GB is top

[Helios Creed]

A really good stage in the Giro today.

I'll PM you instead.

[Neil Young]

I'll PM you instead.

OK.

Why did the screen go weird anyway?

[Neil Young]

Cavendish won again - another stage in the Tour of Catalonia.

[Neil Young]

Wiggins wins Dauphine time-trial

BBC Sunday, 10 June 2007, 17:57 GMT 18:57 UK


Bradley Wiggins celebrates victory

Bradley Wiggins claimed a timely victory on Sunday in the 4.2km prologue of the Dauphine Libere race.

Britain's Olympic gold medalist is hoping to secure a place in his Cofidis team for the Tour de France which starts in his native London on 7 July.

And the 27-year-old boosted his hopes in Grenoble with his second major time-trial win as a professional.

Wiggins beat American Levi Leipheimer by one second, Kazakh Andrey Kashechkin and American George Hincapie by two.

He believes the victory has given him an important confidence boost prior to the Tour de France prologue.

"Before this year I couldn't say I was a favourite for London, I hadn't got the results on the road for that, but now I am one of them," he said.

"I can be confident of at least making the top five or perhaps even the top three.

"If I thought I was just going to do an average ride in London, then I'd prefer not to race and go on holiday. But I think maybe I'm in the best form of my life, and after this win I can go into the Tour feeling more relaxed.

"Cofidis have been good, not putting too much pressure on me and letting me train for these events as I want. This is the result."

He completed the course in four minutes and 50 seconds, six seconds better than Scot David Millar, one of the early starters hampered by a violent storm.

Wiggins will wear the race leader's jersey during Monday's 219km stage one from Grenoble to Roanne, which is expected to favour the sprinters.

The eight-day Dauphine Libere finishes next Sunday, 17 June.

Wiggins also won the opening stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk race last month.

link

[The incredible igor]

the tour de france has been **** since it left cork in 98

[Neil Young]

the tour de france has been **** since it left cork in 98

Yes, that's very much the global consensus.

[Neil Young]

COOKE AND RALEIGH DOMINATE WOMEN'S TOUR DE FRANCE

Cycling Weekly
Saturday 23rd June 2007 - By Alasdair Fotheringham
Nicole Cooke Flanders 2007



With just one stage left to race, Nicole Cooke (Raleigh-Lifeforce) is set to repeat her 2006 win in the Women's Tour de France – known officially as La Grande Boucle Feminine. Cooke and her Raleigh-Lifeforce squad are currently dominating proceedings, with wins in all the stages since the race start - the latest being on Staturday and going to Briton Tanja Slater – and the top three places on general classification.

Overall Cooke leads by 40 seconds over team-mate Priska Doppman of Switzerland, with another Raleigh team-mate Karin Thurig in third place at 1-15. The Welshwoman moved into the lead after winning Friday's time trial in Ambes.

“We're having an awesome race, the team's won every stage possible and things are looking very good overall.” Cooke told CW after Saturday's stage. “On a personal level my condition's great and as a squad we're all going well.”

Cooke's team-mate Slater took Saturday's win after bridging across mid-stage on the 92 kilometre hilly trek from Bergerac to Casteljaloux with three other riders to a lone breakaway.

“She then decided they weren't going fast enough and moved away alone for the win.” Cooke, who finished safely in the main bunch, added.

Sunday's final stage of the five-day event is by no means like the final easy leg of the men's Tour de France into Paris. Instead the riders tackle the Tourmalet in a short, viciously difficult trek through the Pyrenees from Cauterets to Arreau.

“I don't know the climb but I'm confident.” Cooke said. “We've got a detailed breakdown of the percentages of the Tourmalet. So as ever on the mountains, it'll be a question of finding the right rhythm to climb it successfully and taking it from there.”

[Neil Young]

CAVENDISH OPTIMISTIC ABOUT TOUR START AFTER SIXTH SEASON WIN

Cycling Weekly
Saturday 23rd June 2007 - Alasdair Fotheringham and Stephen Farrand



Mark Cavendish virtually sealed his place in the T-Mobile team for the Tour de France on Saturday after winning the final stage of the Ster Elektrotoer in Holland on Saturday. It was his sixth victory of the season.

"Barring illness or accident, I think I'll be going. I've been named in a short-list of 13 already." Cavendish told CW. "I'm still waiting for the official confirmation, though."

Cavendish's sixth victory of the year so far came when he beat Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step), Robert Forster (Gerolsteiner) and Fabrizio Guidi (Barloworld) in the sprint at Eindhoven after 149km of racing. The overall was won by Sebastian Langeveld (Rabobank).

"I wanted to win today to prove that I was good enough, that Wednesday [where Cavendish took fourth] was just a glitch because I was tired from all that travelling." Cavendish had started the stage race after a hectic travel schedule which left the 22-year-old running on empty.

As on Wednesday, Cavendish received a perfect lead-out, with the whole team collobarating and then amateur World Champ Gerald Ciolek leaving him on the front with 150 metres to go.

"This time round, there wasn't any kind of problem. In fact I've been getting stronger all week, which is what I wanted to check. Now after winning, I know."

"There weren't such big names here as there have been in other races I've won, but what matters is getting first across that line whoever's there."

The final T-Mobile line-up for the Tour will be announced on Monday, with Roger Hammond also in contention for a place in the team after working hard and showing solid form in the Tour of Switzerland.

Up to six wins now and it's only June.