Nicolas Roche has been named in Team Sky’s nine-man roster for the Vuelta a Espana, which starts on Saturday in the Andalucian town of Puerto Banus on the Costa del Sol.

Andy Schleck, the 2010 Tour de France champion, has announced his retirement from cycling at the age of 29.

Team Sky has announced the signing of Irishman Nicolas Roche as one of five new names for 2015.

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.

Long transfers from stages at Grand Tours are nothing strange in the world of cycling but Sunday’s mammoth journey from Dublin to Bari was one of the longest — and logistically difficult — in the race’s recent history.

German powerhouse Marcel Kittel proved for the second day in succession he is currently the best sprinter in the world when he stormed to victory on stage three of the Giro d’Italia in front of over 50,000 fans in Dublin’s city centre yesterday.

The Giro d’Italia’s Big Start is in Ireland this year – but what is the Giro, and why is everything pink?

Ireland’s Dan Martin says he’ll be taking the Giro d’Italia "one day at a time" as he seeks to become the first Irishman to finish on a podium at a Grand Tour for over a quarter of a century.

Irish cycling legend Sean Kelly believes the Grand Tour potential of Nicolas Roche and Dan Martin is still unclear ahead of the Giro d’Italia, which starts in Belfast on Friday week.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche turned in a brilliant performance on yesterday’s 11th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, finishing sixth in yesterday’s time trial to climb one place into second overall.

Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome could “absolutely” line up alongside each other when the Tour de France starts in Yorkshire next year, according to Team Sky boss Sir Dave Brailsford.

Three days after they were the laughing stock of the Tour de France, when their team bus became wedged under the finishing line gantry, Orica GreenEdge capped a marvellous turnaround when they won their second stage in as many days and claimed the race leader’s yellow jersey yesterday.

Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in Brescia to take the red jersey in the Giro d’Italia and become only the fifth-ever rider to win the points classification in all three of cycling’s Grand Tours.

Mark Cavendish today suffered a surprise Tour de France defeat as his arch-rival Andre Greipel triumphed in Carmaux.

ANDY SCHLECK’S Leopard Trek team say they want to propel the two-time Tour de France runner-up to victory in cycling’s most prestigious bike race on the road, rather than in the courtroom.

In the lead-up to the FBD Insurance Rás which starts on Sunday May 23 and runs until Sunday May 30, breakingnews.ie gives you a run-down of the basics of professional cycling.

LANCE ARMSTRONG is finding out that, while there may be no rest for the wicked, world-famous cyclists have a pretty hard time too.