While Shelly Evans and Mara Abbott were victorious in Italy, closer to home Marin County, CA resident Kat Carroll ran away from the field to capture the San Rafael Twilight criterium.

Carroll took a flyer in the closing laps of the one-hour crit and made it stick, holding off the hard-charging pack all the way to the line. Touchstone rider Mary Maroon was second, with Peanut Butter's Hanan Alves-Hyde in third.

It was a great evening of racing, as the Pro-1-2 women raced into the setting San Rafael sun. Check out some of the images from the twilight criterium in the following CycleTo photo album.

American teammates had a helluva good week at the Giro Donne.

Team USA's Shelley Evans wins the final stage today at Monza, while Mara Abbott claims the overall title at the women's Giro d'Italia. After taking second place in this race last year, Abbott now becomes the first American to take the top prize in the history of this event.

Mara and Shelley are more than just riders on the same USA national team. Back home, both ride for the Peanut Butter & Company/TWENTY12 team, a team that has can now officialy claim to be the best im America...and Italy!

Complimenti, Mara...complimenti, Shelley. Job well-done!

Saturday's memorable moment from the Tour de France is a look at the leaders, many of the the heads of state of the sport, all together on the route from Tournus to Station des Rousses. The road has begun to go upward in the Tour, with the high Alps looming in the distance.

They're all there...Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador, Andy Schleck, Sylvain Chavanel and Jérôme Pineau. A pretty impressive bunch, and a pretty impressive photo from John Pierce of PhotoSport International.

American Mara Abbott conquered the fearsome climb up the Passo dello Stelvio, leaving the world's best women in her dust and winning the queen stage of the 2010 Giro Donne today in Italy.

Abbott was part of a 15 rider group at the bottom of the 2,000 meter Stelvio climb, but with racers dropping off left and right, it was down to just Abbott and Emma Pooley at the 2 km to go mark. At that point, Mara put the hammer down, gapped the Cervelo Test Team rider and surged to the finish. At the line, Abbott had won by a full 27 seconds. Complimenti!

With just one day of racing left, Abbott leads HTC-Columbia's Judith Arndt by 2:08. No one else is even close. It will all come down to the final stage on Sunday, 112 km in and around Monza.

Forza Mara!

Today's epic image of the Tour de France comes from the 227.5 km road between Montargis and Gueugnon, the longest stage of this year's Tour.

John Pierce of PhotoSport International captured this shot of RadioShack rider Levi Leipheimer leading the Saxo Bank boys...including race leader and yellow jersey wearer Fabian Cancellara...cruising through the wheat fields of France.

Tres bien, oui?

Cancellara continues to lead the race, but with the mountains looming in the distance, we will probably see someone new in the Maillot Jaune this weekend. And will will certainly see more memorable photos from John Pierce in the days to come.

Abbott left everyone else in the dust, beating runner-up Emma Pooley of the Cervelo Test Team by a full 1:27 at the finish in Livigno. The US team had two in the top ten, with Amber Neben in 10th place.

Abbott's attack puts her into the overall lead of the race, a slim 19 seconds ahead of Judith Arndt of HTC-Columbia. Neben is 7th overall, with Evelyn Stevens...Thursday's stage winner...in 10th place.

Tomorrow, the queen stage of the Giro Donne, with the mountain-top finish atop the 9,000 foot Passo dello Stelvio.

How much did it mean for Mark Cavendish to win the sprint to the line at the end of Stage 5 of the Tour de France today in Montargis?

The usually cocky, confident Cavendish broke down into tears on the post-race podium. John Pierce of PhotoSport International captured this memorable moment, and we wanted to share it with everyone.

This is what it means to win a stage in the Tour de France. No matter if it's your first, or your 11th. A rider's life will never be the same after a July win in France.

HTC-Columbia's Evelyn Stevens showed today that she may be the best all-around American racer.

Stevens rode solo for the final 50km, to win the race from Como to Albese Cassano at the women's Giro d'Italia.

Just last month, Stevens won the US national time trial title in Bend, Oregon. Today, she wins in the hills of Italy. Pretty Impressive. HTC-Columbia's Judith Arndt sits second place in the overall standings, chasing Dutch racer Marianne Vos by just 27 seconds. Stevens is 4th, with Americans Mara Abbott and Amber Neben in 6th and 7th.

Tomorrow, more mountains await the riders in the Giro Donne, as they venture from Italy to Switzerland and back, starting in Chiavenna and ending in Livigno.

The best way to animate a bike race is to put a little money on the line.

"Primes" are announced on selected laps in a criterium to get the riders to sprint during the race, and not just sit on each other's wheels and wait for the final kick at the finish.

At the annual Davis, CA 4th of July women's crit, there was a wad of cash waiting for the winner of the crowd prime. Didja ever wonder how they gather up the money for the big-bucks prize? Well, wonder no more. Check out the creative ways the hat was passed in Davis, in the following CycleTo video.