Eric Lawson, who played the rugged Marlboro Man in cigarette ads in the late 1970s, has died in California. He was 72.

Almost 56,000 children are missing from school every day despite improvements in overall attendance levels.

British Cycling president Brian Cookson has highlighted the “growing momentum” for change which has made him a firm favourite to replace Pat McQuaid as president of the International Cycling Union later this month.

Chris Froome was looking forward to going racing again at the 100th Tour de France today after a rest day in which his patience finally began to crack in the face of more doping questions.

There was the familiar sight of an Omega Pharma-Quick Step rider timing his burst to perfection and winning a sprint finish but instead of Mark Cavendish it was his room-mate Matteo Trentin who took the honours on stage 14 of the Tour de France in Lyon today.

Three days after they were the laughing stock of the Tour de France, when their team bus became wedged under the finishing line gantry, Orica GreenEdge capped a marvellous turnaround when they won their second stage in as many days and claimed the race leader’s yellow jersey yesterday.

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.

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

Dan Martin says he's prepared for a big tilt at the Tour de France: “Last year I went in a bit more nervous but this year I’m ready to race really proactively. I know what to expect.”

Garmin-Sharp are keeping the peloton guessing ahead of the Tour de France, but it could be that an Irishman, rather than a Grand Tour winner, is the nominated leader.

Reformed drug cheat David Millar fears Lance Armstrong’s appearance on Oprah Winfrey’s show next week will be “stage-managed”.

A major sponsor of cycling has served a legal notice on the UCI claiming $2m (€1.55m) in compensation after the Lance Armstrong doping scandal.

Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins believes there is a lot of anger within cycling towards Lance Armstrong.

Mark Cavendish believes Lance Armstrong should admit to doping for the good of cycling.

The name Lance Armstrong is to be expunged from the record books after cycling’s world governing body yesterday accepted a recommendation to strip the American of his seven Tour de France titles and ban him from the sport for life.

The International Cycling Union has “nothing to hide” over a donation made by Lance Armstrong, president Pat McQuaid has insisted.

Lance Armstrong was today stripped of his seven Tour de France titles but the sport’s world governing body the UCI were warned the battle against doping is far from won.

Just over a year ago, Eugene McGee got into a bit of bother with some of the head honchos in the GAA.

Pressure is mounting on Hein Verbruggen, the head of the International Cycling Union during the Lance Armstrong era, to resign from his remaining posts on the organisation.

Bradley Wiggins believes people should not judge Lance Armstrong too harshly, saying he too might have been tempted to dope had it not been for British Cycling.

UNFORTUNATELY, enjoyment of the Olympic Games often requires something that one associates with screen or theatrical drama, or fiction: a suspension of disbelief.

One of the weirdest things for me, when I participated in the Olympics, was waking up the day after the opening ceremony going to the dining hall before training and seeing people with Olympic medals already hanging around their necks.

When Great Britain’s Team Principal David Brailsford was quizzed on his team’s plans prior to Saturday’s Olympic men’s road race, his response drew as much exasperation as it did wry smiles from rivals teams.

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.

Mark Cavendish may be the raging hot favourite but today’s Olympic Road Race may not go according to the script, Irish team manager, Martin O’Loughlin, has warned.

World champion Mark Cavendish has described his Great Britain squad as “the dream team” but feels no additional pressure despite potentially being the first home champion of London 2012.

Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins is to seek further success in the first week of the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Bradley Wiggins has become the first British Tour de France champion – and celebrated his success by leading Mark Cavendish to victory in Paris.

With the finish line in sight, Ireland’s Dan Martin (Garmin-SHARP) and Nicolas Roche (Ag2R la Mondiale) can look back on a job very well done.

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

Half of all athletes taking part in the London Olympic Games will be tested for drugs from today in what is being billed as the biggest anti-doping operation in the history of the games.

David Millar became the fourth Briton to savour victory on the 2012 Tour de France with a win on stage 12 yesterday.

Tour de France leader Bradley Wiggins was struck by a flare before again addressing the subject of doping in cycling by saying: “I want to prove I’m doing this off bread and water and hard work.”

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.

Giro d'Italia champion Ryder Hesjedal abandoned the Tour de France ahead of stage seven today.

Giro d’Italia champion Ryder Hesjedal abandoned the Tour de France ahead of stage seven today.

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.

Steve Redgrave has warned there may be some protests against Dwain Chambers taking part in the Olympics from other members of the British team at London 2012 because of his drugs past.

Official confirmation will come today that sprinter Dwain Chambers and cyclist David Millar are to have their lifetime bans lifted to allow their selection for Team GB for the London 2012 Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee should create a “universal policy” which reinforces Britain’s tough stance on drugs cheats.

The banning of Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador for a doping offence was a “good day for all the clean athletes of the world”, World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey said.

The British Olympic Association will take the fight to keep their lifetime ban for drugs cheats to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, it was confirmed today.