TOURNAI, Belgium (Reuters) – Road cycling is nominally a team sport but sometimes a rider has to go it alone and no one is better at it than Mark Cavendish, whether on the bike or off it.

The Team Sky rider, who won the second stage of the Tour de France on Monday with a stunning display of weaving, pulls no punches and it is why the British world champion is so dangerous to his rivals and charismatic in front of the cameras.

TOURNAI, Belgium (Reuters) – Road cycling is nominally a team sport but sometimes a rider has to go it alone and no one is better at it than Mark Cavendish, whether on the bike or off it.

The Team Sky rider, who won the second stage of the Tour de France on Monday with a stunning display of weaving, pulls no punches and it is why the British world champion is so dangerous to his rivals and charismatic in front of the cameras.

TOURNAI, Belgium, July 2 (Reuters) – Road cycling is
nominally a team sport but sometimes a rider has to go it alone
and no one is better at it than Mark Cavendish, whether on the
bike or off it.

The Team Sky rider, who won the second stage of the Tour de
France on Monday with a stunning display of weaving, pulls no
punches and it is why the British world champion is so dangerous
to his rivals and charismatic in front of the cameras.

SERAING, Belgium (Reuters) – Favorite Bradley Wiggins and Team Sky got through a “sketchy” first stage of the Tour de France largely unscathed on Sunday and then hopped straight back on stationary bikes for their customary if unique warmdown.

Slovakian young gun Peter Sagan won the stage with Fabian Cancellara producing another stunning performance up the last steep climb to retain of the yellow jersey picked up in Saturday’s prologue.

LIEGE, Belgium (Reuters) – Bradley Wiggins, sweat dripping from his famous sideburns, went all out to prove he is the man to beat at this year’s Tour de France and was rewarded with a 10-second advantage over his nearest rival after Saturday’s prologue.

Wiggins has been almost unbeatable in time trials this year and although Switzerland’s resurgent Fabian Cancellara robbed the Briton of glory through the hot streets of Liege, Team Sky know second spot is a major marker for the three-week race.

LIEGE, Belgium (Reuters) – Bradley Wiggins, sweat dripping from his famous sideburns, went all out to prove he is the man to beat at this year’s Tour de France and was rewarded with a 10-second advantage over his nearest rival after Saturday’s prologue.

Wiggins has been almost unbeatable in time trials this year and although Switzerland’s resurgent Fabian Cancellara robbed the Briton of glory through the hot streets of Liege, Team Sky know second spot is a major marker for the three-week race.

LIEGE, Belgium (Reuters) – The French may not recognise Yorkshire’s puddings as haute cuisine but the ambitious northern English region are confident Tour de France organisers will find their location an appetising starter for the race in the coming years.

Yorkshire puddings, struggling ex-mining towns and men with flat caps are some of the negative stereotypes associated with the area but beautiful countryside, arguably England’s best stretch of coastline and impressive infrastructure could make Yorkshire attractive to Tour organisers ASO.

KRAKOW, Poland (Reuters) – The idea of Italy reaching Sunday’s Euro 2012 final in Kiev would have been laughed at in the piazzas and pizzerias of Rome and Milan a month ago but now Cesare Prandelli’s side are there against all the odds.

Thursday’s 2-1 semi-final win over Germany stunned not just Joachim Loew’s side but the Italian nation itself.

KRAKOW, Poland, June 29 (Reuters) – The idea of Italy
reaching Sunday’s Euro 2012 final in Kiev would have been
laughed at in the piazzas and pizzerias of Rome and Milan a
month ago but now Cesare Prandelli’s side are there against all
the odds.

Thursday’s 2-1 semi-final win over Germany stunned not just
Joachim Loew’s side but the Italian nation itself.

By Mark Meadows

(Reuters) – David Beckham has not been selected in Britain’s Olympic football squad in a huge blow for the former England captain’s hopes of crowning the twilight of his career in style.

The Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder had been widely expected to be named as one of the three over-age players in Stuart Pearce’s Under-23 squad for the London Games in July and August.