Fabian Cancellara announced his withdrawal from the Tour de France on the race’s first rest day yesterday, becoming the latest big name to exit — albeit the Swiss did so voluntarily.

German powerhouse Tony Martin stormed to his maiden road stage victory at the Tour de France yesterday — and his Omega Pharma-Quick Step team’s second win in three days.

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.

Mark Cavendish’s bid for the yellow jersey ended in a heap as the Manxman tumbled to the tarmac in a dramatic conclusion to the opening stage of the 101st Tour de France in Harrogate.

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

Ireland’s Nicolas Roche turned in a brilliant performance on yesterday’s 11th stage of the Vuelta a Espana, finishing sixth in yesterday’s time trial to climb one place into second overall.

Peter Sagan has learned the hard way you keep your hands to yourself.

Páidí O’Brien won his second race in as many weeks when he scorched to victory in yesterday’s Carrick Wheelers Cup in Carrick on Suir.

Bradley Wiggins last night became the most decorated British Olympian in history after he claimed a sensational gold medal in the elite men’s time-trial.

Bradley Wiggins goes to the start-line in the men’s Olympic time-trial today as the red-hot favourite having blitzed all before him in last month’s two Tour de France tests against the clock.

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.

Ireland’s two riders in the Tour de France, Nicolas Roche (Ag2r La Mondiale) and Dan Martin (Garmin-SHARP) enjoyed a solid weekend with Roche moving inside the top 10 overall while Martin displayed some good form on Saturday’s leg-breaking climb to the finish at La Planche des Belles Filles to finish 17th.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ireland’s Dan Martin started his maiden Tour de France with a superb 8th place finish on the opening road stage from Liège to Seraing yesterday.

Belgium’s Tom Boonen won his third Tour of Flanders today after a lively race which saw several riders injured in crashes, not least Swiss Olympic time-trial champion Fabian Cancellara.

Cadel Evans is poised to win his first Tour de France title after wresting the fabled yellow jersey from the shoulders of Andy Schleck on today's penultimate stage in Grenoble this afternoon.

The identity of Andy and Frank Schleck’s new Luxembourg-based team was revealed today as Team Leopard-Trek.

ALBERTO CONTADOR edged closer to Lance Armstrong’s record number of victories yesterday as the American’s Tour de France career came to an end.

The titanic tussle for the 2010 Tour de France title is set to end in Alberto Contador’s favour after the defending champion increased his advantage in today’s penultimate stage.

ANDY SCHLECK yesterday blasted Alberto Contador after the Spaniard seized the Tour de France leader’s yellow jersey by taking advantage of his rival’s mechanical problem.

Sylvain Chavanel reclaimed the race leader’s yellow jersey with victory on stage seven of the Tour de France today.

Britain's Mark Cavendish today recorded the 12th win of his Tour de France career with victory on stage six.

It’s been a fabulous start to the 2010 Tour de France for the sole Irish rider in the race, Nicholas Roche.

THE winning feeling returned for Mark Cavendish on the fifth stage of the Tour de France after a fraught and forgettable period on and off the bike.

Mark Cavendish stuck two fingers up to his critics – in a metaphorical sense this time – with victory on the fifth stage of the Tour de France.

Alessandro Petacchi won the fourth road stage of the Tour de France into Reims today.

Fabian Cancellara reclaimed the race leader's yellow jersey as the Tour de France endured another bumpy ride today.

THE Tour de France peloton met a second day of destruction as rain-soaked roads wreaked havoc on the second stage from Brussels to Spa yesterday.

The Tour de France peloton met a second day of destruction as rain-soaked roads wreaked havoc on the second stage from Brussels to Spa.

Wet weather contributed to another tumultuous day as the Tour de France visited spring classics country in Belgium today.

A crash-strewn final three kilometres of the first road stage of the Tour de France was won by Alessandro Petacchi in Brussels today.

Scotland's David Millar was in a borrowed green jersey as the Tour de France took to the road today.

Frank Schleck clinched overall victory ahead of Lance Armstrong on the final day of the Tour de Suisse.

The International Cycling Union are to use scanners at next month’s Tour de France to combat rumoured ’mechanical doping’.