Dan Martin gave the performance of his career on stage nine of the Tour de France yesterday on a incredible day where he climbed to third overall.

Fabio Aru claimed his first Grand Tour win yesterday when he was crowned winner of the Vuelta A Espana after an enthralling three-week battle with Dutchman Tom Dumoulin.

Just when it seemed like the Vuelta a Espana was slipping from his grasp, Dutch powerhouse Tom Dumoulin produced one of the performances of his career to retake the race lead with four days to go.

Nicolas Roche endured his worst day of this year’s Vuelta A Espana so far after losing over 28 minutes on the 16th stage from Luarca to the summit finish at Ermita de Alba yesterday.

Nicolas Roche slipped outside the top 20 at the Vuelta A Espana yesterday after losing over 13 minutes to stage winner Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha).

Nicolas Roche’s hopes of bettering his best performance in a Grand Tour are over for another year after he lost over 14 minutes on a hellishly hard day in Andorra.

Nicolas Roche had a day he’s unlikely to forget on stage 10 of the Vuelta a Espana yesterday when he came down in a crash and was forced into a frantic chase to preserve fourth overall on the general classification.

Nicolas Roche starts the 15th Grand Tour of his career today when he lines up as part of a formidable-looking Team Sky squad for the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana in the southern port town of Puerto Banus.

Chris Froome survived a string of attacks on the 11th stage of the Tour de France yesterday on a day Joaquim Rodriguez claimed his second mountaintop victory of the race.

Chris Froome stamped his class all over the Tour de France yesterday by totally obliterating the field on the first mountain stage of this year’s race.

Dan Martin’s luck was out again yesterday at the Tour de France as he crashed and conceded too much time on his main rivals to still be considered a contender for the General Classification.

Dan Martin put in an excellent performance on stage three of the Tour de France yesterday, giving the clearest indication yet that he’s ready to contend for stage honours and contest the General Classification in the race.

Two cyclists were disqualified from the Vuelta a Espana cycling race - after repeatedly punching and shoving each other in the middle of a stage.

Poland’s Rafal Majka was thrilled with his second victory of the 2014 Tour de France as Vincenzo Nibali further enhanced his hold on the race leader’s yellow jersey after stage 17.

Vincenzo Nibali is refusing to take anything for granted despite seizing control of this year’s Tour de France with his third stage victory yesterday.

Irish cycling legend Stephen Roche "would put his money" on nephew Dan Martin to win a stage of the Giro d’Italia, which starts in Belfast with a team time-trial on Friday.

Ireland’s Dan Martin expects Sunday’s Road World Championships road race in Florence to come down to the survival of the fittest.

Chris Horner has wrestled the race leader’s red jersey from the shoulders of Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) following a brilliant 19th stage of the Vuelta A Espana yesterday.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche, riding for Team Saxo-Tinkoff, lies third overall after adding a ninth-placed finish to his stage win on Sunday in yesterday’s third stage of the Vuelta a Espana between Vigo and Mirador de Lobeira.

Emotions took over for Chris Froome as he rode the final few kilometres of the penultimate stage of the Tour De France stage today.

Ireland’s Dan Martin has won stage nine of the Tour de France in Bagneres-de-Bigorre.

Dan Martin ended Ireland’s 21-year wait for a classic win when he claimed the Liege-Bastogne-Liege crown in Belgium yesterday.

Dan Martin has become only the second Irishman to win the Volta a Catalunya after holding off the challenge of Joaquim Rodríguez in the final stage to win by 17 seconds.

Ireland’s Dan Martin retained the race lead on yesterday’s fifth stage of the Volta A Catalunya, finishing ninth on the run from Rialp to Lleida and extending his lead over his closest challenger to 14 seconds.

Ireland’s Daniel Martin extended his overall lead of the Volta a Catalunya to 14 seconds following the fifth stage.

Ireland’s Dan Martin recorded one of the biggest achievements of his career yesterday by taking the queen stage of the Volta A Catalunya and also taking over the race leader’s yellow jersey.

Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins’ stellar season has landed him the prestigious Vélo d’Or award for 2012.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche is still seventh overall going into today’s 14th stage of the Vuelta a Espana after finishing safely in the main bunch of yesterday’s 172 kilometre trek from Santiago de Compostela to Ferrol.

Ireland's Nicolas Roche remains in seventh place overall after today's 10th stage of the Vuelta Espana.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche has continued his rise up the General Classification at the Vuelta a Espana after finishing 14th on yesterday’s 164 kilometre seventh stage from Huesca to Alcañiz.

Irish cyclist Nicolas Roche has moved up to sixth place in the Vuelta a Espana after finishing in the main group today today.

Nicolas Roche is still firmly in contention after he finished safely in the bunch on the fifth stage of the Vuelta a Espana today.

Ireland's Nicolas Roche has had another good day at the Vuelta Espana.

When the An Post Rás pulls out of Dunboyne tomorrow for the first stage to Kilkenny, there will be an air of sadness about the race cavalcade.