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Reigning Tour de France champion Alberto Contador has become the first non-Italian to win the Giro d’Italia since 1996.

The Spaniard beat Italy’s Riccardo Ricco by one minute 57 seconds, despite failing to win a stage of the three-week long race.

Marzio Bruseghin finished third, 2:54 behind Contador.

The final stage, a 28.5km time trial from Cesano Maderno to Milan, was won by Marco Pinotti in 32 minutes 45secs.

“This was a tough Giro and there were many riders who could have won, making it worth as much as the Tour or even more,” said Contador, who joins Miguel Indurain as the only two Spanish winners of the Giro.

He added: “I never dreamed that I could be the successor to Miguel Indurain in the Giro d’Italia but it’s nice. I didn’t see when he won the Giro because I was playing marbles and football like every young person.”

Contador’s win was all the more impressive as his Astana team were only invited to take part in the Giro at a week’s notice.

Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish finished fourth in the points competition after winning two stages and coming second in two more.

Tour de Cure is a series of fund-raising cycling events held in 40 states nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association.

The Tour is a ride, not a race, with routes designed for everyone from the occasional rider to the experienced cyclist. Whether participants ride 10 miles or 100 miles*, they will travel a route supported from start to finish with rest stops, food to fuel the journey and fans to cheer them on!

Last year, more than 32,000 cyclists in 78 Tour events raised nearly $13 million to support the mission of the ADA: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes.

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Venus de Miles Opens Registration

Venus de Miles, Colorado’s 1st Women’s-Only bike ride, announces registration and the launch of their web site www.venusdemiles.com. Venus de Miles is a celebration of women and community designed to empower women through cycling, the world’s most popular sports, and give back to community youth through Greenhouse Scholars.

COURSE
Venus de Miles will take place on Sunday, August 17, 2008, and has two length rides - 35- and 65-miles. Both courses start at Prospect Park/Prospect New Town in Longmont and wind through the rural towns of Longmont, Hygiene and Niwot, with the longer course continuing on to the scenic and quaint towns of Lyons and Jamestown. Event coordinators estimate that ~500 women that will participate in this inaugural year.

BENEFACTOR
All event proceeds will go to Greenhouse Scholars (GHS), a nonprofit organization that supports high-performing, under-resourced college-bound students with personal, academic, and professional support as well as a significant financial scholarship. This unique Whole Person© approach to providing scholarships is designed to help ensure that students succeed in college and become community leaders that make a difference. Venus de Miles has set a goal of raising at least $17,000 for GHS.