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

Nicolas Roche moved up one place to 21st overall at the Vuelta A Espana after yesterday’s 12th stage of the race to Lleida, the Team Sky man not getting amongst the sprint that decided the day.

Exactly two years ago, Sam Bennett sat down with his father, Michael, at their home in Carrick-on-Suir and pondered his future.

Sam Bennett is targeting the podium at the Tour de France in 2015 after just failing to make the team for cycling’s most prestigious event this year.

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

Ireland’s Dan Martin finished a career best in a Grand Tour yesterday when he finished seventh overall at the Vuelta A Espana.

Cycling Ireland last night named a strong team for the UCI World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain in two weeks’ time.

Ireland’s Dan Martin went desperately close to snatching a stage win on the 13th stage of the Vuelta A Espana as victory went to Spaniard Daniel Navarro, who was rewarded for a daring late attack.

Nicolas Roche will be one of the race favourites for this month’s Friends Life Tour of Britain, after his participation was confirmed by his team Tinkoff-Saxo yesterday.

Bradley Wiggins is disappointed to miss the Vuelta a Espana — but sees a silver lining in the chance to defend his Tour of Britain title.

Irishman Philip Deignan has withdrawn from Team Sky’s Ruta del Sol squad after fracturing a collarbone in training near his Monaco base.

Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche will lead Ireland’s challenge in the Road World Championships road race on Sunday.

Sam Bennett came agonisingly close to winning a second stage of the Tour of Britain yesterday but had to settle for second best against Mark Cavendish as the race concluded in London.

Ireland’s Sam Bennett took a brilliant second place on Stage Two of the Tour of Britain yesterday, only pipped on the line by Gerald Ciolek of Team MTN-Qhubeka.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche notched a career-best Grand Tour finish securing fifth place overall at the end of the Vuelta a Espana in Madrid yesterday.

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche remains third overall at the Vuelta A Espana after finishing safely in the main bunch of yesterday’s 168-kilometre fifth stage from Sober to Lago de Sanabria in the north west of the country.

Irish pair Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Sean Kelly) and Peter Hawkins (IG Sigma Sport) endured difficult days yesterday on the sixth stage of the Tour of Britain while McLaughlin’s team-mate Sam Bennett was forced to pull out with a knee injury.

Bradley Wiggins admitted it was good to get back on his bike after a “big summer” – despite coming off again along with Mark Cavendish in a dramatic end to the first stage of the Tour of Britain as fellow Team Sky racer Luke Rowe claimed his first professional win in Norwich.

Just over a month after returning to the sport following a two-year doping ban, Spain’s Alberto Contador (SaxoBank-Tinkoff Bank) wrapped up overall victory at the Vuelta a Espana as the race finished on the streets of Madrid yesterday.

Ireland will have four representatives in the Tour of Britain which starts tomorrow in Ipswich.

A NEW business cycle is hoped for at a Cork city building steeped in cycling and sporting lore — and an adjacent idle 1.3 acre site which housed another iconic Cork business is also on the letting market.

Scotland could provide the setting for the early stages of a future Tour de France.

Lack of decisive climbs on stage three of the Tour of Britain yesterday ruled out the possibility of any change to the top of the leaderboard.

Kanturk's Paidi O'Brien lost valuable time on the overall standings on the Tour of Britain stages around Yorkshire yesterday.

Philip Deignan, one of Ireland's young cycling talents, moved up to 20th overall in the Tour of Britain this evening, after a bunch finish in the 379.3km stage two ride from Leeds to Sheffield.

Ciaran Power, from Waterford, but representing his Amercan-based team Navigators, was best of the Irish yesterday in Manchester after the first stage of the Tour of Britain.