World champion Cadel Evans signs 3-year deal with American cycling team BMC Racing

September 30th, 2009 Cadel Evans wins men's race at road worldsMENDRISIO, Switzerland — Cadel Evans has won the men's race at cycling's road world championships. The Australian broke clear on the final climb Sunday to finish in an unofficial time of 6 hours, 56 minutes, 26 seconds on the 162.9-mile course.

September 18th, 2009 British cycling team Sky to join Pro Tour racesAIGLE, Switzerland — British cycling squad Team Sky has been accepted to race in the International Cycling Union's Pro Tour calendar of events. But Lance Armstrong's new Radio Shack team must wait to see if it can join.

September 3rd, 2009 PARIS — Two-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has decided to pull out of the cycling world championships later this month in Switzerland. Contador, who won his second Tour title in July, is not in top shape and doesn't want to prevent another rider from competing at the worlds, spokesman Jacinto Vidarte said Thursday in an e-mail.

September 1st, 2009 US cyclist Hincapie signs with BMC Racing TeamSANTA ROSA, Calif. — American cyclist George Hincapie has signed a two-year contract with the BMC Racing Team.

August 24th, 2009 Vinokourov returns to Astana after doping banLONDON — All apparently is forgiven. Alexandre Vinokourov is returning to Astana two years after his positive test for blood doping forced the team to withdraw from cycling's premier event and caused it to be banned from the race in 2008.

August 4th, 2009 Vinokourov returns to cycling in FranceCASTILLON-LA-BATAILLE, France — Cyclist Alexandre Vinokourov has raced for the first time since his two-year doping ban ended last month, completing the Castillon-La-Bataille criterium race in France. The 35-year-old Kazakhstan rider competed in the 28-mile race Tuesday.

July 27th, 2009 PARIS - The 2009 Tour de France was not yet over and talk had already begun about next year's race. The reasons were many: a dominating champion, a talented young challenger and the return of the aging king.

July 21st, 2009 Armstrong finds new sponsor for AstanaBOURG-SAINT-MAURICE, France — Lance Armstrong says he's found a new American sponsor to back Astana next year. He won't say if he will stay with the team or start his own squad.

July 17th, 2009 Armstrong looks forward to climbing again at TourVITTEL, France — Lance Armstrong is ready to climb again, ready to leave the pack at the Tour de France after days of flat riding that belonged to sprinters. After three days of sitting back in the main pack while others challenged for stage wins, the worst thing to happen to Armstrong was a small puncture to his back tire on Thursday's 12th stage.

July 17th, 2009 VITTEL, France — After three stressful flat stages marred by crashes, the Tour de France is heading back into the mountains. Friday's treacherous ride features two difficult climbs as an appetizer for what's shaping up to be a crucial Alpine stage over the weekend — where the rivalry between Astana teammates Lance Armstrong and Alberto Contador will most likely re-ignite.

July 13th, 2009 Armstrong stays in 3rd place, eyes another TourTARBES, France — With the Pyrenees behind him but the toughest rides still to come, Lance Armstrong is already talking about another run next year in the Tour de France. The 37-year-old Texan, coming out of 3½ years of retirement, remained in third place after Sunday's ninth stage.

June 18th, 2009 Armstrong's Astana team solves financial woesBRUSSELS — Lance Armstrong's Astana team appears ready to participate in the Tour de France after reaching an agreement with its Kazakh backers to solve financial problems that have plagued the team this year. Astana riders have held repeated protests since April over debts owed by the Kazakh Cycling Federation, putting the team's participation in the Tour in doubt.

June 10th, 2009 Grabsch wins 4th stage of Dauphine LibereVALENCE, France — Bert Grabsch of Germany has won the fourth stage of the Dauphine Libere ahead of Cadel Evans of Australia, who reclaimed the overall lead in the Tour de France warmup. Grabsch finished the 26.3-mile time trial from Bourg-les-Valence to Valence on Wednesday in an unofficial time of 51 minutes, 26 seconds for his first victory of the season.

June 8th, 2009 Furlan of Italy wins Dauphine Libere's 2nd stageDIJON, France — Angelo Furlan won the second stage of the Dauphine Libere in a sprint finish on Monday and Cadel Evans finished with the pack to keep the overall lead of the Tour de France warmup. Furlan came from behind at the end to edge Markus Zberg of Switzerland and Tom Boonen of Belgium for his first victory of the season.

June 7th, 2009 Evans wins Dauphine Libere prologue stageNANCY, France — Cadel Evans of Australia won the opening prologue at the Dauphine Libere on Sunday, beating Tour de France rival Alberto Contador of Spain by eight seconds. Contador pushed Evans hard over the 7.5-mile route around Nancy, but Evans won in 15 minutes, 36.64 seconds.