Brian Canty analyses the Tour de France’s biggest talking points...

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

Dan Martin rocketed up the General Classification at the Tour de France yesterday and is now fourth overall just 25 seconds down on the man who assumed the race leader’s yellow jersey, Chris Froome.

Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas were grateful to emerge with little more than bumps and bruises from a crash as Marcel Kittel won stage two of the Tour de France in Liege.

Wandering around the lobby of the Diamante Beach Hotel in Calpe, Spain, on a gun-metal grey afternoon in January are a host of the world’s best cyclists and teams.

Organisers of the Tour de France will look to crack Team Sky’s stranglehold on the event with a challenging course that rewards aggressive riding, race director Christian Prudhomme declared yesterday.

Chris Froome extended his advantage in the yellow jersey with an opportunistic move as Peter Sagan won stage 11 of the Tour de France.

Dan Martin is eyeing up the next three stages of the Tour de France as potential days where he could make a real statement of intent.

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.

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.

Sprt, action and drama - here's the best TV to watch today.

Sam Bennett is targeting the podium at the Tour de France in 2015 after just failing to make the team for cycling’s most prestigious event this year.

Team Sky has announced the signing of Irishman Nicolas Roche as one of five new names for 2015.

Ireland’s Dan Martin finished a career best in a Grand Tour yesterday when he finished seventh overall at the Vuelta A Espana.

Nicolas Roche will be one of the race favourites for this month’s Friends Life Tour of Britain, after his participation was confirmed by his team Tinkoff-Saxo yesterday.

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.

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.

Defending Tour de France champion Chris Froome became the second major casualty of this year’s race when he abandoned the race after a third crash in two days.

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: Vincenzo Nibali bared his teeth and savoured a first Tour de France stage win of his career on another memorable day of racing in Yorkshire yesterday.

Italy's Vincenzo Nibali launched a late attack to win stage two of the Tour de France in Sheffield today and claim the race leader's yellow jersey.

A devastated Mark Cavendish ruled himself out of the Tour de France after suffering a shoulder injury in a crash on Saturday's opening stage to Harrogate.

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.

The Tour de France has begun today in Yorkshire and we are here to fill you in on the world’s biggest cycling event.

CYCLING: Mark Cavendish won stage four of the Tour de Suisse to show his form ahead of the Tour de France.

CYCLING: Mark Cavendish has withdrawn from the Three Days of De Panne race in Belgium due to illness.

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.

The route of the 2014 Tour de France, which begins in Britain, includes five mountain finishes and just one individual time-trial, organisers announced this morning.

Sam Bennett came agonisingly close to winning a second stage of the Tour of Britain yesterday but had to settle for second best against Mark Cavendish as the race concluded in London.

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

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.

An incredible day of tactical racing has set the tone for the weekend

Mark Cavendish answered his critics with victory on stage 13 of the Tour de France to Saint-Amand-Montrond but Chris Froome saw more than a minute of his lead over Alberto Contador blown away by the crosswinds.

Ireland’s Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche survived another nerve-shredder at the Tour de France yesterday, the duo crossing the line in the same time as stage winner Marcel Kittel after avoiding a nasty pile-up with two kilometres to go.

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.

Dan Martin slipped back to 13th overall at the Tour de France yesterday following the day’s gruelling 11th stage individual time-trial.

Mark Cavendish had urine thrown at him during today’s time trial in the Tour de France, according to a team-mate.