"I think, quite frankly, that the UCI has quite a lot to answer for. They seem to just spend all their time regulating saddle angles and so on when they could be helping to further developing the sport."

Emma Pooley doesn't pull her punches, as usual - interviewed at the Haute Route.

She's also auctioning some goodies for Amnesty

I really hope new investors will see that giving talented women the same sporting chance as their male counterparts in this amazing sport is worthwhile, and if we were to achieve this will mean a true lasting legacy for women’s cycling in the UK"

Emma finally catches me. She sees I’m in trouble, even offers a gel, but I have plenty – just no more leg muscles. She offers to drag me to the village where it will be flat for a while, but there is still a lot more climbing so I tell her to go on, and that she can catch the others ahead. She was very strong.

"This court is not inclined to indulge Armstrong's desire for publicity, self-aggrandisement or vilification of defendants..." US District Judge Sam Sparks

This house believes Cadel Evans is sandbagging: Discuss

Bruyneel: "I have decided not to attend the Tour de France"

"We’re all just freaked out that she can hang with us. Each day we go harder and harder just to drop her."

Taylor Phinney on training with Evelyn Stevens

ROLL AZZURRI TIDE, AMICO. A guide to the Euro 2012 by our SBN cousin Spencer Hall.

Live by the river?

". . . but it's difficult to pick a favorite. They are still the same: Rodriguez, [Ivan] Basso, [Michele] Scarponi, [Domenico] Pozzovivo, Hesjedal!"

For the first time, albeit quietly, Hesjedal mentioned himself as a favorite for the Giro. "With a time trial to finish, yeah, I can take time on anyone on GC," he said.