Cycling

Victor Koretzky and Loana Lecomte gave France a sweep of the first men's and women's World Cup mountain bike races of the season.

Tim Merlier won a bunch sprint at the end of Stage 2 of the Giro d'Italia to claim his first ever Grand Tour stage victory, while Filippo Ganna retained the leader's pink jersey.

Italian cyclist Filippo Ganna lived up to his billing as the favorite by storming to victory in the opening stage time trial of the Giro d'Italia.

Mathieu van der Poel and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot confirmed their status as the favorites in mountain biking by winning the first World Cup race of the season.

Britain’s Simon Yates says he is hoping to have a “clear run� at the Giro d’Italia this year as he seeks to banish the memories of the last few years and justify his status as race favourite. Yates, who showed good form to win the recent Tour of the Alps, has been tipped by everyone from Alberto Contador to Bradley Wiggins to claim the maglia rosa this year. The 28 year-old from Bury is also favourite with the bookmakers, ahead of Ineos Grenadiers’ Egan Bernal and Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Remco Evenepoel. But the BikeExchange rider - a Vuelta a Espana winner in 2018 - has seemed reluctant to talk up his chances, knowing only too well how quickly fortunes can change in what is generally regarded as the least predictable of the three grand tours. In 2018, Yates led for over two weeks only to collapse spectacularly three days from the finish, with Chris Froome going on to take the pink jersey. In 2019, Yates began the race by publicly stating that he considered himself “the number one favourite�. But he was never at his best, eventually finishing eighth. Last year, at the rescheduled ‘autumn’ Giro, Yates was forced to abandon in the second week after contracting Covid-19, one of a number of positives in his Australian team which eventually forced them to retire en masse. “I’m hoping for a clear run this year,� Yates said. “Two years ago I made some mistakes in training beforehand, and I did too much too early in 2018. A guy can come from nowhere and win [it] as I know from personal experience.� One needs only look at last year’s extraordinary race to realise the truth of that statement. The eventual winner, Londoner Tao Geoghegan Hart, only got the opportunity to ride for himself after Ineos’ original leader Geraint Thomas crashed out. And Yates was not the only race favourite to contract Covid, with Steven Kruijswijk of Jumbo-Visma also falling victim. Geoghegan Hart took pink for the first time after the final stage. Little wonder pundits are reserving judgement this time around. “It's difficult to choose just one favourite because of so much uncertainty,� Contador told Eurosport. “For now the only rider who has shown 100 per cent that he is in good shape is Yates after a great ride in the Tour of the Alps.� Wiggins, also speaking to Eurosport, said Yates was his favourite, too, but added that other young British riders such as Hugh Carthy (EF Education–Nippo), who finished on the podium at last year’s Vuelta a Espana, and James Knox, a team-mate of Evenepoel’s at Deceuninck-QuickStep, were also well capable of success. “This really is a race for those guys now,� Wiggins insisted. “Hugh was third in the Vuelta last year, Tao’s winning of the Giro last year… it really snowballs and success breeds success.� Ireland’s Dan Martin, who has Britain’s Alex Dowsett in his Israel-Start-Up Nation team, is also among the GC contenders. The race begins on Saturday with a short 8.6-kilometre time trial prologue in Turin. Evenepoel, the 21 year-old Belgian, will be among the favourites despite not having raced since last August. This year’s route takes in some Giro classics including the Zoncolan and the Gavia, as well as some gravel roads on stage 11, before a final day time trial in Milan. “I’m happy with my condition, but the Giro is a very different race,� Yates said of his form. “I will have to be careful, calm and cautious.�

In an ideal world, Alex Dowsett will fulfil a lifelong ambition this summer by representing his country at an Olympic Games. The 32-year-old will win a medal in the time trial in Tokyo, having first helped a Yates twin or a Tao Geoghegan Hart or a Geraint Thomas to victory in the road race. He will then return to Europe and reclaim the Hour Record, a discipline in which he says he has “unfinished business�. Of course, Dowsett has been around cycling long enough to know the ‘ideal world' rarely exists. Injuries, illness, loss of form – there are any number of potential obstacles to overcome. Dowsett’s planned crack at the Hour Record just before Christmas had to be aborted at the last minute after he contracted coronavirus (“Given the air pressure on the day I was due to do it, that was a real kick in the teeth,� he says). The truth is, just being selected for Team GB would be a serious accomplishment given there are only four spots available on the road and Dowsett’s is just one name on a shortlist that also includes the aforementioned Adam and Simon Yates, Geoghegan Hart, Hugh Carthy, Geraint Thomas, James Knox, Luke Rowe and Tom Pidcock. Chris Froome, his Israel Start-up Nation team-mate and a seven-time grand tour winner, is not even on coach Matt Brammeier’s shortlist, although Dowsett insists it is “not beyond� the double Olympic bronze medallist to find some form and make a late bid for glory. Either way, Dowsett is philosophical. The Essex rider begins the Giro d’Italia in Turin on Saturday confident that he has done absolutely everything in his power to be on the start line in Musashinonomori Park on July 24. “I've worked harder than I've ever worked,� Dowsett says from his hotel room in Turin, which he is sharing with Alessandro De Marchi. “I mean, I always feel like I've worked as hard as I’ve ever worked but I have just stepped it up again this year. My weight’s down, my power's up. I could not have done any more. So I think whatever happens, I'll be at peace with it.�

Froome spent more than three weeks in hospital after breaking his neck, femur, elbow, hip and ribs in a high-speed crash in the 2019 Criterium du Dauphine but the Briton has made a full recovery. The four-times Tour de France champion, who left Ineos-Grenadiers for Israel-Start Up Nation during the close season, came 81st overall in the Tour of Catalunya in March and some social media users said he should end his career. Froome, 35, was not part of the Tour last year after being left out of the Ineos-Grenadiers squad but is expected to line up with his new team this year.

The Giro d'Italia is traditionally the most unpredictable grand tour, and adding to this year's uncertainty is the fitness of Egan Bernal in the absence of the top guns. Colombian Bernal won the 2019 Tour de France in dominant fashion but he has been hampered by back pain since and the Ineos-Grenadiers rider will start Saturday's individual time trial in Turin having not raced in more than seven weeks. In the absence of Tour champion Tadej Pogacar and runner-up Primoz Roglic, Bernal would normally be the hot favourite, but how his back responds to the brutal challenge of the Giro's punishing climbs is anyone's guess.

Veteran Vincenzo Nibali looks for a third Giro win as 21-year-old Remco Evenepoel makes his Grand Tour debut.

Sunday May 9 – Stupinigi (Nichelino) to Novara, 173km Tim Merlier handed Alpecin-Fenix victory on the first road stage of their Grand Tour debut as he took the honours on the second day of the Giro d'Italia. The Belgian had the power to hold off Italian pair Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani at the end of the 179km stage from Stupinigi to Novara. It was a record 10th second place in a Giro stage for Team Qhubeka-ASSOS' Nizzolo, who has never won a stage of his home Grand Tour despite twice winning the points classification. The sprint finish meant there were only minimal changes in the early general classification standings as set in Saturday's opening time trial, with Filippo Ganna retaining the pink jersey for the Ineos Grenadiers. The Italian stretched his advantage slightly to 13 seconds from Jumbo-Visma's Edoardo Affini as he picked up three bonus seconds in the intermediate sprint. Deceuninck-QuickStep's Remco Evenepoel edged ahead of team-mate Joao Almeida to move up to fourth, 20 seconds down, with a group of pink jersey hopefuls including Egan Bernal, Simon Yates and Vincenzo Nibali still bunched together with deficits of a little over 40 seconds. With only three riders joining the early breakaway, Sunday's stage was raced at a slow pace until it came back together with 25km to go and preparations began for a technical sprint, punctuated by a tight roundabout on the approach to the line. Merlier launched his sprint early but nobody could find a way around the 28-year-old. "I'm really happy, and really proud of it," he said of the win. "The roundabout was really important but I saw we were in a good position. My only thought was 'faster, faster, faster'. It was far to go from 250m but in the end it was enough." Dylan Groenewegen, racing for the first time since serving a nine-month ban following last year's controversial crash at the Tour of Poland which left Fabio Jakobsen in a coma, finished fourth for Jumbo-Visma just behind Cofidis' Viviani. "The feeling after a really long time is OK," the Dutchman said. "Taking fourth place in the first sprint after nine months, I need to be happy, but I'm a winner, I always want more. "The legs are really perfect so I'm looking forward to the next sprints." The race continues with a 190km stage from Biella to Canale on Monday. PA

As with all WorldTour races, each of the 19 teams that make up the top-flight of professional cycling receive an invite and in the case of the Tour de France, all teams are contracted to race the second grand tour of 2021. In addition to the WorldTeams, Alpecin-Fenix qualified as the No 1 ranked ProTeam from 2020 while race organisers ASO handed wild card entries to Arkéa-Samsic, B&B Hotels p/b KTM and Total Direct Énergie. Just one team, Dutch squad Jumbo-Visma, has named its eight-man team to compete at this year's race, but a number of others have released details of riders with the Tour de France on their schedules. In the countdown to the official announcements of the line-ups, Telegraph Sport will keep you abreast of those riders either rumoured to be riding the Tour, or named on provisional longlists shown below in bold. UCI WorldTeams Ag2r-Citroën (Fra): François Bidard (Fra), Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra), Lilian Calmejane (Fra), Clément Champoussin (Fra, neo-pro), Mikaël Cherel (Fra), Benoît Cosnefroy (Fra), Stan Dewulf (Bel), Julien Duval (Fra), Mathias Frank (Swi), Tony Gallopin (Fra), Ben Gastauer (Lux), Dorian Godon (Fra), Alexis Gougeard (Fra), Jaakko Hanninen (Fin, neo-pro), Anthony Jullien (Fra, neo-pro), Bob Jungels (Lux), Lawrence Naesen (Bel), Oliver Naesen (Bel), Ben O'Connor (Aus), Aurélien Paret-Peintre (Fra), Nans Peters (Fra), Nicolas Prodhomme (Fra, neo-pro), Marc Sarreau (Fra), Michael Schär (Swi), Damien Touzé (Fra), Greg Van Avermaet (Bel), Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel), Andrea Vendrame (Ita), Clément Venturini (Fra), Larry Warbasse (US). Astana-Premier Tech (Kaz): Alex Aranburu (Spa), Samuele Battistella (Ita, neo-pro), Manuele Boaro (Ita), Gleb Brussenskiy (Kaz, neo-pro), Rodrigo Contreras (Col), Stefan de Bod (SA), Yevgeniy Fedorov (Kaz, neo-pro), Fabio Felline (Ita), Omar Fraile (Spa), Jakob Fuglsang (Den), Yevgeniy Gidich (Kaz), Jonas Gregaard (Den), Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz), Hugo Houle (Can), Ion Izagirre (Spa), Gorka Izagirre (Spa), Merhawi Kudus (Eri), Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz), Davide Martinelli (Ita), Yuriy Natarov (Kaz), Ben Perry (Can), Andrea Piccolo (Ita, neo-pro), Vadim Pronskiy (Kaz, neo-pro), Óscar Rodríguez (Spa), Javier Romo (Spa, neo-pro), Luis León Sánchez (Spa), Matteo Sobrero (Ita, neo-pro), Nikita Stalnov (Kaz), Harold Tejada (Col, neo-pro), Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus), Artyom Zakharov (Kaz).

The 28-year-old, who rides for the Italian team Vini Zabu, failed two tests for the banned steroid ostarine during last year's Giro and has been disqualified from all competitive results obtained at the race. The UCI said that Spreafico's ban was backdated and effective until Oct. 21, 2023. In April, Vini Zabu were suspended for a period of 30 days after two of their riders tested positive for banned substances in a 12-month period.

The health situation in France has been improving slightly just ahead of two of the country's flagship sporting events, although late changes are still possible, sports minister Roxana Maracineanu said on Monday. President Emmanuel Macron last week said fans would be allowed to gradually return to the arenas, with up to 5,000 spectators on the main showcourts by the end of the May 30-June 13 French Open, while most restrictions are expected to be lifted shortly after the start of the June 27-July 19 Tour de France. "Today we are rather on a positive outlook with a vaccination campaign in full swing, with the possibility for many people to do a lot of PCR tests and the greater integration of social distancing," Maracineanu told Reuters.

As with all WorldTour races, each of the 19 teams that make up the top-flight of professional cycling receive an invite and in the case of the Giro d'Italia, all teams are contracted to race the first grand tour of the season. In addition to the WorldTeams, Alpecin-Fenix qualified as the No 1 ranked ProTeam from 2020 while race organisers RCS handed wild card entries to Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, Bardiani-CSF-Faizane and Eolo-Kometa. UCI WorldTeams Ag2r-Citroën (Fra): François Bidard (Fra), Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra), Clément Champoussin (Fra, neo-pro), Tony Gallopin (Fra), Alexis Gougeard (Fra), Lawrence Naesen (Bel), Andrea Vendrame (Ita), Larry Warbasse (US). Astana-Premier Tech (Kaz): Samuele Battistella (Ita, neo-pro), Fabio Felline (Ita), Gorka Izagirre (Spa), Vadim Pronskiy (Kaz, neo-pro), Luis León Sánchez (Spa), Matteo Sobrero (Ita, neo-pro), Harold Tejada (Col, neo-pro), Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus). Bahrain Victorious (Brn): Yukiya Arashiro (Jap), Pello Bilbao (Spa), Damiano Caruso (Ita), Mikel Landa (Spa), Gino Mäder (Swi), Matej Mohoric (Slo), Jan Tratnik (Slo), Rafael Valls (Spa). BikeExchange (Aus): Michael Hepburn (Aus), Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den), Tanel Kangert (Est), Cameron Meyer (Aus), Mikel Nieve (Spa), Nick Schultz (Aus), Callum Scotson (Aus), Simon Yates (GB). Bora-Hansgrohe (Ger): Giovanni Aleotti (Ita, neo-pro), Cesare Benedetti (Ita), Maciej Bodnar (Pol), Emanuel Buchmann (Ger), Matteo Fabbro (Ita), Felix Grosschartner (Aut), Daniel Oss (Ita), Peter Sagan (Svk). Cofidis, Solutions Crédits (Fra): Natnael Berhane (Eri), Simone Consonni (Ita), Nicolas Edet (Fra), Victor Lafay (Fra), Rémy Rochas (Fra), Fabio Sabatini (Ita), Elia Viviani (Ita), Attilio Viviani (Ita, neo-pro). Deceuninck-Quick Step (Bel): Joao Almeida (Por), Rémi Cavagna (Fra), Remco Evenepoel (Bel), Mikkel Frolich Honore (Den), Iljo Keisse (Bel), James Knox (GB), Fausto Masnada (Ita), Pieter Serry (Bel).

As with all WorldTour races, each of the 19 teams that make up the top-flight of professional cycling receive an invite and in the case of the Giro d'Italia, all teams are contracted to race the first grand tour of the season. In addition to the WorldTeams, Alpecin-Fenix qualified as the No 1 ranked ProTeam from 2020 while race organisers RCS handed wild card entries to Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, Bardiani-CSF-Faizane and Eolo-Kometa. UCI WorldTeams Ag2r-Citroën (Fra): François Bidard (Fra), Geoffrey Bouchard (Fra), Clément Champoussin (Fra, neo-pro), Tony Gallopin (Fra), Alexis Gougeard (Fra), Lawrence Naesen (Bel), Andrea Vendrame (Ita), Larry Warbasse (US). Astana-Premier Tech (Kaz): Samuele Battistella (Ita, neo-pro), Fabio Felline (Ita), Gorka Izagirre (Spa), Vadim Pronskiy (Kaz, neo-pro), Luis León Sánchez (Spa), Matteo Sobrero (Ita, neo-pro), Harold Tejada (Col, neo-pro), Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus). Bahrain Victorious (Brn): Yukiya Arashiro (Jap), Pello Bilbao (Spa), Damiano Caruso (Ita), Mikel Landa (Spa), Gino Mäder (Swi), Matej Mohoric (Slo), Jan Tratnik (Slo), Rafael Valls (Spa). BikeExchange (Aus): Michael Hepburn (Aus), Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den), Tanel Kangert (Est), Cameron Meyer (Aus), Mikel Nieve (Spa), Nick Schultz (Aus), Callum Scotson (Aus), Simon Yates (GB). Bora-Hansgrohe (Ger): Giovanni Aleotti (Ita, neo-pro), Cesare Benedetti (Ita), Maciej Bodnar (Pol), Emanuel Buchmann (Ger), Matteo Fabbro (Ita), Felix Grosschartner (Aut), Daniel Oss (Ita), Peter Sagan (Svk). Cofidis, Solutions Crédits (Fra): Natnael Berhane (Eri), Simone Consonni (Ita), Nicolas Edet (Fra), Victor Lafay (Fra), Rémy Rochas (Fra), Fabio Sabatini (Ita), Elia Viviani (Ita), Attilio Viviani (Ita, neo-pro). Deceuninck-Quick Step (Bel): Joao Almeida (Por), Rémi Cavagna (Fra), Remco Evenepoel (Bel), Mikkel Frolich Honore (Den), Iljo Keisse (Bel), James Knox (GB), Fausto Masnada (Ita), Pieter Serry (Bel).

Geraint Thomas rebounded from his finish-line crash to win the Tour de Romandie with a fast time-trial to end the six-day race.

Geraint Thomas crashed dring a sprint finish in the main mountains stage of the Tour de Romandie, gifting victory and the yellow jersey to Michael Woods.

Geraint Thomas said he felt like a “right whopper� after a bizarre crash inside the final 100m of stage four of the Tour of Romandie gave the Welshman and his supporters a scare eight weeks out from the Tour de France. Thomas, who is aiming to win his second maillot jaune this summer after his famous victory in 2018, had shown excellent legs on the race’s queen stage, powering through the sleet and mist to set up a two-way sprint for victory in the Swiss ski resort of Thyon. But his frozen hands slipped on his bars as he opened up his sprint against Canadian Michael Woods [Israel StartUp-Nation] and he hit the deck hard. Thankfully, Thomas appeared to suffer only wounded pride. The Ineos Grenadiers rider was able to remount and finish the stage third behind Ben O’Connor (AG2R). And assuming he shows no ill effects from his crash overnight, Thomas should begin Sunday's 16km hilly time trial around Fribourg as the favourite for the overall win given he sits just 11 seconds behind Woods on general classification and has far better time trial pedigree. But he was clearly frustrated with himself, shaking his head as he rolled over the line and later admitting to reporters that he was “emotional�.

What is this race and why should I care about it? Why, it's only the 104th edition of the Giro d'Italia, the first of the three grand tours scheduled to take place this year. For many aficionados, the Giro is the greatest test a cyclist can face with the stages regularly being longer, higher and, very often, colder than those at the Tour de France, its better known and slightly older cousin. When does the Giro d'Italia start? This year's Giro d'Italia begins with a nine kilometre individual time trial around Turin on Saturday May 8, 2021. How long is this year's Giro d'Italia? The opening grand tour of the season comprises 21 stages and will be raced over 3,450.4km – that's 2,144 miles in old money.

What is this race and why should I care about it? Why, it's only the 104th edition of the Giro d'Italia, the first of the three grand tours scheduled to take place this year. For many aficionados, the Giro is the greatest test a cyclist can face with the stages regularly being longer, higher and, very often, colder than those at the Tour de France, its better known and slightly older cousin. When does the Giro d'Italia start? This year's Giro d'Italia begins with a nine kilometre individual time trial around Turin today. How long is this year's Giro d'Italia? The opening grand tour of the season comprises 21 stages and will be raced over 3,450.4km – that's 2,144 miles in old money.

Sunday May 2 — Fribourg 16.19km (individual time trial) Geraint Thomas sealed his first overall victory since winning the Tour de France in 2018 following the final-day time trial at the Tour de Romandie. Thomas led home a one-two on general classification for Ineos Grenadiers ahead of team-mate Richie Porte, while Fausto Masnada (Deceuninck-Quick Step) completed the podium in third place. It was another Deceuninck-Quick Step rider, however, who won the final stage on Sunday with French time trial champion Rémi Cavagna completing the course in 21 minutes 54 seconds, 6sec faster than the young Swiss Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-Nippo), while Thomas was third another 11sec down, propelling him to top of the overall standings. Thomas started the day 11sec down on Michael Woods (Israel Start-up Nation) in the general classification following the previous day's mishap that saw the Ineos Grenadiers rider crash just 50 metres from line on an uphill finish. Thomas, though, stayed upright throughout the 16.19km course around Fribourg, finishing 54sec faster than Woods to seal overall victory and become only the third Briton to win the race, following in the pedal strokes of Sir Bradley Wiggins (2012) and Chris Froome (2013, 2014). "I'm very happy," Thomas said. "Especially after the little mishap yesterday which wasn't ideal and made it more of a challenge today. "I said at the start of the year my goal was the Tour and every race is building up to that," Thomas added. "I didn't really put any pressure on myself to perform early but I seem to have come in to good shape pretty soon and had a lot of good races. It's not that I haven't performed since winning the Tour [de France], I was second [there in 2019], second in [last year's] Tirreno-Adriatico and third in [last month's Volta a] Catalunya so I've been up there but it's nice to get the win and break that duck." UCI WorldTour 2021: Complete team-by-team guide and race calendar Froome, meanwhile, finished the stage 3min 23sec slower than Cavagna in 109th place – of 120 starters – a result that meant the four-time Tour de France winner completed the race over an hour down on former team-mate Thomas in 96th on general classification.

Slovenian Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) moved past world champion Alaphilippe at the end of the 259-kilometer race, the Frenchman suffering again as he did last year when he was denied on the line by Primoz Roglic before being disqualified. Pogacar and Alaphilippe were part of a leading group of five in the closing stages, with David Gaudu (Groupama–FDJ) taking the final spot on the podium.

Tokyo Olympic test events continued with track cycling on Sunday but planned in-person rider interviews were changed to an online format, as a worsening coronavirus situation in Japan forces organisers to adjust their programmes. Sunday's test event was to have been the first since the postponement of the Summer Games to have a mixed zone where journalists interview athletes after their events. Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto, herself a former Olympic track cyclist, said organisers would have to take advantage of technology amid the pandemic.

Pogacar lands maiden monument of his career in Liège Frenchmen Alaphilippe and Gaudu complete podium Vollering wins women's race; Van Vleuten is second UCI WorldTour 2021: Men's team-by-team guide Tadej Pogacar made another piece of history on Sunday when the 22-year-old became the first reigning Tour de France champion to win Liège-Bastogne-Liège since Bernard Hinault did so back in 1980. Six hours 39 minutes 26 seconds after setting off from Liège and out deep into the heart of the Ardennes, Pogacar returned to the largely unloved post-industrial city in the Walloon region of Belgium to win the first monument of his career following a perfectly timed sprint. "I am almost speechless. I really love this race," Pogacar said in a statement. "Winning here was a dream of mine and it is incredible to have achieved this goal and finish ahead of these big names." Following some aggressive racing from Ineos Grenadiers that was instigated by Tao Geoghegan Hart, the field of pre-race favourites splintered just as the breakaway fractured at precisely the wrong time on the day's penultimate ascent up the Côte des Forges. With just one climb remaining in the brutal 259-kilometre race that included 4,266 metres of vertical gain, the race was still up for grabs. A brief sortie from Richard Carapaz suggested the work from Ineos Grenadiers was part of a wider strategic plan, though once the Ecuadorian was caught on the final climb their day looked done.

Frenchman Thibaut Pinot won't compete in the Giro d'Italia due to lingering back pain related to a crash in the Tour de France last year.

Julian Alaphilippe earned his third victory in the Flèche Wallonne, overtaking Spanish Vuelta champion Primoz Rogli� on the final ascent to the finish line.

Wout van Aert beat Tom Pidcock at the Amstel Gold Race, while Marianne Vos accelerated away from Demi Vollering and Annemiek van Vleuten.

What is this race and why should I care about it? Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the second one-day race in the Ardennes region within days, is the third monument of this season and the oldest of all – La Doyenne – having started in 1892. While the race may lack some of the romance of the cobbled classics — particularly the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix — it is widely regarded as one of the toughest one-day races in the WorldTour. The course, put simply, is a brute. Although there are just 11 recognised climbs — Côte de la Roche en Ardenne, Côte de Saint-Roch, Côte de Mont le Soie, Côte de Wanne, Côte de Stockeu, Côte de la Haute-Levée, Col du Rosier, Côte de Desnié, Côte de La Redoute, Côte des Forges and Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons — the route offers riders few opportunities to recover between the short, but vicious, climbs that pepper the course. Within the final 36 kilometres of the 259.1km route three nasty little climbs — Côte de La Redoute, Côte des Forges and Côte de La Roche-aux-Faucons — all with average gradients of around eight per cent or more that will test the riders and end the hopes of those not strong enough to stay within distance of the key protagonists. When is Liège-Bastogne-Liège? The race gets under way at 10.15am (BST) on Sunday April 25, 2021. How long is this year's race? The 107th edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège is 259.1 kilometres long, and here's what the profile looks like ...

Multiple Tour de France winner Chris Froome warns he is ready to move up a gear after a slow start at his new Israel Start-Up Nation team in the Tour of the Alps starting Monday.

Wednesday April 21 — Charleroi to Mur de Huy, 193.6km Rainbows were on show above the small town of Huy in the Walloon region of Belgium on Wednesday and it was world champions Julian Alaphilippe and Anna van der Breggen who struck gold by winning the men's and women's editions of the hilly Flèche Wallonne classic. Alaphilippe added another Flèche Wallonne to the back-to-back titles he won in 2018 and 2019 when the Frenchman, dressed in the rainbow bands of world champion, timed his late surge to perfection to overhaul Primoz Roglic on the final climb of the Mur de Huy — the wall of Huy. Though short at 1.3km in length, the climb pitches up to gradients of around 20% and is almost always where the race is won, and lost. Despite starting the season well and having won a stage at last month's Tirreno-Adriatico, some had suggested the Deceuninck-Quick Step rider may have lost some ground to the next wave of puncheurs that have emerged over that last year or so. Alaphilippe, however, showed the form and timing that has made him one of the best riders in recent years on the tough hilly terrain typical to the Ardennes, particularly at Flèche Wallonne and Sunday's Liège-Bastogne-Liège monument. "I wanted to show people I was strong in the head," said Alaphilippe who appeared emotional as he thumped his chest crossing the line. "I haven’t won a lot since the beginning of the season, it was important to me to raise my arms again. I wanted so much to win again on such a hard race." After going into the final climb in a tightly-packed group containing most of the pre-race favourites, Alaphilippe watched and waited before making his move. Roglic was the first to show his hand, the Jumbo-Visma rider attacking towards the end of the steepest section around 400 metres from the line gaining around four bike lengths on the Alaphilippe. Having surveyed his rivals, the Deceuninck-Quick Step rider responded only Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), a five-time winner, able to hold his wheel.

Tokyo Olympic organisers said on Friday they had decided to postpone a test event for BMX freestyle cycling scheduled for April 24-25 because of the impact on scheduling from the COVID-19 pandemic. All parties involved are seeking a new date in May or June, the Tokyo 2020 organising committee said in a statement. "In order to ensure the best level of preparations for these test events and for the Tokyo 2020 Games, considering the schedule of each party under the current global COVID-19 conditions, it was felt that postponing the events was necessary," Tokyo 2020 said.

Italian cycling team Vini Zabu withdrew from the Giro d'Italia while awaiting a decision from the UCI over a possible ban due to two doping cases.

Tour de France champions and former teammates Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas will race against each other in the mountains of Switzerland this month.

What is this race and why should I care about it? Why, it's only the 108th edition of the Tour de France, one of the three grand tours, the others being the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. Founded in 1903 by Henri Desgrange, editor of L'Auto newspaper, the Tour may not be the favourite stage race of the cycling cognoscenti but it is one that captures the imagination of the wider sporting public. As a result, the race is the biggest annual sporting event in the world with more live spectators than even the Olympics or football World Cup. When does the Tour de France start? The Tour de France gets under way in Brittany on Saturday June 26, 2021, with the 187-kilometre opening stage from Brest to Landerneau. How long is this year's Tour de France? The total distance of the race is 3,383 kilometres – or 2,102 miles in old money. After setting off from Brest, the Brittany region hosts the opening four stages that will favour the punchers and sprinters of the peloton.

At the start of this week it had been 1,159 days since Mark Cavendish’s last race victory. He is now averaging one roughly every 1,159 minutes. The veteran British sprinter made it three wins in three days at the Tour of Turkey on Wednesday, beating Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) into second place for the third straight day as his stunning return to form continued. In a messy sprint in Kemer, which saw several riders go through the barriers and ambulances called, Cavendish bided his time, recognising that Philipsen – who must be getting increasingly desperate – had gone too early, before powering past the Belgian to win the 184km stage from Alanya. It is the first time the 2011 road world champion and 30-time Tour de France stage winner has won on three consecutive days since the Tour of Qatar in 2013 and allowed Cavendish to extend his overall lead of the race to 12 seconds.

Mark Cavendish won a second consecutive stage at the Tour of Turkey on Tuesday, rolling back the years for his first back-to-back victories since 2015. The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider looked like his old self as he sat on the wheel of old adversary André Greipel (Israel Start-up Nation) before opening up his sprint and, for the second day running, beating Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) to the line. On Monday, Cavendish won in similar circumstances, ending his three-year wait for a victory.

The Briton, back with Deceuninck-Quick Step six years after leaving the Belgian outfit, outsprinted Belgian Jasper Philipsen to raise his arms in celebration for the first time since winning the third stage of the Dubai Tour in February, 2018. The 35-year-old, who was pondering retirement last season, had joined Dimension Data in 2016 before spending a season at Bahrain-McLaren. Cavendish, who has won 30 stages on the Tour de France and is considered one of the best sprinters in the event's history, also won the 2011 world championships' road race.

American rider Brandon McNulty of Team UAE Emirates took the overall lead of the Tour of the Basque Country on Thursday as home hope Ion Izagirre won stage four.

Danish cyclist Kasper Asgreen timed his attack perfectly and overtook Dutchman Mathieu Van der Poel to win the Tour of Flanders for the first time.

Team Arkea-Samsic's Bouhanni is facing disciplinary action from the UCI for shoving Groupama–FDJ's Jake Stewart into the barriers in the sprint finish at the race. The 30-year-old said that he had been subject to racial attacks on social media afterwards and posted screenshots of some of the messages he received.

Former French cycling champion Nacer Bouhanni spoke out about the stream of racist insults he's received in the past week.

Former French road race champion Nacer Bouhanni says he has received "hundreds" of racist messages on social media since his shoulder charge on British rider Jake Stewart.

Saturday April 10 — Ondarroa to Arrate (Eibar), 111.9km Primoz Roglic bounced back in emphatic style to seal the overall victory at Itzulia Basque Country after David Gaudu won Saturday's final stage. UCI WorldTour 2021: Complete team-by-team guide and race calendar Much like the profile of the 112-kilometre stage from Ondarroa to Eibar, it was a rollercoaster of a final day of racing which saw overnight leader Brandon McNulty dropped around 45km from the line, leaving the UAE Team Emirates rider isolated while Jumbo-Visma team-mates Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard combined to turn over the young American. As McNulty struggled on the steep slopes of the Krabelin climb Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar, who started the day fifth on general classification, appeared unable to help his team-mate before pushing on in pursuit of his own ambitions of a podium spot. As McNulty laboured, Roglic formed a four-man alliance with Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Hugh Carthy (EF Education-Nippo) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) while Pogacar bridged over to a group containing Vingegaard. Vingegaard, the young Dane who is becoming an increasingly important cog in the Jumbo-Visma wheel, subsequently marked each every move Pogacar made. With little if any assistance, Pogacar did much of the heavy lifting but was unable to close the gap while Slovenian compatriot Roglic inched his way towards certain victory as each kilometre clicked by. Valverde was the first to crack in the lead group following an injection in pace on a steep incline from an imperious looking Roglic, the type on which a younger more sprightly version of the Movistar rider once excelled. The next to blow was Carthy, the rangy Lancastrian, leaving Roglic and Gaudu set fair for the final duel of the day. In the end, however, the Slovenian fist-bumped Gaudu ahead of the short final descent to the line, happy for the Frenchman to take the final stage, safe in the knowledge he had sealed the overall, mountains and points jerseys while Vingegaard completed the set with the young rider's classification.

Denmark's Kasper Asgreen claimed the biggest victory of his career when he beat pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel to win the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. Deceuninck-Quick Step rider Asgreen pipped defending champion Van der Poel of the Netherlands in a two-man sprint finish after 254.3 kilometres between Antwerp and Oudenaarde. The Tour of Flanders is the second of five Monuments, the major one-day races of the elite calendar.

Kasper Asgreen becomes first Dane to win Flanders since 1997 Annemiek van Vleuten wins women's race in emphatic style Asgreen Q&A: 'I love the cobbles, but hate steep climbs' UCI WorldTour 2021: Men's team-by-team guide Kasper Asgreen took the biggest victory of his career on Sunday when he beat Mathieu van der Poel to win the Tour of Flanders. Just over a week after winning E3 Saxo Bank Classic when the Dane benefited from some textbook tactics from his Deceuninck-Quick Step team, Asgreen played it cool at the end of the 254.3-kilometre race from Antwerp to Oudenaarde before beating defending champion and pre-race favourite Van der Poel in a two-up sprint.

Given Kadeena Cox already has two sports to juggle and a three-times weekly commute from Manchester to Loughborough, via Leeds to drop off and pick up her dog, she could be forgiven for not wanting to overburden herself with additional commitments. But taking the easy option would have meant Cox not winning cycling and athletics gold medals at the Rio Paralympics five years ago, so the idea of creating her own academy to add to an already hectic schedule “seemed sensible�. “I like to overfill my life,� she says, with a laugh. By claiming gold in the velodrome in 2016, Cox became the first black British cyclist to win an Olympic or Paralympic medal. Last year’s Tour de France featured only one black cyclist, Frenchman Kevin Reza, out of the 176 who started the race. An anomaly in a sporting world that claims to reward talent over anything else, Cox is adamant that ability is not the problem holding black people back in cycling; it is a lack of inspiration, opportunity and support. Invigorated by the Black Lives Matter movement, she decided to do something about it. The new KC Academy has the simple aim of bringing greater diversity to elite cycling. By helping young black cyclists progress onto the international stage, Cox wants to ensure the “odd one out� feeling she experiences so frequently ends. “How can we do something that is going to try to get more people from a similar background to me into cycling?� Her solution comes from lived experience. A talented able-bodied sprinter before developing multiple sclerosis after a stroke in 2014, Cox says cycling was “never on my radar� in her youth.

The Paris-Roubaix has been postponed until October because of the coronavirus pandemic, the International Cycling Union said.

British Cycling is facing scrutiny over a leaked email suggesting its disgraced former doctor Richard Freeman asked for monthly rider test data to identify and defend potential doping breaches. The former Team Sky and British Cycling doctor wrote to senior officials that obtaining athlete biological data was “an opportunity to assess frequency of testing and give warning of target testing.� Allegations surrounding the central figure in record Olympic medal hauls come a fortnight after he was struck off the medical register following a tribunal ruling that he ordered testosterone in May 2011 “knowing or believing� it was for doping. A representative for Freeman, who is understood to be looking at whether he can fund an appeal, was on Thursday night contacted for comment on the suggestion he wanted to access data on the athlete biological passport (ABP) system - an electronic drug testing record for professional athletes. The ex-British Cycling doctor, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, was reportedly twice denied a request to British Cycling’s anti-doping commission, which included two representatives from UK Anti-Doping (Ukad), to access the ABP data - in 2014 and 2016. Ukad did not consider it appropriate to give him access, but Freeman, according to The Times and BBC, wrote in the 2016 message to bosses that he would use the data “for statistical analysis similar to that performed by the anti-doping agencies�. He added: “This is an opportunity to assess frequency of testing and give warning of target testing.� Freeman added that it would allow “early detection in fluctuations of the riders' ABP (athlete biological passport)� and give “time for riders to consider reasons as to why there are fluctuations and prepare a defence�. It was suggested this access would allow British Cycling to produce monthly reports with independent help on individual riders based on hemoglobin and reticulocyte levels. Under a colour coding system, a green, amber or red marker would help identify a possible anti-doping sanction. On Thursday night British Cycling said in statement: “In February 2016, Dr Richard Freeman made a proposal to the federation’s anti-doping commission, which included two representatives from UK Anti-Doping, that Ukad share information from athlete biological passport monitoring with the medical team for the Great Britain Cycling Team. “The minutes from the meeting record that this proposal was made with the intention of better supporting the work of anti-doping organisations. The minutes also record that the proposal was not accepted and that this would be confirmed in writing.� The email surfaced as Freeman, suspended by his industry with immediate effect until the process of “erasure� has taken place, considers whether to mount an appeal. A Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service panel ruled last week that his fitness to practise was “impaired� and he ordered testosterone to the national velodrome in May 2011 “knowing or believing� it was intended for doping purposes. Freeman said he “disagreed vehemently� with the determination, instead claiming he was bullied into ordering the Testogel by former head coach Shane Sutton to treat the Australian's alleged erectile dysfunction, an allegation Sutton strongly denies. British Cycling has already been facing questions this week over allegations it was allowed by Ukad to carry out its own internal probe into a rider’s sample, which allegedly contained traces of a banned anabolic steroid. Ukad is said to have informed British Cycling of the sample, which dates from the autumn of 2010 and allegedly contained traces of a metabolite of nandrolone, with British Cycling then conducting its own internal follow-up, using a private laboratory, HFL Sport Science in Cambridgeshire, to run tests on four riders. "In response to those claims, British Cycling said the departure of key personnel in the intervening period made an investigation challenging, and "we are unable to give full comment on this story at this stage as the events took place over 10 years ago". Ukad said it was "examining archives to confirm decisions that were taken in 2011 followed due process set by Wada." A legal representative for Freeman said last night: “Richard is subject to a Ukad investigation and hoping to appeal the MPTS decision. He is not speaking to anyone.�

The UCI said the new dates were approved by the stakeholders of men's and women's road cycling after a consultation process involving the organisers. "This decision follows the decision of the competent French authorities to prohibit the holding of the 2021 edition ... on the dates scheduled in the UCI International road calendar in the context of the current health situation," the sport's governing body said in a statement https://www.uci.org/inside-uci/press-releases/the-2021-edition-of-paris-roubaix-and-paris-roubaix-femmes-postponed-to-the-weekend-of-2-3-october. "For the UCI and the cycling community, it was important that both races could take place in 2021, and I'm delighted that new dates suitable for all parties have been found," UCI President David Lappartient said.

French cycling's Paris-Roubaix was rescheduled Thursday, with organisers citing its "mythical" status and the desire to stage the inaugural women's race as key to finding new dates as France hunkers down under a wave of Covid-19.