Tour of California: Hincapie Wins the Stage and Levi Makes it a Double

Results: Stage Seven: Santa Clarita – Pasadena, 150 km 

The roads were wet and there was more rain in the forecast this morning as riders lined up for the seventh and final stage of the 2008 Amgen Tour of California.  Jackets and leg warmers were abundant. 

The challenging course today would make this final stage far from just ceremonial.  Two intermediate sprints meant that the green jersey was still in contention and a final KOM climb, more than 4,800 feet up the Millcreek Summit, would still allow for some shake-up on GC.  Six five-mile laps around the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena would end today’s stage and this year’s race. 

Only 90 of the original 132 started today as that nasty flu bug continued to make its rounds through the peloton.   

Team Astana immediately took control of the pack this morning.  They were down one rider today after Vladimir Gusev crashed near the end of yesterday’s stage and broke his collarbone.  

Right away there was an attack by Doug Ollerenshaw (Rock Racing).  He was chased down and more attacks came and were caught.  After some back and forth a group of ten riders got away: George Hincapie (High Road), Jason McCartney (CSC), Yannick Talabardon (Credit Agricole), Oliver Zaugg (Gerolsteiner), Dimitri Champion (Bouygues Telecom), Danny Pate (Slipstream), Taylor Tolleson (BMC), Rory Sutherland (Health Net), Tom Zirbel (Bissell) and Michael Creed (Rock Racing). 

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2% [?]

Tour of California – Levi Demolishes the Clock

Results – Stage Five: Solvang Individual Time Trial, 24 km 

Partly cloudy skies greeted riders as they got ready to start today’s individual time trial in Solvang.  Not the warm sunshine that one expects in California, but a huge improvement over yesterday’s relentless cold, wind and rain. 

Today’s course had one hill in the middle but not enough of a climb to give the climbers any real advantage. 

Bryce Mead (Jelly Belly Cycling Team) kicked things off today.  As race leader, Astana’s Levi Leipheimer would be the last to hit the course.  He had 13 seconds on Fabian Cancellara (CSC) in second place. 

John Murphy (Health Net) 34’13 was the top time early on in the day.  Murhpy’s time was soon beat by Bernard Van Ulden (Jelly Belly) who did the course in 32’54. A

s the day went on the wind picked up but the sun came out.  Bradley Wiggins (High Road) flew through the course and beat Van Ulden with a time of 32’16.  Tom Zirbel (Bissell) was the next rider to have the best time with 32’11. 

Team Astana’s Janez Brajkovic took the new best time with 32’05 as U.S. National Time Trial Champion David Zabriskie (Slipstream), British National Time Trial Champion David Millar (Slipstream), and World Time Trial Champion Fabian Cancellara (CSC) all took to the course.  Talk about the best of the best here in Solvang today! 

Levi Leipheimer, the last rider to take to the course, looked very comfortable in yellow with a slow, steady cadence and that upper body crouched down and dead solid. The fans were out in droves and the sound of cow bells filled the air. 

Christian Vande Velde (Slipstream) did an incredible ride and put up the new best time of 31’31. 

The first time check had Cancellara at 16’58 and Leipheimer at 16’20! 

Zabriskie came sprinting through the finish, the crowd cheering him on, but he pulled a time of 32’01.  Not good enough to beat his teammate Vande Velde. 

David Millar took the new best time at 31’15 with Rober Gesink (Rabobank), Cancellara and Leipheimer still out on course. 

32’49 for Gesink keeping him safely in the Young Rider’s jersey. 

Now it was only the top two out on the course. As Cancellara approached the finish the top times clicked away and as he crossed the line is was 31’52 – not enough. 

Then it was Leipheimer who just flew through the finish and shattered the clock with 30’46.  The crowd was deafening as he pumped his fist in the air.  Levi wins the stage and opens up the gap over Cancellara.  What an incredible ride!

Popularity: 1% [?]