velonews uk

Xavier Tondo has taken the sixth stage of Paris-Nice after a dramatic pursuit which saw him harried almost to the finish line.

The Cervelo rider attacked with 39kms to go and held on from there. He took the Col de Vence in first place, with yellow jersey holder Alberto Contador managing sixth.

The Col is a classic in Paris-Nice but the race had not tackled the 9-kms climb for eight years. In 1987, Stephen Roche lost the race when in punctured on it. However, he made up for it slightly by winning the Tour, the Giro and the world championship that year.

Has cycling/beer nirvana been discovered? If not, a Colorado brewery which promotes all things bike is as near as dammit.

The New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins takes its commitment to environmentalism very seriously, and even has a bike on its logo. One of its products is called Fat Tire and after a year's service, employees are awarded a cruiser bike. Once they complete five years, they're sent off on a Belgian vacation – on two wheels, presumably.