11:44 AM ET Associated Press FOUGERES, France — This time, they were happy tears. In October last year, Mark Cavendish posted an insignificant 74th place at the Belgian classic Gent-Wevelgem. Depressed and dejected, with his contract with the Bahrain McLaren team almost over, the sprinter from the Isle of Man suggested in an emotional post-race

8:36 AM ET Associated Press FOUGERES, France — Tour de France riders staged a protest at the start of Tuesday’s stage to complain about perceived dangerous racing conditions after a flurry of crashes reignited the issue of road safety. Having left the town of Redon in the western Brittany region to start Stage 4, the

4:04 AM ET Australian cyclist Jack Haig is in severe doubt to race at the Tokyo Olympics after being hospitalised following a horror crash at the Tour de France. Haig, who was set to make his Olympic debut in the road race at next month’s Tokyo Games, suffered a broken collarbone and concussion. The 27-year-old

12:30 PM ET Associated Press MUR-DE-BRETAGNE, France — What his grandfather failed to do in 14 editions of the Tour de France, Mathieu van der Poel achieved at his first attempt. The Tour debutant pointed a finger toward the sky in memory of his grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, as he crossed the finish line of the

1:10 PM ET Associated Press LANDERNEAU, France — Dutch rider Demi Vollering won a sprint finish Saturday to claim a maiden victory in La Course, the women’s one-day race organized as a Tour de France curtain-raiser. There were several unsuccessful attacks in the final 3 kilometers uphill before former champion Marianne Vos launched the sprint

11:39 AM ET Associated Press LANDERNEAU, France — World champion Julian Alaphilippe won the crash-marred opening stage of the Tour de France to snatch the race leader’s yellow jersey on Saturday. The Frenchman surged ahead of the main pack in the final steep climb leading to the finish in Landerneau, crossing the line with an

7:25 AM ET Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic are the clear favourites for this year’s Tour de France, but an aggressive and star-studded Ineos-Grenadiers team may hold the key to the race, which sets out from the port city of Brest on Saturday. Pogacar blew Roglic away in the final time trial to win the

6:10 AM ET Associated Press AIGLE, Switzerland — The manager of a women’s cycling team was suspended for three years by the sport’s governing body on Wednesday for alleged sexual harassment of several riders. Marc Bracke’s behavior “constituted sexual harassment” of female cyclists, the UCI’s disciplinary commission ruled in the case against the director of

2:17 PM ET Mark Cavendish was named in the Deceuninck-Quick Step team for the Tour de France on Monday, confirming his return to the race after three years away. The announcement comes days after team manager Patrick Lefevere said the British sprinter would remain at home for the Grand Tour, which starts on Saturday. Sam

11:31 AM ET Associated Press PARIS — A women’s version of the Tour de France will be held in 2022 with a start on Paris’ iconic Champs-Elysees boulevard after the conclusion of the men’s race, organizers announced Thursday. The “Tour de France Femmes” aims to become a permanent fixture on the women’s world tour cycling