Cycling results

The Dubai Tour starts in 2 days along with the Herald Sun Tour, with Froome starting, and the newly created Tour a la Comunitat Valenciana. The Dubai tour is a flat tour held in the United Arab Emirates. Last year John Degenkolb won a stage while Cavendish won 2 stages and the GC. Viviani won a stage. The race will finish on Saturday (3-6 February).

Brian Cookson confirms motorised bike in the under 23 women's cyclocross world championships.

Andre Greipel beats Nacer Bouhanni and Dylan Page in Challenge Mallorca's final stage. The breakaway got caught 20 seconds from the finish. Here is the full standings: 1º 103  GREIPEL, André ELI LOTTO SOUDAL 03:50:53 2º 169  BOUHANNI, Nacer ELI COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDIT 0 3º 125  PAGE, Dylan ELI TEAM ROTH 0 4º 143  BENNETT, Sam ELI BORA-ARGON 18 0 5º 253  TORRES, Albert ELI SEL. ESPAÑOLA (Pista) 0 6º 57  VANGENECHTEN, Jonas ELI IAM CYCLING 0 7º 83  REGUIGUI, Youcef ELI DIMENSION DATA 0 8º 30  NAVARDAUSKAS, R. ELI CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING TE 0 9º 47  MANZIN, Lorenzo S23 FDJ 0 10º 48  SARREAU, Marc ELI FDJ 0 11º 126  PASQUALON, Andrea ELI TEAM ROTH 0 12º 240  FORTIN, Filippo ELI GM EUROPA OVINI 0 13º 86  THOMSON, Jay Robert ELI DIMENSION DATA 0 14º 237  BURCHIO, Federico S23 GM EUROPA OVINI 0 15º 229  GONZALEZ, Adrian ELI EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY - 0 16º 196  STASH, Mamyr ELI RUSVELO 0 17º 18...

Here is the top 5: 1. Peter Kennaugh 2. Leigh Howard 3. Niccolò Bonifazio 4. Pim Lighart 5. Simon Gerrans

Fabian Cancellara starts the year brilliantly by winning Challenge Mallorca in a long breakaway. Michal Kwiatkowski finishes 2nd for the second time this season and Tsiej Benoot, the young Lotto-Soudal rider completes the podium.

The Australian Simon Gerrans comes back from injury to win the Tour Down Under. Despite losing 20 seconds on the mountain stage he was still able to hold on to his advantage. Richie Porte and Sergio Henao completed the podium respectively.

The young Colombian has always liked these races and would like to win them one day. Next year he will ride the Vuelta, it will be his first grand tour. This year he has raced with the professional peloton various times and kept up with ease. In the Tour of Poland last year he was outstanding finishing top 10 in the hard mountain stage which was won buy the Frenche hero Thibaut Pinot.