Tour de France 2011: Cadel Evans pips Alberto Contador to stage four win

Cadel Evans edged out Alberto Contador in a dramatic sprint for the line to win stage four of the Tour de France.

Evans triumphed in a photo finish at the end of the 172.5km rain-affected ride from Lorient to Mur-de-Bretagne.

The Australian withstood a late charge from defending champion Contador of Spain to pick up a second Tour stage win, with Alexandre Vinokourov third.

Thor Hushovd retained the race leader's yellow jersey as Bradley Wiggins finished 11th and Mark Cavendish 150th.

"I'm pretty happy," said Wiggins, who moves up from 10th to sixth in the overall standings.

"It's still early days - these stages are about staying safe and not giving too much away. The real stuff is still to come."

David Millar crossed in 22nd and drops from second to fourth overall, while Geraint Thomas was 29th and falls from fourth to seventh but retains the white jersey for best young rider.

"Those last 500m were hurting, I just had to hold the wheel in front of me," said Thomas. "It was a decent day for the team.

"This stage goes up, down, left right and there was a lot of stress in the bunch, a lot of fighting and it was a hard day with weather.

"I feel good. I've just been getting stuck in every day and doing my job. I'm enjoying it."

The stage came to life when a five-man breakaway began after 9km, with Johnny Hoogerland of the Netherlands leading the escapees over the intermediate sprint.

Cavendish took ninth place as Tyler Farrar - the winner of stage three - led the peloton over the line to take 10 points in the race for the green jersey.

BMC Racing and Omega Pharma-Lotto, riding for Evans and Philippe Gilbert respectively, were leading at the front of the peloton for much of the day, with Garmin-Cervelo - working for Norway's Hushovd - doing a turn in the final 30km.

Evans, like Wiggins earlier in the day, suffered a mechanical problem and had to be paced back to the bunch - an extra effort which may have affected the finale.

The breakaway was caught with little more than 4km remaining before the squads then battled for position at the foot of the final ascent out of Mur-de-Bretagne.

Contador attacked with 1.3km remaining and accelerated again in the finishing straight, but Evans overtook him to snatch victory on the line.

Contador punched the air in celebration, only for the still image of the finish to show it was his rival's success.

"It was so close I couldn't see who won it myself," stated Evans. "It was a really calm start considering the conditions and course. Towards the end it became really nervous.

"I had to change bikes with about 15km to go but my team carried me through and I managed to finish off the job. It was the other guys who won the stage today.

"My job here is to do classification but I'll take this very gladly. I'm so happy with the guys today."

Hushovd added: "I really had to fight, I dug so deep to stay with the climbers. I'm really happy I managed to keep the yellow jersey.

"What the team has done until now is incredible. It's a dream start and it's not stopping. We have to keep on going."

Briton Ben Swift wins final stage in Tour Down Under

Britain's Ben Swift won the final stage of the Tour Down Under to finish third overall in the six-stage race.

Swift out-sprinted fellow Team Sky rider Greg Henderson for his second win of the event to finish behind winner Cameron Meyer and Matthew Goss.

"I was struggling really badly halfway through after the efforts of Saturday," he said. "I had to hang out there."

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong finished his last overseas race 65th while Mark Cavendish finished 129th and last.

Armstrong refused to speak to reporters afterwards about the latest doping allegations made against him this week.

The seven-time Tour de France champion took part in the race against the backdrop of a United States federal investigation triggered by former team-mate Floyd Landis's allegations that Armstrong and other prominent figures used performance-enhancing drugs.

The Texan, who never tested positive throughout his career, has denied any wrongdoing and tweeted on Friday that he looks forward to being cleared by the US Anti-Doping Agency.

Armstrong's team manager Johan Bruyneel said he could ride a last professional race at the Tour of California in May.

British sprint star Mark Cavendish finished last of the riders who completed the Tour Down Under.

The HTC-Highroad rider had a fall on the second stage and was left nursing some damaging cuts and bruises for the rest of the race.

"Hopefully I'll start winning later in the year and get some stuff for the team," said Cavendish, who has won 15 stages of the Tour de France.

"That [the Tour de France] is the biggest race of the year for the team and for the sponsors. I want to win everywhere but it's very important to win there."

Olympic cyclist Sir Chris marries

Olympic cycling champion Sir Chris Hoy and his fiancee Sarra Kemp have married in Edinburgh.

Sir Chris, 34, won three gold medals at the Beijing Olympics and is Scotland's most successful-ever Olympian.

He had been engaged to Miss Kemp, a lawyer, for about a year prior to the wedding ceremony on Saturday.

Olympic swimming double gold medallist Rebecca Adlington was among the guests at the service in the city's St Giles Cathedral.

The Edinburgh-born cyclist, wearing a grey kilt with sporran and grey jacket, posed briefly on the kirk steps with his wife, who wore a white wedding dress with veil.

The couple had kept the service a closely-guarded secret, with guests reportedly in the dark until the last minute over the venue plans.

The ‘Other’ Armstrong Is Bowing Out of Cycling in Style

Kristin Armstrong was thinking this on Wednesday as she stood on the podium in Mendrisio, Switzerland, and watched the American flag being hoisted in her honor. Go out on top. Go out with the anthem being played.

Armstrong, 36, is the accidental champion, the late bloomer who took to the sport because running in triathlons caused osteoarthritis in her hips and her doctor advised her to do something healthier, like cycle full time. She took him seriously.

On Wednesday she won the time trial at the world championship of cycling, to go with her gold medal in Beijing last year. Now, as planned, she will retire after the world championship road race on Saturday.

“There are already people who are talking about my comeback for 2012 in London,” Armstrong said, alluding to the next Summer Olympics.

If she did come back, she would be following the pattern set by her illustrious namesake, Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven times from 1999 through 2005, then retired, only to come back to finish an impressive third in the Tour this year, at 37. Kristin Armstrong has her own reasons for retiring now.

“Being female, it’s important for me to have a family,” she said in a telephone interview. She and her husband, Joe Savola, have planned this retirement, which was announced weeks ago.

While there is still time, the American public can get to know this champion who burst into prominence so belatedly.

First of all, she is not related to Lance Armstrong, or to his former wife, Kristin Richard Armstrong. She did not go into cycling to emulate her namesake. She just happened to discover she was very good at this sport, once she concentrated on it.

In 2004, Kristin Armstrong finished eighth in the road race at the Olympics in Athens but was not used in the time trial. On Wednesday, a day made for crowing, she refused to say the American coaches were wrong in 2004. She had already followed that by winning the world time trial in Italy in 2006 before taking that gold in Beijing.

Lance Armstrong has not won an Olympic gold medal — well, at least not yet. He won a bronze in 2000, while recovering from a fractured vertebra in his neck, from a collision with a car. There is always drama surrounding Mr. Lance.

“Lance lives a life I’m not at all familiar with,” Armstrong said in 2008. “No movie stars or million-dollar bank accounts for me.”

On the only day the two Armstrongs have ever met, he displayed a major sense of collegial gallantry.

“I really admire him for the work he does against cancer,” Kristin Armstrong said Wednesday.

“I met him after a criterium at Ojai in 2005,” she added, referring to a race in California.

She and a female friend joined the autograph mob around Armstrong, and her friend persisted in saying, “Lance, Lance, Kristin Armstrong is here.” Armstrong picked up his head and quickly volunteered that he had heard a lot about her. And this was before her world championship or her gold medal.

Kristin Armstrong grew up in a military family, lived 10 years abroad, attended high school in Japan. She thinks she learned adaptability — in language, customs and food — that serve her well on the cycling circuit.

After graduating from the University of Idaho, she was working in an advertising agency in Boise when her doctor said her triathlon days were over. But she did so well on the bike that T-Mobile stunned her by offering her a two-year contact to join its touring team.

“When she became a cyclist, I thought it was cool,” her husband said in 2008. “When she became one of the best, I thought to myself, ‘There’s something special in this woman.’ But never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined this.”

On Wednesday, Armstrong finished in 35 minutes 26.09 seconds over two laps of the 16.65-mile (26.8-kilometer) course, defeating Noemi Cantele of Italy by 55.01 seconds.

“Over all, this has been my best season,” Armstrong said recently. “I haven’t put as much stress on myself. Sometimes we do that and it takes a lot of the fun out of the sport. This year I really just enjoyed the sport and my team.”

She has everything planned. She will represent Idaho Potatoes, Blue Cross and United Dairymen — “three products I use and believe in,” she said. She appears to be as adept as her namesake at sticking to her talking points. Now, just as her country discovers her, she is going out, as a world champion.

Eric Murphy returns for Tobago Classic

Former three-time runner-up Eric Murphy is coming back to Tobago for the 2009 edition of the Tobago International Cycling Classic.

Murphy, who suffered a serious crash in the 2005 edition of the race, will again team up with local favourite and seven-time winner Emile Abraham.

Both will ride for Team BarCode in Division One. Also scheduled to ride for BarCode are Englishmen Pete Williams and James Sampson and Canadians  Danille Defrancheschi and Jean-Michel Lachance.

So far, eight other teams from Europe and the Caribbean have registered for the five-stage race which will be contested from September 30 to October 4. However, not yet certain to take part is last year's winner, Keith Blackgrove of New Zealand.

In addition to the international race, there will again be competition  in the juniors, masters and ladies categories.

Following are the confirmed riders and teams  in Division One:

Team Racing Students (Germany)- Christoph Kindle, Andreas Feistel, Michael Schweizer, Florian Geyer, Valentin Holtz, Benjamin Diemer, Jonathan Obländer.

Team SVL Sportassekuranz (Sweden)- Karsten Gerhard, Karsten Eggert, Jan Van Puifelde, Jorg Scherf, Axel Hauschke, Sebastien Mensebach.

 Austrian National Team (Austria)- Werner Riebenbauer, Franz Grasmann, Andreas Graf, Georg Tazreiter, Andreas Muller, Christian Lademann.

Team Saxony (Germany)-Erik Mohs, Sasha Damrow, Julian Rammler, Timo Scholz, Roland Wenz.Â

Team BarCode (Composite lnternational)-Emile Abraham- Trinidad and Tobago, Eric Murphy-US, Pete Williams-England, James Sampson-England, Danille Defrancheschi-Canada, Jean-Michel Lachance - Canada.

 Windward Islands (Caribbean)-Tyron Thomas-Grenada, Sydney-Grenada, Kurt Maraj-St Lucia, Sammy Joseph-St Lucia, Sydney Charles-St Lucia, Winston Williams-St Lucia.

Team Heatwave (Caribbean)-Guy Costa-Trinidad and Tobago, Marloe Rodman -Jamaica, Jude Bentley- Guyana, Steve McEwen- Scotland, Atze Dijkhuis- Holland.

 Team Trek (Caribbean)-Colin Wilson- Trinidad and Tobago, Linford Blackwood -Jamaica, Dean Martin- Jamaica, Oneil Samuel- Jamaica, Phillip Clarke- Barbados, Jason Perryman-Barbados.

Team Foundation (USA)-Joshua Alexander-Trinidad and Tobago, Adam Alexander-Trinidad and Tobago.

Vinokourov back in Astana stable

Alexandre Vinokourov has rejoined his former cycling team Astana for the Tour of Spain, which begins this Saturday.

The Kazakh rider, who won the race in 2006, recently returned from a two-year ban for blood doping at the 2007 Tour de France.

The 35-year-old denies any wrongdoing but both he and Astana were removed from the event two years ago.

An Astana statement said: "Vinokourov has signed a contract with Team Astana until the end of 2010."

Vinokourov spearheads a team which also includes American Chris Horner, Kazakhs Assan Bazayev and Maxim Iglinskiy, Spaniards Jesus Hernandez, Daniel Navarro, Jose Luis Rubiera and Haimar Zubeldia and Swiss Michael Schar.

Tour de France winner Alberto Contador has a year left on his Astana contract although he is being linked with a move elsewhere.

Lance Armstrong, meanwhile, has already announced that he will quit Astana to form an American-based team in 2010 in partnership with RadioShack.

Muhammad Ali beats Bradman to title of greatest sportsman

ormer World Heavyweight Boxing champion Muhammad Ali, 67, has been named the greatest sports star by Australia's No 1 sporting magazine Alpha.

Ali's record in professional boxing's most competitive era has seen him get the nod ahead of cricket legend Sir Donald Bradman. Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and Diego Maradona rounded out the top five, reports The Herald Sun.

"Ali was an unbelievably skilful, clever boxer who was involved in some of the biggest fights of the 20th century," Alpha editor Heath Kelly said.

"Away from the ring, Ali's impact was just as great - from his rapid-fire tongue, to his stance against the Vietnam war, to lighting the Atlanta Olympic torch when visibly affected by Parkinsons, he captured the public imagination like no athlete in history," Kelly added.

Alpha's top 10
1. Muhammad Ali
2. Sir Donald Bradman
3. Michael Jordan
4. Tiger Woods
5. Diego Maradona
6. Rod Laver
7. Pele
8. Roger Federer
9. Carl Lewis
10. Lance Armstrong

Lance Armstrong upbeat after comeback

Lance Armstrong finished 29th in the final standings in his competitive comeback in the Tour Down Under.

The seven-times Tour de France winner was 49 seconds behind overall leader Allan Davis of Australia after the 81km sixth and final stage in Adelaide.

Armstrong, making his comeback after three years, took the lead towards the end but was unable to remain in front.

More than 144,000 people turned out to see the stage which was raced over 18 laps of a 4.5km street circuit.

The American hit the front with little more than a lap remaining but quickly fell back into the peleton, finishing 71st on the stage.

"I can't lie. I felt pretty good today," said the 37-year-old American.

"It was a comfortable circuit and I gave it a little go with a couple of laps left but I needed to be with some more guys. I couldn't stay away from the charging field.

"It helps when you have good legs. I felt a lot better today, actually felt the best day of the entire week so when you feel good and you have good legs, you have to go for it don't you."

Armstrong's next race will be the Tour of California from 14-22 February.

"[This] is a good indication I've done the right work. I still have to fine tune things, get lighter, still get fitter and work on certain aspects of my conditioning but I'm headed in the right way," he said.

"I'd say we're on track if not ahead of schedule. Even if it was a normal year when you're focused on July [and the Tour de France] I wouldn't be riding this well in January."

Davis, twice a runner-up in the Tour Down Under, won three of the tour's first five stages to lead by 25 seconds going into the final stage and finished among the main group to ensure victory. Francesco Chicchi of Italy won the stage in a sprint finish.

"I've finally done it, I can't believe it," said Davis.

"This win is very important to the [Quick Step] team. It's the first ProTour race of the season. With three stages and the overall it has been an unbelievable race."

Bolt and Isinbayeva scoop awards

Usain Bolt and Yelena Isinbayeva have been named as male and female athletes of the year by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The Jamaican sprinter and Russian pole vaulter took the awards as well as £67,000 each at a ceremony in Monaco for their superb Olympic displays.

Bolt, 22, became the first man in history to break world records in all three sprint events at a single Games.

Isinbayeva, 26, raised the world record to 5.05m to retain her Olympic title.

Bolt broke the 100m world record of 9.74 seconds held by compatriot Asafa Powell earlier in the season but he again eclipsed the new mark by clocking 9.69 in Beijing.

He then broke Michael Johnson's world record of 19.32 in the final of the 200m by lowering it to 19.30 before leading Jamaica's 4x100m sprint relay to Olympic victory in a record time of 37.10.

"I have a motto that anything is possible, but this really is such an honour," said Bolt, who became Jamaica's first Olympic 100m champion.

"Just to be included with every great name in the sport is wonderful. I'll try to do it year after year."

Isinbayeva, who took athlete of the year honours in 2004 and 2005, added: "I'm very proud. It feels like the first time."

During the season the Russia raised her own world record in the pole vault three times, first to 5.03 metres in Rome and 5.04 in Monaco in June and then at Beijing - her 24th world best mark.

Isinbayeva just edged out Ethiopian distance runner Tirunesh Dibaba, who produced an unprecedented Olympic double victory in the 5000 and 10,000 metres in Beijing.

Cuban 110m hurdler Dayron Robles won the male performance of the year award after setting a new world record of 12.87sec as well as claiming the Olympic title.

Dibaba and Barbora Spotakova, of the Czech Republic, who set a new world record after claiming the Olympic javelin title, took the women's equivalent.

Pamela Jelimo, who won the 800m Olympic title at the age of 18, was given the revelation of the year award.


IAAF Award winners

Male world athlete: Usain Bolt (Jam)

Female world athlete: Yelena Isinbayeva (Rus)

Male performance: Dayron Robles (Cub)

Female performance: Tirunesh Dibaba (Eth)/ Barbora Spotakova (Cze)

Revelation of the year: Pamela Jelimo (Ken)

Distinguished Career award: Kajsa Bergqvist (Swe)/Stefan Holm (Swe)/Jefferson Perez (Ecu)

Inspirational award: Henry Rono (Ken)

80 Years of Women Athletes at the Olympic Games: Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA)

Special Olympic award: Usain Bolt (Jam)/Tirunesh Dibaba (Eth)/Yelena Isinbayeva (Rus)/Francoise Mbango (Cmr)/Angelo Taylor (USA)/Andreas Thorkildsen (Nor)

Sastre to face Lance Armstrong in Italy

Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre and Lance Armstrong will battle it out at next year's Giro d'Italia.

Armstrong is still undecided over whether he will compete in the Tour, a competition he has won seven times.

But the American has committed to the event in Italy and he will now come up against Sastre, who had been previously undecided over his own participation.

"The Giro d'Italia will be my first important goal, I will be ready for the start," the Spaniard said.

"If I go to the Giro it is not just for training," he added.

Armstrong, 37, retired in 2005 but recently announced he would return to the sport in 2009.

The American dominated the Tour between 1999 and 2005 and is said to be 50-50 to race in next year's competition.

And the appearance of Armstrong at the Giro will give Sastre extra motivation.

"To have Lance in front of me and to try to beat him is really nice," Sastre said.

"It will be his first Giro d'Italia, and that is where I will have an advantage over him. It is my fourth Giro."

Lance Armstrong fears Tour crowd attack

America's seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong fears he may be attacked by spectators when he returns to the race in 2009.

The 37-year-old won every Tour title between 1999 and 2005 and is making a comeback three years after retiring.

But his achievements are still being questioned by those who claim he used performance enhancing drugs.

He told the Guardian: "There are some aggressive, angry emotions (in France). My safety could be in jeopardy."

Armstrong fears a repeat of what happened to Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx who was punched by a disgruntled French spectator during the 1975 Tour de France.

Many Frenchmen thought Merckx may beat home favourite Jacques Anquetil's record of five wins and while he was climbing the Puy-de-Dôme, one attacked him, arguably denying him a then record-breaking sixth Tour victory.

And Armstrong said: "Eddy would have won six Tours if he hadn't been punched.

"Cycling is a sport of the open road and spectators are lining that road. I try to believe that people, even if they don't like me, will let the race unfold.

"(But) there are directors of French teams that have encouraged people to take to the streets, elbow to elbow.

"It's very emotional and tense."

Armstrong also confronted the doping controversies that continue to blight his record.

"I understand people in France and in cycling might have that perception but the reality is that there's nothing there," he added.

"The level of scrutiny I've had throughout my career from the press and the anti-doping authorities is unmatched.

"I've got nothing to hide. I won seven Tours through hard work."

French paper L'Equipe reported in 2005 that a sample of Armstrong's urine from his first victory in 1999 had been retested and found to contain traces of EPO, but he was fully exonerated after an independent investigation.

2009 Tour of Georgia is scrapped

The Tour of Georgia, one of American's cycling's most prestigious events, has been cancelled for next season.

Created in 2003, the Tour has failed to secure regular sponsors since Lance Armstrong's retirement in 2005.

The Texan, who announced his return to professional cycling in September, did not include Georgia in his 2009 plans.

"I'm disappointed that the 2009 Tour has been cancelled, but very pleased that it will return in 2010," said USA Cycling boss Steve Johnson.

In a statement, organisers said: "The planning process for the Tour of Georgia requires a tremendous amount of time and effort.

"We wanted to give all of our partners enough time to plan and allocate their resources to take full advantage of the event. Therefore, we will skip 2009."

Seven-time Tour de France winner Armstrong took the Georgia title in 2004.

Armstrong firms up 2009 schedule

Lance Armstrong plans to ride in a number of classic races next year - but the American remained coy as to whether he will ride in the Tour de France.

Armstrong, 37, retired in 2005, but is to return to cycling in 2009.

"I simply don't know," Armstrong told Cyclingnews website of his Tour de France plans. "I'm not in a hurry.

"I'm going to do Tour of Flanders, all the classics, except Paris-Roubaix, Tour of California, Criterium International, Circuit de la Sarthe."

The one-day classics include the Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Milan-San Remo, the Fleche Wallonne, the Amstel Gold Race, Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders.

During his domination of the Tour between 1999 and 2005 when he won a record seven times, Armstrong focused on the world's greatest stage race at the expense of the classics.

"I want to say that I am not trying to be coy," added Armstrong, who will race for the Astana team next year. "I'm not playing games with them (Tour organisers), with the fans, the media."

Armstrong is already committed to the Giro d'Italia in May, while Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel said the American was "50-50" to also race in the Tour.

Armstrong initially looked set to launch a bid for an eighth title in France but it was met with a less than enthusiastic response from Tour organisers.

His former mentor, and five-time Tour winner, Eddy Merckx has also said he is convinced that Armstrong will not compete as taking part in the Giro and the Tour in the same year will be too much.

Armstrong will end a three-and-a-half-year absence from the sport when he rides in the Tour Down Under in Australia in January.

Armstrong famously overcame an aggressive form of testicular cancer before embarking on his remarkable run of Tour de France victories.

Paula Radcliffe looks to banish Olympic bitterness

Paula Radcliffe must get over her Olympic bitterness and focus on the next edition in London in 2012, she said on Monday.

"I don't think I can keep going back over it, the bitterness that I don't need," the veteran Briton told reporters after winning the New York City marathon for the third time on Sunday. "It's a situation I can't change.

"I'm trying to stay positive and looking forward to 2012. I would like to be in London, I feel like I've got it (the Olympics) taken away from me twice now because of injuries."

Radcliffe may be 34 but she said ahead of the New York race that a gold medal in four years' time was still within reach.

"I do believe I have the chance to have another shot in 2012," she said. "I'll be 38 then. Constantina (Tomescu-Dita, the Olympic champion from Romania) was 38 this year so I know it's possible.

"I know the odds probably get less each time but my whole philosophy is keep persevering. For me personally it's certainly a huge motivation.

"I think the atmosphere and the support for the Olympics in your home country is an opportunity I would never want to miss

World Cup Series, Manchester -Cycling

Victoria Pendleton led the way as Great Britain won all six finals on day two of the World Cup series in Manchester.

Pendleton and Lizzie Armitstead picked up their second golds in the 500m time trial and scratch races respectively.

Rob Hayles, Stephen Burke, Ed Clancy and Geraint Thomas overtook Denmark to win the men's team pursuit.

Anna Blyth and Jess Varnish edged to victory in the women's team sprint, Jason Kenny won the men's sprint and Chris Newton the points race.

Newton rounded off a remarkable evening for the British riders with victory in the 120-lap race.

He was already assured of the gold medal having amassed 53 points before the final-lap sprint but surged away from a small breakaway group to finish the race in style.

Newton scored points in 10 of the 12 sprints during the race, winning five of them to finish with 58 points, 20 ahead of Spain's Eloy Teruel Rovira.

Earlier, Pendleton, who won the women's sprint on Friday, confirmed her status as the best sprinter in the world with victory in the time trial.

She recorded a time of 34.256 seconds, two-tenths of a second quicker than second-placed Jinjie Gong of China.

Pendleton told BBC Sport: "I was apprehensive coming in but there was no need to be.

"I've never had a strong first lap as I'm not a powerful athlete, but I came good in the second lap."

And Armitstead showed a good turn of pace as she outsprinted Canada's Tara Whitten to take the 80-lap scratch race with fellow Brit Alexandra Greenfield winning the bronze.

The 19-year-old from Leeds, who won Friday's points race, is bidding to win a third gold in Sunday's team pursuit.

There were no surprises in the men's team pursuit final as Hayles, Burke, Clancy and Thomas, who had qualified for the final in the fastest time, produced another stunning ride.

They quickly had Denmark in their sights and despite Hayles pulling off the train, they caught their opponents with two laps remaining to win in fine style.

Clancy, who won the individual pursuit on Friday, said: "We've all been larging it up a bit so that's just an indication of things to come."

Blyth and 17-year-old schoolgirl Varnish had a slightly closer finish to their team sprint final, crossing the line in 34.352 seconds, two-hundredths of a second quicker than Germany.

In the men's sprint final, Kenny beat Australia's Shane Perkins in the first race of their best of three final and was leading in the second race when the riders collided.

But the Brit, who finished second at the Olympics behind Chris Hoy in this event, slid over the line first to take the title.

Matthew Crampton, who was beaten by Kenny in the semi-final, won his bronze-medal ride-off.

The Track Cycling World Cup Classics act as qualifying rounds for the annual World Championships, which in 2009 take place in Pruskow, Poland.

Alongside a GB squad there were British riders competing in the colours of trade teams 100% ME, Sky+ HD and Plowman Craven.

British riders dominate World Cup

Great Britain's track cyclists claimed five gold medals in a sparkling display on day one of the World Cup Classics series at the Manchester Velodrome.

A dominant Victoria Pendleton won the women's sprint, while Wendy Houvenaghel stormed home in the individual pursuit.

Lizzie Armitstead, Lucy Martin and Katie Colclough made a clean sweep of the medals in the women's points race.

Ed Clancy powered to victory in the men's individual pursuit and teenager David Daniell won the 1km time trial.

Jason Kenny was inches away from claiming Britain's sixth gold in the keirin but had to settle for silver behind France's Francois Pervis.

And double Olympic gold medallist Bradley Wiggins could only finish seventh in the men's 15km scratch race, with compatriot Luke Rowe fourth.

Wiggins was in contention for silver behind eventual winner Wim Stroetinga of the Netherlands but seemed to be saving his strength for Sunday's madison, where he will partner Geraint Thomas.

It was still an impressive showing by Britain's riders, many of whom were returning to the track for the first time since their heroics in Beijing.

The Track Cycling World Cup Classics act as qualifying rounds for the annual World Championships, which in 2009 take place in Pruskow, Poland.

Alongside a GB squad there were British riders competing in the colours of trade teams 100% ME, Sky+ HD and Plowman Craven

Houvenaghel took Britain's first gold medal of the night in the women's 3,000m individual pursuit.

The 33-year-old, who is from Northern Ireland but based in Cornwall, made short work of Canada's Tara Whitton in the final, almost catching her rival as she triumphed in 3 min 30.59 secs.

Sutton teenager Joanna Rowsell, 19, riding for 100% ME, beat Germany's Charlotte Becker in the bronze medal race in a time of 3 min 41.88 secs.

And Olympic champion Pendleton, who is also chasing victory in the women's 1km time trial and the keirin this weekend, looked in imperious form in her sprint races.

The Bedfordshire star, racing for Sky+ HD, left compatriot Anna Blythe in her wake in her semi-final and was also far too strong for China's Lulu Zheng in the final.

Blythe, 20, had to settle for fourth after being beaten by Lyubov Shulika of Ukraine in the bronze medal race.


Clancy also goes for gold in the men's team pursuit race on Saturday
But more home success followed in the women's points race where 100% ME rider Armitstead led Martin and Colclough home.

Armitstead, 19, dominated from start to finish and triumphed with 39 points, well ahead of Martin, who was in GB colours, and 100% ME team-mate Colclough, who both managed 25 points.

All three are still juniors, although Armitstead rode as a senior in the recent road World Championships.

Kenny was also heavily tipped to triumph in the keirin but left himself too much to do on the final bend.

The Bolton rider was catching Pervis at the line but replays showed he finished just behind the Frenchman, who won in a time of 10.68 secs.

Clancy's victory in the 4,000m individual pursuit, however, was never in doubt as he destroyed Ukraine's Vitaliy Shchedov in the final.

And 18-year-old Daniell ensured the night ended on a high by posting a personal best of 1 min 01.9 secs to snatch victory in the 1km time trial.

The event continues on Saturday when events include the men's team pursuit and the women's team sprint.

Victoria Pendleton powers to sprint gold

Great Britain's Victoria Pendleton powers to gold in the sprint final at the Track Cycling World Cup in Manchester.

Lance Armstrong cleared to race in Australian Tour

US cyclist Lance Armstrong will make his official comeback to professional road racing in January at the Tour Down Under in Australia, organisers of the Adelaide stage race said Thursday.

Cycling's world body, the International Cycling Union (UCI), granted a dispensation from a drug-testing rule to allow the 37-year-old a return to cycling two weeks early.

UCI rules state that a rider must be in an anti-doping programme for six months before entering competition.

Armstrong announced his retirement in 2005 after winning a record seventh straight Tour de France but shocked the cycling world last month when he said he would try for an eighth triumph in the world's most prestigious road race.

The Tour Down Under, the first stage race outside Europe to be accorded ProTour status, attracts some of the world's top teams. The Jan 20-25 event opens the UCI ProTour season, and professional cyclists like the Tour Down Under because it's a warm change from gruelling training in the Northern Hemisphere winter.

The six-day race, won this year by up-and-coming German rider Andre Greipel, circles the picturesque Barossa Valley wine-growing region.

The 10 ‘Sexiest Sports Babes’ revealed

English cyclist Victoria Pendleton has topped the list of top 10 sports babes in an online poll.

The sexy track cyclist has got the topspot, beating the likes of Kirsty Gallacher and Ana Ivanovic.

Daily Star readers have rated various sporting ladies, who get their hearts racing in their skintight hotpants, racy tight tees and skimpy swimming gear.

Sky Sports presenter Gallacher was at the second spot while tennis ace Ivanovic was placed at the third position in the poll.

Rounding up the top five at fourth and fifth position were Russian beauty Anna Kournikova and American golfer Natalie Gulbis respectively.

The Top 10 Sports Babes are:

1. Victoria Pendleton
2. Kirsty Gallacher
3. Ana Ivanovic
4. Anna Kournikova
5. Natalie Gulbis
6. Elena Dementieva
7. Tatiana Grigorieva
8. Martina Hingis
9. Maria Sharapova
10. Sasha Cohen

Source: ANI


Courtesy www.sports.in.msn.com

Anne Caroline Chausson of France won women's BMX gold at Olympics

Anne Caroline Chausson of France claimed the first-ever BMX Olympic gold, winning the women's BMX final at the Beijing Games here on Friday.

The French woman, who used to be a mountain biker, thundered home in the fastest time of 35.976 seconds to take the gold of the sport that made its Olympic debut in Beijing.

After crossing the finished line, Chausson got off her bike in a rush and cried out loudly.

"I wanted to win this medal for my dad. He passed away last year. I am sad he could not be here today, but this medal is for him," the french woman said.

"I am happy to win the first gold of this sport, because I came from a mountain biker. Now I am an Olympic champion," added Chausson, who has already considered of retirement after the Olympics.

Her compatriot Laetitia Le Corguille took the silver in 38.042, while the bronze medal went to Jill Kintner of the United States in 38.674.