Bike World News

AG2R-La Mondiale has announced their complete roster for 2010. Nine riders have left the team and there are seven new recruits for a total of 28 riders.

Stage 3:
Slovenian rider Jure Kocjan (Carmiooro A-Style) won the stage and took the overall on Day 3 of the Etoile de Besseges. Wednesday’s race was hillier than the previous days and a change was certain to come after the two opening stages won in bunch sprints by Jimmy Casper (Besson Chaussures).
Yury Trofimov (Bouygues Telecom) and Kocjan fought for the lead over the Baraque climb, but worked together to fend off Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil) by seven seconds and another chase group led by Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJeux) by 18 seconds.
Kocjan had enough …

As noted earlier, Remi Pauriol was part of a six man breakaway early in the race, and he was able to stay off the front all the way to the end, finishing ahead of break compatriouts Thomas Voeckler and Yuri Trofimov.
1 Rémi Pauriol (Cofidis) en 3h29’12” (moyenne : 39’23 Km/h)
2 Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Telecom) à 27”
3 Yuri Trofimov (Bouygues Telecom)
4 Jean-Eudes Demaret (Cofidis) à 1’07”
5 Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil)
6 Ben Hermans (TopSport)
7 Maxime Bouet (Agritubel)
8 Jonathan Hivert (Skil Shimano)
9 Johan Mombaerts (Auber 93)
10 Matthieu Ladagnous (Française des Jeux) à 1’48”
11 Brice Feillu …

Today’s stage from Potenza to Peschici starts and ends with climbing, with a fairly long, flat section in the middle. The race organizers listened to the riders and shortened today’s stage by removing the Circuito del Gargano. This will allow the riders to get back to their hotels earlier for meals and massages. The organizers also moved the start of the race out a half hour to give them a little more sleep time.
No one dropped out of the race during the night but Enrico Poitschke (Milram), Kevin De Weert (Cofidis) abandoned early in the …

Here’s the results for the first 4 stages of the Vuelta:
Stage 1: Daniele Bennati wins the first stage with Oscar Freire, Alessandro Pettachi, Allen Davis and Tom Boonen rounding out the Top 5.

Stage 2: Oscar Freire outsprints Paolo Bettini to win the stage and take over the lead. The controversial Erik Zabel is second in the G.C. with  Leonardo Duque, Aurelien Clerc and Alessandro Pettachi taking the remainder of the Top 5.

Stage 3: World Champ Paolo Bettini gets Oscar Freire back for yesterday’s sprint and takes today’s stage. Freire holds …