Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Alberto Contador wants to see the team stay together

Contador hopes to see Team Sky continue

Broadcaster Sky's move to end their involvement in professional cycling after the 2019 season has given Team Sky enough time to line up a new sponsor, according to retired double Tour de France winner Alberto Contador.

Cycling • 13 Dec 18

Alberto Contador bows out of professional cycling this year

Contador honoured with number one jersey at Vuelta

Triple winner Alberto Contador will wear bib number one in his farewell Vuelta a Espana later this month as the Spaniard prepares to bring his career to and end.

Cycling • 08 Aug 17

Contador is one of only six riders to win all three Grand Tours

Vuelta will be my swansong, confirms Contador

Alberto Contador has announced he will retire from professional cycling following the Vuelta a Espana next month.

Cycling • 07 Aug 17

Richie Porte celebrates claiming the yellow jersey

Porte takes Dauphine lead as Martin finishes sixth

Richie Porte claimed the overall leader's yellow jersey on the Criterium du Dauphine after finishing second in a gruelling sixth stage won by Denmark's Jakob Fuglsang, with Ireland's Dan Martin in sixth place.

Cycling • 09 Jun 17

Alberto Contador withdrew from the Tour during Sunday's ninth stage

Contador out of Olympics after Tour crashes

Alberto Contador looks set to miss the road race at next month's Rio Olympics after saying that he needed four weeks to recover from injuries sustained on the Tour de France.

Paris 2024 • 12 Jul 16

Alberto Contador had been suffering with injuries

Alberto Contador pulls out of Tour de France

Alberto Contador has abandoned the Tour de France.

Cycling • 10 Jul 16

Fabio Aru held off the sprinters in Tournon-sur-Rhone

Sam Bennett claims another top-ten finish

Sam Bennett finished in sixth place on stage three of the Criterium du Dauphine as Alberto Contador made light of a late mechanical to retain the overall race lead.

Cycling • 08 Jun 16

Sam Bennett (right) is beaten in a sprint finish by Nacer Bouhanni (centre) and Jens Debusschere (left)

Bennett beaten to Dauphiné stage in sprint finish

Cofidis rider Nacer Bouhanni snatched victory from Irish cyclist Sam Bennett on stage one of the Critérium du Dauphiné as Dan Martin maintained his overall position of fourth.

Cycling • 06 Jun 16

Alberto Contador: 'This year will not be my last'

Contador plans to carry on for two more years

Alberto Contador is planning to continue cycling for two more years, the double Tour de France champion said on Saturday.

Cycling • 04 Jun 16

Contador on verge of Giro d'Italia victory

Alberto Contador is poised to win the Giro d'Italia after the Spaniard limited the damage on the 20th stage, a punishing 199-km trek from Saint-Vincent to Sestriere.

Cycling • 30 May 15

Alberto Contador gazes into the distance as he is congratulated on extending his lead in the GC

Contador tightens grip on maglia rosa

Alberto Contador extended his overall Giro d'Italia lead to over five minutes after a bold attack in the 18th stage, a 170km trek from Melide, Switzerland, to Verbania won by former world champion Philippe Gilbert on Thursday.

Cycling • 28 May 15

Mikel Landa crosses the line to take stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia

Mikel Landa claims stage 15 of Giro d'Italia

Alberto Contador strengthened his grip on the Maglia Rosa on Sunday, finishing third behind race winner Mikel Landa on stage 15 of the Giro d'Italia.

Cycling • 24 May 15

Alberto Contador took back the pink jersey from Fabio Aru

Alberto Contador back in the pink at Giro

Alberto Contador took a commanding lead in the Giro d'Italia on Saturday with a strong performance in the 14th stage, a 59.4-km individual time trial won by Vasil Kiryienka of Belarus.

Cycling • 23 May 15

Philippe Gilbert of the BMC team celebrates as he crosses the finish line

Contador stretches Giro lead as Gilbert wins stage

Alberto Contador enhanced his advantage on stage 12 of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday as Philippe Gilbert won in Vicenza.

Cycling • 21 May 15

Ilnur Zakarin (Katusha) celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 11th stage

Zakarin takes stage as Contador stays in front

Ilnur Zakarin staged a late solo charge to clinch stage 11 of the Giro d'Italia on a rain-lashed Imola Formula One circuit as Alberto Contador consolidated his lead at the top of the overall standings.

Cycling • 21 May 15

Nicola Boem took advantage of Richie Porte's woes to take stage 10

Nicola Boem takes Giro stage ten honours

Richie Porte was hit with a two-minute penalty for receiving a wheel from Simon Clarke as Nicola Boem won stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia.

Cycling • 20 May 15

Alberto Contador: 'It was a hard day for me but I'm happy because I got through it'

Contador defies pain to retain G'iro d'Italia lead

Alberto Contador rode through the pain of a dislocated shoulder to retain the race lead on Friday's longest stage of the Giro d'Italia, which was won by Diego Ulissi.

Cycling • 15 May 15

Alberto Contador shows the thumbs up in the start area ahead of today's stage in the Giro d'Italia

Injured Contador rides on in Giro

Race leader Alberto Contador began stage seven of the Giro d'Italia despite suffering a dislocated shoulder on Thursday's sixth stage.

Cycling • 15 May 15

Andre Greipel won an incident packed stage six of the Giro

Contador crashes while Greipel wins stage six

Race leader Alberto Contador was caught up in a crash in the frantic sprint finish of the sixth stage of the Giro d'Italia on Thursday as Germany's Andre Greipel claimed victory.

Cycling • 14 May 15

Alberto Contador is chasing a Giro and Tour double

Alberto Contador ready to take Giro-Tour gamble

Alberto Contador, gunning for his seventh major tour title at the Giro d'Italia, embarks on Saturday on a three-week journey that could either cement his reputation as one of the best grand tour riders or signal his downfall.

Cycling • 08 May 15

Alberto Contador: 'I am very happy to have closed the deal'

Alberto Contador to retire at Tinkoff-Saxo

Alberto Contador will end his career with Tinkoff-Saxo in 2016, the multiple grand tour winner has announced.

Cycling • 10 Mar 15

Alberto Contador following a fall at the 101st edition of the Tour de France last year

Alberto Contador ponders 2016 retirement

Spanish rider Alberto Contador has said that 2016 could be his last year in professional cycling.

Cycling • 16 Feb 15

Spaniard Contador won the prize for the fourth time

Velo d'Or award for Contador

Tour of Spain champion Alberto Contador has won the prestigious Velo d'Or award as the best rider of 2014.

Cycling • 29 Oct 14

Chris Froome may opt out of 2015 Tour de France and focus on the Giro and Vuelta instead

Froome may miss 2015 Tour de France

Former winner Chris Froome may opt out of the 2015 Tour de France and target a Giro d'Italia-Vuelta a Espana double instead.

Cycling • 22 Oct 14

Alberto Contador would represent Oleg Tinkov should the Real Three Grand Tours challenge go ahead

Tinkov challenges top four to Grand Tours battle

Oleg Tinkov, the Russian multimillionaire owner of the Tinkoff-Saxo team, has challenged the four best riders in the world to contest all three Grand Tours in 2015 for €1million.

Cycling • 08 Oct 14