- GP Samyn LIVE now.  (Thanks Bernie, Mike and Marleen!)

- Today's GP Samyn is scheduled to go LIVE on RTBF Sport (may be geo-restricted) at 15:00 CET (9am U.S. Eastern).  We hope to have alternative feeds go live between 15:00 CET and 15:30 CET.  We will update here.

Official Website -

2010 Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia Official Poster

The 2010 Vuelta a Murcia starts Wednesday and runs to March 7.  Lance Armstrong (Team RadioShack), Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), and defending champion Denis Menchov (Rabobank) headline this event which features 16 teams, including national teams from Spain, Germany and Russia.  In addition to Menchov, past winners include Pedro Delgado (1981), Miguel Indurain (1986), Marco Pantani (1999), Victor Hugo Pena (2002), and Alejandro Valverde (2004, 2007, 2008).

We've had live streaming video for this race the past few years and are hoping there will once again be live feeds.  We will have to confirm this on Wednesday.  In any event, we will have daily links to available live tickers, videos and photos.  Eurosport notably will be on site shooting its "Planet Armstrong" feature, so we will list those videos as well.

Wednesday's Stage 1 Profile

Official Website
Start List
Race Preview
Stage 1 Wednesday starts at: 12:25 CET (6:25am U.S. Eastern)

  Juan Antonio Flecha (Team Sky) won Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.  Post-race he said he has trained this year the way he always trains and once again hopes for an even bigger win this spring, at the Ronde or Paris-Roubaix.  Flecha lives for the cobbles.
Copyright © Pete Geyer/www.cyclingfans.com

Note: For the latest in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne live video info and links, please go here.

Climbers attack in the mountains.  Juan Antonio Flecha attacks on the cobblestones.  It was just such an attack that helped to make Flecha the first-ever Spaniard to win Omloop Het Nieuwsblad today.  Flecha has come so close so many times in the Belgian classics that you can't help but be happy to see him break through.  Flecha is a personal favorite of mine.  He's such a classy rider and a media favorite and it was great to see his emotion after his win.  Speaking impeccable English, he thanked his Sky team, notably Matthew Hayman, and expressed how important the win was to him.  That's always great to see.  When it matters so much to the rider, it's that much more enjoyable for us to watch.  May we see an entire classics season of such victories!  -Pete

Videos:  You'll find video highlights of Flecha's win here and post-race interviews here. (Flecha and Haussler speak in English.)
Photos:  Omloop photos here (Reuters, AP) and here (Graham Watson).

Sunday's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne will see pretty much the same field as in the Omloop.  Tom Boonen (Quick Step) is defending champion.  Notable results by American riders include George Hincapie's victory in 2005 and Davis Phinney's third place in 1988.  Cyclingnews previews the 2010 edition here.

There will be Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne live video streaming, with RTBF and Sporza among broadcasters for this race.  We'll have live video feeds, tickers and more in the morning as well as video clips post race.

2010 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne Official Poster

Official Website
Start List (.pdf)
 Race starts at: 12:00 CET
(6:00am U.S. Eastern)
Live streaming on Sporza and RTBF: Around 14:20 CET
(8:20am U.S. Eastern)
- check back in the morning for other sources -

 Norway's Thor Hushovd may have his sights set higher this season
but he is back to defend his 2009 win at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Copyright © Pete Geyer/www.cyclingfans.com

Note:  For the latest in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad live coverage news and links, go here.

Excited yet?  The old "Het Volk" is here and that means the season's first classics are around the corner, as are the first big European stage races such as Paris-Nice which, can you believe it, starts just one week from Sunday.

Thor Hushovd (Cervelo Test Team) is back to defend his 2009 victory here and he'll have Heinrich Haussler and Roger Hammond among his teammates.  That's just the beginning of some of the guys lining up Saturday and who will be battling in stage races and classics alike, at least through Paris-Roubaix April 11.  How about the new Team Sky with Edvald Boasson Hagen and Juan Antonio Flecha?  Garmin-Transitions with Tyler Farrar and Johan Vansummeren.  BMC Racing Team with Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt, George Hincapie and Karsten Kroon.  Team Katusha with Robbie McEwen and Filippo Pozzato.  Omega Pharma-Lotto with Philippe Gilbert, Greg Van Avermaet and Leif Hoste.  Quick Step with Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel, and Stijn Devolder.  Team RadioShack with Sebastian Rosseler, Gert Steegmans and Tomas Vaitkus.  Saur-Sojasun with Jimmy Casper and Team Saxo Bank with Stuart O'Grady.  There are so many plots and sub-plots ahead this season, it's enough to make your head spin.  I'm tempted to say I don't see a dominant team but remember, Tom Boonen has won the past two editions of Paris-Roubaix and his teammate Stijn Devolder has won the past two editions of the Tour of Flanders!  And Devolder is still looking for respect.  And yet many of the riders above can strike on any given day, several are rising stars and their time can arrive at any moment, and there is much anticipation regarding BMC with its veteran lineup of classics strongmen.  Grand Tour riders focus on May, July and September.  For many of the riders above, the spring classics are where it's at, this is their season.  Thanks to the class and great drama offered by these athletes, it'll be a good season for cycling fans.  -Pete

There will be Omloop Het Nieuwsblad live video streaming, with RTBF among broadcasters for this race.  We'll have live video feeds, tickers and more in the morning as well as video clips post race.

Omloop Profile, cobbles and climbs. Click graphic to enlarge.

Official Website
Start List (.pdf)
Roadbook
 Race starts at: 11:45 CET
(5:45am U.S. Eastern)
Live streaming on RTBF: 14:20 CET
(8:20am U.S. Eastern)
- check back in the morning for other sources -

The 2010 Vuelta a Andalucia (Ruta del Sol) runs from February 21 to the 25th.  No live video is expected but there is live ticker coverage. Teams racing include Milram (Gerdemann, Wegmann, Fothen), Omega Pharma Lotto (Vanendert, Van den Broeck), Saxo Bank (Fuglsang, Schleck F., Voigt), Rabobank (Freire), Skil-Shimano (Cornu), Vacansoleil (Bozic, Feillu B.), Team Sky (Lovkvist, Gerrans, Wiggins), Lampre (Cunego), and HTC-Columbia (Cavendish, Martin, Rogers) among others.

Official Website
Start List
LIVE ticker (Stage 5)
(Babelfish-translated to English)

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Giro di Sardegna
photo Copyright © Fotoreporter Sirotti/cyclingfans.com

The 2010 Giro di Sardegna starts Tuesday, February 23, and runs to February 27.  There is no live video expected but there will be a live ticker and we hope to have videos after each stage.  Fotoreporter Sirotti will also be on the scene getting us the pics.  Most of the teams competing are Italian but RadioShack and Bbox Bouygues Telecom have also brought teams.  RadioShack will be led by Janez Brajkovic, with Chris Horner and Geoffroy Lequatre also among RS riders entered.  Lequatre has been getting considerable press in France for being a teammate of Lance Armstrong, who arrives in Europe tomorrow to begin preparing for his own 2010 season campaign.  Teams have arrived by ferry, see pics below.  More Tuesday.

Official Website
Start List
Live Ticker
Stage 1 starts at 11:30 CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern)
- more info and links Tuesday -

2010 Giro di Sardegna: Team RadioShack arrives by ferry.
- Click for high resolution -
photo Copyright © 2010 Fotoreporter Sirotti/cyclingfans.com

2010 Giro di Sardegna: Bbox-Bouygues Telecom rolls off the boat.
- Click for high resolution -
photo Copyright © Fotoreporter Sirotti/cyclingfans.com