadret (France), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:53
• 5. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Belarus), HTC-Highroad, at 9:58

Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) won stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia on Friday, crossing just ahead of race leader Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard), who rocketed out of a dwindling chase in the final kilometer to shadow the Italian across the line.

TERMINE, Italy (VN) – Peter Stetina calmly stepped out of his pedals and sipped an energy drink after finishing the 18th stage of the Giro d’Italia. From the look of his reaction, you would have never guessed he’s just days from finishing his first grand tour in what many are calling one of the most grueling Giros ever.

SAN PELLEGRINO TERME, Italy (VN) – Sometimes the best racing in the Giro d’Italia happens before RAI begins to broadcast the race. That was certainly the case in Thursday’s short but explosive 151km 18th stage from Morbegno to San Pellegrino Terme.

Road rash treatment, skewer placement, vans in the caravan and more

Stage 18

• 1. Eros Capecchi (ITA), Liquigas-Doimo, 3:20:38
• 2. Marco Pinotti (ITA), HTC-Highroad, s.t.
• 3. Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL), Quick Step, s.t.
• 4. Gianluca Brambilla (ITA), Colnago-CSF, at 1:20
• 5. Paolo Tiralongo (ITA), Astana, at 1:20

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard, 71:45:09
• 2. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 4:58
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Doimo, at 5:45
• 4. John Gadret (France), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:35
• 5. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Belarus), HTC-Highroad, at 9:12

Igor Anton’s Orbea Orca GDi2

Stage

• 1. Diego Ulissi, Lampre - Isd, in 5:31:51
• 2. Pablo Lastras Garcia, Movistar Team, at s.t
• 3. Giovanni Visconti, Farnese Vini - Neri Sottoli, at s.t.
• 4. Jan Bakelants, Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 4
• 5. Fabio Taborre, Acqua & Sapone, at 8

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard, in 68:18:27
• 2. Michele Scarponi, Lampre - Isd, at 4:58
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 5:45
• 4. John Gadret, Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:35
• 5. Kanstantsin Sivtsov, HTC-Highroad, at 9:12

FELTRE, Italy (VN) ─ Neil Stephens had a front-row seat during the Miguel Indurain era as a racer and he's seen the rise of Alberto Contador as a sport director working in the peloton. The ex-pro said the two Spanish riders have very different racing styles that result in the same thing: winning stage races.

LZ fields questions on Mario's bikes, disc brake rotors, seized bottom brackets and power meter drag

Millar says CERA made 2008 Giro harder than this one, Contador has little to say on Hamilton, final TT shortened

Stage 16

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard, at 28:55
• 2. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 34
• 3. Michele Scarponi, Lampre - Isd, at 38
• 4. José Rujano Guillen, Androni Giocattoli - C.i.p.i, at 39
• 5. Stefano Garzelli, Acqua & Sapone, at 46

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard, at 62:43:37
• 2. Michele Scarponi, Lampre - Isd, at 4:58
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 5:45
• 4. John Gadret, Ag2r La Mondiale, at 7:35
• 5. José Rujano Guillen, Androni Giocattoli - C.i.p.i, at 9:18

Alberto Contador solidified his lead in the 2011 Giro d'Italia Tuesday, after dancing to a 34-second win over Vincenzo Nibali in the stage 16 uphill time trial.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Police carried out a search at the RadioShack team hotel in Falcade on Monday, a day after former Lance Armstrong teammate Tyler Hamilton accused him on "60 Minutes" of participating in a sophisticated doping program, according to The Associated Press

The Showers Pass VelEau 42 is a specially shaped 1.25L container that fits inside a formed, under-the-saddle bag.

Photographer Gregg Bleakney piggybacks on a leg of a Thomson Bike Tours trip to the Giro d'Italia.

Roman Kreuziger looks set to top his ninth-place finish at last year’s Giro, and he’ll do so riding a Specialized Tarmac SL3.

BELLUNO, Italy (VN) – Tuesday’s climbing time trial up to the base of the Nevegal ski area present Alberto Contador with another chance to tighten his grip on the maglia rosa.

BELLUNO, Italy (VN) – Vicenzo Nibali vows to go down fighting in the Giro d’Italia and has no regrets about going on the attack despite losing time in Sunday’s epic trek across the Dolomites.

RadioShack's Chris Horner locked up the 2011 Amgen Tour of California on Sunday as Matt Goss (HTC-Highroad) won the finale, a 129.1km leg from Santa Clarita to Thousand Oaks.

BELLUNO, Italy (VN) – Riders were coming across the finish line in Gardeccia in a daze. Some had been riding more than eight hours. Giro leader Alberto Contador called it “the hardest stage of my life.”

BELLUNO, Italy (VN) – The last kilometer of Sunday’s monster, five-climb, seven-hour 229km trek across the Dolomites may well have been the longest Mikel Nieve has ever ridden.

World road champion Georgia Bronzini (Colavita Forno d'Asolo) won the Grand Prix Cycliste Gatineau on Saturday in Quebec.

Quick Results

• 1. Mikel Nieve Ituralde (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 7:27:14
• 2. Stefano Garzelli (ITA), Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo, at 1:41
• 3. Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP), SaxoBank-Sungard, at 1:51
• 4. Michele Scarponi (ITA), Lampre-ISD, at 1:57
• 5. John Gadret (FRA), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 2:28

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard, 62:14:42
• 2. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 4:20
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Doimo, at 5:11
• 4. John Gadret (France), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 6:08
• 5. Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spain), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 7:03

Nick Legan takes a look at the bikes used in the penultimate stage of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California.

Inside the Team RadioShack mobile kitchen

Levi Leipheimer and race leader Chris Horner finished one-two in the queen stage of the 2011 Amgen Tour of California on Saturday

MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy (VN) – The Giro d’Italia is always a little bit crazy, but Saturday’s run up to Monte Zoncolan was a stretch even by Giro standards.

MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy (VN) – Igor Antón had tunnel vision – literally – to claim the biggest stage of his career rocky career.

Quick Results

• 1. Igor Anton Hernandez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 5:04:26
• 2. Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP), SaxoBank-Sungard, at 33
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Liquigas-Doimo, at 40
• 4. Michele Scarponi (ITA), Lampre-ISD, at 1:11
• 5. Denis Menchov (RUS), Geox-TMC, at 1:21

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard, 54:45:45
• 2. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Doimo, at 3:20
• 3. Igor Anton Hernandez (Spain), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 3:21
• 4. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 4:06
• 5. John Gadret (France), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 5:23

MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy (VN) — Igor Anton (Euskaltel-Euskadi) scored an impressive solo victory atop the brutally steep Monte Zoncolan in the 14th stage of the Giro d’Italia, his first grand tour win since crashing out of the 2010 Vuelta a España while wearing the leader’s jersey.

MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy (VN) – An angry Giro d’Italia race director Angelo Zomegnan blasted sport directors and the UCI for forcing the cancelation of Saturday’s climb and descent of Monte Crostis.

Five hours of bike work for 30 minutes of racing? Must be TT time.

Svein Tuft's prototype time trial bike

HEILIGENBLUT, Austria (VN) - Monte Crostis, the brutal climb and harrowing descent that had everyone in the peloton on edge, is out of the Giro d'Italia.

HEILIGENBLUT, Austria (VN) - With the Giro d'Italia heading into a tough run in the mountains, Eddy Merckx observed that the only hope the GC rivals had to knock Alberto Contador off-balance was to attack from afar and try something truly daring.

HEILIGENBLUT, Austria (VN) - José Rujano (Androni) seems back at his best in this year's Giro d'Italia after a five-year drought that saw him struggle with form, personal problems and results.

A sneak peek at Levi Leipheimer's Giro TT helmet

For stage 6 of the 2011 Tour of California, Christian Vande Velde chose a 2010 bike.

Quick Results

• 1. José Rujano Guillen (VEN), Androni Giocattoli, in 4:45:54
• 2. Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP), SaxoBank-Sungard, at 0
• 3. John Gadret (FRA), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 1:27
• 4. Hubert Dupont (FRA), Ag2r La Mondiale, at 1:29
• 5. Igor Anton Hernandez (ESP), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 1:29

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard, 49:40:58
• 2. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Doimo, at 3:09
• 3. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 3:16
• 4. David Arroyo Duran (Spain), Movistar, at 3:25
• 5. Roman Kreuziger (Czech Republic), Astana, at 3:29

José Rujano (Androni Giocattoli) won the 13th stage of the Giro d’Italia Friday, finishing just ahead of overall race leader Alberto Contador atop a tough, rain-soaked climb to the finish on Austria’s highest mountain, the Grossglockner.

Clara Hughes wins the Chrono Gatineau in Quebec and dedicates the win to Daron Richardson, a young girl from Ottawa who tragically died last year.

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) won stage five of the Amgen Tour of California on Thursday, extending his lead in the sprint classification in the process.

RAVENNA, Italy (VN) – The Giro d’Italia peloton will be smaller at the start line Friday as sprinters are expected to leave the corsa rosa in droves.

RAVENNA, Italy (VN) – Alberto Contador (SaxoBank-Sungard) is getting comfortable after four days in the pink jersey. The Spaniard finished safely in the main bunch Thursday to carry a 59-second lead into three decisive stages looming in the Dolomites.

Quick Results

• 1. Mark Cavendish (GBR), HTC-Highroad , 4:17:25
• 2. Davide Appollonio (ITA), Team Sky, s.t.
• 3. Alessandro Petacchi (ITA), Lampre-ISD, s.t.
• 4. Roberto Ferrari (ITA), Androni Giocattoli, s.t.
• 5. Gerald Ciolek (GER), Quick Step, s.t.

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard , 44:55:16
• 2. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Belarus), HTC-Highroad, at 59
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Doimo, at 1:21
• 4. Christophe Le Mevel (France), Garmin-Cervelo, at 1:28
• 5. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 1:28

RAVENNA, Italy (VN) - Mark Cavendish (HTC-Highroad) grabbed his second stage win at the Giro d’Italia on Thursday, winning a drag race to the line against Sky’s Davide Appollonio and Lampre’s sprint star Allesandro Petacchi.

Jesse Anthony’s Orbea Orca Silver

After questions on tire pressure and my favorite chain lube, the most popular question I’m asked is how to become a pro team mechanic.

CASTELFIDARDO, Italy (VN) — Several team managers met with Giro d’Italia officials before the start of Wednesday’s stage to express concern about the Monte Crostis descent set for stage 14.

CASTELFIDARDO, Italy (VN) – Two names are hovering in the top 5 going into the final decisive battleground of the 2011 Giro d’Italia. They would surpass expectations if they’re still there when the Giro ends in Milano, and each promises to go down fighting.

Quick Results

• 1. John Gadret (FRA), Ag2r La Mondiale , 3:33:11
• 2. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (ESP), Team Katusha , s.t.
• 3. Giovanni Visconti (ITA), Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, s.t.
• 4. Jose Rodolfo Serpa Perez (COL), Androni Giocattoli, s.t.
• 5. Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP), SaxoBank-Sungard, s.t.

GC

• 1. Alberto Contador Velasco (Spain), SaxoBank-Sungard , 40:37:51
• 2. Kanstantsin Sivtsov (Belarus), HTC-Highroad, at 0:59
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy), Liquigas-Doimo, at 1:21
• 4. Christophe Le Mevel (France), Garmin-Cervelo, at 1:28
• 5. Michele Scarponi (Italy), Lampre-ISD, at 1:28

A look at the bike of Ben Swift, the ATOC's first leader.

Bling's Rabobank Giant TCR Advanced SL