Road

Circuit Franco-Belge, stage 2

• 1. Christopher Sutton (Aus), Team Sky, 3:27:12
• 2. Tom Veelers (Ned), Skil-Shimano, same time
• 3. Adrien Petit (Fra), Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne, s.t.
• 4. Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr), Française des Jeux, s.t.
• 5. Russell Downing (Gbr), Team Sky, s.t.

GC

• 1. Robbie McEwen (Aus), Team RadioShack, 7:30:20
• 2. Christopher Sutton (Aus), Team Sky, same time
• 3. Tom Veelers (Ned), Skil-Shimano, at 0:04
• 4. Adam Blyth (Gbr), Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0:04
• 5. Ronan Van Zandbeek (Ned), Skil-Shimano, at 0:04

PARIS (AFP) - Slovenia cyclist Janez Brajkovic, the winner of the 2010 Criterium du Dauphine, has rejoined Astana, the Kazakhstan team announced on Friday.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

• 1. Robbie MCEWEN, (AUS) Team RadioShack, at 4:03:18
• 2. Adam BLYTH, (GBR) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at s.t.
• 3. Rudiger SELIG, (GER) Leopard-Trek, at s.t.
• 4. Nacer BOUHANNI, (FRA) Fran�aise Des Jeux, at s.t.
• 5. Michael VAN STAEYEN, (BEL) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator, at s.t.

A long-term test of sealed cable systems

Cav's helmet, mountain bike weight rules, those mysterious initials on the maillot jaune, and more.

"More than once I gave what I thought might be my last ditch effort. The Brits shoved me back into the rotation offering a 'good job' or 'nice pull.' Their sportsmanship impressed me and they were pulling like oxen. ... "

American Steven Cozza will be back with NetApp for the German-registered squad's second season for 2012 with eyes on improving on its debut year.

The absence of the Vuelta a Colombia from the UCI America Tour headlines a number of changes to the series for 2012. The UCI released the western hemisphere’s international schedule Tuesday and among the nine events cut are four Venezuelan races.

Igor González de Galdeano will leave his post as team manager at Euskaltel-Euskadi at the end of the season, the Basque team announced on Wednesday.

Check out Brian Holcombe's author page.

THE HAGUE (AFP) — Dutch cycling outfit Skil-Shimano is set for a name change, and a new sponsor whose aim is to hoist the second division outfit into the World Tour ranks, team chief Iwan Spekenbrink said Tuesday.

Brian Nygaard — the former general manager at Leopard-Trek who left that team soon after it announced it was merging with RadioShack for 2012 — has been confirmed as the new communications director at Aussie start-up GreenEdge.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

The 2011 world championships are now in the rear-view mirror, but officials in Holland are already busy at work to prepare for next year's series of races.

Freire laments missed opportunity to make history.

Jamis-Sutter Home has reloaded the team’s sprinting and climbing corps for 2012, signing American Kyle Wamsley and Dutchman Peter Van Dijk. The squad also announced the return of a number of riders, including Luis Amaran and Tyler Wren.

BOULDER, Colo. (VN) – The USA Pro Cycling Challenge will return with an upgrade in 2012 after the UCI last week awarded the event 2.HC status. The second-year Colorado race will upgrade to the highest registration level short of the World Tour and will run August 20-26.

PARIS (AFP) - Paris-Tours organizers ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) have invited Mark Cavendish to become the first world road race champion to compete in the French sprinters' classic next month.

A look at Mavic's Ksyrium SLR Exalith wheels: stealthy looks, great braking, but can howl like a bee-stung toddler.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

2011 TD Bank Mayor's Cup men's race photos by Barry Koblenz

Bart Wellens (Telenet-Fidea) soloed to a mud-spattered victory in round two of the Planet Bike Cup on Sunday.

2011 TD Bank Mayor's Cup women's race photos by Barry Koblenz

Katerina Nash (Luna) made it look easy on a course than was anything but on Sunday during round two of the Planet Bike Cup.

As a sprinter, Mark Cavendish is the first to admit that without the help and sacrifice of his teammates, he wouldn't win many races. And he certainly would not have become the first British world champion since Tom Simpson in 1965 on Sunday without the help of Team Great Britain.

"I am very disappointed. I missed a big opportunity today," Thor Hushovd told Norwegian journalists. "I felt very good all day and I am not tired now. That's frustrating."

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Casey B. Gibson shoots the action at the elite men's world road championships in Copenhagen.

"It's a field sprint for a world championships, it's going to be chaotic. I just didn't ride it as well as I could have," Tyler Farrar told VeloNews.

Graham Watson captures the drama of the elite men's road race in Copenhagen.

Elite men

• 1. Mark Cavendish (Gbr), 5:40:27
• 2. Matthew Harley Goss (Aus), s.t.
• 3. André Greipel (Ger), s.t.
• 4. Fabian Cancellara (Sui), s.t.
• 5. Jurgen Roelandts (Bel), s.t.

Great Britain delivered Mark Cavendish to the rainbow jersey in the elite men's world championship road race on Sunday,

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

The fourth edition of the ExpoBici show kicks off in Padua, Italy.

Katerina Nash (Luna) won the kickoff to the 2011 Exergy U.S. Gran Prix of Cyclocross on Saturday.

Casey B. Gibson was on course for the elite women's race in Copenhagen.

The UCI has decided to postpone the introduction of an outright race ban in all pro racing for at least another year, smoothing the way for the top professional teams to attend next month's Tour of Beijing.

Women racers say the time has come for the UCI to treat them the same as their male counterparts when it comes to earning a living.

UCI women's road race championships

• 1. Giorgia Bronzini (Ita), 3:21:28
• 2. Marianne Vos (Ned), same time
• 3. Ina Teutenberg (Ger), s.t.
• 4. Nicole Cooke (Gbr), s.t.
• 5. Julia Martisova (Rus), s.t.

Graham Watson captures the action as Giorgia Bronzini defends her rainbow jersey in Copenhagen.

Giorgia Bronzini of Italy defends her elite women's title at the road world championships.

Specialized warns that the brake boss can separate from the fork, posing a crash risk.

UCI World Road Championships, junior men's road race

• 1. Pierre-Henri Lecuisinier (Fra), 2:48:58
• 2. Martijn Degreve (Bel), same time
• 3. Steven Lammertink (Ned), at 0:03
• 4. Florian Senechal (Fra), s.t.
• 5. Rick Zabel (Ger), s.t.

Casey B. Gibson snaps the action at the junior men's world road-race championship.

Defending champion Thor Hushovd and Belgian ace Philippe Gilbert are downplaying their chances of winning the men's world road title on Sunday.

A late-race crash spoils chances for the Americans as the French power to victory in the junior men's road race.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

Pro men's road race podium results, 1927-2010

UnitedHealthcare is emerging the winner in the transfer market for North American Pro Continental teams, announcing today a number of big acquisitions, headlined by veteran American Jason McCartney and emerging Irish talent Philip Deignan.

Check out Casey B. Gibson's author page.

COPENHAGEN (VN) — American sprinter Tyler Farrar says he feels surprisingly good despite his high-speed crash at the Vuelta a España, but admits he won't know if he can challenge for the rainbow jersey until he hits the road Sunday.

• 1 8 DEMARE Arnaud FRA 3:52:16 +0
• 2 10 PETIT Adrien FRA at s.t.
• 3 32 FENN Andrew GBR at s.t.
• 4 47 SELIG Rudiger GER at s.t.
• 5 54 HALLER Marco AUT at s.t.

COPENHAGEN (AFP) — Australia's Matt Goss believes he could have the edge over HTC-Highroad teammate Mark Cavendish if the pair come to duel for cycling's coveted rainbow jersey at the road world championships on Sunday.

COPENHAGEN (VN) — Peter Sagan is hoping his dream season finishes off with a perfect ending with a strong ride in Sunday's elite men's road race.

COPENHAGEN (VN) — Óscar Freire says he won't lose any sleep if he doesn't win a record fourth world title this weekend in Copenhagen despite a course that favors the Spanish sprinter.

COPENHAGEN (VN) — Defending road race world champion Thor Hushovd admits winning a second rainbow jersey will prove difficult.

• 1 24 GARNER Lucy GBR 1:46:17 at 0
• 2 10 DRUYTS Jessy BEL at s.t.
• 3 50 SIGGAARD Christina DEN at s.t.
• 4 4 SOUYRIS Manon FRA at s.t.
• 5 69 PERCHTOLD Christina AUT at s.t.

COPENHAGEN (VN) — British rider Lucy Garner blasted her way to the gold medal in the junior women's road race Thursday with a long sprint from just over 200 meters to go.

Check out CyclingTips's author page.

The North Face has you covered on the trails with their new line of mountain bike clothing and accessories.

COPENHAGEN, (AFP) — Czech rider Roman Kreuziger said Thursday he was pulling out of Sunday's road race at the world championships in Denmark because of a hand injury he had suffered during the Tour de France.

COPENHAGEN (VN) — Matti Breschel will be on the wrong side of the fences for Sunday's elite men's road race after injuries sidelined him for a rare chance to race for the rainbow jersey on home roads.

UCI spokesman Enrico Carpani raised eyebrows in late August with comments that seemed to imply that points accumulated by Astana’s Alexander Vinokourov during 2011 could be applied toward his squad’s 2012 WorldTour license application, independent of whether he chose to continue riding for the team. The Kazakh was (until recently) believed to have announced his retirement in July after crashing out of the Tour de France during stage 9’s descent of the Pas de Payrol.