Irish & International Sports News, Fixtures & Results

Alberto Contador reacts while crossing the finish line during the 21st stage of the Vuelta a Espana

Giro route may help Contador in double attempt

The 2015 Giro d'Italia route unveiled on Monday should perfectly suit Alberto Contador with the Spaniard attempting a rare Giro/Tour de France double.

Cycling • 07 Oct 14

A smiling Alberto Contador crosses the finish line of the final stage of the Vuelta a Espana

Classy Contador wins third Vuelta title

Alberto Contador wrapped up his third Tour of Spain triumph when he comfortably held on to the lead in the final stage in Santiago de Compostela, while Dan Martin finished seventh overall.

Cycling • 18 Sep 14

Alberto Contador is close to his third Vuelta victory

Contador closes in on Vuelta crown

Alberto Contador was poised to win the Tour of Spain for the third time after taking the penultimate 20th stage with a late surge.

Cycling • 13 Sep 14

Aru wins stage as Froome gains ground on Contador

Chris Froome maintained his slim hopes of claiming the Vuelta a Espana title despite missing out on victory on stage 18 atop Monte Castrove on Thursday.

Cycling • 11 Sep 14

Alberto Contador celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 16th stage

Contador wins volatile Vuelta stage

Alberto Contador won his duel against Chris Froome but before they sparred at the finish, two other riders were disqualified on stage 16 of the Vuelta a Espana for exchanging punches on the road.

Cycling • 08 Sep 14

Alberto Contador (c) retains the lead after finishing third

Contador in Vuelta lead as Quintana crashes out

Alberto Contador retains the Vuelta a Espana lead after Nairo Quintana crashed out in stage 11, which was won by Fabio Aru.

Cycling • 03 Sep 14

Alberto Contador broke his shin during a crash on the Tour de France

Contador will not ride Vuelta a Espana

Alberto Contador has given up hopes of competing in next month's Tour of Spain as the Spaniard's recovery from a crash on the Tour de France is taking longer than expected.

Cycling • 23 Jul 14

Nicolas Roche was pivotal in attempting to keep his team captain in the Tour de France

Roche reveals details of Contador crash

Nicolas Roche has revealed that he gave his bike to Saxo-Tinkoff team leader Alberto Contador in a bid to help his team captain stay in the Tour de France.

Cycling • 15 Jul 14

Vincenzo Nibali cycles the finishing straight of stage ten

Nibali claims Le Tour stage win and yellow jersey

There were Bastille Day fireworks on stage ten of the Tour de France on Monday as Alberto Contador abandoned following a crash and Vincenzo Nibali reclaimed the yellow jersey with a tremendous victory at La Planche des Belles Filles.

Cycling • 14 Jul 14

Alberto Contador gave up on the Tour after failing to make up lost ground following fall

Contador suffers broken tibia in Tour-ending crash

Alberto Contador suffered a broken leg as he crashed out of the Tour de France on Monday.

Cycling • 14 Jul 14

Christophe Riblon overtook Tejay van Garderen in the final kilometres to win the stage

Riblon wins stage 18 as leader Froome penalised

Chris Froome was penalised 20 seconds for taking an illegal feed inside the final five kilometres on today's stage 18 of the Tour de France, which was won by Frenchman Christophe Riblon.

Cycling • 18 Jul 13

Chris Froome has won a third stage in the 100th Tour de France

Froome wins Tour stage 17 to Chorges

Chris Froome has taken his third stage win of the 100th Tour de France to strengthen his hold on the yellow jersey.

Cycling • 17 Jul 13

Pat McQuaid: 'We must all work together to recover from the damage which the Armstrong affair has undoubtedly done'

UCI orders governance audit over Armstrong scandal

The UCI has instructed auditors KPMG to carry out a review of its governance in the wake of the Lance Armstrong scandal.

Cycling • 13 Dec 12

Profile: Alberto Contador

Spain's Alberto Contador reinforced his status as the world's leading stage-race specialist when he captured the Vuelta a Espana on Sunday, his fifth Grand Tour title.

Cycling • 09 Sep 12

Alberto Contador has won La Vuelta a Espana

Contador wins La Vuelta a Espana

Alberto Contador beat fellow Spaniards Alejandro Valverde and Joaquim Rodriguez to win his second Vuelta a Espana title on Sunday.

Cycling • 09 Sep 12

Alberto Contador heads into the final stage of La Vuelta a Espana wearing the red jersey

Menchov wins stage, Contador closes in on title

Alberto Contador avoided any costly setbacks on the penultimate stage to all but assure himself of the Vuelta a Espana title, with the day's victory going to Denis Menchov.

Cycling • 08 Sep 12

Gilbert leads home the riders for the second time on this year's Tour

Gilbert takes second stage win in Vuelta

Belgium's Philippe Gilbert took his second stage win of the Vuelta a Espana on Friday, while Spain's Alberto Contador retained the overall lead.

Cycling • 07 Sep 12

Bennati takes the plaudits as he crosses the winning line in Villadolid

Contador retains his lead in Vuelta

Italy's Daniele Bennati of the RadioShack-Nissan squad ended a run of four straight bunch sprint wins by Germany's John Degenkolb in the Vuelta a Espana with a narrow victory over Britain's Ben Swift.

Cycling • 06 Sep 12

Joaquin Rodriguez leads Alberto Contador by 28 seconds overall with five days of riding to go in La Vuelta a Espana

Rodriguez edges closer to Vuelta title

Joaquin Rodriguez took an important step towards his first Vuelta a Espana title after claiming more ground over closest challenger Alberto Contador in today's demanding 16th stage.

Cycling • 03 Sep 12

John Degenkolb secured victory in stage seven of La Vuelta

Degenkolb takes his third win of 2012 Vuelta

Germany's John Degenkolb took his third win of the 2012 Vuelta a Espana with victory on the seventh stage on Friday.

Cycling • 24 Aug 12

Contador will ride again for Saxo Bank

Alberto Contador will rejoin Team Saxo Bank once he has served his doping ban, the Danish team have announced.

Cycling • 08 Jun 12

Saxo Bank set to retain its licence

Alberto Contador's Saxo Bank team will retain its licence after a request by the International Cycling Union to the licensing committee for it to be rescinded was turned down on Monday.

Cycling • 03 Apr 12

Alberto Contador