Igor Anton won the fourth stage of the Vuelta a Espana today with Philippe Gilbert finishing fifth to keep hold of the leader’s red jersey.

Mark Cavendish stuck two fingers up to his critics – in a metaphorical sense this time – with victory on the fifth stage of the Tour de France.

Mark Cavendish today completed the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse, a day after being involved in a mass pile up.

Frenchman Damien Monier attacked on the final climb to claim victory on stage 17 of the Giro d’Italia today.

PHILIP DEIGNAN has ended Ireland’s long wait for a top 10 finish at a grand tour by finishing ninth overall in the Tour of Spain which ended with a 110km trek from Rivas to Madrid yesterday.

Lance Armstrong admitted his return to competitive cycling at the Tour Down Under had so far been “disappointing” but he refused to rule out a late victory surge.

A Paris judge filed preliminary charges against a trader suspected of losing more than €600m in complex derivative trades at French mutual bank Caisse d’Epargne.

A Paris judge has filed preliminary charges against a trader suspected of losing more than €600m in complex derivative trades at French mutual bank Caisse d’Epargne.

A French bank today admitted it lost more than €515m on the world markets last week.

KURT ASLE ARVESEN emerged from a group of a dozen escapees to win the 11th stage of the Tour de France from Lannemezan to Foix.

LUIS LEON SANCHEZ’S enterprise paid off with a flying solo escape in the final five kilometres to win the seventh stage of the Tour de France from Brioude to Aurillac yesterday.

Luis Leon Sanchez’s enterprise paid off with a flying solo escape in the final five kilometres to win the seventh stage of the Tour de France from Brioude to Aurillac.

Mark Cavendish became the first Briton to win a stage of the Tour de France for five years with a brilliant sprint shoot-out on the fifth stage from Cholet to Chateauroux.

SAMUEL DUMOULIN battled the conditions as well as his fellow riders to claim victory in the third stage of the Tour de France.

Samuel Dumoulin battled the conditions as well as his fellow riders to claim victory in the third stage of the Tour de France.

Spain’s Alejandro Valverde won the opening stage of the 95th Tour de France after a storming finish in the final kilometre.

DENMARK’S Michael Rasmussen won the eighth stage of the Tour de France by a comfortable margin and claimed the yellow jersey in the process.

Denmark’s Michael Rasmussen won the eighth stage of the Tour de France on Sunday by a comfortable margin and claimed the yellow jersey in the process.

Filippo Pozzato won the fifth stage of the Tour de France on a photo finish today, while favourite Alexandre Vinokourov lost significant time after crashing.

NORWEGIAN Thor Hushovd edged a tight finish to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France on the 193km route between Villers-Cotterets and Joigny.

Norwegian Thor Hushovd edged a tight finish to win the fourth stage of the Tour de France on the 193km route between Villers-Cotterets and Joigny.

Tour de France winner Floyd Landis has failed a test for testosterone, a Phonak team spokesperson has confirmed.

Floyd Landis of the Phonak Hearing Systems team was confirmed as the Tour de France champion after the final stage finished on the Champs Elysées today.

Team CSC’s Jens Voigt won stage 13 of the Tour de France on Saturday after a sprint finish with Oscar Pereiro coming into Montelimar.

Armed robbers are on the run in north of Paris today after they held up a bank and escaped with about 50,000 francs.

Armed robbers held up a bank north of Paris today, escaping with tens of thousands of francs, police said.