Dan Martin has got his Tour de France campaign off to the best possible start with a Stage 6 victory on the first hilly test of the race to Mur de Bretagne ahead of Pierre Latour (Ag2r) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).

When Dan Martin crashed hard on stage nine of the Tour de France last Sunday week and crossed the line 1’15” down on stage winner Rigoberto Uran, many felt his best ever chance of a podium in the sport’s greatest contest had passed him by.

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

Chris Froome won yesterday’s 11th stage as the Vuelta a Espana resumed following Tuesday’s rest day.

Dan Martin gave the performance of his career on stage nine of the Tour de France yesterday on a incredible day where he climbed to third overall.

Diego Ulissi of Italy claimed his second win of the Giro d’Italia as Bob Jungels maintained his grip on the race leader’s pink jersey on yesterday’s 11th stage.

Nicolas Roche moved up three places to 16th on general classification at the Giro d’Italia yesterday after finishing in the same time as stage winner Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal).

Nicolas Roche will roll down the start-ramp in Apeldoorn in the Netherlands this afternoon as one of the two Irish riders in this year’s Giro d’Italia.

Ireland’s Dan Martin came painfully close to winning Fleche Wallonne for the first time yesterday but just like in 2014, when he finished runner-up to Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), he was pipped at the post by the same man again.

Nicolas Roche’s hopes of bettering his best performance in a Grand Tour are over for another year after he lost over 14 minutes on a hellishly hard day in Andorra.

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.

Nicolas Roche starts the 15th Grand Tour of his career today when he lines up as part of a formidable-looking Team Sky squad for the opening stage of the Vuelta a Espana in the southern port town of Puerto Banus.

Nicolas Roche became just the third Irishman in history to be part of a win at the Tour de France when he helped ensure teammate Chris Froome’s overall victory on yesterday’s final stage of the race into Paris.

Vincenzo Nibali punched the air to celebrate his first win of the race this year, Chris Froome then launched a tirade at the stage winner for the manner in which he won and Nairo Quintana almost collapsed in a heap from exertion after breathing fresh life into the Tour de France.

Romain Bardet claimed his first ever stage win on yesterday’s 18th stage of the Tour de France as Chris Froome maintained his commanding advantage to move a step closer to a second title in Paris on Sunday.

Nicolas Roche put up a brave fight in a bid to claim stage glory on yesterday’s 17th stage of the Tour de France but it was German Simon Geschke (Giant Alpecin) who emerged victorious with a brilliant solo victory.

Chris Froome survived a string of attacks on the 11th stage of the Tour de France yesterday on a day Joaquim Rodriguez claimed his second mountaintop victory of the race.

Chris Froome stamped his class all over the Tour de France yesterday by totally obliterating the field on the first mountain stage of this year’s race.

Nicolas Roche was best of the three-man Irish team after six and a half hours in the saddle in the elite road race at the World Championships in Ponferrada, Spain, yesterday.

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.

Germany’s John Degenkolb claimed his third sprint victory of the Vuelta a Espana by winning stage 12 in Logrono yesterday as Ireland’s Dan Martin survived a rather stress-free day and remains 11th overall.

CYCLING: Dan Martin put in a very gutsy display on stage 11 of the Vuelta A Espana yesterday, finishing eighth on the stage, eight seconds behind stage winner Fabio Aru (Astana) and moving up to 11th overall.

Michael Matthews pipped Dan Martin in a sprint finish to win the third stage of the Vuelta a Espana yesterday and claim the leader’s jersey.

Vincenzo Nibali looks to have secured his first Tour de France title today after completing the penultimate stage of the race.

Vincenzo Nibali has vowed to "honour the yellow jersey" by going all out for stage victory in today’s time trial on the penultimate day of the Tour de France.

Vincenzo Nibali wsays anted to show he was "the boss" in winning his fourth stage of the 101st Tour de France yesterday to all-but seal overall victory.

Poland’s Rafal Majka was thrilled with his second victory of the 2014 Tour de France as Vincenzo Nibali further enhanced his hold on the race leader’s yellow jersey after stage 17.

Michael Rogers claimed a first ever Tour de France stage victory as he outsprinted Thomas Voeckler.

Mark Cavendish says he is recovering quicker than expected from the shoulder injury that ruled him out of the Tour de France but may still miss the World Championships in September.

History was made in Clare yesterday when, for the first time in the 38-year history of the Junior Tour, a rider successfully retained the title.

Vincenzo Nibali is refusing to take anything for granted despite seizing control of this year’s Tour de France with his third stage victory yesterday.

Eddie Dunbar is still in the race leader’s yellow jersey after stage three of the Stena Ireland International Junior Tour yesterday was won by Matthew Teggart of the Nicolas Roche Performance Team.

Irish cycling legend Stephen Roche believes disgraced American cyclist Lance Armstrong should be given back the seven Tour de France jerseys he was stripped of after being found guilty of taking performance enhancing drugs throughout his career.

Defending champion Chris Froome was hoping to avoid any lingering after effects of his fourth stage crash as Marcel Kittel claimed a hat-trick of Tour de France wins in Lille on Tuesday.

Cycling: Ireland’s Nicolas Roche has won his first stage race as a professional rider, after he claimed victory in the Route du Sud in France yesterday.

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.

It’s about 9.30am on Sunday morning and our 16-seater bus has turned left onto the Via Borgo Palazzo in Bergamo.

Ireland’s Dan Martin expects Sunday’s Road World Championships road race in Florence to come down to the survival of the fittest.