If you're still interested in pro cycling, the 2007 Vuelta a Espana kicks off Saturday for a three-week tour of Spain.
The online bicycle racing network Cycling.tv is webcasting the race and offering a low-resolution webcast for free to those who don't know if they want to shell out 21 Euros for a better view.
Only three Americans are competing in the event, as it conflicts with the US Cycling Pro championships that run Saturday and Sunday in Greenville, South Carolina, and the Tour of Missouri (Sept. 11-16).... more»
If you like to witness cyclists struggling on mountain stages, you'll need to check in early with the 2007 Vuelta a Espana.
Instead of opening with a week for the sprinters, the three-week-long Tour of Spain -- September 1-23 -- boasts a mountaintop finish on the difficult Lagos de Covadonga on the fourth day.
In all, the Vuelta route announced today boasts seven mountain stages, four mountaintop finishes, and two time trials as it spins for 2,009 miles clockwise ... more»
A laboratory full of people -- technicians in white lab coats, bicycle team sponsors, maybe a cyclist or two, and at least one lawyer and a few other suits standing around.
On a table in front of them sits, what, a test tube (?) filled with a yellowish liquid.
The vial holds the final results of this year's Vuelta ... more»
You probably wouldn't leave either of these bicycles tethered with a cheap lock and cable outside the neighborhood Starbucks.
Bicycles associated with 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong and 4-time Vuelta a Espana winner Roberto Heras are being auctioned this month to raise money for charity. ...
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Spanish cyclist Roberto Heras took home a record fourth championship from the Vuelta a Espana in 2005.
The mountain specialist had shared three wins with Swiss cyclist Tony Rominger, but gained the fourth victory with a decisive mountain stage where he finally shook Russian Denis Menchov from his back wheel.
Heras, riding for Liberty Seguros, didn't fare so well in ... more»
Spanish cyclist Roberto Heras finished more than 15 minutes behind the winner of Friday's stage in the Vuelta a Espana, but still sat comfortably in the lead.
The 88-mile bicycle race to Alcobendas ended in a three-way sprint to the finish won by 21-year-old Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner). He was a part of an early breakaway of low-ranked riders that survived the ... more»
Danish cyclist Nicki Sorenson won the last mountainous stage in the Vuelta a Espana bicycle race, barely out-sprinting a three-man contest for the finish line in Avila on Thursday.
Sorenson, cycling for CSC, Javier Rodriguez (Comunidad Valenciana) and Jose Acosta (Illes Balears) were the remnants of a 17-man breakaway early in the 122-mile race ... more»
Spanish cyclist Carlos Garcia Quesada the 102-mile 17th stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Wednesday.
The rider from Comunidad Valenciana jumped onto the last breakaway of the day and attacked on a solo run for the last 13 miles to the finish in La Granja de San Ildefonso.
Francisco Mancebo, sitting in 4th place overall, finished less than a ... more»
Even with the best team tactics, it all comes down to the sprinter at the finish line.
Italian cyclist Alessandro Petacchi, looking for his 5th win at the Vuelta a Espana, couldn't quite pass fellow countryman Paolo Bettini in a 20-man sprint in Valladoid.
Petacchi's Fassa Bortolo team set up a five-man train to the finish, but crafty Bettini ... more»
Spaniard cyclist Roberto Heras used the last serious mountain stage in the Vuelta a Espana to knock off Russian Denis Menchov, who had led the Grand Tour for the past 6 stages.
The 3-time winner of the 3-week Spanish bicycle road race attacked on a steep climb about 27 miles from the end, and with the help from Liberty Seguros teammates ... more»
Spanish cyclist Eladio Jimenez joined a breakaway of 12 other bicyclists some 16 miles into Saturday's Vuelta a Espana stage.
He clung to the lead all the way to the finish of the 107-mile race, keeping up his pace as the others dropped off the 9-mile climb up the average 6.5% grade -- tilting to 13% in places -- to ... more»
A Colombian cyclist celebrated too soon in Friday's stage of the Vuelta a Espana when he confused the King of the Mountains marker for the finish line.
Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Davitamon) raised his arms in victory about 200 yards from the finish, but Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) raced past and won the stage. "Sanchez just looked back and laughed," according to ... more»
Italian sprinter Alessandro Petacchi continued to rack up wins at the Vuelta a Espana on Thursday, posting stage victory #4 this year and the 16th in his career.
The overall standings remain unchanged, with Denis Menchov (Rabobank) in 1st, followed by Roberto Heras (Liberty Seguros) 47 seconds behind and Francisco Mancebo (Illes Balears) in 3rd, trailing 1-minute and ... more»
Except for the lone Russian in the leader's golden jersey (Denis Menchov, left), the Spaniards controlled the Vuelta a Espana bicycle race Tuesday in the Pyrenees.
Roberto Laiseka of Euskaltel-Euskadi won the 119-mile stage from Andorra to Cerler, but he had five riders with him ... more»
The top 3 cyclists in the Vuelta a Espana battled for the stage win at the mountaintop finish at Ordino Arcalis on Monday with Spaniard Francisco Mancebo beating his rivals.
Mancebo (Illes Balears) outsprinted overall race leader Denis Menchov (Rabobank) and 3-time Vuelta champ Roberto Heras (Liberty Seguros) to the finish of the 128-mile bicycle course that crested two Category-1 and one ... more»
In a carbon copy of two earlier stages in the Vuelta a Espana bicycle race, Alessandro Petacchi is led out by his Fassa Bortolo teammates and wins Stage 8.
The only difference in Saturday's finish at Lloret de Mar was that sprinter Thod Hushovd actually had the wheel of the last Fassa Bortolo leadout man and Petacchi had to pass him to ... more»
Dutch cyclist Max Van Heeswijk, left, won the 7th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, beating the likes of Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) and Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto).
The 131-mile race from Teruel to Vinaros covered rolling terrain, nothing like the mountains the past two days. It ended in a mass sprint led out by Fassa Bortolo, although its chief sprinter Alessandro ... more»
Three-time Vuelta a Espana winner Roberto Heras, left, won the mountaintop finish on Thursday and gained the leader's gold jersey in Spain's Grand Tour bicycle race.
A couple of steep climbs on the 134-mile course from Cuenca to Valdelinares completely rearranged the general classification standings for the cyclists as the climbers took over from the sprinters.
It was a case of timing in the town of Cuenca on Wednesday, and Norway's Thor Hushovd timed his sprint to the finish exactly right to win the fifth stage of the Vuelta a Espana.
The Credit Agricole cyclist, who has been among the top finishers the previous two days, hung back as the other top sprinters battled for position ... more»
Imagine this scene, cycling fans. 
You probably wouldn't leave either of these bicycles tethered with a cheap lock and cable outside the neighborhood Starbucks.
Spanish cyclist Roberto Heras took home a record fourth championship from the Vuelta a Espana in 2005.
Spanish cyclist Roberto Heras finished more than 15 minutes behind the winner of Friday's stage in the 
Spanish cyclist Carlos Garcia Quesada the 102-mile 17th stage of the Vuelta a Espana on Wednesday.
Except for the lone Russian in the leader's golden jersey (Denis Menchov, left), the Spaniards controlled the 
Dutch cyclist Max Van Heeswijk, left, won the 7th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, beating the likes of Erik Zabel (T-Mobile) and Tom Steels (Davitamon-Lotto).
