Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) wins stage 2 Vuelta a Espana

Alejandro Valverde (Team Movistar) out sprints Michal Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) to win tumultous stage 2 victory atop Caminito del Rey, Vuelta a Es
A stage officially designated as flat, the Vuelta a España instead served up enough difficulty to upend the overall classification to take the stage. Earlier attacker Laurens De Plus (Quick-Step Floors) was third.

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How it unfolded 

The opening road stage of the Vuelta was officially described as ‘flat’ by the race organisation, but the presence of four categorised climbs, constantly rolling roads and an uphill kick to the line suggested the designation was a rather deceptive one.

The climbing began as soon as the race left Marbella, with the peloton facing into the category 2 Puerto de Ojen in the opening kilometres. Alexis Gougeard (AG2R La Mondiale), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Pierre Rolland (EF-Drapac), Pablo Torres (Burgos-BH), Jonathan Lastras (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Luis Angel Mate (Cofidis) and Hector Saez (Euskadi-Murias) pressed clear on the lower slopes of the ascent, and they were granted some early freedom by the peloton, which was being controlled by the BMC team of red jersey Rohan Dennis.

Big time losers today

Simon Yates, Fabio Aru, Rafal Majka, Steven Kruijswijk and Michael Woods were among the riders to come in 8 seconds down on Valverde. Ilnur Zakarin lost 1:01 and Dan Martin conceded 1:15. Adam Yates, Richie Porte and red jersey Rohan Dennis all look set to lose more than 6 minutes.

Top Ten General Classification Standings:

1, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky 4:22:40,
2, Alejandro Valverde (Spain) Movistar Team 0:00:14,
3, Wilco Kelderman (Netherland) Team Sunweb 0:00:25,
4, Laurens De Plus (Belgium) Quick-Step Floors 0:00:28,
5, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida 0:00:30,
6, Fabio Felline (Italy) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:30,
7, Emanuel Buchmann (Germany) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:00:32,
8, Tony Gallopin (France) AG2R La Mondiale 0:00:33,
9, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 0:00:33,
10, Bauke Mollema (Netherland) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:35

Rohan Dennis (BMC Racing) wins stage 1 in Malaga, Vuelta a Espana.

Rohan Dennis (BMC) smashes opening Vuelta a Espana Individual Time Trial as  expected to win the opening stage in Málaga, Spain. 

His stage win also nets him the red leader’s jersey of the race. The Australian beat Michal Kwiatowski (Team Sky) into second place by six seconds, as Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Soudal) completed the podium with seven seconds down.

How it unfolded

The opening time trial of the 2018 Vuelta a España was the race's first opening TT since 2009, and marked the third time the Spanish Grand Tour had ever started in Málaga. Previous starts saw Alex Zülle take the then-golden leader's jersey back in 2000, while CSC triumphed in the 2006 Vuelta opening TTT.

It would be the only chance for the rouleurs to impress for over two weeks, with no other tests against the clock coming until stage 16's TT in Cantabria. The time trial (don't call it a prologue – that label only applies to courses under 8km in length) featured largely flat, wide roads on a not particularly technical course, and took in the beachfront with a small drag midway through.

Top Ten General Classification

1, Rohan Dennis (Australia) BMC Racing Team 0:09:39,
 2, Michal Kwiatkowski (Poland) Team Sky0:00:06,
3, Victor Campenaerts (Belgium) Lotto Soudal 0:00:07, 4, Nelson Oliveira (Portugal) Movistar Team 0:00:17,
5, Dylan van Baarle (Netherland) Team Sky 0:00:20,
 6, Alessandro De Marchi (Italy) BMC Racing Team 0:00:21,
 7, Jonathan Castroviejo (Spain) Team Sky,
8, Simon Geschke (Germany) Team Sunweb, 
9, Ion Izagirre (Spain) Bahrain-Merida0:00:22,
10, Wilco Kelderman (Netherland) Team Sunweb

Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo)wins stage 19 Tour d France.

Primoz Roglic (LottoNL-Jumbo) shot  series of relentless attacks to take an emphatic stage victory in Laruns, Tour d France.It was a breathless final mountain stage of the 2018 tour d France in the Pyrenees.

How it unfolded

There were 146 nervous riders at the start of the last big mountain stage of the 2018 Tour de France in Lourdes: with the daunting Col d'Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and the final ascent of the Col d'Aubisque standing between their tired legs and the final push to Paris. It would be a fight for the sprinters to keep contact at the back and a battle at the front for the baroudeurs - and one last shot for any GC riders to threaten Team Sky's grip on the race.

First, there was the matter of the category 4 ascents of the Cote de Loucrup and Cote de Capvern-les-Bains in the first 40km, a perfect launching pad for the breakaway artists. Thomas De Gendt's luck continued to elude him, and the Lotto Soudal rider's initial attack was nullified and countered by Damien Gaudin (Direct Energie), Lukas Postlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Silvan Dillier (AG2R La Mondiale).

Top Ten General Classification Standing after Roglic gained time.

       
1, Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) Team Sky 79:49:31,
2, Tom Dumoulin (Netherland) Team Sunweb 00:02:05,
3, Primoz Roglic (Slovakia) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:02:24,
4, Chris Froome (Great Britain) Team Sky 00:02:37,
5,Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:04:37,
6, Mikel Landa (Spain) Movistar Team 00:04:40,
7, Romain Bardet (France) AG2R La Mondiale 00:05:15,
8, Daniel Martin (Ireland) UAE Team Emirates 00:06:39,
9, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 00:10:26,
10, Ilnur Zakarin (Russia) Katusha-Alpecin 00:11:49

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) wins stage 17 tour d France.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar) solo's to stage 17 victory atop Col du Portet Tour de France. He attack on the final climb and ride to finish alone in the summit of Col du Portet to take his first win in five years.

How it unfolded 

The 65km 17th stage from Bagnères-de-Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan always promised fireworks, and it delivered from the starting gun on Wednesday. After lining up in the Tour's first-ever Formula 1-type grid start by GC ranking, the riders started climbing immediately on the category 1 Col de Peyresourde/Montée de Peyragudes, reaching the 1,645m summit just 15km into the day.

A quick descent into Loudenvielle led to the category 1 Col de Val Louron-Azet at 37km. from there, another long descent took the riders to the final gruelling climb, the hors category Col du Portet, the highest peak of the Tour at 2,215m on a road that was only paved just a few weeks before the Tour.

Top Ten General Classification Standings.

1, Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) Team Sky 70:34:11,
2, Tom Dumoulin (Netherland) Team Sunweb 0:01:59,
3, Chris Froome (Great Britain) Team Sky 0:02:31,
4, Primoz Roglic (Slovakia) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:02:47,
5, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 0:03:30,
6, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo 0:04:19,
7, Mikel Landa (Spain) Movistar Team 0:04:34,
8, Romain Bardet (France) AG2R La Mondiale 0:05:13,
9, Daniel Martin (Ireland) UAE Team Emirates 0:06:33,
10, Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark) Astana Pro Team 0:09:31

Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana Team) wins stage 15 tour d France.

Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana Team) naps second consecutive stage victory win for team Astana in Carcassonne,Tour d France. He  win the sprint from the three-man group with Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida) took second, with Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) third.

How stage 15 Unfolded

Stage 15 of the Tour, the final transition stage before the rest day and then the Pyrenees, ran 181.5km from Millau to Carcassonne ‒ possible ambush territory given the third, second and first category climbs en route.

First up, among the trio of sharp climbs that started the day, was the Côte de Luzençon (3.1km at 5.9 per cent) just 9km into the day. The category two Col de Sié (10.2km at 4.9 per cent) came after 64.5km, before a long and lumpy 'descent' into the valley before the main climb of the day - the 12.3km, 6.3 per cent Pic de Nore, which came after 140km. A largely downhill 41.5km to the finish followed, raising the possibility of a GC ambush on the climb.

Top Ten General Classification Standings

1, Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) Team Sky 62:49:47,
2, Chris Froome (Great Britain) Team Sky 00:01:39,
3, Tom Dumoulin (Netherland) Team Sunweb 00:01:50,
4, Primoz Roglic (Slovakia) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:02:38,
5, Romain Bardet (France) AG2R La Mondiale 00:03:21,
6, Mikel Landa (Spain) Movistar Team 00:03:42,
7, Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:03:57,
8, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 00:04:23,
9, Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark) Astana Pro Team 00:06:14,
10, Daniel Martin (Ireland) UAE Team Emirates 00:06:54

Omar Fraile (Astana Team) wins stage 14 in Mendez, Tour d France.

Omar Fraile (Astana Team) solo's to stage 14 victory on Mende airstrip, Tour d France. He survive from a large  breakaway group to win. The Spaniard beat polka dot jersey wearer Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors) and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) by six seconds in order to take his third victory of the season, the biggest of his career.

How Stage 14 Unfolded

Another transitional stage between the Alps and Pyrenees, this one came with a sting in the tail in the form of the uphill finish at the airstrip in Mende. After a largely flat start, the hills reared up midway through as the peloton headed towards the Massif Central.

First up, there was the Côte du Grand Châtaignier (1km at 7.4 per cent) at 81km, 9km before the intermediate sprint at Bessèges. The real climbing started with the second category Col de la Croix de Berthel (9.1km at 5.3 per cent), coming 129km into the 188km stage. A third category climb - the Col du Pont sans Eau (3.3km at 6.3 per cent) followed at 142km before an uncategorised lump and the valley before the finale.

Top General Standing

1, Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) Team Sky 58:10:44,
2, Chris Froome (Great Britain) Team Sky 00:01:39,
3, Tom Dumoulin (Netherland) Team Sunweb 00:01:50,
4, Primoz Roglic (Slovakia) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:02:38,
5, Romain Bardet (France) AG2R La Mondiale 00:03:21,
6, Mikel Landa (Spain) Movistar Team 00:03:42,
7, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:03:57,
8, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 00:04:23,
9, Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark) Astana Pro Team 00:06:14,
10, Daniel Martin (Ireland) UAE Team Emirates 00:06:54

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins stage 13 tour d France.

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) wins his third stage in Valence, Tour d France. The world champion, who is leading the points classification, waited patiently to start his sprint, coming around Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates) in second, while Arnaud Demare (Groupama-FDJ), who started the sprint early faded third place.

With his third stage win he increases his points for the green jersey competition.

Top Ten General Classification Standings

Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) Team Sky 53:10:38,
2, Chris Froome (Great Britain) Team Sky 00:01:39,
3, Tom Dumoulin (Netherland) Team Sunweb 00:01:50,
4, Primoz Roglic (Slo) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:02:46,
5, Romain Bardet (France) AG2R La Mondiale 00:03:07,
6, Mikel Landa (Spain) Movistar Team 00:03:13,
7, Steven Kruijswijk (Netherland) LottoNL-Jumbo 00:03:43,
8, Nairo Quintana (Colombia) Movistar Team 00:04:13,
9, Daniel Martin (Ireland) UAE Team Emirates 00:05:11,
10, Jakob Fuglsang (Denmark) Astana Pro Team 00:05:45.