As the Tour de France begins its third and final week starting with a stage finishing in the Swiss capital Berne, Chris Froome (Team Sky) leads by 1m47 over Trek-Segafredo rider Bauke Mollema. Adam Yates (Orica-BikeExchange) is in third place, 2m45 back.
Four hard stages in the Alps will follow Tuesday’s rest day.
As the Tour de Pologne reaches its seventh and final stage, Belgium’s Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) leads by 4m05 over Italy’s Davide Formolo (Cannondale Pro Cycling) and 4m50 over his team-mate Tiejs Benoot. Wellens took the overall lead on stage five with a solo break in rainy conditions. Poor weather forced the cancellation of stage six, leaving the race to be decided in Monday’s final 25 kilometre time trial in Krakow.
Tributes to the victims of the July 14th Nice terrorist attack took place both in the Tour de France and Tour de Pologne.
2011 Giro d’Italia winner Michele Scarponi, 36, has extended his contract with the Astana squad for another season. Grand Tour and Classics specialist Joaquim Rodriguez (Team Katusha), aged 37, has announced he will retire by the end of the season.
As of July 10th, Peter Sagan continues to lead in the UCI World Ranking. France remains in command overall.
The 2016 UCI WorldTour has now completed 17,226 kilometres.
UCI WorldTour: Tour de France continues until Sunday July 24th
Last year's results 1. Chris Froome 2. Nairo Quintana 3. Alejandro Valverde
UCI WorldTour: Tour de Pologne finishes Monday July 18th
Last year’s results
1. Jon Izaguirre 2. Bart de Clercq 3. Ben Hermans
The VOO-Tour de Wallonie is a stage race on the UCI Europe Tour calendar. Last year’s winner was Niki Terpstra (Etixx-Quick Step).
Rarely featuring a time trial or prologue, the VOO-Tour de Wallonie is usually decided by a series of uphill finishes in the Ardennes and suits the hilly Classics specialists.
Launched in 1974 with the name Tour du Hainault Occidental, it was originally an amateur stage race, with winners including UCI World Champions Maurizio Fondriest (Italy) and Abraham Olano (Spain).
It became a professional race in 1996 and has held the 2HC category since 2005.
Winners of the professional race include Greg Van Avermaet, former double UCI World Champion Paolo Bettini, as well as Frank Vandenbroucke, Axel Merckx and Niki Terpstra.
Joaquim Rodríguez, 37, is a Spanish professional with Team Katusha. A versatile climber and Classics racer, Rodríguez has won stages and finished on the podium of all three Grand Tours, twice been a podium finisher in the UCI Road World Championships and has won the Il Lombardia Classic on two occasions. 2016 is his last season as a pro rider.
Major results and wins
Stage races: 2015: Vuelta a España, second overall and one stage. Tour de France, two stages. Vuelta al País Vasco, overall and two stages.
2014: Volta a Cataluna, overall and one stage.
2013: Vuelta a España, one stage. Tirreno-Adriatico, one stage. Tour of Oman, one stage.
2012: Vuelta a España, three stages and third overall. Giro d’Italia, two stages and second overall. Vuelta al País Vasco, two stages. Tirreno-Adriatico, one stage.
2011: Vuelta a España, two stages. Vuelta a Burgos, overall and one stage. Critérium du Dauphiné, two stages. Vuelta al País Vasco, one stage.
2010: Tour de France, one stage. Vuelta al País Vasco, one stage. Volta a Catalunya, two stages.
2009: Vuelta a Burgos, one stage. Tirreno-Adriatico, one stage.
2008: Tirreno-Adriatico, one stage.
2006: Paris-Nice, one stage.
2005: Vuelta a España, King of the Mountains classification.
2003: Vuelta a España, one stage.
Paris-Nice, one stage.
One-day races: 2013: Il Lombardia UCI Road World Championships, silver.
2012: Il Lombardia La Fleche Wallonne
2010: GP Miguel Indurain 2009 : UCI Road World Championships, bronze
2007: Spanish National Championships (road-race)
On the 18th of July we are 17 days away from the 2016 Olympic Games.
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