William Bonnet takes stage two of Paris-Nice

William Bonnet has won the second stage of the 2010 Paris-Nice after a multiple pile-up in closing metres tore the head of the peloton.

Bonnet, the 27 year-old Frenchman, outsprinted Peter Sagan of Slovakia and Luis León Sánchez, last year's Spanish winner, in a sprint finish after a dramatic crash 500 metres from the line brought down several riders.

The Bbox Bouygues Telecom rider, however, managed to avoid the carnage that saw Jimmy Casper, Tony Martin and Ireland's Dan Martin all hit the ground at high speed after riders' wheels appeared to clip each other.

"This is my first big win, I've been waiting a long time for it," said Bonnet.

"I managed to avoid the collision in the last mile and caught up with Sanchez, who started the sprint with 400 metres to go."

Alberto Contador, the two-time Tour de France winner, managed to complete the stage without incident after summering a fall during Monday's opening stage.

Lars Boom of Holland retained his leader's yellow jersey while Jens Voigt, the veteran German, trails the Rabobank rider by just five seconds. Caisse d'Epargne's Sanchez is five seconds further back.

Britain's David Millar will start the 208-kilometre third stage from Saint-Junien to Aurillac on Wednesday in fourth spot.

Paris-Nice details

Stage two, Contres-Limoges 201km: 1. William Bonnet (Fra - Bbox Bouygues Telecom) 4 hours 22 minutes 40 secs, 2. Peter Sagan (Slo - Liquigas-Doimo) at same time, 3. Luis León Sánchez (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) s.t., 4. Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita - Lampre-Farnese Vini) s.t., 5. Juan José Haedo (Arg - Saxo Bank) s.t., 6. Samuel Dumoulin (Fra - Cofidis) s.t., 7. Tom Veelers (Hol - Skil-Shimano) s.t., 8. Eduard Vorganov (Rus - Katusha) s.t., 9. Borut Bozic (Slo - Vacansoleil) s.t., 10. Francesco Chicchi (Ita - Liquigas-Doimo) s.t.

Selected others: 13. David Millar (GB - Garmin-Transitions) s.t., 54. Geraint Thomas (GB - Team Sky) s.t., 120. Dan Lloyd (GB - Cervelo) s.t., 148. Steve Cummings (GB - Team Sky) s.t.

Overall lead: 1. Lars Boom (Hol - Rabobank) 8hrs 55mins 51secs, 2. Jens Voigt (Ger - Saxo Bank) 5secs, 3. Sanchez 10secs, 4. Millar 13secs, 5. Roman Kreuziger (Cze - Liquigas-Doimo) 15secs, 6. Greg Henderson (NZ - Team Sky) 20secs, 7. Sagan 23secs, 8. Levi Leipheimer (US - RadioShack) 25secs, 9. Alberto Contador (Spa - Astana) s.t., 10. Xavier Tondó (Spa - Cervélo) 29secs.

Selected others: 19. Thomas 39secs, 74. Lloyd 1min 15secs, 151. Cummings 9min 13secs.

Points classification: 1. Sanchez 40 points, 2. Sagan 38pts, 3. Voigt 37pts, 4. Boom 36pts, 5. Jeremy Galland (Fra - Saur-Sojasun) 29pts.

Selected others: 6. Millar 27pts, 35. Thomas 6pts.

Mountains classification: 1. Laurent Mangel (Fra - Saur-Sojasun) 11 pts, 2. Boom 4pts, 3. Cyril Gautier (Fra - Bbox Bouygues Telecom) 4pts, 4. Koen De Kort (Hol - Skil-Shimano) 4pts, 5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) 2pts.

Young rider: 1. Boom 8hrs 55mins 51secs, 2. Kreuziger 15secs, 3. Sagan 23secs, 4. Grega Bole (Slo - Lampre-Farnese Vini) 32secs, 5. Thomas 39secs.

Team Sky win again as Greg Henderson claims stage one of Paris-Nice

Team Sky continued their fine start to the season when Greg Henderson, their New Zealand sprinter, overcame bitterly cold gusting winds to win the first stage of Paris Nice with a late surge that saw him inch past Slovenia's Grega Bola and Jeremy Galland of France.

The blustery wind played havoc with the peloton all day as they raced from Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines to Contres and Henderson had to work very hard 20km out when the bunch splintered before he bridged the gap to regain contact with a twenty-strong break.

"It was like a slow motion sprint it was so hard into the wind and riders were so tired," said Henderson who claimed Sky's first big win of the season, at their first race at the Tour Down Under in January.

"It's a credit to the management who have put the team together. They have selected a group of great guys who don't just want to put on a show but to win bike race.

"It's great to win this time after such a nerve-wracking day," he added. "We spent our time accelerating, braking, then accelerating again. I was lucky to find myself out in front."

Lars Boom, who had won the prologue on Sunday, did the same and was rewarded by retaining the overall leader's yellow jersey, while Great Britain's David Millar also rode strongly in the lead group and will start on Tuesday in third place overall.

Alberto Contador, the two-time Tour de France winner, crashed three kilometres from the finish although he did not appear to be injured.

"My worry is not the time lost on the first stage, even though I would have liked it to have turned out differently, but the pain. It is not the 17 seconds lost that concerns me right now but mainly how I will feel tomorrow morning," the 27 year-old said.

The Spaniard falls back to eighth place in the overall classification, 23 seconds behind Boom.

Paris-Nice details

Stage one, Saint-Arnoult-en-Yvelines-Contres, 201.5-km: 1. Greg Henderson (NZ - Team Sky) 4 hours 22 minutes 17 seconds, 2. Grega Bole (Slo - Lampre) at same time, 3. Jeremie Galland (Fra - Saur-Sojasun) s.t., 4. Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus - Katusha) s.t., 5. Alejandro Valverde (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) s.t., 6. Nicolas Roche (Ire - AG2R-La Mondiale) s.t., 7. Jens Voigt (Ger - Saxo Bank) s.t., 8. Marco Marcato (Ita - Vacansoleil), 9. Tony Martin (Ger - HTC-Columbia) s.t., 10. Roman Kreuziger (Cze - Liquigas) s.t.

Selected others: 11. David Millar (GB - Garmin-Transitions) s.t., 58. Dan Lloyd (GB - Cervelo) 17secs, 75. Geraint Thomas (GB - Team Sky) s.t., 131. 131. Steve Cummings (GB - Team Sky) 7mins 12secs.

Overall lead: 1. Lars Boom (Hol - Rabobank) 4hrs 33mins 11secs, 2. Voigt 5secs, 3. Millar 13secs, 4. Luis León Sánchez (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) 14secs, 5. Kreuziger 15secs, 6. Henderson 20secs, 7. Levi Leipheimer (US - RadioShack) 25secs, 8. Alberto Contador (Spa - Astana) s.t., 9. Peter Sagan (Slo - Liquigas-Doimo) 29secs, 10. Xavier Tondó (Spa - Cervelo) s.t.

Selected others: 19. Thomas 39secs, 82. Lloyd 1min 15secs, 138. Cummings 7mins 55secs,

Points classification: 1. Boom 36 points, 2. Voigt 36pts, 3. Henderson 25pts, 4. Millar 24pts, 5. Kreuziger 23pts.

Selected others: 25. Thomas 6pts.

Mountains classification: 1. Boom 4pts, 2. Valverde 2pts, 3. Laurent Mangel (Fra - Saur-Sojasun) 1pt.

Bradley Wiggins third in Tour of Murcia with Team Sky

Team Sky's Bradley Wiggins finished third in the Tour of Murcia as Frantisek Rabon claimed victory.

Wiggins finished 53 seconds behind the Czech HTC-Columbia rider following today's fifth and final stage.

Russian Denis Menchov (Rabobank) took second overall, 38secs off the pace.

All three finished safely in the peloton in today's 121.1 kilometre stage from Redyser to Murcia which was won by Holland's Theo Bos (Cervelo TestTeam).

Australian Graeme Brown (Rabobank) crossed the line in second ahead of Austria's Daniel Schorn (Team Netapp) in third.

Another British Team Sky rider, Russell Downing, was sixth, while Ian Wilkinson (Endura Racing) was 10th.

Lance Armstrong (RadioShack) finished seventh in the general classification, 1:23 behind Rabon.

The seven-time Tour de France champion said he was not worried about the lukewarm result, but that improvement was needed.

"Worried would be too strong of a word," Armstrong said. "I'm aware of (my performance), but not too stressed."

Team RadioShack boss Johan Bruyneel said Armstrong could use an added race.

His next event is the Milan-San Remo on March 20, and the most likely addition after that would be the Sarthe-Pays de la Loire in France from Apr 6-9.

"In Lance's case he needs more competition," Bruyneel said. "His physical fitness overall is ok but he just needs to get the speed and acceleration.

"Looking at Tour of Murcia in the past, he's probably a bit ahead of what he was then."

Robert Hunter claims second stage win of Tour of Murcia

South Africa's Robert Hunter won his second consecutive stage of the Tour of Murcia in south eastern Spain on Thursday, with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong five seconds back in 35th place.

Hunter, who rides for the Garmin team, beat Australia's Graeme Brown and Spain's Vicente Reynes in a sprint finish to take the 169.8-kilometre second stage and retain the yellow jersey.

The three finished in the same order in Wednesday's first stage.

Armstrong, who is on only his second stage race of the year, finished with the main peleton.

That group also included Britain's Olympic gold medalist Bradley Wiggins, who was 31st, and last year's Tour of Murcia winner Dennis Menchov of Russia, who was 38th.

"Muchas gracias to the people for the support here. I must say though, I'm a little surprised by it," Armstrong, aiming to win an eighth Tour de France in July, said on his official Twitter site.

The 38-year-old American says he has been "suffering a little bit" at the start of the Tour, his first race in five weeks.

Robbie Hunter wins first stage of the Tour of Murcia

Sprinter Robbie Hunter from the Garmin–Transitions team has won the first stage of the Tour of Murcia.

The rider took line honours from Australia’s Graeme Brown and Spain’s Vicente Reyne in a bunch finish as Lance Armstrong and Bradley Wiggins sat comfortably in the pack ahead of a much sterner test on Thursday.

Stage two runs from Calasparra to Caravaca in south east Spain and includes two ascents of the category 1 Alto de San Juan, standing at a vertiginous 1227m.

The terrain becomes more difficult with a another demanding hilly day on Friday and a pancake flat 22km time-trial on Saturday before a relatively straightforward stage on Sunday.

Both Armstrong and Wiggins will fancy their chances of placing high in the GC as they start building towards the Tour de France in summer.

Tom Boonen wins stage five of Tour of Oman as he closes the gap on Daniele Bennati

Tom Boonen has claimed the fifth stage of the Tour of Oman after winning a bunch sprint to reduce Daniele Bennati's overall lead.

The Belgian sprint speciallist beat Juan José Haedo of Argentina and Michael Van Staeyen of Belgium in a bunch sprint finish in the Sultan Qaboos Stadium to win the 148 kilometre stage after almost 3 and-a-half hours in the saddle.

Boonen reduced Bennati's lead in the overall general classification after the Quick Step rider won his third stage of the season following his two stage wins in last week's Tour of Qatar.

Edvald Boasson Hagen of Team Sky finished fifth and, despite the controversy following Wednesday's fourth stage when the peloton broke with protocol and attacked his leader's jersey as the Norwegian took a toilet break, has not given up hope of winning the Tour to claim the British team's first stage race victory.

"I'll try to do my best and hopefully I'll have a good day," said Boasson Hagen. "It's a very hard course, particularly the first part, and we'll have to see how it goes.

"It's early in the season and I feel good, but maybe on the climbs I'm not that good.

"We'll go and check it out tomorrow morning, it's a pity none of us have time trial bikes, but it's the same for everybody and it would be nice to take a second win here in Oman."

The Tour of Oman continues on Friday with the sixth and final stage, the 18.6km time-trial.

Tour of Oman details

Stage five, Wattayat-Sultan Qaboos Stadium, 148km: 1. Tom Boonen (Bel - Quick Step) 3 hours 23 minutes 52 seconds, 2. Juan José Haedo (Arg - Saxo Bank) at same time, 3. Michael van Stayen (Bel - Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) s.t., 4. Baden Cooke (Aus - Saxo Bank) s.t., 5. Tyler Farrar (US - Garmin-Transitions) s.t., 6. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor - Team Sky) s.t., 7. Daniele Bennati (Ita - Liquigas-Doimo) s.t., 8. Roger Kluge (Ger - Milram) s.t., 9. Dominique Rollin (Can - Cervélo) s.t., 10. Klaas Lodewyck (Bel - Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator).

Selected others: 20. Roger Hammond (GB - Cervélo) s.t., 26. Dan Lloyd (GB - Cervélo) s.t., 36. Ian Stannard (GB - Team Sky) s.t., 37. Alex Dowsett (GB - Trek Livestrong) s.t., 113. Geraint Thomas (GB - Team Sky) 46secs.

Overall lead: 1. Bennati 15hrs 36mins 21secs, 2. Boonen 2secs, 3. Farrar 6secs, 4. Gatis Smukulis (Lat - AG2R-La Mondiale) s.t., 5. Leigh Howard (Aus - HTC-Columbia) s.t., 6. Haedo 10secs, 7. Nikolay Trusov (Rus - Katusha) 11secs, 8. Cyril Lemoine (Fra - Saur-Sojasun) 14secs, 9. Hammond 16secs, 10. Sébastien Hinault (Fra - AG2R-La Mondiale.

Selected others: 37. Dowsett 1min 6secs, 51. Lloyd 1min 21secs, 81. Stannard 2mins 37secs, 91. Thomas 4mins 13secs.

Edvald Boasson Hagen retains Tour of Oman lead as Sky claim third stage win of season

Edvald Boasson Hagen has retained the overall lead of the Tour of Oman after the Norwegian won the 124-kilometre third stage in Qurayyat.

Boasson Hagen, who joined Dave Brailsford's new ProTour cycling team from Mark Cavendish's HTC-Columbia team during the transfer window, claimed his second stage win of the season after outsprinting Danilo Napolitano and Tyler Farrar to the finishing line, while Tom Boonen trailed in fourth spot.

The Norwegian continued his blistering early season form as the 22 year-old added a second stage win of the season to his palmarès following his winning debut in the team time-trial at the Tour of Qatar.

Boasson Hagen said: "I'm really happy with the win. The guys have made good lead outs on every stage so far and to finish it off today is a great feeling."

Geraint Thomas, Boasson Hagen's Welsh team-mate, added that the team are hoping to defend the leader's jersey as the newly-formed team look to win their first stage race at only their fourth attempt.

"Edvald is in a good position now, with a decent lead over most of the peloton and he can time-trial really well so we just need to try our best to control it now over the next few days," said Thomas.

The Tour of Oman continues on Wednesday with the 187km fourth stage from Ibri to Nakhal and concludes on Friday.

Tour of Oman details

Stage three, Saifat Ash Shiekh-Qurayyat 124km: 1. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor - Team Sky) 3 hours 5 minutes 49 seconds, 2. Danilo Napolitano (Ita - Katusha) at same time, 3. Tyler Farrar (US - Garmin-Transitions) s.t., 4. Tom Boonen (Bel - Quick Step) s.t., 5. Stuart O'Grady (Aus - Saxo Bank) s.t., 6. Lloyd Mondory (Fra - AG2R-La Mondiale) s.t., 7. Peter Wrolich (Aut - Milram) s.t., 8. Romain Feillu (Fra - Vacansoleil) s.t., 9. Klaas Lodewyck (Bel - Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) s.t., 10. Bernhard Eisel (Aut - HTC-Columbia) s.t.

Selected others: 13. Roger Hammond (GB - Cervelo) s.t., 24. Dan Lloyd (GB - Cervelo) s.t., 66. Ian Stannard (GB - Team Sky) s.t., 99. Geraint Thomas (GB - Team Sky) 52secs, 100. Alex Dowsett (GB - Trek Livestrong) s.t.

Overall lead: 1. Boasson Hagen 8hrs 54secs, 2. Farrar 10secs, 3. Daniele Bennati (Ita - Liquigas-Doimo) s.t., 4. Napolitano 14secs, 5. Gatis Smukulis (Lat - AG2R-La Mondiale) 15secs, 6. Lieuwe Westra (Hol - Vacansoleil) 16secs, 7. Kristof Vandewalle (Bel - Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) s.t., 8. Ben Gastauer (Lux - AG2R-La Mondiale) 17secs, 9. Eisel 20secs, 10. Michael Van Stayen (Bel - Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) s.t.

Selected others: 22. Hammond 20secs, 37. Lloyd s.t., 94. Stannard 1min 5secs, 97. Dowsett 1min 10secs, 108. Thomas 2mins 16secs.

Points classification: 1. Boasson Hagen 82 points, 2. Farrar 75pts, 3. Napolitano 65pts, 4. Jimmy Casper (Fra - Saur-Sojasun) 41 pts, 5. Eisel 41pts.

Young rider: 1. Boasson Hagen 8hrs 54secs, 2. Smukulis 15secs, 3. Vandewalle 16secs, 4. Gastauer 17secs, 5. Van Stayen 20secs.

French judge issues arrest warrant against Floyd Landis

A French judge has issued an international arrest warrant against American Floyd Landis for suspected hacking into an anti-doping laboratory computer, according to French anti-doping agency head Pierre Bordry.

Bordy said the judge, Thomas Cassuto, believed Landis, who was stripped of the 2006 Tour de France title after he failed a dope test, wanted to prove the laboratory where his samples were tested was wrong.

"French judge Cassuto from the Tribunal de Grande Instance of Nanterre informed us that he had issued an international arrest warrant on Jan. 28 against Floyd Landis, who tested positive for banned testosterone during the 2006 Tour de France, after our laboratory computer system was hacked," Bordry said.

"He was summoned by the judge, he didn't come so he's now under an international arrest warrant."

The French anti-doping agency launched legal action against unnamed persons after their laboratory computer system was allegedly hacked into in September 2006.

Landis, the first rider to be stripped of a Tour victory, has continually denied any wrongdoing but the Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected his assertion that his positive test was due to procedural mistakes by the laboratory.

Landis, 34, said last year after his two-year ban ended that he was trying to decide whether to follow fellow American Lance Armstrong's example and ride again in the Tour de France.

Chicchi sprints to victory in Qatar

Italy's Francesco Chicchi won a sprint finish to claim his first success in the emirate on the fourth stage of the Tour of Qatar.

The 29-year-old outsprinted Theo Boson the Al Khor corniche, the Liquigas star tucking in behind Bos as the bunch made their way towards the finish line.

Bos dropped away in the final metres leaving team-mate Heinrich Haussler to take second, with Saxo Bank's Juan Jose Haedo in third.

Dutch rider Wouter Mol retains an overall lead of nine seconds over Geert Steurs and one minute 55 seconds over defending title holder Tom Boonen of Quick Step who had won yesterday's third stage.

Edvald Boasson Hagen was the first of the six Team Sky riders home in 17th position although Russell Downing had made his way to the front of the peloton with three kilometres to go.

Ian Stannard (29th) and Juan Antonio Flecha (62nd) joined Boasson Hagen in the leading bunch and were awarded the same time as Chicchi.

Luis León Sánchez wins dramatic fifth stage of Tour Down Under ahead of Cadel Evans

Luis León Sánchez has won stage five of Tour Down Under while André Greipel retained his overall lead in the opening race of the UCI ProTour season.

Sánchez, the former Spanish national time-trial champion, claimed his first victory in the Antipodes after the Caisse d'Epargne rider withheld a late charge from the peloton to triumph in Willunga, South Australia.

In the dramatic 148-kilometre Queen stage from Snapper to Point-Willunga Sánchez earned himself a valuable win on the penultimate day of the UCI ProTour's opening race.

Following an early seven-man breakaway on the outskirts of Snapper, Sánchez, alongside team-mate and compatriot Alejandro Valverdo, Cadel Evans, the first Australian winner of the Road Race World Championship, and Liquigas's Peter Sagan of Slovakia, the eventual stage winner worked hard in his four-man group of escapees to earn a maiden Tour Down Under victory.

Evans, the 32 year-old wearer of the coveted rainbow jersey - the shirt awarded to cycling's world champion - looked to be in control on the second ascent of Willunga Hill. However, BMC Racing's lead rider appeared to lose control of the stage as Sánchez, on the wheel of Valverdo, stepped up a gear in the closing kilometres of the race.

Indeed, Sánchez, following his win, said: "I had a great tour. I am very very happy with the job of Valverde who is a very good person to have on this team".

Sánchez's stage win comes just 24-hours after Caisse d'Epargne, the French bank, announced their withdrawl of sponsorship of the Spanish team.

Evans, who, possibly, saw his best chance of taking the overall lead in the general classification said: "Good for them [Caisse d'Epargne]," after the Australian failed to claim a podium finish.

However, the typically dogged Aussie added: "Better to play for some thing than lose everything.

"[It's a] difficult situation for me. Why do i always get in these situations?"

Greipel, the overall leader in the general classification, said: "[the ride] was awesome from the guys, we just puuled over the last climb.

"If you have team members like I have, we can reach the goal why I came here."

Tour Down Under details

Stage five, Snapper Point-Willunga 148km: 1. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP) 3 hours 29 minutes 39 seconds, 2. Luke Roberts (AUS) Milram at 2sec, 3. Alejandro Valverde (ESP) Caisse D'Epargne 4, 4. Cadel Evans (AUS) BMC s.t., 5. Peter Sagan (SVK) Liquigas Doimo 6, 6. Markus Fothen (GER) Milram s.t., 7. Sebastien Rosseler (BEL) s.t., 8. Cameron Meyer (AUS) Garmin-Transitions s.t., 9. Greg Henderson (NZL) Sky 9, 10. Fabio Sabatini (ITA) s.t.

Selected others: 12. Robbie McEwen (AUS) Katusha s.t., 17. Andre Greipel (GER) HTC-Columbia s.t., 33. Lance Armstrong (USA) RadioShack s.t., 91. Oscar Pereiro (ESP) Astana 6:23

Overall lead: 1. Greipel (GER) HTC-Columbia 16 hrs 53 mins 45 secs, 2. Sanchez (ESP) Caisse D'Epargne at 11secs, 3. Roberts (AUS) Milram 17secs, 4. McEwen (AUS) Katusha 20secs, 5. Evans (AUS) BMC 21secs, 6. Henderson (NZL) Sky 24secs, 7. Vorganov (RUS) Katusha 25secs, 8. Roelandts (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto 26secs, 9. Fothen (GER) Milram 27secs, 10. Grivko (UKR) Astana 29secs

Selected others: 19. Valverde (ESP) Caisse D'Epargne 32secs, 24. Armstrong (USA) RadioShack 47secs, 73. Pereiro (ESP) Astana 9:46

Full official results [pdf]

André Greipel claims stage two of Tour Down Under ahead of Team Sky's Greg Henderson

André Greipel of Germany has won stage two of the Tour Down Under as the HTC-Columbia sprinter extended his lead in race.

Greipel claimed a second successive stage in the opening race of the ProTour season after winning a sprint finish ahead of Greg Henderson, Team Sky's New Zealander, and Robbie McEwen, Katusha's Australian sprint specialist.

The German, who crashed out of last year's race, said: "I'm surprised how tired I am today. In the end it was like the finish two years ago. I waited a long time again [before starting the sprint] and we won again."

Following Henderson's victory in Sunday's Cancer Council Helpline Classic, Team Sky's debut professional race, Greipel is fully aware of the threat posed by the newly-formed British team.

"We want to run a good race, and that's what we're doing. That is why we are here, to perform good and it’s nice to win in a German town.

"I won't relax tomorrow, I'll work hard for the next stage."

Meanwhile, Lance Armstrong, who trails Greipel in the general classification by 20 seconds, has backed the HTC-Columbia rider.

"He's obviously showing great form, he's been here for weeks, probably doing some racing and some intense training. He's definitely the man to beat," Armstrong said.

"It's never over. You've got a finish like tomorrow, you've got Willunga [stage five], you've got some hard days. So no, it's not [over]".

Tour Down Under details

Stage two, Gawler-Hahndorf 133km: 1. André Greipel (Ger - HTC-Columbia) 3 hours 23 minutes 49 seconds, hrs 23mins 49secs, 2. Greg Henderson (NZ - Team Sky) at same time, 3. Robbie McEwen (Aus - Katusha) s.t., 4. Robbie Hunter (SA - Garmin) s.t., 5. Graeme Brown (Aus - Rabobank) s.t., 6. Allan Davis (Aus - Astana) s.t., 7. Danilo Wyss (Swi - BMC Racing), 8. Luke Roberts (Aus - Milram), 9. Baden Cooke (Aus - Saxo Bank), 10. José Joaquin Rojas (Spa - Caisse d'Epargne) s.t.

Selected others: 59. Russell Downing (GB - Team Sky) 20secs, 88. Ben Swift (GB - Team Sky) 28secs, 121. Chris Froome (GB - Team Sky) 2mins 5secs.

Overall lead: 1. Greipel 6hrs 38mins 59secs, 2. Henderson 14secs, 3. Gert Steegmans (Bel - RadioShack) s.t., 4. McEwen 16secs, 5. Jürgen Roelandts (Bel - Omega Pharma-Lotto) s.t., 6. Wyss 20secs, 7. Brown s.t., 8. Cooke s.t., 9. Hunter s.t., 10. Rojas s.t.

Selected others: 91. Froome 5mins 23secs, 100. Downing 8mins 51secs, 110. Swift 9mins 10secs.

Points classification: 1. Greipel 16pts, 2. Martin Kohler (Swi - BMC Racing) 12pts, 3. Mickael Delage (Fra - Omega Pharma-Lotto) 12pts, 4. Biel Kadri (Fra - Ag2r-La Mondiale) 8pts, 5. David Kemp (Aus - UniSA-Australia) 8pts, 6. Henderson 6pts, 7. Steegmans 6pts, 8. McEwen 4pts, 9. Roelandts 4pts, 10. Tim Roe (Aus - UniSA-Australia) 4pts.

Mountains classification: 1. Roe 16pts, 2. Kemp 16pts, 3. Kadri 12pts, 4. Delage 12pts, 5. Thomas Rohregger (Aut - Milram) 10pts.

Young rider: 1. Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 6hrs 39mins 15secs, 2. Wyss 4secs, 3. Rojas s.t., 4. Nikolas Maes (Bel - Quick Step), 5. Gorka Izagirre (Spa - Euskaltel-Euskadi).

Selected others: 27. Froome 5mins 7secs, 34. Swift 8mins 54secs.

Columbia HTC rider Mark Renshaw ruled out for two months with Epstein-Barr virus

A small cloud appeared on the horizon for Mark Cavendish when his team, Columbia HTC, confirmed that main lead-out man Mark Renshaw has been advised to rest for at least two months after falling ill with Epstein-Barr virus.

Cavendish attributed his success last year to the brilliant lead-outs he received from the Australian, who uses his own exceptional pace and ability to read a race to plot a way through the bunch and shepherd Cavendish to within 300 yards or so of the finish.

Renshaw was diagnosed two weeks ago and advised to take a break for several months. He had been scheduled to ride the Jayco Bay Cycling Classic in Geelong, the Australian Open Road Championships and the Tour Down Under.

"We don't see his 2010 season goals in any danger," said team manager Rolf Aldag. "He would have loved to race in Tour Down Under but we are confident that he will once again show great performances in the Grand Tours as a lead out for Mark Cavendish, and that he will be just as strong as he was this year.

"He may even be fresher for the second half of the season, when the World Championships take place in his home country."

Epstein-Barr virus, which is related to mononucleosis, is the same virus which knocked Renshaw's Columbia team-mate, Michael Rogers, out for most of the 2008 season.

Although Columbia are upbeat, the worry with Renshaw would be that like many post-viral conditions, it lingers much longer than the original prognosis.

Columbia will be hoping for the best because the departure of the experienced George Hincapie at the end of last season has already seen them forced to reorganise their lead-out train.

Renshaw, 27, turned pro with FDJeux.com in 2004. He rode for Credit Agricole from 2006 to 2008, before joining Columbia in 2009.

David Millar given green light for Commonwealth Games in Delhi

Cyclist David Millar has been told he will be allowed to compete for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games after appealing against his life ban.

Millar, 32, was banned from cycling for two years in 2004 after admitting to using EPO. He has since campaigned against doping in sport and has returned to top-level professional cycling.

Commonwealth Games Scotland had banned him from competing for life in the Commonwealth Games, but have now been persuaded to let him participate in Delhi next year.

CGS chief executive Jon Doig said: "The CGS board felt that since his return to cycling David has become an active campaigner and educator about doping in sport and has gone to great lengths to rehabilitate himself and share his experiences with others in an attempt to promote the anti-doping message.

"David has now been cleared to compete for Scotland in Delhi subject to achieving the necessary performance selection standards."

Millar said: "I am absolutely delighted with the decision.

"It would be an honour to race for Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and to give something back to the country that has given me so much.

"I am proud to be a Scot and feel that I have been supported incredibly through the bad times as well as the good by Scotland.

"I made mistakes as a younger athlete in a dirty sport, and I will have to live with those mistakes for the rest of my life, but I have changed and I know I bring something beneficial to not only cycling, but also sport as a whole.

"I have been so pro-active in my fight against doping because I believe I can make a difference and I also believe that the mistakes I made as an athlete were fully preventable.

"If the example I now give and education I provide can prevent a younger version of me from making the same mistakes I made, then I could not ask for more."

Millar should not struggle to meet the standards required for entry and he will look to compete in several events.

He is not eligible to ride at the Olympics as the British Olympic Association take a hard-line stance against drug offenders, but he has represented Britain in other major championships and has competed in the Tour de France since serving his ban.

Millar has offered guidance on drugs to UK Sport, British and world cycling bodies and the World Anti-Doping Agency, and CGS have confirmed he will deliver an anti-doping seminar to young Scottish athletes as a condition of his return to the Commonwealth Games team.

Victoria Pendleton can challenge for triple gold at London 2012 Olympics

The International Olympic Committee have ratified the International Cycling Union's proposed changes to the Olympic track cycling programme in full, with major repercussions for Great Britain.

In a bid for gender parity, the UCI and IOC have agreed to a programme to begin at London 2012 which features five men's and five women's events - boosting Victoria Pendleton's hopes of emulating Sir Chris Hoy's achievement of winning three gold medals at one Games.

The men's and women's individual pursuits - in which Bradley Wiggins and Rebecca Romero are Olympic champions - men's and women's points races and the men's Madison are to disappear in favour of sprints, keirins, team sprints, team pursuits and omniums for both sexes.

There were seven events for men and three for women at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

The prospect of additional events was ruled out earlier this year, so wholesale changes were required to equalise the events for the genders.

The changes were discussed at this week's IOC executive board meeting in Lausanne, with IOC president Jacques Rogge revealing the changes this afternoon.

An IOC statement read: "The changes to the track cycling programme see the number of women's events increase from three in Beijing in 2008 to five in London, with the total number of track cycling events now at five each for men and women.

"The changes reflect the IOC's desire to continually refresh the programme, as well as its commitment to increase women's participation.

"These changes in the track cycling programme bring the number of women cyclists at the Games to 84, up from 35 in Beijing.

"Women will now make up 45 per cent of the total number of track cyclists at the Games (compared to 19 per cent in Beijing)."

Britain are the world's foremost track nation, winning seven out of the 10 available titles at Beijing's Laoshan Velodrome last year.

Hoy won three of those titles, little more than two years after hearing of the demise of the one-kilometre time-trial - the event he won in Athens in 2004.

Now Pendleton - already Olympic sprint champion - has the opportunity to replicate the feat she achieved in China in front of a partisan crowd.

The changes, however, mean yet another challenge for Romero.

The 29-year-old transformed herself from rowing silver medallist in Athens in 2004 to Olympic champion at the velodrome in the women's three kilometres pursuit four years later.

As Britain adjusted their programme when the changes were proposed, Romero turned her attention to the road time-trial.

She remains determined to reach the podium in a third successive Games and a third separate discipline.

Romero said: "I'm disappointed that the chance for me to defend my Olympic title has been taken away, especially at this late stage in the Olympiad only two years before Olympic qualification.

"But with challenges come opportunities and I'll endeavour to work harder than before to reach the podium in London 2012 in a third different discipline (road cycling) - something I will relish, having previously excelled in the physical, technical and tactical journey of switching from rowing to track cycling."

Oscar Pereiro contemplating retirement after running into Astana contract dispute

The 2006 Tour de France winner Oscar Pereiro has said retirement could be his only option after claiming to have run into a contractual dispute with the Astana team.

"This most probably is my farewell," the 32-year-old Spaniard told a news conference on Friday.

"Four months ago I had thought this would be my last season, though the Astana option had fired my enthusiasm again. My representatives are trying to look for a way out, and speaking with teams, but at present it is very difficult because I have a contract signed to start from January 1.

"I can't sign for another team without rescinding my contract with Astana."

The former Caisse d'Epargne rider claimed that he agreed a deal with Astana last month, but they had then tried to re-negotiate the terms.

Astana were not immediately available for comment.

On Thursday Alberto Contador confirmed that he would be staying with Astana until the end of 2010.

Alex Rasmussen and Michael Morkov win dramatic Six Days of Ghent

Alex Rasmussen and Michael Morkov of Denmark won the 69th edition of the Six Days of Ghent ahead of local favourite Iljo Keisse and his German team-mate Roger Kluge by just three points.

The Danish world champions left it late in the final race of the six-day track event in the Kuipke Velodrome on Sunday before denying Keisse a fourth successive Ghent title in front of a partisan Belgian crowd who were willing their man to the line in the final Madison race of a thrilling meeting.

In front of a packed velodrome, the stage was set for Keisse, whose participation in his home town Six Days was only confirmed after he won a legal battle following his positive doping test at last year's event - which was later overturned.

In a race dominated by Rasmussen-Morkov, Keisse-Kluge and the veteran Bruno Risi alongside his Swiss compatriot Franco Marvulli, the gruelling track endurance event came down to the final lap of the 167-metre track in the most dramatic of finales.

Following the final switch, when Keisse-Kluge led in the overall classification by a single point, Keisse and Rasmussen found themselves neck-and-neck with less than a lap to go.

With 4,000 cheering Belgians willing Keisse to the finishing line Rasmussen, taking the inside line on the final bend, denied the passionate locals their moment as the Saxo Bank rider crossed the line by the narrowest of margins to claim the final points of the day and leapfrog Keisse-Kluge in the overall standings to claim the seventh Six Days of the current series by just three points.

The Six Days series continues in Zurich, Switzerland, from Dec 15-20.

Gianni da Ros receives 20-year cycling ban from Italian Olympic Committee for doping

Gianni da Ros has been banned for 20 years for doping in one of the heaviest sanctions ever imposed by the Italian National Olympic Committee.

Da Ros, 23, was arrested in March while training with Italy's national track cycling team in Padua and was immediately suspended by his Liquigas team.

Ten other people were also arrested as part of a long-running investigation into doping across Italian sport.

Amateur riders, gym staff, physios and drug suppliers were also caught up in the Milan state prosecutor's crackdown.

Besides doping, Da Ros was also accused of providing performance-enhancing drugs to two amateur cyclists.

Meanwhile, the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) also banned two other cyclists for doping – Davide Lucato received an eight-year sentence and Albino Corazzin was suspended for two years.

Former skier Alain Baxter forced to postpone cycling debut for a second time

Former skier Alain Baxter has been forced to postpone his cycling debut for a second time after failing to recover from illness for Saturday’s Revolution event at the Manchester Velodrome.

The 36-year-old Scot, who retired from skiing in April, has set himself a new challenge of becoming a top-level track cyclist.

He hopes to compete at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi and possibly even the London Olympics in 2012.

However, a bout of flu forced him to pull out of his planned debut appearance at last month’s National Championships, also in Manchester, and now he has ruled himself out of Saturday’s competition.

A spokesman for the Revolution event said: “Alain had a pretty serious dose of flu and he does not feel fit enough to do himself justice this weekend.

"He is now looking at competing at the second competition of the series on December 5.”

Sir Chris Hoy claims third gold at Track World Cup

Sir Chris Hoy's Team Sky+HD won a thrilling battle with Great Britain in the final of the men's team sprint at the Track World Cup at Manchester Velodrome.

Sir Chris Hoy's Team Sky+HD won a thrilling battle with Great Britain in the final of the men's team sprint at the Track World Cup at Manchester Velodrome.

Four-time Olympic champion Hoy anchored his team to gold in 43.423 seconds after strong performances from Jamie Staff and Ross Edgar.

The young British trio of Jason Kenny, Matt Crampton and David Daniell were 0.395secs behind as the host nation again demonstrated their strength in depth.

It was Hoy's third and Britain's eighth gold of the opening World Cup event of the season.

The 33-year-old from Edinburgh won the keirin on day one and sprint on day two, leading Crampton and Kenny in a British 1-2-3 in track cycling's Blue Riband event.

Chris Newton missed out on a second medal of the weekend, finishing seventh in the men's scratch race. The 36-year-old from Stockton had won gold in the points race on day one.

Track Cycling World Cup: Geraint Thomas breaks 4km pursuit world record

Welshman Geraint Thomas lit up the Track Cycling World Cup event in Manchester by breaking the world record for the 4km individual pursuit, an event which if the UCI have their way will be thrown out of the London 2012.

Thomas, in commanding late-season form on the track after missing large chunks of the road season following a nasty crash, tore around the Manchester Velodrome in the qualifying rounds of the World Cup meeting to record 4 mins 15.015 secs – beating Bradley Wiggins' previous best time from the qualifying round of the Athens Olympics.

Wiggins' time was universally accepted as the world record after Chris Boardman’s 4 min 11.114 secs from 1996 was expunged because his ‘superman’ riding position – with straight arms and body stretched – along the length of the bike has subsequently been banned.

Today’s ride from Thomas, 23, represents a huge breakthrough but such is his form at present that it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

Before the Beijing Olympics last year he produced a 4.17 in training, without his race skins, and last week at Manchester knocked off back-to-back 4.18s to win the British Nationals with some ease.

It will be a bitter sweet moment though with every indication that the UCI are intending to drop both the Men and Women's Individual Pursuit from the Olympics in a radical shake-up of the programme to ensure gender equality.

On this form Thomas would clearly give Wiggins a run for his money and the reigning world champion Taylor Phinney from the USA who has also emerged since Beijing.

Indeed the potential for taking the event forward and bringing the times down has never been greater.

Although everybody is agreed that gender equality must happen nobody in the sport can understand why the individual pursuits are being dropped at a time when the team pursuits are taking centre stage at all major championships.

If the athletes involved are present for the team pursuits, the individual events could be held at the same meetings with no extra cost to the Olympics.