Road Racing

U.S. pro time trial bikes used by Zabriskie, Phinney and Mumford in Greenville

Whether in Sedona or Berlin, Lennard Zinn says Uvex products are made to protect you

Recent Amgen Tour of California winner Chris Horner attributed his impressive climbing at the race, in part, to his ability to shed weight prior to the race, and told VeloNews his biggest concern heading into the Tour de France will be how to stay lean while in Europe.

Lennard fields questions about thumping front rims, removing stickers from carbon and malfunctioning Shimano Di2 shifters.

Vuelta a Espana officials confirmed that four wildcard teams will start the 2011 edition of the Spanish tour, set to start Aug. 20 in Benidorm with a team time trial.

Alberto Contador received a hero's welcome Monday in Spain following his Giro d'Italia victory, but remained cautioned on a possible start in next month's Tour de France.

MILAN, Italy (VN) — How far can Alberto Contador go? That's the question that many are asking after Sunday's victory at the 2011 Giro d'Italia, when Contador claimed his sixth grand tour victory in his young, but controversial career.

Gregg Bleakney leaves the photo pit and wanders around the piazza in Milan as the 2011 Giro d'Italia comes to a close.

Alberto Contador’s face didn’t give anything away Sunday as Giro organizers played a wrong Spanish national anthem associated with Franco’s fascist regime during Sunday’s post-race celebration.

1. David Millar (GBR), Garmin-Cervélo 2. Alex Rasmussen (DEN), HTC-Highroad, at 7 3. Alberto Contador Velasco (ESP), SaxoBank-Sungard, at 36 4. Richie Porte (AUS), SaxoBank-Sungard, at 43 5. Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), Team RadioShack, at 55

Alberto Contador locked up the 2011 Giro d’Italia with a strong third-place ride in the final-stage time trial in Milan, a stage won by Garmin-Cervélo’s David Millar.

Solid teamwork and cunning strategy made the difference for the winners of the pro men’s and pro women’s Summit Criterium on day one of the two-day Superior Morgul Classic Saturday in Superior, Colorado.

MILAN, Italy (VN) ─ The 2011 Giro d'Italia was called by some the hardest in years. Going into Sunday's final stage, 159 survivors were lining up for the final act into Milano.

In a Giro in which the mountains played such a central role, it was fitting that everyone who had anything left in the tank threw it all on the line.

Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Cervélo) won the individual time trial on Saturday at the USA Cycling pro road championships in Greenville, South Carolina.

Ned Overend wins his fifth Iron Horse Bicycle Classic road race as Mara Abbott wins her fourth in a row.

When I described the course of the Giro’s final time trial to my cab driver as we drove from my hotel to the Milan central train station, “That’s horrendous! I’m going to stay home that day; there’s no point to even taking my taxi out!”

1. Vasili Kiryienka (BLR), Movistar,6:17:03 2. José Rujano Guillen (VEN), Androni Giocattoli, at 4:43 3. Joaquin Rodriguez Oliver (ESP), Team Katusha, at 4:50 4. Carlos Alberto Betancur Gomez (COL), Acqua & Sapone-Caffe Mokambo, at 5:31

Vasili Kiryienka wins the 20th stage of the Giro d'Italia after spending more than 200km on the attack in the 242km race from Verbania to Sestriere.

Tom Zirbel's Jamis Xenith T2 time trial machine

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.