Road

For a rider who has made things look so easy this year, the remainder of Phillipe Gilbert’s 2011 dream season is surprisingly unclear.

Mark Cavendish makes a long-awaited return to the Tour of Britain on Sunday, determined to make his mark on the event after a four-year absence.

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A look at Pat McCarty's Argon 18 Galium Pro, a Canadian bike in a Canadian race

• 1. Philippe Gilbert, (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto, in 5:03:08
• 2. Robert Gesink, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:01
• 3. Rigoberto Uran, (COL) Team Sky, at 0:09
• 4. Fabian Wegmann, (GER) Leopard-Trek, at 0:14
• 5. Levi Leipheimer, (USA) Team RadioShack, at 0:15

Stage 5

• 1. Romain Bardet (Fra), 4:37:03
• 2. Jesper Hansen (Den), at 0:03
• 3. Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col), at 0:12
• 4. Warren Barguil (Fra), at 0:26
• 5. Tim Wellens (Bel), at 0:33

GC

• 1. Romain Bardet (Fra), 4:37:03
• 2. Jesper Hansen (Den), at 0:03
• 3. Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col), at 0:12
• 4. Warren Barguil (Fra), at 0:26
• 5. Tim Wellens (Bel), at 0:33

BILBAO, Spain (VN) - Igor Antón delivered a dream-come-true victory in Friday's emotional return to the Basque Country after a three-decade absence with an impressive solo victory.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (VN) — Citing schedule conflicts, financial constraints and rider burnout, organizers of the Capital Criterium have canceled the October 2 event in Washington, D.C.. The race was scheduled to be the final stop of the 2011 USA Crits Championship Series.

Rory Sutherland and Robert Förster are back with UnitedHealthcare in 2012. According to a team representative, the U.S.-based Pro Continental squad will announce the return of their top GC rider and the veteran sprinter Friday.

Monique Ryan answers a reader question on the correct timing for meals throughout the day

Stage

• 1. Igor ANTON HERNANDEZ, (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi, in 3:53:34
• 2. Marzio BRUSEGHIN, (ITA) Movistar, at 41
• 3. Dominik NERZ, (GER) Liquigas-Cannondale, at 1:30
• 4. Haimar ZUBELDIA AGIRRE, (ESP) Team RadioShack, at 1:30
• 5. Chris SÖRENSEN, (DEN) Saxobank-Sungard, at 1:31

GC

• 1. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (Spain) Geox-Tmc, in 77:59:12
• 2. Christopher FROOME, (Great Britain) Team Sky, at 13
• 3. Bradley Wiggins, (Great Britain) Team Sky, at 1:41
• 4. Bauke MOLLEMA, (Netherlands) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 2:03
• 5. Denis MENCHOV, (Russia) Geox-Tmc, at 3:48

BILBAO, Spain (AFP) — Basque rider Igor Anton (Euskaltel) on Friday won the 19th stage of the Tour of Spain, a 158.5km ride from Noja to Bilbao in his native Basque country.

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• 1. Nikias ARNDT, (GER), in 4:08:32
• 2. Romain BARDET, (FRA), at 0
• 3. Simon YATES, (GBR), at 0
• 4. Raymond KREDER, (NED), at 0
• 5. Jordi SIMON CASULLERAS, (ESP), at 0

PARIS (AFP) - The fine given to the RadioShack team on the final day of the 2010 Tour de France has been paid to a French cancer institute, the French cycling league announced on Thursday.

NOJA, Spain (AFP) - Italy's Francesco Gavazzi of the Lampre team Thursday won the 18th stage of the Tour of Spain, but Spain's Juan Jose Cobo kept the leader's jersey with just three stages left.

Carbon brake surface repair, team mergers and more

BILBAO, Spain (AFP) — When the Vuelta a España reaches Bilbao on Friday, the cycling-mad Basques will finally get to see the Vuelta in their own land after 33 years' absence.

"It's not over yet," said Sky sport director Servais Knaven. "We still have three stages to try to take it to Cobo. It won't be easy, but we're motivated to keep fighting. It's a grand tour. We are going to fight right to the end."

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PENA CABARGA, Spain (VN) — Only two HTC-Highroad riders remain without contracts as the team enters the final days of its last grand tour.

PENA CABARGA, Spain (VN) — Movistar lost three riders Wednesday as a stomach flu wiped out the team; meanwhile injury derailed Purito Rodrîguez in the final week of the Vuelta a España.

PENA CABARGA, Spain (VN) — There was a very tense moment about 500 meters from the finish line in Wednesday's 17th stage when it appeared Juanjo Cobo's dream Vuelta a España was turning into a nightmare.

Stage

• 1. Christopher FROOME, (GBR) Team Sky, in 4:52:38
• 2. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (ESP) Geox-Tmc, at 1
• 3. Bauke MOLLEMA, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 21
• 4. Daniel MARTIN, (IRL) Garmin-Cervelo, at 24

GC

• 1. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (Spain) Geox-Tmc, in 69:31:41
• 2. Christopher FROOME, (Great Britain) Team Sky, at 13
• 3. Bradley WIGGINS, (Great Britain) Team Sky, at 1:41
• 4. Bauke MOLLEMA, (Netherlands) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 2:05
• 5. Denis MENCHOV, (Russia) Geox-Tmc, at 3:48

ROME (AFP) - Former Giro d'Italia winner Ivan Basso has called for calm after he was slapped and insulted by separatists during the Giro di Padania (Tour of the Po Valley).

A round-up of recent transfer news

2011 Sunbrella Labor Day Omnium results

AUSTIN, Texas (VN) — With support staff sporting neon orange tank tops and muscle T’s, a race packet containing an assortment of costume mustaches, and a queen stage on the historic grounds of the Austin State Hospital (formally named the Texas Lunatic Asylum), the Tour of Austin, a three-day criterium series over Labor Day weekend, fully embraced the town’s official motto: Keep Austin Weird.

2011 Tour of Austin results

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HARO, Spain (VN) — Bjarne Riis says he's not worried about the fusion of RadioShack and Leopard-Trek for one simple reason: Alberto Contador.

The Green Mountain Stage Race beat the rain. Mostly.

Men's GC

• 1. Tom Zirbel, Jamis/sutter Home, in 5:15:40
• 2. Anders Newbury, Chipotle Development Team, at 0:00:54
• 3. Jamey Driscoll, Jamis/sutter Home, at 0:01:01
• 4. Derrick St John, Ride With Rendall, at 0:01:14
• 5. Josh Dillon, Bikereg.com / Cannondale, at 0:01:17

• 1. Véronique Fortin, Rocky Moutain-Desjardins Valeurs Mobilieres, in 6:42:00
• 2. Susan Palmer-Komar, P-K Express/hnz Strategic.com, at 0:00:46
• 3. Kacy Wander,, at 0:01:30
• 4. Rachel Warner, Missing Link Coaching/specialized, at 0:02:00
• 5. Fabienne Gerard, Crca/fuoriclasse Racing-Discover Chiropractic, at 0:02:11

Stage 16

• 1. Juan José HAEDO, (ARG) Saxobank-Sungard, in 4:41:56
• 2. Alessandro PETACCHI, (ITA) Lampre-Isd, at 0
• 3. Daniele BENNATI, (ITA) Leopard-Trek, at 0
• 4. Vicente REYNES MIMO, (ESP) Omega Pharma-Lotto, at 0
• 5. Leigh HOWARD, (AUS) HTC-Highroad, at 2

GC

• 1. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (ESP) Geox-Tmc, in 64:39:14
• 2. Christopher FROOME, (GBR) Team Sky, at 22
• 3. Bradley WIGGINS, (GBR) Team Sky, at 51
• 4. Bauke MOLLEMA, (NED) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 1:41
• 5. Maxime MONFORT, (BEL) Leopard-Trek, at 2:40

HARO, Spain (AFP) - Argentina's Juan Jose Haedo of the Saxo Bank team won the 16th stage of the Tour of Spain Tuesday while Spain's Juan Jose Cobo of Geox retained the leader's red jersey.

Lennard Zinn takes questions on headset wear, tall-bike headtube angles, 10-speed derailleurs, nitrogen in tires and more

Wilier takes an unusual approach to time trial bike design

Easton comes out with an affordable aluminum-rim tubeless road wheel. Plus some more new goodies.

LEON, Spain (VN) — Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins says Vuelta a España race leader Juanjo Cobo deserves a benefit of the doubt against insinuations that the Geox-TMC rider's Angliru performance might appear too good to believe.

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A look at the low, low gears riders used on the Vuelta's 15th stage

The French sports daily L'Equipe reported Monday that the team's financial backer, Luxembourg investor Flavio Becca, will announce later this month that the team will close at the end of this season.

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ROME (AFP) - An investigation into banned Italian cyclist Riccardo Riccò concluded that he did perform a blood transfusion on himself, the Gazzetta dello Sport newspaper reported on Monday.

LEON, Spain (VN) — You'd think that one of the best young, emerging climbers in the peloton might love the 20-percent-plus grades of the Angliru, but Garmin-Cervélo climber Daniel Martin rode away unimpressed with Spain's hardest mountain.

Veteran climber Charlie Wegelius, 33, announced his final race as a pro will be at the Giro di Padania this week in Itlay.

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If you ask me who won the stage two days ago I cannot tell you. I remember who won yesterday, and I know what stage we are on, but that is about as far as my memory will serve me.

Tom Boonen's rough ride in the Vuelta a España got even rougher during Sunday's 15th stage to the notorious Angliru.