Daily News Roundup

Further details of the 2012 Montepaschi Strade Bianche have been made public, with the race once again featuring unpaved Tuscan roads that make it especially attractive to fans who wish they'd been around to see the heroic races of the late 19th and early 20th Century. Some of the top names in cycling are on the start list, including Cadel Evans, Roman Kreuziger, Filippo Pozzato, David Millar and Fabian Cancellara. The race takes place today, and a start list is available here. Danilo di Luca, origially due to take part, opted out at the last moment in order to concentrate on Tirreno-Adriatico.

Robbie McEwen
(image credit: jjron GNU1.2)

Tour de France organisers the ASO have revealed that the total distance covered by time trials at this year's event is slightly longer than had originally been listed. The Stage 9 Arc-et-Senans - Besançon individual TT, due to take place on the 9th of July, is in fact 41.5km and not 38km as was originally thought and the Stage 19 individual TT from Bonneval - Chartes, taking place on the 21st of July, is 53.5km rather than 52km. The increase seems small, but is more than enough for a climber's lead to crumble into a crushing defeat.

Robbie McEwen won the OCBC Cycle Singapore for new team GreenEDGE last night. The 39-year-old Australian, a veteran of twelve Tours de France, said, "I had a feeling it would be a breakaway tonight and I had to be part of it. I had to ride an aggressive race - the six of us out front cooperated really well to keep us away from the pack. It's my first win of the season and I was hoping to get a win this year so tonight was very special for me."

Hitec Products-Mistral Home's 31-year-old rider Sara Mustonen was hit by a car during a training ride yesterday, team manager Karl Lima said via his Twitter account. Swedish Sara, who won the Tour de Pologne Feminin in 2008, is understood to be unhurt.

Karl Lima @Karl_Lima_Hitec
Car hit Sara Mustonen on training today. Girl ok. Rumours say car total wreck and driver still running after Sara gave him 'the look' :-)

The GP Miguel Indurain is the latest of several races with financial difficulties to have been saved, reports Spanish website Biciciclismo. Organisers the Navarre Estella Cycling Club have apparently been successful in securing a new sponsor after receiving some assistance from the UCI.