Holowesko-Citadel will ride BMC bikes

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Holowesko-Citadel will ride BMC bikes after signing a three-year deal with the Swiss manufacturer that will see the US Pro Continental team through the 2020 season.

The move marks a homecoming of sorts for the team, which started as BMC-Hincapie Sportswear in 2012 as a feeder program for the BMC Racing WorldTour team. The team morphed into Hincapie Sportswear in 2013 as BMC created its own dedicated development squad in Europe, and the next year it moved onto Felt Bicycles, which the team continued to ride through this year.

Team co-owner George Hincapie finished his career with BMC Racing, spending three years there through 2012. The apparel company he owns with his brother, Rich, later supplied BMC's clothing.

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"I'm thrilled to work with BMC Switzerland again. It's like returning to the family," said George Hincapie. "In 2009 when I signed with BMC Racing Team, people questioned the decision because I was moving to a smaller team. We then went on to win the Tour de France, and now BMC Switzerland is one of the most successful racing brands in professional cycling. Personally, I'm excited to now have our team associated with this brand."

BMC Racing dropped its development program in the off-season, opening an opportunity for BMC Switzerland to bolster the company's global presence elsewhere.

"BMC Switzerland is a performance-driven brand with racing deep in our roots and DNA across all forms of cycling disciplines including road, mountain-bike and triathlon," said BMC Switzerland CEO David Zurcher.

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Giro d'Italia removes reference to 'West Jerusalem' following Israeli protest

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RCS Sport has removed references to ‘West Jerusalem’ from its official maps and route information for the 2018 Giro d’Italia after the Israeli government threatened to withdraw its support for next year’s Grande Partenza in protest.

The 2018 Giro gets underway on May 4 with a 9.7-kilometre time trial that takes part in the western sector of Jerusalem. When details of the three opening stages were unveiled in Israel in September, RCS Sport’s maps referred to the city simply as ‘Jerusalem,’ but the maps released during the presentation of the full Giro route on Wednesday listed the stage town as ‘West Jerusalem.’

Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since seizing it during the Six-Day War in 1967. The country later annexed it, although the international community has never recognised that administrative move. Israel now claims Jerusalem as its undivided capital, but Palestinians believe East Jerusalem has been occupied illegally and hope to establish it as the capital of their future state. 

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In a strongly-worded statement to AFP shortly after Wednesday’s Giro presentation, Israel’s sports minister Miri Regev and tourism minister Yariy Levin claimed that RCS Sport’s use of the term West Jerusalem was "a breach of the agreements with the Israeli government” and described Jerusalem as “Israel’s capital [where] there is no east or west.”

“If the wording does not change, the Israeli government will not be a partner in the event," Regev and Levin concluded.

In a brief statement on Thursday morning, RCS Sport confirmed that it had removed references to West Jerusalem from its technical material relating to the 2018 Giro. The race website now lists the stage location as Jerusalem and not West Jerusalem.

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Nibali warns Froome about the unpredictability of the Giro d’Italia

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Vincenzo Nibali seemed genuinely surprised and a little put out to discover that Chris Froome will target the Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double in 2018, with the Briton’s decision and eight-second video message stealing the limelight and suddenly overshadowing the Sicilian’s plans for next season. He made a point of reminding Froome of the difficulties of the Giro and warned that Italian riders will always have home advantage.

Nibali has already named Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the road World Championships as goals for 2018, and he plans to ride the Vuelta a Espana to prepare for the tough route in Innsbruck. He and his Bahrain-Merida team will make a final decision regarding the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France next week during their first training camp in Croatia.

Nibali suggested that he could even ride both races, but that would not fit in with his shot at winning the rainbow jersey. It is widely expected that Nibali will target the Tour de France and so be obliged to miss his home Grand Tour.

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“I'll decide in the next week at the team camp and we'll officialise my race programme after also considering things with my team. We’ll decide together,” Nibali said.

“It's a beautiful and very interesting route, even if it’s best suited to Chris. The Giro is very particular, though, it’s never a logical race. There are eight mountain finishes but their difficulty increases gradually. The road to Etna is easier than the one we raced on this year and Montevergine is fast and so not very selective. The real climbs come in the final week with the Zoncolan, the Colle delle Finestre dirt road, Jafferau and Cervinia. The time trial is not long and seems about right for a 21-day race; it was too long this year.”

A warning about the weather

Nibali denied that his decision on the Giro d’Italia will be influenced by Froome’s presence. He suggested that Froome’s decision will benefit cycling, while pointing out he has already won all three Grand Tours in his career.

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Pinot tempted by Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in 2018

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Having pored over the details of the route for the 2018 Giro d’Italia, Thibaut Pinot has said that he wants to return to the Italian Grand Tour next season. The Frenchman hinted that he could also join Chris Froome in backing it up with a ride at the Tour de France, before targeting the World Championships in September.

Pinot made his debut at the Giro last season and finished fourth overall, just 37 seconds off the podium. The climbing-heavy and time trial-light course has enticed Pinot, who says the finer details of his calendar will be meted out at a training camp next month.

“Of course, I would really like to take part in this Giro, especially after seeing the route,” Pinot told Ouest France. “We will have to wait for the training camp with my team in Calpe in December to discuss it. Next year will be a special year where I will also target the World Championships so there will be a programme to draw up.”

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Pinot rode both the Giro and Tour for the first time this season. He went into his second Grand Tour hunting for stage victories after winning a stage and coming so close to the podium at the Giro. The 27-year-old bided his time in the opening weeks as he looked to conserve his energy for a tilt at the big mountains at the Tour, but he never got his opportunity as illness forced him to quit in the final week. Should he try the double again, he would do it differently.

“If I do the Giro-Tour double next year, I will try to make the Tour in a better shape than this year,” Pinot explained. “You must always learn from your mistakes and this year I made a few. So, if I come back on the Tour next July, I will be in better condition.

“It's not easy, but there will be another week next year between the two races. Everything will also depend on my start to the season and the goals that the team sets for me.”

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A history of Giro-Tour double failures

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After becoming just the third rider to win the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in the same season, Chris Froome (Team Sky) has set his sights on another major goal: winning the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France double in 2018.

Of the Grand Tour combinations, the Giro-Tour double is the one that has been achieved the most. Seven riders have completed it 12 times compared to three apiece for the Tour-Vuelta and the Giro-Vuelta. However, it has proved elusive in recent years, with Marco Pantani the last rider to achieve the double in 1998. Previously, Fausto Coppi, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Stephen Roche and Miguel Indurain have all won the two events in the same season.

There are a number of factors in this, with luck also playing a role, and Lance Armstrong's dominance of the Tour de France also having an impact. The decision by a larger proportion of riders to target a single event and changes in the calendar are also contributory factors.

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Pantani is the only rider to have done the double since the gap between the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France stretched out to five weeks. It has previously been as little as three. When Chris Froome makes his attempt, there will be six weeks between the two. How this will impact his effort, nobody yet knows.

Some Giro winners have gone on to ride the Tour the same year but have done so as support riders, such as Paolo Savoldelli in 2005 and Vincenzo Nibali in 2016. Just six riders have attempted to win both back-to-back since Pantani in 1998, with varying degrees of success, but none have managed to win both.

Cyclingnews takes a look back at those attempts and why they went wrong.

Gilberto Simoni (2003)

Denis Menchov (2009)

Ivan Basso (2010)

Alberto Contador (2011)

Ryder Hesjedal (2012)

Alberto Contador (2015)

Nairo Quintana (2017)

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Giro d'Italia 2018: Five key stages

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On his lone appearance in the race almost 30 years ago, Paul Kimmage was moved to bemoan that the Giro d'Italia was far harder than previously advertised. 'Where was the Giro of legend, where riders laughed and joked for five hours and raced for two?' he wrote after an especially relentless slog across heavy southern roads between Potenza and Campobasso during the opening week of the 1989 Giro.

If anything, the Giro has only grown harder in the decades since. True, at the turn of the century, Mario Cipollini still had the sway to warn a young Thomas Voeckler off the idea of attacking early on a flat stage, and in 2004, the gruppo seemed to call a truce at various points as Alessandro Petacchi quietly annexed nine sprint wins, but such instances are increasingly rare in the modern Giro, where every day counts.

The 2015 edition of the race was a case in point. Alberto Contador lined up targeting a Giro-Tour double and, with that goal in mind, RCS Sport seemed to have designed a particularly amenable route. With the most difficult stages shoehorned into the final week, Contador had – in theory – a chance to ride his way into form as the race left San Remo.

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Astana, however, had other ideas, and from the Riviera down to Campania and all the way back north, they waged guerrilla warfare against Contador, lining out the peloton at every opportunity, and turning the supposed procession into a trial by ordeal. Although Contador reached Milan in the pink jersey, it came at a cost. Exhausted, he was a shadow of himself at the Tour de France – which had, of course, been part of Astana's game plan. As one Astana staff member explained, Fabio Aru's job wasn't so much to win that Giro as to make sure Contador was too tired to challenge Vincenzo Nibali at the Tour that followed.

In 2018, for Alberto Contador, read Chris Froome. For Astana, read Movistar (and others). The four-time Tour winner may be about to receive a monstrous payday to compete at the Giro, but he won't get too many free rides between Jerusalem and Rome next May.

In that context, picking out five key stages at the 2018 Giro feels almost redundant, but – at a remove of six months – some stages leap off the map all the same.

Stage 9, May 13: Pesco Sannita - Gran Sasso d'Italia (Campo Imperatore), 224 kilometres

Stage 14, May 19. San Vito Al Tagliamento - Monte Zoncolan, 181 kilometres

Stage 16, May 22. Trento – Rovereto (ITT), 34.5 kilometres

Stage 19, May 25. Venaria Reale – Bardonecchia, 181 kilometres

Stage 20, May 26. Susa – Cervinia, 214 kilometres

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Australia's women's track endurance squad on long road to Tokyo 2020 success

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Off the back of the Oceania track championships, the Australian women's endurance team has decamped to Adelaide for its first training camp under new coach Jason Bartram. After four year's in the men's endurance programme, Bartram took up his new role in July, replacing Gary Sutton, and is charged with guiding the squad to Olympic and Commonwealth Games success from next year.

For Bartram and his riders, the camp is the beginning of his push for gold medal success at the home 2018 Commonwealth Games in April and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Australian track nationals in early February will be another important event.

While the squad has undergone changes in recent years with retirements, the core of Amy Cure, Annette Edmondson, Ashlee Ankudinoff, Rebecca Wiasak, Alex Manly and Georgia Baker assembled in Adelaide for the camp. Also at the camp is a group of riders Bartram believes will be crucial to long-term success on the track, Macey Stewart, Lauren Perry, Josie Talbot, Danielle McKinnirey, Nicola Macdonald, Chloe Moran and Kristina Clonan.

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"This year is all about gaining momentum, momentum in the training environment," Bartram said. "It is exciting to see there are a few key areas where we can make great improvements and we believe we can close these gap to the current world's best.

"But to do this, it is about having consistent time with the team to actually focus on the gaps. And we find that when we race, when we have to travel to races on a regular basis, you are two, three weeks and you are mostly thinking about the next performance as opposed spending the time to be better in the longer term."

For Bartram, he believes that competition and high-level training is key for his riders and will pay off at international championships

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Gesink set to race 2018 Tour Down Under

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Robert Gesink (LottoNL-Jumbo) will return to Adelaide, Australia in January for his third career Tour Down Under appearance according to reports in Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. The first race on the WorldTour calendar takes place 16-21 January around Adelaide, South Australia.

Gesink hasn't raced since leaving the Tour de France in July having sustained a fractured vertebra in a stage nine crash. The Dutchman avoided surgery but was forced to wear a back brace for two months following the crash. Able to use a home trainer with his brace on, Gesink returned to training on the road last month.

Gesink's best Tour Down Under result came in 2014 when he placed sixth while at the 2017 edition of the race, he was eighth overall. The race programme for the 'The Condor of Varsseveld' is set to be finalised at the LottoNL-Jumbo team camp in early-December. According to the Dutch newspaper, Gesink is also to race the Tour de France again in July. Likely teammates include Tour de France stage winners Dylan Groenewegen, Primoz Roglic, Lars Boom, and Jos van Emden, Steven Kruijswijk, Timo Roosen and Koen Bouwman.

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De Telegraaf also reports that Boom wil return to the Tour Down Under and won't be racing any 'cross events during the off-season. Boom has started his season in Australia for the last two years, using the six-stage race as an important block in the build up the classics.

New Zealander George Bennett is also set to race the Tour Down Under after he was forced out of the race in 2017 due to glandular fever. The Tour of California winner fell ill at the Tour de France was despite recovering, was ht again by illness at the Vuelta a España and was forced to abandon. It is likely Bennett would race the New Zealand nationals the week prior to the Tour Down Under.

The full LottoNl-Jumbo rider programme is set to be finalised at the team camp with a roster announcement for the Tour Down Under expected in early-January. 

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Israeli officials threaten Giro d'Italia support over 'west Jerusalem' reference

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Israeli officials have threatened to withdraw support for the planned 2018 Giro d'Italia start in the Middle East country over wording surrounding the opening stage in Jerusalem, according to an Agency French Press report posted on the Daily Mail.

During its route unveiling on Wednesday in Milan, RCS Sport referred to the opening stage in "west Jerusalem" when describing the opening time trial in the western sector of the city that both Israel and Palestinians have made claims.

Israel has occupied east Jerusalem since seizing it in 1967's Six-Day War. The country later annexed it, although the international community has never recognised that administrative move.

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Israel now claims the entire city as its undivided capital, while the Palestinians believe east Jerusalem is occupied illegally and hope to one day establish it as the capital of their future state.

RCS Sport's reference to "west" Jerusalem obviously touched a nerve with the race's Israeli hosts.

"In Jerusalem, Israel's capital, there is no east or west," said Sports Minister Miri Regev and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin in a joint statement, according to the Agency French Press.

"There is one unified Jerusalem," read the statement, which claimed that using the term was "a breach of the agreements with the Israeli government."

• 2018 Giro d'Italia route revealed
• Giro d'Italia 2018: Five key stages
• Chris Froome confirms Giro d'Italia participation
• Rivals react to Chris Froome's Giro d'Italia bid

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Dumoulin keeps his 2018 Grand Tour goals under wraps

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Tom Dumoulin posed with the curling Infinito Giro d'Italia winner's trophy along with Vincenzo Nibali, Fabio Aru and Alberto Contador after the presentation of the 2018 race route in Milan on Wednesday but he refused to reveal his Grand Tour goals for next season or confirm that he will be back at the Corsa Rosa next May to defend his 2017 victory.

"I know it already but I'm not going to tell you," he said teasingly before explaining why.

"We have the team presentation on the fifth of January and we will announce our programmes then. We've pretty much made the decision but it also gives us the opportunity to have another month of puzzling and overlooking. We have now seen the whole Giro parcours. We'll have a review and then announce it in January."

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Dumoulin admitted the course of the 101st edition of the Giro was tempting because of the 44.2 kilometres of time trials. However, just as with the Tour de France route, Dumoulin wanted more.

"Any course in Italy is tempting for me; I love the country, so it's really hard to say no to the Giro," Dumoulin said, carefully picking his words out of respect for the race, but also careful to avoid revealing his eventual decision.

"The course is nice, it's a good mix of everything but it's not perfect for me. I would have liked more time trial kilometres but I can understand the race organiser, they want to have an exciting race where anybody can win.

• 2018 Giro d'Italia route revealed
• Sky and the Giro d'Italia: The highs and lows since 2010
• Giro d'Italia 2018: Five key stages
• Chris Froome confirms Giro d'Italia participation
• Rivals react to Chris Froome's Giro d'Italia bid

The best chance of winning

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2018 Giro d'Italia route unveiled in Milan - Gallery

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Organisers of the Giro d'Italia revealed the 2018 route in Milan on Wednesday, confirming the 21 days of racing between the Old City of Jerusalem and the finale in Rome on May 27. Defending champion Tom Dumoulin (Team Sunweb) headlined the list of riders attending the presentation.

Although he was in attendance, Dumoulin could not confirm his participation in the 101st edition of the Grand Tour. He noted that he had just seen the route details, along with everyone else, and that he needed to study the course before deciding to participate.

Also on stage were two-time Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali (2013 and 2016), who also did not confirm his participation, two-time winner Alberto Contador (2008 and 2015), who retired, and 2015 Giro runner-up Fabio Aru. The four stood on stage together around the prestigious trophy and answered questions from the event's host.

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Read more on this article

• 2018 Giro d'Italia route revealed
• Sky and the Giro d'Italia: The highs and lows since 2010
• Giro d'Italia 2018: Five key stages
• Chris Froome confirms Giro d'Italia participation
• Rivals react to Chris Froome's Giro d'Italia bid

In the audience were former Italian racers Felice Gimondi, who won all three Grand Tours during his career, and Francesco Moser, a former Giro d'Italia winner.

Chris Froome was not in attendance but made a special appearance on the big screen via video message to confirm his participation in the 2018 Giro d'Italia.

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'A start fee for Froome? I flatly deny that,' says Giro d'Italia director

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Giro d'Italia race director Mauro Vegni has denied that RCS Sport paid any kind of start fee to help persuade Chris Froome (Team Sky) to ride the 2018 Corsa Rosa.

Froome confirmed he will ride the Giro d'Italia as well as the Tour de France in 2018 in a video message during the official route presentation for the Giro in Milan on Wednesday.

"I'm looking forward to seeing you all on the start line of the 2018 Giro," Froome said in a video broadcast to the crowd gathered in Milan for the route announcement.

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"It's something the team have considered carefully and we've talked about a lot," he added in an official announcement from Team Sky.

"We know that it would be a significant feat in the modern era to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same season, but the way we managed things this year gives me confidence that I can successfully target both races."

There have been reports that RCS Sport or another entity had agreed to pay Froome and Team Sky an appearance fee of €2 million.

• 2018 Giro d'Italia route revealed
• Sky and the Giro d'Italia: The highs and lows since 2010
• Giro d'Italia 2018: Five key stages
• Chris Froome confirms Giro d'Italia participation
• Rivals react to Chris Froome's Giro d'Italia bid

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Rivals react to Chris Froome's Giro d'Italia bid

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As Chris Froome (Team Sky) confirmed the rumours that he will line up for the 101st Giro d'Italia when the race rolls out of Jerusalem on May 4, his potential rivals for the final maglia rosa in Rome took note.

Team Sunweb's Tom Dumoulin, who won the race in 2017, joined two-time Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali [2013 and 2016] and 2015 Giro runner-up Fabio Aru in saying the four-time Tour de France winner's participation would elevate the level of the race, but all three held their own cards close their chests.

"Froome is the biggest Grand Tour rider in the world at the moment, so it means a lot for the Giro," Dumoulin, who revealed he's still deciding if he will defend his 2017 title. "A new race means a new route and a new start."

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Nibali, who also has not revealed if he will ride the Giro, said Froome is one of the greats.

"He won the last four Tours and the Vuelta," the Italian said. "His presence will honour the race. He'll be one of the biggest riders to beat and so mean a huge challenge. He's also got one of the strongest teams."

Read more on this article

• 2018 Giro d'Italia route revealed
• Sky and the Giro d'Italia: The highs and lows since 2010
• Giro d'Italia 2018: Five key stages
• Chris Froome confirms Giro d'Italia participation
• 'A start fee for Froome? I flatly deny that,' says Giro d'Italia director

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) November 29, 2017

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2018 Giro d'Italia route revealed

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The route of the 2018 Giro d'Italia has been unveiled in Milan with the 21 days of racing including 44.2km of time trials and eight mountain finishes in a balanced route that appears to suit Chris Froome but still gives his rivals a chance to beat him.

There is no team time trial and limited opportunities for the sprinters, meaning the battle for the maglia rosa will be the big story of the 101st edition of the Giro d'Italia.

There are eight mountain finishes of varying difficulty between the Grande Partenza in Israel on Friday, May 4 and the final circuit stage in central Rome on Sunday, May 27. Four come in a testing final week that opens with the steep climb to the summit of Monte Zoncolan on stage 14 and ends with three consecutive stages in the Alps with finishes at Prato Nevoso, Jafferau and Cervinia. Stage 19 includes the dirt road fire track climb of the Colle delle Finestre.

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The 2,546km of racing will be a battle of survival, with the last man standing taking the final maglia rosa in Rome.

Froome was not at the presentation in Milan but confirmed that he would target the Corsa Rosa in a video message. He last rode the Giro d'Italia in 2009 and 2010, before he blossomed into a Grand Tour contender and won the Tour de France.

Giro d'Italia 2018 race route

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) November 29, 2017

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Chris Froome confirms Giro d'Italia participation

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Chris Froome (Team Sky) has confirmed he will ride the Giro d'Italia as well as the Tour de France in 2018, revealing his plans via a video message during the official route presentation for the Giro in Milan on Wednesday.

"It's something the team have considered carefully and we've talked about a lot," Froome said. "We know that it would be a significant feat in the modern era to win both the Giro and the Tour in the same season, but the way we managed things this year gives me confidence that I can successfully target both races.

"Another factor is that there is an extra week between next year's Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. That's one more week for recovery and for training than there would be normally, which I think potentially makes it more manageable and conducive to being able to hit both races in great shape."

Speculation over Froome targeting the Italian Grand Tour for the first time has gathered pace in recent weeks, with various figures in the sport - not least the organisers of the Giro - urging the four-time Tour de France champion to try and broaden his palmares.

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Read more on this article

• 2018 Giro d'Italia route revealed
• Sky and the Giro d'Italia: The highs and lows since 2010
• Giro d'Italia 2018: Five key stages
• 'A start fee for Froome? I flatly deny that,' says Giro d'Italia director
• Rivals react to Chris Froome's Giro d'Italia bid

Froome won the Vuelta a España for the first time this year, and victory at the Giro would make him the seventh rider in history to win all three Grand Tours. Froome's result in Spain this year was part of his decision to race the Giro.

"The way we managed that period from the Tour through to the Vuelta this season was a great learning experience for us and hopefully something that will stand me in good stead for 2018," Froome said.

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) November 29, 2017

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Judge in Armstrong case sets ground rules for 2018 'whistleblower' trial

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The attorneys for both Lance Armstrong and Floyd Landis are calling a judge's limits on the upcoming civil trial a win for their respective sides. US District Judge Christopher Cooper set some ground rules for the 2018 case, which will decide a $100 million question: did Armstrong defraud the US Postal Service by doping?

Landis originally started the suit in 2010 under the False Claims Act which allows citizens with knowledge of fraud against the government to file action on its behalf, and if successful, gain from 15-25 per cent of any damages awarded. The government joined the case in 2013 after Armstrong confessed to doping.

The legal arguments boiled down to whether or not the value of the US Postal Service sponsorship outstripped the damage done by the scandal.

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The judge gave Armstrong's attorneys satisfaction by preventing government witnesses from testifying that the US Postal Service gained zero benefit from its sponsorship. They have long argued that the agency gained more value in marketing exposure than the total sponsorship package.

Armstrong's witnesses can also testify that doping was so rampant in cycling at the time that the US Postal Service should have known or knew he was cheating and sponsored the team anyhow. They can also question Landis' credibility.

"We think it's great. The court says very clearly the government cannot pursue that the sponsorship had no value because of team doping. They have to prove damages to Postal Service after 2013 and Lance's confession," Armstrong attorney Elliot Peters said, according to the Associated Press.

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This Rapha × Canyon bike is lovely but limited

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This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

We often don't cover special edition bikes because they're essentially a marketing exercise that's of little relevance to the general bike buying public. However, the RCC Canyon Ultimate is a particularly lovely looking thing, and while it's exclusive and expensive, it's a whole lot more affordable than your typical halo superbike.

This machine is a hand-painted Ultimate CF SLX 9.0 Aero with a very desirable build featuring SRAM eTap and Zipp 404 NSW wheels.

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The bike is limited to 50 pieces and is available only to Rapha Cycling Club members, who will be given the chance to buy it on a first-come, first-served basis.

(Club membership will set you back £135 for a year. If you drink enough of the free coffee at the clubhouse you could conceivable recoup that, but your body may not thank you.)

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2018 Vuelta a Espana may visit Andorra

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The 2018 Vuelta a España could reach its climax with a two-day stint in Andorra, according to local media. A report in Diari d'Andorra says that the Vuelta would visit the principality for the final mountain effort on stages 19 and 20, with the second being a summit finish.

The news contradicts earlier reports, which put forward the Monte Oiz climb in the Basque Country as a potential decider for the overall classification. The 14-kilometre half-tarmac, half-concrete test would be a new addition to the race.

Given their proximity, it is possible that Monte Oiz and a ride into Andorra could both feature in the final week. However, with the second rest day rumoured to be in Salamanca, this could prove a logistical challenge. Organisers are also looking to Asturias to find some of the expected 10 uphill finishes.

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The Vuelta a España has visited Andorra many times over the years. This year's edition held a finish at Andorra la Vella on stage 3, which was won by Vincenzo Nibali, before setting off from Escaldes-Engordany the following day. In 2015, the race spent three days in Andorra with a rest day, a mountain stage and a tough sprint stage. Mikel Landa was the winner on the mountain stage, which was designed by Andorra resident Joaquim Rodriguez and put the riders over six climbs – including four first category and one special category ascent.

If the report by Diari d'Andorra is correct, then the riders could be in for a brutal climax to the Vuelta in 2018.

The route is not due to be unveiled until January 13 but a number of details have already been confirmed, while there are plenty of rumours in Spain's regional press. It has already been confirmed that the race will set off from Málaga on August 25 with a 10-kilometre individual time trial. There will be two further stages in Málaga before the peloton heads further afield.

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Sabatini turns down Kittel to rekindle Viviani partnership at Quick-Step

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Fabio Sabatini was asked by Marcel Kittel to join him in moving from Quick-Step Floors to Katusha-Alpecin this winter but, despite the lure of continuing a partnership that has blossomed in a short space of time, the Italian has chosen to stay put and rekindle an old alliance with Elia Viviani.

Kittel joined Quick-Step in 2016 and Sabatini, who was previously part of a Mark Cavendish lead-out train that never really clicked, was promoted to last man for the German. They hit it off instantly, with Kittel winning early in 2016 and going on to take victories at the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France, and then taking no fewer than five wins at this year's Tour.

"When I ride with Fabio I know it doesn't matter what happens – I have great confidence in him. He has the experience, the calmness to wait for the right moment," said Kittel as early as last May.

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The 29-year-old now leaves for Katusha as Fernando Gaviria steps up as number one sprinter at the Belgian team, but Sabatini has resisted the persuasions to go with him.

"Marcel asked me to follow him, but during the Tour I spoke with [Quick-Step manager] Patrick [Lefevere] and he told me about the option of a new project with Viviani. I raced with Elia five or six years ago at Liquigas, and I liked the sound of the project and I decided to stay here for the next two years," Sabatini told Cyclingnews at the recent Saitama Criterium.

"I like it at Quick-Step, it's a big family, so in the end it was not so difficult to take this decision to stay. I'm happy."

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Tirol to re-focus on developing U23 talent

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In 2018, Austrian Continental team Tirol is returning to its roots with 100 percent under 23 roster. Founded in 2008 with the guiding principle of developing young talent, the team has taken on board older riders in recent years but for team owner Thomas Pupp, Tirol's USP is development.

"It was more or less the core target when we started the project and this was quite a strong USP for two or three years to focus and develop U23 riders, giving them the chance to get into a pro career," Pupp told Cyclingnews at the recent Tour of Rwanda where his team was competing.

"Then we changed a little bit. We had some elder riders, 26-27, which brought us some nice success but it was more of the same."

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Of the current Austrian WorldTour professionals, the likes of Georg Preidler, Marco Haler, Michael Gogl, Patrick Konrad, Lukas Postelberger and Gregor Mulhbuerger all spent time with Tirol before making the jump into the top tier. While the team will retain an Austrian core, Pupp, also a politician, lawyer and communications expert, explained that there will be an international feel to Tirol in 2018. Partly to achieve a long-term goal of being the best under 23 team posible.

"I think it is important in cycling to have a USP and that is why we came back to U23," he said. "I have a nice target to become of the strongest under teams in the three years. The core will be Austrian riders but we would like to go international. We will have three maybe four German riders next year, one Australian guy, Rohan wright, and Sam Dobbs from the BMC Development team. It is quite a nice roster and it is nice to work with young riders and from a marketing perspective, it is a USP.

"We have also realised it is also a little bit easier to gain money from sponsors to work with younger riders."

Financial recompense for developing riders

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Chris Froome to race in Giro d'Italia 2018 as he eyes 'new motivation'

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Britain's Chris Froome will race in next year's Giro d'Italia as he attempts to win a third Grand Tour in a row.

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Sky and the Giro d'Italia: The highs and lows since 2010

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With speculation mounting that Chris Froome will ride the Giro d'Italia as well as the Tour de France in 2018, Cyclingnews takes a look back at Team Sky's troubled relationship with the Italian Grand Tour. 

In stark contrast to their fortunes at the Tour de France, where they have five of the last six titles, the British team have had a rough time at the Giro over the years, with crashes, abandons, disqualifications, and time penalties all enhancing the race's reputation as the unruly cousin of the more orderly Tour de France.

Starting in 2010 and in the team's first season and first Grand Tour, Cyclingnews charts the team's fortunes over the following eight editions. 

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2010: A flash of pink

Sky's first taste of the Giro – their first taste of Grand Tour racing – could not be sweeter. Bradley Wiggins triumphs on the short opening time trial in Amsterdam and pulls on the first maglia rosa of the race.

After the first high comes the first low. On the flat first road stage, still on Dutch soil, Wiggins is involved in a mass pile-up before being caught up in another crash 7km from the finish, causing him to lose the pink jersey.

Wiggins begins to shed time on the aggressive stage 7 and that trend continues – even on the next individual time trial – as he insists his primary focus is July's Tour de France.

2011: An uneventful affair

2012: Cavendish's triple

2013: Misery for Wiggins

2014: Cataldo's Cima Coppi the sole reward

2015: Porte's ordeal

2016: Landa's abandon

2017: Motorbike madness

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Zeven Cyclo-cross World Cup - Mega tech gallery

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At the German round of the cyclo-cross World Cup in Zeven, world champion Wout van Aert bettered his rival Mathieu van der Poel on the muddy, wet and technical course.

The World Cup event sees Junior Men, U23 Men, Elite Women and Elite Men battle throughout the day with the course becoming more and more challenging with every race.

This season sees the debut of the Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 series groupset in the top level of 'cross, with Van der Poel, Toon Aerts, Helen Wyman and world champion Sanne Cant among those opting for the flagship electronic groupset with hydraulic disc brakes.

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In the muddy conditions most riders opted for bike changes each lap, with bikes being cleaned multiple times throughout the day.

Some hybrid drivetrains were spotted, featuring older Dura-Ace cranksets, combined with Ultegra chainrings and the latest Di2 shifting and non-series brakes.

Current World Cup leader and European champion Mathieu van der Poel had two of his Stevens Super Prestige framesets customised to commemorate the two leads.

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Manzana Postobon confirms 2018 squad

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Colombian Pro-Continental team Manzana Postobon has confirmed a 17-rider roster for the 2018 season. Taking on a Pro-Continental license in 2016, the team made its Vuelta a Espana debut this year, almost 30 year's after the first Manzana team, and enjoyed a racing programme across South America, Europe and Asia.

For 2018, the team has made just two signings with Fabio Duarte and Jordán Parra joining from Continental EPM squad. Duarte, 31, brings his experience to the squad and the ambition of re-finding his form from his previous Pro-Continental stints with Androni, Geox and Team Colombia. Parra, 23, comes onboard as a sprinter and support for fellow fastman Juan Sebastian Molano.

From the 2017 squad, Spainraid Antonio Piedra is the sole rider who won't continue with Manzana Postobon team management keen to ensure a sense of continuity within the squad and back its young developing riders.

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While the team's 2018 calendar is yet to be finalised with Manzana Postobon to rely on race invites for WorldTour events for example, the team will focus on Europe and South American. The new 2.1 Colombia Oro y Paz stage race in February is to be the team's first race of the new season.

Along the roster changes, Luisa Fernanda Ríos leaves the squad at the end of 2017 with Alejandro Restrepo taking on the team manager role.

2018 Manzana Postobon team roster: Fabio Duarte, Jordán Arley Parra, Sebastián Molano Benavides, Juan Pablo Villegas, Jetse Bol, Ricardo Vilela, Hernando Bohórquez, Bernardo Suaza, Fernando Orjuela, Yecid Sierra, Juan Felipe Osorio, Aldemar Reyes Ortega, Hernán Aguirre Calpa, Wilmar Andrés Paredes, Sergio Higuita, Jhojan García and Juan José Amador. 

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Kask and former Dutch champion launch new kit

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Kask have launched a new line of women's clothing in partnership with former professional and current apparel designer Iris Slappendel.

The 'Protect Your Style' line includes the Kask Protone helmet, jersey, socks and cap and will be branded up as Kask's offshoot brand Koo, which launched a line of eyewear earlier this year.

All of the Protect Your Style line is designed and made in Italy and will be available from mid-December.

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Slappendel, who had a 12-year professional career with teams including Rabobank-Liv Giant, and UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling and later completed the UCI Sports Director course, is a fashion designer by trade.

The former Dutch road race champion has previously designed kits for the Dutch Cycling Federation, the UCI, Milltag and now has her own women's and men's cycling brand, IRIS. Slappendel is also remains heavily involved in the sport and is working to develop a women's rider organisation that is due to be unveiled in the coming weeks. She was previously a rider representative for the UCI.

On the announcement Slappendel said, "I design cycling clothes that are fashionable, so you have more fun on your bike. When designing the Protect Your Style range I was influenced by bold colours and geometric lines, it was great fun experimenting on where they would fit best and I'm really happy with how the items have turned out, they work really well together."

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Aqua Blue Sport unveil Warbasse's 3T Strada for 2018

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Aqua Blue Sport team owner Rick Delaney unveiled the custom painted 3T Strada for US national champion Larry Warbasse.

The two framesets are painted by Fat Creations Custom Paint, which is based in Sussex in the south of England. Featuring the same prominent blue and gold design on the standard Aqua Blue Sport bikes, Warbasse's bikes have the stars and stripes of the US national flag on the inside of the fork legs and around the bottom bracket and chain stays.

The 3T logo on the head tube is also given a red and white star finish.

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Aqua Blue Sport are a Pro Continental Irish based team who debuted in the 2017 season with two WorldTour stage wins at the Tour de Suisse and Vuelta a Espana. Larry Warbasse, who won the stage at Tour de Suisse, went on to win the US national road race later in June and will wear the stars and stripes jersey until the same time next season.

In September, the team announced they would race the 2018 season on the unique 3T Strada aero bikes, which are exclusively available with disc brakes and a 1x drivetrain.

The decision to race on the bikes has drawn an array of critique as to whether the bikes will inhibit performances at the top level of the sport. While the 1x drivetrain has a similar gear range to a traditional drivetrain with a front derailleur, it is yet to be seen whether the larger gear jumps on the cassette could present issues for the Pro Continental team in a race scenario.

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Eight riders test positive at Vuelta a Colombia

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Following last week's news of a doping infraction for U23 Colombian champion Róbinson López (Loteria de Boyaca), who tested positive for the EPO variant known as CERA, the UCI announced on Tuesday that seven more riders also tested positive in controls taken during the 2017 Vuelta a Colombia.

Six other riders tested positive for CERA (Continuous Erythropoietin Receptor Activator), a third-generation variant of the blood booster erythropoietin, in samples taken on August 1 and 2, 2017.

Luis Alberto Largo Quintero (Sogamoso-argos-cooservicios-idrs), Edward Fabian Diaz Cardenas (EPM), Jonathan Felipe Paredes Hernandez and Fabio Nelson Montenegro Forero (Ebsa - Indeportes Boyaca), Luis Camargo Flechas (Supergiros), and Oscar Soliz Vilca (Movistar Amateur Team) joined Lopez in receiving an 'Adverse Analytical Finding' (AAF) for the drug.

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In addition, Juan Carlos Cadena Sastoque (Depormundo-m Bosa-ramguiflex) received an AAF for steroid metabolites 19-noretiocholanolone and 19-norandrosterone in a control taken on August 11, 2017.

According to the UCI press release, the "intelligence led" doping controls were planned and carried out by the Cycling Anti-Doping Foundation (CADF).

All of the athletes have been provisionally suspended by the UCI and can request analysis of the B samples.

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Astana confirm 30-rider roster for 2018

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The Astana team has confirmed its line-up for the 2018 season, settling on a roster of 30 riders, with Miguel Angel Lopez and Jakob Fuglsang the leaders for the Grand Tours. 

Many teams have slimmed down their rosters for next year after reductions in team sizes for all major races were enshrined in the UCI regulations. However, Astana's rises from 29 riders to 30. 

Fabio Aru is the most high profile departure, leaving for UAE Team Emirates, while Matti Breschel leaves for Cannondale-Drapac. Former Kazakh national champion Arman Kamyshev has not been renewed and Paolo Tiralongo retired. The team lost Michele Scarponi in April when he was tragically killed in a training accident after returning home from the Tour of the Alps.

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On their way into the team are six new recruits: Magnus Cort from Orica-Scott, Omar Fraile from Dimension Data, Jan Hirt from CCC Sprandi-Polkowice, Hugo Houle from AG2R La Mondiale, Davide Villella from Cannondale-Drapac, and Yevgeniy Gidich from the team's own development set-up.

Aru's departure is the most significant change for the team, who has now lost their two marquee Grand Tour riders in the space of two winters after Vincenzo Nibali moved to Bahrain-Merida this time last year. Aru won the Vuelta and twice finished on the podium of the Giro d'Italia during his six-year spell at the team and though his move to UAE had been rumoured for months, general manager Alexandre Vinokourov claimed to be shocked - and even threatened to seek damages - when it was announced last month. 

Jakob Fuglsang has stated his desire to lead Astana at the Tour de France next year, having won the Criterium du Dauphine this year, though in an interview with a Colombian newspaper, Vinokourov suggested that Lopez, who finished eighth at this year's Vuelta, is the team's head honcho. 

Astana Pro Team for 2018

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Holowesko-Citadel gets Pro Conti nod from UCI

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Holowesko-Citadel announced today that the UCI has approved the team's application for a Pro Continental license for 2018. The US-based team, which added Arapahoe Resources as a presenting sponsor for next year, also revealed the 16-rider roster.

Eight riders from 2017's 12-rider squad will return, including Miguel Bryon, Ruben Companioni, TJ Eisenhart, Andzs Flaksis, Andrei Krasilnikau, Joe Lewis, John Murphy, and Brendan Rhim. Longtime riders Robin Carpenter and Ty Magner moved in the offseason to Rally Cycling, which has also applied for Pro Continental status, while Mac Brennan and Oscar Clark did not renew.

Eisenhart, who announced his renewal with the team earlier this year on Twitter, shone for Holowesko-Citadel in his first year with the team, winning the overall at the Redlands Bicycle Classic and putting in strong performances at the Tour of the Gila, Tour of Utah and the inaugural Colorado Classic. Murphy used his sprint to take wins in Utah and Colorado as well as at multiple national calendar events.

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"I'm excited to have this great group of guys return for another year on the team," said team director Thomas Craven. "TJ is a great climber, and Miguel has shown great skill in delivering Murphy to the front at the perfect time. The team will be even stronger this coming year with the addition of some other key players."

Filling out the 2018 roster are Nicolai Broechner, Fabian Lienhard, Evan Bybee, Andrew Dahlheim, Grant Koontz, Morgan Schmitt, Brayan Sanchez and Bryan Gomez.

Broechner, a 24-year-old Dane who rode for Riwal Platform the past three years, spent two years on the US domestic circuit with Bissell in 2013 and 2014. He won the Fort Bayard stage at the 2014 Tour of the Gila ahead of Eric Young and Travis McCabe. Lienhard, 24, is a Swiss rider who spent time as a trainee with BMC Racing in 2016 before signing with Austrian Team Vorarlberg this year.

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Lodewyck joins BMC management team for 2018

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Klaas Lodewyck will join BMC Racing Team as a directeur sportif for the 2018 season having spent the past two years as part of the management team on the now-defunct BMC Development Team, which operated at Continental level.

The 29-year-old Lodewyck has been a part of the BMC set-up since 2012. He spent four seasons as a rider with the WorldTour team but his career was interrupted when he underwent surgery for cardiac arrhythmia in 2014. Although Lodewyck returned to racing at the beginning of the 2015 season, he retired later that year and became a sports director with BMC Development Team.

"When an opening in our Sports Director team became available, Klaas Lodewyck was our first choice for a number of reasons," said team manager Jim Ochowicz. "He had been doing some great work with BMC Development Team and had also joined us for some races in the past two years where he showed us his skills as a Sports Director. Of course, as a former rider with BMC Racing Team, he is very familiar with the way the team operates and our staff and riders, many of whom he raced with."

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Lodewyck's outings with the WorldTour team over the past two seasons included the 2017 Arctic Race of Norway, where he helped to guide Dylan Teuns to final overall victory. The Belgian's charges at Continental level included Girobio, Ronde de l'Isarde and Giro della Valle d'Aosta winner Pavel Sivakov, who has since signed for Team Sky.

"I am very happy to join BMC Racing Team as Sports Director as it is a dream come true after being forced to retire from racing. After becoming Sports Director with BMC Development Team my goal was to step up to a WorldTour team," Lodewyck said.

"I learned a lot in the past two years with the young riders, especially how to manage the riders, talk to them, and face and solve problems. This is something I had to learn because it is completely different as a rider. I think I did this well if you look at the results from the past two years."

Lodewyck joins Fabio Baldato, Valerio Piva, Maximilian Sciandri and Jackson Stewart on BMC Racing Team's roster of sports directors. BMC holds its first training camp ahead of the 2018 season in Denia in December.

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Edmondson and Cure extend with Wiggle-High5

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Wiggle-High5 has brought their number of confirmed riders for the 2018 to 15 with Annette Edmondson and Amy Cure extending their contracts into next season. They join Elisa Longo Borghini and Emilia Fahlin in staying with the team, while Lisa Brennauer and Kirsten Wild are among those new to the squad for the coming year.

Both Cure and Edmondson will continue to divide their time between the tarmac and the boards in 2018, along with teammates Wild, Katie Archibald and Elinor Barker. The track will take priority at the start of the year with the Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast in April, with the next Olympic Games in Tokyo the ultimate target.

"On behalf of Wiggle High5, we share the same goals and ambitions of our two Aussie track specialists – to win Gold in Tokyo," said team manager Rochelle Gilmore. "In regards to Nettie and Amy, our main objective in 2018 is to support their track aspirations while continuing to develop their road careers."

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Cure was a new addition to the squad this season after taking a year off the road in 2016 to focus on the Olympic Games in Rio. She and Edmondson were part of Australia's four-rider line-up in Rio last August and were among the favourites for a medal. A crash in training disrupted their preparations but they still qualified third. However, they eventually missed out on a medal after posting a disappointing time in round 1.

The first part of this season was dedicated to the road for Cure with three national titles coming in March. She also took home two bronzes and a silver at the World Championships in Hong Kong a month later. Cure finished off her road season with a solid second place at the Tour of Guangxi at the end of October.

"I'm looking forward to having a great year starting in the road in January with the Tour Down Under and Cadel's Race," said Cure. "Before moving on the track for the Commonwealth Games, and then back to the road full gas in the hope of making the road team time trial team for the World Championships before I get married. It's going to be a full year for me and I'm looking forward to sharing the journey with this great team for another year."

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Castelli aims to improve on Gabba and Perfetto with ROS

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This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Castelli was an early innovator in merging rain gear with normal riding clothing. The neoprene-like Gabba offered rain protection in the form of a fitted jersey years ago, and now many companies have a similar offering. This winter, Castelli upped the ante with a line it calls RoS, for Rain or Shine, featuring water-deflecting bib tights, a longsleeve jersey and a jacket. Castelli claims these pieces all breathe well enough for everyday riding in the cold, but they also offer dependable rain protection.

Castelli Rain or Shine Jersey $249 / £210

The RoS Jersey has Windstopper sleeves and front panels with a ProSecco Strada liner that has its own zipper

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As with the Gabba and the Perfetto, the Castelli Rain or Shine Jersey isn't a typical thermal jersey. Instead, it has water-deflecting material front and rear to keep most of the rain out while still breathing more than a cheap rain jacket.

The RoS Jersey uses Windstopper 150 on the front and sleeves, with Nano Flex Xtra Dry on the back.

It has a built-in baselayer of sorts with a ProSecco Strada liner on the front that has its own zipper. The idea is that you can unzip the jersey, and still have some protection on your chest.

Castelli LW Bibtight $139 / £125

Castelli Rain or Shine Jacket $349 / £260

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Rwandan Samuel Mugisha riding in honour of his late mother

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On the eve of the 2017 Tour of Rwanda, 19-year-old Samuel Mugisha lost his mother in a tragic traffic incident. While the Dimension Data for Qhubeka rider could have been excused from lining out at his national tour, Mugisha pinned on his race numbers in memory and honour of his late mother.

Late last month, Mugisha won the longest race of the 2017 Rwanda Cycling Cup, 180-kilometres from Nyanza to Rubavu, dedicating his victory to his mother who "always encouraged me to ride my bike and work hard" he said at the time.

With Dimension Data for Qhubeka's dual threat of Joseph Areruya and Metkel Eyob for the Tour of Rwanda, the duo would finish one-two overall, Mugisha's role in the race was to support his teammates.

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Born in the western province town of Mukamira in Rwanda, Mugisha rose to prominence at the 2016 edition of his national race with victory in the king of the mountains classification. Having claimed the Rwanda Cup win, Mugisha explained to Cyclingnews his role at the national tour was to support his teammates and continue to honour the memory of his mother.

"I feel strong and I feel good to help my teammates. Sometimes in cycling you feel shit or good but we are ready to help Joseph win here," said Mugisha, whose skinny frame hints at his potential in the mountains.

"Two months ago I lost my mum who was helping me with everything. Also when I come to this race she comes here with me. When I lose her I don't think I stop cycling. I focus on what I can do and what I can change. It is the life and I keep focused on riding hard to be a professional. I think next year can be good."

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UCI Commission Appointments Include Ten Americans

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The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced new appointments to UCI Commissions and ten Americans selected for prominent roles.

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Top 10 transfer flops of 2017

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From Vincenzo Nibali’s two Grand Tour podiums to Philippe Gilbert’s stunning resurgence, via, of course, a third World Championships title for Peter Sagan, there were some transfers from last winter that turned out to be very successful indeed over the past 12 months.

But what of those that didn’t go as planned? There were plenty of riders who didn’t hit the heights expected of them at their new teams, and transfers that simply did not work. Cyclingnews takes a look at some of them.

Tony Martin

Moved from: Quick-Step Floors
Moved to: Katusha-Alpecin
Victories: 1
Best result: 1st, stage 2, Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana
What went wrong: There was a time when there was almost a sense of inevitability about time trials that Tony Martin showed up to. But, the German hasn’t looked himself for a good two or three years. After extensive experiments with his position led to a dip in his results, he reverted back late last season and won at the Tour of Britain before winning a fourth world title with an utterly dominant performance in Qatar. It all looked bright for his move to Katusha-Alpecin, a team with a German sponsor and bike manufacturer, but Martin failed to win a time trial this year. He was second at the Volta ao Algarve and the Criterium du Dauphine and fourth on both the opening-day and penultimate-day time trials at the Tour de France. He could only manage ninth at Worlds, and was angry that the course included a steep climb in the finale. As seasons in the world champion’s skinsuit go, it was one to forget.

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Martin wasn’t just signed to win time trials, however. After his revelation as a cobbled classics rider at Quick-Step last year, Martin was handed a dual leadership role at Katusha alongside Alexander Kristoff. For all the excited talk of how Martin could attack and Kristoff sit in for sprints, the best they could manage was Kristoff’s fifth place at the Tour of Flanders, with Martin unable to translate those promising domestique showings into any sort of impact as a leader.

John Degenkolb

Moved from: Team Sunweb
Moved to: Trek-Segafredo
Victories: 1
Best result: 1st, stage 3, Dubai Tour
What went wrong: Degenkolb’s troubles can partly be attributed to factors broadly outside his control – injury and illness. At the Tour de France he was caught up in the crash between Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish on stage 4 and struggled with his shoulder thereafter, while bronchitis forced him to abandon the Vuelta a España, miss the World Championships, and ultimately spend time in hospital.

Leopold Konig

Ben Swift

Andre Cardoso

Sep Vanmarcke

Moreno Moser

Jurgen van den Broeck

Andrea Guardini

Rafal Majka

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Rotor UNO to make professional peloton debut in 2018

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This article originally appeared on BikeRadar

Rotor UNO — the Spanish brand's long awaited hydraulic groupset — will be raced next year by women's pro team WNT-ROTOR.

WNT-ROTOR riders will be the only UCI team equipped with UNO. Unsurprisingly, the team will also be using Rotor's 2INPower cranks, Q rings and Rotor RVOLVER hubs.

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The team will also be using Rotor's cranks and hubs

UNO was first announced way back in 2015, with release initially expected to be in spring 2016. Its release was subsequently stalled due to patent issues with the groupsets cassette, but these have now been resolved and the groupset is finally available for purchase at £2,400 / $2,750 / €2,499 / AU$4,335.

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Allegations of sexual misconduct strike Polish Cycling Federation

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The Polish Cycling Federation has been rocked by accusations of sexual misconduct and fraud by a former key figure, leading to conflicts among its top officials.

A recent audit launched by the current president Dariusz Banaszek has brought to light not only proof of financial malpractice [of] by a "key figure in the cycling environment" but also allegations of sexual misconduct, including rape and sexual intercourse with riders, some allegedly while those riders were [as] minors.

The allegations were made public on Saturday by Piotr Kosmala, a former team manager, executive board member and ex-vice president, who disclosed the findings of the audit to the news website Sportowe Fakty.

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Cyclingnews understands that allegations made in the interview date back approximately a decade and involve a prominent person in Poland's cycling structures, an ex-employee of the Polish Cycling Federation.

According to Kosmala, the material gathered by auditors contains testimony of an attempted rape of a victim who claims to have been given alcohol and sleep-inducing drug before the incident.

Kosmala refused to name the accused but said the investigation highlighted practices of fraud and intimidation, saying about the accused official: "He would tell co-workers and staff that if they disobey, he will make sure they never find a job within the cycling industry. He would tell female riders they won't take part in key events, such as world championships or Olympic Games. Disobedience meant cutting the pay, too," he said, citing knowledge of the report.

Zero tolerance from the ministry

Success not backed by transparency

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Degenkolb and Stuyven hit the cobbles ahead of 2018 campaign - Gallery

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It is never too early to begin your race preparations and Trek-Segafredo have started theirs for the 2018 Cobbled Classics. The team's leaders for the spring races, John Degenkolb and Jasper Stuyven gave their equipment, and themselves, a rigorous test on the pavé last week.

The pair, with directeur sportif Dirk Demol, took on the route of Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders and the Tour de France's cobbled stage over two days of testing. The two-day ride allowed the riders to hone their set-ups for the forthcoming Classics and Tour.

Trek-Segafredo will be hoping for some bigger results in 2018 after a solid but unspectacular Classics campaign this year. Stuyven and Fabio Felline got them off to a promising start with second at Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and fourth at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, respectively. However, any further podium places eluded them in the spring. Degenkolb managed top 10 in both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, while Stuyven just missed out on the podium at Roubaix.

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One of only three riders to win Milan-San Remo and Paris-Roubaix in the same season, Degenkolb came to the team last year as a replacement for the retired Fabian Cancellara. He had a difficult end to the 2017 season with illness forcing him to end his season early. He told Cyclingnews earlier this month that Trek-Segafredo can turn their consistent results into something bigger with a bit more luck next year.

Stuyven and Degenkolb are likely to be key players when the Tour de France hits the cobbles in the opening week of the 2018 event. The stage 9 route will close out the first week of action and features a whopping 21.7km of cobbles.

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Signs point to a Giro d'Italia - Tour de France double for Froome

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It is looking increasingly likely that Chris Froome will race the Giro d'Italia in 2018 before targeting the Tour de France, according to a report from Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

Race director Mauro Vegni revealed to Cyclingnews earlier this month that he hopes to convince Froome to ride what would be a historic Giro d'Italia due to the race starting in Israel.

"He needs to do the treble – he has won the Tour, he has won the Vuelta and now he has to win the Giro to write history by winning all three Grand Tours in a row," Vegni said.

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The Telegraaf report states that Froome will ride the Giro before heading to the Tour next year, citing a source within RCS Sport, the organisers of the Giro. 

If Froome won the Giro d'Italia he would become the first rider since Bernard Hinault to win all three Grand Tours in the same 12-month period. However, riding the Giro could make it more difficult for the Briton to win a fifth Tour de France in July, despite there being an extra week between the two Grand Tours in 2018.

The organisers have confirmed that 2017 winner Tom Dumoulin, Vincenzo Nibali, Fabio Aru and former two-time winner Alberto Contador will attend the presentation of the 2018 route in Milan on Wednesday afternoon.

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The best Cyber Monday deals for cyclists

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Welcome to the Cyber Monday deals homepage, where we will collate all of the best Cyber Monday bike deals for cyclists. This article originally appeared on BikeRadar.

What is Cyber Monday?

It’s an American online shopping event that’s begun to migrate over to Europe, promising big online savings off recommended retail prices. Think of it as Black Friday for the internet generation: the idea is that you can get big discounts without having to leave the comfort of your sofa, never mind getting elbowed in your local shopping mall.

It is becoming very big business — some retailers predict they'll double their normal day's sales and the number of offers is increasing year on year.

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Who will have Cyber Monday deals?

We expect to see deals from all of the big bike retailers, including Chain Reaction Cycles, Wiggle, Evans, Decathlon, Halfords and more.

Other retailers that don't necessarily deal solely with cycling, such as eBay and Amazon are also bound to have some good deals too and we'll be sure to keep this page updated with the best deals throughout the week.

In the meantime, don't forget to also check out our best Black Friday deals page as many of the big brands are carrying over their Black Friday offers right through to Cyber Monday.

Chain Reaction Cycles Cyber Monday deals

50% off! Castelli Gabba 3 Jersey 2017 — was £150, now £75

20% off! Vitus Sentier VRS hardtail SLX 1x11 2017 — was £999.99, now £799.99

35% off! Nukeproof Horizon CS CrMo Trail Pedals — was £99.99, now £64.99

50% off! Rockshox Reverb Stealth dropper — was £376.99, now £189.99

More CRC deals:

• 32% off! Prime RR-50 Carbon Clincher Road Wheelset — was £729.99, now £499.99
• 42% off! X-Tools Pro Mechanic Wheel Truing Stand — was £119.99, now £69.99
• 74% off! WTB KOM i-23 TCS MTB rim — was £69.99, now £19.99
• 36% off! Brand-X Ascend dropper post — was £139.99, now £89.99
• 44% off! Chain Reaction Cycles Pro bike bag — was £249.99, now £139.99
• 50% off! Brand-X RD-01 Road Frame and Carbon Fork — was £199.99, now £99.99

Evans Cyber Monday deals

47% off! Scott Scale 700 RC 2016 MTB — was £4,399, now £2,299

40% off! Cannondale Slate Ultegra 2017 Adventure Road Bike — was £2,999, now £1,799

More Cyber Monday deals from Evans Cycles

• 30% off the Exposure Six Pack Mk8 Front Light - 4750 Lumen —was £424.95, now £297.46
• 48% of the Castelli Perfetto Long Sleeve Jersey — was £139.99, now £89.99
• 30% off the Mavic XA Pro Carbon 6-Bolt 29er MTB Boost 2.35" WTS Wheelset — was £1,400, now £980
• 50% off the Bell Stratus Helmet — was £99.99, now £49.99 - 49.99
• 33% off the Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 C24 Carbon Laminate Clincher 700c Quick Release Wheelset — was £999.98, now £664.99

Ribble Cyber Monday deals

30% off! Lezyne Femto Drive Rear Light — was £12.99, now £8.99

64% off! Shimano BB-R60 11-speed bottom bracket (Ultegra 6800/105 5800) — was £29.99, now £10.77

More Ribble deals:

• 57% off! Shimano Performance Breakaway Windbreak Bibtights — was £139.99, now £59.49
• 61% off! Shimano 105 5800 crankset — was £154.99, now £58.99
• 43% off! Elite Qubo Power Mag Trainer — was £249.99, now £142.39
• 50% off! High 5 Energy Gels Plus — was £19.80, now £9.89
• 24% off! Giro Foray Helmet — was £49.99, now £37.98
• 28% off! Shimano Bleed Kit— was £24.99, now £17.99

Probikekit Cyber Monday deals

69% off! Shimano cm-2000 action camera — was £239.99, now £74.99

Merlin Cyber Monday deals

More Merlin deals

• 40% off! Shimano Tiagra 4700 Groupset - was £499.99, now £299.99
• 73.5% off! Eddy Merckx San Remo 76 Frameset - was £2,150.00, now £575.00
• 50% off! Castelli Passo Giau Cycling Jacket - was £150.00, now £75.0
• 39.5 - 55% off! Shimano 105 FC-5800 Road Bike Chainset - was £149.99, now £67.50 - £90.95
• 39.5% off! Transition Scout Carbon Mountain Bike Frame - 2017 - was £2,799.95, now £1,689.00

Halfords Cyber Monday deals

22% off! Carrera Vengeance mountain bike — was £320, now £250

34% off! CycleOps SMART Fluid Turbo Trainer — was £190, now £125

Black Friday deals Tweeks

63% off! Sugoi Women's Zap jacket — was £100, now £37

29% off! Mondraker Foxy R — was £3,499, now £2,489

71% off! Arundel Synth Gecko bar tape — was £34.90, now £10

63% off! USE alloy stem — was £79.99, now £29.99

More Cyber Monday cycling deals from Tweeks

• 52% off! Castelli Perfetto Convertible Jacket — was £210, now £100
• 55% off! Giro Cinder road helmet — was £99.99, now £44.99

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Moscon: People are jealous of Team Sky

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Gianni Moscon has suggested that he and Team Sky have been the target for criticism during 2017 because their rivals are envious of the way the British WorldTour team is leading the way in the peloton. 

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport during a long interview at home in the Val di Non apple orchards, Moscon revealed he will have a leadership role at Team Sky for the cobbled Classics in 2018 and is likely to ride the Tour de France in support of Chris Froome as he continues to understand his own Grand Tour potential.

He again denied purposely causing Sebastien Reichenbach (FDJ) to crash during the Tre Valli Varesine race for his involvement in the polemic surrounding his racial abuse of FDJ teammate Kevin Reza.

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"I can't accept that people say we're arrogant, everyone has to do their own thing. They're envious but as the [Italian] saying goes: It's better to make people envious than to seem pathetic," Moscon is reported as saying in La Gazzetta dello Sport. "We're leading the way and perhaps people don't like that. An example is using the rollers after a race. People laughed when we did it, now the ones who laughed take their bikes to the podium area."

Moscon is still only 23 but again showed his prodigious talents during the 2017 season. He finished fifth at Paris-Roubaix after being in the decisive attack of the race, won the Italian time trial title, played a key role in Froome's victory at the Vuelta a España, and then was third at Il Lombardia.

However, his season also included several controversies that have raised questions about his behaviour. He was suspended for six weeks by Team Sky after racially insulting FDJ's Kevin Reza in the spring. He was disqualified from the World Championships road race in Bergen for taking a tow from the Italian team car, and he has been accused of "dangerous behaviour" that caused Reichenbach to crash during the Tre Valli Varesine race in September.

Staying with Sky

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De la Cruz: Brailsford is the Steve Jobs of cycling

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David De la Cruz has likened his new team principal, Dave Brailsford, to the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. The Spaniard, who will ride with Team Sky next season, praised Brailsford for what he called "an innate ability to transmit and spread his dreams" and said he had the team's full support as they look to win all three Grand Tours.

"I would define him as the Steve Jobs of cycling. He is very intelligent, but from what I see he stands out as much for his leadership as for his way of communicating," De la Cruz told Spanish newspaper, Sport. "He has an innate ability to transmit and spread to us all of his dreams. It makes you believe that what he says is possible.

"In seven years he has won the most important race in the world five times, but his ambition has not diminished. Now he wants to win the big three because nobody has done that until now. And the whole team is behind that dream and participating in the goal."

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Brailsford has been at the head of Team Sky since their debut season in 2010 but has endured a difficult season at the top following the revelations surrounding the 'jiffy-bag' scandal and his handling of it. One rider told Cyclingnews in March that a number of riders had considered asking him to step down amidst the scandal. However, several others then tweeted their support of the team principal, in response to the claim.

Taking a step forward

De la Cruz is moving to Team Sky after a three-year spell with the Quick-Step Floors team and two years with NetApp-Endura prior to that. At both squads, De la Cruz did not face much competition for his burgeoning talent as a stage-race rider. Quick-Step Floors had Dan Martin and Bob Jungels, but he was allowed a certain amount of freedom in his role. At Team Sky, De la Cruz accepts that the competition will be much tougher but he believes that, in the long run, the move will be beneficial for him.

"I have the impression that with them I will take a step forward and that is what I want," he said. "There is a second reason. I am a general classification rider and his philosophy is more suited to my characteristics. It is true that will be harder to find my space than in Quick-Step, but if the case comes I will have more support to fight for my goals. Had I been a sprinter or a classics rider I would not have moved from Quick-Step. But I want to improve as a rider."

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Team Sky and Castelli unveil 2018 jersey

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Team Sky and Castelli have unveiled the new team jersey for the 2018 season.

Since the team's inception in 2010, the jerseys have been a predominantly black and blue design with kits made by Adidas and Rapha before the most recent partnership with Italian brand, Castelli.

During last year's Tour de France, the team opted for a special edition white jersey and have committed to a similar design for the entirety of next season following positive feedback from fans and riders.

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Next season's jersey also sees the return of a large blue chest band, which appeared on the team's early jersey designs.

Castelli first partnered with Team Sky for the 2017 season, signing a contract with the WorldTour team for an initial three seasons. A dot-dash 'data pattern' that represents the team's victories remains on the rear of the jersey, alongside a central blue line that has been a feature of each of the team's jerseys for the past eight seasons.

Brand manager at Castelli, Steve Smith, said of the annonucement, "since we began our partnership with Team Sky they have embraced new ideas around every aspect of the team kit."

— Cyclingnews.com (@Cyclingnewsfeed) November 27, 2017

— Team Sky (@TeamSky) November 27, 2017

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