Lance Armstrong Relieved Investigation Is Over, But Doping Suspicions Will Never End

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong recently got the best news of his life (okay, second best; getting cured of cancer had to be tops) when Federal prosecutors decided to drop their doping case against him.

Had prosecutors continued the case, it undoubtedly would have cost Armstrong a decent amount of his personal fortune (more than what he has already paid to his lawyers) and possibly greatly damaged his status among cancer survivors.

Armstrong With Jan Ullrich Trailing, As Usual

Pro Cycling Challenge Draws 250,000 In Downtown Denver To See Levi Leipheimer Win

In what appears to be a highly successful return of Professional International Cycling to American soil, Levi Leipheimer won the inaugural Pro Cycling Challenge in Colorado.

The seven-day, 518-mile race through the mountains and foothills of Colorado took the riders up and over previously un-raced peaks that reached over 12,000 feet (twice in one day).

Screen Cap from coloradoguy.com

It's estimated that over a million spectators showed up for the week-long race, with 250,000 on the final day.  Colorado is a bicycle-crazy state, but the crowds exceeded expectations.

USA Pro Cycling Challenge: World's Toughest Climbing Stages

Starting tomorrow, 130 professional cyclists from all over the world will start the inaugural USA Pro Cycling Challenge.  If you like to watch climbing stages, this race will showcase some of the best days of racing in the world as these elite cyclists struggle in elevations they've only rarely raced in before.

To compare, here are the highest elevations reached in the Grand Tours this year:

Tour de France - Col du Galibier - 8,729 feet
Giro d'Italia - Cima Coppi - 9,191 feet
Vuelta Espana - Sierra Nevada - 11,213 feet

Pro Cycling Challenge
Cottonwood Pass- 12, 126 feet
Independence Pass - 12,095 feet

By the way, the Cottonwood and Independence summits are done on the same day: Stage 2.

Cadel Evans Masters the Three Phases Of The Tour de France

When Lance Armstrong was winning all those Tour de France races in a row, he showed time and again how you needed to master the three phases of cycling in order to win. Now, 2011 Tour de France (about-to-be) winner, Cadel Evans is showing again why one needs to master all three phases to win Le Tour.

• Peloton
• Mountains
• Time Trials

Wayward Television Car Sideswipes Riders In Tour De France

A highly unusual accident occurred in today's Stage 9 of the Tour de France.  The lead television car was attempting to pass the lead group of riders on a very narrow road when it swerved into the group, causing several riders to hit the ground.

Watch this amazing coverage: