In the absence of Chris Froome or Dutchman Tom Domoulin, this is the first Tour in recent memory without a clear favourite.

Sam Bennett picked up another podium finish in the Giro d’Italia, yesterday, the Irish sprinter taking third as Matej Mohoric won stage 10 from Penne to Gualdo Tadino.

Damien Shaw has been handed the onerous task of leading the An Post Chain Reaction team into battle for this year’s An Post Rás which gets underway from, Dublin Castle on Sunday week, May 21.

Sam Bennett starts the third Grand Tour of his career tomorrow, when he leads the Bora-Hansgrohe team at the Giro d’Italia, which gets underway in Alghero, Sardinia.

Nicolas Roche became just the third Irishman in history to be part of a win at the Tour de France when he helped ensure teammate Chris Froome’s overall victory on yesterday’s final stage of the race into Paris.

Nicolas Roche put up a brave fight in a bid to claim stage glory on yesterday’s 17th stage of the Tour de France but it was German Simon Geschke (Giant Alpecin) who emerged victorious with a brilliant solo victory.

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.

Vincenzo Nibali completed victory in the 101st Tour de France in Paris yesterday as Marcel Kittel won the final stage on the Champs-Elysees-

Vincenzo Nibali looks to have secured his first Tour de France title today after completing the penultimate stage of the race.

Vincenzo Nibali has vowed to "honour the yellow jersey" by going all out for stage victory in today’s time trial on the penultimate day of the Tour de France.

Vincenzo Nibali wsays anted to show he was "the boss" in winning his fourth stage of the 101st Tour de France yesterday to all-but seal overall victory.

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.

Michael Rogers claimed a first ever Tour de France stage victory as he outsprinted Thomas Voeckler.

Ireland’s Dan Martin turned in a brilliant performance on yesterday’s weather-shortened second stage of the Tour de Suisse, finishing sixth in a select group of eight riders.

Nicolas Roche came agonisingly close to winning his first ever stage of the Tour de France yesterday but was overhauled in the closing metres before the finishing line in Brive-la-Gaillarde by Team Sky’s fast-man Mark Cavendish.

Bradley Wiggins is on the brink of becoming Britain’s first ever winner of the Tour de France after a solid display on the last mountain stage of this year’s race yesterday.

A counter attack from yellow jersey Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky colleague Chris Froome saw them move into first and second place overall after stage 11 of the Tour de France as the race entered the high Alps.

France’s Thibaut Pinot won stage eight of the Tour de France in Porrentruy as Briton Bradley Wiggins retained the race leader’s yellow jersey and Ireland's Nicolas Roche slipped back a place to ninth.