Kloss and Olsen Win Fourth Titles at Masters Track Nationals

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James Kloss and Claire Olsen have won a Stars-and-Stripes jersey each day of the Masters Track Nationals.

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Peter Sagan and the green jersey: A natural fit

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Some things just go together. Thunder and lighting, peaches and cream, tequila and bad decisions, and Peter Sagan and the green jersey. He has often made it appear easy but, as he targets a record-equalling sixth, the world champion says he's not bored of it yet.

"I try to do my best to get another one, and then the next year another one, and then maybe I'm bored," Sagan told a packed house at the Specialized store in the centre of Düsseldorf.

"I don't know. It's a very hard competition, the Tour de France; you have to concentrate for 21 days. It's not sure, to take a green jersey is very hard. You have to fight for that from the first day to the last one. It's hard, and for sure it's not boring."

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Sagan first won the points classification with his romping Tour de France debut in 2012 and has not looked like giving it up since. Over the years, many have tried and failed to rip the jersey from his grasp, and some will try again this year, but the closest anyone has got to achieving such a feat was André Greipel in 2015, who, even after winning four stages, was still 76 points shy of the Slovak's tally.

Last year was the zenith of Sagan's powers in that competition when it seemed that almost nothing and nobody could touch him. By the time he reached Paris, he had won three stages and had amassed 470 points, more than he had in any other year. Marcel Kittel, his closest rival had just 228.

There has been talk about how the 2017 course has opened up the general classification battle, giving many more riders a chance get into the top places, and it has also done the same to the competition for the green jersey. There are many more opportunities for the pure sprinters, while an in-form Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) should give Sagan a run for his money. While it is almost impossible to look past the world champion after his previous performances, he refuses to take it for granted that he will be on that podium in Paris in just over three weeks.

Sagan and green: The story so far

The lean years

On top of his game

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2017 Tour of Austria start list

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Boels Dolmans smash opening TTT of Giro Rosa

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Boels-Dolmans took a commanding victory on the Giro Rosa's opening stage team time trial in Aquileia on Friday night. With defending champion Megan Guarnier in its ranks, the Dutch-registered squad was the last team to roll down from the start ramp and the only team to break the 15-minute barrier. Newly crowned Canadian time trial champion Karol-Ann Canuel led her teammates across the finish with a time of 14:47 and will wear the 28th edition of the Giro Rosa's first maglia rosa.

"We talked about it beforehand, and everyone said they were okay with me crossing the line first," Canuel told Cyclingnews. "It was really special to pull on the pink jersey."

The special moment was compounded by unnecessary last-minute stress. Canuel flew to Italy via Air Canada on Tuesday evening, four hours after winning her second Canadian time trial title. She landed on Wednesday morning without her time trial bike. For two days, no one could tell her where her Specialized Shiv was and when she might be reunited with it.

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"That was really stressful," she said. "It wasn't until 12 O'clock today that it showed up."

The victory for Canuel and her teammates is an unsurprising one. Boels-Dolmans won a gold medal in the team time trial at the UCI Road World Championships last October, capping off a season that included a win in every collective race against the clock. The squad also won the Healthy Ageing Tour team time trial in April, the only TTT they've raced this season.

Team Sunweb proved best of the rest, stopping the clock at 15:03, 16 seconds slower than Boels-Dolmans. Orica-Scott were a further six seconds afield in third place at 22 seconds. Wiggle-High5 and Canyon//SRAM rounded out the top-five with Kasia Niewiadoma's WM3 Energie team in sixth place at 37 seconds.

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David Tanner signs with Veranda's Willems Crelan

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Just as it appeared that 2017 would be a right off for the out of contract David Tanner, a 2 a.m. phone call offered the Australian a lifeline. Former Saxo Bank teammate Nick Nuyens reached out to Tanner's manager and offered the 32-year-old a contract through to the end of 2017 via his Pro Continental squad Veranda's Willems Crelan.

With IAM Cycling folding at the end of last year, Tanner found himself on the lookout for a new team and was close a deal when he was hit by a car in a training ride accident in September. He spent three weeks in intensive care recovering from multiple injuries as a result and facing up to the reality of an early retirement

Refusing to give up on his career, Tanner kept training in the hope of earning a contract while also remaining pragmatic and enrolling in courses to cover his bases.

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It was during a visit to Australia in May made to complete a level one coaching course, along with several other personal and professional reasons, that Tanner received the news. He is now back in Europe at altitude, preparing for his first races with the team in late-July with his persistence paying off.

"I had almost given up on racing for this year. I didn't want to stop cycling so I kept training in the hope that someone gave me a chance," a relieved Tanner told Cyclingnews. "I had basically given up. In my last week in Australia, Nick Nuyens called my manager and I just happened to be staying at his house and it was two in the morning or something.

"He came into the room and said, 'Nick Nuyens just called me and wants to know if you can race in July'. I didn't know if I was dreaming or what the story was but it was true and it happened.”

Grateful to be a alive

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Taylor Phinney: I have to be happy with whatever level I get back to

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Taylor Phinney (Cannondale-Drapac) is set to make his Tour de France debut on Saturday, with the American an outside challenger for the 14-kilometre prologue in the German city of Dusseldorf.

The American moved to Cannondale-Drapac over the winter and has endured a slow start to his season, with niggling injuries slowing his progress. That said, the former maglia rosa wearer heads into his first Tour brimming with excitement. The race has been a major objective for Phinney since he was a youngster, and he follows in the footsteps of his his father, who is one of only three Americans to win multiple stages in the race.

There was a point when Phinney Jr. doubted his future in the sport after a serious crash at the US Professional Road Championships in Chattanooga in 2014 saw him fracture both bones in his lower leg, shatter his kneecap and severely injure ligaments and tendons in his knee. The recovery has been arduous, but Phinney has fought back to take the start and make history on Sunday.

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Cyclingnews: Taylor, how is your form ahead of the Tour and Saturday’s time trial?

Taylor Phinney: The time trial is a bit of an unknown. I’ve not had the perfect season so far. I feel like I’ve been coming back the whole time from three different incidents. I got through Tour de Suisse and got a decent result in the prologue there, and doing that race will bring me up another level. That said, everyone is coming here at a high level. I did come here in April to recon the course, so I’m going to go out there and do my thing. Wherever that puts me, that’s where it puts me.

CN: What was the last time trial you did that you were truly happy with, where you were happy with the performance and got the result you wanted out of it?

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New Trek Emonda breaks the 650g barrier

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This article first appeared on BikeRadar. Since it was posted, Trek-Segafredo formally announced they would be racing the new Emonda during the Tour de France. Alberto Contador was riding the new frame during the Criterium du Dauphine.

At 690g, Trek's last generation Emonda was one of the lightest production framesets in the world. For the 2018 model Trek has pushed the boundaries even further making a 640g (H1, vapor coat paint, 56cm) frame for the standard brake model.

Even with this superlight chassis the Emonda is still backed with Trek's lifetime warranty. The firm has added a disc brake model for the first time and increased tyre clearances on both configurations, too. The disc brake frame tips the scales at an impressive 665g (H1, vapor coat paint, 56cm) - that's lighter than the previous generation caliper bike.

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So as a direct comparison between old and new:

• Emonda SLR (previous) 56cm H1 fit: 690g
• Emonda SLR (new) 56cm H1 fit: 640g
• Emonda SLR Disc 56cm H1 fit: 665g

It's not just a matter of weight reduction, however, as Trek also claims the new Emonda is stiffer at the headtube, bottom bracket, and in the frame overall, whilst at the same time introducing a little more vertical compliance. The standard fork tips the scales at 313g, and the disc 350g.

The development of the new Trek Emonda started more than three years ago, with initial studies and testing resulting in thousands of viable designs using HEEDS software (an engineering tool that allows for multi-parameters of data to informs the construction and shape of a frame). From that, more computing power in the form of FEA (finite element analysis) and plenty of further R&D into the materials and manufacturing process enabled Trek to produce the lightest frame it has ever made. Finally, the engineering and industrial design team built a series of prototypes, which were real world tested by the Trek Segafredo team.

Every size and every configuration of the Emonda SLR will be available in both H1 and H2 fit for both disc and rim brake frames. So those who favour a longer and lower ride position have the H1, and riders looking for a more endurance focused shape can opt for the H2 fit models.

2018 Trek Emonda pricing and availability

• Emonda SLR 9 Dura Ace Di2; Late June; $11,000/£8,000
• Emonda SLR 8 disc Dura Ace; Early July; $7,000/£5,600
• Emonda SLR 8 Dura Ace; Mid July; $6,500/£5,200
• Emonda SLR 6 Disc Ultegra; Late Oct; $5,500/£4,400
• Emonda SLR 6 Ultegra; Early Sept; $50,00/£4,000
• Emonda SLR FS H1; TBC
• Emonda SLR FS H2; TBC
• Emonda SL 7 Disc Ultegra Di2; Mid Oct; $5,000/£3,500
• Emonda SL 7 Ultegra Di2; Mid Sept; $4,500/£3,100
• Emonda SL6 disc Ultegra; Mid Oct; $2,999/£2,650
• Emonda SL6 Ultegra; Mid Aug; $2,500/£2,250
• Emonda SL5 105; Early July; $2,000/£1,800
• Emonda SL5 WSD 105; Early July; $2,000/£1,800
• Emonda ALR 6 Ultegra; Mid July; $2,300/£1,800
• Emonda ALR 5 105; Mid July; $TBC/£1,350
• Emonda SLR 4 Tiagra; Mid July; $TBC/1,000
• Emonda ALR FS; $900/£775

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Wiggins targeting 2020 Olympics in rowing

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Bradley Wiggins has his eyes on another Olympic gold medal to go with the five he's already earned in cycling, but this time the 37-year-old winner of the 2012 Tour de France wants to earn it on the water as a rower.

The BBC reported on Friday that Wiggins plans to compete this December in the British Indoor Rowing Championships in London with an eye toward participation in the 2020 games.

"I might be being a bit delusional, but the times suggest I'm not," Wiggins told the BBC, adding that the "numbers are quite good."

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Wiggins, who will be 40 in the summer of 2020, is being coached by friend and Olympic rowing gold medallist James Cracknell.

"I took up rowing when I retired just to keep fit, but my numbers started getting quite good, so I've started taking it up professionally now and getting coached seven days a week," he said at a corporate event in Manchester, as reported by the Daily Mail.

"I'm going to see how far I can take it. Maybe a sixth Olympic gold?"

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Cadel Evans hints that Chris Froome's Tour de France dominance could be over

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Cadel Evans has been there, done that, and still wears the BMC Racing T-shirt, so if anyone can offer Richie Porte advice on how to win the Tour de France, it's perhaps the 2011 victor.

As Porte took centre stage at his pre-race press conference in Dusseldorf on Thursday, Evans watched on from the back of the auditorium. As the only Australian – and the only BMC rider – to ever win the Tour de France, his take on his countryman's chances were one of the most sought after opinions once Porte and his teammates brought the curtain down on their event.

The first question Evans faced was how he would take on three-time winner Chris Froome, who heads into the Tour on the back of a less-than-convincing season. The Team Sky rider finished fourth in the recent Criterium du Dauphine with Porte outclassing him in both the time trial and in the mountains.

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"First you've got to get to the mountains and the places where you can take him on. I would concentrate on that first, but Chris is the man to beat in this year's Tour and he's proven that with his results that he's the best Grand Tour rider of this generation or certainly over the last four years," Evans opened with.

Despite Froome's experience, the reality is that he has not won a race during this calendar year. Porte, on the other hand, has won the Tour Down Under, the Tour de Romandie and taken a stage and second overall at the Dauphine. Even Froome has anointed Porte as the Tour favourite, and while Evans went on to win the Tour at the ripe age of 34 he did open the debate as to whether Froome's powers, at the age of 32, were beginning to wane.

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Tour de France: Stage 1 time trial start times

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The Tour de France gets underway on Saturday, July 1 with the 14km time trial in Düsseldorf - a short, technical test that will provide the first important gaps between the overall contenders.

Who will set the fastest time? The first rider to get in the hot seat will undoubtedly be Elie Gesbert (Fortuneo-Oscaro), who is the first rider off. Unless he's passed by Marco Minnard (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), he will be the first marker for the rest of the peloton.

The current weather forecast calls a better chance of rain for the early riders, with precipitation tapering off for the final starters. Unfortunately for Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe), the greatest chance of rain is during his start time at 16:31.

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The main GC contenders will take off from the start house after 18:00 local time, with stage favourite, time trial champion Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin) at 18:20. Defending champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) will be last down the ramp at 18:32.

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Who’s the boss? Aru and Fuglsang lead the line for Astana at Tour de France

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A tale of two leaders and two contracts for Astana at the Tour de France. While Jakob Fuglsang signed a two-year extension on Thursday afternoon, his stable-mate Fabio Aru has yet to agree terms with the squad for 2018. General manager Alexandre Vinokourov sat alongside the two riders as he announced the news ahead of a press conference at an airport hotel in Düsseldorf on Friday afternoon, his soft voice barely reaching to the front row.

"Yesterday, Jakob signed a contract for two more years with Astana," Vinokourov said. "We won't put pressure on Fabio before the Tour, we'll talk after the race, but we'd like him to stay with the team."

Aru's salary demands are understood to be the chief sticking point in his negotiations with Astana. Earlier this week, Il Corriere della Sera reported the Sardinian's asking price to be some €3 million per year, and noted that he had parted company with agents Alex and Johnny Carera this spring. "Fabio is a wonderful person, but our objectives are too far apart," Johnny Carera said.

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The stakes on this Tour, then, are particularly high for Aru, who will hope a podium finish might persuade Astana – or others – to come closer to his own lofty valuation. The Sardinian seemed a rider on the ascent after winning the 2015 Vuelta a España and twice placing on the podium of the Giro d'Italia, but a disappointing 13th place on last year's Tour interrupted his hitherto smooth progression in the professional ranks. His startling solo victory at the Italian Championships last weekend, however, augurs well for his Tour this time out.

"Of course, the team doesn't have a budget like Sky, but Fabio is a rider we'd like to keep," Vinokourov said, dismissing the idea that he considered leaving Aru out of the Tour team due to the uncertainty over his future. "I think he can win this Tour de France, and we certainly weren't going to leave him at home like Coquard. We're here to try to win the Tour, and we'll take about the rest afterwards."

Fuglsang, meanwhile, had no misgivings about putting pen to paper on a new contract before the Tour began, and, for their part, Astana were keen to tie down the Dane after his impressive victory at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné.

Two leaders

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Froome extends with Team Sky - Tour de France news shorts

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Defending Tour de France champion Chris Froome will stay with Team Sky through the 2020 season, the team confirmed today.

As first reported by Cyclingnews during the Critérium du Dauphiné, Froome had been rumoured to be in negotiations but said that he had no contact with BMC manager Jim Ochowicz and intended to remain with Team Sky. He said earlier this week that he was close to signing a contract.

The British rider has been with the team since its inception in 2010.

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No formal risk assessments for Tour de France finishes until 2018

The UCI recently rolled out a slew of safety enhancements for its rule book after more than a year of discussions with the riders' union (Cyclistes Professionnels Associés, CPA). The officials will continue a test of a new rule for assigning time gaps on sprint stages in the Tour de France, but the final kilometers of this year's Tour de France stages will not undergo the formal risk assessment that is required for WorldTour races from 2018 on, the UCI confirmed today.

The time gap rule, which was tested during the Tour de Suisse, extends the limit from one second or less between groups to three seconds for assigning riders the same time toward the general classification.

The aim is to make the final three kilometers of sprint stages safer, allowing riders fighting for the overall classification to sit up out of the way of the sprinters' lead-out trains without worrying about losing time.

Bardet, Naesen, Latour extend with AG2R through 2020

Tour de France stage previews now on video

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Guercilena: Cardoso's doping case hurts us

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Trek-Segafredo team manager Luca Guercilena has admitted that the news of Andre Cardoso’s positive test for EPO has hurt the team, but he is determined to put it behind him and focus on the upcoming Tour de France.

The UCI announced on Tuesday that Cardoso had returned a positive finding for the banned blood booster Erythropoietin (EPO) during an out-of-competition test on June 18. Cardoso was due to line-up at the Tour de France to support Alberto Contador but has since been suspended by the team.

"It's clear that the case hurts us quite badly, but as I've said, we know what we are doing, and we know what our line is, we turn the page," said Guercilena. "In this case, from the legal point, we will see what happens at the end. Right now, we need to focus on the race."

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When asked about it during his pre-Tour de France press conference, Contador, who was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title after testing positive for Clenbuterol, said that the news had "come as a surprise" to him. Koen de Kort, another new signing for the team over the winter, told Cyclingnews after the team presentation that the team had spoken briefly about it and said that using EPO was "stupid".

He also said, "It's good that some guys get caught as it means that testing works and deters people from doing a stupid thing, but that it's a teammate makes it a bit painful."

Guercilena said on Friday that he has spoken with his team about the case, but they are not "spending too much time" discussing it.

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Cavendish aiming to win Tour de France stage on luck

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Pressure and expectations are two terms that have followed Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) ever since he burst onto the pro scene over a decade ago. Since then the sprinter of his generation has won world titles, 30 stages in the Tour de France, multiple other races and broken record after record.

On the eve of the 2017 Tour de France, the former road world champion finds himself in a relatively new position – that of an underdog but one with little to prove. That Cavendish is even at the Tour de France is somewhat of a victory in itself, given the medical prognosis he was handed back in March when a blood test revealed that he was suffering from glandular fever.

In the time since, Cavendish has regained his health, made a tentative return to racing and announced that he is at the Tour de France with the aim of adding to his tally of 30 stage wins. As he has stressed every year since first rocking up to the Tour, one stage win would qualify as a success. Stage 2 of the Tour will determine how he stacks up against his sprint rivals and whether he has the necessary top-end speed.

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"Obviously I'm not in ideal condition, but the good thing about being a sprinter is that sometimes you can win on luck," he said, rather underplaying the skill, speed, guile and hard work that have underpinned much of his success both on the track and road.

"If you get on the right wheels and you get on the right one, then there's a chance that you can win. It's worth coming here with that chance as a sprinter because there are a lot of sprint stages."

The consensus at the Tour is that there are nine stages suited to the sprinters – a design feature of the route that has not been seen since Cavendish's early dominance in 2008. Last year, Cavendish picked his way to four stages and a stint in the yellow jersey. It's far too early to talk about a repeat performance – especially as the race starts with a time trial, a yellow is almost certainly out of reach – but Cavendish's relaxed and easy-going demeanour is an indication of how he is approaching this year's race.

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Contador: I don't want to rely on feats to win the Tour de France

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Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo) is known for daring moves that can blow up races in an instant. He famously won his 2012 Vuelta a Espana with a do-or-die attack to Fuente Dé, and a similar break at last year's Vuelta almost secured him a podium place, and probably gave Nairo Quintana (Movistar) overall victory.

Team Sky directeur sportif Nicolas Portal called Contador 'unpredictable', but the Spaniard hopes he can take the yellow jersey in an altogether more predictable manner at the Tour de France this July.

"At the moment, I hope that this Tour will depend on my physical state," Contador told a room full of media at the Trek-Segafredo hotel in the centre of Dusseldorf. "Evidently, if we have any mishaps then with this route we can make some different tactics but, at this moment, I hope that it won't depend on a feat but on my physical form.

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"I think that it is a Tour where a lot of things can happen. It is perhaps an atypical route in terms of the mountains. The Pyrenees are practically with the Alps, but there are three other mountain stages before. On stage 9 we will pass the first serious mountains where there will be differences. Perhaps it is a more open Tour and one that will be harder to control by one team."

What exactly Contador's form is, remains to be seen. Contador has come close to victory four times this season at the Ruta del Sol, Paris-Nice, País Vasco and the Volta a Catalunya. Between those four races, his collective losing margin is barely over a minute, but victory has thus far eluded him. His most recent outing came at the Criterium du Dauphine, where he chose to sit up and not push into the red rather than duke it out for the top spots in the general classification.

Contador says that the more gradual build-up means he is more keen to get going than in the past, and he is confident that he has made the right choice.

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McLay: The season starts all over again at the Tour de France

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With the first half of the Tour de France decked out with sprint stages, all eyes are on Andre Greipel, Mark Cavendish, Arnaud Demare, Marcel Kittel and Nacer Bouhanni. But Daniel McLay (Fortuneo-Oscaro) isn't in the race just to make up the numbers, the 25-year-old is dreaming of winning a stage.

McLay picked up a number of top 10 performances in last year's Tour – without a full lead-out train - and marked himself out as a sprinter on the rise. This year began with a win in the Trofeo Palma, but back-to-back crashes left him on the sidelines and it has been a stop-start season ever since. While he arrives at this year's Tour with more experience under his belt, he is perhaps not quite at his very best in terms of speed and form.

"The season started really well with the first weekend but since then I'm been running into little problems. I've felt good the last week in training and hopefully I can come good and we'll get something out of it," he told Cyclingnews on the eve of the Tour.

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"I've not checked exactly when the sprints fall but I've heard there's possibly nine possibilities, so you've got to make the most of them. I'm a bit more experienced but at the same time maybe the build up hasn't gone as smoothly. But on the weekend the season starts again and we'll see how the legs are. I just have to go 100 per cent, be confident in myself and give it a good crack."

McLay's first early season crash came in a bizarre turn of events at the Trofeo Palma. After winning the sprint, he collided with a photographer just after the line. He was taken to hospital with cuts, bruises and a split lip after a tooth tore through his mouth. The second fall came in Belgium in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, just as he was beginning to find some form.

"I broke my rib, but to be honest I don't know if I broke it in Mallorca or Het Nieuwsblad. I did quite a lot of races with that, without realising it, and I was in a lot of pain. Since then I've had a good training block but was a bit unfortunate to get a bit sick. It's normal stuff that happens but the timing hasn't been ideal. Somewhere underneath there I'm on pretty good form and hopefully I can show that."

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Spotted: Giant Propel Disc prototype at the Tour de France

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This article first appeared on BikeRadar.

Giant appears poised to launch a disc version of its Propel aero bike, given the machine that Team Sunweb's Michael Matthews is dialing in for the Tour de France.

The Giant Propel Disc frameset looks to be production-ready. The Propel Disc's striking stem – which encases the Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 wires and hydraulic lines – is unmarked and alloy, and may or may not be in final form.

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While both Sunweb and Giant were tight-lipped about the bike, there are a few discernible points about the bike worth noting.

The original rim-brake Propel features a very slender, hourglass head tube. The Propel Disc has a stouter head tube, presumably for more front end lateral stiffness.

The down tube on the new Propel Disc is massive, as is the junction above the bottom bracket. Hello, frame stiffness.

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Bardet: Tactical sense can make the difference in this Tour de France

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Finishing second overall at last year’s Tour de France has hardly left Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale) with much margin for improvement, and the subtext to the opening question in his pre-race press conference in Düsseldorf was clear. “Have you progressed since last year?” Bardet was asked. In other words, can he bridge the 32-year gap and become France’s first Tour winner since Bernard Hinault in 1985?

“I think I have progressed but the road will reveal more,” Bardet said carefully. “I’ve prepared very seriously and we’ll see over the three weeks.”

In a wide-ranging interview with Pierre Carrey of Libération last week, Bardet employed a neat formula to downplay the weight of carrying home hopes on the Tour. “I’m not riding to win the Tour. I’m riding for my best performance,” Bardet said then, and he returned to the thought on Friday morning.

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“There are greater expectations,” Bardet acknowledged. “But this is my fifth Tour and my fourth aiming for the general classification, so I know what I’m facing into. Finishing on the podium last year was a validation of the work we’re been doing on this team. The objective is to be at that level of performance year after year, but the result isn’t determined solely by how you perform physically. We have the experience, too, to turn the race to our advantage at certain points.”

Chris Froome (Sky) was a dominant victor at last year’s Tour, where Bardet’s invention on the road to Saint Gervais helped to separate him from the clutch of riders on his coattails to claim second place in Paris. On the evidence of the season to date – and the Dauphiné in particular – the gap between Froome and his rivals seems to have narrowed. The clutch of contenders for overall victory this year – Bardet poetically referred to them as a pléiade – should, at least in theory, making for a very different race to the controlled fare of twelve months ago.

“From my point of view, I’d put Richie Porte on the level of Chris Froome in the mountains and the time trials, even though he doesn’t have the same experience when it comes to winning the Tour,” Bardet said.

The route

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Quintana to be 'much more daring' in 2017 Tour de France

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As he tackles his fourth Tour de France and second Grand Tour of the season, Nairo Quintana (Movistar Team) has recognised that if he wants to dominate this year’s route, he’ll have to be "much more daring" than usual.

For many reasons, there's widespread agreement that this could well be a more open Tour than in previous years. "This time round there is no script," Quintana's manager Eusebio Unzue pronounced during Movistar's pre-race press conference.

That unpredictability is partly thanks to the uncertainty surrounding Chris Froome's racing condition, as well as the greater number of stronger rivals opposing the three-time Tour champion. But that uncertainty has also intensified, Quintana said in the same press conference, thanks to the 2017 Tour's unpredictable route, with fewer summit finishes, less time trialling and more finishes after descents.

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"It's going to be a very strange Tour," he announced. "There are some mountain stages, but fewer summit finishes, so then we will have to fight all the way through to the finish. We'll have to be much more daring."

The other big question mark for Quintana is the knock-on effect of his racing in the Giro d'Italia, and what consequences doing one Grand Tour will have on his Tour de France performance. Barring Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) and Quintana, none of the other top contenders for the Tour has also raced the Giro d'Italia, with Mikel Landa (Sky) Geraint Thomas (Sky) and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), all GC candidates in the Giro, now racing the Tour in less high-pressure support roles.

"It's a different kind of preparation, it's clear that the Tour is the most important race of the season, but we got through the Giro d'Italia well and we're looking to see what we can do here," Quintana said afterwards.

No Valverde

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Sir Bradley Wiggins: Olympic cycling champion planning rowing career

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Five-time Olympic cycling champion Sir Bradley Wiggins says he is aiming to be at the Tokyo 2020 Games as a rower.

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Chris Froome says 2017 Tour de France is 'biggest challenge' of his career

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Chris Froome says winning a fourth Tour de France title this summer represents the "biggest challenge" of his career.

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Tour de France 2017: Stage-by-stage guide

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BBC Sport's Rob Hayles takes you through the 21 stages that make up this year's race and analyses where it will be won and lost.

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No Phil or Paul at the TDF This Year!

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The famous cycling commentary duo of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen will not be heard on Supersport during the Tour de France this year by Mike Finch

So it’s official.. The famous voices of Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen will not be heard during this year’s Tour de France because of a change in the world feed designated for South Africa.

Supersport Communications manager Clinton van der Berg confirmed that the two famous voices would be replaced by the Australian combination of former pro Robbie McEwen and Matthew Keenan.

“SuperSport can confirm the change in broadcasts,” Van der Berg said. “Phil Liggett has long been a mainstay of the Tour de France broadcast team. He is also a particular favourite of South Africans, so his unique voice will no doubt be missed.”

Van der Berg said that SuperSport had no control over the world feed, but expected standards will continue to be high.

“To confirm, we will be taking the ‘Super’ world feed from beginning to end with Robbie and Matthew,” Van der Berg said.

Liggett and Sherwen have been a feature of the Tour de France commentary on SuperSport since the 1990’s

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Tour de France 2017: Geraint Thomas set to stay at Sky for 2018

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Welsh cyclist Geraint Thomas is to take up the option of a one-year contract extension to stay with Team Sky in 2018.

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Froome in great shape for Tour de France - Thomas

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Geraint Thomas says Team Sky team-mate and defending champion Chris Froome is in "great shape" for the Tour de France, which starts on Saturday.

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Tour de France 2017: Chris Froome says Richie Porte is the man to beat

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Defending champion Chris Froome is wary of the threat posed by former team-mate Richie Porte at the Tour de France.

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'I'm not trying to dodge responsibility' - Cookson defends British Cycling record

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Brian Cookson, the head of cycling's world governing body, says blame for British Cycling's failings should not rest solely with him.

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​Oakley Releases 2017 Tour de France Edition Eyewear

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Celebrate the Tour with these sweet shades. – By Jen See

To celebrate the 2017 Tour de France, Oakley has released a new line-up of special edition eyewear. The collection combines Oakley’s distinctive styling with technologically advanced materials. The goal is to provide the best possible performance for elite and everyday athletes alike.

Three new models comprise the collection: Evzero Path Prizm Road, Jawbreaker Prizm Road, and Radar EV Path Prizm Road. Each is etched with the Tour de France logo to celebrate the world’s biggest race. Yellow trim along the frames of both the Jawbreaker and the Radar commemorate the leader’s jersey at the Tour.

There’s also a new special edition of the Radar Pace, Oakley’s smart eyewear. The Radar Pace features a voice-activated coaching system that aims to change riders’ training habits with more feedback. The Radar Pace collects performance data such as heart rate, power output, speed, cadence, distance, and time. Analysis happens through a phone app, and the Radar Pace will pair with your existing sensors through ANT+ or Bluetooth connections. The colourway of the Tour de France Radar Pace’s iridium coated lens celebrates the regions of France.

Oakley’s Tour de France collection comes equipped with Prizm lens technology. Prizm works to fine-tine the colours you see and enhance the clarity of your vision. According to Oakley, Prizm brightens whites, while saturating yellow, green, and red more intensely. Oakley has designed Prizm lenses to fit the demands of specific sports and they aim to highlight the colors you most need to see on the bike, while filtering out visual noise.

The goal of Prizm’s unique lenses is to make it possible to see the road texture and hazards more clearly. This should make for a more confident – and fast – riding experience, especially on descents and on less-than-optimal road surfaces. Oakley also uses Prizm technology in their snow collection, among others.

A long time cycling sponsor, Oakley supports multiple teams competing in this year’s Tour de France. Watch for Dimension Data, Trek-Segafredo, Team Sky, BMC Racing Team, Tinkoff, and Giant-Alpecin, who will all be rocking Oakley designs.

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Brian Cookson: UCI president denies 'culture of fear' at British Cycling

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UCI president Brian Cookson denies there was a "culture of fear" at British Cycling.

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Get Inspired: An epic coastal hand-cycling challenge

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Meet 61-year-old Rob Groves from East Sussex, who is hand-cycling 2,500 miles around the coast of England and Wales in July.

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Race Predictions for the 2017 Tour de France

Four Riders Win Third Title on Day 3 of Masters Track Nationals

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It was a Thursday trifecta for four competitors as the 2017 USA Cycling Masters Track National Championshipsreached its third day of competition.

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Tour de France mechanics' prologue - Gallery

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This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Entire fleets of Tour de France race bikes don’t just build themselves, you know.

In the days before the Tour kicks off with a 14km time trial in Dusseldorf, Germany, team mechanics put in long hours to build, rebuild, wash and tune multiple bikes for each rider.

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While much of this routine is, in fact, routine for veteran mechanics, the Tour can add a little extra spice, as brands rush to capitalise on the cycling world’s attention to showcase new products.

Click through the gallery above for a look at the handiwork of Tour de France mechanics.

Sometimes a gentle hand is enough

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De Kort: Taking EPO is ridiculous, it's just so stupid

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Koen de Kort has expressed his shock and outrage after Trek-Segafredo teammate Andre Cardoso returned a positive test for EPO on the eve of the Tour de France.

Cardoso has denied taking the drug and is awaiting the result of the B-sample analysis but the rider was pulled from Trek-Segafredo's Tour team earlier this week and has been suspended by the team pending the final analysis.

"I just can't really believe it. I'm hoping that the B-sample is going to be negative because I can’t imagine how you could be so stupid," de Kort told Cyclingnews at the Tour de France teams presentation in Dusseldorf on Thursday evening.

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"It just makes no sense to me. We've spoken about it briefly [ed. at the team] but not a whole lot. We're dumbstruck."

De Kort added that he had mixed emotions on the subject – welcoming the fact that testing in professional sport works but reiterating his disappointment and frustration with Cardoso.

"It's good that some guys get caught as it means that testing works and deters people from doing stupid thing, but that it's a teammate makes it a bit painful."

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Dusseldorf rolls out red carpet for Tour de France teams - Gallery

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The 22 teams set to take part in the 2017 Tour de France were presented Thursday in Düsseldorf as Germany prepares to host its first Grand Depart in three decades.

After a run of press conferences and the typical pre-race mind-games they entail, the Tour peloton had their chance to enjoy a celebratory evening on the banks of the Rhine River, with the performances and fanfare no Tour de France team presentation is complete without.

From Chris Froome to Peter Sagan, and in particular the 16 German riders on the start list, the stars of the race took to the stage to be officially welcomed by crowds of fans. For some riders, it was a chance to show off a new national champion's jersey in front of the fans for the first time.

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A select few teams took advantage of the opportunity to unveil new kits as well, with Sky and Trek-Segafredo sporting fresh looks for the biggest event on the cycling calendar.

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A long-awaited debut: Chaves gears up for the Tour de France - Podcast

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In the latest episode of the Cyclingnews Podcast, we take an in-depth look at the development of a Grand Tour contender and the difficult road he's taken to his Tour de France debut.

It's been a challenging year for Esteban Chaves, whose preparation for the upcoming Tour was derailed by a nagging knee problem, but the 27-year-old Colombian climber and his Orica-Scott team have learned the value of patience, especially considering the way their relationship began.

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Featuring interviews with Chaves and Orica sports director Matt White, the podcast gets the story on how rider and team have dealt with a frustrating 2017 season, why it's only a small hurdle compared to the injuries Chaves battled back from earlier in his career and, most importantly, whether he ever stops smiling.

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Thomas extends with Team Sky, hints at possibly leaving in 2019

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Geraint Thomas has confirmed to Cyclingnews that he has put pen to paper on his contract extension with Team Sky for 2018. The Welsh rider always had the option of a deal on the table after re-signing with the team two years ago. After listening to interest from several other teams, including UAE Team Emirates, he has decided to accept his option at Team Sky.

“UAE didn’t offer me a contract but they were just interested to know my situation. It’s sorted now and I’m staying with Team Sky for the year and seeing out that contract,” Thomas told Cyclingnews at the Tour de France teams presentation in Düsseldorf.

Thomas has been with Team Sky since the squad's inception in 2010 and enjoyed several successful seasons at the team. Other squads have tried to lure him away on several occasions but he has remained loyal. He will be 32 years old when his 2018 deal expires and admitted that he will take a serious look at other options at that point.

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“After that, we’ll see. It’s always nice when you hear that other teams are interested in you. It’s a confidence boost if nothing else. There have been a few teams that showed interest, which is always nice. Certainly next year I’ll be interested in listening to them.”

Team Sky and Chris Froome have been in contract negotiations for several weeks and although the three-time Tour de France winner has not inked a new deal he told Cyclingnews that the offer on the table involves a three-year extension. Froome was linked to BMC Racing during the Critérium du Dauphiné in June but quickly rubbished any talk of moving to the American outfit. At the Dauphiné, he told Cyclingnews that a deal with Team Sky was in the cards. A new three-year deal would see him through until 2021 as he already has a contract with the team for 2018.

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Jelly Belly wins US men's time trial championship

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Rally Cycling women take US team time trial title

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Amateur Road Nationals open on Thursday with Time Trials

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Cyclists from around the nation have overtaken Louisville as both the Amateur Road National Championships and Pro Criterium and Team Time Trial National Championships kicked off with the individual and team time trials on Thursday.

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Ullrich needs to deal with his past but deserves a second chance, says Kittel

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Marcel Kittel (Quick-Step Floors) has been the poster boy of German cycling’s recent recovery. His victories helped to renew the interest of public broadcasters and his easy-going manner managed to restore the affection of the public. His carefully coiffured hair even played a part in attracting a major sponsor – Alpecin shampoo – into the sport three years ago.

And yet, as the Tour de France starts from Germany for the first time in 30 years, some reminders of a problematic past still linger. This July marks the 20th anniversary of Jan Ullrich’s Tour victory, the first and still only time a German has won the race, but it is also the 11th anniversary of Ullrich’s implication in the Operacion Puerto blood doping inquiry and the abrupt end to his career.

Earlier this week, it emerged that Ullrich had not been formally invited to attend the Grand Départ in Düsseldorf and would instead participate in a charity race in Bocholt to mark his 1997 Tour victory. On Saturday afternoon, as the 198 starters hurtle around the streets of Düsseldorf, the episode will hardy warrant a second thought, but in the days leading up to the race, Ullrich’s absence has been generating headlines in Germany and beyond.

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When asked for his take on the Ullrich situation in Düsseldorf on Thursday afternoon, Kittel gently insisted on responding in his native German, lest his words be misunderstood. Although Ullrich belatedly confessed to doping in 2013, he has never spoken in any depth about the specifics, and therein, Kittel said, lies the obstacle.

“He has to deal with his past, this is what the German public expects. He has to say clearly what happened, and that’s the big problem,” Kittel said. “If he did that, then I think that he would be back on the cycling circuit, and he would be welcome to the Tour de France like the others. But it’s the decision of Jan.

“The Ullrich case was investigated by others, but he himself did not do much to explain to the public what happened and deal with his past. But everybody deserves a second chance.”

Sprints

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Trek-Segafredo unveil new kit for Tour de France

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Trek-Segafredo unveiled new kits Thursday at the Tour de France team presentation in Dusseldorf, with all-white jerseys replacing the red-and-black combo the team have used previously this season.

In a selfie that Bauke Mollema posted on Twitter, the jerseys can be seen along with all-white bikes for each team member.

"The nine-man squad will race the three-week Grand Tour in a white pinstriped jersey and black pinstriped bib-shorts, developed by the team's apparel partner Sportful," Trek-Segafredo said in a statement sent to media. "To complement the one-of-a-kind design, the riders will don red Bontrager helmets and shoes and ride custom Trek bikes, white with a touch of red."

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The team will be riding in supper of Alberto Contador over the following three weeks, while John Degenkolb will be targeting the sprint stages.

In the team release, Contador approved of the idea of a new kit for the Grand Boucle.

“The Tour de France is a mythical race," Contador said. "It’s one of the biggest spectacles in sport, so I love the idea of riding a different kit specially designed only for these three weeks. From the very minute you put this kit on, you can just feel it's special and the magic begins.

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'I truly believe that I am the best sprinter on the planet,' says Cavendish

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With 30 Tour de France stage wins to his name, Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) is just four behind record holder Eddy Merckx.

Despite a plethora of opportunities this year in one of the more sprinter-friendly routes in recent memory, the Manxman is unlikely to topple the Cannibal’s mark in 2017 as he continues to recover from Epstein-Barr virus that has stalled his season.

“I truly believe that I am the best sprinter on the planet,” Cavendish told The Times in an interview published Thursday. “Without this illness, I would be going in looking to pass the record this year.”

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Cavendish added four wins to his total last July, but it was a season of accomplishments that may have broken down his body to the point that made him susceptible to the virus.

In 2016 he won a world championship on the track in March, won his four stages and wore yellow at the Tour in July, took silver on the track at the Olympics and finished second to Peter Sagan in the world championship in October. Cavendish admits it was a lot to bite off in one season.

“My team manager, Rolf Aldag, even said at the time, ‘You are going to be cooked next year.’ ” Cavendish told The Times. “But I went for it. It’s just now I am paying the price.”

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Richie Porte: Team Sky not as strong as in previous Tours

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After Chris Froome's opening act on Wednesday, it was the turn of Richie Porte and his BMC Racing ensemble to deliver a Tour de France performance at their pre-race press conference. In a packed auditorium, Porte took centre stage and made light of the tag of favourite that has been anointed upon him by Froome before delivering a claim that Team Sky are not as strong as they once were. In the phoney war of mind-games, the two top favourites for this year's race have proved that they are in Düsseldorf with their best lines well rehearsed.

"Chris has won three Tours and there's no reason he can't win a fourth," Porte opened with calmly as he found his voice before reaching for his big numbers.

"He's the big favourite here. I think he's going to be in a lot better form that in the Dauphiné and he knows how to take the pressure, obviously."

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Shifting pressure appears to have been one of the key objectives for Porte and Froome in the last few weeks. No sooner had Froome finished the final stage of the Dauphiné before he publicly stated his former teammate and super domestique was the man to beat. In almost every interview since then Froome – who rarely goes off-script – has reiterated the point. When Porte was quizzed about his status and Froome's tag, the Australian gave a wry grin before delivering his own interpretation of the situation.

"I think that's one of the games that they play," he said.

"At the end of the day behind closed doors, I'm sure that they think that they have the guy to do it. He's got the track record but Chris is obviously the one with the biggest target on his back. He's the defending champion and it's not going to be between just him and me. It's more than a two-horse race."

Building momentum from January to July

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UCI Women's WorldTour expands to 23 events in 2018

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The UCI announced Thursday an expansion of the Women's WorldTour for 2018, with three races added to the top-level series: the newly created Trois Jours de La Panne, the Tour of Guangxi and the long-running Emakumeen Bira.

The three additions bring the number of events to 23 and 52 days of racing for next season.

The women's Trois Jours de La Panne in Belgium's West Flanders region will take place on March 22, 2018, in conjunction with the men's Driedaagse De Panne-Koksijde, and will be broadcast live on television.

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The Tour of Guangxi debuts this season on October 24 as a UCI 1.1-ranked event, and is part of the UCI's partnership with Wanda Sports that also includes the newest men's WorldTour stage race, the Gree-Tour of Guangxi (October 19-24).

The Emakumeen Bira has taken place for 30 years, and has become one of the premiere stage races on the women's calendar. It will bridge the month-long gap between the Amgen women's race and the OVO Energy Women's Tour in 2018.

Tracey Gaudry, the UCI vice-president and president of the UCI Women's Commission, highlighted the achievements that the Women's WorldTour has made. "All these developments show the scale of progress we are now seeing in women's road cycling with three new events coming to complement the already established global narrative of the UCI Women's WorldTour, greater broadcast exposure and social media cut-through. A huge amount has been achieved over the past two seasons in collaboration with race organisers, teams, riders, partners and media, and I'm confident that this journey of progress will continue in the season ahead."

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Pinot approaches Tour de France in a different frame of mind

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Thursday morning's edition of L'Équipe carried a roundtable interview with Bernard Hinault, Lucien Aimar and Bernard Thévenet, the only living French Tour de France winners, beneath the headline: "You never want to be the last Frenchman on the roll of honour."

Since making his Tour debut in 2012, Thibaut Pinot (FDJ) has regularly carried the weight of the home expectation to bridge the now 32-year gap to Hinault's final triumph on the Champs-Élysées, but he arrives at this year's race with a nation's lonely eyes turned in other directions.

After building his season around a tilt at the Giro d'Italia, where he remained in contention until the final time trial and placed a fine fourth overall, Pinot reaches July in a novel situation: his prime objective for the year has already been largely accomplished.

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"It's a new approach to the Tour after a successful Giro, which was my big target this season," Pinot said in Düsseldorf on Wednesday evening. "I'm more relaxed coming into the Tour this year, and it's good to be in this situation."

Having placed third overall in 2014, Pinot began each of the past two Tours with ambitions of the podium and perhaps even overall victory, but fell short on each occasion, placing 9th in 2015 and being forced out by illness a year ago. This time around, Pinot maintains that a high overall finish will not be a goal at all, given the toll extracted by his efforts at the Giro.

"I don't think I'm capable of targeting the top five. I'm less fresh than I was at the Giro, I can still feel it in my legs," Pinot said. "We'll go day by day and look at things after La Planche des Belles Filles [on stage 5]. Flogging myself to finish 9th doesn't really interest me so I'd fight for other things, like stage wins, in that situation."

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Richie Porte extends contract with BMC Racing ahead of Tour de France

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Richie Porte has extended his contract with BMC Racing, it was announced today at the team's Tour de France pre-race press conference. 

As is always the case with the American-registered team, the length of the new contract was not disclosed, but a statement simply said the Australian will remain at the team "beyond the 2017 season". 

Porte joined BMC from Team Sky in 2016 and has established himself as the team's clear stage race leader, building a core unit around him and putting together a string of results that have made him a big favourite for the Tour behind Chris Froome. 

"I have really enjoyed my first two years with BMC Racing Team so it was a natural decision to extend my contract," said Porte.

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"We are on the eve of the biggest race of the year, and my biggest goal of the season, and I feel at home with my teammates and the management and staff. I have raced with a few teams throughout the years and I definitely think BMC Racing Team is the right fit at this point in my career as I try to win the Tour de France. I like the atmosphere and the way BMC Racing Team operates, so I am sure this is where I want to be. 

"I've had a great first half of the season and I think my results are a reflection of the way the team has created a really good training and racing environment for me. Things like having training camps at home in Monaco and building a core group of teammates around me from the first race of the year in Australia have really helped me. Whatever happens over the next three weeks, I'm looking forward to keeping the BMC Racing Team jersey on my back beyond the end of the season."

There had been doubts over the future of the team, with general manager Jim Ochowicz confirming to Cyclingnews earlier this month that long-term backer Andy Rihs, the owner of BMC bicycles, was suffering health problems. The overwhelming majority of the team's riders are out of contract at the end of this year, but the re-signing of Porte is a sign that the team will continue into 2018 and perhaps beyond.

"Since joining BMC Racing Team last year, Richie Porte has developed into our outright General Classification leader. Richie's skill set and results speak for themselves and are in line with the team's goals and objectives throughout the season. In just over a year, Richie has become an integral part of this organization and it a pleasure to extend his contract," said Ochowicz in Dusseldorf on Thursday.

"In 2017 alone, Richie has delivered the overall win at the Santos Tour Down Under and Tour de Romandie, second place at the Critérium du Dauphiné and four stage wins, so I think any team would be thrilled to have a rider of Richie's calibre in their ranks. We have the most important race of the year ahead of us and we felt it was the right moment to re-sign Richie so that his full concentration can be on the Tour de France. We already have full confidence in Richie and I think we are further demonstrating that with this announcement. We are excited to see what Richie does at the Tour de France and beyond with BMC Racing Team." 

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Geraint Thomas: Bradley Wiggins still has questions to answer

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Geraint Thomas has called on Bradley Wiggins to come forward and answer questions relating to the continued pressure surrounding Team Sky.

The British WorldTour squad have faced questions for almost a year after it was revealed that Wiggins was legally given injections of powerful corticoidsteroids on the eve of several major events between 2011 and 2013 under therapeutic use exemptions.

Wiggins, Team Sky and British Cycling are also at the centre of a UK Anti-Doping investigation over a medical package that was sent from Manchester to the Criterium du Dauphine in 2011. The contents of the package were administered to Wiggins by team doctor Richard Freeman but neither Team Sky, Wiggins or British Cycling have been able to back up their claim that the package contained the legal decongestant, Fluimucil.

Wiggins has co-operated with UKAD’s investigation but has not spoken publicly on the matter since the Autumn of last year. Thomas has previously stated that his former team leader should answer questions on the matter and at Team Sky’s Tour de France pre-race press conference he reiterated those sentiments.

When asked if he thought Wiggins had fully answered questions on the matter, Thomas said: “I don’t think he has but at the same time I was getting asked all the time and that’s what was frustrating. When it’s all to do with Freeman and him, just go and ask them, basically. I think the investigation is still ongoing but he could definitely do us all a favour and talk to some people. Then people would stop asking us.”

In the last few months Thomas has been one of the go-to guys in relation to the pressure and questions Team Sky have faced. In March Thomas was the first rider to publicly Tweet his support for boss Dave Brailsford after Cyclingnews broke the story that riders had discussed asking Brailsford to step down in light of UKAD’s investigation and a British Parliament’s Select Committee hearing that called several Team Sky and British Cycling staff – including Brailsford – to face questions.

For Thomas, the whole matter was an unwanted distraction.

“I was in Australia for a lot of it and in South Africa for training camps. I’m not one to read much online and when I’m home I’m home and I just try and switch off from everything. I had such a focus on the Giro that it was easy to just stay in that bubble and not think about that," he said.

“I think with any business, not just sport or cycling, the head guy is going to get the flak and majority of the questions,” he said in relation to Brailsford.

“I guess that’s the way it should be. I wouldn’t want them coming to me… what do I know? Like I’ve said and Tweeted, I was happy that he stayed on with the team and I’ve got full confidence in him.”

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Thomas once again defended Team Sky and British Cycling, having come through the ranks of the latter and been on the books of the former since their inception at the start of 2010.

“I’ve grown up through British Cycling and Team Sky and I know the beliefs and how things should work. I feel fortunate to have grown up through that system and not years previously. When I read stories about David Millar and what he went through I feel fortunate not to have faced all that. I’ve always had 100 per cent confidence in the team and British Cycling.”

Supporting Froome

Thomas' role at the Tour de France will be to support team leader, Chris Froome, who is looking to win the race for a fourth time.

Thomas has finished 15th in the last two editions of the race but crashed out of contention at Giro d’Italia in May before later abandoning the race. The Italian Grand Tour was his first crack at leading a team over three weeks and while his long-term ambitions are to return to the race, he is at the Tour to support Froome.

“That’s just life and sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want," he said. "I had that chance at the Giro but I’m just excited to be back here and to be in decent enough shape to make the team. It’s a solid team and it’s hard to get into.

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UAE Team Emirates brings on new sponsor ahead of Tour de France

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UAE Team Emirates have brought on a new sponsor two days ahead of the Tour de France, with First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) joining the WorldTour team.

FAB was created earlier this year through a merger between the First Gulf Bank and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. With assets in excess of $180 billion, it is the UAE's largest bank and the second largest in the Middle East. 

The sponsorship deal begins at the Tour de France, though the length of the partnership was not disclosed.

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FAB's logo has been added to the chest and side of the team's jersey, and the new version will be debuted when the Tour de France kicks off in Dusseldorf on Saturday. 

“We are investing our energies to create one of the most important cycling teams in the world and we are really proud to have First Abu Dhabi Bank on board” said the team's general manager Giuseppe Saronni. “Both of our entities share the same values, and we are inspired to achieve important goals and grow together”.

The partnership marks the second significant sponsorship investment since the team rose out of the ashes of the old Lampre-Merida team ahead of the start of the 2017 season. After backing from the United Arab Emirates rescued the team after Chinese investment fell through, it was announced in February that the Emirates airline, which has a number of high-profile partnerships across global sport, was joining as a title sponsor. 

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Brian Cookson: I don't want Lance Armstrong's endorsement

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Incumbent UCI President Brian Cookson has told Cyclingnews he is happy that Lance Armstrong has turned against him on social media, considering it a positive endorsement of the work he has done during his first term to fight the problems of doping and to drag the sport from the “dark old days” when Hein Verbruggen and, later, Pat McQuaid were UCI President and Armstrong was at the height of his powers.

When Frenchman David Lappartient confirmed last week that he would stand against Cookson, Armstrong tweeted “ABC (Anybody But Cookson)” above a message from Lappartient. Armstrong’s former team manager Johan Bruyneel, who was also banned for doping offences, also pitched in with criticism.

“I’m happy that those people are not supporting me. I’d like to think that it’s a sign I’ve been doing the right thing,” Cookson told Cyclingnews during an exclusive interview.

“I know that people from the past have been trying to drum up support for David. I’m confident that people all around the world in the cycling family don’t want to take the UCI back to very inglorious times. I think on my website I’ve got really good people endorsing me. People like Travis Tygart, Rochelle Gilmore, and Jamie Fuller from Skins who is considered to be an expert commentator in integrity and anti-doping. I have the support of many riders and teams too. I think that speaks volumes about my candidacy.”

Armstrong is banned for life after being pursued and exposed by Tygart and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). He gave evidence to the 2015 Cycling Independent Reform Commission (CIRC) into doping and governance but failed to receive any reduction in his ban for his efforts.

“I suspect Lance thought he’d get a more sympathetic ear than seems to have been the case,” Cookson suggested. “But I don’t want to reopen a dialogue or dispute with Lance Armstrong. He’s got enough things going on in his legal case at the moment.”

No Alpha-male

Cookson, formerly a town planner before entering full-time cycling politics, is known for being a mild-mannered man. He occasionally lets slip and speaks his mind when not reading from carefully prepared speeches or one-liners from his communications consultants, but he has preferred a strategy of diplomacy rather than Alpha-male leadership.

Lappartient has criticised Cookson for a lack of backbone, using it against him. In Wednesday’s L’Equipe, in side by side interviews, Lappartient suggested that it was UCI Director General Martin Gibbs who controlled the UCI, rather Cookson, while suggesting he has far more authority and leadership ability.

Cookson hit back by saying that running the UCI and its 30 million Euro budget is not like being the mayor of a ‘small Breton village’. Lappartient mixed a role in local politics and the presidency of the French Cycling Federation before becoming UCI vice-president, the president of the UCI’s Professional Cycling Council and president of the European Cycling Union (UEC).

Cookson admitted to Cyclingnews that he was surprised that the Frenchman even decided to run against him.

“He never made any approach to me about standing or not. I was neither expecting or not expecting him to stand, if I can put it in that slightly gnomic way,” Cookson said.

“David has been a UCI vice president for four years and so if there were things he was not happy with, then he could have raised them at the time. He’s participated in all of the UCI Management Committee decisions and so I’m puzzled as to why he is now mounting a challenge. Maybe he wants cycling to go back to the way it used to be.”

Cookson is trying to stay upbeat about his chances of a second term despite Lappartient throwing his hat in the ring and launching an aggressive media social media campaign. However, one well-informed UCI source described the UCI presidential elections as a ‘very close race, with every vote now important’. Among some of the traditional European federations there is a growing feeling that Cookson has failed to live up to expectations.

The vote for UCI president will be held on September 21 during the UCI congress at the Road World Championships in Bergen, Norway. 45 delegates from five continents vote in a secret ballot, with 23 votes needed to win.

Cookson won 24-18 when a total of 43 delegates voted in Florence in 2013. He hopes to have the backing of delegates from Asia and Australasia as well as North and South America.

The European Cycling Union voted to back Cookson in 2013, with Katusha team owner and Russian oligarch Igor Makarov helping to sway his campaign via funding a number of causes with minor federations. This time it seems the European Federations are tired of Cookson’s global approach to the sport. In contrast, Lappartient has offered to give the European Federations more influence.

One source told Cyclingnews that Lappartient and not Cookson will secure the 15 UEC votes and so lay down a corner stone to any successful bid. The UEC federation representatives are expected to mandate their delegates during an exceptional general assembly just as they did in 2013, when they voted 27-10 to back Cookson instead of McQuaid. In March, the UEC voted to choose its 15 delegates. None from Britain were selected, perhaps as a way for the European Federations to protect against any rogue votes in the secret elections in September.

“I’m confident I’ve got a lot support across Europe and that people don’t want to go back to the dark old days. I’m confident that many of the UEC voters want me to continue as UCI president,” Cookson told Cyclingnews, repeating his mantra of fear of the past.

“I think the UCI is now seen as an independent balanced organisation that acts in the interests of all the stake holders. I’m committed to doing the job of President impartially and with integrity. People see that the UCI is no longer in crisis mode. Calm has been brought to the UCI and we’ve had a year of stability. We’ve resolved the issues of integrity and reputation that were causing so much damage.”

Cookson highlights the addition of the men’s and women’s Madison and BMC Freestyle to the cycling programme for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Cycling is now the third largest sport in the Olympic Games, both in terms of medals (22) and athlete quota (528). He denied it is a pay-off for the Olympic velodrome being 150km outside of the host city.

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The ghosts of British Cycling’s past

In his first election bid in 2013 Cookson was able to use his tenure as the president of British Cycling and the success of the sport in Britain at every level as his calling card. Four years on, things are very different after a series of damaging accusations about bullying and poor management. UK Anti-Doping is still investigating possible wrongdoing at Team Sky and there has been little clarity on the Jiffy Bag scandal that embroiled the team, manager Dave Brailsford and 2012 Tour de France winner Bradley Wiggins.

Cookson has tried to distance himself from the scandals that emerged in a recent report into British Cycling by pointing out the events emerged after he had moved onto to become UCI President. A hard-hitting draft version was edited after Cookson forced his opinion to be heard.

He now suggests that Brailsford’s decision to leave his role as Performance Director of British Cycling in 2014, to focus fully on the management of Team Sky, changed the delicate balance of strong personalities at British Cycling that had previously delivered success. In a recent interview with the British Press Association news agency, Cookson described the management structure in charge of the highly funded Great Britain performance plan as a finely balanced stew. A three-legged stool also comes to mind as a comparison.

"There was a great balance and it's like a stew - if you miss one of the ingredients it doesn't work. Things changed when the personnel leading that programme changed," he said.

Cookson admitted to Cyclingnews that the huge success at the 2008 Beijing Olympics forced the British Cycling Board to back Brailsford and his management team in view of the London 2012 Olympics on home turf. Brailsford was able to demand a huge salary after 2008 even though he went on to split his time between British Cycling and Team Sky.

“Certainly I think the results of the 2008 Olympics were stunning and it became clear that the team behind the athletes was very successful. Given that funding was medal dependent, UK Sport encouraged British Cycling to continue to support the team we had in place,” Cookson said, defending the UK Sport funding philosophy despite it recently being criticised for being far too focused on Olympic medal counts while caring less for athlete well-being.

“I wouldn’t project that as a negative model. When you have a winning formula, you want to stick with it and make it even better. Of course you also need to eliminate any problems areas too,” Cookson argued.

Signs of problems with athlete well-being were first picked up by former board member and CEO Peter King. His findings for a 2012 internal report highlighted complaints of bullying and intimidation. It was suggested that the management had broken down and there were doubts about Shane Sutton’s behaviour as a senior coach and management figure. It was a red flag but one that wasn’t seen or was overlooked. Sutton went on to be lead the Great Britain team when Brailsford left but complaints became even stronger. He quit in 2016 after direct sexism allegations from sprinter Jess Varnish sparked an investigation.

Cookson claims he only saw a summary of the Peter King report but refuses to blame then Chief Executive Ian Drake for failing to implement the action plan. He suggests that things changed when Brailsford opted to fully focus his efforts on Team Sky and not to stay in charge of the Great Britain team until 2016.

“The idea that we did nothing is complete wrong,” Cookson argued. “There were lots of good things going on but one or two that needed attention. The behaviour was one of them and we agreed the action plan.

“We understood that there were five or six key elements to stability within in the team. One was that Dave would remain as performance director up to Rio 2016 and that the link to Team Sky would continue to benefit British Cycling as it did in London 2012; that Steve Peters would remain to help podium athletes and then develop a new sports psychologist who would take over after him in 2016; that a new role of programme director would be recruited and that the person would take a lot of management work off Dave, Steve and the others. Chris Boardman would also stay until Rio for Research and Development, while Shane Sutton would be moved to a different role where he wouldn’t have hands on coaching with athletes but he’d be working and mentoring the coaches.

“That was all agreed at the end of 2012 and that started to be implemented at the start of 2013. I don’t know what happened there after but Dave decided not to see things through until Rio 2016.

“I thought that at the time (in 2012) the structure worked very, very well. The outcome was a very successful British cycling team. When you change that balance, any balance, then different parameters and influences start to apply. Perhaps that’s the situation subsequent to me leaving.”

Nothing personal against ASO

Cookson that he will be in Dusseldorf for the Grand Depart of the Tour de France on Saturday. UCI presidents have been ‘persona non grata’ at ASO’s flagship race in the past but Cookson insisted he has a good working relationship with the management from the dominant French race organiser despite disputes and power struggles about the structure of the men’s WorldTour.

“I’ve always got on well with people from ASO,” Cookson said.

“We’ve disagreed on a couple of things but I’ve also got on well with every race organiser and also the teams organisations. Marc Madiot (of FDJ) is one who said he’d like to see David as the next UCI president but that’s a matter for him. It’s his opinion.”

Cookson is careful about making accusations that his rival David Lappartient maybe biased towards ASO if he is elected.

“I think the people who vote will have a view on that. What I’ve always tried to do as UCI President is to balance the needs of all the stake holders, not just one of them, however big they are. I hope that people have respected that. I think they do.”

Despite his diplomacy and sense of fair play. Cookson is not afraid of only being a one-term UCI President if he loses the election to Lappartient on September 21.

“I’m not afraid of anything. At the end of the day I’ve done my best for the last four years. As in the case of British Cycling, I think the results speak for themselves.”

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Bakelants apologises for 'inappropriate' podium girl comments

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Jan Bakelants has apologised for his derogatory remarks towards podium hostesses, describing his words as "inappropriate". 

The Belgian, asked in a pre-Tour de France interview with Het Laatste Nieuws whether it was difficult to go without sex for three weeks, replied: "There are also the podium hostesses."

The AG2R La Mondiale rider had already made a joke about only contacting his parents during the race when he ran out of pornographic films to watch, and he made things worse when asked what items he would pack in his suitcase for his free time. "Definitely a packet of condoms," he replied. "You never know where those podium hostesses are hanging out."

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Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme was quick to demand an apology, and Bakelants' team first offered one on his behalf on Wednesday, before Bakelants himself came out on Wednesday morning to apologise on social media. 

Like his team, he acknowledged the comments were crass but pointed out that he was trying to be funny in a light-hearted interview. 

"My sincerest apologies to all those offended by my words in a so called humouristic interview," he wrote. "My words have been inappropriate." 

— Jan Bakelants (@Jan_Bakelants) June 29, 2017

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Tour de France: Matthews says he has as many chances as Sagan

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Moving to a new team with different targets has opened up a whole host of possibilities for Michael Matthews. The 26-year-old Team Sunweb rider changed up his spring programme with a trip to the cobbled Classics and a ride at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, where he finished fourth despite riding for Warren Barguil throughout the race.

The Belgian monument was not a race on Matthews’ radar – he finished 128th in his last effort in 2013 – so to come out of it so close to the podium has given the Australian pause for thought heading into the Tour de France.

“It makes me a more versatile rider,” Matthews told the press in a pre-race press conference on Wednesday. “When you’ve got flat stages, and you can also go for the intermediate stages, for sure it gives you more chances to go for wins. It gives me more confidence too that I can get through the intermediate stages with the climbers and still have a chance in the final. It opens up more opportunities for sure.”

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With so many flat or hilly, rather than mountainous, days in this year’s Tour de France, there are abundant opportunities for riders with a fast finish that can also make it up the shorter climbs. During the week, US publication Velonews proposed that world champion Peter Sagan has 11 chances at victory. When that number was put to Matthews, he thought perhaps there were even more chances to add to his palmares in the coming three weeks.

“I would have to say about the same as Sagan,” said Matthews. “We’re pretty similar riders but maybe he sprints on the flat a bit better, and I climb a bit better. I think maybe about the same, 11 stages and maybe even more. I haven’t really calculated how many stages I could get. We’ll get through the first week and then we’ll see how everything is going.”

Sagan will be Matthews' chief rival, with the two having such similar skill sets. Their ability to both climb and sprint could see them going head to head in the competition for the green jersey. Sagan has dominated the classification in recent years and is going for a record-equalling sixth after winning it in each of the past five editions. Matthews is likely to be one of the few riders who can even consider taking the fight to Sagan in that competition, but he says that it will not be at the forefront of his mind in the opening days.

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Brailsford: I'm going nowhere

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In early March, when Chris Froome's silences were speaking more forcefully than his words, it briefly seemed as though Dave Brailsford might not see another Tour de France as Team Sky manager. And so when Brailsford took a seat alongside Froome at the team's pre-race press conference in Düsseldorf on Wednesday evening, it might even have felt to him like a victory of sorts, yet the questions over his position persist.

Team Sky enters the Tour as the subject of a UK Anti-Doping investigation, which began last Autumn as an inquiry into the mysterious Jiffy Bag that was dispatched to Bradley Wiggins on the 2011 Critérium du Dauphiné. The inquiry has since revealed that the team ordered 55 doses of the corticosteroid triamcinolone between 2010 and 2013, most of which have not been accounted for.

Brailsford was asked if he was concerned that his credibility had been damaged by the litany of unflattering stories that have emerged over the past year, but he spoke around the question instead of answering it directly.

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"Well, we're very focused on the race," Brailsford said. "As always, we've come here… I've been involved in this sport a long time and I've always tried to do it the way it should be done. I'm proud of what we've achieved in this sport and I'm proud to be sitting here."

Asked if he was still enjoying his role as Sky manager despite the furore of the past nine months or so and the allegations of wrongdoing, Brailsford was more forthcoming. He dismissed the idea that he was giving any consideration to stepping down from his post.

"I love it. Absolutely love it. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else," Brailsford said. "I'm going nowhere. I'll be here next year, the year after, the year after. I'm passionate about it. I'm pretty patriotic, we've built something from scratch including British Cycling, we're a global team with riders from different countries and it's a privilege to be amongst these lads. It's a privileged thing to be doing. I love it."

Edmondson

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