Vuelta a Espana

Valverde leads Vuelta a Espana as the favourites show their form

 August 29, 2014   John Welsh

, , , ,

After six stages of the 2014 Vuelta a Espana, all 198 cyclists remain in the field which is an unusual occurrence for the opening week of a Grand Tour but the first real mountain test on Thursday did produce the expected gaps in the field with the favourites moving to the front of the general […]

Read more
Le Tour de France 2014 - Stage Thirteen

Nibali cements his position as 2014 Tour de France leader with faultless performance at Hautacam

 July 25, 2014   John Welsh

,

Vincenzo Nibali was expected to win the 2014 Tour de France after a strong performance in the Alps allowed him to assume a clear lead in the general classification, but his display in the 18th stage from Pau to Hautacam underlined his superiority over the remainder of the peleton. After two difficult stages in the […]

Read more
 
Team Sky

Team Sky ill-fortune continues as Nibali appears confident in Tour de France

 July 19, 2014   John Welsh

, , ,

Team Sky may have dominated the previous two editions of the Tour de France with both Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome emerging as victors in the three week race. However, for the 2014 renewal, the ill-fortune of the team has continued the pattern of recent weeks with their main contender Richie Porte failing to […]

Read more
Froome

Froome and Contador withdrawals may overshadow eventual 2014 Tour de France victor

 July 16, 2014   John Welsh

, ,

The 2014 Tour de France had been billed as a clash between pre-race favourites Chris Froome and Alberto Contador but after both riders were forced to abandon the contest after separate crashes caused race ending injuries, Italian Vincenzo Nibali now appears to be in pole position to claim his first victory in the prestigious three […]

Read more
 

Judgement error by Contador allows Talansky to win Dauphine as Froome displays signs of weakness

 June 17, 2014   John Welsh

, ,

When Chris Froome won the first two stages of the 2014 Criterium du Dauphine to lead Alberto Contador by twelve seconds, it was assumed that it was business as usual and yet another successful stepping stone in his attempt to secure a second successive Tour de France. Yet a crash on stage six of the […]

Read more
Froome

Froome prologue win in Dauphine ends a troubled week for Team Sky

 June 9, 2014   John Welsh

, ,

Chris Froome won the 10km prologue around the streets of Lyon on the opening day of the Criterium du Dauphine in his bid to win the race for the second successive year. Alberto Contador was eight seconds adrift of the Team Sky rider, but the success of Froome ends a week during which a war […]

Read more
 
Quintana

Quintana and Uran lead the re-emergence of Colombian cyclists

 June 2, 2014   John Welsh

, ,

Nairo Quintana may have clinched the 2014 Giro d’Italia after an impressive display in the mountain stages but the performance of the Colombian cyclists during the three week marathon rekindled memories of fellow compatriots in the early 1980’s. While it may be too early to envisage an inaugural Colombian victory in the Tour de France, […]

Read more
Nairo Quintana

Nairo Quintana leads the Giro after a treacherous and controversial day

 May 28, 2014   John Welsh

, , ,

In most sports there are occasions which are remembered for a very long time either through a moment of real achievement or a triumph in adverse conditions. Stage 16 of the 2014 Giro d’Italia will probably be written into cycling folklore for the way in which the riders combatted the snow and intense cold on […]

Read more
 
Giro d'Italia

Uran seizes Giro d’Italia lead as the tough mountain days await

 May 23, 2014   John Welsh

,

As the 2014 Giro d’Italia moves into its second phase following the conclusion of the first individual time trial, the race is set for a tough final week in which six out of the nine remaining days are staged in the mountainous areas of Northern Italy. The new leader of the race is Colombian Rigoberto […]

Read more
Giro d'Italia

A difficult Giro d’Italia could be ideal for Quintana

 May 9, 2014   John Welsh

, ,

A 21km team time trial which starts and finishes in Belfast on Friday seems a strange way to begin the 97th edition of the Giro d’Italia cycle race. However, in keeping with recent developments in its sister race the Tour de France, beginning the race in a different country is becoming a popular trait. Staging […]

Read more