Denis Menchov finished nine

The Russian's Denis Menchov on Saturday's,climb to the finish at Alpe d'Huez in the Critérium du Dauphiné,he couldn't keep up with the leading favourites.The Rabobank rider finished nine and a half minutes down but his team management refused to worry about his performance and form as the Tour de France begins to near.

"It was a shame that Denis could not follow, but it does not change the good things we'll take from this race,” said directeur sportif Frans Maassen. “He'll go away with a lot more confidence than he started with."

The Russian had two goals going into the Critérium du Dauphiné: “A test in the long time trial and a test in a mountain stage,” Maassen said. Menchov finished fifth in the 49 km time trial, ahead of Contador, and was only 23 seconds down in the first mountain stage the following day.

Menchov tried to go with Contador's initial attacks on the Alpe d'Huez but had to let him go. “It was 10 kilometres from the finish, Denis saw he couldn't do it, so he just let it go,” said Maassen. He called the decision “sensible,” because Menchov was not in the race to get an overall result.

After the Critérium du Dauphiné, the Russian will have “a few weeks to recuperate and do altitude training," Maassen said. "That should be just enough to get into a good form for the start of the Tour. He doesn't doubt that. He will end this race relaxed. That is what we have gained from the Dauphine.”

Fight against a drug culture in Italian cycling

The fight against a drug culture in Italian cycling,is being lead by Girobio stage race in the but the race was in shock after Italian police carried out a targeted search on the Lucchini Unidelta team and reportedly discovered a large quantity of medicines and possible blood doping equipment.

Under the rules of the Girobio, riders are not allowed to poses even multivitamins and medicines and so the Lucchini Unidelta team was immediately expelled from the race before the start of stage two. Omar Lombardi from the team won the opening stage and was race leader but he was also sent home.

According to reports in Italian media, hormones, medicines to help recovery, syringes and butterfly valves were found in the rider's accommodation, in the room of team manager and former professional rider Bruno Leali, at Leali's home and in his team car and at the team's base near Brescia. The police action was part of an on-going investigation into doping in cycling by police in Padua.

"The Girobio is based on rules of clean racing, honesty and credibility. Leali and his team have violated these rules and so, knowing we've done the right thing in respect to the other riders in the race, we've expelled them from the race," event directeur Giancarlo Brocci announced.

Bruno Leali was a professional rider in the eighties and early nineties, winning the Italian national title in 1987 and wearing the pink jersey at the Giro d'Italia in 1993. Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport after the police search, he insisted the drugs found were not banned substances but just used to help recovery.

"They're just medicines, prescription medicines. I kept them in my bag, ready to use but only after the team doctor had given me a prescription," Leali claimed in his defence.

"I knew I wasn't supposed to have the medicines (at the Girobio). I made a small mistake but I did it so that I could act quickly if needed. Now we'll see what happens but I'll defend myself with a lawyer."

The Girobio continued on Sunday with the third stage from Salsomaggiore to Gedhi near Bologna. The racing has been overshadowed by yet another doping scandal but the organisers are convinced they are taking the right line in the fight against doping in under 23 cycling.

"Our project is leading the way. The exclusion of the Lucchini Unidelta team, whatever was found, will only make us stronger. We're going to carry on," Giancarlo Brocci insisted.

Testarossa Velodrome Challenge

The day was warm down at Hellyer,but the racing gods looked down kindly when visiting the temple yesterday and slowed the wind down to a soft tropical breeze as the racing started.There was plenty of drink and food flowing, and Hernado was in fine form as he found “The Voice” to keep the crowd entertained and buzzing.Here are a few highlights that stood out in my mind.

CarneyMontano Velo Keirin - Jimmy Watkins showed up with his Felt team entourage and just schooled the field in the Finale, finishing with such a lead that he was able to easily raise his arms in a victory salut. The real revelation of the race was Sam Milroy who just dismantled his heat with a win about about 10 meters and then hung in the Finale to finish third. Sam may have just moved up from being a local hot shot to West Coast phenom.

CarneyJame Carney - I dunno if he is smarter, fitter, or just luckier but Carney really showed the field that he is a master tonight. Carney won his Keirin heat, won the Miss and Out and then lapped the field in the Madison. You might have well called it “Track School By Jame Carney” out there.

SportVelo Women’ Points Race-This was easily the most exciting race to watch. Shelly Evans was a marked woman so team mate Ruth Winder cleverly took the first sprint before Hanan Alves-Hyde launched herself into what looked like a suicide attack. Hanan got a half a lap as the field waited for a reaction but nothing came - all eyes stayed on Evans who was content to play her own game of poker. Hanan dug for the next ten laps hanging on with a quarter to half a lap lead to win the sprint but she held a tenuous lead. Vanderkitten Reither bridged whcih was enough to give Hanan a break and lap the field before the last sprint. A great gamble and tactical race by Hanan who has been on the comeback trail for most of the year. Evans won the last sprint putting her in third place making a great pay day for the Peanut Butter riders.

Alberto Contador wins queen stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné

The 26 years old Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador,added a stage victory at L’Alpe d’Huez to his long list of triumphs as he won the queen stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

He was unable to take the overall race lead from a hugely impressive Janez Brajkovic (RadioShack), but it was the Spaniard's first appearance on the legendary climb in the French Alps and he was happy just to win the stage.

"The history of this climb definitely motivated me to win today," Contador said in the post-race press conference.

"My condition is far from excellent yet, but yesterday I watched videos on the internet of (Marco) Pantani, Lance (Armstrong) and others riding for the win up here; that’s why I wanted to win it as well. More than the win itself, I wanted it because it was L’Alpe d’Huez."

"My team worked for that from the start," said Contador. "This was in important test as I work on the condition I want to have at the Tour de France. I’m not at my best yet but I’m very happy with the outcome of today’s stage."

Contador attacked several times but never managed to drop Brajkovic. The wind and the braveness of the young Slovenian blunted Contador's attacks, and so he focused on winning the stage.

Contador indicated that he knows it will now be almost impossible for him to pull back the 1:41 deficit he has on Brajkovic in the race's general classification.

"I raced for two years on the same team as Brajkovic, I know his qualities," he said. "He’s very professional as a rider and his current state of form is very impressive. I wasn’t surprised by his performance against the clock. I’m also not surprised by the way he defended his yellow jersey today. He’s a very deserved winner of the Dauphiné."

There is one stage remaining at the Critérium du Dauphiné, with five ascents of the Côte de Domancy around Sallanches. Bernard Hinault dropped Giambattista Baronchelli to claimed his only world title there 30 years ago, and Contador believes Brajkovic will be able to keep the race lead. He is happy with second overall.

"For me, it’s mission accomplished at the Dauphiné," Contador insisted. "I came to this race mostly to get good form for the Tour de France. Last year I was third without winning a stage. This time my overall position is about the same, plus I've got two stage wins: the prologue and the most prestigious stage, so I’m very happy with that."

Contador confirmed he will only take part in one more race prior to the start of the Tour de France in Rotterdam on July 3: the Spanish national time trial championships. After that it will all be about a third victory in July.

AirForce Cycling Classic in Virginia

The AirForce Cycling Classic this weekend’s Clarendon Cup and Crystal City Classic,will be held in Arlington,Virginia.Clarendon Cup Defending Champions Alejandro Borrajo (Jamis-Sutter Home) and Erica Allar (Vera Bradley Foundation) will return to the start line for two days of fast criterium racing.

The Air Force Cycling Classic will provide two days of racing beginning with the National Racing Calendar (NRC) series Clarendon Cup criterium, formerly called the CSC Invitational. It is known as one of the fastest criteriums in the country, where the peloton is presented with a 100 lap race on a technical circuit.

“It is an important race because it is one of the best crits in the country and we are close to the lead the NRC as a team, so if we can get as many points as possible in the next two weeks that is good,” said Borrajo. “I feel good so I’m going to win tomorrow. For me the longer the crit the better.”

Fly V Australia currently leads the NRC series team competition and Borrajo’s teammate Luis Amaran tops the series’ individual ranking. On the women’s side Allar’s teammate Alison Powers leads the series and her team Vera Bradley Foundation sit as the best overall team.

The weekend of racing will continue the following day with the Crystal City Cup. The AirForce Cycling Classic’s organiser elected to step down from International Cycling Union (UCI)-sanctioning to bring the event back to its roots as a high-speed criterium for both the men and the women. Last year Shawn Mine (Team Type 1) won the men’s circuit race.

“The team wants to defend the AirForce Classic title and improve on our result in Clarendon Cup for the weekend,” said Team Type 1 rider Ken Hanson, who placed second at the Clarendon Cup to Borrajo last year. “We have a good team and we are going to fight to defend Shawn Milne's title for AirForce [Crystal City Cup]. It's difficult to comment on the UCI downgrade for the event. In any case we are excited the event is happening and we get to attend.”

Andrey Kashechkin expect to run the Tour de France

Andrey Kashechkin after the Kazakhstan rider,has approached the Italian team Lampre-Farnese Vini in an attempt to signing with them,hoping to ride next month’s Tour de France.

According to a report in the Basque newspaper Dario Vasco, Kaschechkin has a personal sponsor that could cover his contract cost. It is not know if Kaschechkin has approached other teams perhaps looking for extra funding.

Kaschechkin has not raced since testing positive for blood doping a few days after the 2007 Tour de France. During the race his Astana teammate Alexandre Vinokourov also tested positive for blood doping and the whole team pulled out of the Tour. Kaschechkin announced his retirement from cycling but was still banned for two years by the UCI. His ban ended on August 7, 2009.

The 30 year-old Kazakhstani rider had hoped to ride with Vinokourov at Astana in 2009 but only rode the world championships in Mendrisio with the Kazakhistan national team, finishing 25th in the men's time trial.

Kaschechkin hopes to ride the Tour de France after race organisers ASO made no moves to stop Vinokourov competing in this year’s race alongside Alberto Contador in the Astana team. However he was not on the long-list of riders submitted by each team for pre-race anti-doping tests and so a ride in the Tour de France seems unlikely.

Diario Vasco suggested that Kaschechkin would try to ride the Vuelta Espana if he is unable to ride the Tour de France. Kaschechkin finished second in the best young rider competition in the 2005 Tour de France and finished third in the 2006 Vuelta, behind Vinokourov and Alejandro Valverde and the 2007 Dauphine Libere.

Sabine Spitz and Julien Absalon at the sixth annual Gonso Albstadt Classic

The Olympic champions Sabine Spitz and Julien Absalon are among those expected to attend the third round of Bundesliga International along with other favorites like Florian Vogel and Lisi Osl.The German national mountain bike series,will take place this weekend in Albstadt at the sixth annual Gonso Albstadt Classic,wich 1000 riders are expected from 20 different nations.

Spitz recently returned to competition after eight months off to recover from an injury.

"I'm in a training period to prepare for my goals in the second half of the season, but for sure I'm trying to come to this race in good form. I like this race and the atmosphere," said Spitz.

Only the racing will prove whether Spitz is able to defend her win from 2009, when she finished ahead of teammate Lisi Osl. Other women expected to challenge the Central Pro ladies are Blaza Klemencic (Felt-Ötztal-X-Bionic), Annika Langvad (HMTBK) who was the winner of the second round at Heubach, and Rosara Joseph.

Orbea's Absalon heads the men's list of entrants, but other favorites on the list are German Champion Wolfram Kurschat (Topeak-Ergon), who wants to win the HC-categorized race, last year's winner Florian Vogel (Scott-Swisspower), Ralph Näf (Multivan-Merida) and Lukas and Mathias Flückiger (Trek World Racing).

"Even though I had a break after Offenburg (World Cup), I think I'm in a good shape, and I'm very motivated for the race. The long steep climb suits me," said Vogel.

Sunday's racing will include separate races for both the junior and under 23 men.