This tour is a first and is open to veterans riders from both New Zealand and overseas. Over the four days of racing riders will complete a total of six stages. Most of the stages will be held in the same circuits as per stages in the UCI Trust House Cycle Classic but shorter. The tour will be based on four different grades/ages for men and women. Grade one: 35 to 39, Grade two, 40 to 44, Grade three, 45 to 49 and Grade four 50 plus. All stages will carry prize money, classification jerseys etc. See www.cyclingnz.com for details.

The Phonak Cycling Team confirmed Thursday that Tour de France winner Floyd Landis is the rider who submitted a positive "A" sample following the 17th stage of this year's Tour de France. Landis tested positive for high levels of testosterone during the race, his Phonak team said in a statement issued Thursday. The statement came a day after the UCI, cycling's world governing body, said an unidentified rider had failed a drug test during the Tour.

Floyd Landis has broken his silence about his high T/E ratio that could cost him the Tour de France, as well as hammering cycling's already battered image. Landis, who has requested a B sample analysis to confirm his A test, told Sports Illustrated, that he "can't be hopeful" that the B sample will be any different than the A. "I'm a realist," he added. When asked whether he had used a testosterone patch for recovery, Landis denied it straight out.

A new UK study has shown that cycling performance is boosted by prior moderate and heavy exercise, but not by sprint exercise. more>>

Comunidad Valenciana - the continental team which has taken more licks than most in the fallout of "Operación Puerto" - received some good news late last week from the Spanish courts. More >>

Ivan Basso - another one of the riders implicated in "Operación Puerto" - said he wants to return to competition as early as this week and hinted he might line up to defend his title at the Tour of Denmark, set to start Wednesday.