"While this decision is obviously a big deal for me and the team, it's also an important moment for cycling," said Froome.

Chris Froome insists he has “done nothing wrong” and has defended his decision to return to racing at the Ruta del Sol.

Four-time world time trial champion Tony Martin has called the decision not to suspend Team Sky leader Chris Froome immediately for his adverse drugs test a "scandal".

British cyclist Chris Froome has admitted his adverse test for asthma drug salbutamol is "damaging" but is hopeful he will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Dan Martin kept his powder dry on yesterday’s flat stage seven of the Tour de France, the Irishman crossing the line as part of the main bunch thus losing no time to his main rivals for the yellow jersey.

Peter Sagan's appeal against his disqualification from the Tour de France has been dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Welshman Geraint Thomas wears the yellow jersey into stage three of the Tour de France today after a chaotic opening two stages over the weekend.

The Dutchman, who ran the world governing body from 1991 to 2005, had been battling leukemia.

Michael Conlan registered his second stoppage in as many professional contests with a TKO3 of Tijuana journeyman Alfredo Chanez in Chicago.

The An Post Rás burst into life yesterday as an Irish rider landed a first stage win of the week and the race for the yellow jersey was blown wide open.

It’s ‘as you were’ going into stage three of the An Post Rás today, as Sunday’s stage winner Nicolai Brochner-Nielsen managed to hold on to the yellow jersey by the skin of his teeth.

An Post Rás stage winner Eoin Morton has been handed the onerous task of leading the Irish national team into battle in this year’s contest which starts in Dublin on Sunday.

Mark Downey won’t be 21 until July but he is already one of the most decorated Irish track riders of all time.

Controversial star Bradley Wiggins has retired from competitive cycling after a remarkable career that saw him pick up eight Olympic medals and a Tour de France crown.

Bradley Wiggins has denied he was trying to gain an “unfair advantage” when he obtained permission to use a banned drug before some of his biggest races, including his victory in the 2012 Tour de France.

Bradley Wiggins has denied he was trying to gain an "unfair advantage" when he obtained permission to use a banned drug before some of his biggest races, including his victory in the 2012 Tour de France.

Wiggins' use of triamcinolone, the same drug Lance Armstrong tested positive for at the 1999 Tour de France, came to light when Russian hackers stole medical data stored by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and published it online on Wednesday.

A Corkman is setting up and funding the country’s first ever professional cycling team which will take on the world’s most established and star-studded squads in 2017.

Russia’s tennis team will be allowed to compete at the Rio Olympics this summer after the International Tennis Federation (ITF) backed the decision not to impose a blanket ban on the country’s competitors.

It’s still more than two weeks away but accommodation in the West Cork town of Clonakilty is already virtually booked out amid feverish preparations for the arrival of a major race which will bring more than 400 visitors to the town.

The horrific leg injury sustained by Spanish road cyclist Francesco Ventoso has forced the sport’s governing body, the UCI, to suspend the use of a new type of braking mechanism in the pro peloton.

Like much of the country, this column was marooned in rush hour traffic yesterday morning when news dropped the interminable counting of ballots in the Longford- Westmeath constituency had come to an end and, with it, the 2016 general election, writes Brendan O’Brien.

Martyn Irvine set the bar for Irish international cyclists, achieved something that would have been unthinkable 10 years ago, and had unrivalled dedication, passion, and professionalism for the sport.

Blockbuster movies including X Men: Days of Future Past and Mrs Brown’s Boys last year contributed to the Irish arm of international cineplex chain, UCI, recording €1.1m in pre-tax profits.

Chris Froome’s claims that athletics should follow cycling’s lead and invest more heavily in anti-doping have been criticised by track and field’s global governing body.

Ryan Mullen was last night crowned national U23 and elite time trial champion after he beat Eddie Dunbar (NFTO) and Martyn Irvine (Madison Genesis) on the opening night of this year’s championships.

There has been only one Irish winner of the An Post Rás in the last decade and that trend is unlikely to change this year, writes Brian Canty.

Des Woods has children older than some of the guys he’ll be racing against during the eight-day An Post Rás which rolls out of Dunboyne, Co. Meath on Sunday.

Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali’s Astana team avoided having their WorldTour licence withdrawn last month after cycling’s Licence Commission deemed that the punishment would be disproportionate to the doping offences committed by some of their riders last season, it has been revealed.

Kerry Group Rás Mumhan champion Mark Dowling has played down his chances of repeating his heroics of 12 months ago when the race rolls out of Killorglin on Friday.

Yesterday morning, the first comprehensive report into cycling’s failings of the past was unveiled and one year’s work, by three people, who conducted 174 interviews, was condensed into 228 chilling pages, writes Brian Canty.

Professional cyclists continue to take performance enhancing drugs, according to a major report.

The race director of the An Post Rás has warned those with designs on riding this year’s race that it is anything but easy — despite it being a much flatter route than previous years.

Eddie Dunbar was named the Irish Male Cyclist of the Year at the Cycling Ireland Awards night over the weekend.

Cycling’s governing body has announced plans to form an international anti-doping tribunal by 2015.

Stephen Roche admits cycling could have saved itself years of turmoil had it taken Paul Kimmage’s revelations in his book Rough Ride more seriously when it was published in 1990.

Irish internationals Ryan Mullen, Conor Dunne and Jack Wilson will line out as part of a six man An Post Chainreaction team at the Ride London-Surrey Classic tomorrow.

1989 set a high bar for drama in the Tour de France but 2014 has all the ingredients to eclipse it

The UCI insists Chris Froome's therapeutic use exemption for steroids did not break anti-doping rules.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) is investigating after Chris Froome expressed his disappointment at a lack of drug testing at the Tenerife training camp he has been on.