The first UK edition of the Gran Fondo Eddy Merckx will take place on 31 July with a limited field of 1000 riders taking on the two lumpy courses (170km, 105km) from Cricket St.Thomas in Somerset. There’s a huge list of rider extras and support including: neutral service, Zipvit feed stations, free massage and demo bikes. Registration starts on the Saturday in the event village with trade stands, a pasta party and a prize draw to win one of four signed Quick-Step jerseys.

Eddy Merckx will be in attendance all weekend and he will ride the event too, making this a very special opportunity to ride alongside a true legend. The VIP tickets up for grabs will ensure that you get to meet and chat with the greatest cyclist of all time.

The final places are filling up fast. Visit the website for more info, including the route maps and profiles.

To enter our competition to win two VIP entries to the event and a Quick-Step jersey signed by Eddy Merckx, click here.

The competition closes on 26 July, so be quick.

Procycling has just driven the final 25kms. The two categorised climbs shouldn’t cause any splits but there are two 90-degree turns within the final kilometre, making it very technical. If Cavendish’s HTC-Highroad team want to deliver him to the line, their lead-out on the superfast run-in (it’s practically all down hill for the final 3kms) needs to be absolutely perfect.

If Cavendish scores the maximum 45 points today, he could be in green after tomorrow on the relatively straightforward sprint stage to Lavaur. But if he fluffs it and Gilbert collects around 26-30 points – a distinct possibility – the Manxman will have a real fight on his hands to stay in the running for the jersey in Paris. After today there are two, perhaps three opportunities left where Cav could score big – Montpellier, the Champs Elysees and maybe into Gap on stage 16.  Gilbert and Rojas, let us not forget are far superior climbers to Cavendish and its likely they will be able to nip over early cols to pick up points at the intermediate sprints.

As we predicted before the race started, the green jersey is developing into a fascinating competition, pitting wildly different riders against each other.

It’s Ghent-Wevelgem this weekend. Here’s a flashback to 2002 when Mario Cipollini left the security of his sprint train and launch a dramatic attack.

American magazine Sport Illustrated has published an investigative story with new accustations that Lance Armstrong, its former Athlete of the Year, doped to win the Tour de France. The Texan will roll with it, but a sterner test still awaits.