Road

Marcel Kittel (Skil-Shimano) escaped a massive pileup in the final kilometer to win stage 7 of the 2011 Vuelta a España on Friday.

Conventional wisdom has shifted among race organizers, who are under the gun to deliver exciting finales that capture the attention of fans and media alike.

It was gastroenteritis, not food poisoning, that flattened Tom Danielson going into Thursday's Vail time trial, according to the Garmin-Cervélo team doctor.

Power analysis: Rory Sutherland’s Vail time trial

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VAIL, Colo. (VN) – Ten miles. A vertical gain of 1,100 feet. Two completely different riders and two completely different equipment choices ended with a .58-second difference between Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) and Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervélo). The two Americans sit atop the GC after the third stage on Vail Pass, but how exactly did such different circumstances lead to such a narrow stage win for the former?

VAIL, Colo. (VN) — Tom Danielson met his match, or perhaps his bug, Thursday in Vail when an overnight bout with food poisoning cut into what he had hoped would be a stage win and leader’s jersey celebration. Danielson (Garmin-Cervélo) lost 33 seconds to Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) and Christian Vande Velde (Garmin-Cervélo) in the 10-mile uphill time trial that suited each of them perfectly.

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Bike and gear choices for the Vail time trial

Stage 3

• 1. Levi Leipheimer, Team RadioShack, 25:47.08
• 2. Christian Vandevelde, Garmin-Cervélo, s.t.
• 3. Rafael Infantino Abreu, Epm-Une, at 0:04
• 4. Tom Danielson, Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:33
• 5. Stef Clement, Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:40

GC

• 1. Levi Leipheimer, Team RadioShack, 10:30:29
• 2. Christian Vandevelde, Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:11
• 3. Tejay Van Garderen, HTC-Highroad, at 0:17
• 4. Tom Danielson, Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:21
• 5. George Hincapie, BMC Racing Team, at 0:53

Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) regained the overall lead of the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Classic on Thursday after winning the 10-mile Vail individual time trial.

I always demand a lot of myself and I’m sure I expect more out of myself during this Vuelta than my team does. While the main goal is the same as when I started, to help our team leaders and make it to the finish line in Madrid, I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t like to try to do something special one of these days.

Taylor Phinney (BMC) was close to riding into the day's main breakaway in Thursday's scorcher across Andalucîa when he pulled clear in the opening kilometers of the 193.4km stage.

Graham Watson shoots stage 6 of the 2011 Vuelta a España.

Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Sky) pulled out of his final grand tour due to injuries from a high-speed collision with a young boy in Wednesday's fifth stage.

Stage 6

• 1. Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale, 4:38:22
• 2. Pablo Lastras, Movistar, same time
• 3. Valerio Agnoli, Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.
• 4. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.
• 5. Eros Capecchi, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0:03

GC

• 1. Sylvain Chavanel, Quick Step, 22:41:13
• 2. Daniel Moreno, Team Katusha, at 0:15
• 3. Vincenzo Nibali, Liquigas-Cannondale, at 0:16
• 4. Joaquin Rodriguez, Team Katusha, at 0:23
• 5. Jakob Fuglsang, Leopard-Trek, at 0:25

Peter Sagan won stage 6 of the 2011 Vuelta a España on Thursday out of what was basically a Liquigas-Cannondale team time trial.

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ASPEN, Colo. (VN) — After three days of racing, five Americans stand atop the general classification standings at the inaugural 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, separated by 45 seconds with the decisive Vail time trial on the horizon.

ASPEN, Colo. (VN) — With a rough cattle grate and thousands of fans lining the high mountain roads in central Colorado Wednesday a number of riders — and race staff — hit the ground.

ASPEN, Colo. (VN) — Twenty miles downhill in the rain turned the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge on its head Wednesday and with two climbs topping out over 12,000 feet, no one expected it. HTC-Highroad’s 23-year-old American Tejay Van Garderen was as surprised as anyone when he ended up the biggest winner, taking enough time on a dispatched Levi Leipheimer (RadioShack) to pull the overall leader’s jersey in Aspen.

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ASPEN, Colo. (VN) — BMC's veteran George Hincapie won the queen stage of the first 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge on Wednesday, winning out of a six-man breakaway that formed on the tricky descent of Independence Pass.

Stage

• 1. George HINCAPIE, BMC Racing Team, in 5:26:10
• 2. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, HTC-Highroad, at s.t.
• 3. Tom DANIELSON, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at s.t.
• 4. Eduard BELTRAN SUAREZ, Une-Epm, at s.t.
• 5. Janier ACEVEDO CALLE, Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antiquia, at s.t.

• 1. Tejay VAN GARDEREN, HTC-Highroad, in 10:04:08
• 2. George HINCAPIE, BMC Racing Team, at 00:16
• 3. Tom DANIELSON, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at 00:22
• 4. Levi LEIPHEIMER, Team RadioShack, at 00:34
• 5. Christian VANDEVELDE, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at 00:45

VALDEPENAS, Spain (VN) - Kanstantsin Sivtsov says he secured his future long before the collapse of the HTC-Highroad team, which will shutter its doors at the end of the 2011 season.

• 1. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, (ESP) Team Katusha, in 4:42:54
• 2. Wouter POELS, (NED) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 4
• 3. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, (ESP) Team Katusha, at 5
• 4. Bauke MOLLEMA, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 7
• 5. Michele SCARPONI, (ITA) Lampre-Isd, at 8

VALDEPENAS DE JAEN, Spain (AFP) - Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez won the mountainous fifth stage of the Tour of Spain on Wednesday, a 187km ride from the ski resort of Sierra Nevada.

How did the USA Pro Challenge attract the Tour podium?

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MOUNT CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (VN) — He entered the favorite and Levi Leipheimer stamped his name on the USA Pro Cycling Challenge with a stage 1 win Tuesday here. Leipheimer (RadioShack) said Wednesday night that the finale gave him confidence against the underdog Colombians from Gobernacion and EPM-UNE, but that the race would be difficult to control.

" ... I always find solace in telling myself that I will only feel better as the stage goes on. Luckily, today I was telling myself the truth ... "

CRESTED BUTTE, Colo. (VN) — Claiming that the only other times he’d been close to 10,000 feet elevation was “in an airplane,” Leopard-Trek’s Fränk Schleck said he was “surprised — very surprised” by his third-place finish in Crested Butte Tuesday on the opening road stage of the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Erik Slack’s Team Exergy Felt F1. An unusual selection of parts.

Stage

• 1. Kristin Armstrong Savola, Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty 12, in 1.35'58"
• 2. Janel Holcomb, Colavita / Forno D'asolo, at 40  
• 3. Anne Samplonius, Now Cycling/now And Novartis For Ms, at 2:37  
• 4. Kristin Mcgrath, Peanut Butter & Co. Twenty 12, at 2:37  
• 5. Andrea Dvorak, Colavita / Forno D'asolo, at 2:37  

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BOULDER, Colo. (VN) — The ongoing 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge traces its inspiration back to the Coors Classic (1980-1988), and its predecessor, the Red Zinger Classic (1975-1979). But stage racing in the Colorado Rockies dates back even earlier, at least to the 1965 North American Bicycle Championships.

SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. (VN )— Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co.-Twenty12) soloed to victory in Tuesday's 35 mile stage 2 road race to take the overall lead in the 2011 Aspen/Snowmass Women's Pro Stage Race.

Could Levi Leipheimer be headed to the new Omega Pharma-Quick-Step fusion for next season?

Svein Tuft powered to victory in GP Stad Zottegem on Tuesday to deliver SpiderTech's first European victory of the 2011 season.

HTC-Highroad sport director Jens Zemke said Cavendish was spent from the effort of the first four days of racing. "He had nothing left. He was totally empty," Zemke told VeloNews. "He said he was so tired he could have fallen asleep in the car. It was 40C on the road today. He had no more power and could not continue."

Australia has named its teams for the UCI road world championships, to be held in Copenhagen from September 19 to 25:

Nick Legan ferrets out some tech tidbits from the USAPCC prologue

• 1. Kristin McGrath (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) 0:29:15.50
• 2. Kristin Armstrong-Savola (Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY 12) 0:00:03.52
• 3. Janel Holcomb (Colavita / Forno D'Asolo) 0:00:16.34
• 4. Amanda Miller (HTC Columbia Women's Team) 0:00:46.93
• 5. Kelly Crowley (Metromint Cycling) 0:00:47.83

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Cannondale's new aero Slice. Ready for Basso's use.

ASPEN HIGHLANDS, Colo. (VN) — Kristin McGrath of the Peanut Butter & Co.-TWENTY 12 team won the opening stage of the three-day Aspen Snowmass Women’s Pro Stage Race on Monday, completing the 7.8 mile course from the Aspen Highlands ski resort up Maroon Bells Road in 29 minutes and 15 seconds, climbing about 1,500 feet in altitude along the way.

For the final 4:55 of Sutherland’s ride he was able to churn out 426 watts, averaging 35.2 mph. Over the entire time trial he averaged 414 watts, for an average speed of 35.8 mph.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (VN) — Cadel Evans rode into Colorado Springs on the tail of a whirlwind publicity tour following his Tour de France win last month. After finishing ninth in the prologue Monday, Evans was satisfied, but stopped short of predicting big things when the race heads uphill Tuesday.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (VN) — For a team that is just eight weeks away from its demise, HTC-Highroad had a banner day in Colorado Springs on Monday at the USA Pro Cycling Challenge prologue, taking three leader’s jerseys with stage winner (and race leader) Gretsch, best young rider Tejay van Garderen, and most aggressive rider, Colorado Springs native Danny Pate.

A look at the new lightweight SRAM cassette that Levi Leipheimer used in the USAPCC prologue

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (VN) — There haven’t been many instances during his 15-year career that Christian Vande Velde has ridden a downhill prologue — and even fewer times that he’s started off a time trial stage as one of the first 12 riders out of the start house.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (VN) — HTC-Highroad's men's team, in the final half year of its existence, continues to post top results. On a sweltering day with Pikes Peak as a backdrop, the team's 24-year-old German time trial specialist, Patrick Gretsch, powered to a win here Monday on the largely downhill 5.2-mile prologue of the first USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

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Quarq’s CinQo Saturn power meter: Knowledge is power, and vice versa.

TOTANA, Spain (VN) - Andrew Talansky is making his grand-tour debut with one simple goal: arriving to Madrid.

Stage

• 1. Pablo Lastras Garcia, Movistar Team (mov), in 3:58:00
• 2. Sylvain Chavanel, Quickstep Cycling Team (qst), at 15
• 3. Markel Irizar Aranburu, Team RadioShack (rsh), at 15
• 4. Ruslan Pydgornyy, Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team (vcd), at 15
• 5. Nicolas Roche, Ag2r La Mondiale (alm), at 1:43

• 1. Pablo Lastras Garcia, Movistar Team (mov), in 8:25:59
• 2. Sylvain Chavanel, Quickstep Cycling Team (qst), at 20
• 3. Markel Irizar Aranburu, Team RadioShack (rsh), at 1:08
• 4. Ruslan Pydgornyy, Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team (vcd), at 1:24
• 5. Jakob Fuglsang, Leopard Trek (leo), at 1:55