Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas were grateful to emerge with little more than bumps and bruises from a crash as Marcel Kittel won stage two of the Tour de France in Liege.

Ireland’s Dan Martin is one of just two Irish riders who will roll out of the German city of Dusseldorf this afternoon for the 104th edition of the Tour de France.

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.

The cycling world was plunged into mourning over the weekend following the tragic death of Italian professional Michele Scarponi.

On a day that will go down in Tour de France history for the sheer pandemonium that ensued, two-time winner Chris Froome clung to the yellow jersey.

Nicolas Roche came within 10 metres of winning the fourth stage of the Vuelta A Espana yesterday but was foiled by a fast-finishing trio which denied him a place on the podium.

Sam Bennett failed to feature in the first big bunch sprint of this year’s Tour de France after getting caught on the wrong side of a key split during a crucial part of yesterday’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.

Michael Matthews won stage three of the Giro d’Italia which saw Italian rider Domenico Pozzovivo suffer a frightening crash to bring back memories of the accident which killed Belgian rider Wouter Weylandt in the 2011 edition.

Dan Martin won stage four of the Tour of Beijing today as Philippe Gilbert retained the overall lead entering tomorrow's final stage.

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

Tour de France competitors have warned of the potential risks to spectators who choose to stand in the road with their backs to the speeding cyclists - all for the sake of a quick selfie.

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali launched a late attack to win stage two of the Tour de France in Sheffield today and claim the race leader's yellow jersey.

There was controversy in today's stage of the Giro d’Italia as organisers caused confusion over whether a descent was actually going ahead on the route.

CYCLING: Nacer Bouhanni of France continued his dominance of the Giro d’Italia sprint finishes by winning his third stage of the race in Salsomaggiore Terme yesterday.

Dan Martin's Giro d'Italia dreams were ended on the opening stage in Belfast as he suffered a serious crash.

Orica GreenEdge pipped Mark Cavendish’s Omega Pharma-Quick Step squad by a single second to win today’s team time trial in the Tour de France and make it two stage victories in as many days.

Orica GreenEdge were all smiles after Simon Gerrans pipped Peter Sagan to the line and won stage three of the Tour de France in Calvi.

Team Sky’s Chris Froome wrapped up victory at the Tour of Oman ahead of Alberto Contador today.

Mark Cavendish sealed overall victory at the Tour of Qatar with a fourth stage win in a row yesterday.

British racer Mark Cavendish today claimed back-to-back stage wins and the overall lead at the Tour of Qatar.

International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid has vowed to continue to improve the sport, despite continued calls for his resignation.

International Cycling Union president Pat McQuaid has vowed to continue to improve the sport, despite continued calls for his resignation.

A sensational sprint finish saw Mark Cavendish claim the 22nd Tour de France stage success of his career in Brive-la-Gaillarde today.

Cadel Evans’ Tour de France title defence appeared to be in tatters on stage 16 as Bradley Wiggins sought to retain the race leader’s yellow jersey for a 10th day.

Bradley Wiggins has admitted Team Sky colleague Chris Froome would be his biggest rival for Tour de France glory — if the Britons were on rival teams.

Pierrick Fedrigo claimed France's fourth win of the Tour de France on stage 15 to Pau today as the peloton opted for a day of respite.

Yellow jersey Bradley Wiggins was praised for calling a truce on a controversial day at the Tour de France as the race was sabotaged by spectators laying tacks in the road.

Tour de France leader Bradley Wiggins believes the sabotage of stage 14 yesterday – when tacks on the road caused a number of punctures in the peloton – showed how vulnerable riders are on the road and more severe incidents could yet occur.

Andre Greipel claimed a third victory of the Tour de France with a stage 13 success to Le Cap d'Agde.

An intriguing dilemma faces Team Sky after Chris Froome moved into second place in the Tour de France behind Bradley Wiggins and appeared so strong in the finale of stage 11 that he had to wait for his team leader.

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.

Briton Bradley Wiggins survived the Tour de France’s first big mountain stage to retain the race leader’s yellow jersey, before asking “what more can I do?” when the subject of doping was again broached.

Tour de France leader Bradley Wiggins insisted the race for the yellow jersey is far from over despite taking a commanding lead with victory on stage nine.

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.

Bradley Wiggins took possession of the Tour de France race leader's yellow jersey after a dominant performance from Team Sky today, capped by a stage seven success for fellow Briton Chris Froome.

Defending champion Cadel Evans and rival Bradley Wiggins successfully negotiated a crash-strewn first week of the Tour de France as some of their rivals for the Paris podium saw their hopes come to an end on stage six to Metz.

Defending champion Cadel Evans and rival Bradley Wiggins successfully negotiated a crash-strewn first week of the Tour de France as some of their rivals for the Paris podium saw their hopes come to an end on stage six to Metz.

Bradley Wiggins was today set to stay out of trouble on the sixth stage of the Tour de France as Mark Cavendish again went in search of a 22nd Tour stage win of his career.

Dan Martin’s Garmin-Sharp team have endured more than most in the opening week of the Tour de France but matters worsened yesterday when their team manager Jonathan Vaughters was taken to task before the stage start in Rouen about reports in a Dutch newspaper that some of his riders had received six-month bans after confessing to doping.

Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) came close to winning his first ever stage of the Tour de France when he came seventh on yesterday’s third stage from Orchies toBoulogne-sur-Mer in the north of the country.

Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) and Nicolas Roche (Ag2R La Mondiale) steered clear of trouble on yesterday’s second stage of the Tour de France and crossed the line in the same time as stage winner Mark Cavendish (Sky Procycling).

Mark Cavendish today won a first Tour de France stage as world champion and a 21st of his career.

Team Sky’s Bradley Wiggins clinched his second successive Criterium du Dauphine title today.