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CATANZARO, Italy, May 13, 2008 (AFP) - British cyclist Mark Cavendish, riding for the High Road team, prevailed in a sprint for the fourth stage honors of the Tour of Italy here on Tuesday.
Liquigas’ Italian rider Franco Pellizotti retained the leader’s pink jersey after the 183 kilometre run to [...]

Bucaramanga, Colombia — Rock Racing’s Santiago may have conceded the race leader’s red jersey Sunday at the Vuelta a Colombia, but not his confidence for overall victory.
On a day when the race finished in the hometown of Rock Racing’s Victor Hugo Peña, a 19-man breakaway went up the road with every major team represented in [...]

MILAZZO, Italy, May 12, 2008 (AFP) - Italian cyclist Daniele Bennati won an eventful third stage of the Tour of Italy here on Monday to record his first ever success in the race on a day marked by a series of heavy spills.
His Liquigas team-mate Franco Pellizotti retained [...]

Barrancabermeja, Santander, Colombia Rock Racing sent shockwaves through the field at the 58th Vuelta a Colombia by sweeping the top four places in Saturdays prologue.
Rock Racings Santiago Botero won the 5.2-mile (8.4 km) individual time trial in nine minutes and 53 seconds, leading teammates Victor Hugo Pe񡠨seven seconds behind), Oscar Sevilla and Tyler Hamilton (both [...]

AGRIGENTE, Italy, May 11, 2008 (AFP) - American David Zabriskie of the Slipstream team was forced out of the Giro d’Italia after suffering a fractured lumbar vertebra in a crash during the second stage here Sunday.
The 29-year-old from Salt Lake City was among a bunch of riders when he [...]

AGRIGENTO, Italy, May 11, 2008 (AFP) - Italian Riccardo Ricco of the Saunier Duval team threw down the gauntlet to his rivals for the Giro d’Italia’s pink jersey by sprinting to victory in the second stage here Sunday.
Liquigas rider Franco Pellizotti took the race lead from American Christian Vandevelde [...]

PALERMO, Italy, May 10, 2008 (AFP) - American Christian Vandevelde became the first American in 20 years to put on the Giro d’Italia’s pink jersey after leading his Slipstream team to victory in the opening stage team time trial.
Slipstream hit an average speed of just over 53 km/h for [...]

PALERMO, Italy, May 10, 2008 (AFP) - The 21 stages of the 3430.4km long Giro d’Italia, which begins here Saturday:
May 10: stage 1 Palermo, 23.6 km (team time trial)
May 11: stage 2 Cefalu - Agrigento, 207 km
May 12: stage 3 Catania - Milazzo, [...]

PALERMO, Italy, May 9, 2008 (AFP) - Climbers who can keep their time trial losses to a minimum will be among the top contenders for the pink jersey in the Giro d’Italia which clicks into gear here Saturday.
The 91st edition of the Giro begins with a team time trial, [...]

CALAIS, France, May 9, 2008 (AFP) - Frenchman Pierrick Fedrigo, riding for the Bouygues Telecom team, claimed victory in the fourth stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk race on Friday.
Fedrigo beat home Australian Allan Davis and Spaniard Jose Joaquin Gil Rojas in a sprint finish.
[...]

PALERMO, Italy, May 9, 2008 (AFP) - Argentinian Ariel Maximiliano Richeze, who rides for CSF, tested positive for doping last month and has been withdrawn from the Tour of Italy, his team announced Friday.
Richeze tested positive for an anabolic steroid during his victory in the fourth stage of [...]

GRAND RAPIDS, MI., May 8, 2008 – BISSELL Pro Cycling (BPC) announces its seven-man roster for the 2008 Tour de Leelanau, which includes the 2007 defending champion, Garrett Peltonen. He and his teammates are ready for the challenges of the May 25 race, and are riding fresh off of recent victories at the Tour de [...]

Colavita/Sutter Home Men’s Cycling Team presented by Cooking Light delivers another podium appearance with his hard-fought third place finish at New Mexico’s Tour of the Gila. A true team effort,

SAINT-QUENTIN, France, May 8, 2008 (AFP) - Belgian Kenny De Haes of the
Topsport team claimed victory in the third stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk
race Thursday after upsetting Norwegian sprint ace Thor Hushovd at the line.
Frenchman Stephane Auge, of Cofidis, retained the race leader’s jersey
after the 193km stage between Le [...]

CATEAU-CAMBRESIS, France, May 7, 2008 (AFP) - Belgium’s Gert Steegmans of the Quick Step team won a sprint finish in the second stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk cycling race here on Wednesday.
France’s Stephane Auge of the Cofidis team retained the leader’s pink jersey after the 192km stretch [...]

by Justin Davis
PARIS, May 5, 2008 (AFP) - Spaniard Alberto Contador and his Astana team have admitted to being in a race against time as they prepare for the first three-week race of the cycling season.
Giro d’Italia organizers performed a dramatic u-turn on Sunday and invited [...]

Berne, Swizterland: Judith Arndt soared into the World Cup lead on Sunday after clinching second place in the Tour de Berne round of the series.
“It’s a surprise, but a nice surprise.” Arndt said afterwards. “To be honest, I didn’t even know that I could get the leader’s jersey today. My goal is more to [...]

Vogels Wins Tour of the Gila Criterium; Manion Wins Roswell Criterium
Bend, OR – The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team showed their character and spirit this weekend by answering the bell the very next day after learning Friday afternoon that the team’s title sponsor would not be renewing their sponsorship agreement at the end of the [...]

(May 5, 2008)
Report Filed by

LAUSANNE, Switzerland, May 4, 2008 (AFP) - Astana’s Andreas Kloden won the Tour of Romandie title on Sunday after the final stage, a 154.2km ride from Le Bouveret to Lausanne.
Italian Daniele Bennati of Liquigas won a sprint finish for the stage honors ahead of Sweden’s Markus Zberg and Kazhakh [...]

ROME, May 4, 2008 (AFP) - Giro d’Italia organizers have performed a dramatic u-turn and invited the Kazakh-backed Astana cycling team to this year’s race, Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport on Sunday reported organizers as saying.
“Yes, I have invited Contador,” the Gazzetta quoted race organizer Angelo Zomegnan [...]

This is excellent news for Astana. We at Bicycle.net would be thrilled to see Astana at the Giro. Anything that increases the level of competition is good for cycling.
PARIS, May 3, 2008 (AFP) - Giro d’Italia organizers could perform a dramatic u-turn and invite the Kazakh-backed Astana cycling team to [...]

ZINAL, Switzerland, May 3, 2008 (AFP) - Astana’s Andreas Kloden distanced one of his main rivals for the Tour de Romandie title Saturday after a hilly fourth stage won by Italian Francesco De Bonis of Gerolsteiner.
De Bonis claimed the fourth and penultimate stage of the Swiss stage race, finishing [...]

BERLIN, May 3, 2008 (AFP) - Italian sprint specialist with the Milram team, Alessandro Petacchi, will miss the Tour of Italy with bronchitis, the German outfit said Saturday.
“I’m very sorry that I won’t be able to start in the Giro d’Italia,” said Petacchi in a statement.
“Yesterday [...]

SION, Switzerland, May 2, 2008 (AFP) - Astana rider Andreas Kloeden took the overall lead of the Tour of Romandie after winning the third stage, a 18.8km time trial, here Friday.
The German, a former runner-up at the Tour de France, finished ahead of Dutchman Thomas Dekker, of Rabobank, over [...]

FRIBOURG, Switzerland, May 1, 2008 (AFP) - Australia’s Robbie McEwen, of Silence Lotto, bagged his first win of the season by outsprinting the bunch on the second stage of the Tour de Romandie here Thursday.
Italian sprinter Daniele Bennati, of Liquigas, finished second with Danish one-day specialist Matti Breschel of [...]

FRANKFURT, Germany, May 1, 2008 (AFP) - Flying Dutchman Karsten Kroon, from the Danish cycling team CSC, has won the Frankfurt Grand Prix for the second time here on Thursday.
Kroon, 32, finished first over the 179 kilometers course ahead of Italian Davide Rebellin, riding for Germany team Gerolsteiner, and [...]

Kazakh champion Maxim Iglinskiy won the first stage in the Tour de Romandie. Iglinskiy (27) was the fastest sprinter in the streets of Saignelégier. Iglinskiy, perfectly brought to the finish by his four team-mates in the select breakaway (Andreas Klöden, Steve Morabito, Vladimir Gusev and Thomas Frei), positioned himself as the first rider through the [...]

PARIS, April 30, 2008 (AFP) - The French government on Wednesday moved to toughen anti-doping legislation ahead of this summer’s Tour de France.
Members of Parliament adopted a new law which penalizes the possession and trafficking of doping products in sport with prison sentences and fines.
Under the [...]

High Road fast man Mark Cavendish soared to a convincing victory in the opening prologue of the Tour of Romandie on Tuesday evening.
The Manxman tore round the 1.9 kilometre prologue in Geneva, Switzerland to take his fourth road win of the season ahead of Italian Daniele Bennati and Swiss rider Michael Albasini. High Road team-mate [...]

GENEVA, April 29, 2008 (AFP) - British cyclist Mark Cavendish won the Tour of Romandie prologue, a 1.9km dash here Tuesday, ahead of Italian Daniele Bennati and Swiss rider Michael Albasini.
Results of the 1.9km Tour of Romandie prologue here on Tuesday:
1. Mark Cavendish (GBR/High Road) 2min 07sec,
2. Daniele Bennati (ITA/Liquigas) at s.t.,
3. [...]

by Justin Davis
PARIS, April 29, 2008 (AFP) - Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde gave his future Tour de France rivals an early reminder of his explosive climbing talents by winning his second Liege-Bastogne-Liege classic Sunday.
At ‘only’ 261 km in length, this year’s ‘Doyenne’ - known as such [...]

Toyota-United Calls it a Success at this Years Tour de Georgia Presented by AT & T

Los Angeles, CA – The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team finished their third consecutive Tour de Georgia yesterday in Atlanta in what was arguably their most successful major American tour since first putting a wheel on the ground February [...]

This week’s Tour of Romandie sees High Road fine-tuning their form for the Giro D’Italia - now less than a fortnight away.
“Romandie is like a dress rehearsal for the Giro, but a dress rehearsal where we want to win.” team manager Rolf Aldag says.“The opening prologue is very short and that’s great for Bradley [...]

Atlanta – On the strength of placing four riders in the top 20 overall, Team Type 1 finished third in the team classification at the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T.
Winning the team classification was Astana, the season-long leader in the ProTour standings. CSC, the ProTour winner the past three years, was second. Team Type [...]

FRANKFURT, Germany, April 28, 2008 (AFP) - The Italian cycling team Liguigas has been kicked out of the Frankfurt Grand Prix semi-classic for failing to add its signature to a protocol on doping.
“Our anti-doping programme calls for team bosses to sign a statement of honour but Liguigas have made [...]

by Justin Davis
ANS, Belgium, April 28, 2008 (AFP) - Cadel Evans’ plans to go one better than his runner-up place at last year’s Tour de France remain intact after what has proved to be an ultimately confidence-boosting week of bike racing.
Yet on Sunday the 30-year-old Australian [...]

by Justin Davis
ANS, Belgium, April 27, 2008 (AFP) - Italian Davide Rebellin conceded defeat to the “faster legs” of Spanish rival Alejandro Valverde after their thrilling battle for one of the most prestigious crowns in one-day cycling Sunday.
A runner-up to Italian Danilo Di Luca last year [...]

by Justin Davis
ANS, Belgium, April 27, 2008 (AFP) - Spaniard Alejandro Valverde held his nerve in a thrilling finish to Liege-Bastogne-Liege to claim his second career victory in cycling’s oldest one-day classic here on Sunday.
Valverde, runner-up last year to Italian Danilo Di Luca and winner in [...]

Atlanta: Fred Rodriguez capped Rock Racings first participation in the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T with a fourth place finish on the final stage in Atlanta Sunday.
The result by the three-time U.S. national road race champion was Rock Racings fourth top five finish of the seven-day, 600-mile stage race. Additionally, Rock Racings Oscar Sevilla [...]

Stage Seven – Atlanta
ATLANTA Ga. (April 27, 2008) – Thousands of fans lining the streets along Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta witnessed a rising star get his first victory on American soil today. Belarusian rider Kanstantin Sivtsov of Team High Road was crowned the champion of the 2008 Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T, [...]

High Road will tackle Liege-Bastogne-Liege this Sunday with Fleche Wallonne winner Kim Kirchen as sole leader.
“The team is 100 percent based around Kim.” says Valerio Piva, team sports director for the Ardennes Classic.
“The other riders’ top objective is to get Kim to the foot of the Redoute climb, and after he’ll be looking after himself.”
“Kim [...]

BISSELL’S RICHARD ENGLAND CAPTURES STAGE FIVE VICTORY AT TOUR DE GEORGIA PRESENTED BY AT&T
Stage Five – Suwanee to Dahlonega
DAHLONEGA, Ga. (April 25, 2008) – Australian Richard England of Bissell Pro Cycling used a downhill decent in the final 500 meters to push himself to a Stage Five victory at 2008 Tour de Georgia presented by [...]

Atlanta, GA (April 25, 2008) – As part of the team’s commitment to supporting the 2008 Tour de Georgia presented by AT & T, Rock Racing is donating $250,000 to the official beneficiaries of the event, Aflac Cancer Center and Blood Disorders Service of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Georgia Cancer Coalition. Team [...]

Toyota-United top domestic team on the day
Los Angeles, CA – The Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team bolstered its claim today as the premier professional cycling team in America by finishing 5th place in Stage 4 of the Tour de Georgia Presented by AT & T. Today’s stage was a unique race in that each of [...]

Stage Four – Road Atlanta
BRASELTON, Ga. (April 24, 2008) – American-based Slipstream Chipotle presented by H30 averaged over 29 miles per hour en route to winning the inaugural Team Time Trial (TTT) at the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T by four seconds over Astana (LUX). Team High Road (USA), the last team [...]

Monterey, Calif.- Most of the racers couldn’t think about winning when they pulled up to the start line of yesterday’s men’s pro NRC circuit race at Sea Otter. What they had to first focus on was the wind. With gusts blowing down the crowd barriers in a matter of seconds, riders like Gustavo Mendez of [...]

PARIS, April 25, 2008 (AFP) - Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen may be a marked man
after claiming victory in the Fleche-Wallonne classic which precedes the
Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Sunday’s finale to cycling’s spring classics series.
But the Duchy’s latest winner of a respected one-day classic, following in
the wake of former Amstel Gold winner Franck Schleck, will be [...]

Report filed by

For the first time in its six years of existence, the Tour de Georgia included a team time trial in the race schedule. Thursday’s Stage 4 challenged the riders with a very hilly 16km course at the Road Atlanta motor speedway.
A smooth and consistent ride
“Overall, I am really very pleased with how [...]

Stage Three - Washington to Gainesville
GAINESVILLE, Ga. (April 23, 2008) – After knocking on the door of a stage win yesterday, Greg Henderson (NZL) of Team High Road launched himself through the tight downhill turns of the Gainesville circuit finish to narrowly defeat teammate Andre Greipel (GER) and win Stage Three of the Tour de [...]

High Road’s Greg Henderson succeeded in going one better today when he took the win in the third stage of Tour de Georgia and moved into the overall your lead. After taking fifth place in stage one and second place yesterday, Henderson was able to turn the tables and take the top position on the [...]

HUY, Belgium, April 23, 2008 (AFP) - Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen of the High Road team won the Fleche Wallonne classic race Wednesday, seeing off Australian Cadel Evans and Italian Damiano Cunego.
Kirchen, 29 and the first man from the Grand Duchy to win the event in this its 72nd edition, [...]

Dominguez sprints to 3rd place finish claiming four-second time bonus to retain yellow jersey and picks up the lead in the Sprint Competition
Toyota-United continues to lead the team competition
Los Angeles, CA – Ivan Dominguez of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team held on to the leaders yellow jersey at the conclusion of today’s Stage 2 in [...]

Stage Two - Statesboro to Augusta
AUGUSTA, Ga. (April 22, 2008) – In the final 100 meters of a 115.7-mile (186.2 km) stage, sprint specialist Juan Jose Haedo (ARG) of Team CSC burst ahead of the 119-rider field in downtown Augusta to win Stage Two of the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T. Recovering from [...]

High Road’s Greg Henderson took second place in today’s second stage of Tour de Georgia. In a very close sprint finish, Henderson came in behind CSC’s JJ Haedo moving himself up to second place in the overall classification. Henderson goes into Stage Three tomorrow trailing the overall leader, Ivan Dominguez (Toyota United), by only three [...]

After a long, cold, wet, gray winter of Dickensian proportions, followed by those too-early-in-the-year “training races” with names like “Froze Toes” for good reason, the temps have finally surpassed the 70 degree mark across the U.S. Midwest and the race calendar is suddenly chockablock.
 
Now this is what we live for, isn’t it?
 
So we’re all finding [...]

CHARLEROI, Belgium, April 22, 2008 (AFP) - Australia’s Cadel Evans of Silence Lotto will be among the contenders for this July’s Tour de France aiming to test their early season legs on the Belgian semi-classic the Fleche Wallonne here Wednesday.
But like many other race favorites, Silence-Lotto leader Evans, the [...]

IVAN DOMINGUEZ OUTLASTS FIELD FOR WIN
IN STAGE ONE OF TOUR DE GEORGIA PRESENTED BY AT&T
Stage One - Tybee Island to Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga. (April 21, 2008) – Ivan Dominguez (CUB) of Toyota-United Pro Cycling surged past a frantic peloton to capture Stage One of the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T. Thousands of fans lined the [...]

VALKENBURG, The Netherlands, April 20, 2008 (AFP) - Italian Damiano Cunego won the one day cycling classic the Amstel Gold Race, a 257 kilometres ride from Maastricht on Sunday.
The Lampre rider prevailed in a nine-bike dash to the finish on the Commet summit, pulling clear in the final 100 [...]

PARIS, April 21, 2008 (AFP) - Spain’s 2007 Tour de France champion Alberto Contador is to reappear in the Criterium du Dauphine on June 8 he announced on Monday.
The 25-year-old, who has been controversially barred from this year’s Tour De France because his Astana team were not invited by [...]

Dominguez Delivers for Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team in Stage 1 of the Tour de Georgia Presented by AT & T
Dominguez claims Yellow Leaders Jersey and Toyota-United leads the Team Competition heading into Stage Two
As if he was shot out of a canon, Toyota-United’s Ivan Dominguez, affectionately known as the “Cuban Missile”, won today’s [...]

Monterey, Calif.- It’s the news every cyclist hates to hear. Mark Reynolds, 48, of San Jose died  while riding his bike on a downhill course at the 2008 Sea Otter Classic on Saturday. According to deputies from the Monterey County Sheriff’s office, the cycling enthusiast was riding a downhill course when he crashed into a [...]

Monterey, Calif.- When Evan Oliphant of  Plowman Craven looked back as he was about to cross the finish line, he had nothing to worry about. He crossed the line in first place at 3:01:11, with a 30 second gap ahead of second place finisher Simon Richardson, who also rides for Plowman Craven. “I just gave [...]

This afternoon VeloGuy had the opportunity to sit in on a teleconference with none other than the controversial Michael Ball, the owner of Rock Racing Professional cycling team. The following are a few interesting answers Michael gave to the reporters questions.
First question: seems like the continuing trend of things being a [...]

There are a total of 15 professional teams who have accepted invitations to compete in the 6th edition of the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T. Each team will bring eight athletes to ride in the 600-mile, seven-day event, which begins Monday, April 21 in Tybee Island, Georgia and ends Sunday, April 27 in Atlanta, [...]

Monterey, Calif.- You could tell that the two time Sea Otter XC champion was excited as he stepped off the plane at Monterey’s airport today. “I’m ready for a three-peat”….

Culver City, Calif. — Rock Racing will field a line-up for the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T that includes a world time trial champion, an Olympic gold medalist, Tour de France yellow jersey, polka-dot jersey and white jersey wearers and a three-time U.S. national road race champion who is also a four-time Tour de [...]

SCHOTEN, Belgium, April 16, 2008 (AFP) - Britain’s Mark Cavendish, of the High Road team, won the 207km Grand Prix de l’Escaut for the second successive year here on Wednesday just ahead of top sprinters Tom Boonen of Belgium and Australia’s Robbie McEwen.
Germany’s Eric Zabel took fourth place but [...]

(April 14, 2008)
Report filed by

by Justin Davis
ROUBAIX, France, April 13, 2008 (AFP) - Former world champion Tom Boonen drew a golden lining around his mediocre classics season by claiming his second Paris-Roubaix triumph after a dramatic finale here Sunday.
Switzerland’s 2006 champion Fabian Cancellara finished second ahead of Italy’s Alessandro Ballan [...]

by Justin Davis
RESULTS AT BOTTOM OF PAGE
ROUBAIX, France, April 13, 2008 (AFP) - Hounded by a glory-starved media in his native Belgium, cycling star Tom Boonen delivered in style Sunday by claiming what is arguably sport’s most celebrated chunk of granite.
The cobblestone trophy given to [...]

Former world champion Tom Boonen said he is determined to make amends for his mediocre season so far by winning the prestigious Paris-Roubaix one-day classic.
However Boonen is wary of a few rivals who he said have been preparing specially for cycling’s toughest one-day classic.
The ‘Hell of [...]

Behind stage winner Damiano Cunego, Astana Cycling Team leader Alberto Contador finished second in the fifth stage of the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco. Due to rain and cold, the four climb stage was very difficult. On the last climb of the day, the fearsome Puerto de Aia, a 26 percent gradient climb, 13 K [...]

(April 11, 2008)
Race Report filed by

ORIO, Spain, April 11, 2008 (AFP) - Italy’s Damiano Cunego, riding for
Lampre, won Friday’s penultimate fifth stage of the Tour of the Basque
Country, a 162km run between Vitoria and Orio.
Spain’s Alberto Contador crossed the line in second in the same time as
Cunego to retain the overall lead he’s held since the [...]

PARIS, April 11, 2008 (AFP) - A list of the 28 cobblestoned sectors on this
year’s Paris-Roubaix one-day classic, which begins Sunday in Compiegne north
of Paris and finishes in the Roubaix velodrome after 259.5km of racing.
Race organizers ASO (Amaury Sports Organisation) have ranked each sector on
a scale of one to five, five [...]

PARIS, April 11, 2008 (AFP) - Danish outfit CSC will be fired up to make
amends for their debacle on the cobble of the snow-hit Flanders last week when
they line up two former champions at Paris-Roubaix this Sunday.
CSC go into the 259.5km cobblestoned classic, known ominously as the ‘Hell
of the North’, as [...]

Report filed by

VITORIA-GASTEIZ, Spain, April 10, 2008 (AFP) - Luxembourg’s Kim Kirchen won
Thursday’s fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country in a sprint finish,
while Spain’s Alberto Contador retained the overall lead. It was Kirchen’s second stage victory in this year’s event, and left him in
fifth place in the overall standings.
Contador [...]

When I read this race report it is hard not to be motivated. If you are a weekend warrior like I am, sometimes you cna find the drive to increase the training intensity from reading someone else’s hard won success. I usually am near the back of the pack so my view of [...]

WEVELGEM, Belgium, April 9, 2008 (AFP) - Spain’s Oscar Freire, riding for Rabobank, won the 70th edition of the Gent-Wevelgem ProTour one-day classic here on Wednesday.
The triple world champion dominated Swiss rider Aurelien Clerc, Belgian Wouter Weylandt and German veteran Erik Zabel in a mass sprint to become the [...]

PARIS, April 9, 2008 (AFP) - The threat of falling rocks has forced Tour de France organizers into changing the route of one of the stages on the 2008 edition of the cycling blue riband.
Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) announced Wednesday that the 15th stage would now start from Embrun [...]

MADRID, April 8, 2008 (AFP) - Spain’s Alberto Contador, riding for the Astana team, retained the overall lead of the Tour of the Basque Country after Luxemburger

Race report filed by

Spain’s Alberto Contador, riding for the Astana team, won the first stage of the Tour of the Basque Country over a 137km course around the northern town of Legazpi on Monday.
Contador finished the stage in 3hr 39min 22sec, three seconds up on compatriot Ezequiel Mosquera of the Karpin-Galicia [...]

(April 7, 2008)
Report Filed by :

Di Luca wins Settimana Lombardia
ROME, April 6, 2008 (AFP) - Controversial Italian cyclist Danilo Di Luca won the Settimana Lombardia race here on Sunday following the sixth and final stage over 162.7km around Bergamo.
LPR teammates Paolo Savoldelli and Daniele Pietropolli finished second and third respectively.
Italy’s Francesco [...]

MEERBEKE, Belgium, April 6, 2008 (AFP) - Belgian champion Stijn Devolder finally answered his critics with a stylish victory in a rare snow-hit Tour of Flanders, held over 264km from Bruges to here Sunday.
Cofidis rider Nick Nuyens finished second with Rabobank’s Juan Antonio Flecha in third.
Devolder [...]

(April 6, 2008)
Report filed by

Stage Two of the Redlands Bicycle Classic Brings Non-stop Action to Downtown Redlands
Redlands, Calif. — April 5, 2008 — Murmurs of Rock Racing filled downtown Redlands today as Stage Two of the Redlands Bicycle Classic brought cyclists one race away from their glory, with Santiago Botero of Rock Racing leading in overall points. Botero [...]

Weather gods to test resolve of Flanders hard men
by Justin Davis
BRUGES, Belgium, April 5, 2008 (AFP) - The possibility of chaos on the ‘Koppenberg’ and mayhem on the ‘Muur’ lies in store for the more ambitious hard men of the peloton during the Tour of Flanders here on Sunday.
[...]

(April 5, 2008)
Race report filed by

(April 5, 2008)
Report Filed by :

Redlands, Calif. — March 4, 2008 — The sun warmed the roads in Beaumont, Calif., as a new race course entered the 2008 Redlands Bicycle Classic, presented by PossAbilities. Rock Racing’s Santiago Botero, in his first ever American race, sprinted away from a six man breakaway to take the yellow jersey in today’s Stage One [...]

ROME, March 30, 2008 (AFP) - Giro d’Italia champion Danilo Di Luca will ride in the Settimana Lombardia on April 6, his LPR team said on Sunday.
Di Luca is currently embroiled in an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to have a three-month suspension he served [...]

Hillsboro-Roubaix; Got Bombed Yesterday
 
Bicycling magazine editor Bill Strickland spilled out the deepest, most painful secrets of his troubled life in a small but incredible book that contrast these horrific twists and turns, and his process of working through them, against his challenge of winning ten points in the local Crit series in one year.  
 
To [...]

Brits set record-setting gold trail at track worlds
by Justin Davis
MANCHESTER, England, March 27, 2008 (AFP) - Hosts Britain set a record setting gold trail that left their rivals shattered on the second day of competition at the world track cycling championships Thursday.
Britain promptly made amends for [...]

World track cycling championship results
MANCHESTER, England, March 27, 2008 (AFP) - Results from the second day of the world track cycling championships here Thursday:
Men
Team pursuit
Final
Britain (Edward Clancy, Geraint Thomas, Paul Manning, Bradley Wiggins)
3:56.322 (new WR) bt Denmark (Michael Faerk [...]

French dominate early rounds of men’s sprint
MANCHESTER, England, March 27, 2008 (AFP) - Frenchman Kevin Sireau set a new venue record to wow his sprint rivals in the early rounds of the competition at the world track cycling championships Thursday.
Sireau, who helped France to gold in the men’s team [...]

BRUSSELS, March 26, 2008 (AFP) - French cyclist Sylvain Chavanel became the first French winner of the semi-classic A Travers les Flandres here on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old, who succeeded Tom Boonen of Belgium as champion, beat home Steven de Jongh of the Netherlands by 26 seconds while Belgian [...]

MANCHESTER, England, March 26, 2008 (AFP) - Britain’s cycling director Dave Brailsford admitted on Wednesday the world track cycling championships had begun under a cloud after endurance rider Rob Hayles failed a blood screening test.
Britain are the team to beat at the championships, which they dominated last year in Spain, and are [...]

Italians gearing up for Milan-San Remo tilt
   by Barnaby Chesterman
  
   ROME, March 21, 2008 (AFP) - Italian cyclists will be desperate to impress on home turf on Saturday in the most prestigious race in the country: the Milan-San Remo.
   Many of the top contenders warmed up for the 298km run along the Ligurian coast [...]

The via Aurelia at Capo Noli (after Savona) is closed due to recent landslides and will remain closed for some time, possibly until June 2008. The cause of the landslides which occurred on 16 January 2008 was heavy rain that the coastal region has seen. The rock fall damaged the metallic nets that normally protect [...]

With the increasing popularity of the Tour of Georgia the number of teams requesting invitations to race in Georgia in April has seen a steady increase. Medalist Sports, the management company for the Tour de Georgia presented by AT&T, has announced an elite field of 15 teams, with the obvious exclusion of Rock Racing. With [...]

Team Slipstream Sports is going to the Tour de France! The Amaury Sport Organization (ASO) has announced the wild-card invitations to the 2008 Tour and included the American team in its short list.
Team director Jonathan Vaughters says, “I feel relieved after all the work we put in. We proved we are one of the better [...]

ROME, March 17, 2008 (AFP) - Three-time world road race champion Oscar
Freire won the sixth and penultimate stage of the Tireno-Adriatico over
196km from Civitanova Marche to Castelfidardo on Monday.
The Spanish Rabobank rider edged out Italians Filippo Pozzato and Danilo
Di Luca in a sprint finish.
Switzerland’s Fabian Cancellara retained the leader’s blue jersey.
 STAGE 6 RESULTS
1. Oscar [...]

NICE, France, March 16, 2008 (AFP) - Italian Davide Rebellin of Gerolsteiner won the Paris-Nice “race to the sun” on Sunday after Caisse d’Epargne’s Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez won the seventh and final stage, a 121.5km final stage around Nice.
Rebellin, who Saturday had made up a 32sec deficit on previous leader Robert [...]

ROME, March 16, 2008 (AFP) - Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara on Sunday won the fifth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico, a 26km time-trial from Macerata to Recanati.
The twice world time-trial champion also took over the leader’s blue jersey following his victory.
The 26 year-old Team CSC rider finished 22sec clear of [...]

NICE, France, March 16, 2008 (AFP) - Tour de France organizer ASO said Sunday it would reveal next week which teams it has selected for this year’s race.
Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) made the announcement after holding “constructive” talks with teams ahead of the final stage of the Paris-Nice event which [...]

CANNES, France, March 15, 2008 (AFP) - Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis won the Paris-Nice sixth stage on Saturday as Gerolsteiner’s Davide Rebellin took the overall race lead following a 206km run between Sisteron and Cannes.
After a frantic late dash, Chavanel crossed the line in 5hr 00min 25sec to edge out Leon Sanchez, [...]

 
 
ROME, March 15, 2008 (AFP) - Italian sprint king Alessandro Petacchi gained revenge on Oscar Freire by claiming the fourth stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico over 166km from Porto Recanati to Civitanova Marche on Saturday.
   Three days ago Petacchi was edged out by Freire in the race’s opening stage. But this time the Team Milram rider [...]

SISTERON, France, March 14, 2008 (AFP) - Spaniard Carlos Barredo of the Quick Step team won Friday’s fifth stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race with Robert Gesink of Rabobank holding on to the leader’s yellow jersey.
Barredo split from his four breakaway companions 10km from the finish to beat home Dutch rider Karsten [...]

ROME, March 14, 2008 (AFP) - Spaniard Joachim Rodriguez, riding for the Caisse d’Epargne team, won the third stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico cycling race over 195km from Gubbio to Montelupone.
   Italian Danilo Di Luca of LPR finished second with Swede Niklas Axelsson of Diquigiovanni, taking the new race lead after finishing third.
   Stage favorite Ricardo [...]

ROME, March 13, 2008 (AFP) - Italian team Acqua & Sapone have been invited to take part in the Gand-Wevelgem classic in Belgium on April 9, Ansa reported Thursday.
   The team of top Italian rider Stefano Garzelli had been barred from the Giro d’Italia, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo races this season so this news is [...]

MONT SEREIN, France, March 13, 2008 (AFP) - Australian Cadel Evans warmed up for his bid for the Tour de France title this summer by winning the fourth stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race here on Thursday ahead of towering Dutch rider Robert Gesink.
   Gesink, 21, of Rabobank, takes the overall leader’s yellow jersey after [...]

 
  
   ROME, March 13, 2008 (AFP) - Italian Raffaele Illiano won the second stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico over 203km from Civitavecchia to Gubbio on Thursday, edging out countryman Enrico Gasparotto in a sprint finish.
   The two riders were part of a six-man breakaway that went clear of the peloton on the last climb of [...]

    ROME, March 12, 2008 (AFP) - Spain’s Oscar Freire won the first stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico on Wednesday over 160km around Civitavecchia, edging out Italy’s Alessandro Petacchi and Spain’s Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil in a sprint finish.
   Former world champion Freire, of Rabobank, will wear the leader’s blue jersey in Thursday’s second stage over [...]

SAINT-ETIENNE, France, March 12, 2008 (AFP) - Finland’s Kjell Carlstrom won a sprint finish for the third stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race over 165.5km from Fleurie to here on Wednesday.
   Carlstrom, 31, pulled ahead of fellow breakaway rider Clement Lhotellerie in the final stretch to achieve the most important success of his career.
   France’s [...]

BELLEVILLE, France, March 11, 2008 (AFP) - Belgian Gert Steegmans continued his winning form on Tuesday claiming the second stage of the Paris-Nice cycling race ahead of race leader Thor Hushovd of Norway.
   It is the second consecutive stage win for Quick Step rider Steegmans who won a sprint finish ahead of Credit Agricole’s Hushovd, [...]

PARIS, March 9, 2008 (AFP) - Norway’s Thor Hushovd, racing for Credit Agricole, won the prologue in the Paris-Nice on Sunday as Europe’s first major stage race of the season got under way with a 4.6km time-trial at Amilly.
   This year’s 66th edition of the “Race to the Sun” has been shrouded in controversy as [...]

PARIS, March 7, 2008 (AFP) - World cycling chief Pat McQuaid on Friday
stoked the feud with race organisers Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO),
accusing them of colluding to form a private league with the backing of the
French sports ministry.
International Cycling Union (UCI) president McQuaid made his accusations in
a column in French daily Le Monde just two days [...]

MADRID, March 7, 2008 (AFP) - Tour of Murcia results here on Thursday after
the fourth stage, a 23.1km time-trial between Alhama and Aledo:
Stage
1. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse d’Epargne 33:32, 2. Stefano Garzelli
(ITA) at 02, 3. Alberto Contador (ESP) 06, 4. Branislau Samoilau (BLR) 07, 5.
Inigo Cuesta (ESP) 09.
Overall
1. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) 13hr 23min 11sec, 2. [...]

Haedo takes Tour of Murcia third stage
  
 MADRID, March 6, 2008 (AFP) - Argentina’s Juan Jose Haedo, of the CSC team, won the third stage of the Tour of Murcia on Thursday, a 146km run from Puerto Lumbreras to San Pedro del Pinatar.
Spain’s Aitor Perez, of the Extremadura team, keeps the overall leader’s yellow jersey.
 
Tour [...]

MADRID, March 5, 2008 (AFP) - Spanish rider Aitor Perez Arrieta took the overall lead in the Tour of Murcia on Wednesday following the 152.5 kilometres second stage which was won by compatriot Jose Rubiera.
Arrieta takes over from Australian cyclist Graeme Brown, who won the first [...]

PARIS, March 5, 2008 (AFP) - The head of the French Cycling Federation said on Wednesday he was appalled at the suggestion by world governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) that riders taking part in next week’s Paris-Nice race may face suspension as a result.
   Jean Pitallier said he was upset at the controversy [...]

LONDON, March 5, 2008 (AFP) - Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said here Wednesday the global interest in hosting a stage was proof of the race’s enduring appeal despite a succession of doping scandals.
   Prudhomme said the success of the ‘Grand Depart’ in London last year had led nations as far afield as Japan [...]

Brown shows no mercy in sprint
  
   LORCA, Spain, March 4, 2008 (AFP) - Australian Graeme Brown won the first stage of the Tour of Murcia, the 197.3 kilometres ride from Pinatar to here on Tuesday and took the overall lead.
   The Australian prevailed in a sprint finish ahead of Spanish duo Koldo Fernandez and [...]

PARIS, March 4, 2008 (AFP) - Cyclists who race in the Paris-Nice stage race next week risk stiff suspensions, fines and bans from the Olympics and the World Championships, the sport’s governing body the International Cycling Union announced on Tuesday.
The riders themselves have asked for written assurances from team [...]

PARIS, March 4, 2008 (AFP) - Cyclists and organisers of next week’s Paris-Nice stage race have reached agreement over contracts for the event after weeks of uncertainly, team body the AIGCP said Tuesday.
   It had looked as if the first major European stage race of the season would go ahead under a cloud after organisers [...]

Paris-Nice row deepens as UCI warns of ‘consequences’

PARIS, March 1, 2008 (AFP) - Cyclists due to compete in the Paris-Nice event should ensure they respect the world governing body’s regulations before taking part in a race which may have “unfortunate consequences” for them, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said [...]

Gilbert wins Het Volk with solo break

  
   GHENT, Belgium, March 1, 2008 (AFP) - Philippe Gilbert of Francaise des Jeux won the Het Volk cycle race here on Saturday ahead of fellow Belgian Nick Nuyens and Thor Hushovd of Norway.
   The 25-year-old Gilbert, who also triumphed here two years ago, lived up to his [...]

Birthday boy Plaza wins in Valencia
  
   MADRID, March 1, 2008 (AFP) - Ruben Plaza, riding with the Benfica team, won the Tour of the Valencia Community on Saturday to celebrate his birthday in style.
   Plaza, who turned 28 on Friday, triumphed on home ground after the fifth and final stage, a 149.km ride around [...]

Riders worried at possible Paris-Nice comeback
  
   PARIS, Feb 29, 2008 (AFP) - The Association of professional riders CPA has expressed concern at the possibility of International Cycling Union (UCI) sanctions being imposed on those who choose to compete in the upcoming Paris-Nice race.
   The CPA, chaired by Frenchman Cedric Vasseur, late Thursday called on [...]

MADRID, Feb 29, 2008 (AFP) - Former Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro fell victim to a determined chasing peloton Friday before Italian Lorenzetto  Mirco took out a well-deserved sprint win at the Tour of the Valencia Community.  Mirco, of Lampre, held off fellow Spaniard Xavier Florencio, of Bouygues Telecom, and Italian Filippo Pozzato of [...]

UCI Warns Riders Over ‘Unjust’ ASO Race Organisers’ Rules
PARIS, Feb 28, 2008 (AFP) - Cycling’s world ruling body the UCI has warned teams aiming to take part in races run by the powerful ASO company about the ‘unjust’ conditions set out in the breakaway race organisers’ contract.
ASO runs a number of top events including the [...]

Pro Teams Defy UCI And Pat McQuaid Over Paris-Nice
PARIS, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) - Cycling’s governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) suffered a grievous blow to their authority on Wednesday as the professional teams signed up for the first major stage race of the season the Paris-Nice defied them and agreed [...]

Veteran Erik Zabel Rings The Right Tone
MADRID, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) - Veteran German sprint specialist Erik Zabel won the 178 kilometres second stage of the Tour of the Valencia Community from Alzira to Xativa on Wednesday.
   Despite the 37-year-old’s success, Spain’s Jose Ivan Gutierrez retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey - he leads compatriot [...]

Coni Requests Two-Year Ban For Danilo Di Luca
ROME, Feb 27, 2008 (AFP) - Anti-doping officials at the Italian Olympic Committee (Coni) requested Wednesday that Tour of Italy champion Danilo Di Luca be banned for two years after an abnormal doping test.
The abnormal result was returned after the 17th stage of the Giro [...]

Gutierrez Wins For Real, As Pereiro Lags Behind
   MADRID, Feb 26, 2008 (AFP) - Former Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro failed his first stage exams on the Tour of the Valencia Community as Spanish compatriot and teammate Ivan Gutierrez took out the victory.
   Gutierrez dominated a 24-man breakaway in a sprint finish which gave [...]

Teams Poised To Make Landmark Decision In Paris-Nice Dispute
by Justin Davis
PARIS, Feb 26, 2008 (AFP) - Professional teams caught up in a row between the International Cycling Union (UCI) and major race organisers are poised to make a decision which could force one of the two warring parties into a dramatic turnaround.
[...]

Cycling war escalates as UCI issues warning over Paris-Nice

PARIS, Feb 25, 2008 (AFP) -
The ongoing war between the International Cycling Union (UCI) and major race organisers took a significant new twist on Monday with threats that Paris-Nice could become a ‘persona non grata’ of cycling stage races.
   The European [...]

Enjoy the Bicycle.Net podcast Stage 7 edition with our host, David Bernstein of The FredCast Cycling Podcast.

Preview of Today’s Stage 7
Interviews with:

Mark Cavendish, Team High Road
Bob Stapleton, Team High Road
Freddie Rodgriguez, Rock Racing
Chris Horner, Astana
Jose Luis ‘Chechu’ Rubiera, Astana
Scott Nydam, BMC
Michael Creed, Rock Racing

Summary of the Day’s Racing Action
Final Standings
Post-race Interview with Michael Creed
Press Conference [...]

 

 Amgen Tour of California - Stage 7 [29:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (91)

Contador lines up for Valencia, and hopes for 2009 Tour
  
   MADRID, Feb 25, 2008 (AFP) - Tour de France champion Alberto Contador of Spain will look to continue venting his frustration on the bike when he saddles up for the five-day Tour of the Valencia Community on Tuesday.
   Contador and his Astana team are [...]

Levi Leipheimer (USA), General Classification Leader
Astana

On winning the 2008 Amgen Tour of California:
“I think this win is more special now because of the caliber of the field.  The amount of stars that competed here is what makes this race so great.  For me, this win is unbelievable because of the amount of cycling stars that [...]

DEFENDING CHAMPION LEVI LEIPHEIMER WINS SECOND CONSECUTIVE OVERALL TITLE
 
GEORGE HINCAPIE WINS FINAL AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA STAGE
More Than 1.6 Million Fans Turned Out to Watch the Best Field Ever
Assembled on U.S. Soil Cycle Across California
 
PASADENA, CALIF., February 24, 2008 – After eight challenging days of cycling through 650-miles of scenic California highways, roadways [...]

Leipheimer Wins Amgen Tour of California Yellow Jersey For The Second Time In A Row

PASADENA, California, Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) - American Astana rider Levi Leipheimer won the Tour of California cycle race for the second straight year here on Sunday.
American George Hincapie, riding for High [...]

ENTHUSIASM FOR ASTANA CYCLING TEAM’S YELLOW JERSEY
 
 
Thousands of enthusiastic fans welcomed Levi Leipheimer and his Astana Cycling Team-mates at the end of the Amgen Tour of California in Pasadena. The team held control over the 7th and last stage of the race helping Levi Leipheimer win his second consecutive overall victory in the Tour of [...]

Late-Race Crash Sidelines Rock Racings Star Sprinters
 
Santa Clarita, Calif. (Feb. 24, 2008) A crash in the final miles of Saturdays Stage 6 of the Amgen Tour of California dashed the hopes of Rock Racings star sprinters, Mario Cipollini and Fred Rodriguez.
 
The pair tumbled to the pavement in the final 2.5 miles (4 km) of the [...]

The Amgen Tour of California came into Metro LA today with a point to point course from Santa Clarita to Pasadena. The finish line was close enough to the Beverly Hills headquarters of your Bicycle.Net crew that we were able to gather up the wives and kids.
Yes, even Velowife pulled it together and [...]

The race is on for the Amgen Leader Jersey in the 2008 Amgen Tour of California. Following course assessment for safety and conditions, the route will remain as planned for the final stage of the race today from Santa Clarita to Pasadena. The riders will leave Santa Clarita at noon and are expected [...]

American Mattis wins opening World Cup road round
  
   GEELONG, Australia, Feb 24, 2008 (AFP) - American Katheryn Mattis outsprinted Australia’s Emma Rickards to claim victory in the year’s opening round of the UCI Women’s Road Cycling World Cup series here Sunday.
   The pair broke clear during the third lap building their lead to over [...]

Stage 7: Santa Clarita to Pasadena
 
ROUTE DETAILS
Day: Sunday, Feb 24
Start: Santa Clarita
Finish: Pasadena
Start Time: 12:00 PM
Miles: 93.4
KM: 150
End ETA: 3:27-4:01 PM
Often the final day of stage races is more ceremonial than competitive, but not at the 2008 Amgen Tour of California where stage 7, sponsored by Amgen, is a challenging point-to-point affair that could produce [...]

Enjoy the Bicycle.Net podcast Stage 6 edition with our host, David Bernstein of The FredCast Cycling Podcast.

Preview of Today’s Stage 6
Interviews with:

Bjarne Riis, Team CSC
Danny Pate, Team Slipstream
Rolf Aldag, Team High Road
Sean Tucker, Toyota-United

Summary of the Day’s Racing Action
Press Conference Highlights with:

Jim Birrell
Luciano Andre Pagliarini
Levi Leipheimer

Standings after Stage 6
Preview of Tomorrow’s Stage 7
Music: Never [...]

 

 Amgen Tour of California - Stage 6 [21:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (104)

Levi Leipheimer (USA), General Classification Leader
Astana

On today’s race:
“It’s sweet to be near the prize, but it’s never over until we cross the finish line.  I think today’s race went exactly how I imagined it.  I was confident that (David) Millar would try to do something in the end.  I tried to look for him; I [...]

Pagliarini wins sixth stage in California when Cavendish penalized

Photo by: Dave Lieberman

SANTA CLARITA, California, Feb 23, 2008 (AFP) - Luciano Pagliarini won the sixth stage of the Tour of California on Saturday, after a 20-second penalty cost Mark Cavendish the victory he had apparently claimed in a sprint finish.
[...]

PRESS RELEASE
BOTT’S DOTS FATAL FOR VLADIMIR GUSEV

Vladimir Gusev (Astana Cycling Team) broke his right collar bone in the 6th stage of the Tour of California. While picking up bottles from the team car, at 26 km of the finish in Santa Clarita, his front wheel hit one of the typical Botts’ dots, the nonreflective [...]

Preview of Today’s Stage 5
Interviews with:

Rolf Aldag, Team High Road
Dominique Rollin
Jim Birrell

Summary of the Day’s Racing Action
Press Conference Highlights with:

Levi Leipheimer
Pat McQuaid

Standings after Stage 5
Interview with Michael Ball
Preview of Tomorrow’s Stage 6
Music: Never Play in Deep France by Steffen Coonan

 

 Amgen Tour of California - Stage 5 [38:00m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (96)

Stay tuned for a more detailed story and podcast tonight, but here are a few images to get you started. Here’s the Peleton rolling along early in the day.

Ever wonder if these guys get thirsty or hungry on a 135 mile stage?
Here’s Levi Leipheimer calling for room service. We deliver.

But not only [...]

2008 Stage 6 Results
2008 Stage 6 Results
Pos. No. UCI Code Rider Team Time Gap
1. 18 BRA 19780418 PAGLIARINI MENDONCA Luciano Andr SDV 04.18′31″ 00.00′00″
2. 47 ARG 19810126 HAEDO Juan Jose CSC 04.18′31″ 00.00′00″
3. 21 ITA 19740401 BETTINI Paolo QST 04.18′31″ 00.00′00″
4. 33 GER 19860919 CIOLEK Gerald* THR 04.18′31″ 00.00′00″
5. 51 ESP 19760215 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar RAB 04.18′31″ 00.00′00″
6. 131 CAN 19821029 ROLLIN [...]

2008 Standings
2008 Overall Standings
Pos. No. UCI Code Rider Team Time Gap
1. 1 USA 19731024 LEIPHEIMER Levi AST 25.33′23″ 00.00′00″
2. 91 GBR 19770104 MILLAR David TSL 25.34′12″ 00.00′49″
3. 93 USA 19760522 VANDEVELDE Christian TSL 25.34′31″ 00.01′08″
4. 42 SUI 19810318 CANCELLARA Fabian CSC 25.34′41″ 00.01′18″
5. 45 SWE 19800920 LARSSON Gustav CSC 25.34′42″ 00.01′19″
6. 92 USA 19790112 ZABRISKIE David TSL 25.34′59″ 00.01′36″
7. 4 USA 19711023 HORNER Christopher AST 25.35′30″ 00.02′07″
8. [...]

See photos from part 1 and part 2 of Stage 5 coverage of the Amgen Tour of California.

Our glorious leader VeloGuy is going to be riding in the Toyota United team car today following the riders through the time trials. His task? Change any flats that hit the Toyota guys.
Veloguy spent 7 hours riding in a media car just in front of Rollins and the breakaway yesterday. Today, [...]

As another successful Tour of California rolls through the golden state, race organizers are already considering the status of the race for 2008 and beyond. Jim Birrell, race director for the TOC, sees a bright future for the early season stage race, but also recognizes that there are some logistics to consider before initiating the [...]

Stage 5 Preview: Solvang Individual Time Trial
ROUTE DETAILS
Day: Friday, Feb 22
Start: Solvang
Finish: Solvang
Start Time: 12:00 PM
Miles: 15
KM: 24
End ETA: 2:50 PM
Amgen Tour of California defending champion Levi Leipheimer said the individual time trial is the most important stage of the entire race. At just 15 miles, the riders will crank up the speed to the [...]

SIX-TIME CANADIAN NATIONAL ROAD CHAMPION DOMINIQUE Rollin
Rolls Away to Win Epic Stage 4 OF AMGEN TOUR OF CALIFORNIA
California Resident Levi Leipheimer Retains Leader Jersey for Second Consecutive Day
 
SAN LUIS OBISPO, February 21, 2008 – Six-time Canadian National Road Champion Dominique Rollin (CAN) of the Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team made history today as he powered away [...]

Canadian Dominique Rollin (Toyota United) has just pulled off one of the most impressive wins we have seen in the Amgen Tour of California. In weather conditions that can only be described as epic, and horrible. Rollins rode to his victory as a solo rider who escaped from the seven rider breakaway with 20k [...]

Jackson Stewart has abandoned the Tour of California and been rushed to hospital due to hypothermia. A major concern, hypothermia can be life-threatening if not treated. As the peloton continues on to San Luis Obisbo, could there be other riders who come down with the ailment? Often, one is not aware they are hypothermic until [...]

Michael Ball, the colorful leader of Rock Racing, and the PT Barnum of American Cycling sent his three banned riders back on the road again today. They were shooting video, maybe for the rumored reality show about the team.
Our reporter caught up to their caravan, a Michael Ball’s now infamous [...]

When the pros have to reach back to Oslo in the mid 90s to think of a race as long, and wet and miserable, you know that you’ve got a race as difficult as any you’re likely to see. When the winner was asked for a finish line quote, he just gasped for air, [...]

Bryce Mead just dropped out of the Break.
VeloGuy is reporting that Jackson Stewart has just dropped out of the race and is being treated for Hypothermia.  It’ll cost him his KOM jersey.
More when we have it.
Break is down to Riders: 16, 31, 57, 102 131 147 25 156 at mile 102
VeloGuy is riding [...]

Levi Leipheimer (USA), General Classification Leader
Astana

On today’s race:
“We knew that today was going to be important.  I think this stage was the hardest stage in the three-year history of the Amgen Tour of California.  It was a day with a few tough, but really beautiful, climbs.  The Mt. Hamilton climb turned out to be really [...]

STAGE 4 TOMORROW:
Thursday, Feb. 21 – Seaside to San Luis Obispo (135.3 mi/217.8 km)
Estimated Start Time: 10 a.m.
Estimated Finish Time: 3:30-4:30 p.m.
OVERALL STANDINGS
STAGE LOG 
STAGE MAP 
STAGE PROFILE 
The remarkable views of Stage 4 will make it a favorite for riders and spectators alike.  Beginning in Seaside with a short neutral lap and traveling along a similar route [...]