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THE HAGUE (AFP) - Mark Cavendish's key lead-out man, Mark Renshaw, has agreed a deal that will see the Australian become the top sprinter at Dutch outfit Rabobank for the next two years, according to a report Wednesday.

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Racing in France and Holland dominate the action in Europe this week. The Eneco Tour, which began Monday with the prologue victory of Taylor Phinney (BMC), is the week's main event while the Tour de l'Ain will see the return to action of Tour de France phenomenon Pierre Rolland.

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• 1. Sergio Luis Henao Montoya, Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio, in 4:05
• 2. Francisco Mancebo Perez, Realcyclist.com Cycling Team, in 4:07
• 3. Oscar Sevilla Ribera, Gobernacion De Antioquia-Indeportes Antio, in 4:10
• 4. Tejay Van Garderen, HTC-Highroad, in 4:10
• 5. Thomas Danielson, Team Garmin-Cervelo, in 4:12

So....I got a call from my fella, Tom, on Friday while I was driving to a race in Snowmass, Colorado.

PARK CITY, Utah (VN) — When organizers released the list of teams participating in the 2011 Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah, there was a fair amount of grumbling that certain domestic teams were excluded in favor of lesser-known teams from Colombia. Those complaints can stop now.

I first met Jeremy Powers in 2008, when he was living in a huge barn-looking house in Hadley, Massachusetts, with a wide assortment of cyclocross racers, amateur teammates of mine, and their significant others.

World champion Thor Hushovd, who will begin a three-year commitment with BMC Racing in January, told Norwegian TV 2 Sport that he was frustrated with Garmin-Cervélo’s approach to the classics in 2011. But it's worth noting that at BMC he'll join a star-packed team that may not always be aligned with his ambitions.

The speculation is over. World road champion Thor Hushovd will join BMC Racing for three years beginning in 2012, the team announced Tuesday.

Stage 1

• 1. André Greipel, Omega Pharma-Lotto, in 4:21:20
• 2. Denis Galimzyanov, Katusha Team, at s.t.
• 3. Tyler Farrar, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at s.t.
• 4. Theo Bos, Rabobank Cycling Team, at s.t.
• 5. Tom Veelers, Skil-Shimano, at s.t.

GC

• 1. Taylor Phinney, Bmc Racing Team, in 4:28:17
• 2. Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sky Procycling, at 7
• 3. David Millar, Team Garmin-Cervelo, at 8
• 4. Alex Rasmussen, HTC-Highroad, at 9
• 5. Lars Boom, Rabobank Cycling Team, at 10

2011 Tour of Utah prologue starting times

SINT WILLEBRORD, Netherlands — André Greipel (Omega Pharma) won the first stage of the Eneco Tour Tuesday, as prologue winner Taylor Phinney (BMC) retained the leader's jersey.

The Cuban Missile just couldn’t do it. Eight months after quietly retiring, Ivan Dominguez is back on the bike and aiming for the professional peloton in 2012.

SALT LAKE CITY (VN) — Over the years the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah has developed a well-earned reputation for difficulty and even proclaims itself “America’s Toughest Stage Race.”

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It has indeed been a busy year for Michael Rasmussen. Only nine months ago he still didn’t have a team to race for. Today he co-owns and heads a team that was put together at sprint speed just for him. This week his Christina Watches Onfone team raced the Tour of Denmark – the biggest race so far for the Continental squad — but the team's ambitions go much higher. The hope is to get a wild card for the Giro d’Italia already next year and, eventually, earn a place in the Tour de France.

Carbon tubulars are excellent in gusty conditions and less expensive than the comparable Zipp 303

PARIS (AFP) - Irish rider Nicolas Roche will lead the AG2R team in the forthcoming Tour of Spain the French outfit announced on Monday.

Tyler Farrar and Mark Cavendish are among the top riders participating in a test event this weekend held on the course to be featured in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Taylor Phinney (BMC) won the prologue of the Eneco Tour Monday and took the first leader's jersey of the race.

• 1. Cadel Evans, BMC Racing Team (BMC), 574 points
• 2. Philippe Gilbert, Omega Pharma-Lotto (olo), 482 points
• 3. Alberto Contador Velasco, Saxo Bank Sungard (sbs), 471 points
• 4. Michele Scarponi, Lampre-Isd (lam), 348 points
• 5. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver, Katusha Team (kat), 328 points

Christian Vande Velde didn't have the Tour de France that he was hoping for. After an injury-free run into the Tour for the first time in three years, Vande Velde crashed three times in the first stage and barely rode out of the first half of the Tour after a string of other painful spills. While other GC favorites were sent packing, the 35-year-old toughed it out and was able later to make important contributions in the final week that helped Garmin-Cervélo win the team GC prize.

PARIS (AFP) - Experienced campaigner Stuart O'Grady has signed a two-year contract with GreenEdge, the nascent Australian team that is aiming for a UCI WorldTour licence starting in 2012.

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Stage 3

• 1. Hernani Broco (Por), La-Antarte, 4:04:47
• 2. Ricardo Mestre (Por), Palmeiras Resort / Prio, same time
• 3. Andre Fernando S. Martins Cardoso (Por), Palmeiras Resort / Prio, at 0:06
• 4. Virgilio Martins Dos Santos (Por), La-Antarte, at 0:06
• 5. Nelson Victorino (Por), Palmeiras Resort / Prio, at 0:06

GC

• 1. Hernani Broco (Por), La-Antarte, 13:51:17
• 2. Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro (Por), Rabobank Continental Team, at 0:04
• 3. Ricardo Mestre (Por), Palmeiras Resort / Prio, at 0:16
• 4. Andre Fernando S. Martins Cardoso (Por), Palmeiras Resort / Prio, at 0:20
• 5. Virgilio Martins Dos Santos (Por), La-Antarte, at 0:27

Stage 5

• 1. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, 4:00:20
• 2. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Esp), Geox-TMC, at 0:03
• 3. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Esp), Team Katusha, at 0:12
• 4. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Esp), Team Katusha, at 0:17
• 5. Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 0:33

Final GC

• 1. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (Esp), Team Katusha, 15:12:34
• 2. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Esp), Team Katusha, at 0:36
• 3. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Esp), Geox-TMC, at 0:45
• 4. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 1:23
• 5. Fabrice Jeandesboz (Fra), Saur-Sojasun, at 1:52

Joaquim "Purito" Rodríguez (Katusha) hung on in Sunday's mountaintop finish to secure a morale-boosting victory at the Vuelta a Burgos just two weeks ahead of the start of the Vuelta a España.

Bobby Sweeting (Kenda-Geargrinder) and Leah Kirchmann (Colavita-Forno d'Asolo) win stage 2 of the sixth annual Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove.

Peter Kraiker shoots stage 2 of the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove.

Graham Watson's shots from the final stage of the 2011 Tour of Denmark.

Stage 6

• 1. Theo Bos (Ned), Rabobank Cycling Team, 3:27:51
• 2. Sacha Modolo (Ita), Colnago-CSF, same time
• 3. Manuel Belletti (Ita), Colnago-CSF, s.t.
• 4. Gorik Gardeyn (Bel), Vacansoleil-DCM, s.t.
• 5. Angelo Furlan (Ita), Team Stenca Trading, s.t.

Final GC

• 1. Simon Gerrans (Aus), Team Sky, 19:12:01
• 2. Daniele Bennati (Ita), Leopard-Trek, at 0:09
• 3. Michael Morkov (Den), Saxo Bank-Sungard, at 0:29
• 4. Damien Gaudin (Fra), Europcar, at 0:33
• 5. Alex Dowsett (Gbr), Team Sky, at 0:41

Simon Gerrans (Sky) won the Tour of Denmark on Sunday as Theo Bos (Rabobank) sprinted to victory in the final stage.

Omega Pharma-Lotto standout Philippe Gilbert will start the Eneco Tour this week looking for the top placing that could dislodge Tour de France champion Cadel Evans from the world's No. 1 ranking.

Stage 2

• 1. Robert Sweeting (USA), Kenda Pro Cycling-Spinergy, 3:22:07
• 2. Luis Romero Amaran (Cub), Jamis-Sutter Home, at 0:03
• 3. Giampaolo Cheula (Ita), Geox-TMC, at 0:59
• 4. Andrew Dahlheim (USA), Bissell Pro Cycling, at 1:03
• 5. Chad Haga (USA), Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth, at 1:01

GC

• 1. Luis Romero Amaran (Cub), Jamis-Sutter Home, 3:30:51
• 2. Robert Sweeting (USA), Kenda Pro Cycling-Spinergy, at 0:03
• 3. Chad Haga (USA), Kelly Benefit Strategies-Optumhealth, at 0:57
• 4. Fred Rodriguez (USA), Team Exergy, at 1:02
• 5. Darren Rolfe (Aus), Fly V Australia, at 1:08

Graham Watson snaps the time trial at the Tour of Denmark.

Stage 2

• 1. Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro (Por), Rabobank Continental Team, 5:08:18
• 2. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita), Lampre-ISD, at 0:02
• 3. Alessandro Bisolti (Ita), Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, at 0:04
• 4. Hernani Broco (Por), La-Antarte, at 0:04
• 5. Andre Fernando S. Martins Cardoso (Por), Palmeiras Resort-Prio, at 0:04

GC

• 1. Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro (Por), Rabobank Continental Team, 9:46:16
• 2. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita), Lampre-ISD, at 0:12
• 3. Hernani Broco (Por), La-Antarte, at 0:24
• 4. Alessandro Bisolti (Ita), Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, at 0:25
• 5. Julien Antomarchi (Fra), Velo-Club La Pomme Marseille, at 0:27

Stage 5

• 1. Richie Porte (Aus), Saxo Bank-Sungard, 15:09
• 2. Gustav Larsson (Swe), Saxo Bank-Sungard, at 0:10
• 3. Alex Dowsett (Gbr), Team Sky, at 0:17
• 4. Rasmus Christian Quaade (Den), Team Concordia-Vesthimmerland Procycling, at 0:24
• 5. Simon Gerrans (Aus), Team Sky, at 0:29

GC

• 1. Simon Gerrans (Aus), Team Sky, 15:44:13
• 2. Daniele Bennati (Ita), Leopard-Trek, at 0:08
• 3. Michael Morkov (Den), Saxo Bank-Sungard, at 0:26
• 4. Damien Gaudin (Fra), Europcar, at 0:30
• 5. Alex Dowsett (Gbr), Team Sky, at 0:38

Marco Pinotti, one of the veteran members of the HTC-Highroad team, says he cannot fully understand why cycling's most successful team is shutting down at the end of this season after a sponsor search came up short.

Stage 7

• 1. Marcel Kittel (Ger), Skil-Shimano, at 2:50:00
• 2. Peter Sagan (Svk), Liquigas-Cannondale, s.t.
• 3. Leigh Howard (Aus), HTC-Highroad, s.t.
• 4. Heinrich Haussler (Aus), Garmin-Cervélo, s.t.
• 5. Marco Marcato (Ita), Vacansoleil-DCM, s.t.

Final GC

• 1. Peter Sagan (Svk), Liquigas-Cannondale, 26:40:00
• 2. Daniel Martin (Irl), Garmin-Cervélo, at 0:06
• 3. Marco Marcato (Ita), Vacansoleil-DCM, at 0:07
• 4. Wouter Poels (Ned), Vacansoleil-DCM, at 0:23
• 5. Peter Kennaugh (Gbr), Team Sky, at 0:25

Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) won the 68th Tour of Poland on Saturday after finishing second on the final stage.

Stage 1

• 1. Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro (Por), Rabobank Continental Team, at 4:35:06
• 2. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita), Lampre-ISD, s.t.
• 3. Antonio Carvalho (Por), s.t.
• 4. Emanuel Vona (Ita), Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, s.t.
• 5. Diego Milan Jimenez (Esp), Caja Rural, s.t.

GC

• 1. Sergio Miguel Vieira Ribeiro (Por), Rabobank Continental Team, 4:38:10
• 2. Davide Ricci Bitti (Ita), Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli, s.t.
• 3. Hugo Sabido (Por), La-Antarte, s.t.
• 4. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita), Lampre-ISD, at 0:04
• 5. Filipe Duarte Sousa Cardoso (Por), Rabobank Continental Team, at 0:05

Peter Kraiker shoots stage 1 of the 2011 Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove.

Stage 4

• 1. Sacha Modolo (Ita), Colnago-CSF, 2:25:20
• 2. Jure Kocjan (Slo), Team Type 1, same time
• 3. Daniele Bennati (Ita), Leopard-Trek, s.t.
• 4. Manuel Belletti (Ita), Colnago-CSF, s.t.
• 5. Pim Ligthart (Ned), Vacansoleil-DCM, s.t.

GC

• 1. Simon Gerrans (Aus), Team Sky, 15:28:35
• 2. Matti Breschel (Den), Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0:04
• 3. Daniele Bennati (Ita), Leopard-Trek, at 0:06
• 4. Michael Morkov (Den), Saxobank-Sungard, at 0:09
• 5. Bertjan Lindeman (Ned), Vacansoleil-DCM, at 0:17

Stage 4

• 1. Daniel Moreno Fernandez (Esp), Team Katusha, 168km in 3:44:28
• 2. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp), Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 0:01
• 3. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Esp), Movistar, at 0:01
• 4. Ricardo Garcia Ambroa (Esp), Orbea, at 0:01
• 5. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Esp), Geox-TMC, at 0:01

GC

Karl Menzies (UnitedHealthcare) and Anne Samplonius (NOW-Novartis) won the kickoff to the Alexian Brothers Tour of Elk Grove in Illnois on Friday.

Tour of Elk Grove, stage 1

• 1. Karl Menzies (Aus), UnitedHealthcare, 7.2km in 8:26
• 2. Tom Zirbel (USA), Jamis-Sutter Home, same time
• 3. Westley Gough (Nzl), Joker Merida, at 0:02
• 4. Rory Sutherland (Aus), UnitedHealthcare, at 0:02
• 5. Jose Fernando Antogna (Arg), Jamis-Sutter Home, at 0:04

GC

• 1. Karl Menzies (Aus), UnitedHealthcare, 8:26
• 2. Tom Zirbel (USA), Jamis-Sutter Home, same time
• 3. Westley Gough (Nzl), Joker Merida, at 0:02
• 4. Rory Sutherland (Aus), UnitedHealthcare, at 0:02
• 5. Jose Fernando Antogna (Arg), Jamis-Sutter Home, at 0:04

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The news of HTC-Highroad’s collapse was yet another blow to absorb for Craig Lewis, who can only describe the past three months as “a rough summer.”

Three-time Tour of Denmark overall winner Jakob Fuglsang (Leopard-Trek) won Friday's stage 3 of the race, while Team Sky's Simon Gerrans took second and the overall lead.

Stage

• 1. Jakob FUGLSANG, (DEN) Leopard-Trek, in 4:29:38
• 2. Simon GERRANS, (AUS) Team Sky, at 2
• 3. Daniele BENNATI, (ITA) Leopard-Trek, at 11
• 4. Niki OSTERGAARD, (DEN) Glud & Marstrand Horsens, at 13
• 5. Bertjan LINDEMAN, (NED) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 13

GC

• 1. Simon GERRANS, (Australia) Team Sky, in 13:03:15
• 2. Matti BRESCHEL, (Denmark) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 4
• 3. Daniele BENNATI, (Italy) Leopard-Trek, at 8
• 4. Michael MORKOV, (Denmark) Saxobank-Sungard, at 9
• 5. Bertjan LINDEMAN, (Netherlands) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 17

WARSAW (AFP) - Ireland's Daniel Martin of the Garmin-Carvelo team took the overall Tour of Poland race lead after winning Friday's 207.7km sixth stage around Bukowina Tatrzanska.

Rémy Di Gregorio will return to a French squad in 2012 after signing with Cofidis, the team announced Friday. Di Gregorio, 26, will leave Astana at the end of the season.

The Twitter airwaves were alive with reactions to Thursday's surprise announcement that HTC-Highroad would fold at the end of the 2011 season.

With the collapse of the HTC-Highroad team at the end of the 2011 season, all eyes are on where cycling's most productive sprinter will land next year.

Light carbon climbing wheels at a good price

BOULDER, Colo. (VN) — Tom Danielson has waited his entire career for a major stage race in Colorado and the Garmin-Cervélo rider thinks he has the genetics and experience at altitude to contend for the overall win in the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

July has come and gone and with the Cascade Classic came the second half of the U.S. racing season. The Tour of Elk Grove opens Friday and kicks off the busiest August in memory. Between two major stage races in Utah and Colorado and a run of national criteriums, the eighth month of the year is one of its fullest.

Iñigo Cuesta, the veteran Spanish rider on Caja Rural, is likely racing his final event in this week's Vuelta a Burgos.

New Australian team GreenEDGE has rolled out the first of many arrivals for its debut season next year.

PRESS RELEASE: GreenEDGE signs Bobridge and Meyer brothers

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Stage

• 1. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, (ESP) Team Katusha, in 3:26:22
• 2. Daniel MORENO FERNANDEZ, (ESP) Team Katusha, at 3
• 3. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, (ESP) Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 7
• 4. Julien SIMON, (FRA) Saur-Sojasun, at 9
• 5. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (ESP) Geox-Tmc, at 10

GC

• 1. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER, (Spain) Team Katusha, in 7:17:29
• 2. Samuel SANCHEZ GONZALEZ, (Spain) Euskaltel-Euskadi, at 7
• 3. David LOPEZ GARCIA, (Spain) Movistar, at 17
• 4. Sergio PARDILLA BELLON, (Spain) Movistar, at 17
• 5. Juan Jose COBO ACEBO, (Spain) Geox-Tmc, at 18

Taylor Phinney will skip the opportunity to inherit the leader’s jersey his father Davis last held at the Coors Classic in 1988. Phinney’s BMC Racing team confirmed Thursday that the neo-pro would start his first grand tour, the Vuelta a Expaña, this month, instead of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.

Bob Stapleton, owner of HTC-Highroad, confirmed Thursday that he was unable to secure a satisfactory sponsorship partner to carry the team forward at the competitive and ethical level that he and his staff wanted.

Amgen, the biotech corporation that has been the title sponsor of the Tour of California since its inaugural event in 2006, will continue with the race through 2013, Sports Business Daily reported Thursday.

PARIS (AFP) - Kazakhstan's Andrey Kashechkin announced Thursday he would race the Vuelta a España this month with former team Astana, with whom he has signed a deal until the end of 2013.

• 1. Peter SAGAN, (SVK) Liquigas-Cannondale, in 4:52:26
• 2. Michael MATTHEWS, (AUS) Rabobank Cycling Team, at 0
• 3. Heinrich HAUSSLER, (AUS) Garmin-Cervelo, at 0
• 4. Marco MARCATO, (ITA) Vacansoleil-Dcm, at 0
• 5. Peter KENNAUGH, (GBR) Team Sky, at 0

Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank-Sungard) will ride a criterium in the hometown of Bjarne Riis on August 12, but whether he'll race again this season remains up in the air.

Dirt road ridin', team chef job opportunities and more

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BUENOS AIRES (AFP) - Italy's Olympic cycling champion Attilio Pavesi has died aged 100 in a retirement home in Buenos Aires, his family announced on Wednesday.

• 1. Sacha MODOLO, Colnago-Csf, in 3:59:21
• 2. Matti BRESCHEL, Rabobank Cycling Team at s.t.
• 3. Michael MORKOV, Saxobank-Sungard at s.t.
• 4. Daniele COLLI, Geox-Tmc at s.t.
• 5. Andrea PASQUALON, Colnago-Csf at s.t.

Liquigas-Cannondale's Slovak phenom, Peter Sagan, won Wednesday's stage 4 of the 2011 Tour of Poland, taking over the race lead from Skil-Shimano's Marcel Kittel, who won the race's first three stages.