Andre Greipel won his third stage of the Giro d’Italia yesterday before withdrawing from the race, citing the tough terrain in store and more achievable goals in the weeks and months ahead.

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).

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.

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.

Nicolas Roche has described the ‘disrespect’ his Team Sky squad endured from spectators over the weekend.

Ireland’s Sam Bennett turned around a difficult opening week at his debut Tour de France with a fine 10th place finish on yesterday’s seventh stage.

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.

German sprinter Andre Greipel believes he answered his critics after extending the country’s Tour de France sprint supremacy with victory on stage six yesterday from Arras to Reims.

Irish cycling legend, Vuelta winner and former world No 1, Sean Kelly has described as a “scandal” the lack of promotion by Tourism Ireland of the Giro d’Italia coming to Dublin in May.

Ireland’s Philip Deignan enjoyed a good competitive racing debut with Team Sky, helping teammates Richie Porte and Geraint Thomas finish fourth and eighth in the Santos Tour Down Under yesterday.

Chris Froome was “quietly excited” last night with the 100th Tour de France his to lose going into the final weekend of the race.

Mark Cavendish suggested he means business today as he beat his green jersey rivals over the line at the intermediate sprint on stage 12 to Tours.

Marcel Kittel won stage 10 of the Tour de France in Saint-Malo after Mark Cavendish was involved in a collision during the sprint to the line.

German powerhouse Andre Greipel won his first stage of this year’s Tour de France, coming home ahead of Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) and Marcel Kittel (Argos-Shimano) after yesterday’s 176-kilometre run from Aix-en-Provence to Montpellier.

Mark Cavendish claimed his 24th Tour de France stage victory on the seafront in Marseille yesterday.

The organisers of the 100th Tour de France came under fire after the first stage of the showpiece event ended in chaos in Bastia.

Mark Cavendish began his bid to claim Great Britain’s first Olympic gold of the London 2012 Games today, while Irish hopes rested on Nicholas Roche, Daniel Martin and David McCann.

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.

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

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.

Irish duo Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Dan Martin (Garmin-Sharp) survived another day of carnage at the Tour de France yesterday but world champion Mark Cavendish wasn’t so lucky as he crashed heavily inside the final three kilometres on the run-in to the finish in Rouen.

For a moment it appeared Mark Cavendish’s Tour de France and Olympic hopes might be over on stage four to Rouen today, but the world champion is set to live to fight another day.

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.

Nicolas Roche was again best of the Irish on the toughest stage of the Tour of the Algarve yesterday, finishing 11th, 44 seconds behind stage winner Richie Porte (Team Sky).

Home rider Simon Gerrans lifted the Tour Down Under title today after a gripping final stage.

Britain’s Mark Cavendish won the men’s road race after a dramatic sprint finish at the World Championships in Copenhagen.

Australian Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) has won the Tour de France.

NICOLAS ROCHE consolidated his overnight position of 13th place in the Tour de France after he finished safely in the main bunch of yesterday’s rain-hit 167-kilometre journey from Blaye-les-Mines to Lavaur.

Mark Cavendish today claimed a the 18th Tour de France stage win of his career and seized the points classification leader’s green jersey.

ANDRE GREIPEL denied Mark Cavendish in a thrilling sprint finish to win stage 10 of the Tour de France, a 158km run from Aurillac to Carmaux.

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

NICOLAS ROCHE notched his highest stage finishing so far in this year’s Tour de France with a fine 15th place on the leg-breaking 215 kilometre trek from Le Mans to Châteauroux yesterday.

British cycling fans endured a day of mixed fortunes today as Team Sky leader Bradley Wiggins crashed out of the Tour de France before Mark Cavendish enjoyed a stage seven success in Chateauroux.

MARK CAVENDISH yesterday scorched to the 16th Tour de France stage win of his career before hinting at the demons which lie beneath his combustible personality.

Great Britain's Mark Cavendish today scorched to the 16th Tour de France stage win of his career before hinting at the demons which lie beneath his combustible personality.

Belgium's Philippe Gilbert seized the Tour de France race leader's yellow jersey with victory in Les Herbiers today.

PHILIP DEIGNAN has ended Ireland’s long wait for a top 10 finish at a grand tour by finishing ninth overall in the Tour of Spain which ended with a 110km trek from Rivas to Madrid yesterday.