Cycling Tour

Attentions to the Tour de France

The Team Sky rider was down to ride the time trial and the road race at the British nationals in Lincolnshire this weekend, but withdrew from both events on Monday evening.

The thinking behind the decision, taken mutually according to Thomas and Sky, is that the events would be excessive given the proximity of the Tour and the rider’s recent exertions at the Tour de Suisse.

“Sadly, the call has been made to not compete at the Nationals this week,” Thomas wrote on his Facebook page. “It was a really difficult decision to make with the team, but it was felt that resting at home this week would be best. After such an intense week at the Tour de Suisse, both mentally and physically.

Every day is like a Classic during the first week of Tour de France

Twelve months ago, Froome’s yellow jersey defence came to a premature halt when he crashed out of the Tour just before the first cobbled section on stage five. The pavé makes a return this year, but the Team Sky leader warned that the entire opening act, as the race sweeps across Belgium and northern France in the first week, is replete with potential pitfalls.

“That first week really is going to be crucial – the first nine days, actually, until we get up into the mountains on stage 10,” Froome said on Wednesday. “In my mind, it’s almost as if each one of those nine stages is like a Classics race in its own right. You’ve almost got to do nine one-day classics before then starting the GC race up in the mountains. And before you get through those nine Classics, you’re not even entered for the GC race in that regard.”

Armstrong confirmed for USA Pro Challenge

Armstrong and her Twenty 16 p/b Sho-Air team will be joined by the other five UCI-registered teams from the US: Optum, UnitedHealthcare, Tibco-SVB, BMW and Pepper Palace, as well as elite teams Visit Dallas, Colavita/Bianchi, DNA Cycling and the Colorado Women’s Cycling Project, with a full list of teams to be announced in early August.

The riders will have three stages, the first of which is an 8.5-mile time trial in Breckenridge on the same course as the men’s pro race, a road race from Loveland to Fort Collins, and a criterium in Golden.

Strategic to lead on Eve of Tour de France Finish

With yet another stunning comeback in the final time trial, Landis reclaimed the famed yellow jersey of the Tour de France leader Saturday along with a 59-second lead that should land him atop the victory podium in Paris.

The American would be picking up where another Yank left off just last year, when Lance Armstrong completed his seventh and final Tour triumph.

“I could not be happier,” Landis said. “It’s one of the best days of my life.”

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The Phonak team leader, who trailed former teammate Oscar Pereiro of Spain by 30 seconds before the penultimate Stage 19, outpaced the Spaniard by 1 minute, 29 seconds in the race against the clock.

Overall, Pereiro fell to second, 59 seconds behind Landis, while German rider Andreas Kloeden, 1:29 back, pushed Spaniard Carlos Sastre off the podium into fourth.

Sunday’s ride could be the most anticlimactic moment of this unpredictable Tour, marked by Landis’ bizarre performance swings — from despair to elation — and news that he’s been riding with an arthritic hip.