News
“I tried to close the gap myself but started to blow” – Mick Leonard’s An Post Rás diary
By Mick Leonard I think a lot of people were a bit nervous starting today. No crosswinds today but a KOH 7k in had the potential to do some serious damage. The bunch didn't go too crazy on it but it was difficult enough all the same for me anyway, and I'm pretty sure for others too. There was a...
Sam Bennett in action this weekend in World Ports Classic
Following on from his great performance in the recent Bayern Rundfahrt, where he won two stages, in addition to wearing the yellow jersey, Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18) returns to action this weekend. He will line up in the UCI 2.1 World Ports Classic. The two-stage race consists of an opening stage of 195 kilometres from Rotterdam to Antwerp, with...
FDJ rider has numerous near misses on Giro descent (VIDEO)
French rider Alexandre Geniez of the FDJ team nearly came down numerous times on the descent from Crosara on yesterday's stage of the Giro d'Italia. The riders had to contend with a particularly steep descent in the wet, and it was always going to be nerve-wracking. Geniez was leading the race at the time, so the cameras were there to...
Watch the highlights of Stage 5 of An Post Rás
New Zealander Aaron Gate fought off stiff competition from Marco Tizza and Matteo Malucelli (Team IDEA 2010 ASD) to storm to victory in Stage five of An Post Rás. Gate broke away from the leading pack with just five kilometres to go in an audacious move that set the platform for his stage victory today in Ballina. Jaap de...
“Stage races can be like an eating competition” – Mick Leonard’s An Post Rás diary
By Mick Leonard I suppose I should stop saying "never", "tough", "hard", "insane" etc., as I'm turning into a broken record, but every day is the same again. Another crosswind stage today and it lived up to expectations after just 15k of 143. The bunch blew to pieces and it was time to ride your bike. I had my first...
Aaron Gate of An Post Chain Reaction Secures his Second Stage Victory in Scintillating Dash to the Line
New Zealander Aaron Gate fought off stiff competition from Marco Tizza and Matteo Malucelli (Team IDEA 2010 ASD) to storm to victory in Stage five of An Post Rás. Gate broke away from the leading pack with just five kilometres to go in an audacious move that set the platform for his stage victory today in Ballina. Jaap de...
Sports Minister wants to attract Tour de France to Northern Ireland
The Northern Irish Sports Minister Caral Ni Chuilin has said that efforts should be put into attracting more big sporting events to the North, and that the Tour de France should be the next target. This follows on from the Giro d'Italia starting in Belfast last year. There have been rumours that the Giro will return in future years, and...
Toddler gets hit and dragged by cyclist on a footpath – Warning graphic content
The CCTV footage of the incident shows three year old Lucie Wilding following her Mum Lauren out of their house on the morning school run. As the toddler goes out the gate she is hit by a cyclist using the pavement and then gets dragged along by the bike. It wasn't until the cyclist fell off that...
Should Alberto Contador have been disqualified from the Giro?
Following on from the incident on Tuesday’s stage of the Giro d’Italia when overall contender Richie Porte (Team Sky) was penalised two minutes for taking a wheel from a rider from another team after puncturing, another incident has come to light which could have resulted in race leader, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), being thrown off the race. Contador was spotted...
Watch the highlights of Stage 4 of An Post Rás
Aidis Kruopis of An Post Chain Reaction emerged victorious from a bunch sprint finish to take the stage four win ahead of Italian Davide Vigano (Team IDEA) and Ian Bibby (NFTO) who finished in third. The leading break of eight riders were tightly bunched coming into the final corner with nothing to separate them. Coming out of the bend...
The radio announced “The bunch is now fragmenting at the front, middle and back.” – Mick Leonard’s Rás diary
By Mick Leonard Today was absolute carnage. The winds blew the race to pieces after 20k as soon as we turned into the crosswind. As was announced on the radio "The bunch is now fragmenting at the front, middle and back." You really had to give it your all to just hold the wheel in front. Lads were dropping wheels...
Kruopis Storms to Victory after Pulsating Eight Man Sprint Finish on Stage 4 of An Post Rás
Aidis Kruopis of An Post Chain Reaction emerged victorious from a bunch sprint finish to take the stage four win ahead of Italian Davide Vigano (Team IDEA) and Ian Bibby (NFTO) who finished in third. The leading break of eight riders were tightly bunched coming into the final corner with nothing to separate them. Coming out of the bend...
Alpe d’Huez stage of the Tour de France might not include the Galibier
According to a report on www.cyclingpro.net, the twentieth stage of the Tour de France may need to be altered due to roadworks. The stage is due to start in Modane and finish on Alpe d'Huez, taking in the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier along the way. However, emergency roadworks are taking place along the route in a...
Highlights of Stage 3 of An Post Rás
Matteo Malucelli (Team IDEA) displayed his superior sprinting skills in an explosive dash to the line to secure the stage three victory today of An Post Rás. In what was an electrifying bunch sprint finish in to Bearna, Co. Galway, Malucelli pipped Alex Frame of the New Zealand National team to the line, with Andreas Hofer (Hrinkow Advarics Cycleangteam)...
“Pain is temporary, regret is forever” – Mick Leonard’s Rás diary
By Mick Leonard Today was a hard hard day. I rode the whole of today with the legs feeling heavy and just had to keep pushing through it. The whole stage was a fight. It was strange to ride a complete stage with the legs hurting. The speed from the start was the fastest yet. For the first 55k or...
Should Richie Porte have been penalised two minutes?
Richie Porte (Sky) has been penalised two minutes in the Giro d'Italia today by the race jury after he received an illegal wheel change from Orica-GreenEdge’s Simon Clarke following a puncture. The Tasmanian punctured with seven kilometres remaining of stage 10 from Civitanova Marche to Forlì. Despite a hard chase, he lost 47 seconds to his rivals in the bunch....